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The Game #4
The Game's Season Break
"The Game" was over. Whether the contestant had won or lost was all down to the individual watching it. Some people would see her navigating the series of rooms as a victory but others would see what was lost and say she'd lost. Whatever their stance though, they would be tuning in again. They had to. The show was more than addictive, it was a necessity. Even more so now the producers had set up a competition too. Something to keep the viewers busy whilst they had their season break ahead of the next series... Something to keep the viewers busy, bloody and sadistic!
From Matt Shaw, author of Sick B*stads, comes the second part of "The Game".
From Matt Shaw, author of Sick B*stads, comes the second part of "The Game".
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunk
47 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2018
37 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Matt Shaw
529 books2,202 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 31 reviews
May 26, 2021
I enjoyed the first one much more, but that doesn't mean this isn't a decent story. They're just totally different. The first one was a dark web show and a woman completing absurd tasks to survive. This one, the second of the series, is tamer, but a good idea. The show is on break, but they still need footage to air on the internet. If it weren't part of the series, I may have enjoyed it better. After reading part 1, I expected something different. Overall, it's still a solid 4 star read
July 19, 2020
The Game is back! Kind of...
The Game 2: The Game’s Season Break by Matt Shaw was quite a bit different from the first novelette. Although, not the least bit disappointing. I felt it was creative, fun, and also very fast paced. I found myself guessing for quite sometime during this little read.
The Game 2 takes place after the events of the second season of The Game. Six friends are on a camping trip together to enjoy an extended holiday weekend. Robyn has just broken up with Paul, which happens a lot, but they both attend the trip. Mikey and Lynn are a nice little couple also in attendance. Finally, there are two single friends joining Jackson and Gloria. However, their little trip may be more than they bargained for.
I felt that The Game 2 was more of a whodoneit type of story. As the friends sit around a campfire and tell stories of death someone or something’s lurking waiting to reenact the stories that each person has told. Is it a crazed fan of The Game? A monster? Someone looking for revenge?
The Game 2 I felt had very similar aspects of The Purge movie series, but also blended aspects of The Running Man and found footage films. I did love the flashbacks to missed parts when Vicki was on The Game, but was disappointed that some of my questions weren’t answered. I still enjoyed this quick little nibble of a read though.
Overall, I give The Game 2: The Game’s Season Break by Matt Shaw 3 stars out of 5 stars. Although very imaginative, and I loved the ending, it didn’t seem to capture as much gore as the first game. I did really like the twists that Matt threw in. I also disliked my questions about Vicki, and I thought they’d be answered in this installment, weren’t answered. Therefore I deducted 2 stars. Nonetheless, a fantastic read and easy to speed through!
#mattshaw #thegame2
The Game 2: The Game’s Season Break by Matt Shaw was quite a bit different from the first novelette. Although, not the least bit disappointing. I felt it was creative, fun, and also very fast paced. I found myself guessing for quite sometime during this little read.
The Game 2 takes place after the events of the second season of The Game. Six friends are on a camping trip together to enjoy an extended holiday weekend. Robyn has just broken up with Paul, which happens a lot, but they both attend the trip. Mikey and Lynn are a nice little couple also in attendance. Finally, there are two single friends joining Jackson and Gloria. However, their little trip may be more than they bargained for.
I felt that The Game 2 was more of a whodoneit type of story. As the friends sit around a campfire and tell stories of death someone or something’s lurking waiting to reenact the stories that each person has told. Is it a crazed fan of The Game? A monster? Someone looking for revenge?
The Game 2 I felt had very similar aspects of The Purge movie series, but also blended aspects of The Running Man and found footage films. I did love the flashbacks to missed parts when Vicki was on The Game, but was disappointed that some of my questions weren’t answered. I still enjoyed this quick little nibble of a read though.
Overall, I give The Game 2: The Game’s Season Break by Matt Shaw 3 stars out of 5 stars. Although very imaginative, and I loved the ending, it didn’t seem to capture as much gore as the first game. I did really like the twists that Matt threw in. I also disliked my questions about Vicki, and I thought they’d be answered in this installment, weren’t answered. Therefore I deducted 2 stars. Nonetheless, a fantastic read and easy to speed through!
#mattshaw #thegame2
November 13, 2019
A quick, captivating, suspenseful and twisted delight! Horrible cover, though.
August 6, 2024
3 ⭐️
Very very light compared to the others in the series was it enjoyable- YEAH? I don’t know but it felt like I was reading the final act in a low budget movie 🤣
Quick decent read though/ if you need a quick palate cleanser then it’s a decent read if you’re a gore whore then nope its a skippable book:)
Very very light compared to the others in the series was it enjoyable- YEAH? I don’t know but it felt like I was reading the final act in a low budget movie 🤣
Quick decent read though/ if you need a quick palate cleanser then it’s a decent read if you’re a gore whore then nope its a skippable book:)
December 30, 2019
Campfire Games...
As a small group of campers sit around telling each other spooky stories, they have no idea they will soon become the guest stars in their own tales.
The producers of The Game need something to fill their mid-season break, and these few happy campers are just what they’ve been looking for.
Not as good, sick, or gruesome as the previous instalment, this is still a cracking read, but I much prefer it when Shaw attempts to push my boundaries which this book didn’t do.
Still, Shaw never disappoints, it’s just that this is not quite as good as some of his other titles and much more like something written by Laymon rather than by the king of Extreme Horror himself, Matt Shaw.
As a small group of campers sit around telling each other spooky stories, they have no idea they will soon become the guest stars in their own tales.
The producers of The Game need something to fill their mid-season break, and these few happy campers are just what they’ve been looking for.
Not as good, sick, or gruesome as the previous instalment, this is still a cracking read, but I much prefer it when Shaw attempts to push my boundaries which this book didn’t do.
Still, Shaw never disappoints, it’s just that this is not quite as good as some of his other titles and much more like something written by Laymon rather than by the king of Extreme Horror himself, Matt Shaw.
July 8, 2024
This one was hard to rate. It was a new twist on The Game and I love how the author is still keeping it creative this far into a series. His writing quality is noticeably improving, too. But my main issue with the first book in the series was unnecessary filler with lots of repeated talking points between characters. In this, the first four paragraphs of the book (page 4) are repeated word-for-word on page 8. It's meant to show that the victim's campfire story is "coming true" but it was so odd, especially when the implied motivations are slightly different in the two scenes, so it would've made sense to change the passage to fit.
May 18, 2020
Captivating Fast-paced Read
A bunch of friends come together for a long weekend camping but some of them have dark agendas for the promise of money and opportunity pertaining to the addictive controversial web-show "The Game".
More of a spin-off than a sequel to the first book. Not as dark and gruesome and pretty mild in violence and gore compared to most of Matt Shaw's other works.
That being said, it is still an entertaining and thrilling short read that never gets boring, with you typical Matt Shaw twist.
A bunch of friends come together for a long weekend camping but some of them have dark agendas for the promise of money and opportunity pertaining to the addictive controversial web-show "The Game".
More of a spin-off than a sequel to the first book. Not as dark and gruesome and pretty mild in violence and gore compared to most of Matt Shaw's other works.
That being said, it is still an entertaining and thrilling short read that never gets boring, with you typical Matt Shaw twist.
October 1, 2019
Very nice!
It definitely wasn't as good as the first one but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! Great job, Matt! I really hope there are more seasons of The Game with different rooms to keep us going!
It definitely wasn't as good as the first one but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! Great job, Matt! I really hope there are more seasons of The Game with different rooms to keep us going!
April 10, 2020
The Game
A killer among friends. What would you do for a million pounds? Contestants are urged to kill people in exchange for money and a possible job. All crimes will be forgiven sounds a little like the Purge.
A killer among friends. What would you do for a million pounds? Contestants are urged to kill people in exchange for money and a possible job. All crimes will be forgiven sounds a little like the Purge.
February 17, 2021
Satisfying Ending
There weren't a lot of creative tortures the way there are in some of the books of this series. But it made up for it with an interesting storyline and a nice, wholesome conclusion
There weren't a lot of creative tortures the way there are in some of the books of this series. But it made up for it with an interesting storyline and a nice, wholesome conclusion
March 3, 2018
Just as good as the 1st one!
Just as exciting as the 1st one. Can't wait for the next one! Very good twist at end didn't see it coming.
Just as exciting as the 1st one. Can't wait for the next one! Very good twist at end didn't see it coming.
May 19, 2018
Wow! That was tame for Matt Shaw!
May 8, 2019
Not as good as the first one.
June 26, 2020
Unexpected
Who would have thought going on a camping trip with your best friends could end badly? Well that's exactly what happens.
Who would have thought going on a camping trip with your best friends could end badly? Well that's exactly what happens.
September 17, 2020
Short and sweet
Good read for a lunch hour. I'm enjoying this series even if it is totally twisted and sick. More please
Good read for a lunch hour. I'm enjoying this series even if it is totally twisted and sick. More please
October 16, 2020
Complete rubbish
This was an absolute waste of time. It was under 50 pages long and consisted of repeating the same thing over half a dozen times. Utter rubbish.
This was an absolute waste of time. It was under 50 pages long and consisted of repeating the same thing over half a dozen times. Utter rubbish.
November 14, 2020
Camping
I enjoy the twist and turns in the story. Especially how you deal with time and misconceptions. Camping will never be the same.
I enjoy the twist and turns in the story. Especially how you deal with time and misconceptions. Camping will never be the same.
September 25, 2021
A really quick read packing a swift punch to the gut, a B movie style story set at a campsite. A little side story to The Game and one worth reading for an hour's escapism.
August 23, 2022
Dang I rly thought we'd get a happy ending
Cuz of the ending to the story she told
Cuz of the ending to the story she told
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2023
meh
It was okay. Far more tame than his other stories, and extremely short. But it had the bare bones of a nice concept.
It was okay. Far more tame than his other stories, and extremely short. But it had the bare bones of a nice concept.
September 22, 2023
Didn’t rate this one as much as the others as didn’t think it was a necessary book but super surprised by the ending so I am glad I read it!
June 8, 2024
This one kinda gave a summer vibe and I was living for it !
October 7, 2025
This one did not live up to its prequels. Definitely a different pace, and concept. I'm hoping the next will be more like the first couple.
June 8, 2021
This was awful. Absolutely rubbish. Really didn’t enjoy this at all, feel like I wasted my time reading this
August 5, 2024
Rated this a 4 because I was never really sure how this game would go. Should have read 1 & 2 closer together, but I waited too long before writing this review. I definitely liked reading "The Game" and wrote a review on it. I remember when I started reading #2 that I believed the decision making to be more intense, adding to the anxiety buildup throughout the book. At any rate, it was another great read from the deepening depths of Matt Shaw's mind. This is a for sure reading for all fans of Matt Shaw.
January 21, 2025
This book is one of the lower rated of The Game series I think, but I LOVED this one! I really liked the fact that it wasn’t necessarily a continue of the earlier games, it was a nice little break from the craziness of the first few . Also I found this a little less gruesome which is perfect for when you need the tiiiiniest break from this kind of genre
May 13, 2023
I'm torn on what to rate this one cause even though it's so short it took me forever to get through. The beginning was pretty slow for me and I wasn't understanding how it fit into the bigger picture of the series, BUT the ending was perfect lol
August 7, 2023
Better than the first one
I would love to have seen a different twist to the ending. But I enjoyed this story better than #1. This is NOT for the faint of heart or easily grossed out. I appreciated more gore and no sequel assault in this one.
I would love to have seen a different twist to the ending. But I enjoyed this story better than #1. This is NOT for the faint of heart or easily grossed out. I appreciated more gore and no sequel assault in this one.
September 25, 2021
A woman's campfire tale is interrupted by her annoying ex, but she is later asked to finish it.
An 80's camping slasher mixed with twists.
Enjoyable, short, but good.
An 80's camping slasher mixed with twists.
Enjoyable, short, but good.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 31 reviews