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Very Limited “Extra” Issue: COMPUTE!’s Gazette – October 2025 (Volume 1, Issue 4 Physical Copy

COMPUTE!’s Gazette – Volume 1, Issue 4 (October 2025) – Special Spooktacular Issue!

Happy Halloween from COMPUTE!’s Gazette! Welcome to our Special Spooktacular Issue for October 2025, where we lean into the eerie magic of old machines. This month is packed with digital hauntings, classic horror deep dives, and spine-chilling technical explorations perfect for the season.

Our cover story, “Debugging a Ghost,” delves into one of the strangest tales in computing history: The Dodleston Source Code. Uncover the chilling account of an offline BBC Microcomputer in a quiet English cottage that inexplicably began receiving messages from both the 16th century and the year 2109. Is it a sophisticated hoax, a technological anomaly, or a genuine haunting for the digital age?

Inside this issue, you’ll also find:

• SCARE WAVES: A deep-dive into the art of creating terror on 8-bit platforms, exploring how sound and silence build suspense.
• Retro Horror Masterpieces: Revisit underrated classics with in-depth reviews of the survival horror pioneer Project Firestart and the atmospheric masterpiece Beyond the Forbidden Forest.
• The Return of a Classic: We’re thrilled to welcome back “The GEOS Column” after a long absence, exploring the continuing evolution of the beloved GUI.
• New Podcast Corner: Introducing our brand-new column with a look at the excellent Floppy Days vintage computing podcast.
• Today in Retro History: Journey back to the pivotal Octobers of 1980, 1985, and 1990 to see how three months shaped modern computing.
• Halloween Type-Ins: Get your own machine in the spirit with fun, spooky program listings for your classic computer, including “A Halloween Treat” for the C64 and “Bigmouth Jack” for the VIC-20.
• Plus: Continue your journey into 6502 assembly, explore the retro BBS scene, and discover games from the ’90s and 2000s you may have missed.

From paranormal mysteries and horror game retrospectives to hands-on programming projects, Issue 4 is the perfect companion for a cozy, spooky night with your favorite retro computer. Don’t miss out on this chillingly good issue!