Do you want to be a Rock Star? This is the question...If the answer is "yes" then this new game from the makers of Kudos and Democracy is just for you.

You are a struggling rock singer who puts together their own band, and tries to achieve fame and fortune, from humble beginnings as a starving garage-band. Pick your band-members, choose the band name, write the songs...play the gigs...

Rock Legend is a turn-based game, in some ways similar to the gameplay of Kudos. Each turn of the game represents a single day, and it's up to you to decide how the band spends their time.

Some of the activities you will need to spend time on include songwriting, rehearsals, auditions, publicity events, practicing individual instruments, and of course, recording your latest album.

The game has sophisticated AI that controls your band members (you are the singer, they are your backing band) and decides how motivated, energetic and happy they are.

If you work the band too hard, arrange poorly-attended gigs, and don't provide your band with the lifestyle they expect, you will have resignations on your hands. Running a successful band is part financial management, part people-management, and part creative struggle.

Would you survive the music business?

Why a Game about the music business? - because in a previous life I was a guitar player and wannabe rock star. I did the classic 'playing gigs around the country and traveling in a cramped van full of guitar amps' thing.

We even slept in the back of the van on top of our amps one night when our accommodation fell through...Somewhere in Cornwall. Ahhhhh those were the days eh?

KRL does not model the current trendy way to put bands together, which is done on reality TV shows or by marketing and PR depts of large record companies.

The game is dedicated to musicians who made it the hard way, when bands were groups of friends who rehearsed in their parents garage, and who made it due to gritty determination rather than by record company spin. If you have ever been a gigging musician, you should give the game a try.

If you haven't gigged yet, but you play an instrument, you should definitely give it a try!

KRL was put together by people with real love of the subject matter. For a good 7 years, making it as a gigging musician was my aim in life. I never made it (although I did get offered a record deal once...nothing puts you off the music business quicker than reading the small print).

Julianne Regan is someone who *did* make it, and I'm really pleased that the game features her music. Jean-Marc Lederman also made it, and his l33t music skills provided various music and sounds for the game.

If you want to see how seriously we all used to take ourselves in the eighties, you should check out the games 'credits' page. Tragically, those pics really are us.

KRL is an 'indie' game, put together basically by one guy (cliff) in his spare bedroom. That's how cliff pays his rent and feeds his cats, so please buy it! This game does not have whizz bang 3D effects or online multiplayer deathmatch. But you should download the small free demo and give it a try.

Above everything else, Kudos: Rock Legend is about gigging bands. Remember the good old days before commercial factory-produced identikit pop bands? When bands met in pubs rather than on TV audition shows?

Some of the band names and song names in KRL are made up, but some of them are not. These are the independent bands who kindy allowed the use of their names and song names. Check em out...

Requirements:

· Windows 2000 or XP
· DirectX


Limitations:

· Limited game-play.