Rebelstar: When British Bedroom Coding Changed Tactics Forever
Discover the untold story of how Rebelstar revolutionised tactical gaming from British bedrooms to global influence.
Retro Computing
The Black Sanctum: How a British Text Adventure Turned Gaming Into a Family Event
A chilling text adventure from the 1980s, The Black Sanctum transformed a family’s living room into a haunting monastery. This meticulously crafted CoCo game, built with limited 32KB RAM, demanded strategic puzzle-solving and collaborative exploration. Experience the dread of a mirrored corridor, the urgency of a flickering lantern, and the satisfaction of uncovering a shared narrative, a truly unique gaming event.
When the Cursor Blinks Back: Revisiting the Glory Days of Text Adventures
Remember the thrill of typing “LOOK” and being transported to a dimly lit cavern? This nostalgic piece revisits the golden age of text adventures on the ZX Spectrum, exploring the quirky humour, community, and unique literacy of early computer games. Discover the legacy of British developers, the enduring appeal of parser-based gameplay, and the ongoing revival of interactive fiction.
Control Codes & Cursor Keys: A Shootout of 1980s Home Word Processors
From the clatter of ZX Spectrums to the disciplined prose of the Amstrad CPC, this shootout dives deep into the best word processors of the 1980s. We compare Tasword, Protext, Brunword and more to reveal how they shaped a generation’s writing habits—escape codes and all.
Letters from the Lounge: When Word Processing Came Home
From family newsletters to home businesses, word processors quietly reshaped British homes in the 1980s. Sophie Calder explores how everyday users—especially women and older adults—turned front rooms into offices, and technology into empowerment. This forgotten tech chapter deserves its place in our digital heritage.
Part 7: Czech Bytes – How 8-Bit Survived the Iron Curtain
In 1980s Czechoslovakia, computing wasn’t just a hobby — it was defiance in code. While Western kids played on Spectrums, Czech teens built their own machines from scratch. From the PMD 85 to the Didaktik Gama, this is the untold story of how 8-bit survived behind the Iron Curtain — and how its legacy echoes in indie games today.
Part 6: Clones, Codes, and Comebacks – Brazil’s 8-Bit Parallel Universe
In 1980s Brazil, import bans sparked a revolution of cloned micros, bootleg games, and BASIC code on cassette. This is the untold story of how Brazil created its own 8-bit world — and how it helped preserve the soul of the ZX Spectrum.
Part 5: Hack the Dictator – Spain’s Wild 8-Bit Golden Age
In 1980s Spain, kids didn’t just play games — they copied them, hacked them, and built a golden age of bedroom-born code. This is the punk history of Spain’s homegrown 8-bit rebellion.
Part 4: Minitel to Microcode – France’s Digital Futures Before the Web
Before the internet was a marketplace, France built a public information commons. From Minitel to school-issued TO7s, this is the story of how the Republic once taught its children to code — and imagined a civic internet.
Part 2: Silicon Shōtengai – Japan’s 8-Bit Computing Revolution
Before the Famicom ruled living rooms, Japan was already cultivating an 8-bit culture of its own — led by dōjin coders, modular micros, and synth-ready machines like the MSX. This is the story of a parallel computing revolution.