One of the earliest video game genres was strategy games. There's a long and cherished history of strategy games in the industry dating back to the 1970s with the creation of Risk and other games like it. Now, in 2025, the strategy games genre is jam-packed with dozens of franchises and new titles that look to change up the formula in one way or the other. While there are various subgenres of strategy games, all of them require you to think critically and solve problems that arise.Below, we run through our picks for the best strategy games you can play in the modern era. Our list is primarily composed of games that are easily playable in 2025, whether it be on a console or PC (or, in some cases, mobile devices). Of course, you'll still see some of the most celebrated games in the genre that are impossible to leave off the list. The list is in no particular order. Total War: Warhammer IIIDeveloper: Creative AssemblyRelease Date: February 17, 2022Platforms: PCStyle: Turn-Based/Real-TimeFirst up we have Total War: Warhammer III, which is the third installment in the Warhammer series. As a whole, the Total War franchise features several strategy games dating back over two decades. We chose Warhammer III for the spot on the list thanks to the sheer volume and quality of content you have access to.Warhammer III features both turn-based and real-time strategy, allowing you to command an army of hundreds in epic battles on incredibly designed maps. As you win more battles, your empire grows. The battles are quite different from one another, though, so you'll have to implement new strategies every time your army goes to war. There's also quite the story developing in the background that alters some of the content you experience throughout the game. If the single-player campaign doesn't suit your fancy, you can partake in custom multiplayer battles as well. If you're looking for a strategy game with the whole package, it's tough to beat Warhammer III.Fanatical and GameSpot are both owned by Fandom. See on Fanatical Manor LordsDeveloper: Slavic MagicRelease Date: April 26, 2024Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: Real-Time/City-BuilderOne of the most anticipated games from 2024 was Manor Lords, a real-time city-builder that was mostly developed by a single person. While the core gameplay of Manor Lords is similar to that of other city-builders, there are intricate details that make it stand out from the crowd.First off, the graphics and attention to detail are superb in Manor Lords. You're placed in medieval times and all of the structures you can build reflect that time period. This also goes for the citizens of your city, which require around-the-clock care. Manor Lords is brutal in this regard, as the different seasons introduce new problems that you need to solve in real time, otherwise your citizens will start dying off. One of the distinct aspects of Manor Lords is the ability to physically enter your city from a first-person perspective. This is a rare feature in city-builders and it's done wonderfully in Manor Lords, allowing you to truly experience what you've built.Manor Lords remains in early access but continues to get updates with new features. See on Fanatical Sid Meier's Civilization VIDeveloper: Firaxis GamesRelease Date: October 21, 2016Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, AndroidStyle: Turn-BasedIt's time to talk about arguably the most well-known strategy franchise in the current era. The Civilization franchise launched in 1991 and consists of six core games, with a seventh on the way in 2025. It has revolutionized the strategy game genre more than once and Civilization VI is a culmination of everything the series has to offer.Civilization VI is a historical strategy game that gives you the freedom to play it how you want. You start out as a small settlement but are able to expand by building more and more cities across a hex-style map. This gives you the freedom to totally customize every city in your empire as it grows. Every hex can feature a different district that fills a certain need for your civilization. As your empire expands, you discover new cultures, technology, and government types, as well as form relationships with allies you meet. However, you can also battle with some of history's greatest leaders and partake in espionage to steal what their civilization possesses. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours on a single Civilization VI campaign, and you'll see why soon after installing it for the first time. See on Fanatical Frostpunk 2Developer: 11 Bit StudiosRelease Date: September 20, 2024Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: City-BuilderFrostpunk 2 is the most recent release on the list and it improves on nearly every aspect from the original. You begin as a small metropolis placed in the heart of a never-ending winter. To overcome the obstacles that come with the non-stop cold, you must expand and find ways to give your citizens warmth, food, and sufficient shelter. From the start of Frostpunk 2, you have different zones across your city that perform different jobs. However, as you progress, you'll be able to build special buildings that help you expand further into the vast tundra.One of the unique aspects of Frostpunk 2 is the faction system. Your citizens can divide themselves into different factions as you progress, and each faction has ideas on how the metropolis should be run. It's your job to figure out which faction to listen to, which can cause some discord amongst the other citizens. Frostpunk 2 is a complex city-builder that goes well beyond the normal gameplay loop of expanding a city. See on Fanatical RimWorldDeveloper: Tynan SylvesterRelease Date: November 4, 2013Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PCStyle: Construction SimulatorIf you're a fan of classic science-fiction franchises such as Dune, then RimWorld is right up your alley. The game is a construction simulator at its core, requiring three colonists to be kept alive by building new structures and gathering resources. The world you build is heavily inspired by science-fiction that's authored by an intelligent AI that offers help and a gripping narrative along your journey.RimWorld has all you want in a strategy game, as it forces you to make difficult decisions based on real-time problems. However, you also need to help your colonists survive, which requires you to make use of the many gameplay systems at play in RimWorld. Trade with ships, craft resources, attack neighboring settlements, and even train pets to perform specific jobs. Every world in RimWorld is randomly generated, so you'll have a new experience in each playthrough. See on Fanatical XCOM 2Developer: Firaxis GamesRelease Date: February 5, 2016Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, AndroidStyle: Turn-Based TacticsThe XCOM series has inspired plenty of strategy games over the years, and the second entry is the turn-based series at its best. XCOM 2 gives you command over the mobile headquarters of a strike team that's tasked with overcoming an alien invasion of Earth. As the commander of the team, you choose where to strike, who to recruit to your team, and what to upgrade in the headquarters.The combat is the real attraction in XCOM 2, as the turn-based style requires you to use everything at your disposal. One misstep could mean the end for your team. You have five different classes of soldiers to pick from, each with their own skill tree of abilities to combat different alien attacks and maneuvers. Assembling a well-rounded team and learning from previous fights is the only way forward in XCOM 2. See on Fanatical StellarisDeveloper: Paradox Development StudioRelease Date: May 9, 2016Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: Real-Time/SimulatorStellaris is a gorgeous strategy game that allows you to explore and expand into the grand frontier of space. Starting out, you'll be in charge of a civilization that just learned how to travel to new star systems. You begin by sending out ships to explore these new systems, and once they find a suitable system, other ships can build stations around planets in the systems. You'll also discover anomalies within the systems, which lead to different quests, potential allies, and enemy races who are looking to settle the same system as you.Speaking of races, you have complete control over what type of species your civilization is. There are plenty of options to choose from and each one offers different pros and cons. There are thousands of randomly generated systems and planets to explore in Stellaris, giving you hundreds of hours of content. Stellaris is a simulation game, so you can stop time if need be, but a majority of the game implements real-time-strategy elements. It's a nice mix of the turn-based and real-time strategy genres. See on Fanatical Crusader Kings IIIDeveloper: Paradox Development StudioRelease Date: September 1, 2020Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PCStyle: Simulation/RPGCrusader Kings is another celebrated strategy game franchise, and the third installment is widely considered the best of the bunch. The game is set in the Middle Ages, where you start as the descendant of a noble house who's charged with keeping a dynasty afloat. Once you begin, you can expand your empire by claiming lands that are barren or engaging in war to seize the lands from other houses.As you expand, you'll discover countless characters, some of whom are historical figures that you can trade with, romance, and even execute. The map you explore in Crusader Kings III is overwhelmingly large, and you can set a customized path for your character as they expand the empire. The strategy in the game comes from knowing where to expand, what choices to make, and how to develop your character. See on Fanatical Age of Wonders 4Developer: Triumph StudiosRelease Date: May 2, 2023Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: Turn-BasedAge of Wonders 4 is another strategy game where you're tasked with expanding an empire across a sprawling map, but the combat is much different from other games like it. It implements turn-based system that plays out when your army goes to fight an enemy. Your army in Age of Wonders 4 can be hand-crafted by using forms of magic you find through exploration or combining different races to make a super species.As for the map you play on, you can pick a different realm to explore every time you begin a new playthrough. However, there's also an option to create your own realm, adding another layer of customization. See on Fanatical Hearts of Iron IVDeveloper: Paradox Development StudioRelease Date: June 6, 2016Platforms: PCStyle: SimulationWe have another strategy game with a "four" in the title, and this time it's Hearts of Iron IV. This game places you at the heart of World War II, where you can pick any nation to lead to victory. You'll have to fight countries on the other side of the war, make political decisions that are affected by your previous choices, and meticulously craft your military's soldiers, weapons, and tools.While Hearts of Iron IV is historically accurate for the most part, there are also different paths you can follow that change the course of history. Strategy is present at every turn in Hearts of Iron IV, as the choices you make politically and during military battles are key in deciding who wins World War II in the end. See on Fanatical Age of Empires IVDeveloper: Relic EntertainmentRelease Date: October 28, 2021Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: Real-TimeAge of Empires IV is yet another game where you expand an empire through combat and strategy, but this time you can take control of 10 different nations throughout history. You can choose to control the Ottoman Empire at its peak or build up a smaller civilization. You'll also find several historical figures from these various nations scattered throughout the game. When you pick a nation to rule, your job is to expand it, both in size and culture. There are several different maps to pick from in Age of Empires IV and the entire game is set in real-time, meaning you have to make decisions quickly. Like in other simulators on this list, every decision you make in Age of Empires IV has an effect and will change the future of your empire. See on Steam Marvel's Midnight SunsDeveloper: Firaxis GamesRelease Date: December 2, 2022Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: Turn-Based Tactics/RPGMarvel's Midnight Suns is a fantastic mix of strategy and RPG elements, both of which play a large part in every facet of the game. Your job as the main character, The Hunter, is to create a team of superheroes to stop an impending invasion. These superheroes are used in battle by playing cards in a turn-based fashion. Cards feature strong abilities for each hero to perform, but there are also environmental factors to consider when attacking each turn.As for the RPG side of things, the characters you meet along the way develop as the game progresses. This is mostly done in The Abbey, a secret base where the heroes go to relax in between missions. Your character is fully customizable from the start of Marvels Midnight Suns and gets to know all the heroes on your team in meaningful ways. See on Fanatical Bloons TD 6Developer: Ninja KiwiRelease Date: June 14, 2018Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, iOS, AndroidStyle: Real-Time/Tower DefenseThe Bloons franchise is perhaps the most famous in the tower-defense genre of strategy games. The premise of Bloons TD 6 is simple: Stop enemies (bloons) from reaching the other side of a level. The bloons begin on one side and follow a set path to reach the other side. You need to utilize different Monkey Towers, characters, and other defense tools to stop every last bloon in its tracks. The farther you progress in Bloons TD 6, the more challenging the levels will get. However, you'll also gain access to more defense items that require additional strategy to properly implement.Bloons TD 6 also features quests that offer some story elements and a variety of different characters that can each be customized to your liking. See on Steam StarCraft IIDeveloper: Blizzard EntertainmentRelease Date: July 27, 2010Platforms: PCStyle: Real-TimeStarCraft II is a giant in the strategy game genre. Following its widely successful predecessor, the sequel takes everything to a new level in both the single-player campaign and multiplayer modes. At the start of StarCraft II, you take control of the Terran race to take down the leader of the Dominion, Arcturus Mengsk. You and your army wage war across a large galaxy in amazingly crafted real-time combat that takes strategy at every turn. Command your army to perform different attacks, fall back to defend, and make use of various weapons and tools to take down large waves of foes.Unlike some other strategy games, the story in StarCraft II is incredibly well done, featuring compelling characters and well-written dialogue. There are multiple campaigns to play through featuring each of the game's factions, and on top of that is the expansive and still-popular multiplayer mode to sink your teeth into. See on Blizzard Into the BreachDeveloper: Subset GamesRelease Date: February 27, 2018Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, AndroidStyle: Turn-BasedInto the Breach is a highly tactical turn-based strategy game where you control mechs that are tasked with destroying aliens on a battlefield. Every battle in Into the Breach is randomly generated, giving you a new challenge regardless of how long you've played. The mechs you control have different weapons, pilots, and responsibilities and you can unlock new levels of customization as you progress. The turn-based combat in Into the Breach allows you to counter the enemy threat by telegraphing the alien attacks. However, how you go about countering the attack is where your strategic mind has to come into play. Customizing your team of mechs, solving problems on the battlefield, and experiencing a new fight every go-round is what Into the Breach is all about. It's one of the rare games to have earned a 10 from GameSpot. See on Steam Anno 1800Developer: UbisoftRelease Date: April 16, 2019Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PCStyle: City-Builder/Real-TimeAnno is another long-running strategy franchise that peaked with Anno 1800. Set in the Industrial Age of the world, you begin the game with a large fortune and the choice to become whoever you want to be. You'll start a small empire and grow as you discover new technology through exploration and trade with other countries. Anno 1800 starts in Europe, but you'll eventually expand to South America, allowing you to sail to the continent to expand your empire. Depending on where you choose to explore, you'll run into different nations and you can choose to ally with them or engage in warfare over territory. The world is at your fingertips in Anno 1800, and you have every opportunity to conquer it with large cities, massive trade routes, and alliances. See on Steam Cities: SkylinesDeveloper: Paradox InteractiveRelease Date: March 10, 2015Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PCStyle: City-Builder/Real-TimeMany believe Cities: Skylines to be the best modern city-builder. While the sequel certainly had its problems, the original still holds up as the bar for all other city-builders on the market. Right out of the gate, you're given a plot of land of your choice to start building on. This involves zoning for businesses, houses, production buildings, and other structures; Cities: Skylines makes you think of everything when planning the city.You have to zone every inch of your land to what it needs to be used for. Then, you have to figure out how to get water, power, sewage, and other needs to businesses and homes. All the while you're trying to increase the city's population, bring in money, manage real-time problems, and still find a way to expand the city. It's an intensive, detailed city-builder that will have you hooked for hours on end. See on Fanatical Homeworld Remastered CollectionDeveloper: Gearbox SoftwareRelease Date: February 25, 2015Platforms: PCStyle: Real-TimeHomeworld is a treasured strategy game franchise that has been going strong since the '90s with the release of the original game. Containing the first two Homeworld games, the Remastered Collection features updated graphics, a remastered soundtrack, and voice recordings rerecorded by the game's original voice actors.The core Homeworld games take place in space and allow you to build a fleet of ships to take on single-player missions. You have full control over your armada, which includes managing their formations, attack styles, and strategies for each individual fight. As you complete more missions, you'll gain access to new technology that you can use to build better ships that fill a specific need for your armada. The Remastered Collection features over 100 ships to construct and 30 missions to take part in. See on Fanatical FTL: Faster Than LightDeveloper: Subset GamesRelease Date: September 14, 2012Platforms: PCStyle: Roguelike/TacticsFTL: Faster Than Light is one of the most highly regarded indie games from the 2010s and isn't quite like other strategy games on this list. It's a simulator that gives you responsibility over a spaceship and crew that needs to defeat a randomly generated galaxy of alien threats. While that sounds like a general roguelike game, the strategy involved in every fight is intense. You need to give orders to each member of your crew, pick what weapons to use, evaluate the individual enemy's defenses and attacks, and manage the ship's power. During each fight, you can pause to think through your next move, which is extremely important since FTL features a permadeath system. You can lose individual crew members for good, and if your ship is destroyed, you're done for good and forced to restart.Throughout all the fighting and strategy, you'll also have to make tough choices through text-based encounters, which occur quite frequently. FTL is an RPG, roguelike, and real-time simulator all wrapped up into one. See on Steam NorthgardDeveloper: Shiro GamesRelease Date:Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PCStyle: Real-TimeIf you're at all into Norse mythology, then Northgard might be the strategy game you've been looking for. This real-time simulator gives you control over a clan of Vikings who have just discovered a new continent. Your job is to settle the continent, root out enemies you find, and discover what secrets the land is holding. The city-building elements in Northgard are especially harsh, as you have to ensure your clan has sufficient food and warmth for the winter season. There are also enemies to deal with on a frequent basis, so your defenses have to be up to snuff.Northgard offers both a conquest and story mode. The conquest mode allows you to battle through different situations with your clan in either single-player or co-op while the story mode pits you in the thick of a Viking plot. There's also a multiplayer mode available where you can fight against friends or strangers in a competitive, ranked lobby. See on Fanatical Mutant Year Zero: Road to EdenDeveloper: The Bearded Ladies ConsultingRelease Date: December 4, 2018Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PCStyle: Turn-Based Tactics/RPGMutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a strategy role-playing game developed by industry veterans. Mutant Year Zero has a little of everything, including a story, an explorable world, stealth elements, and fantastic turn-based combat. The story gives you control over a team of mutants that need to team up to overcome a world where humans are no longer the dominant race. The team of mutants set out to explore the post-apocalyptic world and search for Eden, a mythical safe haven.The world you explore isn't fully open, but you have some control over where you go and the enemies you fight. Mutant Year Zero implements XCOM-style turn-based fights where you can use a variety of weapons. However, you can also use real-time stealth elements to avoid confrontation and find plenty of loot and secrets hidden across the world. See on Fanatical

With the release of Season 1: Eternal Night Falls, Marvel Rivals has reached a new all-time concurrent player high on Steam. When Dracula traps Doctor Strange and takes over New York City, it's up to the Fantastic Four to lead the charge against the vampire and his evil army. In the hero shooter's newest season, players can step into the shoes of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman in the fight against Dracula. According to the developers, players can expect to see Human Torch and The Thing join Marvel Rivals' roster in a large mid-season update.

With Mojang's new approach to smaller Minecraft updates focusing on improving the game's current world and players' quality of life, combining two existing Overworld structures seems like a natural next step. As reflected by its most recent content drops and snapshots, Mojang continues to enhance Minecraft's overall experience through small-scale updates, such as the addition of new biomes and mob variants. Should this trend of content drops continue with Mojang exploring smaller, more intuitive ways to improve the base game, then it should consider revisiting and hybridizing some of Minecraft's various Overworld structures.

The Netflix series Squid Game released season 2 with seven new episodes on December 26th, 2024, and fans couldn't be more excited. The director Hwang Dong-hyuk introduced five new deadly games, each resonating with the Korean heritage. However, he still kept the giant doll from the original series, which is responsible for punishing everyone who fails in Red Light, Green Light.

System requirements for Civilization 7 have been announced ahead of its release by developer Firaxis Games, which also confirmed that Civilization 7 is Steam Deck verified.Firaxis detailed minimum, recommended, and ultra setting requirements for PC, but only shared minimum and recommended for Mac and Linux. Luckily, even if youre not rocking a top-of-the-line rig, you wont need to heavily update your system! As for handheld enjoyers, your gameplay may be a little restricted depending on your device.Here are the Civilization 7 system requirements, including some extra information about the games Steam Deck support.System requirements for Civilization 7Civilization 7 will be available on Windows, Mac, and Linux with each operating system having its own system requirements. Check out the minimum, recommended, and ultra setting requirements for each operating system below.PC system requirementsPCMinimumRecommendedUltraGraphics PresetLowHighResolution1080p1080p4KFPS306060OSWindows 10/11 64-bitWindows 10/11 64-bitWindows 10/11 64-bitProcessorIntel Core i5-4690 / Intel Core i3-10100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200Intel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600xIntel i7-14000F / AMD Ryzen 9 5950XMemory8 GB RAM16 GB RAM32 GB RAMGraphicsNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon RX460 / Intel Arc A380NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 6600 / Intel Arc A750NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 / AMD Radeon RX 7800 XTDirectXVersion 12Version 12Version 12StorageHigh20 GB20 GBMac system requirementsMacMinimumRecommendedOSSequoiaSequoiaProcessorM1 8 CoreM2 Pro 12 CoreMemory8 GB RAM16 GB RAMGraphicsM1M2 ProStorage25 GB25 GBLinux system requirementsLinuxMinimumRecommendedOSUbuntu 22.04Ubuntu 24.40ProcessorIntel i5-4690 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200Intel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 XMemory8 GB RAM16 GB RAMGraphicsNVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD RX 6700Storage25 GB25 GBIs Civilization 7 playable on Steam Deck?Yes! Civilization 7 is officially Steam Deck verified, according to a Firaxis Games post on X.#Civ7 is officially Make history on the go: https://t.co/h7cthPV1dO pic.twitter.com/QoNCR2SQCo Sid Meier's Civilization VII (@CivGame) January 9, 2025Being Steam Deck verified means that Civilization 7 will work on your Steam Deck with no extra steps but, if youre running into performance issues, you can always stream from your PC to your Steam Deck via Steam Remote Play.Additionally, the Nintendo Switch version of Civilization 7 is not expected to support map sizes of Standard and above, but there has not been any news of Steam Decks following suit. If youre a proud owner of both the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, it may be better for you to play on the Steam Deck due to performance.

Since the release of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in 2011, the game has inspired one of the largest and most active modding communities in the history of video games. Countless enthusiasts have created mods ranging from quality-of-life changes that make the game easier to play, to detailed graphical and content additions that transform its fantasy world completely. Then, in December 2024, more than a decade after its release, a modder gave us the most important update to the game that we might ever get: rats. Thats it. Its just rats. This mod from MihailMods on NexusMods is called Sewer Rats and it adds rodents to cities in the game. So if youre wandering around a town like Whiterun, you might see a large rat scurry across the path. If youre not a fan of vermin, well I have good news: You can even kill the creature and itll drop loot, just like other enemies in the game. You can view a video of the mod in action below. Its honestly a very high-quality mod given its all about rats. You wont find the creatures outside of town, because thats how pests work. Also, the rats have audio files so you can hear them chirp. Its part of a larger series of mods called The Mihail Monsters and Animals, with Mihail aiming to create the most complete set of creatures forSkyrimwith respect to the pillars of lore.Instead of pathetically just throwing models and textures in the game reusing 100% vanilla mechanics, the creatures made by Mihail have uniqueness and extreme zeal in their idealization and implementation, which will provide you with an experience that you have never had before in this area, Mihail said on the mods page on NexusMods.So if youd like to kick your level of immersion and worldbuilding in Skyrim up a step, you can download the mod for free on NexusMods now. The creator just asks that if you like it, give the mod an endorsement on the page so people know its worth grabbing.

Marvel Rivals is a competitive game set in the multiverse, so its fitting that you play on a number of different maps.At the start of season 1 (which added two new characters, a new map, a new battle pass, and a host of new skins), there are now nine maps in Marvel Rivals, all inspired by locations from the Marvel Comics universe. Youll play three modes across those maps.There are also two arcade modes and maps, which offer a different gameplay style using the same heroes. Developer NetEase Games says it will add more maps and modes via the seasonal model for Marvel Rivals, and theres a tenth map coming at the end of season 1.In this Marvel Rivals guide, well walk you through all maps in Marvel Rivals season 1, alongside descriptions of the modes youll play on those maps.All Marvel Rivals game modes in season 1There are three main game modes in Marvel Rivals Convoy, Domination, and Convergence each played on specific maps, and available in both quick match and ranked. Heres a rundown of the available game modes in Marvel Rivals as of season 1:In Convoy, your team will be randomly assigned offense or defense to start. As offense, your objective is to escort a cart or moving object through the map by standing near it, which the defenders will attempt to stop by killing you and your teammates. If the offensive team escorts the convoy to the end of the map within a time limit, they win.In Domination, your team and the enemy team will attack a single point on one of a handful of small maps. Whoever captures the point must hold it until it reaches 100%. Whoever captures the point will take the lead. The mode will then jump to another small map and repeat the objective. The first team to reach two captured points wins.In Convergence, your team will randomly be assigned offense or defense to start. As offense, your objective is to attack the first checkpoint on the map and secure it by standing inside. Defenders will be able to reach the point before you, and their job is to kill any offensive players trying to get in. If the offense successfully captures a checkpoint in time, theyll move along the map to the next checkpoint. If the offensive team can capture three checkpoints in time, they win.There are also two arcade game modes, which allow you to play as the same roster of heroes in a less stressful environment:In Conquest, you and 11 other players will battle in a free-for-all deathmatch on the Ninomaru map. When enemies die, they drop Chronovium, which you can collect. The first player to collect enough Chronovium wins.In Doom Match, you and 11 other players will battle in a free-for-all deathmatch on the Sanctum Sanctorum map. You are able to double-up on heroes in this mode, meaning you can get into a duel with a group of Peni Parkers or multiple Mister Fantastics. You get points for defeating enemies, and the top 50% of players at the end of the match win.All Marvel Rivals multiplayer maps in season 1There are nine main maps and two arcade maps in Marvel Rivals, all of which take place in six different regions of the Marvel Universe (pictured in the gallery above). There are multiple maps that take place in the same region, and maps are specific to the modes that are played on them meaning there are no maps that you play both Domination and Convoy on.Here is the full list of core maps in season 1 of Marvel Rivals, and the modes associated with each one:Yggdrasill Path (Yggsgard) ConvoyRoyal Palace (Yggsgard) DominationShin-Shibuya (Tokyo 2099) ConvergenceSpider-Islands (Tokyo 2099) ConvoyBirnin TChalla (Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda) DominationHall of Djalia (Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda) ConvergenceSymbiotic Surface (Klyntar) ConvergenceHells Heaven (Hydra Charteris Base) DominationMidtown (Empire of Eternal Night) ConvoyThere are two unique maps that are only available in specific arcade modes as of season 1:Ninomaru (Tokyo 2099) ConquestSanctum Sanctorum (Empire of Eternal Night) Doom MatchFor more Marvel Rivals guides, heres a list of Team-Up abilities, plus the Marvel Rivals roadmap and how crossplay works.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youve been holding out for a deal on a big-screen OLED TV, the Samsung 77-inch S84D might be worth a look. Its currently marked down to $1,599.99 at Best Buythats less than half its usual $3,299 price tag. The S84D benefits from OLEDs self-lit pixel technology, meaning its contrast is virtually unbeatable. Bright highlights pop against pitch-black backgrounds, perfect for dimly lit rooms or late-night movie marathons. And thanks to its lack of local dimming, theres no annoying blooming effect where bright spots bleed into dark areas. That said, while its HDR brightness is decent, its not the most dazzling OLED out there. Large bright scenes can look dimmer due to its aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), and HDR gaming takes a hit in Game Mode because of this.Still, for gamers, theres a lot to like. With support for 4K at 120Hz, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and super-low input lag, its great for the PS5, Xbox Series, or a high-end gaming PC. The lack of Dolby Vision support might disappoint some, but its performance with other HDR formats holds up. If youre into fast-paced games, its near-instantaneous response time promises clear motion with almost no blur. For everyday use, the TV excels in upscaling lower-resolution content like older DVDs or streams and its excellent viewing angles make it great for group watch parties. Additionally, the S84Ds reflection handling is said to really minimize glare (even in well-lit rooms).This smart TV features the 2024 version of Tizen OS, known for being quick and user-friendly. It offers a wide range of apps, making it simple to find your go-to streaming services. You can also cast content directly from your phone or play videos via a USB stick. The TV supports Bixby and Alexa voice assistants, with a remote that includes a built-in microphone for easy voice commandswhether youre launching apps, switching inputs, checking the weather, or adjusting brightness. However, when it comes to sound, the S84D reportedly falls short. While dialogue is clear at moderate volumes, the audio quality diminishes as you turn it up, and the lack of meaningful bass leaves action scenes or music sounding a bit flat.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Most people buying TVs focus on the visuals, looking for words like 4K and OLED, meaning the audio aspect often takes a back seat. If you want to understand dialogue and not rely on subtitles, getting a soundbar is a must and will take your TV-watching experience to the next level. The best deal of the year so far on a quality soundbar is upon us: The Samsung Q990D 11.1.4ch Soundbar is on sale for $997.99 (originally $1,997.99) on Woot, a 50% discount. This is the lowest price this soundbar has been, according to price tracking tools. Samsung HW-Q990D Q-series 11.1.4ch Soundbar Wireless Subwoofer (2), Wireless Surround Speaker (Left/Right), HDMI Cable, Wall Mountable. $997.99 at Woot $1,997.99 Save $1,000.00 Get Deal Get Deal $997.99 at Woot $1,997.99 Save $1,000.00 The Samsung HW-Q990D Q-series 11.1.4ch soundbar is considered one of the best premium soundbars, even a year after its release. You get a wall-mountable soundbar with the wall-mount kit included, a wireless subwoofer, two wireless surround rear speakers (one left and one right), a remote control, and an HDMI 2.1 cable. The HDMI 2.1 is great for gamers since it allows 4K at 120Hz passthrough. There is also an eARC input, which is separate from the two HDMI 2.1 inputs, making it ideal to have two gaming consoles connected at the same time while able to switch to watch movies on your TV seamlessly. Of course, there's also wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby TrueHD for an immersive and dimensional audio experience. If you want to quickly connect to your sound system, you can connect your iPhone with AirPlay 2 or your Android with Chromecast or Alexa. Another cool feature is the Adaptive Sound, which auto-adjusts audio levels to optimize it depending on what you're watching (an action movie will have a different sound EQ to a drama). The SpaceFit Sound Pro tunes the audio depending on your room layout to also optimize the sound. There's also a Game Mode Pro feature for gamers that enhances directional sound, making full use of the surround sound. At 50% off, this soundbar system is the best value you can get for those looking for a premium audio experience.

The Windows Snipping Tool is best known for its screenshot-taking capabilitiesafter all, when you launch it from the Start menu, that's what it invites you to do. But Microsoft has packed a number of other unexpected, useful functions into this program.These extra features aren't particularly well-advertised nor easy to access, so you'll be forgiven if you've never come across them before. Open it via the Win+Shift+S keyboard shortcut or through the Start menu, and check out what it can do.Run an image searchIf you want to know more about an image you've capturedor any image on your system that you open up in the Snipping Toolyou can use it to run an image search on the internet. It's helpful for everything from shopping for products to looking up info about landmarks.To try it, open an image in Snipping Tool, click the three dots in the top right corner, then choose Visual Search with Bing. You'll be directed to Microsoft's search engine in your default browser, and from there you can click through on any result to see more.Extract text from images Extracting text from an image. Credit: Lifehacker The Snipping Tool also works well as an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) program. With a picture loaded up on screen, click the Text actions button at the top (the horizontal lines inside a frame) to identify text in an image and make it available to highlight.From there you can copy some or all of the text to the Windows clipboard and other programsvery handy if you need to pull text out of receipts or documents, for example. Click Quick redact to ignore any text containing email addresses and phone numbers.Scan QR codesLifehacker has written before about how the Snipping Tool can turn itself into a QR code reader, though this is limited to QR codes embedded in images; you can't scan a QR code that you've pointing your laptop's webcam at (which is probably for the best anyway).The process is the same as it is for text extraction: Open the image in the Snipping Tool, then click Text actions (the button with horizontal lines in a frame), and as long as the image you're dealing with has a QR code inside it, you'll see a clickable link appear on top.Record video and audio Switch to movie mode to record clips. Credit: Lifehacker This perhaps counts as a screenshot feature, but it's still worth mentioning: The Snipping Tool is a capable video and audio recorder, so you can use it to record whatever's going on your screen. Just click the movie camera button then the + New button (both top right).You have the option of recording the entirety of the screen, or just a particular section of it (by dragging the edges of the selection window). When the recording is in progress, a control bar appears at the top with options for including system and microphone audio.Editing images to add annotations or emojiThe Snipping Tool can also be a handy way to add highlights and annotations to your picturesremember, you can open any image in the app, not just screenshots. Maybe you want to highlight the key message in a text conversation, for example.With an image open inside the Snipping Tool, you'll see four buttons on the top toolbar: the pen, the highlighter, the eraser, and the shapes tool (which also lets you drop in emojis). Click once to select a tool, then click the button again to bring up its options.