In Anime Switch, there are tons of units you can summon and battle with. It is also obvious that when there are so many options to choose from, it is hard to figure out which units to use. Whether you just started playing the game or are a veteran, we have crafted a tier list to help you know which units to focus on in Anime Switch.

Anime Switch (Roblox) units tier list

We have divided the tier list into five categories: S, A, B, C, and D. Here is the tier list of all units in Anime Royale:

S-Tier

• Joker
• Bakame
• Tazuko
• Vegi (Super)
• Flamingo
• Tachiki
• Ulturya (Unleashed)
• Dori (Curse Lord)
• Life the Kidd

S-Tier units are incredibly strong and definitely worth keeping in your loadout. The catch? They’re tough to summon, so you might need to rely on A-tier units until you get one of these S-tier units. 

A-Tier

• Benjiro (Sun Form)
• Dori
• Kogi
• Vegi
• Rio
• Kid the Rumble (Destruction)
• Ron (Ant Arc)

A-Tier units are quite effective and can give a toe-to-toe fight to the S-Tier units in terms of combat. Remember, keeping A-tier units is definitely a big yes, but it is not quite on the same level as S-tier units.

B-Tier

• Rito
• Manji (Diable)
• Takura
• Igo (Release)
• Jumby
• Kasta
• Manji (Timeskip)
• Baw (PTS)
• Roshito
• Kid the Rumble

B-Tier units are not really bad, but in the long run, using them will be just a waste of time. Instead, you should try to summon high-tier units.

C-Tier

• Ruffy
• Bobo
• Igo
• Woro (PTS)
• Lam

If you want to get an idea of how this game works and win games as well, C-Tier units are for you. But again, you won’t be a beginner forever, and obviously, you want to aim for better units. So, it is better that you replace the C-Tier units as soon as possible.

D-Tier

• Benjiro
• Kid Laruto
• Koten
• Rien
• Ron
• Chi
• Boku

These D-tier units have little to no advantage over your opponent, so it is better to aim for C-tier units as your starting point.

The post Anime Switch (Roblox) tier list: All units, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

In Counter-Strike 2, the UMP-45 is perhaps one of the most underappreciated weapons. For $1200, players have access to a powerful close-range SMG that's perfect for tucking away on tight angles.

In the right hand, the UMP-45 can deal tons of damage and can be bought on both the T and CT sides. Despite this, it's not exactly the most popular weapon in the game, with most players opting for the MAC-10 and MP9 as budget SMG options. It still has 41 weapon skins to use - let's rank them!

Counter-Strike 2 UMP-45 Skins Tier List

There's only one factor we're considering when ranking these UMP-45 CS2 skins into a Tier List: aesthetics. If you're adding a new Counter-Strike 2 skin to your loadout, you won't (or shouldn't, at least) buy one you don't like. That's why our Tier List focuses on how cool a skin looks. The S Tier and A Tier skins are the ones you need in your inventory, while the B and C Tier ones you can probably skip unless you massively disagree with our rankings.

Just because a skin is expensive doesn't mean it's good. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad, either, with some of the best UMP-45 skins in Counter-Strike 2 being among the most affordable to pick up. Because of this, price isn't a factor in this Tier List. However, we've still included a guide price based on Steam transactions for the Factory New versions of each skin. It's useful information, even if it doesn't determine which skin is the "best."

S Tier

• Momentum ($10)
• Primal Saber ($14)
• Wild Child ($13)

A Tier

• Arctic Wolf ($1.50)
• Blaze ($20)
• Carbon Fiber ($0.14)
• Crime Scene ($110)
• Exposure ($1.75)
• Fade ($500)
• Labyrinth ($0.30)
• Minotaur's Labyrinth ($140)
• Scaffold ($4)

B Tier

• Caramel ($55)
• Delusion ($3)
• Fallout Warning ($80)
• Full Stop ($2)
• Grand Prix ($0.50)
• Gunsmoke ($0.18)
• Indigo ($15)
• Moonrise ($1.35)
• Motorized ($0.35)
• Plastique ($2)
• Urban DDPAT ($0.10)

C Tier

• Bone Pile ($17)
• Briefing ($0.40)
• Corporal ($1)
• Day Lily ($130)
• Default ($0)
• Facility Dark ($0.03)
• Gold Bismuth ($7)
• Houndstooth ($4.50)
• Mechanism ($5)
• Metal Flowers ($4.50)
• Mudder ($0.08)
• Oscillator ($0.50)
• Riot ($0.45)
• Roadblock ($0.30)
• Scorched ($12)

You may notice that some of these skins cross the $100 mark in price. It's worth remembering that these prices reflect the cost of the Factory New versions of these skins, which are by far the most expensive.

There are four other wear ratings in Counter-Strike 2: Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, and Battle-Scarred. Each wear rating sees each skin become more worn, which, in most cases, reduces the cost dramatically. Consider this if you reckon a skin costs more than you're willing to spend.

The post Counter-Strike 2 UMP-45 skins Tier List: All CS2 UMP-45 skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The Five-SeveN is one of the most powerful sidearms in Counter-Strike 2. Besides the Desert Eagle, this CT side pistol has arguably the highest skill ceiling of any secondary weapon in the game. Kind of useless when used by a new player but incredibly dangerous in the hands of a CS veteran.

Like all weapons in CS2, the Five-SeveN features 36 unique weapon skins you can purchase to jazz up the appearance of your sidearm. Let's put them into a Tier List, shall we?

Counter-Strike 2 Five-SeveN Skins Tier List

Our rankings for this Tier List are based purely on the appearance of each skin. You're spoiled for choice with Five-SeveN skins, with plenty of awesome options that don't cost an arm and a leg to pick up. The S and A Tier skins are the ones we think you should be looking at, but the subjective nature of this means you may find your favorite tucked away in the B and C Tiers, too.

For many players, the price will also be important. That's why we've included an approximate price you can expect to pay when buying the Factory New versions of these Five-SeveN skins. A note, though. Prices in the Counter-Strike 2 skins market are always changing, so you may find that some of these are cheaper or more expensive at the time of reading. Still, it's good to get an idea of which ones are in your price range.

S Tier

• Angry Mob ($13.50)
• Berries And Cherries ($110)
• Boost Protocol ($4.50)
• Fairy Tale ($60)
• Hyper Beast ($115)

A Tier

• Candy Apple ($100)
• Capillary ($0.50)
• Copper Galaxy ($8)
• Fall Hazard ($300)
• Fowl Play ($10)
• Hybrid ($3)
• Monkey Business ($14)
• Retrobution ($3.50)
• Scrawl ($0.30)
• Triumvirate ($5)
• Urban Hazard ($2)

B Tier

• Buddy ($2)
• Case Hardened ($22)
• Coolant ($0.03)
• Crimson Blossom ($140)
• Flame Test ($0.25)
• Neon Kimono ($350)
• Nitro ($40)
• Silver Quartz ($0.60)
• Violent Daimyo ($0.80)

C Tier

• Anodized Gunmetal ($12)
• Contractor ($20)
• Default ($0)
• Forest Night ($0.15)
• Hot Shot ($17)
• Jungle ($30)
• Kami ($2.30)
• Nightshade ($3)
• Orange Peel ($0.30)
• Scumbria ($0.45)
• Withered Vine ($6.50)

As you can see, Five-SeveN skins in Counter-Strike 2 range from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. You don't always have to go big to get the skins you want, however. Our prices reflect the Factory New versions of the above skins, but you can opt for Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, or Battle-Scarred options instead to bring the price down considerably.

The Five-SeveN Hyper Beast is an excellent example of this. You can expect to pay around $115 to pick this up in Factory New, while the Battle-Scarred variant comes in at approximately $25 at the moment. A steep discount, to say the least.

The post Counter-Strike 2 Five-SeveN skins Tier List: All CS2 Five-SeveN skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

To fight against the threat of the demons, many members of the Demon Slayer Corps make use of Breathing Styles, which allows them to summon inhuman strength by pairing the right breathing patterns with immaculate swordsmanship.

But which among the styles featured in the series can be considered the strongest? Here are all the Breathing Styles in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, ranked.

• As you can expect, this piece will feature heavy spoilers for the events only showcased in the Demon Slayer manga. so prepare your Nichirin Sword and read at your own risk.

14. Insect Breathing

An adjacent form of Flower Breathing created by the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho to make up for her weak constitution and inability to decapitate demons, Insect Breathing is a style that specializes in performing fast and precise reaper-like trusts with the intent of applying lethal effects through Wisteria poisoning. True to that, and although lethal against most, the style lacks the punch many of the others have, as sunlight and decapitations are still the only way to truly end the life of high-end demons.

13. Sound Breathing

Created by the Sound Hashira Tengei Uzui, Sound Breathing is an offense-oriented style that revolves around his superhuman ability to identify sounds, and it's focused on performing a series of sequential and fast slashes while dual-wielding inter-connected Nichirin Swords. To add an extra kick to his forms, Uzui pairs many of them with gunpowder to generate massive explosions while making use of other ninja arts to shift the battle in his favor. Unfortunately, we cannot rank this breathing higher as only three of its forms were showcased during the entirety of the manga.

12. Flower Breathing

Used by the former Flower Hashira Kanae Kocho, as well as by Kanao Tsuyuri, Flower Breathing is a style that specializes in fast and well-placed curved stashes that mimic the way petals flow and bloom. Its biggest differential, however, lies in its final form's (Equinoctial Vermilion Eye) ability to massively boost its user's perception. That translates into a boost in kinetic vision, which allows them to momentarily perceive the world as if in slow motion while posing a severe burden to one's eyes.

11. Beast Breathing

Developed by Inosuke Hashibira during his life in the mountains, the Beast Breathing style is, much like its creator, as straightforward as it gets and relies on the use of two Nishin Swords as well as on one's physical attributes to rush in while cutting everything on their path. As a self-taught style, many of its forms (or fangs) make use of Inosuke's ability to dislocate his joints at will, as well as his unique perception.

11. Love Breathing

A branch of Flame Breathing created and perfected by the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, Love Breathing is a style that focuses on the performance of whip-like slashes with preferably an altered Nishin Blade. A style only viable for Mitsuri, given her unique muscle density, Love Breathing is one of the most oppressive in our list, as it allows its user to slash opponents at blinding speeds and overwhelm even the highest-ranked demons.

9. Serpent Breathing

Used and seemingly developed by the Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro, Serpent Breathing is a style that specializes in extremely precise and unpredictable single-motion attacks only achievable by curving one's sword in a snake-like manner. It is unknown if it is possible to perform its forms with a standard Nishin Sword. Even if no more than five of its forms were shown during the series, the style seems to be one of the most balanced in the series and allowed Iguro to hold his own and aid Tanjiro during most of their struggle.

8. Mist Breathing

Used by Muichiro Tokito, who might be by all accounts the most talented member of the corps since Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Mist Breathing is a style that specializes in pairing unpredictable movements with fast and sequential attacks to disorient targets.

Nothing showcases that better than its seventh dorm, Obscuring Clouds. Developed by Muichiro, the technique sees him slow his movements only to suddenly accelerate without notice. If attacked during it, that drastic change will cause enemies to feel like they are enveloped in and trying to strike a wave of mist.

7. Flame Breathing

Used by Kyojuro Rengoku and all of the Flame Hashira that came before him, Flame Breathing specializes in the performance of kendo-like heavy strikes capable of decapitating targets in one fell swoop. But don't let that fool you, as even if shown not to be a great fit against enemies like Akaza, the style packs enough punch to turn most demons into cinders. Together with Wind, Flame is also one of the Breathing Techniques with the highest number of known forms, only falling behind Sun, Water, Moon, and Beast.

6. Thunder Breathing

Thunder Breathing is a quick-draw style that focuses, above all else, on the performance of unreachable fast strikes through its first form, Thunderclap and Flash. The style, however, gains new life when used by Zenitsu Agatsuma, as his Sixfold, Eightfold, and Godspeed variations allow him to perform consecutive Thunderclap and Flash slashes and bring down multiple enemies before they even realize they have been cut. Zenitsu also developed the style's seventh form, Flaming Thunder God, which can be seen as a hypercharged version of the above.

5. Wind Breathing

A maverick style that can be seen as the antithesis of the grounded approach of the water-breathing style, Wind Breathing focuses mainly on the performance of acrobatic high-speed slashes that emulate the shape of whirlwinds.

Used and mastered by Sanemi Shinazugawa, the style allows him to cruise through demons like a tornado. Its offensive repertoire also allowed Sanemi to stand his ground against Upper Moon Rank One Kokushibo in a duel even after the demon unsheathed his sword and revealed his true might.

4. Water Breathing

Known for being the most common among the Demon Slayer Corps, the Water Breathing style excels in both offense and defense by applying water properties to swordsmanship, which allows it to make up for its lack of raw power with extreme adaptability. However, the style can only be brought to its full potential through its 11th form, Dead Calm.

Developed by Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, Dead Calm sees users become water by entering a heightened state and allows them to react to threats at almost instantaneous speed. But the form is not perfect, as there's a limit to how many attacks one can perceive.

3. Stone Breathing

Used by Gyomei Himejima, the strongest among the last generation of the Hashira, the Stone Breathing style makes use of momentum to produce devastating close and long-range combinations at a 360-degree angle, a feat only possible given its reliance on unconventional chained weapons, such as Himejima's Nichirin spiked flail and handaxe combo.

Although demanding a lot of its user's body, given the necessity to manipulate the chain at all times, its use allowed Himejima to be a game changer in the fight against Upper Moon Rank One Kokushibo, all while guiding his comrades.

2. Moon Breathing

A style created by Michikatsu Tsugikuni (later to be known as the demon Kokushibo) after his failure to learn his brother's Sun Breathing, the Moon Breathing is the style with the biggest amount of forms to date, as it beneficiated greatly from the enhanced life spam its wielder boasted after being turned into a demon. True to that, many of its forms also use his Demon Blood Art and are paired with swordplay honed to almost perfection and a deep knowledge of all breathing styles.

That mix allowed Kokushibo to climb the ranks and take the spot as the first Upper Moon Demon, as well as keep the upper hand even while facing multiple marked Hashira during the Infinite Castle Arc.

1. Sun Breathing

The original breathing style, the Sun Breathing, was created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni and later adapted into the Kamado Family's Hinokami Kagura dance ritual. Boasting the main strengths of all of the main style branches, it's true might can only be achieved by linking together all of its forms.

A testament to both its power and its creator's might can be seen in how it was used by Yoriichi to bring Muzan to the brink of death during their first and only encounter. The wounds inflicted on the Demon King also damaged him to a cellular level and never fully healed, instead remaining as scars even half a century following their encounter.

The post All Demon Slayer Breathing Styles, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

In the many decades since its publication, there have been dozens of different Lord of the Rings editions, but some of them remain absolute must-haves for diehard J.R.R. Tolkien fans.

From gorgeous paperbacks to iconic hardcovers, these are some of the best Lord of the Rings box sets and deluxe editions you could treat yourself to or buy for your closest friends.

10. The Lord of the Rings (William Morrow 1988 edition)

This hardcover edition of The Lord of the Rings, first published in 1988, has beautiful artwork and comes with folded maps of Middle-earth. You may find small errors in the text throughout, as this is not the most error-proof Lord of the Rings box set out there, but there's something extremely charming about the cover art that will no doubt compel many people to go for this print.

9. The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit (HarperCollins 2017 edition)

This box set features hardcover editions of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The smaller size, similar to many mass-market books, might appeal to those who wish to take their books everywhere. And indeed, all four of these could easily fit in your small bag or even your pocket. The only downside is that the font is incredibly small, and the papers are a bit thin, which means you'll get a bit of ghosting from the pages. That said, the minimalistic cover art is absolutely irresistible, not to mention The Hobbit cover artwork by Tolkien himself is gorgeous and authentic to his own vision of what the story should project.

8. The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit (Mariner paperback)

Now this is what I'd refer to as my Lord of the Rings workhorse reading copy. The cover of the first book features a circular outline alluding to the Rings of Power and the Eye of Sauron. The second book features the Two Towers, Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Sun, and Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon. The third book features the emblem of Gondor, drawn in gorgeous detail. If you want a handy Lord of the Rings box set that you can read again and again with ease, then you can't go wrong with this version.

7. The Lord of the Rings (Clarion 2020 box set)

This is a fairly new addition to the ever-growing collection of Tolkien box sets out there, but it's steadily going up in our list of all-time favorite Lord of the Rings prints. While most Tolkien books feature minimalistic artwork or, at best, Alan Lee's naturalistic watercolors, the Clarion set introduces a modern take on the trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring entertains the gorgeous art of a Ringwraith, while The Two Towers shows the art of Barad-dur in all of its terrifying gloom. The Return of the King features Aragorn's re-forged Anduril, and all three boast J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic signature at the top. If you want to introduce a new friend to The Lord of the Rings, this is the box set you should buy for them.

6. The Lord of the Rings (illustrated by the author Deluxe edition)

Frankly, I don't know why anyone would buy this unless they're a huge Lord of the Rings fan. This deluxe edition from 2022 is gigantic, but the great thing about its design is that it reminds you of The Red Book of Westmarch, which is the in-universe book containing the accounts of both the stories of Bilbo and Frodo. There are also 30 color illustrations from Tolkien as he was composing his epic magnum opus. The deluxe hardcover further includes two removable maps drawn by Christopher Tolkien, which feature Middle-earth and its various regions in detail. Be forewarned, though; This isn't a book you hold in your hand and read. This is a book you ever so rarely pick up from your shelf to admire. So, if you have a dear friend or family member who is a huge Tolkien fan, getting this would make them the happiest person in the entire geekdom.

5. The Lord of the Rings (illustrated by the author hardback edition)

Another somewhat deluxe Lord of the Rings edition you could get is the 2021 hardcover by William Morrow. The red, black, and gold engravings on the cover are a joy to drink in, but what makes this print truly unique is the Ring-inscription in Tengwar, painted on a fully red fore-edge. This version also includes the author's paintings and is overall easier to use or read. J.R.R. Tolkien always intended The Lord of the Rings to be published under a single volume, and I do not doubt that he would've been proud of this if he were around to see it.

4. The Lord of the Rings (2013 slipcased and illustrated edition)

It is uncanny how much I love this particular edition of The Lord of the Rings, made complete with Alan Lee's gorgeous illustrations. The blue spine, featuring the names of the three volumes as well as a circular engraving of the One Ring inscription, is aesthetically pleasing, while the iconic painting of Frodo and Sam approaching the Black Gate graces the front with no other appendage. The illustrations inside are high quality, and the font size is just right. I don't know how to quite put it, but this edition somehow brings to mind what a definitive Bible-esque version of The Lord of the Rings would look like.

3. The Lord of the Rings (2014 hardcover box set)

While this 2014 hardcover box set may not be the best Lord of the Rings edition objectively, I'd say it has the most gorgeous-looking covers in the book's entire publication history. The covers are edited versions of the older HarperCollins editions, but it's exactly those small details that make everything infinitely better. That is especially true of The Return of the King, which has received the biggest refinements. The papers are also extremely thin, making the books all the more easier to handle. Last but not least, this box set comes with the acclaimed Reader's Companion, which goes from chapter to chapter, examining the structure and the behind-the-scenes process of their evolution.

2. The Lord of the Rings (2020 HarperCollins illustrated edition)

While I'm strongly partial to the 2014 hardcover set (with the Reader's Companion) and the 2013 slipcased edition, if someone were to ask me what's the all-time great Lord of the Rings box set, I'd point them to the 2020 HarperCollins illustrated editions, featuring Alan Lee's gorgeous art on the covers. This is essentially similar to the illustrated one-volume versions, with the exception that they've now been divided into three again. The font and page layout are stunning, and the artwork really takes you into the world. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more spectacular and attention-grabbing cover than Lee's art for Rivendell (on The Fellowship), Frodo approaching Cirith Ungol (on The Two Towers), and the Battle of Pelennor Fields (on The Return) not to mention good old Bilbo Baggins lounging in Bag End on The Hobbit.

1. The Lord of the Rings (50th-anniversary Deluxe edition)

If you're looking for a one-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings that's actually practical to read and use regularly, then the 50th-anniversary deluxe edition by William Morrow is your best bet. The cover is somewhere between a paperback and a hardcover, and the binding has been designed in a way to make the experience of opening the book and leafing through it as comfortable as possible. But what ultimately appeals to me about this edition, besides the fact that it includes all three volumes and the appendices while also being handy, is the beautiful, minimalistic grey cover. Out of all the different editions of The Lord of the Rings, this one feels the least showy and the most Tolkien-y I've come across, if that makes any sense.

The post 10 amazing Lord of the Rings box sets and editions to gift to your friends and family appeared first on Destructoid.

When making an epic adventure for your friends, it may be difficult to decide on a TTRPG system to base it on. If you don't want to make your own and want a great system to use, then look no further than these amazing TTRPG systems.

Blades in the Dark

Blades in the Dark is an incredibly freeing and fun TTRPG system that provides players with gritty freedom that is seldom seen elsewhere. Although the theme of Blades in the Dark is of heists and criminal syndicates, a GM is free to take the systems and integrate them into any other themed adventure.

What makes Blades in the Dark's system stand out is the brilliant approach to planning and contingencies. Players get to jump into the action, and upon coming across obstacles or problems, they can either roleplay a flashback that explains why there's actually no problem at all (at the cost of stress) or they get to pretend they were prepared with an item for this exact occasion (at the cost of a checkmark).

The players are scarcely unprepared in the Blades in the Dark system, allowing for the real meat of the game to be in the problem-solving and web of preparations and creativity that goes with it. Naturally, players can only do this so much, meaning actual planning and caution is necessary. If you're hosting TTRPG where your players are professionals, Blades in the Dark will complement that perfectly.

Cyberpunk 2020

Cyberpunk 2020 is currently the best Cyberpunk RPG system going. It's gritty, harsh, lethal, and makes you really feel like you're fighting for your life in every scenario. If you want to craft a more realistic game without much power fantasy, then you'll find it here.

In true Cyberpunk fashion, Netrunning and cybernetic enhancements are par for the course here, allowing players to become noticeably stronger with each upgrade. Every improvement will be relished thanks to the harsh realities of street combat.

If this is the vibe you're after, you won't get better than Cyberpunk 2020. You can take the core tenets of this TTRPG system without the Cyberpunk aesthetic, although that will be pretty difficult.

Pathfinder 2e

Pathfinder is commonly regarded as the trickier cousin to Dungeons & Dragons, and for good reason. Although it's an offshoot of a previous D&D system, Pathfinder has found its own identity. It can be pretty difficult to create your own adventure in Pathfinder due to how many rules there are, but if you're playing with an advanced group, this may not be an issue.

For a fantasy adventure with lots of rules and stipulations, Pathfinder is what you want. The rules here can allow for a more grounded and less wobbly experience if you want to make a serious fantasy world for your players to explore.

Due to how rigorous Pathfinder is, it can be hard to make it your own, but that may be exactly what you're after if you don't want to spend much time calibrating an existing TTRPG.

Call of Cthulhu

Call of Cthulhu deviates from the typical TTRPG mantra by providing a system that's not intended for action or dungeon crawling but for investigating and discovery. H.P. Lovecraft's horrors have always been perfect inspirations for Call of Cthulhu games, naturally, but you can totally make your own existential horror.

Players in Call of Cthulhu will be less concerned with battle and action but with staying far away from whatever Eldritch horror is waiting around the corner. It is up to the players to try and banish or destroy whatever evil is lurking, but success is never guaranteed.

If you want a TTRPG system that allows you to make a game where your players are fish out of water and the prey instead of the predator, then Call of Cthulhu is a great pick.

D&D 5e

Who doesn't know about Dungeons and Dragons? It's the most popular TTRPG system out there, and although it may be common to dunk on this system because of how mainstream it is, it's mainstream for a reason.

D&D is easy to work with and allows you to create an original fantasy world pretty easily. If you want to make a grand, fantastical adventure, you'll easily be able to do so. The systems are just complex enough to provide satisfying depth without getting too in the weeds. The freedom here also allows you to make games with varying emphasis on rules and other systems.

I've had plenty of experience with D&D and yet none of the games I've made have stuck strictly to the D&D formula. For beginner GMs wanting to make their own elaborate worlds, starting with the D&D TTRPG system is a solid choice.

Warhammer 40K Wrath and Glory

Wrath and Glory is a controversial TTRPG with as many pros as cons. It's a system that allows for extreme power fantasy and can be broken and exploited to no end. However, if you're in the market purely for a TTRPG system and you're a beginner GM, then you may find some strange value here.

It's simple and easy to learn, making it great for casual and beginner groups. You can take the TTRPG system and leave the Warhammer 40K dressings behind. This is a little extra work, but for a one-shot or casual grand adventure, the system here may be exactly what you're looking for.

Due to the potential exploits players may come across, you will want to work with a group that enjoys roleplaying more than the min-maxing.

Delta Green

Similar to Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green is a darker TTRPG system where the players will always feel vulnerable and powerful in the face of whatever urban horror mess is waiting for them. The mechanics employed in Delta Green allow for tense and dramatic engagements and satisfying progress.

The modern setting allows roleplay to be much more accessible to everyone, although you can take the brilliant mechanics found in Delta Green and assign them to a setting of your choice.

You'll want to look into Delta Green if you want your players to navigate a world with very little hope yet just enough gusto to see it through or delay the inevitable.

Stars Without Number

Stars Without Number is one of the greatest sci-fi TTRPGs out there, thanks to the detailed and incredibly helpful generators it uses. As a GM creating the universe your players are embarking into, it can be incredibly useful to have these generators on standby to create full planets and civilizations at the drop of a hat.

If you're an experienced GM wanting to create a large-scale sci-fi adventure for your group, then Stars Without Number is the system you'll want to use. This isn't so beginner-friendly as this system was developed with sandbox games in mind.

For an adventure where your players can explore any world or star they wish and you don't have to individually sculpt thousands of worlds, Stars Without Number is what you need.

Scum and Villainy

For a plucky space adventure, Scum and Villainy (from the same creators as Blades in the Dark) presents everything a GM would need. If you've used Blades in the Dark before and are up for a change of theme, then Scum and Villainy is worth a try.

There are differences between the systems, however, for the savvy GM just looking for a great TTRPG system. However, you won't be able to use this system for anything else other than a space adventure because of how curated it is. It can be adapted to existing space sci-fi franchises and settings, however, thanks to it being malleable.

A power fantasy in space, Scum and Villainy has all the tools a GM needs to build up a space opera for their players. It's great fun and allows for high-stakes adventures.

Slayers

Slayers is a fantastic TTRPG system that gives both the GM and players a lot of freedom. Set in a city cursed to expand forever, players take on the roles of Slayers to wander the streets and purge them of the beasts that lurk.

What makes Slayers special is the asymmetric combat and the constantly shifting setting. This system allows the GM extreme freedom, as you can play off the different combat mechanics employed by different classes to create dynamic and unique encounters. Also, the shifting setting allows you literally change your mind mid-campaign.

You can take the many systems of Slayers and remove them from the urban setting to create a very strange and exciting adventure. It may be tricky to pull off, but it will result in some truly unforgettable campaigns and encounters.

The post 10 Greatest TTRPG Systems To Build Epic Adventures (Ranked) appeared first on Destructoid.

The best solo card games aren’t just for killing time. Instead, they’re a great way to experiment with exciting thematic gameplay, strategic deck building, and interesting tabletop narratives. With the ten single player card games on this list, you’ll won’t have to wait for someone else to take their turn. Instead, you can simply relax and play at your own pace.

10. Hostage Negotiator

Hostage Negotiator is a challenging game of conversational tactics in which you’ll be up against an anonymous villain with the aim of freeing at least half of the hostages he’s taken. Each round, you’ll have to reveal a new terror card that makes that objective difficult. You’ll also have to track and continuously reduce the threat level of the hostage taker’s attitude and actions. Each conversation card you play can potentially save lives.

9. One Deck Dungeon

If you’re a fan of the classic tabletop dungeon crawling experience, you’ll definitely want to give One Deck Dungeon a try. As you delve deeper into the dark, you’ll fight monsters, pick up items, and hopefully gather enough XP to level up your character and survive the final boss fight. While it all might sound simple enough, there are actually plenty of unique challenges within the game’s five dungeons, plus a bunch of skill and item combos that I found enjoyable to tinker with. 

8. Friday

Friday is a wickedly challenging solo card game that’s based on the classic novel Robinson Crusoe. Your goal is to help Robinson survive the island and defeat the pirates that arrive near the end of the game. You’ll have a mix of simple fighting cards to start with, and you'll need to improve them if you want to win. In an interesting gameplay twist, you’ll soon discover that the best way to improve your deck is to avoid stepping between Robinson and the island’s hazards and instead let him take a few hits. Deliberately losing at the right time is essential to victory. 

7. Sprawlopolis

In Sprawlopolis, your aim is to build the best city possible by arranging residential, commercial, industrial, and park zones in a way that aligns with three of the game’s eighteen possible scoring parameters. These parameters represent the demands of the city’s planners. Sometimes you’ll score points for building parks in the city center. Other times you’ll be better off linking up roads to construct a highway. It’s amazing how much each game feels entirely different from the last.

6. The 7th Continent

Explore a vast landscape and lift the curse upon your character in The 7th Continent, a modern adventure card game for one to four players. The wilderness of the newly discovered continent is harsh, and before you can complete the objectives of your expedition, you’ll first need to survive. By crafting tools and finding shelter, you can continue your journey outwards and hopefully survive the threats that await you in the wild.

5. Dune Imperium: Uprising

In Dune Imperium, you’ll play as a leader of a Great House looking to conquer Arrakis and forge alliances with factions like the Fremen, the Empire, and the Bene Gesserit. You’ll start with a basic deck of cards and two agents that you can send out on missions. These missions will either increase your diplomatic standing or allow you to harvest resources like spice and solari. As you gather more persuasion, you’ll pick up more impactful cards for your deck. These will increase your power on the desert planet. 

4. Palm Island

If you’re looking for a smaller, more portable, single-player card game, then Palm Island is the perfect fit. In the box, you’ll find two decks of seventeen cards each. One is for you, and the other is for a potential second player. It’s your job to gather resources on your island, recruit villagers, and score the most victory points over the course of eight rounds. The solo mode is great, and if you do end up playing with two players, you can choose between either cooperative or competitive gameplay.

3. For Northwood!

Play tricks and strategically utilize the power of your allies in For Northwood!, an enjoyable little card game in which your aim is to unite an adorable kingdom of animals. There are twenty-four different rulers to match up against, sixteen challenge scenarios to work on, and a simple yet effective difficulty scaling system. To top it all off, the art establishes the perfect atmosphere and theme.

2. Marvel Champions: The Card Game

Marvel Champions is an immensely popular Living Card Game (LCG) that lets you assemble a team of superheroes and pit them against iconic villains from movies and comics. What if Black Panther and Professor X fought Loki? Or what if Peter Parker teamed up with Star-Lord to take down Dark Phoenix? The match-up possibilities in Marvel Champions feel endless. Since it's a Living Card Game, you’ll always know what’s in every expansion before you buy it. There’s no rarity system and no risk of missing out on your favorite characters. 

1. Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

In Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, you’ll build a unique deck of heroes, allies, attachments, and events. Then, you'll use your deck against a story encounter that takes place in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The core game’s three scenarios occur between the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, in and around Mirkwood. However, further expansions add more iconic characters to your pool of player cards and will transport you to realms like Moria, Gondor, and even Harad. The customization options available with a full collection are near limitless, and in my experience, building the deck and thinking about thematic combinations of card effects ends up being just as fun as actually playing a scenario.

The post The 10 Best Solo Card Games To Play By Yourself This Year appeared first on Destructoid.

With the recent D23 trailer teasing the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Thunderbolts* movie, fan anticipation is trending upwards. Encapsulating the team mantra "Justice, Like Lightning," the 'Bolts have enjoyed popularity since their inception. Founded as a team of anti-heroes in a world that sorely needed them, the 'Bolts straddle the lines of good and evil, often settling somewhere in the middle.

Hence, while featuring numerous team line-ups since its inception, the 'Bolts have played a pivotal role in Marvel comics. Luckily, many fans, myself included, believe the 'Bolts will eventually become the MCU equivalent of Marvel's Dark Avengers. Therefore, utilizing decades of comic source material, I've hand-picked the best Thunderbolts comics to read before Thunderbolts* hits theaters in April 2025.

Thunderbolts (1997) Annual

After the harrowing events of the Onslaught saga, with most heroes deemed K.I.A. and the villains running rampant, Thunderbolts' 97 Annual introduces fans to a newly formed team. Adopting the team motto and tactical approach of "justice, like lightning," the Thunderbolts offer former criminals a shot at redemption through public service.

In truth, the first 'Bolts team is a cadre, the Masters of Evil, using the initiative to circumvent societal defenses. But, even their leader, Baron Zemo, can't anticipate the gratification garnered as heroes, ultimately spurning a profound moral shift. Hence, this edifying comic checks in as a best Thunderbolts read, acquainting fans with foundational 'Bolts and their modus operandi.

Avengers/Thunderbolts (2004)

Penned by Thunderbolts veterans Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, Avengers/Thunderbolts is an enjoyable series pitting Earth's Mightiest Heroes against its Most Unpredictable. Here, posing as Cobalt Man to infiltrate the 'Bolts, Tony Stark gets an up-close look at the energy-storing Liberator machine. This pinnacles with an epic showdown between the titular teams over control of the Liberator.

Tragically, due to spotty histories, even when they have turned over a new leaf, the 'Bolts still face wanton suspicion from the public and peers. Therefore, in poignantly demonstrating the differing moralities of the 'Bolts and Avengers, where not every situation is black and white, Avengers/Thunderbolts profiles as a best 'Bolts comic series.

Thunderbolts (2006) #100

A deftly conceived run culminating in Thunderbolts #100 depicts a two Moonstone-powered Zemo pushing his former teammates, rebranded as the New Thunderbolts, to the breaking point and beyond. Consequently, Zemo's trials ready them to confront an unstable Genis-Vell with reality hanging in the balance.

The creative team of Nicieza, Grummett, and Erskine deliver a must-read 'Bolts comic. Here, they eruditely tie in previous stories and bring the team full circle, with Zemo again at the helm. Ultimately, this forges a resilient, battle-hardened version of the 'Bolts, traits the MCU version should wisely incorporate.

Thunderbolts (2006) Dark Reign

After his role in the victory over the Skrulls Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn is given presidential oversight over the Thunderbolts, disbanding their current iteration. Unchecked in rebooting the initiative, Osborn hand-picks a morally ambiguous crew, recruiting Black Widow Yelena, Ghost, Scourge, Mister X, Paladin, Headsman, and the irredeemable Ant-Man.

The main goal of this 'Bolts roster is enacting Osborn's Napoleonic vision for the country. Moreover, Dark Reign marks a severe shift in the team, as Osborn's darkness overshadows prior acts, infecting them from within. In summary, Dark Reign portends the morally flexible team dynamic upcoming in the Thunderbolts*.

Dark Avengers (2012) The End is the Beginning

Appropriately titled, 'The End is the Beginning' shows readers the multiple layers of deception permeating the Thunderbolts. Here, the Dark Avengers re-form as replacements for the 'Bolts, lost in space-time due to Man-Thing. Additionally, with quality DA vs. 'Bolts action, dystopian timelines, and Doctor Doom, Dark Avengers is a telling read on the 'Bolts.

In this Thunderbolts best, team leader and perennial Avenger Luke Cage works diligently to rebuild the 'Bolts' image following Osborn's Dark Reign. Indeed, this rebuilding illustrates the leading reason the 'Bolts resonate with fans, as the members struggle against their nature; some strive for atonement, others toward wickedness, things all fans can relate to.

Thunderbolts (2012)

A run any comic enthusiast can appreciate, Thunderbolts depicts Red Hulk enlisting Deadpool, Elektra, Agent Venom, Punisher, Red Leader, and Ghost Rider, intent on cutting out evil like cancer. But, being the 'Bolts, fireworks ensue as their abrasive personalities and inclinations towards acting solo sow distrust throughout the team.

Penned by Daniel Way and acclaimed Star Wars vet Charles Soule, this 'Bolts run presents fans with a star-studded roster awash with complex personalities and agendas. Thus, Thunderbolts checks in as a best 'Bolts read, supplemented by its intriguing, cloak-and-dagger plotlines and obvious tie-ins to A Brave New World.

Thunderbolts (2016-17)

Thunderbolts picks up in the aftermath of Captain America's assault on S.H.I.E.L.D's secret, reality-bending super prison, Pleasant Hill, following the Avengers: Standoff event. Upon discovering this unethical gulag, Bucky "Winter Soldier" Barnes enlists the help of founding 'Bolts members to protect its "warden" Kobik, the sentient cosmic cube powering Pleasant Hill, who took the form of a young child.

The 'Bolts altruistic mission puts them in the crosshairs of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Masters of Evil, who view Kobik as a threat and are eager to possess her power. Notably, creators Zub, Malin, and Yackey give fans vital insight into Bucky's leadership acumen and temperament, traits Sebastian Stan will likely incorporate into his evolving portrayal of the Winter Soldier in the upcoming Thunderbolts*.

King in Black: Thunderbolts (2021)

Set during the massively popular event debuting the symbiote God, Knull, King in Black: Thunderbolts details Wilson Fisk's Thunderbolts attempt at defending New York from a symbiote invasion. In this best Thunderbolts read, Mayor Fisk sees the crisis as a perfect way to increase public support, believing that if his 'Bolts taskforce destroys Knull, the populous will rally behind him.

To this end, Fisk orders his 'Bolts, headed by Taskmaster, to rendezvous with Norman Osborn at the Ravencroft Penitentiary. The hope is that Osborn's symbiote familiarity can help devise a way to kill Knull. Then, after risking life and limb for the mission, the 'Bolts seemingly perish after nuking Knull with the Sentry's corpse, securing Fisk's adulation, or so it seems.

Devil's Reign (2021)

Unquestionably a banger arc, Devil's Reign follows the newly elected Mayor Fisk as he recruits his "Thunderbolts" team. Comprised of Crossbones, Taskmaster, Typhoid Mary, Shocker, Whiplash, Rhino, and Kraven, Fisk's 'Bolts will solidify his reign. Indeed, acting as judges, juries, and executioners, the 'Bolts enforce Fisk's full political power on the heroes residing in New York.

Keeping up a prevailing Thunderbolts theme, Devil's Reign sees a power-hungry villain use the team toward selfish and nefarious ends. Often, the person(s) leading the 'Bolts determines whether the team profiles as heroes or villains. Thus, in this best 'Bolts comic, Fisk's unwavering will provides all the motivation this 'Bolts iteration needs.

Thunderbolts: Worldstrike (2023)

Following Hydra's fallout after implementing the Secret Empire, Thunderbolts: Worldstrike picks up with the Winter Soldier heading another Thunderbolts team. The team's main objective is simple: use the plethora of intel Bucky inherited from dismantling Hydra's Secret Empire to destroy the legacy of the heavy hitters like Red Skull and Kingpin.

Most importantly, this concise, time-friendly series is a great precursor to Thunderbolts*, including many critical MCU 'Bolts like Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Contessa Valentina. Lastly, throw in tussles with American Kaiju and the MCU-bound Doctor Doom, and Worldstrike checks all the boxes as a best 'Bolts read.

The post The 10 Best Thunderbolts comics to read before Marvel’s Thunderbolts* appeared first on Destructoid.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft is, to many, the greatest master of horror to have ever lived. It's important to note he also had terribly regressive views for most of his life. Still, I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt based on the correspondence from his later years that seems to indicate he eventually did away with most, if not all, of his ideas that were horrific in a not cool way.

Lovecraft's lengthy body of work continues to terrify people of our time as much as it did his contemporaries, and has successfully crossed over to the world of cinema and even video games. There are many excellent video games which have been inspired by the works of H.P Lovecraft, some whose inspiration you might not even be aware of, so let's look at the best of them.

10. Call of Cthulhu

Though you should know that it only has that name because it's based on the Cthulhu mythos, and not because it's a direct adaptation of The Call Of Cthulhu, this is a pretty decent adaptation of that world.

The team at Cyanide put a lot of effort into creating an original story and a vast and detailed semi-open world that beautifully brings Lovecraft's nightmarish vision to life. If that's what you care about the most when you to pick a game, you should totally get this one. Sadly, it also features RPG and stealth elements that detract more from the experience than they help immerse you in the game.

9. Conarium

Don't let its peculiar name illude you, Conarium is a direct adaptation of At The Mountains Of Madness, one of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous works.

This time, players are invited to a creepy location in the Antarctic where they will have to do the detective work that you should always expect from a direct adaptation of a Lovecraft tale, but also a bunch of puzzles. Conarium features great environments and streamlined gameplay that lets players enjoy the unraveling of its plot.

On top of doing a great job of emulating Lovecraft, it gets bonus points for also resembling John Carpenter's The Thing, which also took a lot of inspiration from At The Mountains Of Madness.

8. The Sinking City

In the shadow of the legal battle between its studio and publisher lies a game that deserved quite a bit more love than it ended up getting.

The Sinking City wears its Lovecraftian inspiration on its sleeves, and also plays just like you'd expect a Lovecraft-inspired game to play. It's a mystery game where you play as a detective on a strange city who'll have to dig as deep as he can to unveil secrets that he may or may not be prepared to deal with. This is a great option if you're looking for something that's Lovecraftian through and through.

7. Sunless Sea

If Lovecraftian stories set on land can terrorize you, then I ask you try to imagine what they can do when they take place on a dark sea. That's Sunless Sea for you, a game where players get to explore and traverse a sea full of Lovecraftian misfortunes waiting to happen. I'm usually not a fan of roguelikes. They can dilute authorial intent, which can be a problem when you're trying to tell a story based on a very unique author, but those elements work well here.

The random elements ensure that no two adventures are the same, and that only helps to make Sunless Sea even more effective in its delivery of mystery and horror.

6. Dredge

Like Sunless Sea, Dredge invites players to set sail on a Lovecraft-infested sea. Unlike Sunless Sea, however, it hides its true form under the guise of a fishing game to tell a very focused tale of Lovecraftian horror.

Dredge is fun when it wants to be, makes fishing and getting upgrades to your boat surprisingly addictive, and also tells a unique story that's sure to intrigue players. If you do things well, or not well, depending on your perspective, Dredge will culminate with one of the scariest encounters with a Lovecraftian entity I've ever seen in a game.

5. Call of the Sea

While a few Lovecraftian games camouflage their inspiration, they never hide the fact that they're horror games. Call Of The Sea, however, invites players to one of the most beautiful tropical islands I've ever seen in a game. It's the kind of place where you'd like to spend some time just for the sake of it, but it's all but a clever ruse.

While beautiful in its surface, Call Of The Sea is clearly inspired by Lovecraft, and thus an adventure game whose horrors you should not underestimate.

4. Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth

Once again, despite having "Call Of Cthulhu" in its name, this is not an adaptation of that specific work. Dark Corners Of The Earth is an adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a story where a man walks into a town where everyone has an inexplicable fish-like appearance. It came out back in '05, a simpler time when we cared less about detective work, and more about just shooting stuff up, and it worked. Dark Corners Of The Earth was not a full-on action shooter. It managed to strike a good balance between that and a more grounded mystery tale. It still looks great, even though it originally came out for the OG Xbox.

Like Lovecraft himself, Dark Corners Of The Earth ended up finding little success during its (shelf) life. That's a shame because despite its age, I believe it remains the best direct video game adaptation of any work by Lovecraft.

3. Returnal

Despite its very original and very un-Lovecraftian setting of a futuristic outer space, Returnal is very Lovecraftian where it counts. I don't want to spoil its marvelously horrific story beats, but anyone who's played it knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Fantastic story and presentation aside, Returnal is one of the best PS5 games of all time. It's fluidity and top-notch gameplay makes it arguably the deepest and overall best bullet hell game ever made. If you own a PS5 and are looking for a game that's both unique and a AAA masterpiece, this is the one to get.

2. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Ever wanted a game that enriched Resident Evil's formula with the most ingenious jumpscares ever seen in gaming, and did away with the cheesy story? Eternal Darkness is that and so much more.

Eternal Darkness invites players to embody not one hero, but a whole lineage of them throughout various different points in time. Think the overall plot of all Assassin's Creed games in one game, but instead of the templars, you're trying to kill a god.

Get ready to try to stop a deity heavily inspired by the works of Lovecraft as it tries to foil both the character and the player's attempts by exploiting their sanity. Expect great aesthetics, a great story, and some of the nastiest trickery you've ever seen in a game.

1. Bloodborne

Bloodborne isn't directly based on any story by Lovecraft, nor does it feature any of his classic monsters, but Lovecraft's themes of cosmic horror will become impossible to ignore once you venture past a pivotal part in the campaign.

Bloodborne seemingly does away with the detective mechanics you'd expect in a Lovecraftian game to replace them with hacking and slashing, but that's not true. We're as much of a detective in Bloodborne as we are in any other game by FromSoftware, a company known for enticing players to put together the pieces to understand the world they've been thrown in. That is a perfect fit here. Also, it helps that Bloodborne has the best plot out of all Lovecraftian games - you'll likely agree with me once you've put all of those pieces together.

It's even almost unfair to describe Bloodborne as Lovecraftian because FromSoft pumped so much new stuff into it that it pretty much transcends mere "Lovecraftianism". Still, the inspiration is there, and Miyazaki and co. are not ashamed to admit it.

The post 10 best video games based on H.P. Lovecraft appeared first on Destructoid.

Pierce Brown's Red Rising stole my heart, held it up, and whispered through a smile, "See this? This is mine, now." Don't let the "Young Adult" label on its Goodreads page fool you; Red Rising is peak science fiction, an unflinching story of rebellion that unfolds against the backdrop of outer space.

We're still waiting for the next installment of the Red Rising series to hit bookstore shelves, but that doesn't mean fans of Pierce Brown's epic sci-fi saga have to go hungry. The world of sci-literature is bustling with books that will let you relive that electric thrill you felt when you leafed through Red Rising's first chapter for the first time, and I've picked out ten of the best I've read.

10. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Let’s start with another book about the red planet and the plight of those who live on it. The ethical implications of terraforming have always fascinated me. I mean, what right do we as a species have to alter the topography and meteorology of another planet, anyway? That’s just one of the many fascinating questions raised by Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars.

This book follows the tribulations of the first wave of Martian colonists as they struggle to create a sustainable civilization. Resource shortages, logistical issues, and a profound ideological divide over the morality of terraforming keep the tension high and character dynamics fluid from start to finish. Despite this, Robinson keeps hope alive by dropping plenty of wholesome moments of camaraderie and hopeful twists of fortune.

9. The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

Many books explore humanity's efforts to terraform Mars, but far fewer dare to dream of what a society on the red planet might look like. The Mars House by Natasha Pulley does precisely that. January, one of many Earth-born ex-pats ostracized by the citizens of Mars for their comparatively superior strength and size, agrees to wed Aubrey Gale, a cynical Martian senator, to save himself. As the political situation worsens on the Red Planet, January and Gale’s political marriage–and the genuine bond they form–-may be the only thing that can save the world they both call home.

The Mars House kicks around a few heavy subjects: the impact of climate change, the treatment of refugees, and the many ways ableism manifests itself in the modern world. No matter how grim things get, Pulley’s thoughtful, tender prose keeps the story from drifting too far into the darkness, pushing an inspiring, engaging message of the healing power of love and understanding that made me just a little optimistic about space travel. It also doubles as a charming romance novel.

8. Legend by Marie Lu

When I think of teen sci-fi, my mind almost always drifts into the passionate, ungovernable world of YA dystopia novels. This is my way of saying Legend by Marie Lu won't be the only Y.A book on this list. June Iparis and Daniel "Day" Altan Wing exist on opposite ends of the stratified Republic of America; the daughter of a prominent military family and an impoverished revolutionary from the slums. As one would expect, paths cross, conspiracies are unmasked, and romance looms.

Legend's narrative takes many of the same ques as Red Rising's, cataloging an oppressed underclass’s rebellion against a prejudicial system. Like Brown, Lu knows how to write a cast of characters you’ll feel compelled to root for and craft a system of power you want to see burned to the ground. Espionage, political intrigue, and bouts of cathartic violence keep the pace electric throughout, but Lu never lets her characters' inner turmoil and growing relationships fall to the wayside, either.

7. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

The cyberpunk genre loves to explore the darker aspects of technological progress, and Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan is one of the best examples of this. Takeshi Kovacs, a soldier-turned-criminal sentenced to spend eternity as a disembodied, digitized consciousness, gets the deal of a lifetime when the copy of an influential business magnate hires him to solve his template’s murder.

Altered Carbon is a gritty, cynical neo-noir reflected through a pristine, condensed cyberpunk prism. Korvacs shares quite a few traits with Red Rising’s Darrow; their minds occupy a body that isn’t theirs anymore, and a deep sense of justice drives them to challenge tyrants and upend a calcified status quo. If you ever wanted to see what would happen if Red Rising met Cyberpunk 2077, this book is for you.

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I adore subversive, genre-jumping retelling of classic fairy tales, and few are more twisted than Cinder by Marrissa Meyer. A cyberpunk reimagining of Cinderella, Cinder’s incarnation of the titular put-upon step-daughter is a cyborg mechanic who winds up caught in a vicious power struggle between the rulers of a post-apocalyptic Earth and the civilization that’s cropped up on the Moon.

Cinder does what all the best fairy tale rearrangements do: takes everything that made the original story great and translates it into a new setting. At its core, Cinder is a story about an abused girl rising, overcoming her trauma, and discovering her self-worth. It’s also a top-shelf piece of sci-fi fiction that tackles space travel, class conflict, and forbidden romance.

5. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is best known for his massive, interconnected fantasy universe, but Steelheart proves he can also write good sci-fi. After a mysterious celestial object clipped through Earth’s orbit and turned a small percent into superpowered “Epics,” the world has become a feudalist nightmare ruled by those claiming to be superheroes. When the Epic Steelheart murders his father, David Charleston joins a secret resistant movement hellbent on killing Epics.

The world-building of Steelheart isn’t as deep as it is in Sanderson’s other work, but he more than makes up for it by delivering an electrifying deconstruction of the superhero genre. We’ve all seen (or at least heard) of The Boys; we all know how terrifying superheroes can be when they decide they don’t have to answer to the people they fly over. Sanderson uses his incredible literary gifts to explore this idea further than most, and he also lets us feel how satisfying it would be to bring a self-proclaimed god to their knees.

4. The Expanse by James S. A. Corey

Many sci-fi stories have examined the socioeconomic divide that will probably form between the people of Earth and those who end up living on other planets. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey takes this simple idea and elevates it to epic space opera proportions. The destruction of the ice-hauling ship Canterbury brings the deeply splintered galaxy to the brink of war, and those who survived the ship’s downfall have no choice but to pull together and find out what really happened.

Leviathan Wakes leans harder into hard sci-fi than any other book on this list, examining what an intergalactic human society running off slower-than-light space travel could look like and the problems that might plague it. If the top-notch sci-fi world-building doesn’t play you, the intense plot, driven by some incredibly engaging characters, will.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I don't get nightmares very often, but the few I wrestle with almost always involve some terrifying creature I don’t have the luxury of seeing chasing me through a claustrophobic space. The Maze Runner by James Dashner taps into humanity’s collective, primordial fear of being hunted. Thomas wakes up in the heart of a massive labyrinth, unable to remember anything except his name. All he knows is that if he wants to get out, he’ll have to make it through the maze without becoming lunch for the monsters inside it.

The Maze Runner's premise is about as engaging as it gets, with a plot that starts as a slow burn before exploding into a breakneck race. Like Red Rising’s Darrow, The Maze Runner’s Thomas runs a brutal gauntlet that forces him to become the revolutionary destined to free his people from the walls that bind them. With a new film on the way, now’s the perfect time to learn why this series became one of the most successful products of the late-2000s YA boom.

2. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Yet another proud member of the “corporatocratic space travel sucks” party, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff narrows its narrative focus around the story of two people caught in a conflict they never asked to be part of. When a war between two megacorporations levels their colony, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason hitch a ride on one of the last escape vessels. Unfortunately, that vessel has a few minor issues: a plague is spreading through its halls, its managing A.I. might be insane, and one of the aggressing corporations’ warships is hot on its tail.

Illuminae’s isn't written like most other space operas. Instead, we learn Kady and Ezra’s story through interviews, emails, transcripts, and documents presented at a trial. I initially had a hard time understanding the book’s unconventional style. Still, my desire to see the end of the electrifying tale it told gave me more than enough motivation to push through my initial frustration.

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Literature inspires literature, and that’s okay. Red Rising shares much in common with The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins, but that doesn't mean the two books are carbon copies. If anything, their similarities prove that the struggle between social classes is engaging and relevant, especially if you throw fun sci-fi elements into the mix.

With that said, it’s hard to deny how well The Hunger Games’ plot and themes align with those of Red Rising. Katniss Everdeen’s struggle against the Capital might induce deva-vu in those familiar with Darren’s blood feud with the Golds, and both book’s villainous regimes love to partake in genetic manipulation. If you’re looking for something to scratch that Red Rising itch, you will find it in the pages of The Hunger Games.

The post 10 Best Books Like Red Rising for Sci-Fi Thrills (Ranked) appeared first on Destructoid.

Adolescence is one of life's stormiest seasons. Your body changes, friends start acting differently, and the shadow of adulthood looms in the distance. Everyone needs an anchor to help them weather these years, and for me, that anchor was the enormous pile of fantasy books perched perennially on my desk.

Fantasy is a robust genre, and young-adult fantasy is even more so. As someone who part-times as a paraprofessional at a middle school, I can confidently say that YA Fantasy is doing better than ever. It’s hard to count the number of “teen fantasy” books out right now; it’s even harder to narrow down which ones are the best.

Young adults are still adults, even if most "real" adults disagree

Uninformed onlookers have a nasty habit of dismissing fantasy, especially fantasy written for young adults, as shallow escapism. However, fantasy can be an excellent teaching tool when written well. Challenging fantasy enables young readers to see the world from new perspectives, allowing them to engage with challenging subjects personally and gain new insight into the world they return to when they put their books down.

I spent most of middle and high school with my nose in a fantasy book, and I’ve tried to keep reading YA fantasy literature as an adult to stave off becoming a fantasy lit-boomer. Here are the ten best fantasy books for teen readers as of 2024.

10. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

The success of The Hunger Games proved young readers can’t help but gravitate towards books about children forced into life-or-death competitions. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae is the first of many books on this list to do just that. 

In the Kingdom of Orkena, the royal family’s heirs win the right to rule by competing in a deadly game that ends with one of them taking the life of a human sacrifice. Zahru, a witty young stable girl and animal whisperer forced to serve as the contest’s latest sacrifice, has no intention of dying. Unfortunately, survival depends on her ability to outwit all three of Orkena’s potential rulers. Maes's wry prose knows how to find the comedy in an otherwise dark tale, and surprising revelations about the three heirs keep you on your toes from start to finish.

9. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I can’t in good conscience recommend anything by George R. R. Martin to inexperienced teenage readers. However, I have reservations about doing the same for Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Mare Barrow’s a thief trying to make a living in a kingdom ruled by a decadent aristocracy of sorcerers. A series of unfortunate events ends with Mare getting engaged to one of the kingdom's princes, forcing her to adapt to a life she’s always watched from afar or die trying.

Red Queen puts a unique spin on the game of political intrigue at the heart of so many great fantasy novels. Driven forward by a cast of active characters, Red Queen spins a captivating tale of romance and betrayal that teens will have difficulty putting down.

8. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

In recent years, the fantasy literature scene has seen a massive influx of BIPOC authors, and The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna proves why that’s a good thing. When sixteen-year-old Otera uses her innate magical powers to defend her village from deadly specters, she’s imprisoned and left to die. Released by an envoy of the ruling emperor who recruits her into the imperial army, Otera soon learns her country’s rulers aren’t as noble as people think.

Inspired by West African history and oral tradition, The Gilded Ones is a fiery tale set in one of the most immersive literary worlds I’ve ever experienced. Otera’s voice rings loud in every word of Forna’s prose, and the story she weaves touches on relevant themes, including the innate human desire for acceptance, the dangers of putting blind faith in tradition, and the value of self-determination.

7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I’ve been a fan of Holly Black since I read The Spiderwick Chronicles in first grade, and the universal appeal of her work is on full display in The Cruel Prince. Jude Duarte, a human adopted by a decorated Fey general, has spent her life dodging the spiteful hexes of her human-hating peers. When a brother of her most hated rival gives her a chance to become one of the Royal Court’s spies, she accepts, ready to face any danger to prove she belongs among the Fey.

Black is an author who understands the Fey of European folklore are terrifying creatures: masters of magic who delight in inflicting harmful mischief on mortals. The Cruel Prince plays up this underrepresented aspect of the Fey, making it even more satisfying whenever Jude, one of my all-time favorite protagonists, outsmarts them.

6. Carry on by Rainbow Rowell

Harry Potter may have popularized the concept of a school for wizards, but Carry On by Rainbow Rowell gives this well-worn idea a coat of fresh paint. Simon Snow is the “Chosen One” of the magical world, destined to slay a magic-devouring beast known only as the Insidious Humdrum. However, after he agrees to help his long-time rival Basilton "Baz" Grimm-Pitch’s investigation of his mother’s death, Simon slowly starts questioning his destiny–and his sexuality.

Based on the Harry Potter spoof featured in Rowell’s Fangirl, Carry On weaves a captivating tale of queer discovery that isn’t afraid to challenge its source material. J.K. Rowling’s abhorrent stance on the transgender community has opened a serious discussion on the more problematic elements of Harry Potter’s writing and world-building, and Carry On deliberately deconstructs them to tell a story that celebrates and empowers the LGBTQ+ community.

5. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Asian history and mythology have inspired many of my favorite movies, television shows, and books. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim gave me another reason to appreciate it. Shiori'anma, crown princess of the kingdom of Kaita, loses her title and voice when her sorceress stepmother transforms her siblings into cranes and forces her into exile. Allying herself with a sentient origami crane, a dragon of questionable loyalty, and her sword-wielding husband-to-be, Shiori'anma sets out to reclaim her kingdom and save her family.

Six Paper Cranes takes bits and pieces from classic fairy tales, Chinese mythology, and Japanese folklore and molds them together into an epic ballad of betrayal, justice, and magic that had me hooked from start to finish. If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender or Studio Ghibli, you owe it to yourself to read this.

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Assassins make great fantasy protagonists, and few literary life-bleeders are cooler than Celaena Sardothien from Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass. After being locked away in a brutal prison camp for a year, Celaena's sentence ends abruptly when Prince Dorian of Adarlan recruits her to serve as his champion in a tournament hosted by his tyrannical father. When Celaena’s rival assassins die off one by one, she and Dorian investigate, uncovering a terrible conspiracy tied to their kingdom’s bloody history.

Throne of Glass is a brutal book, but the savagery of its world isn’t without purpose. Maas' lead, a wry but insightful teenage sell-sword with a unique code of ethics that regularly leaves you wondering what she’ll do next, is the perfect hero for a dark fantasy world, and the author’s sardonic, contemplative prose gives us a clear window into her mind.

3. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabba Tahir isn’t about the Roman Empire, but the Martial Empire at the heart of its story isn’t too far off from the real thing. Laia and her family live at the bottom of the empire’s social hierarchy, and it only gets worse after her brother is accused of treason. When rebels offer to free her brother if she goes undercover in the empire’s most prestigious military academy, she agrees. That decision leads to her fateful meeting with Elia, a charming and disillusioned soldier who hates the empire almost as much as she does.

An Ember in the Ashes hits many of the same chords as Red Rising, which isn’t bad. Laia’s journey from terrified pseudo-slave to determined warrior is a sight to behold, and the political intrigue she partakes in to maintain her cover is almost as thrilling as the fights she gets into. There’s even some fun teen romance thrown into the mix for good measure.

2. The Firth Season by N. K. Jemisin

If you’re looking for a new fantasy epic on par with J. R. R. Tolkien or Robert Jordan, I implore you to check out The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. Ossun, Damaya, and Syenite are Orogenes, a mage capable of manipulating the earthquakes that ravage her world. Hated and feared by those around them, all three women embark on parallel-running journeys that end with them coming together to unearth their world’s oldest secrets.

I can’t say much about The Fifth Season without spoiling what I consider one of the best stories ever written. Jemisin's world is as rich and alluring as a fantasy world can get, jammed full of creatures, locals, and characters unlike anything I’ve read before. Get ready to be rocked to your core with this one.

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Have you ever wanted to read a magical heist book? If so, read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Kaz Brekker is out to pull a heist that will set him up for life and make him the most infamous criminal in Ketterdam. Pulling together a crew of six colorful outcasts, Kex sets out to make his dream a reality—only to uncover a secret that could destroy the world.

Six of Crows is peak teen fantasy. The lead cast is a delightful band of misfits that remind me of my first Dungeons and Dragons party, and their chaotic antics are the third rail driving the story forward. Bardugo’s gift for world-building–and the impressive magic system she created for her Shadow and Bone trilogy– are on full display throughout. Seriously, this book has everything an underage fantasy fan could ask for.

The post 10 Best Fantasy Books For Teens (2024) appeared first on Destructoid.

When you upgrade your PlayStation Plus membership to tiers above Essential, you’re going to get a lot more games. But, of all the current PS Plus games in the catalog, which ones are the best in terms of multiplayer?

We have some recommendations below.

The 10 best PS Plus multiplayer games

There are two other tiers for PS Plus, so we’ll also note which one is for which service to give you a better idea of which one to get or what’s available in your current subscription.

For Honor - Extra

For Honor has been around for over seven years at this point, but has received so much content ranging from new maps, characters, customizations, and progression options. Team up with some friends to take on the PvE or PvE modes in this brawler. 

It takes a while to get good at a game like this since it’s different than many other games in this genre, but once you get some decent combos and defensive plays down, this opens up tenfold.

Monster Hunter Rise - Extra

With Monster Hunter Wilds on the horizon, now is the best time to get into the latest installation of the franchise to prepare for it. Rise is more akin to the classic formula of the MH games, borrowing a lot of the more modernized stuff from World, but also making it better.

The cooperative aspect is seamless and just more fun with more people coordinating awesome methods to hunt, trap, and beat the monsters. If you’re looking for a game to introduce you to the franchise, you will not be disappointed with Monster Hunter Rise.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege - Premium

Similar to For Honor, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege has been out for a long time, having so many maps, operators, and content that awaits. Admittedly, this game is a sweat fest, but as long as you ignore the ranked side and team up with some friends for casuals, it’s a great time.

This game breaks away from the twitch shooter aspect that many may have grown tired of from games like Call of Duty. It’s slower, more tactical, and methodical. You still need to be a decent shot, but each operator has their own set of weapons and gadgets that can help snag that win.

Killing Floor 2 - Extra

Killing Floor 2 is a round-based zombie shooter game with classes. The cooperative aspect of it makes this so much fun, especially when pitted against the hundreds of zombies (or Zeds as they are called in-game). 

With so many maps to choose from and so many builds in the game, you can easily have dozens of hours slaying these Zeds. There’s even a PvP aspect of the game if you and your group are feeling competitive.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Extra

If you want a classic beat ‘em up in the modern era, TMNT Shredder’s Revenge is the best you’ll get from the PS Plus collection. It’s an awesome party game that’s so reminiscent of the Sega Genesis and arcade era of 16-bit games. 

The best part is, if you have a group above four people, you can play up to six players at once!

Worms W.M.D - Extra

The Worms games were all wacky fun with hilarious physics, explosions, and interactions. To break away from games that have a more cooperative aspect, Worms W.M.D is all about blowing up all the competition to be the one to get out on top. 

It’s an easy game to get into, whether you have ever tried 2D tank-styled games or not.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 - Premium

The Division 2 is one of the bigger looter shooter games out right now that isn’t free to play. It has only gotten better since it was first released. Having a full-on cooperative aspect, PvP, and a sizeable community, this is something you can easily sink over a hundred hours into.

The gunplay and all the builds are for the hardcore, but the initial playthrough of the base campaign will still provide plenty of fun for casuals.

Serious Sam Collection - Premium

If you want a more cooperative experience with a shooter, the Serious Sam Collection is going to be a blast. Being more akin to early 2000s boomer shooters, this collection of games will provide you and your friends with dozens of hours of high-octane shooter gameplay.

While highly unlikely, you can play cooperative mode with up to 16 players. The action will be insane and hilarious all at the same time.

Moving Out - Extra

If you want a more party-centric multiplayer game in the PS Plus catalog, Moving Out will scratch that itch and then some. Think of these games being an extension of the Overcooked games. You’re constantly walking over your teammates and other obstacles to get the job done.

You might break a few things or have a huge fail along the way, but it’s all in good fun.

Overcooked 2 - Extra

Carrying the momentum forward from Moving Out, Overcooked is the OG of birds-eye view, cooperative, item-moving games. The experience in the second game is different almost every single time since everyone is frantically trying to get their tasks done and efficiently. 

The post 10 Best PS Plus multiplayer games appeared first on Destructoid.

Narrowing down a list of the 10 greatest strategy board games of all time is no easy task.

In my experience, almost every board game that I have played involves some kind of strategy as you devise a plan to win. That said, this list includes games where strategy is the core part of gameplay. While there might be slight reliance on luck, your strategy, and that of your opponents, will ultimately decide who are the winners. In this list, you'll find some evergreen classics, along with a few relatively new ones.

10. Carcassonne

The strategic part of Carcassonne boils down to how you're laying down the tiles. Sometimes, you would be forced to lay down the tile at only one possible spot. But more often than not, you'll have to figure out the most efficient spot for dropping down your tile. When it comes to drawing your tiles, it's entirely dependent on luck. But it's up to you when it comes to the placements. Similarly, you'll also need to place your Meeples strategically as they fetch you all your points.

9. Splendor

Splendor has strategic decision-making at every step as you choose how to spend your gems. Being a jewel maker is no easy feat at all. Picking the gems most efficiently is the hardest thing to balance, and it becomes harder if you and your opponent are going for any of the same colors. Also, you don't have any control over which card is going to pop up next. More often than not, you might end up spending your gems on a card, only for an even better one to come up from the deck. Despite some reliance on luck, Splendor, whether played in groups of 2 or more, relies heavily on strategic decisions.

8. Wingspan

The beauty of Wingspan lies in the fact that you can only make one of four available decisions at every turn. In simpler words, you're already giving up on three alternate decisions every turn. The goal is to choose what you think is going to be the most efficient decision during a turn. However, a game changes every moment, as you and your opponents take turns to pick up new cards. While you can decide how to play the cards, elements like card draws and food tokens aren't mostly in your control. Hence, you'll need to think deeply in order to succeed in this incredible nature-themed game.

7. Pandemic

Pandemic is very different from other strategy board games on this list. For starters, you play with other people, and not against them. Pandemic is also one of the best co-op board games you can add to your collection. The common goal is to work with your buddies to solve a disease and prevent it from spreading. But you don't get a magic wand; instead, you'll need to work with the cards dealt to you. How you play out the cards from your hand, along with your buddies, will ensure if you manage to halt the next COVID-19 or not. Pandemic is also available in different themes and timelines, offering great many choices to players.

6. Twilight Imperium

Twilight Imperium is almost three decades old, and it's one of the best strategy board games of all time. Over the years, Fantasy Flight Games have made some changes with every new edition, and the latest one (fourth edition) perhaps has the most strategic decision-making at every step. Players choose from different factions, with the ultimate goal of rebuilding it. Every turn, you'll have to choose between one of the many available actions, which again depends on the cards you draw. You can't control every piece of the outcome in Twilight Imperium, but relying on sound decision-making will make your life easier.

5. Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride can be one of the most elaborate strategy board games you can come across. On a map, you and your opponent(s) are building the longest railroad possible while connecting cities. Each turn, you can only take one of three possible actions. There's a lot of emphasis on the risk-rewards approach. Having more destination tickets will allow you to score more, but only if you can connect the route. You can stack as many train cards as you want, but you'll have to keep pace with your opponents while laying down the routes. While the overall theme is simple, Ticket to Ride can have an extremely strategic approach at times.

4. Scythe

Scythe is arguably the best board game that I have played but don't own in my collection. Its theme can delight fans of strategic and general board games equally. There are five factions, and you have to vie for dominance in the closed city known as 'The Factory.' Each turn, you can make multiple decisions, but there's always an opportunity cost. Scythe has very little reliance on luck in the form of Encounter Cards. Other than that, every outcome will be based on your decision/actions. Additionally, every faction grows differently, adding to the overall complex nature of the game.

3. Ark Nova

Ark Nova is undoubtedly one of the new entrants to the world of strategy board games, and it inherits core parts from other hits of the genre. Like Ticket to Ride and Wingspan, your chances of winning depend on action cards. But the role of the cards is a lot less reliant on luck and more on your ability to understand what to do with them. The main goal is to improve the appeal of your park and collect conservation points. But your opponents will try to do the same, and the primary strategy is about how you play out the cards.

2. Brass: Birmingham

Brass: Birmingham sits on top of the list for strategy board games on BGG. While the game, published in 2018, doesn't attempt to do something radically new, it implements all key aspects required for a successful strategy title. The main objective is to build, develop, and establish a thriving network of industries, which takes place across two eras. In Brass: Birmingham, you have a total set of six different options, but you can only make two decisions every turn. I am a massive fan of the theme of this particular board game as well, which helps it rank slightly higher than other names on this list.

1. Catan

Catan is a great family game until someone rolls a seven on the dice. Catan is undoubtedly one of the older titles on this list of great strategy board games. There are multiple expansions that help to expand the base experience. At its core, Catan relies more on strategy than luck. You have to be very careful about placing your first settlements. From there on, every step involves strategy. Whether you're trading resources or expanding your settlements, there's always an opportunity cost. A good roll of dice will benefit you immensely, but your chances of winning depend mostly on your decision-making abilities.

The post 10 Greatest Strategy Board Games Of All Time appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re eagerly waiting for GTA 6, you’re probably itching for some open-world action in the meantime. Luckily, there are plenty of awesome games out there to try while you get the hang of the open world games. Each one has its own vibe, whether you’re into modern settings, classic adventures, or something more casual.

What are the best games to play while waiting for GTA 6?

Red Dead Redemption 2

Starting off the list with Red Dead Redemption 2 from Rockstar Games, same developer for GTA 6. If you haven’t played this gem yet, you’re in for a treat. This game sets in the late 1800s, where you play Arthur Morgan, an outlaw trying to survive against the government and deal with the decline of the Wild West. To be frank, you can spend hours playing this game as the side quests are as engaging as the main storyline, plus the attention to detail is insane.

Sleeping Dogs

Next up is Sleeping Dogs. This one flies a bit under the radar compared to some other open-world titles but deserves a spot on your list. It is set in Hong Kong, where you play as Wei Shen, an undercover cop infiltrating the city’s triads. The martial arts combat is a highlight here; you’ll find yourself executing stylish moves and combos that make every fight feel cinematic.

Watch Dogs

If you're into tech and find hacking intriguing, you should definitely check out Watch Dogs. The game takes place in Chicago, where you play as Aiden Pearce, a vigilante hacker. You’ll be using technology to take control of the city—hacking into cameras, messing with traffic lights, and even stealing info from your enemies. It’s pretty cool how you can manipulate the environment around you.

Far Cry 6

But if you are more into safari and jungle vibes, Far Cry 6 is for you. It takes you to a fictional Caribbean island called Yara, which is ruled by a dictator called Antón Castillo. You will play as Dani Rojas, a guerrilla fighter trying to challenge the dictatorship in the Island.

Cyberpunk 2077

Last but not least, Cyberpunk 2077 has made a strong comeback since its rocky launch. This game set in the Night City, where you play as V, a mercenary trying to make his name. Basically, you can configure your body and mind with cybernetics and augmentations in this game. Spoiler alert: if you like Keanu Reeves, then you should definitely check out his cameo in the game.

The post 5 open world games to check out while you wait for GTA 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

I don't know about you, but I get stressed easily. Life's hard sometimes, and my go-to relief is gaming (and hitting the gym). There are very few things I enjoy more than spending my nights playing chill games for a couple of hours before hitting the hay.

This got me thinking: how do you define a relaxing game? I have several friends who think games like Stardew Valley and Minecraft are relaxing, while I experience a mix of chill times and occasional stress. Instead, these will be ones that I can reliably hop on, knowing I will always feel much calmer and happier after.

With my exposition out of the way, here are 12 games I can confidently say are some of the most relaxing I've ever played, in no particular order.

12. PowerWash Simulator

• Price: $24.99
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest

I'm sure plenty of people will see this one and ask how a power-washing game can be relaxing or how I don't get stressed from seeing 99 percent in the top left corner. I totally get it. This one might seem a little odd at first, especially since its main (and only) premise is power-washing things.

There's just something about hopping into games like PowerWash Simulator, cleaning a bunch of buildings, and seeing everything go from filthy to beautiful that is oddly satisfying. As someone who focuses on small sections of an area at a time, I find it very relaxing to sit back, power wash part of a level for a few hours, and watch as whatever I'm cleaning sparkles. This is one of those games you don't expect to be fun until you go in and experience it yourself.

11. Minami Lane

• Price: $4.99
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch

If PowerWash Simulator is a game I can sink hundreds of hours into, Minami Lane is the cute, cozy game I spend one night playing in-between sessions. Although it's technically a store management game, its more casual pacing makes it almost impossible to feel any stress, even in later levels when you have more features to play around with.

To sum it up quickly, Minami Lane is a casual management game where you run shops ranging from convenience stores to flower shops. The price, beauty, and shop diversity on your street determine your customers' satisfaction levels, which vary as you unlock more character types. It sounds like a lot, but learning its mechanics is surprisingly easy.

If you're looking for a cute, shorter game to play for a few hours that has you strategizing but not stressing, Minami Lane is a great one to pick up.

10. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Price: $59.99
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing is a game where you, as a human character, pay off your house mortgage while befriending anthropomorphic animals. This sounds like a recipe for stress and anxiety, but the lack of time limits, real-time progression, and events sprinkled throughout make it one of the most relaxing games ever created.

As an Animal Crossing: New Leaf fan, I was initially hesitant to get into New Horizons. I loved the chill vibes of New Leaf and its content, and I wasn't confident the sequel could match that. Considering ACNH came out in 2020, it was either pick this up or be more bored at home than I already was.

I don't regret it at all. Animal Crossing has always mastered the art of balancing relaxation and enjoyable gameplay, and New Horizons continues to carry that torch well. While I haven't forgotten about New Leaf, I fully accept ACNH as a worthwhile successor.

9. Dorfromantik

• Price: $13.99
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch

At first, Dorfromantik looks like a simple tile-placing game where you collect points and build cute little plots of land. Honestly, that's exactly what it is, which is what makes it so relaxing. It's one of those games that you can play for 20 minutes on a lunch break or for five hours straight if you're on a roll.

Dorfromantik also has multiple modes that determine your level of relaxation. The creative mode gives you limitless tiles, and the monthly mode lets you compete against others. It has the same vibes as Townscaper, which I'd also recommend as a nice chill game.

As a bonus, if you're not necessarily an avid video game fan, Dorfromantik has a board game, too. Although it's best played with four to six people, it's also a solid option for couples or even solo.

8. Spirit City: Lofi Sessions

• Price: $11.99
• Platforms: PC

Some would say Spirit City: Lofi Sessions isn't a video game at all. Honestly, I somewhat agree, but I'm adding it anyway.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is a focus tool-video game hybrid that lets you relax to lo-fi music while collecting cute animals. It comes with a customizable character and room, focus tools like a to-do list and timer, and options for adding your own music if you get sick of lo-fi and want something different. I have this open daily while I'm working, and I've come to appreciate its ability to calm me down when I'm stressed.

The animals are also cute. While this might not be a selling point for everyone, it definitely was for me and a few friends I recommended this game to. Having a tiny hedgehog sit next to me as my character plays next to a fireplace is something I didn't think I'd care much about, but we all learn new things every day.

7. Terra Nil

• Price: $24.99
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch

Terra Nil has a lot going on in and outside the game itself. Within the game, you tackle ecological conservation by turning barren, empty wastelands into beautiful ecosystems full of forests, animals, and vast oceans. It sounds daunting at first, and you'll use numerous tools to do this, but it's a relaxing experience that positively impacts the game's environment.

Getting Terra Nil also helps support the Endangered Wildlife Trust, allowing you to have a positive, real-world impact outside of the game. I already recommend the game just because it's fun, but this is a nice added bonus if you want to help a good cause.

6. Garden Galaxy

• Price: $9.99
• Platforms: PC

Here's another one for the infinite playtime pile. Garden Galaxy is one of the most relaxing and simple games I've ever played, and I mean that in the best way possible. By collecting coins and tossing them into a little bowl in the center of your screen, you'll unlock a ton of land tiles and furniture for building and decorating.

And that's it. There's no complex story or overly complicated mechanics that create stress. Whether you want something to kill time or pour hours into building beautifully decorated landscapes, Garden Galaxy will have what you need. This is another one that I usually only play during my lunch breaks or right before I go to bed, but it never fails to calm me down after a stressful day.

5. Unpacking

• Price: $19.99
• Platforms: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Unpacking is another one that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. I spent extra time making the rooms look cute, letting me clock in just under five hours overall. I loved every bit of it.

The game's style, idea, and storyline make for an overall relaxing experience that I enjoyed way more than I expected. Although it isn't a lengthy game, it's another great option for something you can play and finish in a few days or fly through in one night if you immerse yourself in unpacking and tidying up your house.

Learning about our character was also interesting, even if my focus was initially on the cute pig and tiny chicken plushies. It's a surprisingly emotional story that can make you smile and tug at your heartstrings. At the same time, it's oddly tranquil and makes you feel at peace, especially as you realize what you're experiencing as you play.

4. Sticky Business

• Price: $9.99
• Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch

I'll admit it: I have a whole lot of memories and experiences involving games where you own a business, and I can count on one hand how many of them didn't stress me out. Nonetheless, I was optimistic about Sticky Business since it struck me as a more casual and cozy game. I can happily say I wasn't disappointed.

Although you do run a sticker business, there's surprisingly little stress when it comes to actually running it. You mainly focus on actually creating the stickers, which, as someone who loves expressing creativity in games, is always a fun time for me. I've made all kinds of wacky creations in this, from a goblin making potions to floral and mushroom arrangements. The characters in it also have in-depth stories, and seeing their happiness with my sticker creations was more gratifying than I thought it'd be.

3. Summerhouse

• Price: $4.99
• Platforms: PC, Mac

We're on a roll with relaxing sandbox games here. Like a few others on this list, Summerhouse is all about creatively expressing yourself by building houses, stores, or any other building you wish to make. There's also a ton of secrets, which is a surefire way to get me interested in a game.

Although I haven't invested quite as much time into this one as I have in the other games on this list, I still consider the little bit I played to be one of the most relaxing experiences I've had this year with games. I enjoy booting it up to show friends, especially when I get the urge to build something cool or cute.

2. Slime Rancher

• Price: $19.99
• Platforms: PC, Android, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Slime Rancher is one of the most adorable games I've ever played. You begin your journey as Beatrix LeBeau, and as you explore the Far, Far Range, you meet a host of adorable slimes. Sometime later, you gradually build a slime ranch, make money, and unlock additional areas to explore, allowing you to meet new characters and learn more about the world around you.

I've considered Slime Rancher one of my favorite games for years, and that still holds true to this day. I've played both Slime Rancher and Slime Rancher 2, and although I'd recommend the second game for its quality, it's worth trying out the first to get the full story and experience.

If I'm ever in a bad mood, I look at the slimes' little faces for a quick smile. Otherwise, I'm always happy to hop back into Slime Rancher for a relaxing replay.

1. Rusty's Retirement

• Price: $6.99
• Platforms: PC, Mac

Ending this list is Rusty's Retirement, another peculiar entry considering its purpose. At first, it may look like a regular farming simulator, but there's an interesting twist: it takes up only a third of your screen.

Much like Spirit City, Rusty's Retirement is a game designed to sit at the bottom of your screen as you do other things. You can watch videos, work, or even play other games as you have this idle in the background. Occasionally, you can check back, replant your crops, and see what's new, but it's not the type of game you actively play for hours on end.

One of the most relaxing aspects of a game to me is how little I need to focus on it, and this is a perfect example of something I can briefly play before moving on to something else. I don't need to crunch numbers or plan out my in-game time in any way. I can just hop on, check up on it every half hour or so, and let it sit as I do other things. It's calming yet fun, peaceful yet interesting, and I'm all for it.

The post 12 Best relaxing video games to play when you’re stressed appeared first on Destructoid.

Training skills in Old School RuneScape can be a delicate balance. Often, the game rewards players for investing a ton of GP into skills, in turn allowing them to train with faster XP rates.

Some skills are guilty of this more than others. The eight most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape might all have profitable training methods, but if you want to hit 99, you'll need to dish out some cash to speed things up.

Construction

Construction might be one of the easiest skills to 99 in Old School RuneScape, but it's certainly not the cheapest. Training this skill to max level can cost you upwards of 200 million GP if you're looking for a fast method. Even then, choosing lower XP rates won't exactly save you money.

Construction is unavoidably one of Old School RuneScape's biggest money sinks, but at least you get to build a cool house along the way.

Crafting

There are many ways to make money training Crafting in Old School RuneScape. Sadly, none of them are fast XP. If you want to level up your Crafting skill to 99 within a reasonable timeframe, you'll need to cough up a ton of GP to do so. The fastest XP is making Black Dragonhide Bodies, which only becomes available at Level 84. But what's the cost to get 99 from that point? You're looking at around 80 million GP.

Alternative methods include cutting gems and making battlestaves, but even those won't come cheap. If you can spare the GP, save your sanity by training Crafting the fastest way, as it can be a tedious one to max out despite burning a huge hole in your wallet.

Farming

Interestingly, Farming is among both the most expensive and profitable skills to train in Old School RuneScape. This is entirely down to your choice of method. Planting herbs will make you money, but planting trees will yield much more XP at a cost. Farming tree runs earn you upwards of 200,000 XP each time, but reaching 99 will likely cost you 120 million GP in total. This also factors in the cost of protecting your trees to ensure they grow each time.

My advice? Pay the money. Farming is a skill you can max out in just over two months, if you're consistent with two tree runs a day. Cheap out, and you can expect to spend triple that amount of time waiting to hit 99, and that's assuming you're consistent!

Fletching

If you want to reach 99 Fletching, you'll likely be making the best Darts possible. On the plus side, it's very AFK. There's one big caveat, though - the price. Fletching Rune Darts from 81, Amethyst Darts from 90, and Dragon Darts from 95 will cost north of 200 million GP, a truly miserable price to pay for one of the fastest 99s in the game.

Most players who max out Fletching probably do so in a more long-winded way, saving themselves a ton of GP in the process. That said, it remains one of the most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape when using the best method.

Herblore

If you're doing it fast, at no point is Herblore a cheap skill to train in Old School RuneScape. But at Level 81, when you gain the ability to make Saradomin Brews, it becomes farcically expensive. Most will likely do this method all the way to 99, spending an eye-watering 150 million GP along the way. That's around 60,000 Saradomin Brews in total.

As with any skill, Herblore has profitable options at the cost of XP per hour. Only you can decide how much the time is worth to you.

Prayer

Anyone remotely familiar with the skills in Old School RuneScape won't be surprised to see Prayer make this list. It's a skill you just don't get anything back from, making every action you take a money sink. Worse still, it massively rewards you for using more expensive materials. You want to use lit Gilded Altars in a player-owned home here, offering a full inventory of Dragon Bones or Superior Dragon Bones each time.

Using Superior Dragon Bones, you can spend upwards of 50 million GP per hour. Yes, the XP is absurdly fast, but you'll be left in dire financial straits afterward.

Ranged

Ranged is one of the most useful 99s to have in Old School RuneScape. The fastest way to get there is by using Black Chinchompas on Maniacal Monkeys (after starting Monkey Madness II). This can earn you about 900,000 XP per hour, making it a ludicrously quick training method.

However, throwing those Black Chinchompas will see you spend around 30 million GP when all is said and done. That doesn't include the cost of buying solid Ranged gear either, which is an investment that you can at least recoup.

Smithing

20 million GP is the approximate cost to reach Level 99 Smithing by smelting Gold Bars at the Blast Furnace. It's not the fastest skill in Old School RuneScape, but that's the price if you want to speed it up a little.

Unfortunately, anything other than this method takes a painfully long time to hit 99, so it's probably best to swallow the cost in this instance.

The post 8 most expensive skills in Old School RuneScape appeared first on Destructoid.

In August 2024, Bethesda addressed one of Starfield's biggest criticisms with the release of the REV-8. This land vehicle made it faster for players to traverse the planets in Starfield. It was a surprising exclusion from the game's launch, but better late than never.

Predictably, Starfield's REV-8 was quickly modded by the community, resulting in tons of great fan creations modifying and converting the vehicle and its mechanics in different ways. Here are 10 of the best so far.

M12B FAV (Warthog) (Standalone)

M12B FAV (Warthog) (Standalone) sees Halo's most iconic vehicle come to Starfield. It's a crossover that makes sense, and frankly, it hardly looks out of place. If you didn't know the vehicle from the Halo games, you wouldn't second-guess its appearance here, which is why it's one of the best REV-8 Starfield mods on the Nexus.

You can find the Warthog at any ship technician in the game, and don't worry - you can still use the original REV-8 if you find it's not for you.

Galactic Highway Network

The REV-8 is awesome, but its addition to Starfield almost a year after release shows it was very much an afterthought for Bethesda. Galactic Highway Network goes a long way to making the REV-8 feel like a more integrated part of the game, by introducing roads to most major cities in Starfield.

We're buying in early with this mod. It's already a great addition, but the potential here for more content in the future is enormous.

X-34 Landspeeder

Starfield and Star Wars are a great combo, and the modding community is making the most of it. It didn't take long after the release of the REV-8 for modder radicalclownfriend to release the X-34 Landspeeder, bringing Luke's vehicle from A New Hope to life in Starfield.

Sadly, Han, Chewie, and Threepio aren't included in this mod, but you can make your own adventures using the X-34 Landspeeder in place of the REV-8.

NASA Lunar Rover

NASA Lunar Rover from Bub200 might just be the most lore-friendly mod on this list. As the mod's title suggests, it adds the NASA Lunar Rover to Starfield, converting a static mesh already in the game's files into a usable vehicle.

It's important to note that this mod is a complete REV-8 replacer, so with this installed, you won't be able to use the original vehicle.

Shades Vehicle Tuner

Shades Vehicle Tuner is by far the most extensive mod on this list. It adds a ton of new features to Starfield's vehicle gameplay, expanding it far beyond Bethesda's initial intentions.

With Shades Vehicle Tuner, you can set up a camp around your REV-8, harvest minerals as you drive, use new vehicle weapons, and more. This is a true quality-of-life vehicle mod, and even if you're only using the vanilla REV-8, it's one you need to add to your Starfield load order.

Old Earth ATV (Standalone)

Old Earth ATV (Standalone) is a small mod that brings, you guessed it, an ATV into Starfield. NotSiouxsie has kept it simple with this one, but it's a fun addition that doesn't replace the base-game REV-8.

The Old Earth ATV is purchased from any ship technician, and can then be used to get from point A to point B on any of Starfield's planets.

D-Stroy (Standalone)

D-Stroy (Standalone) is yet another mod from NotSiouxsie. They're the modder to beat when it comes to REV-8 mods, and this might be their best work yet. It adds a UFO to Starfield, allowing you to take to the skies without actually having to hop into your ship.

It's a little clunky, but above all else, it's FUN, and that's what truly matters.

1969 Dodge Charger

You know what I think Starfield is really missing? A 1969 Dodge Charger, that's what. With this mod from NotSiouxsie, that's precisely what you get, allowing you to cruise around in the coolest car in the galaxy. Is it lore-friendly? Not in the slightest. Is it awesome? Too right it is.

Like all of NotSiouxsie's mods, this isn't a replacer for the REV-8. You can obtain the 1969 Dodge Charger from any ship technician in Starfield.

UAZ-452

UAZ-452 is the final mod from NotSiouxsie on this list, adding what they describe as a "Classic Soviet Workhorse" into Starfield. It certainly has a striking aesthetic, even if it looks slightly out of place among the stars.

Don't let that put you off, though. There's something inherently charming about seeing Vasco sitting on the back of the UAZ-452 while you traverse a planet's landscape, making this a worthwhile mod to add to your load order.

RevT - Thomas - Standalone

Thomas the Tank Engine mods have been a meme in the gaming community for some time now. I remember the first time I saw the iconic blue train replace Skyrim's dragons, and life was never the same again. History repeats itself now with RevT - Thomas - Standalone from Nexus Mods user BlahBlahDEEBlahBlah.

Yes, you can drive Thomas the Tank Engine like the REV-8. And yes, seeing Thomas' blank-faced glare among the blackness and silence of space is truly eerie. But it's gaming tradition, so it was always going to happen at some point.

The post 10 best Starfield REV-8 mods appeared first on Destructoid.

It has been over a year now since the launch of Baldur's Gate 3, and its modding community is starting to come into its own. No aspect of the game remains untouched as talented modders aim to perfect Larian's legendary CRPG with additions of their own.

This includes the weapons. Sure, Baldur's Gate 3 has a lot of weapon variation throughout the game, but there can always be more. Use these 10 BG3 weapon mods to really spice up your adventure through Faerûn.

Elven Weaponry - Longbows and Quivers

Elven Weaponry - Longbows and Quivers is the first in a long line of mods on this list by creator kharneth, and there's a reason for that. This mod takes the base game's lackluster longbows and transforms them, adding new ones with edited and custom models of their own. According to kharneth, the objective of this mod is to put longbows on par with crossbows in Baldur's Gate 3, and it certainly achieves that.

Drow Weaponry - Rapiers

With Drow Weapon - Rapiers, kharneth has added a ton of new rapiers into Baldur's Gate 3. They've tried to make it as lore-friendly as possible, placing them only in areas where Drows are located. All these weapons take an offense-first approach, meaning you'll often sacrifice safety for damage. However, the rapiers found in this mod are caster-friendly, which, according to kharneth, "makes them good weapons for mixed martial-caster classes."

Half-Orc Weaponry - Clan Weapons

Half-Orc Weaponry - Clan Weapons is another kharneth banger. This mod is all about adding custom new Half-Orc weapons to the game, from Uncommon rarity all the way to Legendary. Much like the rest of kharneth's mods, these have been carefully placed throughout the game, to make them feel like they're a part of the vanilla Baldur's Gate 3 experience.

Dwarven Weaponry - Hammers

Dwarven Weaponry - Hammers. Everything you need to know is in the name, really. A bunch of new warhammers and handhammers are included in this mod, with options for all rarities. Like all kharneth mods, you'll only find these new hammers in immersive locations, so they're not just carelessly placed around the world.

Dwarven Weaponry - Drakefire Flintlock

Over the next few years, I've no doubt that several games will be marketed as "Baldur's Gate 3 with guns" to win fans over. But what if Baldur's Gate 3 did have guns? Dwarven Weaponry - Drakefire Flintlock answers that question by adding a pint-sized flintlock pistol to the game, complete with a custom model and textures. You can dual-wield them, too, allowing you to go full Lara Croft-akimbo mode across Faerûn. It's the kind of thing that makes you fall in love with modding again.

Underwood's Weapon Pack

Compared to what we've seen so far, Underwood's Weapon Pack is a little more low-key. It adds 24 new weapons and a shield around the world, and it even lets you dual-wield axes and hammers. The weapons themselves fit in perfectly with Baldur's Gate 3's aesthetic, and you may find yourself using items from Underwood's Weapon Pack without even realizing it.

UnholyBerserk

This one's for the BG3 Berserkers out there. UnholyBerserk adds a new greataxe titled Nor to the game, which is made to complement a Berserker playthrough. Found in Act One's Blighted Village, Nor can be upgraded by players using Soul Coins and Memory Shards, dealing big AOE damage to everyone (yes, even your companions). It's a little overpowered, but it features one of the most awesome custom models I've ever seen, and it couldn't miss out on this list.

Dark Urge Demonic Blood Swords

When a mod is called Dark Urge Demonic Blood Swords, you already know you're in for one of the coolest things you've ever seen. And that it is. This mod doesn't overcomplicate things, adding an awesome set of dual-wieldable swords and a demonic shield to the game. The visuals alone make this one of the best Baldur's Gate 3 mods and worth a spot in your load order.

Elven Weaponry - Blades

Elven Weaponry - Blades is the last kharneth mod on this list, I promise. They're just too good at what they do. The creator claims it was born from scimitars feeling "lackluster as main weapon for combat characters," adding a few new custom models and modifying the game's existing scimitars to make them more viable for a complete playthrough. Here, kharneth has done a great job creating unique-looking weapons that won't feel overpowered as you hack and slash your way through Baldur's Gate 3's story.

Lightsabers - Star Wars Mod

Did you really think I would make a list of the best Baldur's Gate 3 weapon mods and not include Lightsabers - Star Wars Mod? There's no way. In any game that extensively features melee combat, a lightsaber mod usually follows, and Baldur's Gate 3 is no exception. Choose your lightsaber color, and give the world of Faerûn a taste of a galaxy far, far away.

The post 10 best Baldur’s Gate 3 weapon mods appeared first on Destructoid.

When a creative's imagination is the limit, there's no shortage of attractive characters in gaming. And when you spend hours, sometimes even dozens or hundreds of them, staring at a protagonist, villain, or trusted companion, it never hurts for them to be easy on the eyes.

Sometimes, I find myself a bit head-over-heels for a few of them, reminiscing about the handsome men I've met on a few of my journeys. While I'm not sure I could fully commit to a relationship with a troubling few of these guys—regrettably, I can't fix him—I’d definitely take them out for a nice dinner date. 

10 Video game guys I'd take to dinner, and (maybe) a movie

10. James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2

Whether it be just dinner or grabbing coffee, any kind of commitment to James is probably a bad idea, given his track record with Mary in Silent Hill 2. He may have seen it as a mercy killing, or purely out of selfishness to seek a life free from burden, but either way, it's not exactly something I'd be willing to look past.

It's just that I think James could really use the pick-me-up a nice dinner date would give him after the whole being stuck in a haunting mind hell ordeal, you know? Plus, he’s quite easy on the eyes, and dependable if I’m being attacked by the horrific creatures of the eerie town of Silent Hill. So, I’ll take him on a date, but just one.

9. Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII

Look at that flowing, gorgeous hair. The cool black jacket, the sword, the wings? Obviously, I would say yes to a date with Sephiroth if he asked me, just based on aura alone. You can’t ignore him.

However, this is the only character on this list I probably wouldn’t even enjoy the date with. He’s so consumed by his hatred that I don’t think he could put it aside for even one meal at a cozy bistro in the city. But, seeing as he’s just so pretty, he had to be here.

8. Johnny Gat from Saint’s Row

Johnny Gat is a murderous gang banger to the extreme. But, he’s a handsome murderous gang banger. And he’s pretty fun to chill out with when he’s just hanging out at the crib with his fellow Saints. 

Sadly, Johnny also lost his girl Aisha to the Ronin in Saint’s Row 2, so I’m not so sure he could protect me from those same rival gangs. That’s why a relationship with him would never work out; it's just not practical. Surely, they won’t target me if we go on just one date, right?

7. Solid Snake from Metal Gear

We love a man who can get things done, and nobody does it as well as Snake. This is the man who makes the impossible, possible after all. Give Snake a mission, and you can bet it’ll be completed, whether it’s a highly classified operation or loading the dishwasher.

Unfortunately, the rapid aging business puts a huge damper on things. Does he still deserve love? Yes. Could I provide it, knowing his lifespan is dramatically shorter than mine thanks to all the espionage? Probably not. So a few nice dates we both enjoy, but move on from, will work.

6. Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2

You could just tell me I’m going on a date with a real cowboy, and I’d be there. But Arthur Morgan? He’s not only a cowboy but a true Wild West heartthrob. We could hunt for dinner ourselves, then enjoy it under the stars by a roaring campfire.

However, there’s one major issue with Arthur: spoiler alert, he’s dead. I'm not really looking to go back in time, either, especially a time so far back I'm lacking modern comforts. And seeing as how the game takes place in 1899, it's just a non-starter. Time may keep us apart, but I can dream about the lovely dinner I’d enjoy with this cowboy.

5. Master Chief from Halo

The suit stays on. I don’t need to know what he looks like underneath it. It doesn’t matter. This man almost single-handedly saved all of humanity from both The Covenant and The Flood—that alone would get me out the door and sat in an Olive Garden booth.

Master Chief also has one of the smoothest voices in the history of gaming, and you just know an intimate conversation with him would be music to the ears. I don’t think marrying him would be ideal, though, since if anyone’s committed to their job, it’s him. I’ll go on as many dates with him as I can before the UNSC calls him back yet again.

4. Wyll from Baldur’s Gate 3

I’m sick of everyone talking about Astarion and Gale all the time. Yes, they’re lovely, but you’re missing out on this hunk of a Warlock, Wyll. This folk hero is kind, brave, and will do anything to keep Baldur's Gate safe. Plus, he’s got the whole tortured, dark secret that haunts him every day going for him. All the makings of a great romantic interest.

Now, there is the whole Mizora soul-binding thing to contend with, and I understand how that will turn people away. However, I can look past it. Not forever, but at least for a few romantic steak dinners before we part ways.

3. Link from Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

He’s the Hero of Hyrule and nearly every gamer girl’s first crush, so, obviously, I would take Link out to dinner. Even better, he can just cook dinner for us since he’s got the skills to make things like meat pies in a single cooking pot. There’s a reason nearly everyone in Hyrule is thirsting over him during the Era of the Wild.

There is one issue with Link though, and it’s that he’s very committed to someone already. He is so committed to Princess Zelda that he will, and has, died for her. I’m not willing to get between their relationship, and I don’t think I could. But I’m sure Link can spare me a few dates just to make my thirteen-year-old self happy.

2. Waluigi from Super Mario Bros

I don’t need to explain this one. If you know, you know.

1. Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil

How could you look at this man and not want to take him on a date? He’s beautiful. He fights zombies. He’s got some of the most luscious hair in all of gaming. Of course, Leon Kennedy is number one on this list because he’s clearly the best option.

Much like Link, though, Leon seems to already be involved with Ada. Their relationship is far more complicated than Link and Zelda’s, but it’s pretty clear he’s not going to let her go. I hope they can both be happy together, but only after I get my dinner date with Leon first.

The post 10 Video game guys I’d take out to dinner (and maybe a movie) appeared first on Destructoid.

Be it games, books, or manhwa, diving into a new world is always a fun and thrilling experience. There's something special about getting lost in a completely different universe, and, being real, we sometimes need that escape. Good thing there are tons of great manhwa available in the market. But with so many fantasy manhwa out there, it's hard to find something good. When you do, the series is just a few episodes long. That's why completed fantasy manhwa is such a treat.

These titles offer a complete narrative with, oftentimes, well-developed lore. That said, here are ten series worth checking out.

Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling is undeniably one of the biggest fantasy manhwa out there. It has become famous enough to have its own animated adaptation, as well as video game adaptation. It deserves its global renown. Solo Leveling is a fast-paced, action-packed manhwa serving one epic battle after another.

It follows the story of Jinwoo Sung, an E-rank hunter who is barely stronger than an average human. But everything changes when he gains the ability to level up after surviving a near-fatal dungeon incident. This new power allows Jinwoo to continuously get stronger without limits, setting him on a path to becoming one of the strongest hunters.

Solo Leveling can be read on Tapas.

Noblesse

Noblesse is a classic in the fantasy manhwa genre, and it is fairly obvious as its cast consists of vampires and werewolves. Nonetheless, there's a reason why it is heralded as one of the best fantasy manhwa.

It tells the story of Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, a noble vampire who awakens after 820 years of slumber in a modern world filled with new dangers. He embarks on a quest to protect humanity from both supernatural forces and rival noble families.

Noblesse is available in English on Webtoon.

The God of High School

Yet another one from the Webtoon vault is The God of High School. This fantasy manhwa had a rather long run. It first came out in 2011 and only ended in 2022. It's an action-fantasy manhwa that mixes martial arts with various lore and mythos.

The story starts with a martial arts tournament to find the best fighter among high school students. However, the tournament quickly escalates and spirals into a mad rumble with gods, demons, and other mythical creatures.

Flow

In the world of Flow, people are assigned an animal god at birth. It determines their status and power in society, as gods can grant a wish. Naturally, weaker gods can only grant limited wishes. The story revolves around Irang, who has a cat for a god, and his attempt to undo his wish of turning back time for a few seconds.

Another one from the early days of digital manhwa, Flow is a short but sweet story that mixes fantasy with drama. Unlike many modern narratives that simply rehash common tropes, this manhwa creates an original setting and tells a unique plot.

Flow can be read via Webtoon.

Dice

It's human desire to better oneself, especially in the face of competition. In Dice, that can be achieved with a roll of a dice. Acquiring the said dice, however, is far from easy. One must complete quests and even fight in a battle royale in the bid to get more of these mystical, life-changing items.

In the story, Dongtae, a high schooler who is at the bottom of the social hierarchy, gets a chance to change his life with these very dice. But what started as a ray of hope eventually cascaded into a battle royale for survival and powering up.

The English translation of Dice is available on Webtoon.

Tomb Raider King

Jooheon Suh is a tomb raider in a world where ancient relics with powerful abilities start appearing across the globe. However, he gets betrayed by his employer and sent to his doom. But instead of dying, he travels back in time. Now, he aims to hoard as many relics as he can and ultimately get back at those who betrayed him.

Tomb Raider King blends action, adventure, and fantasy. It's a perfect fit for those who enjoy hoarding powerful items and building an overpowered team.

This completed fantasy manhwa is available on Tapas.

Surviving as a Fish

Surviving as a Fish breathes new life into the reincarnation trope. However, it isn't a simple reincarnation story. It's reincarnation mixed with drama and battle royale, and as the title suggests, it features fishes as competitors.

The story revolves around Yushin Lee, a talented corporate worker. But despite being loyal and good at his job, his boss ultimately betrays and disposes of him. Instead of dying, however, he gets reincarnated as a fish. The catch is he is still in the same world and has a chance to regain his humanity. All he has to do is defeat all the bosses or eliminate all his competitors.

Surviving as a Fish is available to read on Webtoon.

Rescue System

Despite being another reincarnation manhwa, Rescue System stands out from the rest with its unique use of the system trope. Instead of being sent into a fantastical world, its main character, the fireman Soohyuk, simply gets sent into the past. The system he acquires upon return gives him rescue missions in exchange for experience and skills. With his knowledge of the future and his newfound abilities, Soohyuk sets out to minimize or prevent casualties, especially those dear to him, from any disaster.

Rescue System is available to read on Tapas.

Dungeons and Artifacts

In a world where dungeons are dangerous, treasure-filled labyrinths, Dungeons and Artifacts follows Stetch Atelier, a dungeon explorer who is betrayed and left for dead during an expedition. However, instead of passing into the afterlife, he is bonded to a cursed artifact with a mind of its own. Together, they seek vengeance on those who wronged him and uncover the mysteries behind the dungeons themselves.

Dungeons and Artifacts is a great execution of a revenge narrative. Stetch may have acquired a powerful ally, but it is far from enough to dominate the world. He must work hard to strengthen himself and get his sweet, sweet revenge. The complete manhwa is available on Webtoon.

Death's Game

Death’s Game takes an unconventional approach to the idea of life and death. The manhwa explores the idea of living and the true value of life in a creative manner. On that note, it's a bit heavy on the drama side, but still a very worthwhile read.

After a failed attempt at suicide, the protagonist is given a second chance — but it comes with a twist. He must live multiple different lives, each with its own set of challenges. Should he succeed in altering his new persona's future, he gets to live the rest of their lifespan. If he fails, Death will take him to Hell.

Death's Game can be read in its entirety through Webtoon.

The post 10 best completed fantasy manhwa appeared first on Destructoid.

The perspectives within a comic book world come in many, many forms, and there's no reason your tabletop should be lacking in options to play with those forms. Whether you're on the hunt for stories about marginalized mutants, sponsored supervillains, or being stuck in a school for the strange, this list of games is here to offer you some options.

10. Agents of BAMF (Fainting Goat Games)

"The capes can't always be There. That's why There's BAMF," so the game declares.
Not everyone in the world is a hero, but that doesn't make them any less skilled. Agents of BAMF presents the side of comics inhabited by the likes of Phil Coulson or Hellboy. Here, players take on the role of super agents working for the kind of alphabet soup organization that you expect to see in comics (SHIELD, The BPRD, Checkmate, AEGIS). The game was forged out of OSR principals, meaning folks with any familiarity with D&D, Pathfinder, or Mörk Borg will quickly find themselves at home as they dispatch supervillains and strange monstrosities.

9. Masks of the Masks (Hazel Amber Goswick)

Imagine the clock ticking towards doomsday, stark in its monotone contrast against a colorful backdrop, yet still ticking, unendingly, towards the end, no matter how hard you try to study it. That is, in short, what you'll find in Masks of the Masks. Inspired by, and emulating on every page, stories like Watchmen that deconstruct the superhero, this game drips in style and substance. Built on the back of the Powered by the Apocalypse system, this game sees you creating heroes who... aren't necessarily alright... and find themselves solving a conspiracy that is likely to always end in calamity.

8. Neo Guanabara – Cyberpunk Tropicala (Ludus Hero)

Cyberpunk is not often a genre associated with superheroes. Still, Neo Guanabara follows in the footsteps of those brave few, like Batman Beyond, Spider-Man 2099, and, I guess, Loonatics Unleashed. Create your perfect hero with specially designed stats to represent their abilities and get ready to battle against criminal gangs, megacorporations, and oppressive governments. The game provides systems to keep the city fluid and makes sure that the impact your heroes leave on the city is felt. Neo Guanabara iterates on mechanics similar to the Cortex system, meaning anyone who got to play Marvel Heroic Roleplaying before it went out of print will be familiar with Neo.

7. Villainous Fucks (KeganEXE)

Why even bother being a hero? Why not give yourself to the other side? The League of Villainous Fucks is always looking for those who are determined to battle against those pesky protectors. The villain, after all, is just as important to the story as the hero. Villainous Fucks is Illuminated by Lumen, so it is designed for quick play and even quicker action. The rules-lite design means that it is made for quickly building a character, defining your villain's powers, and then getting straight to the part where you cause mayhem and destroy anybody who thinks they should stop you. What's not to love about your new gig?

6. Hit The Streets: Defend The Block (Rich Rogers)

The greatest joy of Marvel's Defenders Netflix shows is the knowledge, for example, that Daredevil is putting himself through hell to protect a twelve-block area in the middle of Manhattan. No game truly captures that vibe like Hit The Streets does. At all times, you will feel like you're giving it everything you have to defend, like a single apartment complex. Hit The Streets boils down your stats to the minutiae of each body part, despite its fast-paced d6-slinging system. It really makes you feel like you're dragging every inch of yourself forward to protect what you've got.

5. Mutants in the Night (Orion D. Black)

We've all seen some variation on an X-Men story where we see that future, the one where the Sentinels win. Dystopic visions of mutant oppression and police state-induced societal decline are seen in Days of Future Past, Logan, and X-Men '97. Mutants in the Night drops you directly into that future and then asks you to survive in it. You'll get a variety of powers to customize your characters alongside all of the factions and troubles occupying the Mutant Safe Zone you're all living in. Mutants in the Night uses Forged In The Dark to expertly thread the needle between narrative-driven and ruthless.

4. Single Unique Power (Possible World Games)

Maybe you're after a game that's a little more laid back for game night. Single Unique Power is a world-building game that asks you to invent a cast of super-powered people and their world. You are asked to simply create individuals that have powers found no where else, completely unique to them. The premise itself takes its cues from media like My Hero Academia, where no one on Earth has the same power as someone else. If you're ever looking to put together a campaign with superpowers, here's the best way to get your party emotionally invested in the NPCs beforehand.

3. Mutants in the Now/Mutants in the Next (J/K! Games/Julian Kay)

It is the nature of the human being to yearn to become a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Maybe you don't want to specifically be a turtle, but you want to be an animal that fights ninjas and robots and aliens and whatever else you can imagine. Mutants in the Now is here to satisfy that yearning. This game asks you to become a mutated creature with almost limitless ways to battle the forces of evil. If there's one thing I'd tell you about this game, it's that it has options. Options for animals, options for powers, options for ways to fight. Its expansion, Mutants in the Next, doubles those options. If you can push through the choice paralysis, there are limitless ways to be radical ahead of you.

2. Molotov College (W.H. Arthur)

Molotov College is a game about questions as much as superheroics. Chief among those questions is how you're expected to save the world when there's so much wrong with it and with you. Built from the Belonging Outside Belonging system, the game isn't just narrative-first; it's basically narrative-only. Molotov College asks you to play a hero who is tremendously flawed and not on the best terms with your fellow heroes, then confront those flaws and those relationships, and avert disaster. The main inspirations it pulls from are The Umbrella Academy and Doom Patrol, meaning the special flavor of superheroics you'll be doing is particularly off-the-wall and begging for answers.

1. Exceptionals (Bramble Wolf Games)

Previously, I talked about a game that depicts a dystopia for mutant kind. Now, to finish up, Exceptionals brings us the perfect way to play out the X-Men story of your dreams. The tag-based system for making characters lets you flesh out the ways your mutation helps and hinders you. It never loses track of what makes our favorite X-Mutants so beloved, that sense of building a community against the world that wants to put you down. Thriving in the face of adversity, carving out a place to call your own, and shooting stuff with your eye beams are all the reasons that X-Men keeps itself running, and Exceptionals never loses sight of that. Instead, it doubles down on all of that. Powers are detailed and unique; meanwhile, you'll be filling out your bonds and fighting to make your little mutant community live on.

The post 10 TTRPGs for a different kind of superhero story appeared first on Destructoid.

The P250 might just be Counter-Strike 2's most underrated weapon. In the right hands, this $300 sidearm can become a death machine, making it a perfect choice for eco rounds.

It may not have the devastating power of the Desert Eagle, but the P250 more than holds its own in the current CS2 meta. Because of this, there are a bunch of popular P250 Counter-Strike skins to collect in-game - 48 of them, to be exact. Let's rank them!

Counter-Strike 2 P250 Skins Tier List

To rank our Counter-Strike 2 P250 skins Tier List, we're basing it primarily on each one's aesthetics. Now, this is totally subjective, and you might disagree with a few of them, but we think these are the best-looking skins in CS2. When buying your new P250 skin, this is always going to be the deciding factor, which is why we're using it for our rankings.

Cost is important, too, of course. While the price of these skins doesn't affect this Tier List, we have included a guide price for each one based on their cost on the Steam Marketplace at the moment. This is ever-changing, but it's good to know which skins are in your approximate price range. The P250 is unique in that many of its most interesting skins actually cost the least to buy, so there are a few bargain opportunities here.

S Tier

• Asiimov ($19)
• Cassette ($0.20)
• Muertos ($11)
• Visions ($12)
• Wingshot ($5.50)
• Whiteout ($180)

A Tier

• Apep's Curse ($100)
• Cartel ($17)
• Crimson Kimono ($31)
• Facility Draft ($0.03)
• Metallic DDPAT ($0.15)
• Re.built ($0.30)
• See Ya Later ($10.50)
• Supernova ($1.80)
• Valence ($0.80)

B Tier

• Bengal Tiger ($25)
• Cyber Shell ($1.50)
• Dark Filigree ($10)
• Digital Architect ($55)
• Exchanger ($0.55)
• Franklin ($1.70)
• Gunsmoke ($50)
• Mehndi ($25)
• Nevermore ($1.80)
• Nuclear Threat ($400)
• Red Rock ($11)
• Ripple ($0.42)
• Undertow ($55)
• Verdigris ($0.55)
• Vino Primo ($7)
• X-Ray ($0.60)

C Tier

• Black & Tan ($28)
• Bone Mask ($8)
• Boreal Forest ($0.12)
• Contaminant ($1.20)
• Contamination ($3.90)
• Default ($0)
• Drought ($0.85)
• Facets ($45)
• Forest Night ($2.50)
• Hive ($7.50)
• Inferno ($2)
• Iron Clad ($0.60)
• Mint Kimono ($6.50)
• Modern Hunter ($450)
• Sand Dune ($0.50)
• Splash ($40)
• Steel Disruption ($2.50)

All of the prices that we're using here reflect (about) what it should cost you to grab the Factory New versions of these skins. That doesn't mean you can't grab them for cheaper, though. Wear rating is often a big factor in skin price, and if you're willing to compromise on quality, you can also go for a Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, or Battle-Scarred version of each skin instead.

The P250 Whiteout is a great example here, coming in at around $180 in Factory New. However, the Minimal Wear version will cost you about $50 - a massive change despite the minute difference in quality.

The post Counter-Strike 2 P250 skins Tier List: All CS2 P250 skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The Galil AR is one of Counter-Strike 2's most useful weapons. At $1800, it represents a budget alternative to the AK-47 on T side while still being more than capable of winning rounds in the right hands.

Because of how useful it can be, the Galil AR also has some of the game's most popular skins. Found either in cases or on the Steam Marketplace, there are 34 Galil AR skins in total, ranging anywhere from a few cents to hundreds of dollars.

Counter-Strike 2 Galil AR Skins Tier List

If you're choosing one Galil AR skin to add to your Counter-Strike 2 inventory, there's one factor above all else you're going to consider: looks. After all, if you don't actually like skin, why would you buy it? To put all the Galil AR skins into our Tier List, we're only going to consider the aesthetic side of it. The S Tier skins here are the must-buys, while the C Tier options are the ones we'd only recommend if you really disagree with our rankings.

For some players, price will be an important factor, too. While we're not considering it in our rankings, we have made sure to include a guide price you can expect to pay for each skin. There's no point checking out a skin and falling in love with it, only to find it's out of your price range. These prices are based on recent Steam Marketplace transactions for the Factory New version of each skin, although it's essential to be aware that these fluctuate on a daily basis.

S Tier

• Chromatic Aberration ($12)
• Eco ($40)
• Sugar Rush ($75)

A Tier

• Blue Titanium ($4.50)
• Chatterbox ($90)
• Connexion ($1.60)
• Phoenix Blacklight ($85)
• Rocket Pop ($8)
• Signal ($1.80)
• Stone Cold ($8)
• Tuxedo ($1.55)

B Tier

• Amber Fade ($33)
• Aqua Terrace ($160)
• Cerberus ($85)
• Cold Fusion ($0.30)
• Crimson Tsunami ($5)
• Destroyer ($0.25)
• Dusk Ruins ($20)
• Firefight ($2.80)
• Kami ($4.50)
• Orange DDPAT ($45)

C Tier

• Akoben ($0.65)
• Black Sand ($0.80)
• CAUTION! ($75)
• Default ($0)
• Hunting Blind ($7.50)
• Sage Spray ($0.19)
• Sandstorm ($4)
• Shattered ($23)
• Tornado ($17.50)
• Urban Rubble ($22)
• Vandal ($2.20)
• VariCamo ($0.10)
• Winter Forest ($250)

While you might think some of these CS2 Galil AR skins are a little steep for your taste, remember, these prices are all Factory New. If you decide to purchase a Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, or Battle-Scarred version of each skin, you can bring down the cost dramatically.

The skins will look worse, but you're paying the premium with a Factory New wear rating. The Galil AR Winter Forest illustrates this perfectly. You'll need to spend in the realm of $250 to find this skin Factory New, but it sells Battle-Scarred for about $10 on the Steam Marketplace.

The post Counter-Strike 2 Galil AR skins Tier List: All CS2 Galil AR skins, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

If you love cracking codes, solving mysterious enigmas, or slotting in the last jigsaw piece, then you’ll love the ten puzzle board games we’re highlighting in this list. Each offers an exciting new way to challenge your brain, compete or cooperate with friends and family, and find satisfying solutions to complex challenges. 

10. Ubongo

In Ubongo, players race to complete deceptively simple yet maddeningly difficult puzzles over the course of nine rounds. Each round, you’ll roll a dice to determine which pieces you can use to fill in the shape at the center of your player mat. If you fill in your shape before time runs out, you’ll get anywhere from one to four points. If you finish before the other players, you’ll get two bonus points as well. It’s a classic, easy-to-learn game that’s great for all ages.

9. Exit: The Game - The Sacred Temple

The popular ‘escape room in a box’ series Exit has more than a few expansions that are perfect for puzzle lovers, but if you have to pick one, I’d recommend The Sacred Temple. That’s because it includes four jigsaw puzzles for the players to put together, each of which provides further clues and riddles necessary for advancing the story. You and your team of adventurers are attempting to rescue a professor from the depths of the jungle, all while avoiding dangerous looters and preventing them from stealing artifacts. 

8. Azul

Azul is a tile placement game in which each player is assembling a beautiful mosaic for the walls of the Portuguese king’s palace. A scoring system determines the quality of your arrangement; if you can complete specific patterns and sets without wasting too many tiles, you’ll hopefully end up with the most points. You’ll be up against a brand new puzzle each time you play, and you’ll also need to watch your opponent’s boards carefully when drafting tiles. 

7. Cascadia

If you enjoy tile-laying puzzle games like Azul, then you’ll also enjoy Cascadia, which tends to be less competitive but more thematically engaging. This time, you’ll be building a habitat for five types of wildlife and assembling regions where they can live using terrain tiles. Putting together specific groupings of animals and building larger habitats than your opponents will earn you the victory. It might sound simple, but it really gives the puzzle-solving part of your brain a workout.

6. A Feast for Odin

While it may look like a daunting game because of its seemingly countless boards and tokens, A Feast for Odin is actually an exceptional tabletop experience for puzzle lovers. The gameplay balances worker placement with figuring out how to fit all the goods you’ve gathered into the space constraints of your Viking settlement. You can do so many things to rack up points, and scoring isn’t too tricky. The solo mode is also great, and you shouldn’t have too much finishing a game within 90 minutes.

5. Spirit Island

Spirit Island is a complex yet rewarding tabletop experience in which you’ll defend your island against the Invaders, a corporate group hoping to extract resources from your home and settle there in pursuit of profit. Each player takes on the role of an elemental being whose aim is to protect their island. If you can rid the land of blight, prevent the Invaders from building too many settlements, and avoid the destruction of your Spirit, you’ll claim a hard-fought victory. 

4. Calico

Calico is a cozy, minimally competitive game of quilt patterns and cats. By patching together three tiles of the same color or several tiles of the same pattern, you’ll earn buttons that count for points at the end of the game. Each of the three cats that you’ll be building your quilt for has a preferred pattern and arrangement, and if you can match these patches, you also pick up points. You’ll need to think carefully about colors, patterns, and the quilt space you have available throughout the game to win.

3. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases

The cases in the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series are perfect for anyone who enjoys the puzzle-solving aspects of mystery games. You’ll need to carefully examine period-appropriate newspapers for clues, travel around a map of Victorian London, and interrogate both townspeople and potential suspects. Deducing the details of the crime and figuring out who has been lying to you all along is an incredibly satisfying experience. 

2. Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness is a dark, Lovecraftian adventure in which the players must work cooperatively to explore the terrifying streets and hallways of Arkham, Massachusetts, and rid the town of demonic creatures from the beyond. The game operates with the support of a companion app that includes slider puzzles and other fun brain teasers that each investigator will need to solve when they encounter specific scenarios on the game board. Though these puzzles are usually not too tricky, they’re presented with near-perfect thematic gameplay and atmosphere. They also open up satisfying twists and turns in each of the game’s three story scenarios. 

1. Turing Machine

Turing Machine is a game of deductive reasoning and code-breaking that’s absolutely fantastic for anyone who loves solving puzzles. The players all have a specific three-digit code that they’re trying to guess and will have to ask what is essentially an analog computer if the digits they picked are correct. Each player takes numbered overlays that match their guess, stacks them together, and puts them on top of a verifier card to find out if a certain digit is more or less than a certain number. From there, they’ll ask more questions and attempt to deduce the correct combination. Though the game might sound confusing, it’s quite easy to grasp once you’re actually playing it, and it's a blast for adult puzzle game fans.

The post The 10 Best Puzzle Board Games for Adults appeared first on Destructoid.

I always have a great time playing social deduction games with my friends, as it gives me a great excuse to lie to their faces and laugh at them when they find out. Here is a great list of social deduction games that you have to try next.

Traitors Aboard

Traitors Aboard is a great social deduction game that pits pirates against mutineers. With the pirates trying to stock up as much treasure as possible and the secret mutineers sabotaging the efforts, players will have to lie and explain their way through their actions so they aren't forced to walk the plank.

Interestingly, with Traitors Aboard, one of the pirate players, at any point, can look through the face-down pile of treasure that the players have been playing into. If there is enough Gold in there, the Pirates win. Otherwise, the Mutineers win, as they've decreased the value of the chest enough.

Special cards can be played that will give pirates clues and help mutineers maintain their cover. Traitors Aboard isn't a long game, either, allowing for repeated games of piratical gaslighting.

The Resistance Avalon

The Resistance: Avalon is a social deduction game that gets recommended to no end. It's widely popular thanks to its atypical starting ritual where one of the "good guys," Merlin, knows who all of the bad guys are. However, should Merlin be found out, the good guys will lose.

Giddy tension always follows the beginning of The Resistance: Avalon, although it will turn into desperate pleading and strained convincing as players try to form teams to embark on quests, where, naturally, the evil players will try to sabotage their efforts.

I'd say that The Resistance: Avalon is a must-try. Its simplicity, combined with its depth, makes it a compelling fairy tale every time you get it out to play.

Blood on the Clocktower

Blood on the Clocktower is an incredibly rich narrative experience presented as a masterful social deduction game. There are many roles and teams, and unlike other similar Werewolf-adjacent games, the storyteller is deeply embroiled in the game and acts as both a Game Master and a player.

Likely the best part about Blood on the Clocktower is that negotiations aren't exclusively short and public like with other similar titles. Players can go off and have private chats and talk in small groups, and everyone reconvenes at the night phase, where votes are cast to execute a player.

The evil team will always have a Demon that can kill a good player every night. The evil team wants to kill the good folk, and the good players want to kill the demon, although that isn't always as straightforward as it seems. Blood on the Clocktower can host up to 20 players, and there are particular narrative "scripts" that provide unforgettable gaming experiences.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable is a special social deduction game as it plays mostly like a proper board game that isn't just about figuring out who's who. With the social deduction being one part of the game and not the main focus, you're forced to thoroughly work with everyone to try and keep the ship afloat and the monsters at bay, unless you side with the Deep Ones, of course.

In Unfathomable, players will receive loyalty cards telling them which side they're on. The humans will have to try to keep fixing the ship and fighting monsters whilst sailing the ship and performing rituals to keep the monsters at bay. The Deep One players will be trying to sabotage efforts.

Unfathomable can end for a variety of reasons, such as a ship resource running out, meaning the humans have a tall order on their hands. It's thrilling, engaging, and has some incredible miniatures.

Coup

Coup is a social deduction game that may have roles assigned to players, but that doesn't mean they have to stick to them. Each player will be trying to knock other players out of the game and gain influence by performing actions exclusive to a role. However, what's stopping you from lying?

In Coup, players can challenge other players when they perform an action of a role. There are consequences for either play should a challenge pass or fail, meaning it's unwise to challenge everyone's actions.

As everyone lies and cheats their way through Coup, the victorious player will be the one who can plan their lies the best.

Two Rooms and a Boom

Two Rooms and a Boom is a pretty large social deduction game for a bigger group of players, but it's the most involved. Players will split into two different groups, each with their secret role. One group will have the president, and another will have a bomber.

Before the timer runs out, both groups will have to exchange hostages and hope they haven't grouped the president with the bomber. During the conversation phase, players must talk to each other, find other teammates, and prove loyalties by showing their role cards. It's an extremely political game that puts players right into the hot seats of social deduction.

Two Rooms and a Boom is best played with larger group counts, making it less accessible to some interested groups.

Mantis Falls

Mantis Falls is like the Schrödinger's Cat of board games, for it is either a cooperative or competitive board game with two players, but the witness players will never know for sure.

This is a two to three-player game that has two witness roles and one assassin role. As these get divided up, in a two-player game, you'll either have two witnesses who don't trust each other and need to work together to escape Mantis Falls or one witness being hunted by an assassin. The witness will never know for sure.

Incredibly innovative and bursting with secrets and ambiguity, Mantis Falls provides an utterly unique experience that I previously thought impossible. A cooperative social deduction game is simply unheard of.

Deception Murder in Hong Kong

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a murder mystery social deduction game that also includes the game master as an integral player trying to help the detectives. At the beginning of the game, the murderer will point out the murder weapon and clue to the Forensic Scientist (game master), and the game will begin.

This game has the Forensic Scientist only communicating with bullet miniatures to highlight specific terms on tall tablets that should vaguely relate to both the means and clue of the murder. The investigators will have to tie together the vague hints to draw connections between the items to identify not only the murderer but how they did it.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong employs a genius method of communication that has every player inferencing one player's vague hints to figure out the story the Forensic Scientist is trying to display that relates to the murder.

Secret Hitler

Secret Hitler is my favorite social deduction game, for every round invites tense explanations, backpedaling, and a series of denials. "I had no choice!" and "Yes you did!" will be the primary focal points every time someone places a Fascist policy on the track. It's hilarious.

In Secret Hitler, a genius turn order is used that rotates the president, who then chooses a chancellor. The president will pick three policies, either liberal or fascist, and will pass two onto the chancellor, who then plays one. Before this happens, the group must vote on that government. It's always tense and exciting to see the chancellor's office being passed around.

With bonuses for playing Fascist policies, even liberal players may get tempted into the dark side. A fast-paced song of policies and assassinations, Secret Hitler provides a blast of a time every time it's played.

A Fake Artist Goes to New York

A Fake Artist goes to New York is a rare case of light and breezy fun that's both incredibly engaging and endlessly fun. Every player but one will have a prompt to draw, and the "fake artist" will have to produce a drawing on the theme with only the other players' in-progress drawings as a reference.

As you act like you know what you're doing, you must mask any perceived mistakes and try not to make any definitive markings unless you're sure it ties into the theme. If you get outed as being the fake artist, then you better have a pretty good idea of what the theme is.

What's even better about A Fake Artist Goes to New York is that the game is so simple that it can be replicated without buying the game. However, it provides its own little papers that will form a gallery of all the previous games played.

With all of these fantastic social deduction games, all you've got to do now is choose the one in which you'll enjoy lying to your friends the most.

The post 10 Best Social Deduction Board Games that make great excuses to lie to your friends appeared first on Destructoid.

While board games have certainly improved quality in the last ten years or so leading up to 2024, they've been around for decades and have always been fun. Sometimes, looking back and finding your old favorites is fun, especially if they're board games from the '70s.

While I didn't grow up in the '70s, and you might not have either, some of the biggest banger board games were initially released during that period. The great thing about board games is that the potential for replayability is a huge part of what makes them enjoyable. If you know, you can sit down for hours and have a game that's completely different from your last, and the next one you'll play, you're onto a winner. That's been synonymous with the best board games of every era ever since we first started playing them.

The best board games from the '70s you can play today

Below, I've listed the best board games first released in the '70s that you can still play today. They're ranked in order from worst at the top at #15 to the best at the bottom at #1. But they're all brilliant in their own way. With so many board games on the market today, I can't call any of these bad, but some are definitely better than others. If you can't see one you remember, that's probably because it's not in print anymore, because so few have survived to see reprints and new versions.

15. Downfall (1970)

Downfall is a simple game, but one that you can play over and over again without it becoming too boring. Each player starts with a token at the top of the game and must take turns turning each circle to get it to move down to the bottom. The circles are different for each player, so turning one circle could help your opponent, and they could hinder you by turning one of theirs. The goal is to beat your opponent and get your token out first, but you've got to be strategic about when you move each circle and how much by.

14. Mastermind (1970)

In Mastermind, you and your opponents take turns setting codes for each other to break. You have a limited number of attempts, but your opponent must give you clues with each guess to help you break the code in as few turns as possible. It's a great little game that has a lot of replay value, especially if you only play once per week.

13. Connect 4 (1974)

Connect 4 is a game that needs no introduction. Players each have a set of yellow or red tokens and must line up four in a row in a 6 X 7 grid as they take turns trying to best each other. You can make a line of four vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, but you've got to try to draw your opponent's attention away from what you're doing if you want to win. This is as much a game about manipulating the other player as it is about placing tokens.

12. Boggle (1972)

I've been playing Boggle for decades. It's a game in which each player must write down as many words as they can from the letters on show within the time limit. Each round requires you to put the lid on the board and shape up the cubes, each of which has letters on every side. Once they've settled, the lid comes off, and the timer starts, and it's your job to seek out as many words of four letters or more. However, if someone else guesses your word, then no one scores for that one. So you've got to think of words you don't think your opponents will.

11. Panzer (1979)

Panzer is a classic '70s board game that puts you in control of squads of varying sizes in conflicts and scenarios based on real wars. This is definitely a game for a World War 1 & 2 enthusiast who enjoys the idea of a lone squad working against the odds or a massive battalion wiping out the enemy. There are many expansions that add even more scenarios and give it a lot more replayability, which is essential if you want to test your mettle against some truly grueling encounters.

10. The Game of Jaws (1975)

The Game of Jaws has been updated in recent years, but the spirit of the game is still very much as it was when it was initially released in 1975. Yes, this is a board game inspired by the incredible movie, and you get to play as either the titular shark or those hunting it. The asymmetrical style of gameplay allows players to work against one another to terrorize and save the people of Amity Island and then go in for another round as they swap roles right after.

9. Conspiracy (1973)

Conspiracy is a devious game that's been entertaining players for 50 years. The concept is pretty simple. You need to get an agent to bring a briefcase to your HQ before your opponent does. The trouble is that the player who controls the agent depends on who has paid them the most. There are several agents to play around with to keep the game feeling fresh, but it's never a dull time when you have no idea if you're about to win or lose because you've been too cheap or too generous.

8. Hexdame (1979)

The original Hexadame was created in 1979, and the game lives on as a variation of Checkers you can play today. I promise it's not complicated. It's essentially a diagonal version of Checkers with a slight variation on the rules to keep you on your toes. If you're bored of the base version of Checkers and want to spice it up a bit with new rules for moves, taking, and kings, then you can employ some or all of these rules to make it feel like a new game. Unfortunately, there's no boxed version of Hexadame you can buy at the time of writing, but with a Checkers set and some paper, you can craft an interesting new board game to fill your time without breaking the bank.

7. Hungry Hungry Hippos (1978)

Hungry Hungry Hippos is a game we've all played and that we all secretly love. Marbles are scattered onto the board, and up to four players battle it out, having their hippos chomp down as fast as possible to eat them and get the highest score. There really is something to be said for simplistic fun like this, and anyone of any age can join in for a few games and have a great time with it.

6. Imperium - 3rd Millenium (1977)

Imperium - 3rd Millenium is a board game with a massive scope. In it, outwardly expanding forces of humans and aliens fight for supremacy over the galaxy, and it's up to players to take command and bring some order to all the chaos. The universe sounds like it would fit right in with Warhammer 40K, but it's very much its own self-contained universe that just so happens to see humanity pushing back against aliens who just so happen to want to snuff them out.

5. Kingmaker (1974)

In Kingmaker, you and up to five other players battle it out to control the last crowned piece. It's based on the period referred to in English history as the War of the White Roses. You don't win through militaristic domination alone. Instead, you've got to form alliances with other lords and high-ranking families to exert control over the crown and deal with any families who would stand in your way. You must be brutal to win, but victory will see your lineage last for centuries to come.

4. Battle of Five Armies (1975)

Battle of Five Armies is a game built around the final battle on Lonely Mountain in The Hobbit. Players control either the Shadow Forces or the Free People and battle it out to see who will win control over the mountain. The game merges events and dice rolls to make for gameplay that's thrilling because it feels like everything could fall apart within seconds if you get your next roll wrong.

3. Dungeon! (1975)

Dungeon! is a fantastic D&D board game in which you explore a multi-leveled dungeon in search of treasure. Exploring deeper into the dungeon will see you face more and more monsters that want to rip you apart. The game's been revised over time, but you can always go back to the original rules if you really want to. The best way to think of this game is as a contained version of a D&D adventure that has an endpoint so you can finish it in a single session rather than needing to play over multiple weeks.

2. Pay Day (1975)

Pay Day is a game that pitches itself as a great way to teach your kids about how to be responsible with their money for rent, savings, and investments. It's also just a great way to spend time together without screens for a while. In the game, you make money each month, but you've also got to spend that money as fast as possible if you want to keep making a decent amount.

1. The Farming Game (1979)

The Farming Game is a beloved '70s board game that's still just as fun to play today. Let's be honest; we all love farming. That's why Farming Simulator is so popular. You start the game with $5,000 and 20 acres of farmland, and you must work to plant the right crops. I hope the weather holds out so you can turn a profit. Of course, farmers have all sorts of issues to deal with, whether it's the price of fuel, seeds, rent, climate change, or any number of other things that can go wrong. It can be a little stressful, but that's what farming life is like, and it's part of what makes the game feel so good to play every time you sit down with it.

The post 15 Best board games from the ’70s you can play today appeared first on Destructoid.

Fantasy manhwa continues to grow in popularity thanks to its diverse storytelling, stunning artwork, and intricate world-building. That rise in popularity, however, comes with genre saturation. There are a slew of available titles to consume, but not all of them are top-tier. If you're new to the medium, you would naturally want to start with the best of the best. If you're a long-time reader, then you are certainly on the lookout for more masterpieces to add to your reading list.

As such, here are 10 ongoing fantasy manhwa. I've made sure to vary the titles so that no more than two share the same plot direction, so there's a greater chance of finding something new.

Estio

Estio, a young boy born with the unique ability to communicate with animals, lives in a world where his powers make him an outcast. Abandoned by his family and feared by those around him, Estio embarks on a journey to understand his powers and his place in the world. His quest leads him into a web of hidden mysteries, from the origins of his abilities to the greater forces at play in the world around him.

What makes Estio stand out is its delicate balance of heartwarming and dramatic moments. The manhwa takes its time to develop Estio’s relationships with the people and creatures he meets. While Estio possesses a powerful ability, he doesn't use it to oppress others. However, he is also not someone who would let others trample him.

Estio can be read on Tapas.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

Imagine waking up one day to find that the world has transformed into the dystopian plot of a web novel you’ve been reading. That’s the premise of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Kim Dokja, an ordinary salaryman and avid reader, finds himself in the middle of a chaotic reality. However, as the sole reader who has followed the entire story, Dokja has an unparalleled advantage in knowing the twists and turns that lie ahead.

Even with such an advantage, Dokja is far from dominating his new world. He must navigate the dangers the higher beings have set up for them while also walking on thin ice around the novel's main character Yu Junghyeok. As the novel's top and probably only fan, he knows just how hot-headed and trigger-happy Junghyeok can be.

Webtoon hosts the English translation of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint.

A Returner's Magic Should Be Special

A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special follows Desir Herrman, a magician who returns to the past after witnessing the destruction of the world. Armed with knowledge of future events, Desir sets out to change the course of history and prevent the impending apocalypse. However, altering fate is not as simple as it seems, and Desir quickly realizes that saving the world will require not only his strength but also the cooperation of his comrades.

Similar to Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Desir's knowledge of what's to come does not necessarily make him overpowered. He must constantly push himself to the limit and go beyond. Since he only has his genius analytical ability to rely on, such a feat is far from easy.

A Returner's Magic Should Be Special is available on Tapas and Tappytoon.

The Uncanny Counter

In The Uncanny Counter, a team of spirit hunters known as Counters is tasked with tracking down evil spirits that possess human bodies to wreak havoc. Each Counter is brought back from a coma and is granted a supernatural ability. So Mun, however, seems to possess much greater power.

What sets The Uncanny Counter apart is its blend of supernatural action and emotional depth. The team dynamics and their individual struggles add layers to the story, making it more than just a simple tale of good versus evil.

The Uncanny Counter is on Tapas.

The Archmage Returns After 4000 Years

The greatest archmage of his time, Lucas Trowman, is betrayed and sealed away for 4000 years. When he finally breaks free, he finds himself in the body of a weak Frei Blake. Even so, he sets out to continue his long-fought goal of exterminating the Demigods.

The core of this fantasy manhwa revolves around Lucas’ grand quest to save humanity from Demigods. Its fast-paced narrative quickly sees Frei rise from the bottom to one of the strongest humans. Even so, however, he is still puny in comparison to his greatest nemeses.

The Archmage Returns After 4000 is available in English on Tapas.

Demon Devourer

Demon Devourer is set in a world wherein magic is a common phenomenon. Despite hailing from a once-great wizarding family, Elric Melvinger is unable to wield magic. However, he doesn't give up. He adamantly seeks to cure his medical condition. During the process, he stumbles upon the demon Mephistopheles. One thing leads to another, and Elric ends up absorbing Mephistopheles, learning he can absorb demons in the process. Now, Elric sets out to conquer more demons and revive the glory of his family.

Demon Devourer can be read on Tapas.

Level Up with the Gods

After an arduous, drawn-out battle against the Outer Gods, Yuwon Kim and his colleagues ultimately succumbed. However, they are not yet ready to give up. Kronos sacrifices himself to send someone back in time, and the general consensus points to Yuwon as the chosen. Yuwon then returns to the past with the aim of altering the grim future that lies ahead.

Level Up with the Gods features a lot of common tropes in manhwa — time traveling, tower climbing, and leveling system — but it does so incredibly well. Unlike other similar series, it follows a well-developed plot. Furthermore, it incorporates already-known mythos from the real world into its narrative, including Greek, Chinese, Norse, and Welsh mythologies.

It can be read on Tapas.

The Greatest Estate Developer

What if a civil engineer was reincarnated into a fantasy world where magic and swordsmanship reign supreme? That’s the premise of The Greatest Estate Developer, where the protagonist uses his knowledge of modern architecture and engineering to revolutionize his new world. The catch is he is doing so to save his own skin and live a cushy life in the future.

The Greatest Estate Developer's greatest strength is its humor. Lloyd Frontrera, the main character, is always on the lookout to exploit others, though mostly beneficial for both sides. He is the perfect balance of good and evil, and his facial expressions are nothing short of a masterpiece.

The Greatest Estate Developer is available on Webtoon.

The Lone Necromancer

The Lone Necromancer centers around Seongwu, a college student who suddenly finds himself in a world where monsters and supernatural forces threaten humanity. As civilization collapses, each person is given the ability to select a class that determines their powers. Seongwu chooses to become a necromancer. Armed with his newfound powers, Seongwu sets out to survive in this chaotic new reality.

What makes The Lone Necromancer stand out is its dark and gritty approach to the genre. The fantasy manhwa combines elements of apocalyptic survival with traditional RPG mechanics.

The Lone Necromancer can be read via Webtoon.

Book Eater

Despite being a magic enthusiast, Theodore Miller is an unfortunate case of someone who lacks magic aptitude. But just as he was to be kicked out from Berghen Academy, he meets the grimoire Gluttony. The parasitic book attaches itself to his hand, while Theodore acquires the ability to get stronger by feeding the grimoire magical texts and artifacts.

Acquiring power, however, isn't just as easy as acquiring new materials. Theodore must actually have the knowledge and ability to utilize such power. Furthermore, fans of slow-burn narratives will find Book Eater a fun and immersive read.

Book Eater is available on Tapas.

The post 10 best ongoing fantasy manhwa to read right now appeared first on Destructoid.

The popularity of manhwa as a medium has surged in recent years, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down as its accessibility increases. One prevalent theme among modern manhwa is the incorporation of tower climbing. While there are numerous available tower climbing manhwa, some are simply not as good as others.

As the name implies, the trope revolves around climbing a mystical tower, which is often referred to as simply The Tower. The structure comes in multiple levels, sometimes exceeding 100 floors. While the outer appearance may seem rather limited, each floor is often a vast new world or dimension. Conquering The Tower often leads to power acquisition or a means to salvation, and these ten manhwa execute this trope to perfection.

Tower of God

Tower of God begins with Bam, a young man who has lived his entire life in the darkness of a cave. His world changes dramatically when his closest friend, Rachel, enters the mysterious tower. In this manhwa, the Tower promises unimaginable rewards to those who can reach the top. Determined to follow Rachel, Bam enters the tower and discovers a realm where every floor is a new world filled with deadly trials and formidable opponents.

When talking about tower climbing manhwa, Tower of God cannot be overlooked. After all, it inspires many other manhwa to utilize the trope.

Tower of God can be read via Webtoon and also has an animated adaptation.

The Tutorial Is Too Tough

Lee Hojae is a former professional gamer who now lives life in monotony. However, this changes when a mysterious system prompt tells him he is one of the few invited to the Tutorial World. He accepts the invitation and, when presented with the choice, chooses Hell Mode. Unknown to him, Hell Mode more than lives up to its name. Hojae must then use everything in his arsenal to survive the hellish trials and get out of the tower.

Hojae is one who prioritizes preparation above anything else. Knowing that each trial is not only deadly but incredibly hard, he enhances himself in any way possible. He acquires as much knowledge, skills, and items before starting the next stage. This whole process, however, can be quite lengthy, making The Tutorial Is Too Tough a slow-burn manhwa. Nonetheless, the lengthy process simply makes the payoff more gratifying.

The Tutorial Is Too Tough is available on Tapas.

Level Up with the Gods

After conquering the Tower, Yuwon Kim and Co. realize that the challenge is far from over. He and the Inner Gods face a crushing defeat against the Outer Gods. However, they still have a sliver of hope left. Kronos sacrifices himself to send Yuwon back in time. His mission is to change the situation within the Tower and alter their dire future.

Level Up with the Gods is the tower-climbing manhwa that utilizes the trope very well. It incorporates real-world mythos into its narrative, with each pantheon lording over certain floors. By using already established worlds, it gets more time to develop the characters and their relationships, build the world, and further its plot.

Level Up with the Gods is on Tapas.

SSS-Class Revival Hunter

In SSS-Class Revival Hunter, the main character, Confucius Kim, awakens rather late. The skill he acquired allows him to copy other people's skills, but there's a catch. He can only copy the skill of someone who killed him, making it a rather useless ability — or so he thought. When the number one hunter killed him on a whim, he acquired the ability that perfectly complemented his skill — traveling back in time upon death.

SSS-CLass Revival Hunter may have a very generic name, but such an assumption does not give this manhwa justice. Each floor in the Tower is actually an entirely new setting in this manhwa, and it doesn't simply gloss over it. It expounds on each setting, making every arc a different experience.

You can read SSS-Class Revival Hunter on Tapas.

The Frozen Player Returns

Seo Junho and his friends have finally defeated the frost queen, albeit at their own expense. At least, that's what they've thought. After being frozen for two and a half decades, Junho thaws out and realizes the trials are still not over. Nine new floors have appeared, and only one has been conquered. Not only that, he also obtains a new companion — the frost queen herself. Now, he sets out to thaw his friends and finish the task.

In this manhwa, the main character is practically doing a New Game+. He starts back from the beginning, though he retains some of his old skills. However, he must regain his trusty companions while also trying to outplay his old nemeses. That being said, it's a really entertaining read.

The Frozen Player Returns can be read on Tapas.

The Overpowered Newbie

The Overpowered Newbie follows the story of Kim Jaeju. Due to a desperate need for money, he turns to conquering the Tower as a get-rich-fast scheme. However, the task proved to be harder than he thought. That is until he receives a bunch of videos showing his future self clearing the tower. Armed with his newfound knowledge, Jaeju follows in his future self's footsteps.

Other than the tower climbing aspect, The Overpowered Newbie also incorporates streaming into its narrative. In order to gain resources, players on the higher floors can stream and support those on the lower floors. Since Jaeju rarely takes himself seriously, he becomes a successful streamer due to his quirky antics.

As such, The Overpowered Newbie is perfect for a light-hearted reading session.

Second Life Ranker

Despite its title, Second Life Ranker does not feature reincarnation or regression. Instead, it's a gritty revenge story of a grieving brother. It does, however, feature a lot of power-ups and epic battles.

The story follows Cha Yeonwoo. After browsing through his late brother's belongings, he discovers that his death is due to betrayal. Not only that, everything occurred in another world. Yeonwoo then goes to that world to be his brother's second coming, all the while seeking vengeance for those who betrayed his brother.

Second Life Ranker can be read on Tapas.

The World After the Fall

Unlike the other tower-climbing manhwa, The World After the Fall focuses on what happened after conquering the Tower. The first few episodes, however, do tell the protagonist's grueling time in the Tower, so it still belongs to this list.

The story follows the stubborn Jaehwan. Despite being offered the chance to turn back time, he chooses to conquer the Tower on his original timeline. Even when everyone else except him has chosen to go, he continues to persist. When he eventually accomplishes the task, he learns that the Tower is only the beginning.

The World After the Fall can be read on Webtoon.

I'm the Max-Level Newbie

Kang Jinhyeok is the only player who has completed the game Tower of Trials. Just as he is to end his 11-year hardship, the Tower of Trials appears in real life. To make things worse, the system warns that the world will end if a floor is cleared every 90 days. It's now up to Jinhyeok to utilize his knowledge to gain an edge over his competitors and dominate the Tower.

I'm the Max-Level Newbie may have a simple and typical premise, but it does execute it well. It does a good job of building Jinhyeok's abilities while also delivering a fast-paced, action-packed narrative.

Webtoon hosts the English release of the manhwa.

The Player Who Can't Level Up

When the mystical Tower suddenly appears in the world of The Player Who Can't Level Up, some individuals also acquire supernatural abilities. They then become players. Kim Kigyu is one of those players. However, he can't move more than level 1 no matter what he tries. After five years of working as a guide, Kigyu finally discovers his real ability — linking with Egos.

The Player Who Can't Level Up is available on Tapas.

The post 10 best tower climbing manhwa to dive into appeared first on Destructoid.

Like everyone else who read Romeo and Juliet in middle school, I know love stories can get gritty. I have a medically concerning soft spot for wholesome romance novels, but I can't turn down a dreadful ballad of passions gone wrong (or right, depending on who you ask) either.

Dark romance stories take our emotions and play with them like putty, bending and beating them until all we can do is beg their star-crossed leads to make out, draw blood, or somehow do both at the same time. So let's break the sentimental Play-Doh and sink our teeth into the top ten darkest romance books ever penned.

Different strokes for different folks

My time on Archive of Our Own has taught me that people have very different definitions of "dark and twisted romance." Typical common denominators include morally grey protagonists with dubious but consistent codes of ethics and a willingness to explore exceptionally taboo subjects, such as the subversion of consent, one-sided obsession, and the potential for abuse lurking within all relationships.

Every book on this list features these elements to some capacity, and I’ve ordered them based on how well each uses these tropes to weave the tale of lust at their shadowed, sweaty centers.

10. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

Dark romance books are, well, dark, but Haunting Adeline is easily the darkest I've read. Best-selling author Adeline Riley thinks she’s in for a relaxing sabbatical when she inherits her late grandmother’s mansion. Instead, she ends up becoming the newest obsession of Zane, a murderous vigilante who preys on human traffickers, pedophiles, and other criminals who target women and children.

I feel obligated to warn you that Haunting Adeline is about as dark as a book can get. It’s almost laughable how grim this book sometimes gets, and its sheer gratuitousness could be a major turnoff for many readers. I stress again: read with caution.

9. Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James

I’m probably not winning many originality points with this pock, but it’d be blasphemous not to put this legendary piece of obscene literature on this list somewhere. Anastasia “Ana” Steele, freshly graduated from Washington State University, chances upon an opportunity to interview Christian Grey, an aloof business magnate. Falling for his charm, Ana soon finds herself locked in a surreal relationship with Christian, one defined by emotional distance, paperwork, and the entrepreneur’s obsession with BDSM.

Fifty Shades of Grey is more sexually charged than an elephant swimming in musth, and there’s something commendable about the boldness with which E. L. James explores BDSM culture. That said, James’ prose is about as papery as papyrus, and BDSM supporters and detractors have both made compelling arguments against the book’s representation of the practice.

8. The Risk by S.T. Abby

I’m not much of a “true crime guy,” but The Risk helped me understand (somewhat) why some people find serial killers so fascinating. Lana’s out for revenge against the people who ruined her life, and she’s not afraid to paint the walls red to get it. When Logan Bennet, an F.B.I. profiler, starts closing in on her, Lana decides the only way to deter him is to give him something else to focus on: a relationship with her.

The Risk doesn’t pull its punches, although I will admit it doesn’t go as far as Chasing Madeline. S.T. Abby knows how to get inside the mind of a screwed-up soul, and she’s not afraid to show how far Lana’s willing to go to achieve her vision of justice against those who’ve wronged her. If you’re looking for a twisted romance that wades into the dark but doesn't wallow in it, this book’s for you.

7. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

While it's not nearly as ubiquitous as over a decade ago, Twilight left a bite mark on the public imagination that no metric of contemporary critique can hope to bury. During her first biology class in her new school, Bella Swan sits beside Edward Cullen, a mysterious outcast. After her investigation into the Cullen family reveals Edward’s true, vampiric nature, Bella finds herself sucked into a hidden world of ancient secrets, mortal danger, and untamable passion.

Unlike its movie adaption, Twilight is a surprisingly slow burn. Stephenie Meyer takes her time pulling back the veil over vampire society's complex inner workings and gives Bella and Edward’s relationship time to develop into something interesting. While a drought of character depth mars it, the book has an undeniable magnetism that later books in the series failed to replicate.

6. The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

The seedy world of organized crime lends itself well to stories about dangerous, all-or-nothing romance, and The Sweetest Oblivion understands that fact well. Elena, the “princess” of a well-connected mafia family, is far from the happiest person in the room when she learns of her little sister’s engagement to Nicolas Russo, the up-and-coming head of a rival outfit. A secret admirer of the innate brutality of her family's business, Elena finds herself drawn to Nicolas, or rather, the power a relationship with him could give her.

High-stakes poker games, shady back-alley dealings, and explosive gunfights abound in this high-voltage tale of inter-criminal romance. Elena’s smooth tongue and decisive ruthlessness make her a satisfyingly active protagonist, but Danielle Lori never allows her to slip into a thick plate of plot armor. An omnipresent sense of dread permeates every scene, with threats on both sides of the law waiting in the wings to snap up Elena if she loses the game of wits she’s gotten herself into.

5. God of Malice by Rina Kent

Most people see dating as a keystone of the college experience, but God of Malice shows how dangerous a secondary school relationship can get. Killian Carson is a manipulative, remorseless psychopath who’s fooled everyone into thinking he’s the softest guy on campus. Well, everyone except Glyndon King, the quick-witted and outspoken black sheep of an artistic family who, in her own way, is just as broken as Killian is.

God of Malice's charm (for severe want of a better word) lies in the mutual instability of its leads. Killian and Glyndon are not the most well-adjusted individuals, and their competitive and volatile relationship propels the novel’s story forward in exciting and unpredictable ways. There’s also something bizarrely wholesome about their connection, as the two quickly realize that, for all their quarreling, they've both finally found someone who understands and accepts them.

4. Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

What if a demon fell for a sacrificial virgin? That question summarizes the inciting incident of Her Soul to Take well. Leon, an infernal conjured from the depths of the Underworld, finds himself at a loss when he feels compelled to spare Rae, the captive sacrifice offered to him by a cult. Rae’s just as confused by this development, and the two soon find themselves locked in a battle to save Rae’s soul from the persistent cult.

Her Soul to Take is an occult rom-com filled with supernatural hijinks. Leon and Rae's dynamic is unique and entertaining. Throughout, the two swap between being the master and the student as each learns more about the other’s world. Harley Laouroux’s prose occasionally comes off a shade too serious, but the author knows how to have fun with their demonically creative premise.

3. Hooked by Emily McIntire

Hooked is a book that shows how much fun an author can have with a classic story that’s crossed into the realm of the public domain. In this re-telling of Peter Pan, “Captain” James Hook is the dashing young leader of a rebellious band of ruffians locked in a war with Peter, reimagined here as an aging, child-exploiting crime boss. The perfect opportunity for revenge comes to James when Peter’s daughter Wendy crosses his path, but things, naturally, get complicated as his feelings for his enemy’s offspring deepen.

My favorite part of any genre-bending fairy tale reimagining is seeing what the writer does with elements from the original. Peter Pan is already one of the most imaginative stories ever told. Emily McIntire constantly finds clever ways to adapt the Lost Boys, Smee, and other iconic characters, locales, and themes from J.M. Barrie’s childhood-defining classic, and these new interpretations help bolster the surprisingly endearing romance that blossoms between James and Wendy.

2. We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Young adult dystopia novels love to lock their adolescent protagonists in a cramped room with their hormones, but We Set the Dark on Fire pushes this element onto center stage. The authoritarian nation of Medio trains aristocratic young women to become the wives of the country's ruling elite, and they’ve paired Daniela Vargas with the son of a prominent military family. What Medio’s rulers don’t know is that Daniela’s a member of the revolution, and she’s planning to tear her nation’s oppressive government down from the inside.

We Set the Dark on Fire combines the ominous social commentary of A Handmaid’s Tale with the cathartic “eat-the-rich” vibes of Red Rising. Daniela is an insightful and inspiring protagonist, and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s thoughtful prose allows her to speak artfully about some very relevant issues, like female autonomy and class division. Daniela's relationship with her young, idealistic husband-to-be provides plenty of steamy material for romance fans to work with and adds much-needed levity to an otherwise heavy story.

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

If you didn't see this one coming, you either haven't been to a coffee shop in a while or weren’t paying attention while you were there last. Feyre, the daughter of a fallen noble family, isn’t thinking about much other than survival when she puts an arrow through a wolf that tries to steal a deer she was hunting. So when a High Fey lord bursts into her family’s cabin, reveals the wolf she killed was his servant, and explains that she must accompany the lord to the realm of Prythian to repay her debt, she willingly goes to spare her loved ones.

A Court of Thorns and Roses has everything a fan of twisted romance books could ask for: a pair of deep and nuanced leads with unique moral codes, a world of strange creatures and stranger magics, and a plot that touches on themes of guilt, redemption, and the restorative power of love. Grab a copy and hop on the “ACOTAR” bus. I’ll save you a seat.

The post Best Dark Romance Books For Fans of Twisted Love Stories appeared first on Destructoid.

As details slowly emerge about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans are hopeful the Marvel Cinematic Universe captures the essence of Marvel's first superhero family. After all, the Fantastic Four remains one of the longest and most beloved runs in all comics.

After cosmic rays endowed them during a space expedition, Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Invisible Woman (Susan Storm), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and the Thing (Ben Grimm) form the Fantastic Four. Taking into account the Fantastic Four's rich and lengthy Marvel history, I've turned 30+ earth cycles of comic knowledge into this list of the best comic books to read before Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Fantastic Four (1961) #1

Debuting in the fall of '61 as imaginative conceptions from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four would debut and forever change Marvel history. Here, the Hall of Fame duo vividly presents the New Yorkers' exciting origin, their decision to fight for those in need, and their epic first battle with Mole Man.

The Fantastic Four are wonderfully received by comic fans, becoming a creative font and character avenue for Marvel. Introducing comic mainstays like Fortnite legend Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, and Galactus, the Fantastic Four hold a prominent place in Marvel comic history.

Fantastic Four (1961) #5

Appearing five issues into their seminal run, Doctor Doom takes the Invisible Woman hostage, commanding the Fantastic Four to pull off a time heist for him. Using Doom's Time Platform, Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, and the Thing must steal a pirate's treasure chest filled with the demon lord Mephisto's talismans if they intend to save their partner.

The Doomsday Despot Doom will become synonymous with the Fantastic Four, often as a foe but, on rare occasions, as an ally. Importantly, this comic sets the tone for the pivotal relationship between the Fantastic Four and Doom, likely teased in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Fantastic Four (1961) #48-50

Taking the Fantastic Four into a cosmic universe, Lee and Kirby collaborate on 'The Coming of Galactus', introducing Uatu the Watcher and Marvel's preeminent cosmic antagonist, Galactus. Here, the Fantastic Four become Marvel's foremost authority on otherworldly events as they attempt to save Earth from the Planet Eater and his herald, the Silver Surfer.

The first meeting between the Fantastic Four and Galactus marks a pivotal point in their history worth reading before First Steps. Here, readers see the debut of the Silver Surfer, Galactus' herald who defies his master, saving Earth. Ultimately, this arc lays the groundwork for future interactions between the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, and Galactus.

Fantastic Four (1961) #52

After a mysterious benefactor gifts the Fantastic Four a futuristic Sky-Craft, they accept his invitation to travel to the remote nation of Wakanda, a notable Deadpool Vs comics location. Here, they are set upon by the mysterious Black Panther. Eventually, their combined might overcomes the Panther's traps, revealing the reason for his deception.

In another excellent story from Lee and Kirby's historic run, fans are taken to exotic jungle plains as the Fantastic Four meet the Wakandan king T'Challa. Signaling the Black Panther's debut and establishing heroic bonds that continue in Marvel, #52 checks in as one of the FF's best comics and a must-read before First Steps.

Fantastic Four (1961) #200

In its monumental 200th issue, the Fantastic Four battle Doom after he takes Alicia Masters hostage. Angered by the death of his clone, Doom vows vengeance and traps the team within his fortress. Ultimately, the Fantastic Four backs Prince Zorba's coup, ignorant of his evil nature, and overthrow Latveria's ruler, Doctor Doom.

Celebrating the Fantastic Four's 17th anniversary spectacularly, #200 highlights the deep-seated animosity Doom holds for Mr. Fantastic. Bringing their rivalry to life with moving prose and vivid panels, the creative team treats fans to a knockdown, drag-out fight between Doom and his bitterest rival in this informative Fantastic Four read.

Fantastic Four (1961) #244

Weakened due to hunger and looking to feed, Galactus returns to Earth. But, after teaming up with the Avengers to take him down, the Fantastic Four quickly realize their most formidable adversary is dying. Here, the Four will honor their oath to help others in need, even if the one in need is the planet devourer Galactus.

Importantly, FF #244 signals the Human Torch's ex-lover Frankie Raye's run as Galactus' herald. A decidedly different herald than the Silver Surfer, Raye lacked her predecessor's nobility and even temperament. Thus, with rumors of a female Surfer-esque antagonist in First Steps, it's likely an adaption from Raye's fiery run as Galactus' herald.

Fantastic Four (2001) 1234

An edgy noir series by acclaimed scribes Grant Morrison and Jae Lee, Fantastic Four: 1234 gives a moody take on the primal facets of the Fantastic Four. Always looking to best Reed and earn his retribution, Doom constructs a doomsday machine, playing on fears and insecurities innate in humans.

Consequently, Doom dissects Thing's perpetual war with his rocky aesthetic, Torch's selfish, daredevil compulsions, Susan's issues from a lack of intimacy, and Reed's unrelenting need to fix everything. In conclusion, 1234 is a comic that alludes to character weaknesses Doom may exploit in the MCU's Fantastic Four: First Steps and beyond.

FF (2011) #1

Shattered after the death of the Human Torch, the Fantastic Four becomes Three as they wrestle with their loss. Yet, unlike previous stretches, when they add an extra member, the remaining members disband out of respect for Torch's sacrifice. Eventually, the team honors the Torch's memory by creating the Future Foundation.

Brandishing spiffy new dichromatic uniforms and appropriately using the same FF initials, the remaining trio adds the award-winning Spider-Man, Peter Parker. Lastly, with an onus on the future and supported by Franklin and Valeria Richards, their grandfather Nathaniel, and Doctor Doom, the Foundation is another Fantastic creation that may find a home in the MCU.

Secret Wars (2015) #1-9

Following the Beyonder's use of the Incursions in their attack on the multiverse, the trio of Doom, Dr. Strange, and the Molecule Man stand in defiance. Enacting their master plan, the Beyonders are defeated as Doom usurps their power to save all reality, becoming God-Emperor and creating Battleworld.

Unquestionably a chief RDJ Doom comic read, Secret Wars (2015) is top-notch storytelling and embodies the main storyline upcoming in the MCU. Whether Hickman's flowing prose or Ribic and Svorcina's indelible artwork inspires intrigue, Secret Wars checks all the boxes as an essential Marvel read before Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Fantastic Four (2018) #1

This comic picks up with the Human Torch and the Thing attempting to reconcile the "loss" of Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, and Franklin and Valeria after the incursions of Secret Wars (2015). Notably, Fantastic Four #1 alludes to the potential look of the MCU following Avengers: Secret Wars.

Presenting a heartwarming finish to a nearly two-year period of separation, #1 depicts the impact of expectancy and despair in heroes' daily lives. Indeed, showing a momentous declaration by Johnny, Ben's life-changing decision, and a sign of hope, this comic continues the magic of the Fantastic Four.

The post The 10 Best Marvel Comics to read before The Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on Destructoid.