Game Core is not a program that is easy to review in a short period of time. With a utility intended for arcade games, like a sprite utility package, it is possible to set up characters and test out the movement routines without having to go into the intricacies of programming a full game.

Not so with this program, which provides the 'tree searching' routines incorporated in most strategy and board games.

Everything from noughts and crosses to chess falls into the general category of game that can be programmed with Game Core. The governing rules are listed in the 36 page manual as follows:

1. there are exactly two opposing players; 2. the players play alternately (or pass); 3. the number of possible moves in any position is finite; 4. there is no randomness (such as the roll of a die); 5. both players have full information about the game.

In the same way as with sprite utilities, however, there is a large part of the programming work that still needs to be done by the programmer.

So much so that, when asked, BBC Publications said there were no restrictions on the commercial sale of games using the core, only that they would be grateful for an acknowledgement.

The Game Core package consists of one complete example game, Reversi, two others supplied as a set of procedures which can be easily combined with the machine code core routines (3D OXO and Pentagon) and a tutorial example, Don't Be Greedy.

All the games play well, but none are visually exciting - but of course that is one of the areas left to the programmer. Also included are a simple character generator, a boot file for conversion of the programs to disc (why can't more software houses follow the BBC's lead?) and source and object listings of the core routines themselves.

The manual is very comprehensive and attempts to be a textbook on strategy game creation as well as detailing the use of the tape. However, anyone intending to make full use of Game Core who is not already experienced in this kind of word would need one of the several game books on the market in addition to this manual.

If you're prepared to put a lot of effort into programming a game of strategy, Game Core will enable you to create the guts of it much more quickly. A very valuable utility.