Gaming posts
The Journey and Sky art books each hold a secret
2025-03-30 15:00:01
Most video game art books follow a certain template: Load up on concept art, show how the game evolved during production, add some commentary to connect the dots. Some lean more heavily on a studio’s history and others focus on technique, but it’s a proven formula that, in the best cases, has produced books that […]
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Monster Hunter Wilds’ Gathering Hub NEEDS a Poogie, OK???
2025-03-29 14:00:02
Monster Hunter Wilds has been keeping me busy since its drop a few weeks back. I’m working on boosting my hunter rank in the high-rank environments, and vacillating quickly on which new armor set I’m going to craft next. (Right now I’m hunting gnarly Jin Dahaad, but the armor-plated Gravios armor — perfect for my […]
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Get six awesome Earth Defense Force games and all their DLC for just $25
2025-03-28 14:00:02
Don’t miss your chance to bring home the best titles in the Earth Defense Force franchise for just $25. The Earth Defense Force Collection from Humble combines six Earth Defense Force games and all of their associated DLC into a single package for $25. This bundle skips Earth Defense Force 6, but you’ll still find every other game […]
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Cristiano Ronaldo is playable in Fatal Fury because reality wasn’t absurd enough already
2025-03-27 14:00:02
They actually did it. After teasing a mysterious collaboration with Cristiano Ronaldo last year, SNK has announced the soccer player will be, not just a skin or promotional spokesperson, but a playable character in the upcoming Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. The fighting game launches in April. Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of […]
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Kaiserpunk melds multiple genres while succeeding in none
2025-03-26 14:00:02
When Kaiserpunk was announced a couple of years ago, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Having played numerous strategy games in the past, the notion of combining concepts from city-building management sims, 4X strategy, and grand warfare, all wrapped up in an alternate post-World War I timeline, seemed too good to be true. Regrettably, it surely […]
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a hidden technique for creating stunningly realistic wind
2025-03-25 14:00:02
When the wind hits in Assassin’s Creed Shadows the world feels alive. Leaves whip up into the air, grass dances back and forth, and Naoe’s hair sways from side to side. It’s a stunning effect that enriches the game’s shifting seasonal and weather systems. According to a Digital Foundry interview with a few of the […]
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows commits a great RPG sin, but I’ll forgive it
2025-03-24 14:00:01
I spent 20 hours playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows before I spent my first skill point. I was cleaning out castles like it was House Flipper: Sengoku Edition and I never once needed an extra 4% vulnerable damage, or even the ability to assassinate two people at once. Naoe is a capable ninja from the start […]
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows voice actor Masumi reflects on her first video game performance
2025-03-23 14:00:02
Singer-songwriter, actor, and now video game voice actor Masumi is not new to playing a Japanese assassin grieving the loss of her father. She starred as a yakuza heir in 2021’s Yakuza Princess — her “breakout movie,” as she calls it. Then, she booked a new challenge: Naoe, the shinobi assassin protagonist in Assassin’s Creed […]
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They called it Assassin’s Creed Shadows because it’s too dark to see anything
2025-03-22 14:00:02
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in Japan circa 1579, near the end of what is known as the Sengoku period — 300 years before the advent of the incandescent light bulb. So it stands to reason that once the sun sets, the world that co-protagonists Naoe and Yasuke inhabit is going to get dark.  Now, […]
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Silent Hill 2 remake devs’ new horror game might scratch that Dead Space itch
2025-03-21 14:00:01
After Bloober Team’s excellent Silent Hill 2 remake, I’m willing to give the developer the benefit of the doubt when it comes to its brand of horror games. It certainly helps that its next effort, Cronos: The New Dawn, looks incredible and is giving off gory Dead Space vibes. Cronos: The New Dawn co-directors Wojciech […]
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The GDC Awards’ 2025 Game of the Year winners are rolling in
2025-03-20 14:00:02
While the scale of December’s The Game Awards has given the trailer-heavy show the glow of the gaming industry’s Oscar equivalent, the annual Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Game Festival Awards, held together each year at GDC, are closer to an Academy Awards-like event. Voted on by artists and craftspeople who make games, the […]
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I installed a bunch of Fallout 4 mods to experience maximum coziness
2025-03-19 14:00:02
Typing “cozy” into the Fallout 4 section of Nexus Mods doesn’t bring you as many actually cozy mods as you might think. According to modders, a custom bedroom with an American flag, something called “visible rain,” and a busty sweater are all cozy. I realize that the nuclear post-apocalypse isn’t exactly chill, but mods are […]
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10 cozy games that hide a secret twist
2025-03-17 14:00:01
It’s nice to be cozy. I’m a huge fan of being wrapped up in a big blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and leisurely walks under colorful autumn trees. Cozy games are also great, and they’re an increasingly popular genre. While I’ve spent hours preparing the perfect farm in Stardew Valley or exploring Bahari Bay in Palia, […]
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Wanderstop, a delicious game about making tea, is on sale this weekend
2025-03-16 14:00:01
Wanderstop managed to make me feel emotionally attacked while making tea, and I love it. If you’re looking for a cozy game to indulge in this weekend, whether indoors or in the pseudo-spring weather outside, Wanderstop is a great fit — and it’s discounted to $22.49 through March 18 on Steam as part of the […]
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Here’s what Troy Baker did to sound uncannily like Indiana Jones
2025-03-15 14:00:01
I wonder if the developers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — several years ago, when they were first outlining the game’s core pillars — felt like they knew what they were getting into when they decided to go the full-likeness route. That is, that the game’s protagonist wouldn’t just be “Indiana Jones,” but […]
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Experts predict a huge June launch — and a high price — for Switch 2
2025-03-14 14:00:01
Speaking to Bloomberg, game industry analysts have predicted that the Nintendo Switch 2 will enjoy the biggest console launch ever, despite costing at least $399 — and maybe as much as $499. Citing a group of analysts “who regularly communicate with [Nintendo] and its software and hardware partners,” Bloomberg said expectations within the industry and […]
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World of Warcraft’s upcoming housing system looks surprisingly robust
2025-03-13 14:00:01
Player housing was one of the most demanded features in World of Warcraft, and Blizzard finally shared that the feature will be coming in the upcoming expansion Midnight. We’re still a ways out from Midnight, the expansion set to release after the current The War Within as part of the Worldsoul Saga. Blizzard is sharing […]
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Expelled! is the most fun you can have being accused of attempted murder
2025-03-12 14:00:02
My first run in Expelled! was a completely miserable affair for our poor protagonist, Verity Amersham, a scholarship student at Miss Mulligatawney’s School for Promising Girls. The entire playthrough took just a few minutes; I was escorted to Miss Mulligatawney’s office, dressed down, and booted out. This was just my first attempt, and I soon […]
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Death Stranding 2 gets June 2025 release date, huge new trailer at SXSW
2025-03-10 14:00:02
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be released on June 26 for PlayStation 5, game director and Kojima Productions founder Hideo Kojima announced Sunday during a panel at SXSW 2025 with a lengthy new trailer for the game. That trailer offered a new 10-minute look at Death Stranding 2 and its stars, including some […]
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Discover more than a dozen game consoles you never knew about
2025-03-09 14:00:01
History is told by the winners, the saying goes, and that’s certainly been true with English-language coverage of the video game industry. Want coverage of the NES and PlayStation? That’s easy to find. Want coverage of the Zemmix and Dendy? Were you even aware they existed? Lewis Packwood’s book Curious Video Game Machines was written […]
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Blizzard admits Diablo 4 was too easy, plans to crank the difficulty up next season
2025-03-08 14:00:02
Slaying hundreds of demons is cool, but slaying hundreds of demons 20 minutes after creating your character is a little ridiculous for a loot-based action RPG. You want to feel each step as you ascend in power. Otherwise, there’s no point in chasing more loot. For many players, this is the core problem with Diablo […]
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Turning off Monster Hunter Wilds’ Seikret autopilot lets you have more fun
2025-03-06 14:00:02
Monster Hunter Wilds’ Seikret mounts are helpful. Maybe a little too helpful. With a single button press, they will scoop you up and shuttle you across the map to whichever monster you happen to be hunting. It’s wonderfully convenient, but after a few dozen hours, you might yearn for a little more control.  The good […]
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Where to pre-order Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
2025-03-05 14:00:03
The franchise that taught an entire generation the complete lyrics to Goldfinger’s “Superman” and inspired more than a few of us to pick up a skateboard is returning with another remaster. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 arrives on July 11 for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Just like its predecessor, Tony Hawk’s […]
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The best horror visual novel dating sim combo out there just got a massive update
2025-03-04 14:00:02
I picked up Scarlet Hollow, an early-access visual novel from Black Tabby Games, sometime last summer and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Scarlet Hollow kicks off with your player-character visiting a long-lost cousin named Tabitha in a small, nearly rundown North Carolina town (which is called… you guessed it! Scarlet […]
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Magic: The Gathering reveals new Spider-Man set, and you can pre-order now
2025-03-02 14:00:03
At Toy Fair 2025, Wizards of the Coast debuted a Magic: The Gathering expansion that, frankly, I’m surprised didn’t already exist. Marvel’s Spider-Man is the latest collaboration to get the MTG treatment, with several products coming out on Sept. 26. That’s quite a ways out, but Amazon is already serving up pre-order links for a […]
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Sonic the Hedgehog has been quiet since the demo dropped for this running roguelike
2025-02-27 14:00:02
You know a game is going to be good when the tutorial is shorter than the time it took to download it. Haste: Broken Worlds is the fastest game I’ve played this year, and the demo kicks off in less than 30 seconds. The premise is extremely simple: The world is falling apart, and the […]
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Bruins center Matt Poitras prefers to play left defense in NHL 25
2025-02-26 14:00:02
In 2023, Matt Poitras joined the Boston Bruins on a three-year contract after being drafted by the organization in the second round. At the age of 19, Poitras had immediate impact, earning his first point on an assist in his first-ever National Hockey League game. But his rookie season was cut short by shoulder surgery […]
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Logitech announces a sequel to its Powerplay mouse pad
2025-02-25 14:00:02
Logitech is giving its Powerplay lineup of wireless charging accessories some much-needed juice with a follow-up to the Powerplay mouse pad. The Logitech Powerplay 2 mouse pad is a less expensive, and slimmer version of its original Powerplay mouse pad from 2017, and will be backwards compatible with Logitech’s existing family of Powerplay accessories. Compared […]
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How to name your game after a Japanese airport, twice
2025-02-23 14:00:02
Back in 2017, Studio Koba announced Narita Boy, a game named after Tokyo’s second-biggest airport that seemed custom built for Kickstarter. It had slim-fit pixel art characters in a neon side-scrolling world. It had nostalgic ‘80s anime vibes with modern visual effects. It had a story of a developer — former Friend & Foe team […]
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Marvel Rivals layoffs are just part of NetEase’s ice-cold job and game cuts
2025-02-22 14:00:02
When NetEase slashed jobs at its Marvel Rivals development studio in Seattle earlier this week, it was unclear why the Chinese game publisher would make cuts around such a successful project. Marvel Rivals has attracted more than 40 million players since its December launch, helping NetEase rack up $2.9 billion in gaming and services revenue […]
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In this house, any game can be a co-op game
2025-02-21 14:00:02
My husband and I have been playing a lot of Portal 2 — arguably the best couch co-op game of the modern era, despite the success of Hazelight’s It Takes Two, which also changed the genre forever. I could name a few more, and that’s about it. I’m not talking just about games you can […]
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This twist on the survival crafter genre lets you play as a silly little squirrel
2025-02-20 14:00:02
Countless games let you play as a normal, bipedal person; far fewer games let you play as a critter. Stray and Little Kitty, Big City have both made strides in adorable animal protagonists, but an upcoming indie game makes the ambitious choice of putting you in the furry, grasping feet of the humble squirrel. Squirreled […]
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Pokémon Go is reportedly for sale and the price tag is huge
2025-02-19 14:00:02
In 2016, Pokémon Go was the biggest video game on the planet, breaking software download records and sending local news into hysterics. Nine years and many less popular games later, developer Niantic Inc. is preparing to sell its games division to Saudia Arabia-owned Scopely Inc., according to a report by Bloomberg. How much does one […]
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Monster Hunter Wilds collaboration coming to Monster Hunter Now, including new monster
2025-02-18 14:00:02
Capcom and Niantic’s augmented reality game Monster Hunter Now is to receive a Monster Hunter Wilds-themed update tied to that game’s release date of Feb. 28. The headline is the addition of monster Chatacabra, a large-tongued amphibian familiar to those who have sampled the Monster Hunter Wilds beta, with its own armor set to unlock […]
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How Marvel Rivals does right by its Asian characters
2025-02-17 14:00:02
Marvel Rivals took the game industry by storm when it was released in December 2024, proving that the hero shooter space still has plenty to offer after games like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends dominated the genre. The Marvel universe is composed of many different origins and cultures, and it’s impressive to see Marvel Rivals reflect […]
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5 great co-op games are on deep discount in Steam’s new sale
2025-02-16 14:00:03
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a weekend of gaming togetherness or just somebody with a gaming pal looking for a great deal, Steam’s Couch Co-Op Fest — running through Feb. 18 — has a ton of amazing cooperative games marked down significantly. The list of included games is long, but several of them stuck […]
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Gundam Assemble miniatures game will start small, Bandai says
2025-02-15 14:00:02
Bandai Spirits first announced its Gundam Assemble miniatures game in January, setting off a firestorm of speculation among fans. The giant toy robot models are finally being shrunken down to the size of tabletop miniatures, and a new tabletop skirmish game is on the way. But with little more than a brief trailer to go […]
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The best gaming chairs
2025-02-14 14:00:02
The best gaming chairs provide comfort, style, and features that normal office chairs can’t match. Sure, getting one might run you a few hundred dollars more than perhaps you were expecting to pay, but the same rationale for splashing cash on a good bed works here, too. That is to say, if you’re sitting at […]
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Diablo 4 won’t have annual expansions after all
2025-02-13 14:00:02
The next Diablo 4 expansion won’t be out in 2025, in spite of the studio’s previous comments about releasing them annually. Speaking at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas (via Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier), Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson said the follow-up to 2024’s Vessel of Hatred expansion won’t be out until 2026. “In his DICE […]
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Your Marvel Rivals rank isn’t safe from upcoming midseason patch
2025-02-12 14:00:01
Update: (Feb. 11): Marvel Rivals’ upcoming midseason patch will no longer impact your rank. Read more about that update here. Hold your competitive rank close, because it’s going to disappear next week when Marvel Rivals’ midseason patch drops. In a dev diary post today, developer NetEase announced that ranks will be reset twice per season: […]
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Phasmophobia’s 2025 roadmap includes a new map
2025-02-11 14:00:02
Phasmophobia, the wildly popular co-op ghost hunting game, has been blowing up on Twitch since at least 2020, and developers Kinetic Games said Monday that it’s sold more than 22 million copies so far. In 2025, the team has a jam-packed developmental roadmap, including plans for an updated look for its famously nondescript player character […]
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We need to change our definition of interactivity
2025-02-10 14:00:02
Can watching video feel more intimate — or more engaging — than playing a game? In this interview excerpt, Sam Barlow and Justin McElroy explore what makes players and viewers feel like they are making their mark on media. This interview was done in September 2024 as part of the release of our documentary The […]
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Sony’s response to PlayStation Network outage
2025-02-09 14:00:02
Sony’s PlayStation Network was down from Friday to Saturday evening. Surpassing 24 hours, it was one of the decade’s longest unscheduled outages of a major video game network. The outage was wide-reaching, including PSN’s account management, social features, the PlayStation Store, and more. Yet as the service returned online, information on the cause (let alone the […]
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Riot explains fewer free skins in a new League of Legends dev diary
2025-02-08 14:00:01
On Friday, Riot Games posted a “check-in” video regarding the current season and monetization woes in League of Legends. The video begins with head of League Studio Andrei Van Roon and executive producer Paul Bellezza discussing the current season format, which recently underwent a big change to be more lore-focused. The pair also discuss Hextech […]
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Football Manager 25 canceled just weeks before March release
2025-02-07 14:00:02
For the first time in its 20-year history, soccer management sim Football Manager will be skipping a year. Football Manager 25, already delayed twice, has been canceled shortly ahead of its proposed March 2025 release date. In a statement, developer Sports Interactive and publisher Sega said they had decided to shift their focus to the […]
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The Cousin Game is one of the oldest and most underappreciated genres
2025-02-04 14:00:02
I have a name for the forgotten, forgettable, off-brand, off-axis games of our youth. I call them: Cousin Games. The best way to get in the Cousin Game mindset is to imagine being dropped off in a house that smells different from how you think a house is supposed to smell and you go into […]
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Dimension 20’s Brennan and Ally have expert advice on keeping a gaming group together
2025-02-03 14:00:02
When Polygon sat down with Dimension 20 stars Brennan Lee Mulligan and Ally Beardsley last week, we mostly talked about the elephant in the arena — their sold-out Madison Square Garden show, “Gauntlet at the Garden.” But we were curious about one more thing: What has their time with the show’s core cast members (the […]
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Hyper Light Breaker’s Michael Clark: ‘We want our true believers to feel their faith in us is rewarded’
2025-02-02 14:00:01
Like a lot of people, I adored Hyper Light Drifter, the debut title from the Culver City, California-based game devs Heart Machine. Drifter was one of those rare indie games where all the component parts just clicked: it had a gorgeous art style, an unbelievable soundtrack, and sparse but very effective storytelling that hinted at […]
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Netflix’s Devil May Cry makes a bold choice with a Limp Bizkit-powered opening
2025-01-31 14:00:02
Netflix dropped a new look at its upcoming animated series based on Devil May Cry on Thursday, revealing the opening credits for Adi Shankar and Studio Mir’s anime adaptation of the Capcom franchise. In a surprise, bold, and incredibly fitting choice, the Devil May Cry anime will open with Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’,” the breakout single […]
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Time is running out to save on Civ 7 pre-orders
2025-01-30 14:00:02
If you’re as excited as we are for the impending launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, you won’t want to miss this deal on the PC version of the latest installment of the historic 4X title. Right up to launch day on Feb. 11, you can save 12% on Civilization 7 if you pre-order at […]
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GOG wants your vote on classic games to bring back with its new Dreamlist tool
2025-01-29 14:00:02
GOG, a digital storefront for classic and DRM-free PC games, is debuting a new tool for users to vouch and vote on what they’d like to see released next. It’s called GOG Dreamlist and it’s essentially an evolution of the community voting its done in the past but organized into a full-on tool for recommending […]
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How Dimension 20 gets ready for a live show
2025-01-28 14:00:01
On Jan. 24, the hit D&D actual play series Dimension 20 made its sold-out Madison Square Garden debut. How did they prepare for “The Gauntlet in the Garden,” where cast members brought back their characters from the Unsleeping City arc of the show in front of 20,000 screaming fans? The answer varied from cast member […]
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Sam Barlow didn’t know Her Story was an FMV
2025-01-27 14:00:01
The full-motion video game format was all the rage for a brief period in the 1990s. The ability to play high-quality video — video! — on a home computer was revolutionary.  But FMV games quickly fell by the wayside. This was partially due to the rise of 3D graphics on more powerful home consoles like […]
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Sicko game developers keep returning to reinvent Tetris
2025-01-26 14:00:02
Some people might call Tetris the perfect game, and it’s hard to argue with that. Created in 1985, Tetris has endured across generations and platforms, making its way onto essentially every platform possible. The game is simple and timeless, with one block falling at a time. There are a few basic shapes, like L-blocks, squares, […]
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These two games demand you type if you want to survive
2025-01-25 14:00:02
The keyboard is a popular peripheral, but few games move beyond the common WASD controls and pursue typing and transcription as a major game mechanic. Some classic games did require typing to go north, and everyone knows the classic educational games of the typing genre (shout out to Mavis Bacon), but most games use different […]
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Ennie Awards allow submissions with AI-generated content, prompting backlash
2025-01-24 14:00:01
Earlier this week, individuals within the tabletop ecosystem began noticing that the Ennies — one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, which have been held at Gen Con for over two decades — allowed potential nominees to indicate whether their submissions include content generated with artificial intelligence. With continued controversy surrounding the use […]
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It’s easy to get into Dimension 20 — just pick a genre and find the season that fits
2025-01-23 14:00:02
Let’s be candid: It can feel daunting to get into most of the long-running, popular actual play shows, like Critical Role, or Dimension 20’s Fantasy High setting. A lot of that is about time.  Compared to the other narrative things you can put on your TV, individual actual play sessions are long. Just like most […]
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Hollow Knight: Silksong dev forced to reassure us the game ‘will release’
2025-01-22 14:00:01
It’s confirmed: Hollow Knight: Silksong is still a real video game that’s in active development, despite recent conspiracy theories. Matthew Griffin, who handles marketing and publishing for Team Cherry, wrote last Friday on X, “Yes the game is real, progressing and will release.” Griffin’s comment was a reply to an X user asking for an […]
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D&D monsters and d20 included in new Horrified game by Ravensburger
2025-01-21 14:00:01
Today, tabletop game publisher Ravensburger announced a Dungeons & Dragons-based expansion to its acclaimed Horrified tabletop game series at the London Toy Fair. Slated for release this summer, the game will set players against four iconic enemies from the world’s most popular tabletop role-playing game — with some additional mechanics inspired by D&D. The fifth […]
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Netflix revived and killed the interactive movie — but its platform is still a game
2025-01-20 14:00:02
Game designer Sam Barlow deserves a lot of credit for driving the “redemption” of FMVs. The full-motion video game format was pioneered in the early ’90s as a cutting-edge visual technique in an age when computer graphics were more simplistic. But long before that, filmmakers were experimenting with ways to make films more interactive, in […]
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I’ll miss you, Nintendo Labo
2025-01-19 14:00:01
Nintendo revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday, but beyond showing off the console – which I can safely describe as a bigger and presumably better Switch – it didn’t say much about what the Switch 2 can do. But there is one line in the press release about what the Switch 2 can’t do that […]
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Genshin Impact developer to pay $20M fine to US Federal Trade Commission over loot box violations
2025-01-18 14:00:02
Genshin Impact publisher Cognosphere (which is also called Hoyoverse) is settling a United States Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over selling loot boxes to players under the age of 16. It’ll pay a $20 million fine for allegedly violating U.S. children’s privacy laws and “deciev[ing] children and other users about the real costs of in-game translations […]
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Nintendo Switch 2 reveal ditched showing players in silly scenarios
2025-01-17 14:00:01
Nintendo finally released a first look at the highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday. The brief trailer zoomed in on the hardware design (literally) in a sleek animated video and gave us a look at new features of the console like a mysterious C-button and its new snap-in Joy-Con controllers. But unlike the trailer that […]
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One buff took Storm from a Marvel Rivals afterthought to a must-play
2025-01-16 14:00:01
Storm has swiftly taken the throne as the strongest character in Marvel Rivals season 1. A recent round of buffs catapulted her from one of the least powerful damage dealers to a menace at all skill levels in the hero shooter’s ranked mode. According to stats tracker site RivalsMeta, which gets its data from the […]
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The Corrupted is the intimate TTRPG version of The Last Of Us
2025-01-15 14:00:01
We tend to imagine the hardest part of surviving a zombie apocalypse would be, well, the zombies. But as properties like The Last Of Us, The Walking Dead, and Navaar Jackson’s tabletop role-playing game The Corrupted show us, it’s actually other people. While there are other games that tackle the zombie trope, like Free League’s […]
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The Helldivers 2 devs won’t have much to do with the movie, apparently
2025-01-14 14:00:02
The upcoming Helldivers movie won’t heavily involve the developers of the game, according to Arrowhead Game Studios creative director Johan Pilestedt. Pilestedt was asked on X if the studio would have a hand in the production of the upcoming film. “The short answer is yes. The long answer is that we’ll see,” he replied. “We […]
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Dynasty Warriors: Origins turns in a bold new direction
2025-01-13 14:00:01
There was a particular moment just a few hours into my Dynasty Warriors: Origins playthrough when I felt that I was truly witnessing something special. I was at Hulao Gate, the imposing fortress that defended the pass to the capital of Luoyang. As the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition marched to a clearing, fully confident in their […]
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The best Steam Deck accessories
2025-01-12 14:00:02
The Steam Deck is a portable gaming powerhouse. After its 2022 launch, it didn’t take long for the Steam Deck accessory scene to blossom — and it shows no signs of slowing down. The accessories range from all but necessary add-ons (a microSD card and glass screen protectors) to some that are just nice to […]
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These solo tabletop RPGs will break your heart and put it back together
2025-01-11 14:00:01
For at least the last decade, video games have been offering profound emotional single-player experiences, yet the recent surge of solo tabletop role-playing games has shown that pen & paper RPGs can be just as heartbreaking — if not more. Traditionally, tabletop role-playing games have been opportunities for players to come together at the table […]
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Discoveries
2025-01-10 14:00:02
At Polygon, we want to introduce you do at least one thing we think you’d love every single day. With so many games, movies, shows, and and internet-based quick bites (or “quibis”) out there to experience, we know it’s next to impossible to decide how to take a chance on the untested, dive into the […]
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Former Overwatch pro pleads with Marvel Rivals players to let him ‘move on’ from that C9 meme
2025-01-09 14:00:02
Marvel Rivals has brought back the joys of Overwatch in its heyday: goofy hero interactions, legendary plays, and, of course, critical mistakes that cost the entire match. Overwatch’s infamous “C9” meme has made a comeback and one of the former esports players responsible for it wishes it didn’t. “MARVEL RIVALS’ BOOMING POPULARITY MEANS A TON […]
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Guest stars like Mercer, Mulligan, and Iyengar aren’t even the best part of Godkiller: Balance
2025-01-08 14:00:02
The gods are dying. More specifically, they’re being killed. The world is on the other side of the cataclysmic Great Divine War, losing its magic as it waits for a prophesied savior. But that’s not this story. This is the story before that. The story of Ever and Rake, two Godkillers lost in their own […]
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This person installed 3,683 WoW Classic add-ons and the result is a total nightmare
2025-01-07 14:00:02
Hear that awful cacophony of farts, blips, and voice lines from the Mortal Kombat announcer? That’s the sound of 3,683 add-ons running simultaneously in World of Warcraft Classic. YouTuber Baltoboulbobbi brought the MMO to its knees with a bucket of custom tools and effects simply to see what happens. And what happens is a total […]
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Get this MTG collection on eBay for just… 2.2 million dollars
2025-01-06 14:00:01
“This is not a joke,” reads the first sentence of the listing’s description. Early in the morning on New Year’s Day, eBay user thelotusvale listed what looks like one of the most impressive collections of Magic: The Gathering cards ever hosted on the online auction site. “What I’m offering is a set of first edition […]
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Why was 1000xResist’s best sales day 7 months post-launch? ‘Not being in The Game Awards,’ dev says
2025-01-04 14:00:02
Narrative RPG 1000xResist became a critical darling when it released in May 2024 — but like so many other great indie games, it didn’t get its flowers at The Game Awards in December. But a buzz has been amassing around the game since the nominees for TGAs were announced, according to sunset visitor 斜陽過客 founder […]
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Can’t find a tabletop gaming group? Try the solo version instead
2025-01-03 14:00:01
The hardest mechanic of any tabletop game is finding people to play it with. The logistical difficulties of organizing a group, the influx of high-quality indie TTRPGs, and countless other factors have given rise to a renaissance of sorts for solo tabletop role-playing games — specifically, solo rules for games that would otherwise be for […]
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The most anticipated TTRPG books of 2025
2025-01-02 14:00:02
Several high-profile tabletop role-playing games that have been in the works for years are scheduled to finally be released in 2025, setting the stage for a year where players and game masters will truly be spoiled for choice. As Wizards of the Coast finishes its 50th-anniversary rules refresh with the release of a new Monster […]
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Every PlayStation title for the PC is on sale at Fanatical
2024-12-31 14:00:02
Some of the greatest hits to grace the PlayStation 5 have thankfully been ported over to PC. If you missed the chance to play these awesome games on their native hardware, Fanatical has discounted just about every formerly PlayStation-exclusive title to its lowest price ever through Jan. 2. These discounts are even better than what’s […]
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Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the 1948 Nakba, is the latest from a daring dev
2024-12-29 14:00:02
Dreams on a Pillow is a video game experience about the 1948 Nakba, an event where roughly 700,000 people were displaced from their land and homes due to Zionist occupation. The game, described as “a pseudo-3D stealth adventure game about a land full of people being made into a people without land,” is from Palestinian […]
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle made me motion sick until I changed these settings
2024-12-28 14:00:01
Greetings, fellow nauseated traveler who just wanted to enjoy Indiana Jones and the Great Circle but couldn’t manage to play for longer than an hour at a time. You’ve come to the right place. I, too, couldn’t deal with the strange head bob that our hero does in this first-person game. Through a combination of […]
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Naughty Dog co-founder says ‘ballooning budgets’ drove it to a Sony acquisition
2024-12-27 14:00:01
Andy Gavin, who co-founded Naughty Dog with Jason Rubin in 1986, is a surprisingly prolific LinkedIn poster who has recently been sharing some memories about the company’s early days. This week, he posted about the state of the studio’s finances over the years, describing how much it cost to make some of Naughty Dog’s early […]
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Giratina counters, weakness, and best moveset in Pokémon Go
2024-12-26 14:00:01
Giratina is a hot target in Pokémon Go raids, and whether you’re fighting its Origin Forme or Altered Forme, you’ll want the same counters. When the creepy Pokémon is in its Origin Forme (the one that looks like a snake), it’s one of the strongest ghost-type attackers in the game. On the other hand, Altered […]
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The 25 best games on Game Pass
2024-12-25 14:03:01
Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service is having another great year in 2024, with over 450 games now available for console players and over 400 for PC players. The service has recently been bolstered with the fruits of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard — including Diablo 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Blockbuster titles […]
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New Mistborn game helps Brandon Sanderson’s unique form of magic come to life
2024-12-24 17:25:28
In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, some people have the power to metabolize metal to work magic, burning pewter to enhance themselves physically or brass to soothe someone else’s emotions. But the most powerful characters in the world are the Mistborn, who can use many types of metals and combine their powers to effectively fly and […]
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Hear ye, hear ye, this Team Fortress 2 comic is a holiday miracle
2024-12-24 01:04:31
Before Overwatch and Marvel Rivals, there was another zany, character-based hero shooter that gamers adored: Valve’s Team Fortress 2. Team Fortress 2 is still a relevant game, and has retained a fanbase since its release in 2007. In fact, the surprise release of a Team Fortress 2 comic, a full seven years after the last […]
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Why Marvel Rivals fans keep arguing about adding a role queue
2024-12-23 23:31:42
It’s impossible to talk about Marvel Rivals without talking about Overwatch; the two hero shooters share a lot of the same DNA, and the team at NetEase clearly looked at the wildly popular FPS and cribbed a few notes. Now that Marvel Rivals is a successful game in its own right, attracting its own fan […]
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War Thunder devs make Christmas wish: stop leaking military secrets
2024-12-23 21:51:26
Classified details on the performance of a critical European military asset were leaked online again through the War Thunder forums, one of many similar leaks about various weapon systems over the years. It’s unclear what risk, if any, the leak brings to the nations who deploy the system in combat. A community moderator from publisher […]
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Sonic star Ben Schwartz answers our shadow questions
2024-12-22 23:14:13
In the weeks before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, comedian and actor Ben Schwartz sat down with Polygon to confront the shadows that lurk in every hedgehog. In this, the third installment of the Polygon x Ben Schwartz Sonic Interview Series, each question has its own, more existentially challenging “shadow question.” Ben tackles […]
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It’s a Christmas miracle! Pricey Final Fantasy game gets reprint
2024-12-21 01:05:39
For the Final Fantasy physical media sickos among us, today is a special day. For the eBay scalpers out there, less so, because pre-orders for the out-of-print ESRB version Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for PlayStation 5 have appeared on some retailer sites, the results of a very welcome reprint. Final Fantasy 7 Remake made […]
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Oh god, oh man, Helldivers 2’s Illuminate are beelining their way to the ominous space hole
2024-12-21 01:01:32
It’s an exciting time to be a Helldiver, with Arrowhead recently adding urban maps, a recon vehicle, and a third enemy faction to the game. At first, it looked like the story of the Illuminate returning to the galaxy would be one and done, told over the course of a weekend. The Illuminate arrived immediately […]
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