Help Rob get a new computer

Hiya, my name's Rob and I dunno, maybe you know me from writing games like SYNSO, War Tw** or Death Ray Manta or maybe you know me from an excess of writing on trying to make videogames an ultimately better place. Or you know, maybe you know me from my occasional pieces on Eurogamer or from running Retroremakes and its major competitions or maybe as that embarrassing gob on legs on Twitter (or much quieter running @nomanspics). Or I dunno, maybe you don't know me at all but yeah, that's some of the stuff I normally do.

Anyway. I'm turning to GoFundMe (and in turn, you) for some help as my computer has recently kicked the bucket and I need all the help I can get to replace it, really.

Under vaguely normal situations, I'd cadge a writing gig or ten to help get some money together but the past year or so has been way outside my normal situation and it has been quite a ride the past twelve months and that. Bluntly I'm skint, unwell and struggling to keep heads above water here and just about managing it.

Not to go into too much of a sob story here but as some folk may already be aware just over a year ago, I nearly lost my partner. Thanks to the joys of the NHS, my partner is still around but things take a long time to return to normal and we're still working at that. Most of my money these days tends to disappear into that "getting to and thro between home and the hospital for appointments" hole. This isn't going to ease for a while.

As if that wasn't quite enough, in the past year I've been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia (nicely described online as "one of the worst types of pain imaginable" but I swear this is a term used by people who think it's some sort of competition and it really isn't), it's something I've lived with for a long time but previously, I've had long periods of respite where I can function without excruciating pain.

Since October last year, I've had only days of respite so you know, my head tends to exist in some sort of state of wanting to peel the skin from my face for *at least* a few hours every day. It's pretty exhausting, really. It started peaking around February/March this year and hasn't really dipped much since - essentially meaning I struggle to put one word after the other without forgetting what I was trying to do because ow. Also, you don't even want to know what bending over feels like but bloody hell.

All of which makes the thought of being able to afford to replace my now knackered computer seem like a crazy dream.

And it is so very knackered. It's been on the blink for months now and a few days back, finally just stopped working. You know, just in time for Rez to launch on the PC, such is my luck. I can salvage hard drives, I have a monitor but yeah, I can't think of any way I'm going to be able to afford to replace it without some serious help. Due to the pain, I'm going to need to go off the shelf too as well, ow again.

And that's why I'm here, asking folks for some help. There's no way I can afford a new computer and there's no way my health is in a place where I can do what I normally do to raise funds.

I'm asking for £800 which will be enough to get something not quite as good as the one that's blown up but will give me enough overhead to play and make the games I love to.

The one I had cost two grand a few years back (you know, when I had money and felt better) so it's quite a loss to me and the more money I can raise, the more chance I have of being able to get something similar.

So yeah, what a pickle. I'm absolutely gutted that I even have to ask but things are that up against the wall here, it's either this or have no idea when and how I'll be able to make games again or play most of the things I want to write about.

Any help here would be massively appreciated and as ever, I'm incredibly thankful for any support or sharing of this page regardless.

Thank you so much - Rob