As Tim Stone spent his week knee-deep in virtual fishing holes, pouting at carp and tickling their barbels, it falls to me to report than serious strategy and wargame folks Matrix Games have launched their traditional holiday sale. You won’t find discounts as ridiculous as other sales, but they are cutting prices perhaps a touch deeper than they usually do. Boxed copies are on sale as well as downloads, so you can slip Gary Grigsby into your loved ones’ Christmas stockings.

You can see a big list of everything on sale as a PDF or a virtual catalogue. Yes, they’re both less convenient than a regular webpage, but look at those happy snowmen!

Some of their games are on Steam too, and on sale there as well – though they seem to be a touch more expensive. Look for the Steam logo on pages if that’s your bag.

Again, as our resident expert was last seen fleeing into the virtual reeds from swans who’d come to scoff the bread he was using as bait, you’re stuck with me for recommendations. Well. I’ll turn to our archives.

Gary Grigsby’s War in the East (£35.90), Distant Worlds – Universe (£21.90), and Unity of Command (£7.69) all made our best strategy games list. I note that Tim enjo- oh good grief, Tim’s just collapsed into the RPS treehouse wearing the bloody severed neck of a virtual swan as a feather boa.

I need to go deal with… hey, wargamers, can you point out other bargains and beauties to folks in the comments? Ta!

Jesus, Tim…