I think it’s plain to see that cozy games are something of a soft spot for me. There’s nothing I love more than relaxing with friends, real or in-game, to escape the pressures of the real world and the stress I encounter every day. 

What better way to unwind than relaxing in bed, or in the bath, or simply away from the computer, with a Switch in hand. Cozy isn’t restricted to big consoles and PCs, you can take the entire experience on the go. 

I’ve played a lot of games which could be considered ‘cozy’ in my time, and here’s 10 of the best that I’ve found. The good news? All of them can be purchased through the Nintendo eShop, so there’s nothing stopping you from starting a play through right now.

A Little to the Left

The concept of A Little to the Left is simple; organise household items into small spaces in order to make them fit, with the occasional interruption of a chaos causing cat. If you get a kick out of a good spring clean, or enjoy organizing the space around you, then you’ll love A Little to the Left. Some of the puzzles can be a little challenging at first, but there's a huge sense of satisfaction when you figure out where everything goes.

Unpacking

If you want a deeper look at Unpacking, check out our in-depth look at it, but here’s the TLDR:

Unpacking is about, as you might expect, unpacking. You’ve got to unpack boxes and place items in a variety of rooms in a way which makes sense. What might surprise you is the depth of the story, and the strong connection that you’ll end up having with the person whose belongings have been entrusted to you. Although you never meet them, you get to know them and their story through their household items. 

Donut County

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Raccoons, so I might be a little biassed here. However, Donut County is a hole.io style game with added stories and characters to fall in love with. Although the gameplay is pretty linear, there’s a weird sense of satisfaction that comes from swallowing the items of the world in a big dark hole, and that leads to replayability. 

Stardew Valley

I think this one goes without saying, but Stardew Valley is definitely a cozy game that you need on the Switch. Wherever you are, you can take the farm with you and progress your story. Farm on the go, or connect to the TV and form connections with the villagers in Pelican Town on the big screen. 

New Pokémon Snap

There are no battles in New Pokémon Snap, which already puts this right up there on my own personal list of cozy Switch titles. It’s essentially a Pokémon where you take photos of the Pokémon in order to document them, and get to the bottom of weird phenomena in the area. You don’t even have to move, as you move along a sort of track that takes you where you need to go, so you can just get snap happy.

Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik is like a puzzle with no pre-determined result. All you need to do is place down individual hexagonal pieces in order to create a landscape. Connecting similar tiles together will cross off goals and unlock new tiles, allowing you to create endlessly changing worlds. This one is really good for getting mildly creative and allowing yourself to forget about the real world.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing is one of the OG cozy games, and you’re never going to be short of things to do if you start a new game. Meeting new villagers is only part of the fun, and creating and designing your island is endlessly satisfying. There’s a whole community of people willing to share their items, open their island for visits, and even allow you to come shopping. 

Tavern Talk

Tavern Talk is what happens when a game makes you the NPC. As the bartender of a fantasy tavern, you don’t move or go anywhere, but you still get to see the world change around you through the people who come to drink at the bar. Your tasks are simple - make drinks and create quests for patrons to complete, then listen to their stories. 

Spirittea

Spirittea is adorable, and although it can be hard to get to grips with the enormous map to begin with, the characters you meet in your new countryside life are fun and memorable. You leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside, but things aren’t all as they seem and there are spirits in the town, which often scare the residents. 

Things get more complicated as you progress, and eventually you'll need to run your own bath house for the spirits. Spirittea is like Spirited Away if it were a pixel sim, and it's one of my favorites.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Imagine taking Animal Crossing and replacing all of the villagers with beloved Disney characters, and you’ll end up with Dreamlight Valley. To begin with, the Valley is fairly empty and overtaken by darkness. You unlock new characters as you progress, unlock new biomes, place their homes, and become closer to them to get rewards. Fishing, mining, and farming still play their role in Dreamlight Valley, and you’ll never run out of things to do.

The post 10 Best Cozy Switch Games appeared first on Destructoid.

Mint Sorbet is a cool, sweet treat in Disney Dreamlight Valley. It's an easy two-star recipe you can make in the game for a decent amount of Star Coins.

Where to find Mint Sorbet ingredients in Disney Dreamlight Valley

To make Mint Sorbet in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you'll need two ingredients:

• Mint
• Slush Ice

The herb Mint can be found growing within the Frosted Heights biome. Look at the ground and try to find the herb risen from the ground. It has green leaves and a brown stem. It's easy to find multiple of this resource in the Frosted Heights.

Slush Ice is much harder to get as you need to complete Remy's quest The Unknown Flavor, which unlocks after reaching Level 10 friendship with the rat. After finishing this task, you can buy Slush Ice from Remy's Kitchen for 150 Star Coins.

Where to make Mint Sorbet

To make a dish of Mint Sorbet, you'll need to approach a cooking station at your home, Chez Remy, or at another stove, perhaps in Mickey's house. Throw the Mint and the Slush Ice into the pot and use one coal to start the cooking process. After a few seconds, you'll get your hands on the Mint Sorbet. Now you've made a two-star recipe that can help towards some Dreamlight goals.

You can sell the Mint Sorbet for 260 Star Coins or get 695 Energy for consuming the meal. After this, you could get more adventurous in the kitchen with dishes like Creamy Garlic Scallops and Chicken Souvlaki.

The post How to make Mint Sorbet in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo has dropped four new games into the Nintendo Switch Online SNES catalog. It’s quite a surprising lineup, especially if you’re digging the Japanese games on the service.

The one that I assume the most people reading this will recognize is Battletoads and Double Dragon (or just Battletoads Double Dragon; the logo isn’t clear). It’s another early Rare game for the pile. As the name implies, it crosses over Technos’ Double Dragon with Rare’s Battletoads. It was developed by Rare with very little input from Technos, but they sort of tried to find a mid-point between the two series. I did a full write-up of it a while ago, but I think this summarizes it: “It’s not a great Battletoads title (if one happens to exist), and it’s not a very good Double Dragon game, but there are enough appreciable factors here to keep it from being a bad game.”

The other three games are Japan-only titles. There’s an SNES port of Big Run, a raster racing game that was originally released in arcades in 1989. It’s based on the Paris-Dakar Rally event. By many accounts, it’s not great, but I have a soft spot for raster racers. There’s also a falling block puzzle game called Cosmo Gang: The Puzzle. It’s a cute falling blocks-style puzzle game It was also originally an arcade game (1992). I have less context with this one, but the trailer makes it look cute.

Finally, there is Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo: Zen’in Shūgō! This is sort of one of Super Dodgeball’s sequels. As a Kunio/Nekketsu/River City/Downtown fan, I actually have the Super Famicom cartridge for this. It’s… Like, it’s Super Dodgeball but on more powerful hardware. As such, it’s still fun, but the single-player is massively unbalanced. You assign skill points to your team, and it’s incredibly easy to overpower your team. On the plus side, it’s four-player, and if I remember correctly, you can play the main campaign coop.

These four games are now available on the Nintendo Switch Online Super Nintendo app.

The post Double Dragon and Battletoads among four games added to the NSO Super Nintendo catalog appeared first on Destructoid.

Bandai Namco revealed today that the previous PlayStation Vita (yes, that Sony Handheld device) exclusive Action RPG Freedom Wars is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with Freedom Wars Remastered. The HD remaster will feature new and improved features from the Vita version including 4k resolution, 60 FPS, game balance and difficulty options, and updates to the weapon crafting and upgrading systems. Freedom Wars Remastered will be released in just a few months on January 10, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

The premise of Freedom Wars is simple. In the harsh dystopic world, the game takes place in, your character has been sentenced to a 1,000,000-year prison sentence simply for being born. To work off your sentence, you must head out into the apocalyptic battlefield and take on colossal creatures called Abductors, killing them to lower your sentence and dismantling their body parts to craft and upgrade better equipment.

I put quite a few hours into the original release of Freedom Wars back on the Vita. In fact, it may have been one of my most played games on the platform, as it was one of the better ones. I'd even argue it was ahead of its time back in 2015, in what was essentially a sci-fi Monster Hunter meets Attack on Titan meets Sword Art Online.

There's even online co-op gameplay, and it's fun to team up with friends to take down some Abductors. I'm excited to see the updates to crafting and upgrading, as it could really streamline progression if done right. We'll know soon as enough as Freedom Wars Remastered launches on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on January 10, 2025. I certainly didn't see this coming, but I'm so glad that it is.

The post Vita Action RPG Freedom Wars is getting a remastered version for 10th Anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.

There seems to be something of a tidal wave of cozy farming sims hitting the market currently, and it can be hard to tell what makes one stand out against all the rest. Back in June, I played the demo for Garden Witch Life, and fell in love with it.

Garden Witch Life is out now on PC (via Steam and Epic Games), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you play on any of the mentioned platforms and have been looking for a new cozy game to dive into, you should give it a try. 

After losing your job to mass layoffs and realizing that you’re not quite ready to head home to your parents and admit defeat just yet, you bump into May, who is a rather lovely anthropomorphic cactus with a café on Moonflower Island. Not only does she give you cake (which makes anyone instantly likeable in my eyes) and good life advice, but she goes out of her way to let you stay with her overnight. This cactus lady is very trusting of strangers.

Then, in what is perhaps the most generous move anyone could possibly make, she gives you the keys to an entire (admittedly run down) treehouse, along with a bunch of land that you can do with as you please. Apparently nobody else wants it, for reasons which are left unsaid, and of course you bite her hand off because who wouldn’t? If only real life were more like a farming sim. This is the first step in a massive life change, and we've all needed one of those at some point.

You’re then left to pretty much fend for yourself. Of course you have regular interactions with the many anthropomorphized townsfolk, and you have to do quests for them as well, but it’s very easy to forget about that aspect of the game entirely. There are endless corners of the map to explore, items to be foraged, and even a few animals to be petted. You’ll keep going until you pass out. No, literally, but more on that later.

One of the best things about Garden Witch Life is the decoration aspect. In a move that makes me more happy than I could ever say, you’re not limited to right angles or a grid system when it comes to placing furniture. You can more or less freely rotate everything, and place it wherever you want. Items can slightly overlap to prevent irritating gaps, and squares are a thing of the past. It’s beautiful. 

I will say that Garden Witch Life is not my perfect cozy sim game. There are things not currently in the game which definitely should be, such as crafting from storage. In order to craft or cook anything, you have to have the necessary resources in your inventory. It’s not that much of a big deal, and you can easily work around it by placing chests close to the crafting bench, but it does add an unnecessary extra step.

Crafting or cooking anything, especially early on in a playthrough, will unlock more recipes. Turning logs into planks will provide the recipe for a wooden storage chest, for example. Gathering items works in very much the same way, with everything you pick up unlocking some form of recipe. It’s always exciting to see the pop-up telling you what you’ve learned, and I’ve found that I’m more driven to craft, knowing that I’ll get new recipes from doing so. 

The cooking mini-game is a joy in itself. It reminds me of my dearly beloved Cooking Mama. You use the chopping board to prepare ingredients and then you need to cook them in the cauldron. You control the temperature, add ingredients one at a time, stir the mix, and eventually end up with a fully cooked meal to increase your stamina. All that’s missing is an interactive blow feature.

One of the things I’m hoping is added in future updates is some kind of warning before the end of the day. It’s very easy to lose track of time in Garden Witch Life, and I’ve found myself passing out at the end of the day multiple times simply because I forgot to look at the clock. I pride myself on my ability to never pass out from exhaustion in cozy games, so this has been a humbling experience. 

I’ve only just started my play through of Garden Witch Life, and I know that I am very far from unlocking and understanding all of the features that await me, but I know that I could throw hours of my life into creating the perfect hideaway treehouse and exploring everything Moonflower Island has to offer. I think the things that make me love Garden Witch Life are the very issues that I've mentioned above.

Life isn't perfect, but sometimes it throws you curveballs taking you in a direction you never imagined you could go. That's the lingering thought when playing, and I happen to love it when games impart valuable wisdom without really even trying. While Garden Witch Life might not be perfect, it's beautiful, charming, and it feels... Free. You can be whoever you want to be on Moonflower Island, and we all need more of that kind of freedom.

The post Looking for a new cozy game? Try Garden Witch Life appeared first on Destructoid.

Throughout the years, particularly in 2023 and 2024, we've experienced some of the best (and worst) gaming has to offer, from role-playing games that set the standard for years to come to small indie titles that lay comfortably in our hearts and tug at the heartstrings. We're also continuing to see the rise of expansions for some of the most famous games out there, from World of Warcraft: The War Within to Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.

With all that said, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of game releases as the months go on, especially if you're partway through a playthrough and learn that more games are launching the same week. Whether you're looking to plan ahead or tell others about an upcoming release, we've got a complete list of every game releasing in 2024 and those already confirmed to launch in 2025. We'll also continue updating this list as we learn about new releases and delays.

January 2024 game releases

• Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat (Android, iOS) - January 10
• Momodora: Moonlit Farewell (PC) - January 11
• Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk (PC) - January 12
• Legend of Grimrock (Switch) - January 15
• Atlas Wept (PC) - January 16
• Home Safety Hotline (PC) - January 16
• Ravendawn (PC) - January 16
• Immortal Life (PC) - January 17
• Choo-Choo Charles (Switch) - January 18
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 18
• Turnip Boy Robs a Bank (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 18
• Another Code: Recollection (Switch) - January 19
• Palworld (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 19
• The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered (PS5) - January 19
• Graven (PC) - January 23
• Howl (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 23
• Immortality (PS5) - January 23
• Enshrouded (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 24
• Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - January 24
• Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch) - January 25
• Go Mecha Ball (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 25
• GRIME (Switch) - January 25
• Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 25
• Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal (Switch) - January 25
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 25
• Phantom Abyss (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - January 25
• RIN: The Last Child (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 25
• Dead Tomb (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, NES) - January 26
• Tekken 8 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 26
• The Adventures of Panzer: Legacy Collection (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - January 26
• Chronique des Silencieux (PC) - January 29
• Death Stranding Director's Cut (Mac, iOS) - January 30
• Insurgency: Sandstorm (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - January 30
• Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5) - January 31
• Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - January 31

February 2024 game releases

• Boxes: Lost Fragments (PC) - February 1
• Granblue Fantasy: Relink (PC, PS4, PS5) - February 1
• Moonbreaker (PC) - February 1
• One Punch Man: World (PC, Android, iOS) - February 1
• Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 2
• Persona 3 Reload (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - February 2
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 2
• Clem (PC, Switch) - February 6
• Foamstars (PS4, PS5) - February 6
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Justice (PC) - February 6
• Touhou Danmaku Dagura Phantasia Lost (PC) - February 7
• Cannibal Abduction (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 8
• Helldivers 2 (PC, PS5) - February 8
• Konosuba - God's Blessing On This Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire (PC, PS4, Switch) - February 8
• Wytchwood (Android, iOS) - February 8
• Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 9
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 12
• Dragon Quest Builders (PC) - February 13
• Islands of Insight (PC) - February 13
• Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior (PC) - February 13
• Ultros (PC, PS4, PS5) - February 13
• ARZETTE: The Jewel of Faramore (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 14
• BlazBlue Entropy Effect (PC) - February 14
• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 14
• Clash II (PC) - February 15
• GUNVOLT RECORDS Cychronicle (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 15
• Lake (Switch) - February 15
• PlateUp! (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 15
• Mario vs. Donkey King (Switch) - February 16
• RC Revolution (PC) - February 16
• Skull and Bones (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 16
• Furnish Master (PC) - February 19
• Balatro (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 20
• Nightingale (PC) - February 20
• The Lost Legends of Redwall: Feast & Friends - February 20
• The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology - February 20
• Warframe (iOS) - February 20
• Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - February 20
• Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story (PC, Switch) - February 21
• Last Epoch (PC) - February 21
• Myth of Empires (PC) - February 21
• Nyaaaanvy (PC, Switch) - February 21
• Penny's Big Breakaway (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 21
• Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On (Switch) - February 21
• Slave Zero X (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 21
• Terminator Dark Fate - Defiance (PC) - February 21
• CorpoNation: The Sorting Process (PC) - February 22
• Garden Life: A Cozy Life Simulator (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 22
• Inkulinati (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 22
• Pacific Drive (PC, PS5) - February 22
• Pentiment (PS4, PS5, Switch) - February 22
• Rail Route (PC) - February 22
• Solium Infernum (PC) - February 22
• Sons of the Forest 1.0 (PC) - February 22
• Feud (PC, iOS, Android) - February 23
• Dicefolk (PC) - February 27
• Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery of Serpentcoil Island (Switch) - February 27
• Terror at Oakheart (PC) - February 27
• WRATH: Aeon of Ruin (PC) - February 27
• Anglerfish (PS4, PS5, Switch) - February 28
• Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 28
• STAR WARS: Dark Forces Remaster (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - February 28
• Timemelters (PC) - February 28
• Ufouria: The Saga 2 (PC) - February 28
• Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 29
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) - February 29
• Heavenly Bodies (Switch) - February 29
• Welcome to ParadiZe (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - February 29

March 2024 game releases

• Cricket Through the Ages (PC, Switch) - March 1
• Ufouria: The Saga 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 1
• Sixty Four (PC) - March 4
• The Thaumaturge (PC) - March 4
• Classified: France '44 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 5
• Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 5
• FloraMancer: Seeds and Spells (PC) - March 5
• The Outlast Trials (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - March 5
• Quilts and Cats of Calico (PC, Switch) - March 5
• Puzzles For Clef (PC) - March 6
• Reveil (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 6
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy (Xbox One) - March 6
• As Dusk Falls (PS4, PS5) - March 7
• Astro Duel 2 (PC, Switch) - March 7
• Blade Prince Academy (PC) - March 7
• Manic Mechanics (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 7
• Metal Mind (Switch) - March 7
• Potions: A Curious Tale (PC) - March 7
• Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley (PC, Switch) - March 7
• Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 7
• Zoria: Age of Shattering (PC) - March 7
• Bore Blasters (PC) - March 8
• Magic Chaos (PC) - March 8
• SUMMERHOUSE (PC) - March 8
• Unicorn Overlord (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 8
• WWE 2K24 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - March 8
• United Penguin Kingdom (PC) - March 9
• Death of a Wish (PC, Switch) - March 11
• Hellbreach: Vegas (PC) - March 11
• Contra: Operation Galuga (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 12
• Goblin Stone (PC) - March 12
• Mars After Midnight (Playdate) - March 12
• Melatonin (PS5) - March 12
• Passing By - A Tailwind Journey (PC, Switch) - March 12
• Slavania (PC) - March 12
• Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (PC) - March 13
• Dungeon Drafters (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 14
• GYLT (Switch) - March 14
• Highwater (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 14
• Paint the Town Red VR (PC, PSVR, Meta Quest) - March 14
• The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (PS4, PS5, Switch) - March 14
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Switch) - March 15
• STAR WARS: Battlefront Classic Collection (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 15
• Outcast: A New Beginning (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 15
• Hades (iOS) - March 19
• Hi-Fi Rush (PS5) - March 19
• Lightyear Frontier (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - March 19
• MLB The Show 24 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 19
• Alone in the Dark (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 20
• Shines Over: The Damned (PS5) - March 20
• Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile (Android, iOS) - March 21
• Dragon's Dogma 2 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 21
• Final Fantasy XIV (Xbox Series X/S) - March 21
• Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition (PC) - March 21
• Midnight Ghost Hunt 1.0 (PC) - March 21
• Bears in Space (PC) - March 22
• Princess Peach: Showtime (Switch) - March 22
• Rise of the Ronin (PS5) - March 22
• Acolyte of the Altar (PC) - March 25
• Between Horizons (PC) - March 25
• Palia 1.0 (PC) - March 25
• Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, The Building Sandbox (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - March 26
• Grandia HD Collection (PS4, Xbox One) - March 26
• Outpost: Infinity Siege (PC) - March 26
• South Park: Snow Day (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 26
• AFK Journey (PC, Android, iOS) - March 27
• Necrosmith 2 (PC) - March 27
• Felix the Cat (PS4, PS5, Switch) - March 28
• Open Roads (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - March 28
• Outward (Switch) - March 28
• Pepper Grinder (PC, Switch) - March 28
• Vellum (PC) - March 28

April 2024 game releases

• Content Warning (PC)- April 1
• Minishoot' Adventures (PC) - April 2
• Deceit 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 3
• Planetiles (PC) - April 3
• Death Noodle Delivery (PC) - April 4
• Freedom Planet 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 4
• Turbo Golf Racing (PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - April 4
• BIOMORPH (PC) - April 5
• Sheba: New Dawn (PC) - April 8
• Botany Manor (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 9
• Children of the Sun (PC) - April 9
• Final Factory (PC) - April 9
• Gigantic: Rampage Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - April 9
• Inkbound (PC) - April 9
• Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom (PC) - April 9
• Broken Roads (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - April 10
• Ereban: Shadow Legacy (PC) - April 10
• House Flipper 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 10
• The Planet Crafter (PC) - April 10
• Anomaly Collapse (PC) - April 11
• Goons: Legends & Mayhem (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 11
• Headquarters: World War II (PC) - April 11
• Revival: Recolonization (PC) - April 11
• The Game of Sisyphus (PC) - April 11
• Dave The Diver (PS4, PS5) - April 16
• Grounded (PS4, PS5, Switch) - April 16
• Harold Halibut (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 16
• Life Eater (PC) - April 16
• Planet of Lana (PS4, PS5, Switch) - April 16
• Rose & Camellia Collection (Switch) - April 16
• Kingsgrave (PC) - April 17
• Sticky Business (Switch) - April 17
• Artificer's Tower (PC) - April 18
• Cook, Serve, Delicious (PS4, PS5) - April 18
• Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (PS5) - April 18
• No Rest for the Wicked (PC) - April 18
• Sker Ritual (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) April 18
• Ready, Steady, Ship! (PC,PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 19
• Banana (PC) - April 23
• Dadish 3D (PC, Switch) - April 23
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 23
• Hammerwatch II (PS4, Xbox Series X/S) - April 23
• Phantom Fury (PC) - April 23
• Sucker for Love: Date to Die For (PC) - April 23
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 23
• Megaton Musashi W: Wired (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - April 24
• Another Crab's Treasure (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 25
• Fallout 4 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 25
• Library of Ruina (PS4, (Switch) - April 25
• SaGa Emerald Beyond (PS, PS4, PS5, Switch) - April 25
• Tales of Kenzera: Zau (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 25
• Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba: Sweep the Board (Switch) - April 26
• Manor Lords (PC) - April 26
• Sand Land (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - April 26
• Stellar Blade (PS5) - April 26
• TopSpin 2K25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - April 26
• Sherwood Extreme (PC) - April 29
• Loop Hero (iOS, Android) - April 30
• Sea of Thieves (PS5) - April 30

May 2024 game releases

• Endless Ocean Luminous (Switch) - May 2
• Indika (PC) - May 2
• MotoGP 24 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 2
• Surmount: A Mountain Climbing Adventure (PC, Switch) - May 2
• Cyber Citizen Shockman 3: A Princess from Another World (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 3
• Hades II (PC, Early Access) - May 6
• Plushie From The Sky (PC) - May 6
• Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys (PC) - May 7
• With My Past (PC) - May 7
• Solo Leveling: ARISE (PC, Android, iOS) - May 8
• The Night of the Rabbit (Switch) - May 8
• V Rising 1.0 (PC) - May 8
• 1000xResist (PC, Switch) - May 9
• Animal Well (PC, PS5, Switch) - May 9
• Cryptmaster (PC) - May 9
• Crow Country (PC, PS5) - May 9
• Little Kitty, Big City (PC, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 9
• The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication (PC) - May 9
• Fabledom (PC) - May 13
• Homeworld 3 (PC) - May 13
• Biomutant (Switch) - May 14
• Braid, Anniversary Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 14
• Dread Delusion (PC) - May 14
• Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 14
• Touhou Genso Wanderer -Foresight- (PC) - May 14
• Baladins (PC) - May 15
• Kingdom of Fallen: The Last Stand (PC) - May 15
• Men of War II (PC) - May 15
• Mullet MadJack (PC) - May 15
• Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer (PS4, PS5, Switch) - May 15
• Arctic Eggs (PC) - May 16
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (PC) - May 16
• Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (PC, Switch) - May 16
• PO'ed: Definitive Edition (PC, PS4, Ps5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 16
• Read Only Memories: Neurodiver (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 16
• Indika (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 19
• Songs of Conquest (PC) - May 20
• Paper Trail (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 21
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - May 21
• Survival: Fountain of Youth (PC) - May 21
• System Shock (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 21
• XDefiant (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 21
• Wuthering Waves (PC, Android, iOS) - May 22
• Bread & Fred (Switch) - May 23
• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 23
• Crown Wars: The Black Prince (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 23
• Eternal Threads (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 23
• Hauntii (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 23
• Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door (Switch) - May 23
• Ships at Sea (PC) - May 23
• The Tribe Must Survive (PC) - May 23
• Warno (PC) - May 23
• Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 23
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 24
• The Glass Staircase (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - May 24
• The Rogue Prince of Persia (PC) - May 27
• Anthology of the Killer (PC, Mac) - May 28
• MultiVersus (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 28
• Reus 2 (PC) - May 28
• Nine Sols (PC) - May 29
• Astor: Blade of the Monolith (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 30
• HUMANITY (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 30
• Nuclear Blaze (PS5) - May 30
• Phantom Fury (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - May 30
• Skald: Against the Black Priory (PC) - May 30
• Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip (PC) - May 30
• F1 24 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 31
• Hypercharge: Unboxed (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - May 31

June 2024 game releases

• The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mac) - June 3
• Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - June 4
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 4
• Star Wars: Hunters (Switch, Android, iOS) - June 4
• Octopath Traveler (PS4, PS5) - June 5
• Assassin's Creed Mirage (iOS) - June 6
• Octopath Traveler II (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - June 6
• Sneak Out (PC) - June 6
• Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge (PC, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 8
• Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked Collection (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - June 11
• Dryft City Kyngs (PC) - June 13
• Monster Hunter Stories (PC, PS4, Switch) - June 14
• Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin (PS4) - June 14
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 14
• SunnySide (PC) - June 14
• #BLUD (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - June 18
• Metal Slug Attack Reloaded (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 18
• Still Wakes the Deep (PC, PS4, Xbox Series X/S) - June 18
• Chained Together (PC) - June 19
• Moonstone Island (Switch) - June 19
• Republic of Pirates (PC) - June 19
• Bureau of Contacts (PC) - June 20
• Crab God (PC) - June 20
• Dicefolk (Switch) - June 20
• Drug Dealer Simulator 2 (PC) - June 20
• Everafter Falls (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 20
• Five Nights At Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 (PS5) - June 20
• Tavern Talk (PC, Mac) - June 20
• Dystopika (PC) - June 21
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - June 21
• Megacopter: Blades of the Goddess (PC, Mac) - June 21
• Tarisland (PC, Android, iOS) - June 21
• Uncover the Smoking Gun (PC) - June 24
• Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - June 25
• Graven (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - June 25
• Riven Remake (PC, Mac) - June 25
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble (Switch) - June 25
• Until Then (PC, PS5) - June 25
• Battle Crush (PC, Switch, Android, iOS) - June 27
• Exo One (PS4, PS5) - June 27
• Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (Switch) - June 27
• SpyxAnya: Operation Memories (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - June 27
• Tchia (Switch) - June 27
• Rugby 25 (PC) - June 28

July 2024 game releases

• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - July 2
• The First Descendant (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 2
• Zenless Zone Zero (PC, PS5, Android, iOS) - July 4
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak (PS, PS4, PS5, Switch) - July 5
• Once Human (PC) - July 9
• Ark of Charon (PC) - July 9
• Anger Foot (PC) - July 11
• Hamster Playground (PC, Switch) - July 11
• Illusion Carnival (PC, Mac) - July 11
• Darkest Dungeon 2 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 15
• The Crust (PC) - July 15
• Cataclismo (PC) - July 16
• Clickolding (PC) - July 16
• Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba: Sweep the Board (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 16
• Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (PC) - July 16
• Magical Delicacy (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 16
• Yaoling: Mythical Journey (PC) - July 16
• Asphalt: Legends Unite (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS, Mac) - July 17
• Nobody Wants to Die (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - July 17
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (Switch) - July 17
• TerraScape (PC) - July 17
• Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 17
• JudgeSim (PC) - July 17
• Dungeonborne (PC) - July 18
• Dungeons of Hinterberg (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - July 18
• Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 18
• Meifumado (PC) - July 18
• Norland (PC) - July 18
• Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (Switch) - July 18
• Vampire Therapist (PC) - July 18
• Codename: Ocean Keeper (PC) - July 19
• EA Sports College Football 25 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - July 19
• Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 19
• LOCKDOWN Protocol (PC) - July 22
• The Operator (PC, Mac) - July 22
• CONSCRIPT (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 23
• F1 Manager 2024 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 23
• Weyrdlets (PC) - July 23
• Into the Radius 2 (PC) - July 24
• Lost Castle 2 (PC) - July 24
• 7 Days to Die (PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 25
• Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure (PC, PS5, Switch) - July 25
• Earth Defense Force 6 (PC, PS4, PS5) - July 25
• Harvest Days: My Dream Farm (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - July 25
• Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD (PC, Android, iOS, Mac) - July 25
• Tokyo Xanadu eX+ (Switch) - July 25
• The Sims 4: Lovestruck (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - July 25
• Wéko the Mask Gatherer (PC) - July 26
• Stormgate (PC) - July 30
• Minds Beneath Us (PC) - July 31
• BioGun (PC) - July 31
• Song of the Prairie (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - July 31
• Sword of Convallaria (PC, Android, iOS) - July 31

August 2024 game releases

• Car Manufacture (PC) - August 1
• STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 1
• Thank Goodness You're Here! (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - August 1
• Tomba! Special Edition (PC, PS5, Switch) - August 1
• Motordoom (PC) - August 2
• UBOAT (PC) - August 2
• World of Goo 2 (PC, Switch) - August 2
• CYGNI: All Guns Blazing (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 5
• Fields of Mistria (PC) - August 5
• Pixel Art Academy: Learn Mode (PC, Mac) - August 5
• Pepper Grinder (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - August 6
• Volgarr the Viking II (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 6
• Cat Quest 3 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 8
• Deathbound (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - August 8
• SteamWorld Heist II (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 8
• The Crush House (PC) - August 9
• The Bathhouse: Restored Edition (PC) - August 10
• Arena Breakout: Infinite (PC) - August 12
• Cult of the Lamb: Unholy Alliance (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 12
• Love, Ghostie (PC) - August 14
• Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - August 14
• DREDGE: The Iron Rig DLC (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 15
• Castaway (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 16
• Madden NFL 25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - August 16
• Black Myth: Wukong (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - August 20
• Dustborn (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - August 20
• Predecessor 1.0 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - August 20
• Mika and the Witch's Mountain (PC, Switch) - August 21
• Tactical Breach Wizards (PC) - August 22
• Concord (PC, PS5) - August 23
• World of Warcraft: The War Within (PC, Mac) - August 26
• Castlevania Dominus Collection (Switch) - August 27
• Core Keeper 1.0 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 27
• Goat Simulator 3 (Switch) - August 27
• Peglin (Switch) - August 27
• Pico Park 2 (Switch) - August 27
• Pizza Tower (Switch) - August 27
• The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - August 27
• GUNDAM BREAKER 4 (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - August 28
• Akimbot (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - August 29
• Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club (Switch) - August 29
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 29
• Memoriapolis (PC) - August 29
• Shadow of the Ninja-Reborn (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - August 29
• Squirrel With a Gun (PC) - August 29
• Vampire Survivors (PS4, PS5) - August 29
• Visions of Mana (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - August 29
• Star Wars Outlaws (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - August 30

September 2024 game releases

• Bakeru (PC, Switch) - September 3
• Star Trucker (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - September 3
• The Casting of Frank Stone (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 3
• Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 3
• Age of Mythology Retold (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - September 4
• Gimmick 2 (PC, Switch) - September 5
• Ace Attorney Investigations Collection (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch) - September 6
• Astro Bot (PS5) - September 6
• NBA 2K25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 6
• Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 9
• What the Car? (PC) - September 9
• I Am Your Beast (PC) - September 10
• Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - September 10
• Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 10
• Satisfactory 1.0 (PC) - September 10
• Stellaris: Cosmic Storms (PC) - September 10
• Towerborne (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - September 10
• Yars Rising (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 10
• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (PC, Android, iOS) - September 11
• Caravan SandWitch (PC, PS5, Switch) - September 12
• Chef RPG (PC, Switch) - September 12
• Fabledom (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 12
• Lollipop Chainsaw RePop (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 12
• Hollowbody (PC) - September 12
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (Windows, PC4, Switch) - September 12
• Pico Park 2 (PC, Xbox One) - September 12
• REKA (PC) - September 12
• Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 12
• Turmoil - Deeper Underground (PC) - September 12
• Wild Bastards (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 12
• Funko Fusion (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 13
• Lucky Tower Ultimate (PC) - September 13
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS4, Xbox One) - September 17
• The Plucky Squire (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 17
• Throne and Liberty (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac) - September 17
• UFO 50 (PC) - September 18
• Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 19
• Enotria: The Last Song (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 19
• God of War: Ragnarok (PC) - September 19
• Monument Valley (Netflix Games) - September 19
• Home Safety Hotline (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 20
• Frostpunk 2 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac) - September 20
• The Karate Kid: Street Rumble (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 20
• Tiny Glade (PC) - September 23
• Zoochosis (PC) - September 23
• Ara: History Untold (PC) - September 24
• BloomTown: A Different Story (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 24
• Crusader Kings III: Roads to Power Expansion (PC) - September 24
• Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 24
• Greedfall II: The Dying World (PC) - September 24
• Lollipop Chainsaw RePop (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) (Asia/Oceania) - September 25
• Apartment Story (PC) - September 26
• Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 (PS4, PS5, Switch) - September 26
• Shadows of Doubt 1.0 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - September 26
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch) - September 26
• Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition - September 26
• EA SPORTS FC 25 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - September 27
• REYNATIS (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - September 27
• Starfield: Shattered Space (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - September 30
• Parcel Corps (PC, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - September

October 2024 game releases

• Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 1
• MechWarrior 5: Clans (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 3
• Nekograms (Switch) - October 3
• SWORD ART ONLINE Fractured Daydream (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 3
• Spongebob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 4
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 8
• Silent Hill 2 Remake (PC, PS5) - October 8
• Amber Isle (PC) - October 10
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch) - October 10
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 11
• Europa (PC, Switch) - October 11
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 11
• Starship Troopers: Extermination 1.0 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 11
• TRANSFORMERS: Galactic Trials (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 11
• Undisputed 1.0 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 11
• Just Dance 2025 Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 15
• Neva (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 15
• New World: Aeternum (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 15
• A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - October 17
• Eternights (Switch) - October 17
• Super Mario Party Jamboree (Switch) - October 17
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 18
• Unknown9: Awakening (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 18
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark (PC) - October 22
• Streets of Rogue 2 (PC) - October 22
• Date Everything! (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 24
• Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (PC) - October 24
• Yakuza Kiwami (Switch) - October 24
• Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 25
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - October 25
• Sonic X Shadow Generations (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 25
• Ys X: Nordics (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) - October 25
• Blood Bar Tycoon (PC) - October 28
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 29
• Monument Valley 2 (Netflix Games) - October 29
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PC, PS5 Xbox Series X/S) - October 31
• No More Room in Hell 2 (PC, Mac, early access) - October 31
• Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October 31
• Batman: Arkham Shadow (Meta Quest VR)- October
• Nikoderiko: The Magical World (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - October

November 2024 game releases

• Farmagia (PC, PS5, Switch) - November 1
• Last Spartan: Glory Over Madness (PC) - November 1
• Mind Over Magnet (PC) - November 6
• Empire of the Ants (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - November 7
• Mario & Luigi: Brothership (Switch) - November 7
• Slitterhead (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - November 8
• Antonblast (PC, Switch) - November 12
• Farming Simulator 25 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - November 12
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch) - November 14
• Assassin's Creed Shadows (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac) - November 15
• Funko Fusion (PS4, Switch) - November 15
• Path of Exile II (Early Access) (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - November 15
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PC, Xbox Series X/S)- November 19
• MySims (Switch) - November 19
• Stray (Switch) - November 19
• Genshin Impact (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) - November 20
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PC, Xbox Series X/S)- November 20
• On Your Tail (PC, Switch) - November 21
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy (Switch) - November

December 2024 game releases

• Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer (Switch) - December 5
• UFL (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - December 5
• Marvel Rivals (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S) - December 6
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PC, Xbox Series X/S) - December 9
• Monument Valley 3 (Netflix Games) - December 10
• Wobbly Life (Switch) - December

Games with unknown release dates (2024)

• Ark 2
• Avowed
• Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Entropy Survivors
• Fantasian Neo Dimension
• Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2
• Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach - Ruin
• Goat Simulator Remastered
• Hades 2 1.0
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Infinity Nikki (Beta)
• KILL KNIGHT
• LEGO Horizon Adventures
• Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collection
• Mecha BREAK
• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
• Planet Coaster 2
• Pragmata
• Prison Architect 2
• Rendering Ranger: R² [Rewind]
• Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Run and Dunan Unification Wars
• Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game
• Tetris Forever
• Towerborne
• Until Dawn
• Vampire Dynasty

Games with unknown release dates (2025)

• A.I.L.A
• ARC Raiders
• Astrobotanica
• Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land
• Borderlands 4
• Directive 8020
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Coffee Talk Tokyo
• Crown Gambit
• Delta Force Hawk Ops
• Demonschool
• Descenders Next
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Doom (SNES)
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
• Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
• Dune Awakening
• Dynasty Warriors Origins
• Fable
• Flappy Bird
• Floatopia
• Funko Fusion
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Switch)
• Herdling
• Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era
• Little Nightmares 3
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Metal Slug Tactics
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Mio Memories in Orbit
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Moth Kubit
• Nivalis
• Paralives
• Perfect Dark
• Project Mugen
• Ritual of Raven
• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
• Rune Factory: Project Dragon
• Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
• Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
• Sniper Elite Resistance
• Star Overdrive
• State of Decay 3
• South of Midnight
• Terminator: Survivors
• The First Berserker Khazan
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st
• Time Flies
• Two Point Museum

The post 2024 Video Game release date calendar appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is the much anticipated multiplayer sequel that has over 110 mini-games, a mix of old and new boards, and long-awaited characters that have yet to join the series.

It's going to be an exciting time for Nintendo fans when the party truly begins. Here's everything we know so far about the game.

Super Mario Party Jamboree release date and pre-order bonuses

Peach, Yoshi, Wario, and many other characters will compete for star supremacy when Super Mario Party Jamboree launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 17.

If you pre-order the game through GameStop, you'll gain a Mario Party Dice keychain with your purchase. Best Buy, meanwhile, is offering a free Super Mario Party Jamboree-themed tote bag, which it claims is a $9.99 value. All copies of the game seem to come with three months of Switch Online for free as well, no matter where you get it.

Are you based in the United Kingdom? You can get the aforementioned dice keychain and a star pin set with your purchase of the game on the My Nintendo Store. GAME also includes the keychain with pre-orders.

All Super Mario Party Jamboree characters

The Super Mario Party Jamboree features many series regulars, but it also has two newcomers joining the fun-filled chaos. Here are all of the characters confirmed for the game so far:

• Mario
• Luigi
• Peach
• Donkey Kong
• Bowser
• Toad
• Toadette
• Daisy
• Shy Guy
• Yoshi
• Wario
• Waluigi
• Rosalina
• Boo
• Birdo
• Goomba
• Koopa Troopa
• Ninji
• Pauline
• Bowser Jr.
• Spike
• Monty Mole

Despite some other Nintendo characters joining the Mario Kart series, we won't be seeing The Legend of Zelda's Link or the Inklings joining this Mario Party game.

All boards, retro and new

Similar to the Mario Kart series, however, there will be a mix of old and new boards to play on. Here are all of the boards confirmed for Super Mario Party Jamboree so far:

• Mario's Rainbow Castle (Mario Party)
• Western Land (Mario Party 2)
• Roll 'em Raceway
• King Bowser's Keep
• Rainbow Galleria
• Mega Wiggler's Tree Party
• Goomba Lagoon

All mini-games we know so far

Thanks to Mario Party Legacy, we have an idea of what some of the mini-games are called and what types to expect. There are also some returning mini-games like the last entry Mario Party Superstars.

The returning mini-games include:

• Domination (Mario Party 4)
• Three Throw (Mario Party 4)
• Granite Getaway (Mario Party 6)
• Treasure Divers (Mario Party)
• Platform Peril (Mario Party)
• Stamp Out! (Mario Party 4)
• Blame it on the Crane (Mario Party 4)
• Snow Brawl (Mario Party 6)
• Defuse or Lose (Mario Party 5)
• Jump the Gun (Mario Party 6)
• Leaf Leap (Mario Party 5)
• Bumper Balls (Mario Party 2)
• Shy Guy Says (Mario Party 2)

The new games discovered, thanks to the preview coverage (read ours here) at PAX East 2024 include the following:

• Sandwiched
• Hot Cross Blocks
• Sunset Standoff
• Prime Cut
• Tricky Turntable
• Lane Change

What is the Koopathalon in Super Mario Party Jamboree?

The Koopathalon is a new online multiplayer mode that has up to 20 people competing against each other on a track. As you win mini-games, you'll gain traction and get closer to the lead.

"While I have nothing against the traditional Party Mode, Koopathlon presents a more high-octane approach to getting you into minigames," said our preview. "There was no rolling of the dice to move, nor store to buy items, or Stars declaring the winner — from what I could tell."

There is also a new co-op mode called the Bowser Kaboom Squad. It has you trying to take down a huge Bowser destroying a city. You're running around the board and collecting bombs to place into a cannon. Once they're fired, Bowser's health goes down.

Does Super Mario Party Jamboree support online for party mode?

The party doesn't just have to take place on the couch as you can take the action online with four players. You'll all just need a Switch Online subscription, which in comparison to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, is cheap.

The post Everything we know about Super Mario Party Jamboree – Characters, mini-games, release date appeared first on Destructoid.

The Soul System in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow allows for some great customization and gameplay. It's also required to collect souls for the best weapons. Every series of weapons has an upgrade chain to create stronger weapons using souls. This guide will help you make the strongest and most versatile of each weapon.

How to Collect Souls for Fusion

Getting different souls is a bit of a vague process, so we'll give a quick breakdown of best practices. First and foremost, you'll want the Soul Eater Ring. The problem is that it's not available until the later half of the game. Worse still, it's prohibitively expensive at 300,000g. But once you acquire it, it doubles the rate at which enemies drop their souls when you defeat them.

The best way to get a particular soul is find a place where you can easily farm the monster that drops it. Anywhere that you can quickly turn to leave the room, and turn back to reset the monsters is best. You can go in, kill the monster, see if it's soul drops, then exit and re-enter. It's a bit tedious, though the late-game Black Panther soul allows you to dash quickly.

Luck, it turns out, does not help much at all. Increasing your lucks stat has a fragment of a percent at boosting Soul drops. It's honestly better to make sure you have equipment that helps you down enemies faster. That said, if you also want to farm for enemy item drops, Luck isn't a bad thing to have. Just don't focus on it. Hard Mode quadruples the effect Luck has on Soul Drops, but that's still not a terribly helpful amount.

Finally, if you're playing on Castlevania: The Dominus Collection, there is one more cheat. Whether or not an enemy drops a soul is determined the moment you kill that enemy. Seeing as how The Dominus Collection has a quick rewind feature, that means you can constantly go back in time a few seconds and try again. This is especially useful on enemies like Final Armor, who take forever to kill AND have a rare drop chance. It's a very useful tool and I highly recommend it.

Sword Fusion Guide

The Sword guide is interesting because there are multiple times when weapons branch off. Most weapons are a straight line, but swords have more of a tree. Whenever a weapon is Synthesis Exclusive, it will be marked with an asterisk(*). Many weapons can be found in game or purchased in the shop, so this should help you avoid spending souls you'd rather hold onto.

Great Swords Guide

Bigger than normal swords, these swords usually hit much harder. In exchange, they're also a lot slower. Their wide arc makes up for that, in my opinion, which is why I tend to gravitate towards them.

Rapiers Guide

These are faster than swords, but otherwise aren't terribly special. They have a decent bit of reach to them. They're biggest advantage is that they do Piercing instead of Slashing damage.

Polearms Guide

My personal favorite weapon type, they have range and piercing. They're not much slower than rapiers, either.

Axes Guide

While I prefer spears, there's no denying the power of Axes. But it takes a while to get the best one, and it comes at the cost of a very valuable soul. If you're willing to part with Death's soul, the resulting scythe is probably the best weapon in the game.

Maces Guide

There's not much to the mace line of weapons. Mjollnjr is kind of a weak weapon, too. That said, having a Morgenstern on hand is always handy for any enemy that is weak to bashing damage.

Katanas Guide

There's nothing wrong with a good katana, but they're not terribly special either.

Fist Weapons Guide

Fist weapons are the alternative for bashing damage, but require you to be up close. That said, they can be pretty quick. The Kaiser Knuckle does multiple hits, making it a solid weapon for those brave enough to get up close.

The post How to synthesize every weapon in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

The Z Fighters are ready for Battle!

Bandai Namco released the latest update of Dragon Ball FighterZ earlier this week. Version 1.38 sees major changes to both character balance and universal system mechanics.

The new balance patch is DBFZ's first in over a year and comes nearly seven months after the game received a long-awaited rollback netcode update on February 28. The patch was handled by Bandai Namco and the developer Arc System Works in a team effort.

Version 1.38 focuses on increasing player options and game speed by buffing character damage and pressure sequences, and decreasing the effectiveness of over-centralizing mechanics. Other changes include buffs to anti-air attacks, invincible super moves, and the speed of normal attacks.

Overview of Changes

Z Assist (C Type)

C Type assists received a universal nerf by having their cooldown time increased. The move retains its ability to generate huge advantages and mixup opportunities but will no longer be the highly abusable tactic it has been in previous patches.

Sparking Blast

Players can now Super Dash or perform Special Moves out of any Special Move while Sparking Blast's effect is active. This change boosts the overall power level of all characters and allows players to have greatly increased freedom of expression when attacking or juggling their opponent.

Anti Air Attacks

Certain invincible moves that could only be stopped with crouching heavy attacks now have increased vulnerability to anti-air attacks, increasing player options for dealing with approaching opponents.

Super Moves

The invincibility of Super Moves for each character starts faster, giving them increased utility.

Special Moves

Light, medium, and heavy variations of Special Moves now count as separate attacks towards the Z combo limit. This change gives players enhanced freedom of expression in their combo routes.

Normal Moves

Many normal attacks are now faster and remain active for a longer period of time. Some characters received new attack extensions or the ability to extend attacks even after missing the opponent.

Dragon Ball FighterZ Version 1.38 Full Patch Notes

Dragon Ball FighterZ Patch Notes 1.38: Battle version requires updating, meaning previous version replays will no longer be viewable.

The post Dragon Ball FighterZ – new patch, big changes, Version 1.38 appeared first on Destructoid.

Disney Dreamlight Valley has a history of dropping new and exciting things into social media posts without commenting on them, and they seem to have just revealed something very exciting over on Twitter. 

If we take into account Dreamlight Valley’s history of randomly revealing upcoming additions without context, then this Twitter post indicates that players may soon be getting something that they’ve been waiting for for a long time — a Gem stall. 

Now, I’m the first to admit that there are some things about this picture that are a little odd, not least of all the fact that Scrooge is around a whole load of Gems and isn’t trying to hoard them away in his personal vault. 

Stalls in Disney Dreamlight Valley have, so far, always worked in the same way. Three items to purchase on the top row, and three items to purchase on the bottom row. By the looks of it, this may-or-may-not-be-coming Gem stall seems to have 12 slots, eight on the top and four on the bottom. That’s a whole lot of Gems.

Does this mean that we’re not getting a Gem stall? No, although we should probably hold off before getting too excited about the prospect. I have to admit that it would solve a lot of problems, particularly when it comes to crafting and gifting, as Gems are always in need and there are never enough of them to be mined. 

The last time we saw something like this come up on Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Twitter was back in April, when Gameloft revealed Daisy Duck’s Boutique with very little context and only in-picture clues to go off. 

Time will tell whether this Gem stall comes to fruition as the Boutique did, but it has sparked hope that maybe, just maybe, Gems may not be as elusive as they are currently before too long. 

The post A Gem Stall might be coming to Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo recently released a brand-new Mario & Luigi: Brothership trailer, which reveals the main new location of this anticipated game, ahead of it's November 2024 release. And that's not all, because they disclosed even more fascinating information on the game's official Japanese website.

Mario & Luigi will explore Concordia in their newest adventure!

This new trailer, which Nintendo recently posted all over their social media, reveals the name of the main location that the famous plumber brothers will visit and explore in their upcoming RPG adventure: Concordia. Judging by the footage, it's evident that this is a beautiful place with its own unique flora & fauna. The official description of the video describes this adventure as an "island getaway", so it's evident that they're aiming for a setting with a tropical atmosphere.

Luckily for Mario fans, Nintendo revealed further information in the official Japanese website for Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The main takeaway is that Concordia is a mysterious land that the plumbers are visiting for the first time, and it's entirely made up of different drifting islands that they will be able to explore throughout their adventure.

Mario and Luigi will get to Concordia by setting sail on a drifting island that also works as a ship, fittingly named Ship Island. From that point onwards, they will have to explore the multiple other drifting islands of the region, like Gran Gran Island, a place filled with rock-like residents and environments, Tuis Island, a tourist destination where a species of twisted tree can grow, Xenialver Island, an urban island with a big city that contributes to the economy of the region, Kandang Island, an island that is half magma and half ice, and much more.

On each island, Mario and Luigi will meet curious characters and fight threatening monsters, so each one of them will surely contain many surprises for the player (Keep in mind that Nintendo hasn't revealed the official English names for these islands, but it's most likely that the English localization will either keep the same names or use new ones that sound very similar).

Meet new, funky-looking characters!

The website also revealed a bunch of interesting new information about the antagonistic group of characters that was seen in previous Mario & Luigi: Brothership trailers. They are the Boldrud Squad, and the site explains that they are "suspicious characters giving orders behind the scenes". It did not reveal much more information about them, so it's most likely Nintendo is keeping them under wraps, so players will be able get to know more about the Boldrud Squad in the game.

On the other hand, however, the website also showed off the new Combination Attacks that the pair of brothers will be able to pull off in Mario & Luigi Brothership. This is a staple of this RPG series, and the animation in this new entry is absolutely beautiful and extremely detailed. Based on all the trailers and screenshots, it is evident that the presentation of this upcoming title will not disappoint.

Fans will be able to get their hands on an alluring pre-order bonus

And if all that wasn't enough, the community discovered that Micromania, a video game retail store from France, revealed the bonus that those who pre-order Mario & Luigi: Brothership will receive a shiny exclusive steel book that displays the beautiful promotional art of the two brothers on the cover. Nintendo of America has yet to confirm if this pre-order bonus will also be available in the United States, or in other parts of the world, but most fans are confident that it will be.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is launching on November 7, 2024, and fans are ecstatic for the anticipated return of the beloved Mario & Luigi RPG series, especially after the shutdown of AlphaDream in 2019. Although, Nintendo still hasn't officially revealed which studio is developing Mario & Luigi: Brothership, which left fans heavily speculating on the topic.

The post Nintendo reveals exciting new information about Mario & Luigi: Brothership appeared first on Destructoid.

All good things must come to an end, and that's certainly true for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. While it's easily one of the best Castlevania games, getting to its conclusion can be bittersweet. Here's how you can get the best possible ending.

Getting the best ending can be kind of an obtuse process. But it's not just about getting the sweetest cutscene. It's also about those delicious unlocks! Whether you want to be sure you're on the right track or you're finding out what went wrong, we're here. And don't worry about spoilers; we'll keep it as clean as possible.

How (not) to get the worst ending

Unless you're thorough, it's very easy to miss a key requirement for getting past the first ending. There's a boss named Dario, who you'll end up fighting twice throughout the game. The second time will be in a part of the map called The Pinnacle. When you get to him, you may notice something extremely suspicious about his fight. In the background is a giant mirror with a demon reflected in it.

If all you do is beat Dario, you're granted the worst ending in the game. This provides no rewards and is basically the same as a "Game Over." If you've noticed giant mirrors in other parts of the castle, you may have guessed that you need to interact with them somehow. This is the key to correctly defeating Dario.

You'll need a boss soul from a monster called Paranoia. To find him, go west from The Pinnacle's lower reaches to enter a new part of the Demon Guest House. Simply move west through this new area, and you'll come across this boss. Defeat him, take his soul, and you can use it in any large mirror in the castle. That includes using it in Dario's boss room and fighting the demon inside. This will allow the story to progress correctly.

How to get the bad ending

While still a bummer of an ending for our heroes, this one can at least unlock Julius Mode. This is a new gameplay mode where you take control of Julius, Yoko, and Alucard as you play through the entire game with unique powers. It's a fun bonus mode and well worth unlocking. But you should probably just move on to the next ending and get it later.

After you surpass the worst ending above, you'll be challenged to meet Celia in the locked room of the Garden of Madness. There's a key item that affects whether you get the bad ending here or if you open up the rest of the game. If you want to unlock Julius Mode quickly or want to see what happens, enter the central chamber without Mina's Talisman equipped. A cutscene will play, and then the credits will roll. Technically, Julius Mode is a sort of "what if?" continuation of these events.

How to get the best ending

The real ending requires you to best Dario by defeating his mirror-verse demon and by confronting Celia with Mina's Talisman equipped to your accessory slot. Once you do these two things, you'll open up a secret path in The Tower that goes down. Follow that path and finish the last portions of the game. You'll reach the final boss, defeat them, and finally get your best ending.

Defeating the game's best ending unlocks Julius mode, as well as a slew of new options. The most interesting is a New Game Plus mode. Above your save file is a "Clear" icon. Selecting it allows you to start the game over at level 1, but you keep all non-essential souls, equipment, and gold. You're also granted the ability to play the game in Hard Mode, giving you an extra challenge. If you beat the game's Hard Mode, your reward is a unique Hell Flame soul. This gives you Dracula's old "fireballs from the cape" maneuver he's used since the original Castlevania.

You'll also unlock a Sound Test and a Boss Rush Mode. Aside from being a fun challenge, Boss Rush also has some unique unlockables to send back to your main game. They are time-based requirements, and unfortunately, you can't unlock everything if you do it right the first time. You'll have to play through the mode at least five times, provided you can get the best score right away on each occasion.

The post Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow Endings guide appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the biggest strengths of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is its Soul system. It lets you capture enemies' special properties and abilities and use whatever loadout they choose. A great way to add variety and customization to the combat, making Dawn of Sorrow an all-time favorite of mine.

However, there are secret combinations of souls that can unlock special effects. These combinations help give you more to consider when setting up your loadout. It can be a lot of silly fun to mess around with different souls to see what synergizes well. We've created this guide to help identify all the combos and their unique extra effects so you don't have to do the legwork.

What works with Skeleton Ape?

One particularly useful Enchant type Soul gives is the Skeleton Ape. This soul is hard to acquire due to its rarity and the enemy's strong attack. But it's well worth it if you're a fan of throwing abilities. To help make sure you're using the right souls, we've compiled a list that we know works with it.

• Puppet Master - Throws your puppet farther, great for harmlessly maneuvering around the screen.
• Une - Throws your plant projectile further.
• Fish Head - Throws your Fish Head further.
• Slogra - Throws your spear further.
• Ripper - Throws your dagger harder.
• Mandragora - Throws the screaming plant projectile further.
• Decarabia - Throws the spinning Decarabia summon faster.
• Axe Armor - Throw your axe in a wider arc.
• Slogra + Gaibon - Both spears go farther.
• Fish Head + Needles - Both Fish Heads go farther.
• Une + Alura Une - Alura will have a longer range tossing her Une's down.

Garden of Terror

As a bonus, there is one combo that requires three souls and is considered one of the most powerful offensive options in the game. The only downside is that it leaves you standing still and vulnerable. However, the damage output should help mitigate that entirely.

The combination of Une, Alura Une, and the Skeleton Farmer forms a screen-wide offense. Skeleton Farmer is an Enchant-type soul that grants all plant-based powers more damage. There are not a lot of those, but it makes Une a potent weapon. And when using the Soul Combo of Une and Alura Une, it's incredibly destructive. There's only one Skeleton Farmer in the game, and he's got a low chance of dropping the soul. But it's absolutely worth working for.

The post All the Soul Combos in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

The exciting September 2024 games lineup is buzzing with an epic adventure featuring an adorable robot, a princess saving the land of Hyrule for the first time, and the "beautiful game" gracing our consoles yet again. There is an indie standout as well from the famed publisher Devolver Digital.

Astro Bot (PS5)

Publisher: PlayStation
Developer: Team Asobi
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 6
Trailer

More than 50 joyous worlds await 3D platformer fans when Astro Bot arrives on the PS5 on September 6. Developed by Team Asobi, the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers will be heavily used as our favorite little robot Astro utilizes more than 15 new abilities. Hopefully, they all land and create impressive levels for us all to play. Additionally, there will be over 150 PlayStation heroes to find among the game's levels as well, including Horizon's Aloy, Uncharted's Nathan Drake, and God of War's Kratos.

FC 25 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch)

Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Canada & EA Romania
Price: $69.99
Release Date: September 27 (20th for Early Access)
Trailer

EA's juggernaut football (soccer) franchise FC returns for its 2025 entry. We all know what to expect from this yearly entry, but it is bringing in some new features. FC 25 has a 5v5 Rush mode that pits players into a smaller pitch for more fast-paced gameplay. The game is also touting its FC IQ system, which, according to the game's website, "utilises a new AI model, powered by real-world data, to influence player tactics through all-new Player Roles." You can get an idea of how this will impact gameplay when FC 25 runs on to the pitch on September 27 (or September 20 for Early Access players).

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 26
Trailer

The next The Legend of Zelda game is upon us, but this time, it features the titular princess as the main protagonist, not Link. You'll be playing as Zelda, exploring Hyrule, and creating copies of objects and monsters called echoes to help her on an epic quest to save the land and Link. For example, she can copy a wooden table and stack them to create platforms. The game returns to the toy-like art style from the Link's Awakening remake that's been received with a mixed response by fans. Nevertheless, we'll be getting a unique take on the Zelda series when Echoes of Wisdom launches on September 26.

The Plucky Squire (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: All Possible Futures
Price: $29.99
Release Date: September 17
Trailer

One of the year's most promising indie titles The Plucky Squire finally jumps out of the page and onto our screens on September 17. It's primarily an action-adventure game that's set inside a storybook and then into a bedroom. Our hero Jot and his pals try to save his friends from the evil Humgrump and jump between 2D and 3D plains to do so. There are a bunch of surprises that await us, including a section that's inspired by the boxing of Punch-Out and more. It will be exciting to see what the game's developer All Possible Futures have in store for us.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Developer: Saber Interactive
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 9
Trailer

There seems to be plenty of variety this month as we're getting a gritty sci-fi third-person shooter in September. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 follows up the cult classic PS3-era game on September 9. Developed by Saber Interactive, you'll be hacking and slashing through Tyranids while your buddies shoot them with high-velocity rifles. There are six different classes to choose from and each has its own skills and cosmetics to unlock. There's also going to be some PvP matches to add some spice to the action. It's giving out major Gears of War vibes. Crossplay will be supported as long as you have a Prism Online Relay Services account.

Honorable mentions

There are so many September 2024 games of note, so here are some honorable mentions to consider. Your wallet may be hurting by the end of the month.

• Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - September 3
• The Casting of Frank Stone (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - September 3
• What the Car? (PC) - September 5
• NBA 2K25 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 6
• The Elder Scrolls Castles (iOS, Android) - September 10
• Yars Rising (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, Atari VCS) - September 10
• Jackbox Naughty Pack (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Wild Bastards (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 12
• Funko Fusion (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - September 13
• Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - September 18
• Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - September 24
• Apartment Story (PC) - September 26
• Reynatis (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - September 27
• Starfield: Shattered Space (Xbox Series X|S, PC) - September 30

The post Here are the most anticipated September 2024 games appeared first on Destructoid.

To say there are a lot of powers to collect in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow would be putting it lightly. Every single enemy you fight has a power that can drop. However, if you want that sweet 100% collection, there are a few secret souls you'll need to collect.

These souls belong to creatures referred to as "UMA," or Unidentified Mysterious Animal. In more common terms, you've probably heard them referred to as Cryptids. These are creatures that are said to exist but have no concrete proof that they do. In Dawn of Sorrow, three cryptids are known to roam the villain's hideout. You'll need to use information from the UMA News articles to find and attract a Yeti, Flying Humanoid, and Mothman.

Where to find Yeti's Soul

You'll find the Yeti lurking about in the very first "room" of the game. It's actually an outdoor area, and he'll be skulking in the forested background. You can't reach back there and get him; you'll have to lure him out with some delicious food.

To lure him out, you'll need to get the soul from a Waiter Skeleton. They're mostly found in the Demon Guest House. Waiter souls are hard to obtain because the cowardly bone bags will throw a plate of food at you and run away. You'll need something to either stop them, like a petrifying ability, or a heavy club to crush their weakness. Once you have a good system, it's time to kill them over and over again until one of them drops their soul.

With your new power, go back to that opening area in The Lost Village. Use the Waiter Skeleton soul to throw some delicious curry down onto the ground. The Yeti will smell it immediately and leap out of the background to grab a bite. The only problem is that the food is too spicy! The Yeti will take damage trying to eat it, and then immediately retreat to the background again. Attacking him before he gets the curry will also spook him off. You'll have to use a similar tactic on him as you did with the Waiter Skeleton. He is weak to fire, so if you have a flame sword or ability, that should help take him down.

Yeti's soul is a unique Guardian power that summons a... "white orb of dark power that grows as it rolls." It's a snowball. It makes a snowball that you can move along the ground, and it gets bigger as you go. It's not the most useful, but it is pretty fun!

Where to find the Flying Humanoid's soul

The second soul belongs to a creature referred to as the Flying Humanoid. It's difficult to get a good look at exactly what it is. However, it shouldn't be too hard to miss it drifting in the sky behind the clock tower. At the top of the Cursed Clock Tower, between the Save Room and Boss Room, you'll see a small figure flying in the distance. It appears to be vulnerable to sonic attacks, and so you'll need the help of the Mandragora Soul to defeat it.

The Mandragora soul is best found scattered around the Garden of Madness. They look like Une and Corpseweed until they pop out of the ground. They'll quickly let out an ear-rupturing scream and explode. Sadly, you only get kill credit if you defeat them BEFORE they self-destruct. The best place to farm them is on the map below because they share a room with another soul you need later. Farming both Mandragora and the lightning bird Rycuda is a great time saver. But more on that in the next section.

Once you have the Mandragora, take it back to the top of the Cursed Clock Tower and summon the screaming root. It'll cause the Flying Humanoid to explode in the distance, sending its soul spiraling towards you. You can technically farm this soul, but it doesn't get more powerful past the first one.

The Flying Humanoid's soul is a Guardian type that gives you an Intellect and Luck bonus when activated. Soma will sprout some cool-looking wings to let you know when it's active, but it drains your mana rather quickly. It's a helpful tool when farming souls and rare items off of enemies.

Where to find Mothman's Soul

My personal favorite cryptid, Mothman, is a bit more elusive than the other two souls. It's a little less obvious where he's hiding, as you don't see him until he's summoned. To do so, you'll need that Rycuda soul I mentioned earlier. It grants you the ability to throw lightning bolts around, which is both a great weapon and a useful tool.

Mothman is a late-game soul found in The Pinnacle of the Castle. There's a long hall under the biggest room in the area. You'll know you're in the right place if there are two Final Guards in it. You can find a generator and a large spotlight sitting dormant between them. You'll have to use Rycuda's lightning power to restore the machine to working conditions. If it doesn't work immediately, make sure to hit the machine with the lightning's tip. Doing so summons the Mothman, allowing you to acquire his soul. He should drop it on the first kill.

Mothman's soul grants you a buff to your EXP. Combine it with the Shaman Ring for an extremely quick level gain!

The post Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow – How to find all UMA Souls appeared first on Destructoid.

The Dark Lord from Castlevania is the fog's most diverse killer in Dead by Daylight. Dracula is a killer that can shapeshift into several forms, each tailored to effectively hunt survivors. Here is how to counter Dracula in Dead by Daylight.

Dracula has three forms he can switch between on the fly. Only his Vampire and Wolf form are capable of attacking, while his Bat form is used primarily to quickly cover ground. The general strategy for dealing with Dracula is to keep running. Both his Wolf and Vampire form have anti-looping abilities that easily catch survivors who run straight for pallets and windows.

How to counter Vampire form

In Vampire form, Dracula can use the Hellfire spell to shoot out seven flame pillars in a straight line. You can dodge this attack by making quick, sharp turns away from Dracula's line of sight. When he's charging or canceling the Hellfire spell, Dracula's speed is decreased drastically, so you can also use this time to run.

How to counter Wolf form

With Wolf form, Dracula can charge two Pounces to quickly leap forward and attack. Similar to the Hellfire spell, Dracula will slow down when charging a pounce, so you know to dodge when he begins to slow down. To avoid a Pounce, hug the walls in a loop and continue running. If Dracula Pounces into an object, it'll trigger a lengthy animation, buying you some time.

How to counter Bat form

Bat form gives Dracula the Undetectable status effect, a hefty speed boost, and the ability to teleport to vault points within 32 meters. Dracula can't attack in this form or see survivors so he'll need to rely on scratch marks, pools of blood, and noise to track survivors. You can throw Dracula off your trail by running in one direction, then walking back the way you came. If Dracula is close, you can run straight through him as he has no collision in Bat form.

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Studio Sai has announced the Nintendo Switch release date for its dating sim slash action game, Eternights. It’s coming on October 20, 2024, and a trailer has been released alongside the announcement. The trailer doesn’t look great.

I reviewed Eternights last year at launch. It was fine. I didn’t really love it, and I haven’t thought about it much since. It’s a small production that swings high. It’s successful in a lot of ways but disappoints in areas that really count. However, it did find an audience, as it has reportedly sold over 200,000 copies, and some people really dug it. It just didn’t get my thighs grinding.

It was a pretty decent-looking game on PS4 and PC, but it looks like it might struggle on Switch. The graphics were already murky on other platforms, but on Switch, it’s difficult to see what’s happening. The framerate also seems to struggle in a number of spots. However, this is sometimes just a side-effect of streaming video, but then there’s a scene early on (0:34 mark) where a piece of the background just disappears, as though it’s on the border of the draw distance and can decide whether it should be showing.

Now, to be fair, it’s still nearly two months from release, which is plenty of time to get things polished to a brighter glow, but I’m just not optimistic based on what I’m seeing. There have been a number of great looking ports that have fit games originally released for more powerful hardware onto the Switch, but there have also been less than acceptable results. Hopefully, Eternights winds up leaning more into the former category.

Eternights is available on PC, PS4, and PS5 right now. It will release on Switch October 20, 2024.

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Switch owners may ask the question, "Heaven or Hell?" soon as a PAX West banner has reportedly leaked a Guilty Gear Strive port early. The event begins this weekend, but the banner was put up earlier than publisher Arc System Works likely wanted.

Guilty Gear Strive is likely heading to Switch

In an X post by SoySauceAsian_ that's since been taken down, an image of a Guilty Gear Strive banner advertising a Switch version was published to the internet. It has since been circulating around Reddit and other outlets. The banner says "Nintendo Switch Version" in bold letters, asking PAX West attendees to pre-order the game.

You would think the developer would let attendees check out the game. Arc System Works, however, doesn't have a booth at the event, according to the exhibitor list on PAX's website. Perhaps Nintendo could be hosting the game as Guilty Gear Strive is a popular title within the fighting game community. Come to think of it, it's strange that Guilty Gear Strive wasn't revealed during the latest Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase.

An official Guilty Gear X page has confirmed over 3 million copies have been sold since the game's launch in June 2021. With this success, the series is also getting an anime adaptation. It makes sense if Arc System Works wants to expand the game's reach to the Nintendo Switch audience. The developer has also previously launched Dragon Ball FighterZ and DNF Duel on the system.

Our 8.5/10 review called Guilty Gear Strive "a good, solid, very online-capable fighting game with plenty of big swords, charging dolphins, and doctors with questionable credentials to go around." That sounds like a recipe for a great anime fighter.

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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a game with many secrets, and it's easy to go chasing down false leads. With the release of Castlevania: The Dominus Collection, that might happen all over again. One of the biggest apparent mysteries is The Piano Room.

It's entirely likely that first time players might go hunting down for clues, and people who haven't played since the DS games originally came out might have false memories. Here's where the Piano Room is.

The Piano Room's location

When you first enter the Demon Guest House, you'll want to go up and to the left. Doing so will take you to a room that shows a large slide puzzle. The pieces in this room can be shifted to make various paths. By default, it should take you to an exit in the upper left hand corner, so you shouldn't need to shift anything around.

Simply follow the path and emerge on the other end. Then go up two more screens, and take the left. That should take you to the giant Piano room. Some of the keys don't work, but most of them do. You can hop between them to relive all your Big memories, if you want. But that's about all its good for.

Are there any secrets in the Piano Room?

Tap away all you want, but this isn't Resident Evil. No amount of playing Moonlight Sonata on this thing will open any secret passageways. Reddit users have even discussed this within the last few years, and they all agree there's nothing here.

All these years later, and people still wonder what secrets this piano might hold. But, unfortunately, the only thing this carries is a tune. It shouldn't be a surprise; Iga loves to put weird toys in his games. The man who loves to let you sit in chairs could easily dream up a silly piano floor, just-because.

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I can’t say I was expecting remakes of the long-dormant Famicom Detective Club series, let alone a completely new entry. That’s to say nothing of how it was announced. The series lived and died on the Famicom Disk System (excluding some dalliances on the Super Famicom).

In a way, the visual novels feel very representative of the genre’s heyday on early Japanese home computers. Detectives were a popular subject, and the Famicom Disk System had a handful of its own. Here in North America, visual novels, in general, are niche, and retro detective stories are a niche within a niche. So, it’s refreshing to not only see these games for the first time in English, but also get to join in the revival.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club feels very much like a continuation of both the style and spirit of its predecessors, for better and worse. Before I even start talking about it, you probably already know if you’re on board to check it out.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club (Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: August 29, 2024
MSRP: $49.99

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club takes place a few years after The Missing Heir (which is the first game released and the second game chronologically). The trio at Utsugi Detective Agency gets called into action by the police to help them with a murder. A schoolboy was found strangled. More unusually, a paper bag with a smiling face drawn on it was placed over his head.

The paper bag is referenced in a local urban legend about a paper bag-clad man who promises crying girls a way to smile forever before strangling them and leaving them wearing his signature smiling bag. However, more realistically, it harkens back to a series of murders 18 years prior to the start of the game, where girls were found strangled in the grinning headwear.

The plot gets a few wrenches thrown into the gears. First, the original serial murder victims were all girls, whereas this one was a boy. The boy was also strangled with a rope or cord, while the girls were bare-handed. However, the fact that the original victims were found wearing paper bags was kept out of the press, so the likelihood of a copycat is rather low. So, it’s time to pound the pavement.

I want to stress that Emio is not an investigative game. It’s purely a mystery visual novel about detectives. You don’t have much agency when it comes to figuring things out; you’re mostly along for the ride. I don’t say this to disparage the game. I just want to set expectations.

However, the format does get in the way. You generally go around interrogating people, and this takes the form of asking questions, looking at stuff, and thinking. You’re sometimes given a list of questions, and you kind of just click through them. You ask about one subject, and eventually, the person you’re talking to just starts repeating themself. So you start asking about something else, and when you stop getting new information, you think, and that unlocks more. It’s not a far cry from the format of the first two games, but I’m not sure it was worth keeping it for continuity’s sake.

Murder aside, Emio is kind of a cozier detective game. The subject matter is grim, but the story isn’t told with much tension. I think telling you what the story doesn’t have in comparison to what you might expect could ruin the surprises more than telling you what it does, so I’m going to refrain from doing that. Instead, I’ll illustrate it like this:

There is an early scene in the game where you wait for a bus. This isn’t a timed thing. It doesn’t have really much impact on the narrative. To get through it, you do the exact same thing you do everywhere else: you poke through the menu to try and find the options that move things forward. It’s long, quiet, and somewhat comical. It’s not padding, nor is it significant. It’s just more time to spend with the protagonist in a way that makes them relatable.

And there are a few of these scenes throughout. Conversations with characters that don’t really have any meaning or significance. There are characters without any meaning or significance. There’s a scene where a character keeps wincing in pain, and when you find out the reason for it, you discover that it wasn’t anything important or concerning. The whole story could have been told much more concisely, but it relishes in bringing you into the world. Perhaps a little too much.

It’s not even that it’s boring. Usually, when you’re trapped in a scene, there’s something fascinating about it. The characters that it’s so keen on showing are legitimately interesting and well-rounded. Suspicion is cast on so many of them that it’s easy to wonder what dark spots they have and how they tie into the overall mystery.

The main problem with its storytelling is its astounding lack of focus. It throws threads in all directions and raises so many questions, that the conclusion has to do a lot of scrambling to tie them together. A few don’t really wind up in that knot to any satisfying extent. When all is said and done it’s a bit of a mess, but manages to find paydirt where it counts.

Emio spends so much of its runtime setting up dominos just so it can satisfyingly knock them down at the end. That works in a lot of media, but video games take a lot longer to get through than a movie or even most novels. Expecting a player to stand at a bus stop for a portion of the story just so the ending hits marginally harder is a big ask.

Regardless of how I feel about Emio overall, I’m happy to have experienced it. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, publishers put a lot of thought into whether or not a game was worth localizing. We missed out on a lot of RPGs in the West because the games in the genre sold about as well as boxes of pre-chewed fingernails, and many titles didn’t have a chance because they were too Japanese. Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is both very niche and very Japanese, but Nintendo still found it worthwhile bringing it across the pond. They probably aren’t even forecasting record sales; it’s just less risky to attempt it in today’s industry.

With that said, I’m not sure Emio is going to stick with me in the same way that Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo will. If anything does cement itself in my mind, it will be its conclusion, which is so incredibly impactful, partly because you’ve spent so much time immersed in the very human side of its mystery. It’s also impactful because it’s incredibly dark in a way the rest of the narrative only hinted at. You'll just have to do some digging before you find the body.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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MIX Games and Wallride have announced that their modern NES title, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, is nearly complete and will launch next month. It will be available on PS4/PS5, Switch, and PC on September 10, 2024. Also Xbox One and Series X|S, I think, but the press release formats it weirdly.

The big deal about Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is that it’s built to run on an actual NES, but the modern console versions also have an HD overlay that makes the game look closer to the actual cartoon. There’s also two player co-op, and it has gameplay reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA) but not as dynamic.

I played the demo earlier this year, and it was fine. At the time, I mentioned that it may get held back by its ambitions for co-op. Its large sprites demand a lot from the NES hardware, which might mean fewer enemies or lots more flicker. However, the demo was 10 minutes. Maybe it’s more puzzle-focused, which could be fun. It had me interested at the word “NES,” so I’m planning on finding out with the full version. Hopefully, it will be at least as good as Garbage Pail Kids.

On the other hand, I don’t have any nostalgia for Rugrats. I don’t think the show was on any channel that we got while I was growing up, and I mostly watched KidsWB. Sometimes Fox Kids, but never Nickelodeon. That’s just how it was in those days; you didn’t get to just see everything.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is coming to PS4, PS5, Switch, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One on September 10, 2024.

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A new Nintendo stream is upon us, and it's airing on pretty short notice. Tomorrow, August 27, Nintendo will host a two-part stream featuring an Indie World Showcase followed by a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase.

The stream goes live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET on Nintendo's YouTube and other channels. The Indie World Showcase will air first, followed by the Partner Showcase, for a total of roughly 40 minutes, after all is said and done.

In case the names didn't tip you off, don't expect any news about the successor to the Nintendo Switch here. Not only do these streams normally not focus on Nintendo news (Partners and Indies are both third-party showcases), but Nintendo is outright saying that there will be no mention of the Switch successor.

What can we expect then? Well, the Silksong faithful are already donning their clown masks. And I mean, we have to hear something about that game again at some point, right? Oh no. It's happening to me too.

I expect the Indie World side of things to be full of surprises and, fingers crossed, a "later today" drop or two. Those are always exciting to see, and my Switch could use a new indie game or two to pick away at.

As for the Partner Showcase, that will be all third-party offerings. My best speculation is to expect some frequent collaborators; Square Enix, for example, or Marvelous. I'd love to get some more details on whatever Level-5 has been up to as well. After the delay of Fantasy Life i into 2025, I'm curious about where that's left their other games, like Decapolice.

We'll find out what's in store for the Switch as we head into the Nintendo Direct double-header tomorrow at 7 a.m. PT.

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An unexpected update was recently released for Vampire Survivors, with a surprising amount of content. It contains the first few cards in the new "Dark Arcana," serving as the groundwork for some incredibly powerful abilities.

There's more: A new stage, some new secrets, and a new character are also awaiting you. We're here to make sure you know how to find and unlock everything in Vampire Survivors' Darkasso update.

How to unlock the new stage

The first thing you'll need to start on the path to unlocking everything is the new stage. While the clue might be obvious, we'll still explain the details. The stage unlocks when you "cast a spell" called "forbiddenbox." As long as you've collected the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, you'll have a main menu option called "Secrets." Go there, and navigate to the "Cast Spell" box. Type out the spell's name, "forbiddenbox." But be prepared, you'll immediately drop into the new level with a random character!

This is the surprisingly spooky new stage, Room 1665. You'll need to navigate south by killing enemies until the door opens. I wouldn't worry about build outside of assisting whatever character you're dealt. Just get your most powerful weapons and survive. When you hear a strange laugh, the next door will open.

When you see a little treasure goblin walk across the stage, aim for them, as they will drop a treasure chest. The corridors between rooms have candles in them for supplies like floor turkey. The stage is a shorter one, only 20 minutes long. As long as you reach the bottom room, however, you'll have everything you need for now.

Sadly, characters who can pass through walls cannot skip the door mechanic. You have to wait through each room, of which there are 16 in total.

Getting to the end of the stage unlocks the Darkasso: Rhe Dark Arcana used to mix up your runs. You'll have Number VI - Moonlight Bolero by default. It causes an extra treasure boss to spawn every minute. The treasures it carries might allow you to have more Arcana cards or Passive Weapons than you can normally carry. It's incredibly powerful in beefing up the back half of your run while helping level all your weapons faster.

How to unlock each of the new Dark Arcana in Vampire Survivors

There are five new Dark Arcana cards total, all incredibly powerful. They are still subject to change based on feedback from the players.

You'll start with the Moonlight Bolero once you unlock the Dark Arcana so that one is out of the way. The next one you'll want is the Sapphire Mist, which requires you to reach a Cooldown Bonus of -85% with Space Dude. If you don't have him, you'll have to survive 20 minutes in the Space 54 stage.

Once you have him, I recommend playing on The Library, as it has an Empty Tome you can pick up. You'll need this as part of the challenge. Before you start, I also recommend using as many Seals as you can to lock away as unevolved weapons. When you start your match, you'll want to pick Arcana XX - Silent Old Sanctuary. It grants you extra Rerolls, Skips, and Banishes. But the more important aspect is that it gives you 20% Might and -8% Cooldown for each active weapon slot left empty.

As you play, you'll need to always Banish weapons, and only ever pick up Passive Weapons. As long as you have five empty Weapon slots, you should have a -85% cooldown. The trick to unlocking this is that you have to finish the stage with this cooldown reduction. Once you do, a powerful new Dark Arcana will be yours.

For Hail the Future, you'll need to play as Santa Ladonna. If you haven't unlocked her, you'll need to survive 20 minutes on the Laboratory stage. Santa Ladonna has a passive ability that triggers a Rosary when her health reaches a critically low level. As far as I could tell, you just need to trigger this ability to unlock the Arcana.

Forcing it to trigger by taking damage was the only unusual thing I did for the stage when I played her. The same applies to the next card, Crystal Cries. Except you'll use the character She-Moon Eeta. She's unlocked by surviving 20 minutes in Whiteout. She-Moon has a similar low-health ability that triggers, though hers freezes enemies for 10 seconds. Force yourself to take damage until it triggers, and you should be all set.

For the final card, you'll need to reach +665 Max Health with Bat Robbert. You can unlock him by unlocking his weapon, which itself is unlocked by beating over 160,000 bats. If you need help with this, play Bat Country a few times. Bat Robbert gains +32 Max Health whenever his health reaches a critically low level. Between this and the Hollow Heart item, it shouldn't be difficult to get him to max.

I recommend taking some Revive passive items and Arcana to help protect yourself if your health gets too low. You'll have to trigger it multiple times, so keep an eye on the pause menu to see what your health buff is. If it goes over 665, that's okay.

How to unlock the new character Bats Bats Bats

To unlock Bats Bats Bats, you'll have to follow one of the most cryptic clues in the game. "It's as easy as ABC, find the Ring of Rings." The "ABC" in this clue is a reference to the stage Bat Country, which features a secret set of lettered tiles that let you play with the background visuals. You'll need to find the "Ring of Rings," which is more literal than it sounds. In Bat Country, there is a circle made of the Golden Ring item on the right side of the map.

Be careful when you acquire them - not only are they cursed items, but each of the six rings has an Atlantean Ring Wraith protecting it. Once you collect the items, you'll hear the unlock sound effect and Bats Bats Bats will be available from the character select screen.

Bats Bats Bats starts with a special version of the evolved form of the Pako Battiliar, the Mazo Familiar. Its Damage and Amount are affected by your Max Health. The original item requires the Hollow Heart to evolve into the Mazo Familiar, but it's still a good idea to pick it up for the bonus damage. Bats Bats Bats's version continues to grow stronger when you level up. Also, if you revive during a match, it increases the weapon's Amount and gives you a follower bat. He's incredibly powerful when teamed up with the IV - Awake Arcana and the Tirajisu.

How to unlock new old characters

Two classic characters, Poe Ratcho and Imelda Belpaese, have new versions that can be unlocked. To do so, you'll need to clear their respective Adventure Mode campaigns. If you already have, but you do not see these characters unlock, try opening up their Adventure Mode menus and see if that prompts the achievements to collect.

Once unlocked, you can select these new versions of the characters from the Character Select screen. You'll have to select the originals and then select their alternate appearances. Select the character, then press Left on the D-Pad from the Start button. You'll be able to pick from the normal, the original sprite, and the new versions. The new versions also come with level 5 versions of the Passive Weapon that evolve their default item.

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Do you remember when Snow Bros. Wonderland was announced, a new 3D entry in Toaplan’s Snow Bros. arcade series? It was really unexpected. Well, it has a release date now. Clear River Games says it’s coming November 28, 2024 to PS4, PS5, and Switch. No PC? Curiouser.

Part of what makes this really unusual is that Snow Bros. isn’t the best-remembered arcade game you could make a latter-day sequel to. I have a slight fondness for it owed partially to encounters with it in my youth, but even I wasn’t asking for a new one. There was a remake/remaster of the first game released in 2022, which kind of affirmed that it’s fine. It’s okay. It isn’t Bubble Bobble, but it isn’t a complete waste of your quarters in the arcade, either.

Snow Bros. Wonderland doesn’t even seem all that related to the arcade games. You play as either Nick or Tom and the main combat mechanic is rolling up snowballs, so that’s not nothing, but it’s a lot less arcade and more PS1. There’s a lot of very familiar-looking collecting and platforming.

That’s not to say it’s definitely going to be terrible. It’s in the margin of murkiness where the antiquated graphics and gameplay could belie some enjoyable gameplay. I do enjoy those early 3D platformers. It’s just such a strange sequel. There were a lot of casualties that came from trying to shift 2D formulas to 3D, and this looks so evocative of that era. If you told me this is a remaster of a canceled N64 game, I’d wander off to do my research.

Yeah, I’m curious. Whether or not I have time to get around to it in November remains to be seen. In the meantime, we're still waiting on the Snow Bros. 2 remaster.

Snow Bros. Wonderland will arrive on PS4, PS5, and Switch on November 28, 2024.

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Season 12 of Overwatch 2 is themed heavily around Egyptian gods, but Egyptian heroes like Ana and Pharah aren't getting the spotlight. This season's Mythic Skin, based on Anubis, is going to Reaper.

On the Overwatch subreddit, players were shocked by the decision to give Reaper a skin based off of Anubis over Ramattra, given Ramattra's early design concepts. In a 2017 video, Blizzard shared the concept that ultimately led to Ramattra; an Omnic, wearing Egyptian-styled garb.

Another Developer Update from Blizzard briefly goes over the team's decision to give Reaper the Anubis skin. Lead Concept Artist, Morten Skaalvik, mentions that a meeting was held to discuss who the Mythic Skin should go to. Skaalvik says that the meeting was concluded quickly as everyone had "instantly agreed it needed to be Reaper."

The reasoning behind this decision stems from Reaper being closely associated with death and Anubis being the Egyptian god of death. While the logic behind this decision is fair, players on Twitter/X agree that the skin should have gone to Ramattra.

For additional salt in the wounds, it's still unclear if Ramattra will receive any new skins in the upcoming season. The trailer for Season 12 reveals a variety of skins as part of the Battle Pass and skins that will be coming to the shop. Unfortunately, no new skins were shown off for the leader of Null Sector.

However, Ramattra isn't the only hero getting the short end of the stick. Despite this season's theme, Egyptian heroes Ana and Pharah only had one skin each revealed in the Season 12 trailer. The Pharah skin won't even be available in the Battle Pass, instead being obtained from the shop. Meanwhile, Mercy has received two additional skins set to appear in the shop.

Some players on the Overwatch subreddit have become fed up with the consistent stream of Mercy skins. Especially since this season is brimming with potential for Ana, Pharah, Ramattra, and Venture. Even though they don't have any ties to Egyptian mythology, Venture's job as an archaeologist could have led to some skins incorporating ancient Egyptian artifacts.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will have amiibo support, and a list of compatible toys-to-life figures has been revealed. Some even include the Smash Bros. interpretations of the Zelda characters we know and love.

Every Echoes of Wisdom amiibo that works with the game

According to a translation of the game's official website spotted by Nintendo Life, the Echoes of Wisdom amiibo include the following:

• Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom)
• Zelda (Tears of the Kingdom)
• Link (Tears of the Kingdom)
• Zelda & Loftwing (Skyward Sword)
• Link (Link's Awakening)
• Young Link (Smash Bros)
• Urbosa (Breath of the Wild)
• Daruk (Breath of the Wild)
• Mipha (Breath of the Wild)
• Revali (Breath of the Wild)
• Link (Skyward Sword)
• Link (Twilight Princess)
• Link (Majora's Mask)
• Guardian (Breath of the Wild)
• Zelda (Breath of the Wild)
• Bokoblin (Breath of the Wild)
• Link Rider (Breath of the Wild)
• Link Bow (Breath of the Wild)
• Zelda (Wind Waker)
• Toon Link (Wind Waker)
• Link (Ocarina of Time)
• Link (The Legend of Zelda)
• Wolf Link (Twilight Princess)
• Ganondorf (Smash Bros)
• Sheik (Smash Bros)
• Toon Link (Smash Bros)
• Zelda (Smash Bros)
• Link (Smash Bros)

The unlocks from each amiibo will vary. They'll give Zelda different items, similar to how Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom work. Additionally, we'll also gain different colors of clothing for the princess. It would be cool to see a Wolf Zelda variant, but that seems just a dream. When you look at the list, it's quite astonishing how many Zelda-related amiibo figures have been released over the years.

There is no word yet on whether or not there will be amiibo specifically for Echoes of Wisdom. It seems unlikely, as we're just a month out from the game's launch as of the time of writing.

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The Emio Famicom Detective Club demo will creep into the Nintendo eShop on August 19, with additional free chapters to follow until August 27. Those disappointed with the initial reveal of Emio being a part of the Famicom Detective Club can give it try before its August 29 release.

Strangely, the Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club demo will be released in installments. You'll be treated to the Prologue and Chapter 1 on August 19, Chapter 2 on August 22, and then Chapter 3 on August 27. All three sections of the free demo will launch at 6 pm Pacific Time (9 pm Eastern). As you may expect, your progress from the first three chapters will progress into the full game when it launches later this month.

Nintendo has released a trailer, showing new footage of this murder mystery. It shows the strange criminal approaching a victim and saying, "I can give you a smile that will last forever." After killing them, they then place a paperbag with a drawn grin on it. Creepy!

Throughout the adventure, you'll play as a prior character featured in the series Ayumi Tachibana for the first time during sections of the story. For most of it, you'll be an assistant private investigator, solving a crime that repeats the actions of a disturbing string of murders 18 years ago.

Nintendo teases that this will be an "intense story of suspicion, isolation and fragility" as you dive deeper into the narrative. We'll discover if this Detective Club can be successful when the game launches on August 29 for the Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order it for $49.99. It will be one of very few times that Nintendo releases a Mature-rated title.

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Yesterday, a cryptic series of patch notes and social media posts released for Vampire Survivors hinted at a quiet update made to the game. Patch 1.11.1 contains a mysterious new stage with a boppin' track, a new character, 9 new achievements, and 5 new arcana cards. The update is out now on all platforms except PlayStation, where it will release with the whole game on August 29.

The biggest part of this content drop, which we now know is called "The Darkasso Update," is the experimental "Dark Arcana" cards, which come with bizarre effects. The Moonlight Bolero, as an example, spawns an additional stage boss every minute, who might carry special treasure chests that let you gain additional Arcana or Passive Weapon past your max capacity. In the patch notes, the devs are requesting feedback on these new arcana to inform further designs down the road.

As another part of this update, you can get new variations of Imelda Belpaese and the garlic-loving Poe Ratcho. To unlock these, you need to complete their respective Adventure Mode campaigns. If you've already beaten them, you may need to select "Adventure Mode" on the main screen to activate the achievements.

This entire update came unannounced, outside of the sudden cryptic messaging a day before its drop: It was never on any roadmaps or anything. It's the kind of fun, weird updates you love to see from indie developers. And the fact that there's more room for new Dark Arcana down the road is a great sign that we'll be getting plenty more updates for this incredible game for a while.

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The Nintendo Switch is very nearly at the end of its life cycle. It's had a pretty successful run, being a vehicle for Animal Crossing: New Horizon, Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and many more. Not to mention, it picked up a lot of the slack from the lackluster Wii U. But what of its follow-up?

Well, many of us have been anticipating a launch of the Switch 2 (as it's being referred to currently), with some expecting it to launch maybe at the end of this year. However, that idea seems out of reach now.

According to a recent report from Eurogamer – which has corroborated information with the likes of GamesIndustry.biz – the Switch sequel may not see the light of day until later in calendar year 2025. Developers have reportedly been told to not expect it until after the end of the financial year, which would be April at the earliest.

Nintendon't do this to us...

Look, we know it's happening. That's just a given. Rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 have been inbound for a good while now, and Nintendo itself has confirmed there's a successor on the way.

The Eurogamer article goes on to speculate that we could be looking at a Switch-esque announcement, which was revealed in October 2016, and was subsequently released in March the following year.

Whether this is the plan is anybody's guess at this stage. But it feels like we're so on the cusp of receiving official word on the elusive Nintendo Switch 2, if Nintendo's plans to announce news this fiscal year hold true. It also means that – if the rumors are true – then we can wave goodbye to any hopes of getting the new console in time for Christmas 2024.

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Sam & Max is something that I love and I wish it was more popular. However, I know that if it actually did become more popular, I’d probably become fatigued quite quickly and stop loving it as much. Sometimes we don’t know what’s good for us.

However, it has been 14 years since the last Sam & Max adventure. Unless you count 2021’s Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual, which I don’t because my eyes have not yet been tainted by VR. That last time was Telltale’s Sam & Max: Season 3: The Devil’s Playhouse, which is the last game in Skunkape Games’ remastering effort.

Back when it launched, I really dug into Season 3. I was enraptured, but because of its episodic nature, I got halfway through the third episode before losing momentum and never finishing the rest. So, I was happy to get a reason to try again, and it was worth it since this was easily the best season of Telltale’s series.

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse (PC [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Switch)
Developer: Skunkape Games, Telltale
Publisher: Skunkape Games
Released: August 14, 2024
MSRP: $19.99

If you’re not familiar with Sam & Max, it’s really difficult to describe. They’re Freelance Police, which puts them in a position to abuse their dubious power, and they’re chaotic enough to do it. The pair are essentially a twisted vaudeville act, with Sam acting as the straight man and Max being violently unrestrained. The absurd and loose premise means that continuity and worldbuilding aren’t very important, and they can be dropped into essentially any sort of story.

The Devil’s Playhouse is a pretty strong example of this, as the five episodes meander across different tones and genres. The first, titled “The Penal Zone,” has shades of B-movie sci-fi. The second is a period adventure. The third kicks off as film noir before abruptly transitioning into something harder to describe. There’s an overarching plot that is a lot more Lovecraftian, but it all threatens to turn on a dime at any moment.

Strangely, the Telltale series, including The Devil’s Playhouse, are among the more subdued takes on the series. Other titles are a little more sugar-energized, including 1993’s Sam & Max: Hit the Road, which was the blueprint for Telltale’s point-and-click adventure approach. The Telltale games have much more dialogue, which slows down the manic pace. This isn’t a big issue. I just think comparison within one franchise is neat. If that makes me boring, well, I thought that was already established.

Despite its more casual gait, the story doesn’t lack in weirdness. It involves Earth being invaded by a talking space gorilla while Max, the hyperkinetic rabbity thing, gains psychic powers from touching a View-Master. The next five episodes center around an artifact called “The Devil’s Toybox” and the Toys of Power it contains. The plot then meanders through all kinds of cosmic horror.

What makes The Devil’s Playhouse a bit more appealing than the previous seasons – especially now that they’ve been remastered – is the fact that it sticks better to an overarching plot. All of the episodes end in some sort of effective cliffhanger. Despite this, each one feels unique and adds its own twist.

The second episode, The Tomb of Sammun-Mak, has you take the role of the pair’s early-20th-century grandparents, Sameth and Maximus. It’s interesting, as you follow the story in a non-linear fashion by switching between film reels and bringing knowledge in later reels back to earlier ones to solve puzzles.

The third episode, They Stole Max’s Brain, opens with Sam going full film noir and savagely interrogating people on the streets. The film noir motif hits the brakes too early, which is unfortunate because it’s a memorable detour. Characters reacting to his depressing monologues is one of the funniest moments in the game. But there I go, wishing for too much of a good thing again.

The Devil’s Playhouse subscribes to the early formula for Telltale’s adventures, which was informed by the older Lucasarts’ point-and-click games. The problem with Telltale’s early adventures was that they were just okay from a gameplay perspective. As much as I love the Sam & Max games and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People, it’s mostly for their sights and sounds and not the puzzles.

While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why they’re underwhelming, I think it’s mainly from how they’re communicated. In older adventure titles, the scenes would often be set in a way that draws focus to your goals. There would be something obvious in the background, a character that is repeating their actions, or just a number of clearly interactive objects. Sometimes, you’d need to explore to get context, but usually, you knew where your focus should be.

Telltale’s Sam & Max games are more about exploring to get context. Often, you need to talk to everyone possible and look at everything in the environment to figure out what strange thing is central to your next problem. This might be partially a problem with the episodic format since backdrops get repeatedly reused and can’t be set up in such a particular way.

The puzzle design isn’t terrible by any means. They just aren’t as satisfying as they should be. That makes the requisite exploration a little more boring.

The narrative of The Devil’s Playhouse is, overall, the best of the three Telltale seasons, but its final episode is rather disappointing. While it has a great setup, it feels like the story required a longer runtime to tell properly. It introduces new story threads quickly, then brushes them aside even faster. Characters from previous seasons show up without reintroduction. Meanwhile, the ending was so poorly cut together that I had to watch it twice to figure out what had happened.

Speaking of which, the final twist is then brought up and almost accidentally resolved. It seems that point-and-click adventure games have a tendency to trip up during the climax, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. However, all the ingredients to a satisfying conclusion were there, they just didn’t get enough time to bake. I hate to repeat myself, but it’s disappointing.

The result is a series of episodes that I enjoyed but won’t be in a hurry to return to, though I’m certain I will eventually. I love Sam & Max, and even if The Devil’s Playhouse isn’t them at their peak, it is enjoyable enough to witness as a fan. I’m at least happy that I finished the season this time.

That’s sort of how it was when The Devil’s Playhouse was released. Telltale made a lot of solid but unspectacular point-and-click games, and Sam & Max lived in that era. It was followed by the solid but unspectacular Back to the Future: The Game and the somewhat disastrous Jurassic Park: The Game before we wound up on their seminal The Walking Dead. At that point, their formula changed completely as they sped toward death by mismanagement.

But even if unspectacular, it’s easy to love the games from Telltale’s early days, and it’s obvious that the developers at Skunkape do. While you can still tell that the game was first released in 2010, the glow-up is substantial and effective in making it feel more at home amongst its modern peers. I’m still hoping that, now that the Sam & Max games have been remastered (and assuming their next move isn’t to make a brand new entry), they look at remastering my beloved Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. A girl can dream.

The remaster of The Devil’s Playhouse is a loving polishing that lives up to the standards of the previous Skunkape efforts. Better yet, Season 3 is easily the best one. If you’re looking to get into the series, it’s probably still better to jump in at Season 1. If you’ve been along for the ride this long, then you won’t be disappointed. The Telltale Sam & Max series may not be the most mindblowing point-and-clicks you’ll ever witness, but after playing through the first two seasons, you owe it to yourself to cap it off. Can’t think of a reason not to.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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