Backbone One Gen 2 Mobile Controller (USB-C) $50 (was $100) See at Best Buy The Backbone One is our favorite gaming controller for iPhone and Android, and you can score a terrific deal on the Gen 2 USB-C model. Best Buy has slashed 50% from the price of the Backbone One Gen 2 for a limited time. Normally $100, you can get this great iOS and Android controller for only $50. Best Buy offered the same deal ahead of Christmas, but it was only available for one day. If you missed out the first time, now you have another chance to get an awesome phone controller for cheap. Backbone One Gen 2 Mobile Controller (USB-C) $50 (was $100) The Backbone One is a convenient and high-performing option for Xbox Cloud Gaming, PS Remote Play, and native mobile games from subscription services like Apple Arcade and Netflix. As mentioned, this model of the Backbone One is compatible with all iPhone 15 and 16 models as well as Android phones.The big draw of the revised, Gen 2 Backbone One is that it's compatible with many different phone cases, whereas the first iteration required users to remove their phone from their case before connecting to the controller.The Backbone One gives you a more traditional gaming experience with its button layout and grip style. You get shoulder and trigger buttons, familiar face buttons, and a staggered layout for the analog sticks. When you're not playing, a Backbone One folds down and takes up minimal space to easily fit in your pocket.With the Backbone One attached, you can have a Switch-like handheld gaming experience on your phone. Many games installed on your device can be launched from the Backbone app, including a bunch of Apple Arcade and Netflix games that are much better with traditional gamepads than touchscreen controls. See at Best Buy Continue Reading at GameSpot

Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson says he's hoping to start work on a new game that would serve as a "spiritual successor" to the block-based sandbox game he first created in 2009."I basically announced Minecraft 2," Persson tweeted shortly after posting a poll asking for players' opinions on the direction of his current project, which he says is "a traditional roguelike mixed with a tile-based first-person dungeon-crawler."I basically announced minecraft 2.I thought that maybe people ACTUALLY do want me to make another game that's super similar to the first one, and I'm loving working on games again.I don't super duper care exactly which game I make first (or even if I make more), but I do know notch (@notch) January 3, 2025 "But then I gots to thinking that maybe there are people who like my work but might not share my taste in retro nostalgia, and would prefer for me to make a spiritual successor thing to Minecraft, and I mean sure, I'd take that cash," Persson wrote in a post sharing the poll.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Giving animals a snack in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is a quick and easy way to level up their friendship. The more an animal's friendship level increases, the more experience you'll get towards your Camp Manager Level. Therefore, snacks can make leveling easier, especially when starting Pocket Camp Complete. Unfortunately, snacks are rare and the most reliable way of obtaining them is through Gulliver's Ship. Because of this, you should know which ones and how many you should be giving animals.

A horse squashes an opponent in Battlefield and more crazy clips.

The open-world genre of gaming has had a sharp rise in prominence over the last decade. Games like Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Minecraft were all released in the early 2010s and helped to pave the way for open-world games to be pushed into the forefront of the gaming industry. It's easy to see why this genre is so popular, given that players love losing themselves in these massive landscapes.

With just over a week left to its fundraising campaign, the historical Palestinian game Dreams on a Pillow has surpassed its crowdfunding goal of $200,000. This sum is less than half of the total $495,000 the developer says itll need to fully pay for salaries, outsourcing, and asset creation, but its enough to bring the game to production in the short term. With the funds, raised via Muslim crowdfunding platform LaunchGood, the team of nine will be able to plot out the game, build the story, and work on mechanics, prototypes, and a vertical slice (another word for a polished section of the game) necessary for seeking out more funds, according to the LaunchGood page.Dreams on a Pillow, created by Palestinian developer Rasheed Abu-Eideh, is a a pseudo-3D stealth adventure game about a land full of people being made into a people without land. Its set during the 1948 Nakba, when Zionist forces violently displaced more than 700,000 people from Palestine during the creation of the state of Israel. In a 2024 interview with Time Magazine, Rice University Palestinian and Arabic history professorAbdel Razzaq Takriti described the 1948 Nakba as having two dimensions: The humanitarian catastrophe entails loss of land, loss of property and expulsion of thepeople. The other dimension was the political catastrophe, which entailed suppression of native sovereignty. Those two aspects of realitycontinue to this very day. Heres how Abu-Eideh describes the game:In Dreams on a Pillow, Omm is a young mother from an olive farmers family in al-Tantura. Throughout the game, the player traverses historical events and stories of the Nakba as Omm attempts an escape towards Lebanon in the North. Whenever Omm has an opportunity to rest on her perilous journey, she dreams of her childhood reliving a rapidly fading memory of a pre-Zionist Palestine. Using historical documentation and imagery, two decades of untold Palestinian history is carefully implemented and beautifully rendered, to disprove the common propaganda myth of a land without people for a people without land.Omms story is a devastating one: A young mother flees invaders with her newborn child after her husbands murder, only to realize in the panic that shes taken a pillow instead of her child. Abu-Eideh said in the games LaunchGood page that Omm is not an action hero shes a terrified civilian. When she puts the pillow down, the reality of her new world sets in. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rasheed Abu-Eideh (@rasheed_abueideh)Abu-Eideh, who currently resides in the West Bank of Gaza, is also the developer of 2016 game Liyla and the Shadows of War, a game thats set during Israels 2014 war on Gaza. The award-winning game is short and poignant, following a Palestinian girl through the realities of the devastating attacks. In 2016, Apple blocked the game from the App Store, stating it was not appropriate in the Games category. Apple later reversed its decision and published the game in its games section. Following Liyla and the Shadows of War, Abu-Eideh opened a nut roastery in the West Bank to support his family, but is currently unable to travel to the business due to Israeli occupation: Today, the building sits empty as Israeli colonists terrorize the roads of the West Bank, making travel to his roastery unsafe, reads a note on the LaunchGood page.The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed in bombings, and parts of the West Bank including businesses and whole streets have been flattened by Israeli bulldozers.Rasheed unsure of his continued safety in the face of relentless colonist attacks on the West Bank has set his sights on continuing to following the path he was forced to abandon a decade ago: using games to not just tell the story of the 1948 Nakba, but to let people experience it through a game. To share the catastrophe that has haunted generations of Palestinians with displacement, apartheid, occupation, and violence, the LaunchGood page reads.Dreams on a Pillows funding page will remain open until Jan. 13 at 4:45 p.m. EST.

Marvel Rivals, the third-person hero shooter set in the Marvel Universe, has a place to type in and redeem special codes to get bonus goodies. So far, all of these codes have come from the NetEase Games social channels for the game.In this Marvel Rivals guide, well list out the currently active codes for the game, as of January 2025, and explain how to redeem them.Marvel Rivals codes for January 2025The active Marvel Rivals reward codes as of writing this are as follows:nwarh4k3xqy (Armor Model 42, Iron Man costume) added Dec. 5, 2024, and expires March 5, 2025Its unclear how often and for what purposes NetEase Games will use this code system for, but well update this post with any additional codes that appear for Marvel Rivals.How to redeem codes in Marvel RivalsRedeeming codes in Marvel Rivals is very simple. Open the options menu from the main page by pressing start on your controller or escape on your keyboard before you select play, store, or any of the other tabs (you can also hit the cog button in the upper right part of the screen). Doing this will open the options menu (seen in the image above), allowing you to change your settings or exit the game. Select the bundle code option, and then punch in one of the codes above to instantly redeem your goodies to your account.When you redeem a reward, the game will play a preview for you (such as Iron Man sporting the fancy new costume you just got) and give you the option to automatically equip it before heading back to the game.For more Marvel Rivals guides, heres a list of all Team-Up abilities, all maps and modes, and a look at the games roadmap.

Tendrils of smoke rise from the butt of a dying cigarette. Moonlight pours in through the blinds, punctuated by a half-broken neon sign that reads: Stellar Motel. You sit behind a wall of plexiglass, checking in guests from every walk of life until one never checks out. There was a murder last night, and no one seems to care who did it or why, except for you. In No-Tell Motel, a solo tabletop role-playing game by Ken Lowery, its up to you to filter through the labyrinth of gossip, observe the comings and goings of the motels patrons, and get to the bottom of this single-player murder mystery.Played over the course of multiple in-game nights, No-Tell Motel uses a deck of playing cards and dice to randomly determine the mystery you are tasked with solving. Each day consists of multiple shifts (or, in other words, each round has three turns) the night shift, the graveyard, and the morning shift. Guests check in and out each turn, based on the results of each die roll.Face cards determine who is occupying the motels six rooms, and the game comes with 16 pre-made non-player character dossiers that give you background information on who these temporary residents are. Number cards reveal what juicy secrets theyre hiding from themselves and each other, while each suit offers a different type of clue and offers insights into why this shady character might be the killer.As each day passes, the motives continue to build but the story gets more complicated than it seemed at first glance, making you doubt your instincts as the inner lives of these questionable motel denizens get as tangled as a red-stringed corkboard. The game comes with a prologue and epilogue system to generate the victim, but also what happens if you accuse the wrong person of the ultimate crime if you put your nose where it doesnt belong, an innocent person may go to prison and the real killer might target you next.Delivered in the form of a pulpy comic, the paperback zine is written by Ken Lowery with art by Shawn McGuan and layout by Kelsea Zwerneman that evokes a grungy hotel lobby magazine complete with in-universe ads and all the best noir mystery vibes. Bundles for No-Tell Motel, like the review copy we received earlier this year, come with motel-themed paraphernalia like a No-Tell Motel keychain, matchbook, and metal ash- er, dice rolling tray.The base game of No-Tell Motel is available on the Bannerless Games site for $20, and includes ephemera and a digital copy via the Bits and Mortar program. You can also find it on itch.io and at DriveThruRPG.No-Tell Motel is available now. The product was previewed using retail product provided by Bannerless Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygons ethics policy here.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Making a big batch of Sunday sauce, curry, or a giant pot of chili for the month is smart, but it can also be taxing. Recipes require large quantities of ingredients, the process can be a multi-hour or all-day endeavorand for what? Oh, right, you get 10-20 servings of richly flavored sauce that has been made with love and patience. Its worth it to ensure every drop gets used, so put technology to use and freeze the majority of it. Heres how to freeze large quantities of sauce for easy dinners later.Freeze your single serving sizeThe biggest hurdle with freezing anythingsauce, broth, or even meatin large blocks is that thawing a small part of it is a true pain in the ass. You either have to thaw the entire thing and refreeze it, which can negatively impact the quality, or hack it apart, which can be dangerous.Instead, address the portion size before you freeze the sauce the first time. You may have heard of using ice cube trays for portioning sauce in an adorable way. While its important for everyone to discover what works for them (and this might work for you), for me, the ice cube tray is a garbage idea. For one thing, it's way too small. My ice cube divots hold one tablespoon of water each. Id need at least half the tray for one small bowl of pasta. Im also relatively sure those trays will be imbued with tomato, garlic, or basil smell afterward, which means I cant use them for ice ever again, and Im not the type of person who wants to keep sauce-specific ice cube trays in my home. Instead of ice cube trays, use something more realistic to a real serving size.Ice cube trays can work for freezing potent, powerful liquidslike lemon juice, or olive brinewhere youre likely to just use a bit. For large batches of sauce, portion the servings in plastic reusable containers or bags. The size should match the single serving you will likely need. If you have a family of five, youll freeze larger portions than a two-person household. Use appropriately sized freezer bags or reusable containers accordingly.Sheet trays are indispensable tools for flat freezing:Nordic Ware Aluminum Half-sheet Pan SetUSA Pan Warp-resistant Half-sheet PanWhen in doubt, freeze flatArranging my freezer is like a terrifying puzzle sometimes. I know theres a way to fit it all, but there are so many irregular shapes in there. Freezing liquid flat instead of in a block shape can help make storage easier. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann More importantly, you can break the sauce into pieces easily when its frozen thin and flat to adjust the portion size later. This is perfect if youre not really sure how much youll need for dinner on any given night. Not only is freezing sauce quicker this way, but thawing and cooking will be faster too.How to freeze large batches of saucePre-portion sauce into bags, or use the whole sheet tray method.Pre-portioning with freezer bags: Simply dump your single serving into the freezer bag, around one to four cups. Lay it flat on a sheet tray and put it in the freezer until frozen solid. You can probably fit a couple bags on one tray if you need to. Then neatly stack the frozen sauce bags.Use chopsticks or pens to divide portions. If you only have gallon freezer bags but you only make single servings, use a freezer-safe implements to divide the sauce while it's freezing. For a half-inch layer of tomato sauce, I can use a chopstick to create a divot. Helpfully, it's the same length as the bag. Once it's frozen, remove the chopstick or other tool. This divot in the sauce allows you to break it here, like a perforation. Slide out one portion and keep the rest in the freezer. You can also use pens, pencils or, for thicker layers of sauce, use a metal spoon. Credit: Allie Chanthorn reinmann The sheet tray method. To consolidate even more slabs, youll use the sheet tray slightly differently. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or plastic wrap, with some overhang over the sides. Spread the sauce directly onto the tray, about a half-inch deep. Carefully put the sheet tray in the freezer so it doesnt spill. Allow the sauce to freeze, probably 2 hours to overnight, depending on the type of sauce and its thickness. Take it out of the freezer and use the liner to lift and help break the sauce into smaller slabs. Slide the slabs into freezer bags or other containers.Even if youre an ice cube tray portioner for life, you can still consolidate your cubes into a bag or container if that helps with your freezer Tetris. When youre ready for a zero-effort, slow-simmered sauce on a time-crunched weeknight, simply drop a slab or two of sauce into a pot along with some frozen rice and two tablespoons of water (to prevent burning). Cover it with a lid and put it on low heat. Let it heat up on its own for 20 minutes while you take some time to yourself to unwind.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Kindle readers are arguably the best ink readers in the market (certainly they are the most ubiquitous), but when it comes to note-taking ink readers, it's not necessarily the same story, with competitors like Onyx Boox offering e-inks tablets that are far more feature-packed and customizable. That said, they are cost a pretty penny, with the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C running around $450. Amazon's newest Kindle Scribe, on the other hand, is currently available for $324.99 (originally $399.99), the lowest price it has reached since its recent release, according to price tracking tools. Amazon Kindle Scribe (16 GB) Dimensions: 9.0 by 7.7 by 0.22 inches, Weight: 15.3 oz, Screen Size: 10.2 inches, Storage: 16 GB $324.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $75.00 Get Deal Get Deal $324.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $75.00 The Kindle Scribe first came out in 2022; this first version is currently $339.99 (yes, thanks to the current discount, the newer version is cheaper than the old version). But honestly, if you already have the 2022 version, there is no reason to upgrade. The main difference is the 2024 version comes with the Premium Pen instead of the Basic Pen stylus. The tablet itself is shorter, narrower, and slimmer, but not by much (you can even still use the same case). The new screen also has texture, which will add more resistance when you're writing on it, and the gap between the screen and outer casing is smaller. But that's where the differences end, at least according to PCMag's 3.5-star review.Otherwise, you'll get the same 16GB of storage, the same book format compatibility, the same 15.3 oz weight, the same glare-free 300 ppi front-lit display screen, and the same 12-week battery life. Both tablets run the same software. Still, if you don't own a Scribe at all and are considering getting one, the newer version is the better option, especially when it costs less.However, if your focus is more on writing and other tasks rather than reading, the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C is a much better option. It has a color E Ink display, better note-taking software, and wider platform support. I've had the non-color version for several months and can recommend it to anyone looking for a serious digital notebook.