The Nettle Tea Chronicles – Verri Merri

Slice of Real Life

“Slice of life” usually means some emphasis on daily life in a fantasy setting. One doesn’t expect it to be a slice of mundane life. And one doesn’t expect it to work as well as it does in Nettle Tea Chronicles.

The premise is unpromising: A group of friends meets electronically, several times a week, to play online. The game has to fit within Real Life - scheduled around work, around kids’ bedtimes, etc. The game is just a game - no full-immersion VR, no players finding themselves embedded in a fantasy world or setting - just words and pictures on a screen. The action consists of fighting monsters and NPCs as a group - and if the group loses the fight, it can usually try again.

But it works. The portrayal of a group of good-but-not-incredible gamers getting on with their lives and gaming some evenings is consistently fun to read. Light touch, good pacing, good characterization where wanted.