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.

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One of the most important events you'll find in Monopoly GO is Golden Blitz. Since you can't trade gold stickers outside of this event, it's a rare opportunity to get specific cards during brief 24-hour periods before being restricted to card pack opening again.

It's also rare for Golden Blitz events to repeat past cards, meaning you might miss out on one you need if you're not online during a specific time. Let's check out every past Golden Blitz sticker during the Monopoly Games season to determine whether you'll still get an opportunity to trade a particular card.

All past Golden Blitz stickers in Monopoly GO

Since the Monopoly Games season began on June 20, 2024, we've had eight Golden Blitz events, allowing you to trade up to 16 different gold stickers with others throughout the past few months. The rarities ranged from mid-tier four-star stickers to rare, high-value five-star ones that can give you thousands of dice if you complete their respective albums.

Here's the complete list of previous Golden Blitz events, including the stickers involved, their rarities, and the start and end dates.

Scopely confirmed on September 19 that we'll get one more Golden Blitz event between now and Monopoly Games' end on September 26. Based on a community poll in the Monopoly GO Discord, the following two stickers will be the last to appear this season:

• Cart Dash Champs (Set 23)
• En Garde Gold (Set 22)

With that said, if the last few stickers you need are not one of these two, you'll need to rely on sticker packs and Wild Stickers to create gold cards. However, Monopoly Games is ending soon, so be sure to use rewards from events like Desert Bloom Partners to get everything you need before the start of the Marvel season.

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Monopoly GO's Monopoly Games season is wrapping up soon, and with that comes some last-minute sports-themed events and tournaments. While Canyon Climb doesn't have you trekking up actual canyons, you will climb through leaderboard rankings to get dice, cash, and other fun rewards.

All Canyon Climb tournament rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Canyon Climb tournament features 30 reward tiers to claim from now until September 22, 2024. During this two-day event, you can obtain up to 5,490 dice, 2,190 Desert Bloom point tokens, and six sticker packs for some end-of-season card collecting. Below is the Canyon Climb tournament's reward list.

How to score points during the Canyon Climb tournament

During Monopoly GO's Canyon Climb tournament, scoring points requires landing on railroad spaces. Each time you land on a railroad tile, you'll initiate a Landmark Shutdown or Bank Heist minigame, determining how many points you get. Below is every outcome and their points:

• Shutdown – Blocked: Two points
• Shutdown – Success: Four points
• Bank Heist – Small: Four points
• Bank Heist – Large: Six points
• Bank Heist – Bankrupt: Eight points

These points increase depending on your current dice multiplier, allowing you to score dozens or even hundreds of points if you have enough dice for your rolls. However, the higher your multiplier is, the quicker you'll burn through your supply, forcing you to wait a few hours for it to replenish. Fortunately, you can also get extra rewards from the ongoing Desert Bloom Partners event, various banner events, and other sources to keep your reserves full.

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While collecting money and upgrading landmarks in Monopoly GO, you may notice a Bank of Monopoly world appear on your map. The game doesn't detail what this is, but the rewards you obtain from it are worth checking out.

What is the Bank of Monopoly in Monopoly GO?

The Bank of Monopoly is a world you can unlock as you advance through the game. As you upgrade your current board's landmarks, you'll progress through various worlds, with the Bank of Monopoly acting as a checkpoint. You can encounter the bank multiple times, with your in-game map showing when it'll appear next.

Since Scopely is gradually releasing the Bank of Monopoly, similar to the Tycoon Club, you may not see this feature appear for a while. It stands out compared to the other boards with its gold banner and shining appearance, so you'll know when you officially have access to it.

Unlike regular worlds, the Bank of Monopoly doesn't have any landmarks to upgrade. Instead, it's a reward map that gives you random items, which you collect by rolling dice for free and traveling around your board. The prizes range from cash and dice to sticker packs and rare chests. The rare chest has an exclusive board token, which I've yet to get my hands on.

There are also blank spots, but they don't prevent you from getting rewards. Even if you land on one, you can roll again for free until you land on a prize spot. Overall, I got around 400 dice, two sticker packs, and a few cash bundles, giving me a nice boost for the Desert Bloom Partners event.

Once you complete your rolls on the Bank of Monopoly board, you'll claim your prizes and move on to the next world. Doing this also gives you your regular landmark completion rewards, so don't worry about missing out on that.

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Monopoly GO's latest event themes revolve around a lot of sand as we relax in the desert. At least, we'd normally have a nice oasis vacation if we weren't competing against others during tournaments. Regardless, we're here to have fun, which is where Sand Speedsters comes in.

All Sand Speedsters rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Sand Speedsters tournament has 30 rewards you'll obtain as you land on railroad tiles and collect points. From now until September 20, 2024, you can obtain up to 4,255 dice, Desert Bloom point tokens, and four sticker packs to help you complete your Monopoly Games album before the season's end.

Below is the Sand Speedsters tournament's reward list.

How to score points during the Sand Speedsters tournament

You'll score points during Monopoly GO's Sand Speedsters tournament by landing on railroad spots and completing Landmark Shutdown and Bank Heist minigames. Each minigame lets you steal money from other players, with several possible outcomes and your dice multiplier determining your total score. Below is a breakdown of each result and their points:

• Shutdown – Blocked: Two points
• Shutdown – Success: Four points
• Bank Heist – Small: Four points
• Bank Heist – Large: Six points
• Bank Heist – Bankrupt: Eight points

Although you can't fully influence the result of Bank Heists and Landmark Shutdowns, you can change how many points you get by increasing your dice multiplier. Rolling more dice at once gives you extra points per railroad space at the cost of draining your supply quicker. Fortunately, you can use rewards from banner events like Oasis Riches, the ongoing Desert Bloom Partners event, and other sources to keep your reserves up.

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Finding NaNa Village in LEGO Fortnite is a struggle, especially when you have almost no information to go off of. Once you finally arrive, you'll notice it's just like any other village, but with a few changes. Let's check out the complete list of NaNa Village, also known as NaN'er Hamlet, upgrades and material requirements.

How to find NaNa Village in LEGO Fortnite

NaNa Village has two random spawn locations on every LEGO Fortnite Lost Isles map. Each time you make a world and travel to the Lost Isles, your NaN'er Hamlet, cave, and even Klombo spawn spots will differ. In other words, NaNa Village doesn't have one exact location.

Despite this, you can still look for it by searching for a village square and Bananthony, a banana NPC that wanders around the hamlet. The village square can spawn anywhere, but I've had the best luck searching around plains biomes and beaches.

All NaNa Village upgrades in LEGO Fortnite

Unlike regular villages and the Star Wars Rebel Outpost, NaN'er Hamlet only has five upgrade levels. Each rank unlocks additional villager and animal slots, with a special reward at the end. Here’s a list of all five NaNa village upgrades and their costs:

Once you finish all five levels, you'll max out the NaN'er Hamlet and receive a Klombo Prop Tome from Bananthony.

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In LEGO Fortnite, caves are the secret to unlocking tons of ores and finding valuable treasure chests. The Lost Isles are no exception, with its caves holding several new gem types used to craft upgraded versions of the Flint-Knock Pistol, Throwing Spear, and more.

Where to find Lost Isles caves in LEGO Fortnite

Caves spawn randomly around LEGO Fortnite's Lost Isles world, much like they do in the regular mainland areas. The exact spawn locations depend on your world's seed, so one map will differ from the next.

Despite this, there are two things to look out for: cave map icons and peculiar-looking stone formations. Watch for raised stone hills with decorative pillars and clay pots around as you run, drive, and fly around your world. Combined with a large opening on the rock's side, these lead to one of many caves or grottos you'll find around the map.

You'll also want to check your map occasionally for cave icons. It's easy to miss them, especially if you're focused on reaching another destination or don't notice a hidden cave somewhere. If you've been running around for a while, open your map and see if a cave image appears anywhere. If not, keep running around and hope for the best.

Once you find a cave, entering it will lead to an underground cavern full of your usual granite and marble deposits. Along the way, you'll find gold and rough emerald veins, which you can harvest and turn into gold bars and cut emeralds to upgrade your weapons. Fortunately, they're pretty common in these caves, so you shouldn't have too much trouble spotting some. Just try not to get lost, as getting out can be a pain sometimes.

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Scopely officially announced the theme for Monopoly GO's next season on September 26. This time, rather than a general topic, they're collaborating with Marvel to have a superhero-themed season.

Initially, on September 17, Scopely teased the new season in a promotional video of a mysterious portal opening from a botched Wild Sticker experiment. While this first trailer made no mention of Marvel, it was clear there'd be something supernatural going on next season.

At least, that was until September 19's video, where that same portal revealed the cast of various Marvel comics, from Spider-Man to Iron Man and the Hulk, among others. I've played enough of Fortnite's recent Marvel events to know where this is going. The video also confirms that the Marvel season will begin on the same day Monopoly Games ends, marking September 26, 3 p.m. ET as the official start date, barring any unexpected delays.

Although there's no further info about what the Monopoly GO x Marvel season will entail, we can use context clues from previous seasons to confirm that sticker albums will, at the very least, be superhero-themed, if not directly tied into the MCU. We'll also likely see plenty of hero, villain, and Marvel-specific events, with some related ones making a return later down the line.

Beyond this, there are no confirmed details on whether sticker packs, Wild Stickers, or other game mechanics will change throughout the upcoming Marvel season. Scopely usually tweaks a few things to add variety, but there's no word on what that entails. We also have no word on how long the season will last, but it could last three to four months again like previous ones.

Monopoly GO's Marvel season will officially begin on September 26, 2024. The end date is currently unknown but will reveal itself once the season starts.

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Monopoly GO's Partners events are a fantastic way to get Wild Stickers and exclusive cosmetics, and Desert Bloom is here to shake things up. Getting every reward requires collecting thousands of point tokens, so you'll need to use as many sources as possible to get your hands on them.

How to get free Monopoly GO Desert Bloom Partners event tokens

Below are the best ways to get free Desert Bloom Partners event tokens in Monopoly GO:

• Participate in banner events and tournaments
• Finish your daily quick wins
• Collect flower tokens around your Monopoly board
• Redeem free store gifts

Every method has pros and cons, but events, tournaments, and pickups will always be the easiest. In addition, free shop gifts and daily quick wins are also reliable ways to earn them.

Events and tournaments

Every event and tournament that runs during the Desert Bloom Partners will give you anywhere between 1,000-3,000 point tokens to redeem. They're one of the best ways to get these tokens, especially if you have a lot of dice and can finish most reward tiers. The first event you'll encounter is Oasis Riches, but there'll be at least one or two more after if you miss it.

Collect board tokens

The next best way to get more points tokens is collecting them around your Monopoly board. The level of success you'll have from this depends on how many dice you have and how often you land on these specific tiles. Fortunately, they regularly appear on random spots and replenish themselves each time you land on one, giving you plenty of chances to snag some extras.

Daily and Weekly Quick Wins

Daily Quick Wins are a great way to get extra tokens easily, especially if you're a new player who struggles to complete tournament milestones. Every Quick Win objective gives 60, 80, and 100 tokens, so you can quickly get over 1,000 during Desert Bloom's five-day duration. You can also use the dice and sticker pack rewards from your weekly prizes to help you travel around the board and collect point tokens.

Free store gifts

The last way to obtain Desert Bloom tokens is by redeeming your free shop gifts every eight hours. Every box gives around 35 tokens, around 70-105 a day if you regularly hop on to open it. Although these alone aren't enough to get the event's grand prize, they'll help out a bit, especially if you're close to the end and need a little extra push.

Are there any Monopoly GO Desert Bloom Partners event token links?

Currently, no free Desert Bloom Partners event token links are available to claim. It's rare for Partners tokens to appear in rewards links, despite free dice being common and sticker packs occasionally appearing. Nonetheless, Scopely has surprised us in the past, so we'll continue to update this section if anything surfaces.

The post How to get free Desert Bloom Partners event tokens in Monopoly GO appeared first on Destructoid.

The Desert Bloom Partners event and its accompanying tournaments in Monopoly GO are all about relaxation. Although Partners events can get stressful sometimes, the rewards you obtain from them are often worth the effort, especially if you manage to get a Wild Sticker.

All Desert Bloom Partners event rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Desert Bloom event works similarly to previous renditions, with five reward tiers available for each partner space and a final grand prize once all four spots are complete. This gives 21 available prize tiers, with most of them having three to four items up for grabs. Here’s the list of every Desert Bloom Partners reward.

Once you claim the first five rewards for a Partners space, it'll be marked as "complete," with the other three still available to finish. After completing all four spots, you'll unlock the grand prize of 5,000 dice, a Wild Sticker, and an exclusive Desert Tortoise player token. Along the way, you'll get thousands of dice, several powerups, and sticker packs to help you wrap up your Monopoly Games album.

How to find partners for the Desert Bloom Partners event

Once the Desert Bloom Partners event starts, it'll replace the center of your board with four empty Partners spaces. Tapping on them brings up a menu where you'll find other players to invite. Inviting someone to the Partners event allows you and that person to work with each other as a team. Similarly, if someone has already asked you to join their Desert Bloom Partners team, you can accept or decline the offer here.

Once you have your partners, you can obtain tokens and collect points. Since you have four partners, you have four separate spots to gain points toward your milestones. Rather than working together as one large team, you'll have four teams of two for this particular event.

How to score points during the Desert Bloom Partners event

Scoring points during Monopoly GO's Desert Bloom Partners requires collecting tokens and spinning a points wheel. You can access this wheel by tapping on one of your partners spaces. You'll also find a multiplier similar to the regular dice one, allowing you to get more points per space at the cost of using more tokens.

Getting enough points to complete Desert Bloom requires collecting points tokens. You can find them by participating in banner events and tournaments, completing your daily quick wins, and redeeming your free shop gift. You can also use your dice to travel around your Monopoly board and collect them.

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Monopoly GO's Oasis Riches and Desert Bloom Partners events have arrived for the first time as we approach the end of the Monopoly Games season. While the theme is relaxing in the sun, a lot of stress is involved in end-of-season sticker hunting. It's nice to chill sometimes, though.

All Oasis Riches event rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Oasis Riches event has 50 reward milestones to claim until September 21, 2024. You can obtain up to 18,255 dice, 3,780 Desert Bloom Partners tokens, and eight sticker packs during the event. Here's the complete list of Oasis Riches rewards.

Alongside your usual dice and sticker pack rewards, you can also claim Desert Bloom Partners tokens for extra prizes. Combining the rewards from both events gives you better odds of scoring items like a Wild Sticker and a new board token, so it's worth watching both during the next few days.

How to score points during the Oasis Riches event

You'll score points during Monopoly GO's Oasis Riches event by landing on tax, chance, and utility spaces. Below is a breakdown of the points:

• Tax: Three points
• Utility: Two points
• Chance: Two points

Like usual, these points scale with your dice multiplier, allowing you to earn the thousands you need for this two-day event. Using powerups like High Roller can also increase your maximum dice roll capacity, while others like Cash Boost and Mega Heist help you get more money for landmark upgrades.

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If you're trying to complete every achievement or trophy in The Plucky Squire, you'll eventually encounter ones asking you to make a cheese mushroom and pillar. You'll find the opportunity to do this during Chapter Six after meeting a hungry rat.

Before you obtain your cheese, you'll need to solve the puzzles involving this rat. Let's check out the solution for this puzzle and the cheese transformations that follow. With that said, there are major Chapter Six spoilers throughout this page, so follow along with the story as you continue reading.

How to solve the rat puzzle in The Plucky Squire

Before you can unlock cheese at all, you'll need to solve a puzzle involving a "horrible rat", as Rif puts it. When you enter the area, Rif will tell you about the rat in a dark hole, and it's up to you to figure out what's going on. They suggest finding some cheese, eventually leading to our mushroom and pillar side quests.

The first part of this puzzle is using the green portal in the top-left corner and tilting the book so the nearby wooden block slides to the left. Doing this reveals a key, which you'll use on the blue door in the bottom-right corner of the page.

After hopping back in and unlocking the door, you'll find some metal spikes leading to the sentence "These metal spikes were quite a bother." Swipe your sword at metal and carry it over to where the key is, replacing the word "Wooden" with "Metal." Now, the wooden block from before is a heavy metal one.

With this heavy block available to use, jump back out of the book and tilt the pages so that the block slides away from the wall, then back into it. Doing this breaks open a cave, where you'll find something important: mushrooms. Keep this location in mind for later.

Instead, go through the cave until you see the word "glowing," and use it on the wooden block again. Now, you can tilt the book once more to bring the block into the cave entrance, lighting up the entire area and revealing another key and door combination. Unlocking this door leads to the word "cheese" for the final part of the puzzle.

How to make a cheese mushroom in The Plucky Squire

Now that you have access to the word "cheese" from the rat puzzle, you can turn the cave's mushrooms into cheese to complete the first trophy. To do this, swipe at the word "cheese" with your sword and carry it over to "Here were some mushrooms" in the same cave. Placing cheese in the blank spots converts the mushrooms, automatically completing the achievement.

Don't ditch this sentence yet, though. Since the pillar appears later in this chapter, you'll still need to complete this puzzle by turning your current glowing block into a cheese one. Now, you can jump out of the book again and give these pages one last tilt to slide the block over to the rat, completing the puzzle and allowing you to progress further. Keep this page in mind, though: you'll need it later.

How to make a cheese pillar in The Plucky Squire

Encountering a pillar that you can turn into cheese requires advancing further into Chapter Six. You'll know you're ready when you finish a few boss fights and spot two towering pillars acting as music speakers.

These speakers appear alongside another character, Gozzy, who you'll need to deal with to advance further. However, for the purpose of this trophy, we don't have to worry about him: the focus is on the two speakers next to him.

Use the green portal to your right to jump out of the book, flipping through the pages until you find the word "cheese" from the rat puzzle. After grabbing it, head back to Gozzy's area and place the word on either of the pillar sentences to turn them into cheese, completing this second achievement.

The post How to make a cheese mushroom and pillar in The Plucky Squire appeared first on Destructoid.

The Sims 4's has been experiencing a lot of change lately, from the introduction of the Lovestruck expansion to the Life and Death pack arriving on Halloween. During September, the team is treating us to over 650 new color variants for items, a Reaper Rewards event, and other fun changes.

The Sims 4 September 18 update patch notes and changes

As The Sims 4 September 18 update's official announcement details, the highlight of this patch includes:

• Over 650 new color variants for items and furniture.
• Information about the upcoming Reaper Rewards event.
• Overall performance improvements for the game.

The first new feature mentioned in the patch notes is more color variants for several items in the game, ranging from archways and doors to various furniture items. There are even new items to give you some extra creativity with building.

Another update, although not explicitly mentioned in the patch notes, is the upcoming limited-time Reaper's Rewards. If you're familiar with the previous Happy at Home login event, you'll recognize this eight-week event type that The Sims has been incorporating into the game lately. Now, it's continuing once more for the Halloween season. This time, rather than logging in, you'll have to complete specific tasks to gain points toward your rewards.

The Reaper's Rewards event will start on September 24 and last until October 12, giving you plenty of time to prepare.

The last major changes are the various DirectX 11 updates for PC and Xbox players to improve overall performance. While this doesn't mean much to some, anyone who previously struggled with performance or graphical errors will have an easier time with faster graphics processing and more efficient memory usage, even if you have a mid to high-end GPU.

The Sims 4 September 18 update patch notes listed

While the details above are some of the most notable features in The Sims 4 September 18 update, there are many others to check out. Numerous expansion and game packs got bug fixes alongside the base game, and there's an entire list of build/buy items that got some color tweaks.

Here is the complete list of The Sims 4's September 18 patch notes.

What’s New in The Sims 4

There’s a colorful update to Build/Buy items! 650 color variants have been added and there are new items such as archways, doors, and even ground covers to spruce up your terrain.

Performance

• Reducing Memory Usage:

  • Frequent Memory Updates - Increased the frequency of memory usage data updates to prevent out-of-memory crashes.

• Improving Simulation Performance:

  • Streamlining Data Storage - We restructured how we store game data to reduce the overhead of using Python objects, making the game run faster and use less memory.
  • Efficient Buff Generation - Reworked how temporary data is generated and stored to fix previous issues and optimize memory usage.

• Reducing Load Times:

  • Optimizing Render Target Allocation - Stopped unnecessary allocation of large color targets during certain rendering processes, now saving valuable memory especially in high-resolution settings.

DirectX 11 (DX11) Updates

We’re pleased to announce improvements to the DirectX 11 executable for PC users. While these updates are focused on Windows PC’s, Xbox Simmers will also see benefits from these changes as the Xbox runs a console-based variant of DirectX 11. Here’s what to expect:

• NVIDIA and AMD

  • NVIDIA and AMD Graphics Cards

    • Players using NVIDIA and AMD GPUs will now automatically default to the DX11 executable. Players on other GPUs like Intel, will continue to enjoy The Sims 4 on DX9 until a later update.

  • DirectX 11 Enhancements

    • Faster Graphics Processing - Implemented changes to how graphics data is updated, reducing delays between the CPU and GPU for smoother gameplay.

  • Performance Boost with Constant Buffers (cbuffers)

    • This enhances performance by reducing overhead and managing memory more efficiently. Users with mid to high-end GPUs should notice improved performance!

  • New DirectX 9 Option in Graphics Setting

    • By default, Simmers on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs will launch The Sims 4 using DX11. If you prefer, you can switch to DX9 via Game Options > Graphics and enable the DirectX 9 toggle before re-launching The Sims 4 to play using DirectX 9.

• Intel

  • Ongoing Intel Development

    • We are continuing development on bringing DirectX 11 to Intel GPU based PC’s but it needs a little longer before we can bring it to Simmers as the default option. For now Intel based Simmers will continue to use DirectX 9 when running The Sims 4.

  • DirectX 11 Opt-In

    • DirectX 11 is available for those Simmers who want to try it, including those using an Intel GPU, you may experience visual issues with mods. We recommend disabling all mods while using the -dx11 command line argument.

For detailed information about DirectX 11 and instructions on how to enter launch arguments for both the EA App and Steam, please visit here. If you encounter any issues with DirectX, you can find assistance here.

The Gallery

• Pack filters now properly work for Home Chef Hustle in The Gallery and library. No more hiding.

Base Game

• [AHQ] Outdoor lighting will no longer affect inside the room through ceilings. Let there be (proper) light.
• [AHQ and AHQ] When attempting to save, “Error Code: 0“ no longer occurs related to Gigs or Neighborhood Stories.
• [AHQ] Addressed an additional issue where the game would fail to load and display Error Code 123 when traveling between lots.
• [AHQ] Clay and Future Cubes will no longer get left on lots during events. Pick up your trash and leave nothing behind.
• [AHQ] Frogs, mice and fishes in tanks are now visible when placed in laptop mode. Welcome back, friends!
• [AHQ] Sims will put their tablets and homework back into their inventory instead of placing them in the world as long as they are standing or sitting. Again, stop littering, Sims!
• [AHQ] The call is not coming from inside the house–you'll stop getting invitational phone calls from your own Household Members.
• [AHQ] “Complete a Daily Work Task” Want now completes properly after finishing a daily work task. Work work work.
• [AHQ] Children now have the option to quit their “After School Activity“. Although quitters never prosper.
• [AHQ] Thought bubbles of Sims will no longer appear through walls and floors. Keep your thoughts to yourself.
• [AHQ] Family fortune - “Heal Negative Sentiments” task will now properly complete.
• [AHQ] Sims will return from work or school and switch into the same Everyday Outfit they had on instead of defaulting to the first Everyday Outfit in the Create a Sim list. You will wear what I tell you to wear, Sim!
• [AHQ] Certain cabinet/shelf combinations over kitchen sinks will no longer prevent Sim from washing in the sink. No excuses for not cleaning up after yourself.
• [AHQ] Outdoor shadows now move smoothly without jumping on the screen on ultra graphics settings and at different Live Mode speeds.
• [AHQ] Camera jittering is no longer observed in Build Buy mode after using Terrain Tools.
• [AHQ] When recent neighborhood stories mention a Sim that died in another neighborhood, switching to the respective Sim household will now have an urn present. RIP.
• [AHQ] Upgrading washer/dryer now completes Nerd Brain Aspiration.
• [AHQ] Sims will now hold the acarajé dish the right way while eating. It’s delicious however you eat it, though.
• [AHQ] Autonomous check infant no longer causes new random cold weather outfit to be generated for infant. They’re not cold.
• Infant no longer stretches when crawling in deep snow. Although we question why you’re letting your infant crawl in the snow.
• [AHQ] Teen Sim is able to take vacation days while working in the lifeguard career. It’s only fair.
• [AHQ] Event goals remain visible  even after editing from the Calendar.
• Siblings can no longer be set as engaged in Create a Sim.
• [AHQ] The Teen Goal Oriented Aspiration now gets completed properly after getting promoted at work.
• Investigating missing Doodlepip splines. Reticulation progressing.
• [AHQ] “Become friends with“ Want no longer appears for Sims with relationship equal or above friends. We’re already friends.
• [AHQ] World icons on the world selection screen no longer move when middle-clicked.
• [AHQ] Locked seed packets are unlocked in BB when using the gardening skill cheat “stats.set_skill_level Major_Gardening 10”. Gimme my seeds!
• [AHQ] Female Sims' stomachs will no longer become invisible when paired with Masculine cargo pants in certain color swatches.
• “Likes/Dislikes“ Sim preferences are now available for Sims created via Create a Sim Stories.
• Sim animation will no longer pop when sitting on a stool and asking another Sim an inappropriate question.
• [AHQ] Sim thumbnails are no longer low resolution on the Resume button.
• [AHQ] Re-fixed issue where Skill List gets out of order, specifically when switching between Sims.
• [AHQ] ‘ymTop_TshirtRolled_Yellow' top no longer clips with bottoms in Create a Sim.
• [AHQ] Event Goals created through the Calendar properly show up during the Event, even if you edit the Event.

Affecting Multiple Packs

• [AHQ] In apartments, University dorms, and penthouses: Walls and doors will now cut away properly in wall down/cutaway viewing mode. Adjusted checks for exterior walls and inactive units.
• [AHQ] Vampire scars are no longer observed while creating a genetics-based Spell Caster Sim, and any scars generated can now be removed (mouth, eye, cheeks and brow details).
• [AHQ] Werewolf/Vampire Sims will swap to occult form and vice-versa after the animation instead of before or during.
• [AHQ] Nails no longer cause shoulder tears on ‘yfTop_EP08SweaterScarf_Solid’ and ‘ymBody_EF90Djellaba_Solid’ outfits.
• [AHQ] Leather Pants no longer overlap with low boots.

Get to Work

• [AHQ] Sim targeted by the Simray now change to the proper blue skin tone.
• [AHQ] Child eyebrows now update to match their hair color in Create a Sim.

City Living

• [AHQ] Strange wall patches and gaps are no longer visible in Wall Down View in San Myshuno Apartments.
• [AHQ] Food stalls in San Myshuno no longer disappear after coming out of Create a Sim and Manage Worlds.
• [AHQ] Snow no longer appears inside the Planet Honey Pop building.

Cats & Dogs

• [AHQ] Feline friends rejoice!  “Give Catnip Treat” action to cats will no longer cancel. The cat deserves a treat!

Seasons

• [AHQ] Sim will now receive a vacuum along with the vacuum dock as a Holiday gift. Wow…a vacuum. That’s just exactly what I wanted. Thank you?
• [AHQ] The “lose weight” New Year's resolution will now be properly completed. But really, you look great just as you are.
• [AHQ] ‘Holiday Decoration Box’ will no longer become unowned after moving to another Residential lot or Residential Rental lot–take those holiday memories with you!
• [AHQ] The “Countdown to Midnight“ tradition on all TVs now can be completed.

Discover University

• [AHQ] Sim will return from visiting the law class as a guest speaker–in both judge or private attorney branches–whether through the phone or the building interaction. We don’t know where they were previously going. Very sus.
• [AHQ] Sims without the Active Trait will no longer get trait-related buffs when playing with a soccer ball.
• [AHQ] “Contribute Knowledge” will now satisfy Writing Aspiration on a Research Archive Machine goal counting towards the “Senior Scholar” milestone Academic Aspiration.
• [AHQ] Servo's graduation portrait now shows an accurate picture.

Eco Lifestyle

• [AHQ] Other Sims will stop stressing you out by constantly making de-stressing decoctions autonomously in the neighborhood or in the active Sim's lot during Self-Sufficiency Neighborhood Action Plan
• [AHQ] Notifications for a Neighborhood  Action Plan  no longer trigger with the option turned off and only send the notification if the Eco Footprint feature is enabled.
• [AHQ] Stacking sun rays/aurora no longer get stuck loading.
• [AHQ] Blue void lines no longer appear in Evergreen Harbor.

Snowy Escape

• [AHQ] The platform roof at 2-4-3 Wakabamori now looks correct…
• [AHQ] Fun and Social Needs no longer reduce while Hiking together. Exercise is fun. Everyone knows that.

Cottage Living

• [AHQ] Finchwick Fair results no longer appear during Sports Day Competition results.

High School Years

• [AHQ] Teen Sims no longer randomly stop taking exams.
• [AHQ] Teen Sims can travel to prom even if Principal Mei Prescott is not alive.
• [AHQ] Sims are paid in full for WFH tasks for Simfluencer/Video Game Streamer career.

Growing Together

• [AHQ] San Sequoia’s world map properly loads into all lots and avoids corrupted white screens.
• [AHQ] ‘Left-Side Work of Modern Art Window’ is now properly transparent.

Horse Ranch

• [AHQ] Goats and Sheep now have “Care”, “Put In Inventory”, and “Trade For” interactions right after moving to a new lot.
• There is now self-interaction on the Sim to walk to Dreadhorse Caverns.

For Rent

• [AHQ] You can now select and edit wall heights on Residential Rentals without having to delete and replace the walls.
• [AHQ] Ownership no longer disappears from objects after “Move Household“.
• [AHQ] Kettle and Pressure Cooker no longer randomly disappear from inventory.
• [AHQ] The “Do You Be-leaf in Concrete?“ red/orange swatch and green/gray swatch displays properly.
• [AHQ] Work From Home Sims in the Handyperson career will be properly paid.
• [AHQ] On rental properties when someone dies, you are now given a headstone/urn.
• Visits from property owner Panya count towards the “Have the Property Owner Visit your Unit“ goal for the Discerning Dweller Aspiration.
• Lot Traits and Lot Challenges stay selected for Residential Rental lot units when converted from Residential or Venue lot.
• [AHQ] “Venue Funds Transfer” button no longer appears for community lots.
• Able to enter a vacation rental unit by using phone and last exception no longer triggers when loading the save.
• When objects are being repossessed, the Utility BIlls and Unpaid Taxes properly update in Bills Info Panel.
• Unit Details text no longer overlap when hovering on Residential Rental lots in Map View
• [AHQ] When bills are delivered while you are in another world, it will now process utilities correctly.

Lovestruck

• [AHQ] Players who had saved after using Cupid’s Corner while Gallery Sims were not available were still not getting Gallery Sims there after the previous update. NOW everyone who is online and has the feature enabled should see them.
• Vet Clinics can no longer be a venue for Create a Date events. Find a different place to get to know your date!
• Activities from packs you do not own now cannot be selected for a Create a Date activity.
• Saved games that have used Cupid's Corner now stay at an appropriate size.
• Sims with a special role (such as Bartender or Librarian) that are invited on a Date now join even though they're very busy at work and just trying to do their job.
• [AHQ] The occasional occurrence of a blank Create a Date goal has been fixed.
• Changing a Create a Date event from the calendar from no goals to goals enabled and then switching back to no goals will now correctly remove the goals from the event.
• The Romantic Explorer and Paragon Partner goal for going on a date will now be completed properly if the date does not have goals enabled.
• The goal “Use Romantic Blanket” for the Romantic Explorer Aspiration now lights up when completed.
• The interface to “Create Your Own Relationship Label“ now works properly with a controller or when switching between Keyboard/Mouse and a controller on consoles.
• When setting up Household Relationships in Create a Sim, all the Romance Dynamics options are selectable now for Sims towards the bottom of the list on console.
• The “Romance Enthusiasts” category is now available under “Attraction Characteristics” in Create a Sim Preferences.
• A few objects were not properly sorting or filtering due to missing tags. The following objects have been fixed: Rose Radiance Flower Bouquet (flowerBouquet_EP16GENlove), Herbert Heart (sculptTableMedium_EP16GENplush), Exotic Elegance Flower Bouquet (flowerBouquet_EP16GENmodern), Tri-Aviary Love Symphony Sculpture (sculptTableMedium_EP16GENloveBirds), Floral Symphony Flower Bouquet (flowerBouquet_Ep16GENvariety), Draped Desires (sculptFloor_EP16GENcanopyStraight), Flexible Three-Seat Loveseat (sitLoveseat2x1_EP16GENartsy), Delicate Iron Bench (sitLoveseat2x1_EP16GENparkIron), and Couples Crest Bench (sitLoveseat2x1_EP16GENartistic).
• When using The García Amor Costume Trunk, the Sim's portrait at the bottom of the screen now updates to reflect the costume they are wearing.
• [AHQ] Romantic interactions should no longer be available for family members at the gym.

Dine Out

• [AHQ] Interactions are now available on culinary pot racks.
• Removed instances of duplicate menu items in Restaurants.
• [AHQ] Photo of experimental food no longer changes upon adding frame.

My Wedding Stories

• There are new interactions on the wedding arch that will allow you to set which Sims to sit on either side of the aisle.
• You will now be able to pick which Sims perform the requested behavior when clicking on the wedding arch and do Ceremony Activities. This will allow greater control of what is happening in the wedding.
• After telling guests to do a ceremony activity, they'll stop doing other things autonomously.
• Music specific interaction is now available on the wedding arch in order to control when wedding music plays.
• The text of these new interactions above will be translated into all supporting languages in an upcoming release.
• Sims gather around without getting stuck as the wedding couple dances.
• [AHQ] Sims will properly perform “Exchange Vows with Officiant and Kiss“ interaction after performing “Gather at the Aisle“ interaction.
• [AHQ] You can now sell wedding cakes to local bakers! “Sell to Local Bakery“ action is available now on wedding cakes.
• “Take your seats” interaction will no longer show up 3 times.
• [AHQ] No lines will appear on Sim’s neck after applying the nail asset ‘yfAcc_ManiGP11Patterned_blue’.

Werewolves

• [AHQ] Skin details (like acne or freckles) will no longer appear on Werewolves' in their wolf form.

Laundry Day

• [AHQ] Sim only has to wash only once (not twice) for clothes to be clean or pristine.

Tiny Living

• [AHQ] Butlers can now sleep on Murphy beds (at their own risk).

Nifty Knitting

• [AHQ] Legendary Knitting will now count for Excellent Knits Aspiration.

Paranormal

• [AHQ] More spawners like the specters, weird dolls, occult markings, etc now trigger during Paranormal Investigation for Occult Sims.
• [AHQ] Paranormal Investigation Gigs no longer showing blank Goal Bar. Specters beware. We’re back on the case.

Crystal Creations

• [AHQ] New item highlights on the Accessories tab properly disappear after checking out the new item(s).

Party Essentials

• [AHQ] Fun and Dancing Skill tooltips now appear for ‘The Minimalist's Dance Floor’.

Updates to Build/Buy

New Items:

• Prairie-Style Entry Frames
• Pointless Renovation Doors
• Trabeated Entry Frames
• Delight
• VAULT 2 Pro-Er-Level Bar
• The Sloop Jr.
• Iconless Fiberglass Door
• Kickless Fiberglass Door

New Ground Covers:

• 21 Rock
• A Fine Geometry Ground Pavers
• Bright Moss
• Grassy Pavers
• Gravel Pavers
• Murky Moss
• Pebbles Please
• Rich Moss
• Rock Storm
• Weeds are Flowers Too

New Variants:

• Mega Chimneys
• Low Stucco Roof Parapet
• Feathered Friends Turret
• Shaped Mission Roof Parapet with Quatrefoil
• Curved Iron Balcony
• Mega Wall Hunk
• Mission-Style Slatted Wooden Balcony
• Made in the Shade Tile Awning
• Boxy Iron Balcony
• Annesley Square Column
• FitzHerbert Column
• Grosvenor Column
• Mega Columns
• Woodn’t You Like to Know
• Spandrel with Decorative End Caps
• High-tide Exterior Trim
• Jutting Exterior Trim
• Mega Windows
• The Craftsman
• Old Meets View
• Arch You Happy to See Me?
• Cha Cha Mostly Tall Sliding Door
• Mega Doors
• Island Mahogany Sliding Doors
• Mega Stairs
• Handsome Knuckled Banister
• Mega Railing
• Mission-Style Turned Wood Banister
• Shoe Rail with Square Newels
• Slatted Railing with Chunky Newels
• Slatted Railing with Square Newels
• Elegant Shoe Rail with Rounded Newels
• A Simple Fence
• Archetypal Picket Fence
• Fancy Fencing
• Fancy Picket Fence
• Mega Fence
• Mission-Style Wooden Slat Fence
• Narrow Slatted Fence
• Rustic Stone Wall
• Short Picket Fence
• Simple Picket Fence
• Spanish Revival Wall
• Smooth Keeper
• Cottage Gate
• Garden Gate
• Maiden’s Gate
• Mega Gate
• Modern Vista Gate
• Narrow Vista Gate
• Spanish Inquisition
• Modern Wonder
• Dorm Life Panel
• Droopy Drapes
• H.S. Trionic Draperies
• Nouveau Riche Blinds
• Indecision Swags
• Indecision Valances
• Royal Wedding Swag
• Indulgence
• The Long Island
• The Money Maker
• The Sloop
• Breath of Fresh Air Stove Hood
• Caress Stove Hood
• Close Quarters Range Hood
• Copperrrr and Otherrr Metal Stove Hall Ceiling
• Copperrrr and Otherrr Metal Stove Hall Wall
• Discretion Stove Hood
• Double Whoosh! Ceiling Stove Hood
• Dramatic Heights Stove Hood
• EuroBreeze Range Hood
• Postilion Ceiling-Mounted Range Hood
• Pro Performance Range Hood
• Steely Fan Range Hood
• Super Sucker Range Hood
• Tempest Range Hood
• The Noblesse
• The Obelisk
• Wall-Mounted Modern Stove Hood
• Whoosh! Ceiling Stove Hood
• Fate Postmodern
• Antique Tomes
• Scholarly Stack
• School Binders and Bookend
• The Note Book
• Simplicit-Ease Chair
• The Hipster Hugger
• Whipped Cream Cupcake Factory

The post The Sims 4 September 18 update patch notes: New colors variants, Reaper Rewards, and bug fix details appeared first on Destructoid.

During The Plucky Squire's Chapter Six story, you'll find a gate requiring a pass to enter. Since neither Jot nor Thrash has a pass, you'll need to find one yourself. Fortunately, there's a hidden mineshaft with minecarts and conveniently placed treasure chests containing exactly what we need.

Chapter 6 Minecart puzzle solution in The Plucky Squire

You'll begin this puzzle by entering a hidden cave and speaking to a mouse named Lick. They reveal two locked red chests, mentioning that the gate passes we need are within them. However, you must move the nearby minecart around to access them.

As you approach the minecart, Moonbeard will give you your first major clue: using your tilt powers to move it around. Entering the green portal on the cart, we'll do exactly that, starting with moving it to the left. Doing this places you in front of Minibeard, a pressure plate, and a platform with a stone block.

When it comes to The Plucky Squire, a stone block and pressure plate make for a good combination. However, we're not worried about this plate just yet. Instead, carry the block to your right, past the red chest, to another pressure plate. Dropping the block here reveals a bridge to a key, which we need for the blue door on the opposite side of the area.

Now that you have your key, bring it and the stone block back to the original pressure plate. Dropping the block here activates a second bridge, which you can cross while holding the key to access a red switch. The chests are now unlocked, and it's just a matter of opening them.

Opening one of the chests is easy — you just need to walk over and open it. Uh oh, it's a dud. At least we tried. The middle chest is the important one, and this is where it's easy to slip up when tilting the minecart. We'll need that stone block and far-right pressure plate one last time.

With the stone block in hand, bring it over to the pressure plate on the right side to activate the bridge again. Don't cross it, though. Instead, jump out of the book and tilt the minecart toward it, changing its rotation pattern. Now, if you tilt it to the left, it'll stop in front of the bottom half entrance, allowing you to access the middle chest and get your pass.

The post How to solve the Minecart puzzle in The Plucky Squire Chapter 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Gold ore in LEGO Fortnite is surprisingly versatile. While it may not have as many uses as iron, you can make several weapons and even fun decorations to spruce up your villages. However, you'll need to travel to a distant island to find some.

Where to find Gold Ore in LEGO Fortnite

Gold ore spawns exclusively on the Lost Isles in LEGO Fortnite. You can find it in abundance on the purple floating islands above the mainland or inside caves scattered throughout the map. You'll need at least a rare-grade pickaxe to inflict any damage to it, but an epic-grade one will destroy it faster.

Gold ore is similar in appearance to amber, with the former being paler and rougher in appearance. Amber also spawns exclusively in the mainland's Dry Desert biome, helping differentiate the two materials.

How to use Gold Ore in LEGO Fortnite

The main use for gold ore is turning it into gold bars in a metal smelter. Making one gold bar requires two gold ores and a torch, and the smelting process takes a few seconds to complete. If you have a bunch queued up, be prepared to wait a few minutes for everything to finish.

Once you have your gold bars, you'll unlock several recipes for a rare-grade Explorer's machete, muskets, and flint-knock pistols. These all do more damage than their regular counterparts, making them helpful upgrades if you enjoy using these weapons.

Alternatively, if you have all the weapons you'll ever need and prefer sprucing up your villages, you can craft golden pirate wall decorations in your build menu. While they don't have any actual use, they look pretty cool, especially if you're building a pirate-themed village.

The post How to get Gold Ore in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Bus stations in LEGO Fortnite are a fantastic way to fast travel around your map. Whether you're looking to go from one side of the map to the other or even explore regions like the Lost Isles, using a Battle Bus is one of the fastest ways to do it.

However, while you'll occasionally find bus stations around the map, making your own lets you pinpoint exactly where you want to travel. Building one requires obtaining Rift Shards, which are trickier to find than you'd think.

Where to find Rift Shards in LEGO Fortnite

LEGO Fortnite offers two ways to get Rift Shards:

• Destroy Battle Bus stations
• Defeat golems on the Lost Isles

Although you can build bus stations yourself, they can also randomly spawn around the map, allowing you to destroy them for their resources. You'll obtain Rift Shards alongside iron bars, malachite, and Frostpine, making them an important structure.

Alternatively, you can search for and defeat golem enemies that spawn on the Lost Isles. There are three types you can find:

• Fishstick Golem
• Peely Golem
• Tomato Golem

You'll find golems around the Lost Isles, including on beaches, in the jungle, and regular plains biomes. However, they're incredibly powerful enemies with a lot of health, so make sure you have some decent gear. Each golem drops Rift Shards, making them a renewable source of this material.a

How to use Rift Shards in LEGO Fortnite

The main purpose of Rift Shards is to build bus stations to unlock fast travel. Once you pick up a Rift Shard, you'll find the station under Utility in your build menu.

Apart from these shards, you'll need the following resources to build a bus station:

• Rift Shard (3)
• Iron Bar (4)
• Malachite Slab (2)
• Frostpine (6)

With this in mind, making a bus station certainly isn't easy, especially if you've never been to the Frostlands. Fortunately, these resources are available in your regular Overworld, so if you've been playing for a while, you might have some stocked up already.

The post How to get and use Rift Shards in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Stark chests and mobile armories are a great way for you to get powerful weapons in Fortnite. While Stark Industries chests are good for the early game, mobile armory deliveries are where your top-tier late-game gear comes from.

How to find Stark Mobile Armories in Fortnite

Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 4 has six landing spots for Stark mobile armory deliveries. Each area also has one Stark Industry chest, giving you six extra opportunities to get some decent loot. Below is a list of every Stark mobile armory location:

• Southwest of Doom's Courtyard
• Northeast of Grim Gate
• West of The Raft
• North of the Nitrodrome
• South of Reckless Railways
• West of Mount Olympus

However, you won't find Stark Mobile Armories right away. Instead, you'll encounter Stark Industries chests among other miscellaneous storage containers. Although similar in appearance to Doctor Doom and Avengers chests, their bright red colors differentiate them from these other rare treasure chests.

A few minutes into your match, after around the third storm circle, Stark Mobile Armory deliveries will start descending at the six locations above. Not every spot will get a delivery, though. Instead, a few will get a delivery initially, with Iron Man map icons indicating which ones have them. You'll also get to see the massive shipments descend from the sky, which is kind of cool to see.

Each Stark Mobile Armory delivery will give either a set of Iron Man Combat and Flight kits or War Machine's Auto Turret, Hover Jets, and Arsenal. Similarly, Stark chests are guaranteed to drop either a Combat or Flight kit, giving you several chances to obtain some valuable items early on.

Just be careful, as these are all hotspots for other players. Watch your surroundings, and try to grab as many weapons and shield potions as possible. If you're lucky, you might even get some quick eliminations from anyone who tries to do the same.

The post All Stark chest and Mobile Armory locations in Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

The Golden Blitz event in Monopoly GO is one of the most highly anticipated recurring events in the game, as it's the only way to trade gold stickers with other players. Since golden cards are hard to come by, knowing when the next Golden Blitz event is happening will help you prepare your album and decide which ones to trade, especially if you're nearing the end of a season.

Monopoly GO Golden Blitz event schedule

The most recent Golden Blitz event occurred from September 17 to 18. Since we're approaching the end of the Monopoly Games season, there's a chance we won't see another with it ending in a week. Nonetheless, if we do, it would most likely happen within the last few days of the season between September 22 and 24. Unfortunately, this isn't guaranteed, and the latest one might've been the last until next season.

Typically, Golden Blitz events occur once every one to two weeks, with the middle of a season ramping up the number more. However, this depends entirely on a season's duration, as a long season may have them more spaced out.

Previous Golden Blitz events in Monopoly GO

Since Golden Blitz events typically don't repeat stickers, knowing which have already appeared can help you decide which are safe to convert to stars for your prize boxes. Here's a list of every Golden Blitz event that's taken place during the Monopoly Games season:

If you have duplicates of any of the stickers above, you can safely assume they won't reappear. The exception to this is any Golden Blitz event where the community votes on the next stickers, as there's a chance they'll pick a sticker already appearing in previous events. Although the odds are low, it's still possible.

The post When is the next Monopoly GO Golden Blitz event? appeared first on Destructoid.

LEGO Fortnite's Lost Isles is all about finding dinosaurs, exploring the jungle, and fighting against pirates. However, if you search long enough, you might spot a little banana character next to a small village square marker.

While it may not look like much now, this place known as NaN'er Hamlet or NaNa Village is where most of this area's fun comes from. Here's how to find NaNa Village in LEGO Fortnite.

NaNa Village location in LEGO Fortnite

The exact spawn location of NaNa Village, known in-game as NaN'er Hamlet, differs with every world seed. Although the Lost Isles' land masses don't change, the spawn spots for Klombos, various NPCs, and NaNa village do. Although using a set seed will guarantee you find it in the same location every time, looking for it on a random world means you'll have to run around Lost Isle until you spot it.

Fortunately, there's some good and bad news. The good news is that the actual appearance of the NaN'er Hamlet never changes. The bad news is that it's a small village square statue with one character, Bananthony, next to it. Considering Lost Isles' size, you might have to search for a while.

Bananthony and the NaNa Village marker can spawn in the jungle, on a beach's coastline, or in random plains biomes around Lost Isle. Although plenty of random buildings will spawn around the area, NaN'er Hamlet is the only place that specifically spawns a village square and Bananthony. Watch for his colorful appearance, the village square structure, and its peculiar dirt patch to help you spot it. Otherwise, you'll need plenty of luck or a custom world seed to make the search easier.

Once you find NaN'er Hamlet, you can speak to Bananthony and interact with the village square marker to begin upgrading this little settlement, much like you would with any other village or the Rebel Outpost from the Star Wars event.

The post Where to find the NaNa Village in LEGO Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Fortnite has numerous energy weapons that have been released throughout the years, with Chapter 5 having its fair share that has come and gone with each passing week. They have ups and downs but are worth getting your hands on for their sheer damage output and unique abilities.

During Chapter 5, Season 4's weekly and seasonal quests, you'll also find objectives to damage enemies with specific energy weapons. Fortunately, they're easy to find once you learn a few special locations.

Where to find and damage enemies with energy weapons in Fortnite

Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 4 has two energy weapons you can use for your quests:

• Stark Industries Energy Rifle
• Iron Man's Combat Kit

You can purchase both from Iron Man, who roams south of Grim Gate near the armory delivery spot and windmill. You'll need a few hundred gold to get them, but it's quick and easy. Alternatively, you can open Stark Industries chests for a chance at getting both items alongside Iron Man's Flight Kit and other rare drops.

How to use Iron Man's Combat Kit

The two best ways to get Iron Man's Combat Kit are by opening Stark Industries chests and purchasing them from Iron Man. The kit is 600 gold, and there's only one available per match. In other words, if someone beats you to it, you'll have to eliminate others or open a bunch of chests.

You can also occasionally claim them from armory deliveries, but these also have a chance to drop War Machine weapons instead.

Iron Man's Combat Kit had two abilities: Energy Repulsors and the Unibeam. Repulsors are a fancy way of saying energy blasts that shoot out of your hands, while the Unibeam is a long-range, high-power line of energy that fires after a short delay. Your Repulsor attacks also automatically lock on to enemies, while the Unibeam is a precise attack that you can easily miss if your opponent moves around a lot.

How to use Stark Industries Energy Rifles

Like the Combat Kit, you can get Stark Industries Energy Rifles by opening Stark Industries chests or purchasing them from Iron Man. It can also occasionally appear as floor loot or a drop from eliminated players, but this is by far the most consistent way to find them.

Unlike the Combat Kit, the energy rifle doesn't have any special abilities or unique features. It's a regular medium to long-range gun that fires fairly quickly and deals solid damage. Outside of that, you'll mainly need it for quests requiring you to damage enemies from certain distances or any energy weapon objectives.

The post How to find energy weapons in Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

As originally reported by Variety in an interview with EA's vice president and The Sims general manager, Kate Gorman, Maxis has multiple plans for the Sims franchise, including running another playtest for Project Rene in Fall 2024 and introducing Creator Kits to The Sims 4.

Moving forward, Gorman says things will be a little different. When asked specifically if there will not be a Sims 5, Gorman says, "It's not 'Sims 5' as a replacement for 4."

During the interview, Gorman elaborates on multiple games in the franchise, with The Sims 5 being the main discussion topic initially and Maxis' plans to avoid making it "'Sims 5' as a replacement for '4.'"

Gorman clarifies further in the post: "What this means is that we will continue to bring HD simulation experience and what people would want from a '5' — but it doesn't mean that we're going to start you over, reset all your progress, and really feel like you're going to lose all of that amazing play you put into '4.'"

In short, whatever is next from The Sims will differ from previous games. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing what this planning will eventually lead to.

Alongside this interview is a separate post from EA describing The Sims' future. In it, EA announced a Project Rene playtest arriving in Fall 2024. It's an invite-only test, with no exact date listed yet, but we anticipate it'll happen sometime between late September and November, if it's a fall window.

Although the exact plans for The Sims 5 and Project Rene are sparse right now, there's plenty for The Sims 4, with EA's post announcing Creator Kits made by community members, the Creator Program that gives more perks to influencers, and, as the post describes, "continued depth, improvements, and modernization of The Sims 4." This includes adding more stuff, game, and expansion packs over time, with the Storybook Nursery and Artist Studio kits arriving on September 19 and the Life and Death expansion available starting on Halloween.

The post EA says Project Rene won’t replace The Sims 4, as it announces a new playtest appeared first on Destructoid.

Marvel's Tony Stark has quite the fanbase surrounding him, partly because of his other identity, Iron Man. His Fortnite version is no exception, as there's even a gung-ho secret fan club you can find in Doomstadt if you do some digging.

How to start the Stark Fan Club Found secret quest in Fortnite

Starting the Stark Fan Club Found secret quest requires going to Doomstadt, entering the northernmost building in the POI, and descending into its basement. Here, you'll find a computer with a quest icon that, when interacted with, reveals its name to be "Super Stark Fan."

Once you talk to the computer, the mysterious Super Stark Fan will express excitement over Tony Stark before asking if you could collect some memorabilia. You'll need three items, with the fan only giving brief hints, leaving you to figure out the rest.

All Stark Fan Club Found secret quest item locations

During the Stark Fan Club Found secret quest, you'll have to collect a total of three items:

• Tony Stark's Sunglasses
• Tony Stark's Dartboard
• Tony Stark's Coffee Mug

Finding all three items rewards you with a full level-up, giving you a nice boost toward more Battle Pass rewards if you have it unlocked.

Tony Stark's sunglasses location

The first item you must find is Tony Stark's sunglasses in a Stark Industry Chest southwest of Doom's Courtyard. Opening it drops the glasses on the ground for you to pick up and deliver to the computer.

Be careful when opening the chest, as the sunglasses can appear in odd locations, making them difficult to find. If needed, you can break the container to make it easier to see the item if you have trouble spotting it.

Tony Stark's dartboard location

Once you return Tony Stark's sunglasses to the super fan, your next goal is to find War Machine, who'll tell you about Stark's dartboard. You'll spot War Machine southwest of Doom's Courtyard, directly north of the armory delivery area from before. Talk to him to learn about the dartboard and its location.

You'll find the dartboard on the ground inside the nearby house. A quest marker will lead you to the board in front of a pile of wooden crates, allowing you to pick it up and head back to the Super Stark Fan again.

Tony Stark's coffee mug location

The last of the three items is Tony Stark's coffee mug. When you talk to the super fan about the item, they'll ask if you can get something "from the man himself," suggesting we need to visit Iron Man. You can find Iron Man walking around a windmill at the armory delivery spot near Grim Gate.

Once you arrive at the windmill and talk to Iron Man, he'll tell you about a coffee mug he has in his house. Fortunately, the house is directly southeast of the windmill, so you won't have to go far. Once you're in the house, turn right to find the mug on a table.

If you don't see the mug here, there's a chance you're encountering a bug that makes it randomly disappear. I had this during my game, but don't worry; it's there, and you'll be able to pick it up if your cursor hovers over the spot.

Once you have the coffee mug, head back to Doomstadt and talk to the super fan once last time to wrap up the Stark Fan Club Found quest, rewarding you with a level-up.

The post All Stark Fan Club Found secret quest items in Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's set the scene: you've just met Minibeard, one of the goofiest characters in The Plucky Squire's first few chapters, and you're now in a secluded forest with a large cat. This cat, Topsy, reveals they're hungry and wishes you to find their lost biscuits.

While this sounds easy initially, especially with Topsy's hints, you'll still have to complete a slightly challenging puzzle to navigate these treats across the forest. Let's walk through the entire biscuit puzzle step by step.

How to find Topsy's Biscuits in The Plucky Squire

When you first begin the puzzle, you'll find the phrase "Here was a secluded forest" that you can hit with your sword. Doing this separates forest from the rest of the quote, allowing you to pick it up and move it later. You won't need to just yet, but we'll get to that soon.

After noticing this helpful mechanic, head east across the grass platform at the top of the screen to find the word "Ruin". Sneak past the little purple creatures and pick up the word before returning to Topsy and placing Ruin on the dotted line. This changes the landscape completely, making the area easier to traverse.

Now that you've fixed the landscape, head back over the grass platform to discover Topsy's biscuits. We're now one step closer to feeding this hungry cat, but there's one problem: we need to return the entire crate to Topsy. This cat won't settle for just a handful of treats; you need the entire container.

Returning the biscuits to Topsy

As you've been running around the ruins and forest, you may have noticed a few dirt squares on the ground that are conveniently shaped like the biscuit container. You'll find the first one just west of the biscuit's starting spot, which you'll have to push over using Jot's overwhelming strength and determination. Once it's on this square, return to the secluded ruin sentence and swap out ruin with forest. The phrase should now be "Here was a secluded forest".

But wait. Wasn't the forest the reason we lost the biscuits in the first place? Technically, yes. Now, we need the forest landscape to bring the biscuits back, which you'll discover once you head back east and check out the biscuit container. It's on the other side of the river, which would've previously blocked us from bringing it over. With the first obstacle out of the way, push it to the second dirt square directly west of the river before turning the phrase back to "Here was a secluded ruin".

I have some good news for you: you've completed this puzzle's challenging part. Now, it's just a matter of pushing it over to the square in front of Topsy. Doing this makes Topsy overjoyed, completing the puzzle and allowing you to press onward in your magical storybook adventure in The Plucky Squire.

The post How to solve Topsy’s Biscuits puzzle in The Plucky Squire appeared first on Destructoid.

I've been excited about The Plucky Squire since Devolver Digital first announced it back in 2022. Even though I don't usually love platformer games, I was instantly drawn to its peculiar, dimension-bending mechanics and a particular type of art style I've been familiar with for years.

I was worried at first, too. I've had my heart broken one too many times, banking on my admiration for its style, only to wind up with a messy, incoherent, or straight-up boring ordeal. There was a small part of me harboring hesitancy, hoping this wouldn't be the same. Thankfully, making an optimistic-fueled gamble with my time paid off, and I walked away happier than ever before after venturing out of my comfort zone. Well, except during a few puzzles, but that lies entirely in my problem-solving abilities.

The Plucky Squire (PC [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5)
Developer: All Possible Futures
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: September 17, 2024
MSRP: $29.99

Throughout The Plucky Squire, you play as a famous hero named Jot whose goal is to thwart the villain, Humgrump's, plans of spreading evil and chaos across the land of Mojo. While it starts as your typical 2D RPG experience of defeating monsters and chapter bosses, you'll soon learn where the game's meat and potatoes come from: Jot and his friends are all characters in a book, and thanks to Humgrump's magic, you can hop between dimensions and advance your journey in the real (well, game) world.

I'll come right out and admit it: the jumps between 2D and 3D maps were already enough to sell me on the game before I even hopped in and checked everything out for myself. The last time I experienced anything remotely similar was when I played Super Paper Mario. I went in already feeling eager to play, and that only continued to grow as The Plucky Squire proved just how far you can push creativity and gameplay experimentation once you combine multiple game genres under one title.

When I say multiple genres, I mean it in the best way possible. At its core, it's an action-adventure game that feels like your standard "hero saves the day" premise, but there's a whole lot more you'll find as you continue forward. I even got to play a brief rhythm game along the way, initially catching me off guard but making me chuckle as I realized what was going on. You can spend a few minutes fighting enemies, only to find yourself back on the desk flying around the map using rockets. There are a ton of seemingly random elements thrown into the mix, but it makes for some hilariously entertaining moments.

With that said, the game relies on this a lot. The Plucky Squire takes around 9-10 hours to complete, and during this, you're introduced to so many features that, on occasion, it gets a little hard to remember everything. You'll also briefly use several one-off abilities for various bosses or puzzles before they disappear, leaving you either wanting to try it again or being thankful you never have to do it again. I found most of them quite fun, but a few had some funky mechanics that were a tad difficult to control. Sometimes, a trusty sword is all you really need. Either that, or I'm not meant to wield a bow.

Speaking of combat, expect to fight a lot. In both the 2D and 3D world, you're constantly up against random enemies and surprisingly unique chapter bosses. Something All Possible Futures and Devolver Digital pulled off particularly well here is giving you a reason why all these monsters are just kind of here. You also have unique battles for nearly every boss, so you won't have to worry about mindlessly slashing your sword around for minutes straight each time. If anything, my only wish was to have more to do in the 3D world, as most of its excitement came from later chapters.

I could say this about a good chunk of The Plucky Squire itself. On one hand, it's a book that follows a linear story of having a brave hero set off to defeat an evil villain. At the same time, there's barely any opportunities to venture off the beaten path and set off on brief side adventures or exploration. The puzzles add some variety and opportunity to explore. Beyond this, you're set on one particular path with no way to differentiate one playthrough from another unless you go back to find every collectible.

Fortunately, this leads to a major plus: the story. The entire game takes place in a storybook and the world beyond it, and it manages to weave everything together perfectly. This is where linearity also serves as a strength to make the plot easier to understand, digest, and immerse yourself in without getting too distracted. Every aspect of The Plucky Squire — the visuals, landscape, characters, and even audio — is all fine-tuned to fit and enhance the story. Whether you're looking for beautiful art, comedy, or occasional sad moments, you'll see all of it here. There are even plenty of puns, which I was more than happy to appreciate.

It is clear right from the start that this is Jot's story, though. While this doesn't come as a surprise, especially with him being the Plucky Squire himself and the main protagonist, the other characters are either there to give you information or follow you around as Jot does everything. A few eventually help you out later in the story, but for the first few hours, they almost serve as distractions rather than companions. Some locations give a similar vibe, acting as places you can run around in and check out but not necessarily interact and immerse yourself in. They're just kind of there, whether you like it or not.

Even with that said, I really enjoyed exploring the game's environments, especially the 3D landscape. Getting lost in all the clutter reminded me of how messy my desk usually is and got me to do some organizing. I've forgotten just how many times I accidentally found collectibles because I went behind the wrong bottle of paint, wooden block, or tree, but it cracked me up every time it happened. You can even change the world through word manipulation, making for some wacky shenanigans if you grab the right words later.

The Plucky Squire manages to expertly craft an adorably interesting story full of lovable characters, enjoyable narration, and near-perfect parallels between its 2D and 3D worlds. While some parts need just a bit more polish, it exceeded my already high expectations and gave me nearly a dozen hours of laughs, fun, and mental exercise. Plus, well, seeing its cast of cute little characters suddenly turn into buff badasses is a great bonus.

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

The post Review: The Plucky Squire appeared first on Destructoid.

The Fortnite x Marvel event has numerous valuable treasure chests that give epic, legendary, and even Mythic-grade items. The latest addition, Stark Industries chests, are tougher to find than other variants, but they house enough important items to make them worth opening.

Where to find Stark Industries Chests in Fortnite x Marvel event

Stark Industries Chests spawn at armory delivery landing sites around Fortnite's map. They're always in the same locations and appear as bright red chests, similar in shape and size to Doctor Doom and Avenger's containers.

You'll usually find them near a steel fence and various miscellaneous containers. Just watch out, as these armory delivery areas are a hotspot for other players. Try to arrive here as early as possible in your match to avoid this, especially if you're going for the spot Iron Man spawns. Alternatively, if you get here first and find other people trying to loot the same chest, you can get some quick eliminations before moving on to your next objective.

Every Stark Industry Chest contains either Iron Man's Combat or Flight Kit alongside random weapons, consumables, and ammo. You'll often get War Machine's Hover Jets or Auto Turret as a side reward, but Iron Man's gear is the main focus. If you have Stark's Fan Club Found quests active, you can also find Tony Stark's Sunglasses in the armory delivery site chest near Doom's Courtyard.

Stark Industry Chests are also important for multiple Marvel story and weekly quests. Whether it's opening a container for some quick EXP or picking up Iron Man's Mythic items, you'll likely return to these several times throughout Chapter 5, Season 4, to farm some experience points.

The post How to find Stark Industry Chests in Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Iron Man's Combat and Flight Kit Mythic items in Fortnite are a powerful combination that can help you quickly eliminate enemies. Not only is the Flight Kit a more powerful version of War Machine's Hover Jets, but the Combat Kit has auto lock-on tech that pairs well with several weapons.

Where to get Iron Man's Combat and Flight Kit in Fortnite x Marvel event

Iron Man's Combat and Flight Kit Mythic items are available in Stark Industries chests at armory delivery landing sites. Much like Avengers and Doom chests, they appear as large colorful containers housing epic, legendary, and Mythic-quality weapons. However, instead of being blue or green, Stark Industries containers are bright red.

Every Stark chest has a chance to spawn the Combat or Flight Kit, meaning you won't get both at first. It's easier to use these containers to find the Flight Kit, as there's an even simpler way to get the Combat Kit if you have enough gold to spare.

That's right, you'll have to talk to Iron Man himself. Iron Man appears near the Grim Gate armory delivery landing site, roaming around the nearby windmill. Talking to him lets you purchase his Combat Kit Mythic for 600 gold. Only one is available in the entire match, so you'll have to get here before anyone else to grab the item for yourself.

How to use Iron Man's Combat and Flight Kit

Iron Man's Combat and Flight Kit are a unique pair, as some features require having both weapons. In short, the Combat Kit works like a mix of the War Machine Arsenal and Auto Turret, while the Flight Kit resembles the Hover Jets.

Starting with the Flight Kit, these let you traverse the air much quicker and longer than the Hover Jets. You can also activate a Ram Attack to smash into the ground, damage nearby enemies, and dodge attacks using a fun barrel roll maneuver.

Next is the Combat Kit, with its most notable feature being automatic lock-on attacks that activate when your cursor is near another player. Unlike the Auto Turret, which can hit nearby players regardless of where they're standing, you need to aim your shots a little until the lock-on symbol appears before shooting your Repulsor blasts.

Alongside this, you can press right click or your aim sights button while having the Combat Kit equipped to launch a Unibeam. This beam destroys most structures and inflicts heavy damage to players but has a precise and delayed attack. In other words, it's a little difficult to aim, but the payoff is worth it if you land the shot. You can also use this with the Flight Kit to shoot the Unibeam midair if the situation calls for it.

The post How to find Iron Man’s Combat and Flight Kit Mythic in Fortnite appeared first on Destructoid.

Fortnite's Marvel event continues for a little longer, with Iron Man entering the mix. In the game's world, he exists as both a premium shop outfit option and an NPC in-game that sells valuable items for gold. However, finding him is the hardest part until you learn his spawn location.

Where to find Iron Man in Fortnite

Iron Man as an NPC spawns at the armory delivery landing site near Grim Gate. He'll usually walk around the landing spot or the nearby windmill. If a player defeats him, he'll appear as a blue hologram version of himself but still be available to talk to.

Upon talking to Iron Man, you'll find multiple items you can buy, including his Combat Kit Mythic for 600 gold. However, there's only one available in the entire match, so be careful that someone doesn't take it before you. Depending on what active quests you're tracking, you can also talk to Iron Man about himself, his equipment, or Doctor Doom.

How to get Iron Man's skin in Fortnite

If you want to play as Iron Man himself, you'll have to spend a bit of money. His skin is only available as a premium shop iron for 1,500 v-bucks or in the Iron Man Mk 45 bundle for 3,800 v-bucks. There's currently no way to get it for free, but at least it's an option if you're a fan of browsing Fortnite's in-game store.

Getting Iron Man's Mk 45 skin as a standalone item unlocks him as a playable outfit, allowing you to look exactly like him throughout your games. The bundle includes the following items:

• Iron Man Mk 45
• Mark 45 Energy Blades
• Arc Reaction
• Mark 45 Bass

All four items are also available as separate items if you don't necessarily want the skin but still want some of Iron Man's styles.

The post How to find Iron Man in Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Monopoly GO is all about making money and collecting dice. The Making Moves tournament gives you two full days to get thousands of dice and several cash bundles. However, claiming the top prize won't be easy with an extra day to earn points.

All Making Moves rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Making Moves tournament has 35 rewards you can get until September 18, 2024. Similar to the previous Jungle Rumble tournament, you can get more prizes than usual, with 6,850 dice, seven sticker packs, and numerous cash tiers available to claim. Obtaining the top leaderboard prize also gives you a Wild Sticker, making this tournament more important than ever. Here is the complete reward list.

How to score points during Making Moves

As is tradition with most Monopoly GO tournaments, scoring points during Making Moves requires landing on railroad spaces. Every railroad tile lets you complete either a Landmark Shutdown or Bank Heist minigame to take money from other players. Below is every result you can encounter and their point values:

• Shutdown – Blocked: Two points
• Shutdown – Success: Four points
• Bank Heist – Small: Four points
• Bank Heist – Large: Six points
• Bank Heist – Bankrupt: Eight points

You can increase these points by rolling more dice and grabbing a Mega Heist powerup from ongoing banner events. Landing on a railroad space with a higher multiplier gives you more points at the cost of draining your total dice faster.

The post Monopoly GO: All Making Moves rewards and milestones appeared first on Destructoid.

We're beginning to wrap up the Monopoly Games season in Monopoly GO, which means it's time for all kinds of wacky and peculiar themes to surface. The Behind the Billions event is about making movies, but our focus is collecting dice, money, and a rare token.

All Behind the Billions rewards in Monopoly GO

Monopoly GO's Behind the Billions event has 46 rewards to claim from now until September 19, 2024. The rewards are a little different from usual, with 14,655 dice, nine sticker packs, and an exclusive board token up for grabs. Below is the complete list.

How to score points during Behind the Billions

Gaining points during Monopoly GO's Behind the Billions event requires landing on pickup tiles. These camera tokens randomly spawn around your Monopoly board, giving you two points that increase with your dice multiplier. Landing on one causes another to appear elsewhere, letting you collect them infinitely as long as you have enough dice to roll.

The two most important parts of this event are watching your dice supply and using powerups to your advantage. Every powerup can help you get and use more dice, with High Roller raising your maximum roll, Cash Boost giving you more money for landmark upgrades, and Builder's Bash making upgrades cheaper. You can also use rewards from tournaments and Quick Wins to obtain more dice and make rolling easier.

The post Monopoly GO: All Behind the Billions rewards and milestones appeared first on Destructoid.

Baldur's Gate 3 has numerous companions you can recruit throughout your playthrough, from Origin characters available minutes after escaping the Nautiloid to those you meet during your travels. Alfira is a peculiar case, though, ever since Larian tweaked her interactions slightly during BG3's seventh patch.

Having Alfira join your party in Baldur's Gate 3

As of Baldur's Gate 3's Patch 7 update, you can recruit Alfira as a temporary companion. However, you must play as The Dark Urge to unlock her as a temporary party member. If you're playing any other Origin character or a created Tav, you won't have this scene at all, and Alfira will just go about her usual business.

This scene can fire at any point as the Dark Urge, but if you want to try and tee it up, you can complete her side quest in the Emerald Grove to speed things along.

Finding Alfira

You'll first encounter Alfira east of the Druid's Grove on a cliffside. Once you enter the Emerald Grove for the first time, head toward the Sacred with the Idol of Silvanus statue. Rather than heading toward any quest markers, go east up the ramp before turning south to find Alfira playing the lute in front of two squirrels.

Helping Alfira with her song

When you first speak to Alfira, she'll express discontent over the song she's writing. By offering to help, you're met with two options: help her come up with lyrics or take a lute and play the song. Both have their benefits and drawbacks.

Choosing to play the lute for her requires completing two Performance Checks. The first is a DC 15 Charisma check, followed by DC 10. If your character is a bard or has high Charisma, your odds of succeeding are pretty high. Your chances are even better if you use Shadowheart's guidance. Succeeding both will reward you with the lute, musical instrument proficiency, and inspiration if you have the Entertainer background.

Coming up with lyrics prevents you from these three benefits but requires no conversation checks. Overall, it's an easier and less risky option if you're fine with not becoming a musician. Regardless of your pick, she'll tell you some of her backstory regarding her late teacher, Lihala before moving on to finishing the song.

From here onward, there are some spoilers for The Dark Urge's plotline. If you want to avoid them and experience it for yourself, pause your reading here.

Recruiting Alfira

To see Alfira again, you'll need to progress further through Act One's story. You don't have to resolve everything here; I found Alfira after chatting with the three True Souls, and my editor ran into Alfira while searching for Withers in the tomb.

Needless to say, you won't want to raid the Emerald Grove with the goblins, or else Alfira will die during the battle, preventing you from recruiting her as a temporary companion.

Once you make your way through at least part of the Goblin Camp, head back to your camp. Before getting ready for a long rest, tell one of your party members to stay in camp so you free up a space in your team. After initiating a long rest, Alfira will appear and tell you she wants to fight by your side. Tell her she can join you to recruit her into your party until your next long rest.

With Patch 7, Alfira now joins your party in a more official capacity; you can level her up, equip her with armor and weapons, and generally treat her like one of the gang. Make the most of this brief interaction.

You might know where this leads if you're already familiar with The Dark Urge's interactions with Alfira. I won't spoil exactly what happens, but let's just say not all stories have a happy ending. At least you got to have her as a pseudo-companion for a bit.

The post Can you recruit Alfira as a companion in BG3? appeared first on Destructoid.