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Here is a game of a different kind. If you're tried of gobbling power pills, alien-bashing or killing trolls, you might like to try your hand at governing the country for a while.

1984 is partly a fun game and partly a serious economic simulation. It is not detailed enough to be a full working model of the economy, but is far too complicated for me to succeed with. You take the role of Prime Minister for three terms of office. The best I could manage was one term and then I had a yearly rating of minus six, inflation running at 20 per cent and income tax at 43 per cent. Maggie, I take it all back.

It requires a great deal of thought but no real knowledge of government or economics. If you attempt absurd strategies you will usually be told off. If you receive too many of these yellow cards then the country gives you a red one and you have to resign.

The game is as compulsive as any arcade fodder and also mildly educational, though I do not think enough principles are explained and some of the mechanisms are rather too simple, in particular the pure guesswork used in wage bargaining.

N.W.