Two Point Museum reviewRight on queue.Image credit: Eurogamer/Sega Review by Christian Donlan Contributing Editor Published on Feb. 25, 2025 Come for the clowns and cavemen, stay for the zombie capitalism.One of the great magic tricks of the Two Point management games concerns how the series tackles subjects that a lot of people struggle to agree on. You know, like healthcare and education. And yet, with a few chirpy cartoon characters wandering around, a bit of silliness in the detailing, a handful of goofy names in the resume stack and some light satire playing over the tannoy, the whole thing rushes past in a cheery blur. This time out we're looking at museums. Does Two Point have anything to say about this stuff? No and - sort of - yes, actually. It's interesting.Two Point Museum reviewDeveloper: Two Point StudiosPublisher: SegaPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out 4th March on PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/SAt its heart, this is another supremely slick management game in which players run a complex establishment - hiring, firing, keeping the rooms clean and the punters happy - before gradually expanding as the money comes in. Because these places are museums, you'll be dealing with experts to handle and maintain the exhibits and head off on expeditions to track down new stuff to display, as well as assistants to run stalls, ticket booths and shops, janitors to clean up and fix things when they break, and security guards to empty donation bins and catch thieves when they come climbing out of the toilet or burrowing up from the ground.Watch on YouTubeAll pretty straightforward. And because these places are Two Point museums, you're dealing with dinosaur bones and fossilised footprints one moment, and then cave people frozen in blocks of ice, poltergeists from the Gilded Age, terrifying underwater creatures, UFOs and alien moon cheese refiners, onwards and outwards.Everything you encounter has its own intricacies. Those poltergeists, for example, need to be stored in rooms in which they feel comfortable, often with specific items and specific demands that must be met. Those cavemen will defrost unless you place them near a cooling unit, but be warned: other fancy plants will need to be kept warm and misted. Fish must be kept in the aquarium, but will they all want to eat the same stuff? Unlikely.Voila! Pretty soon you're thinking like an actual curator, keeping certain exhibits apart, placing others together - all exhibits have a specific bonus you can trigger if you meet their demands - and maximising Knowledge and Buzz, which are among the game's most important currencies. Knowledge is a measure of how educational each exhibit is, while Buzz is how appealing people find it (and in the charged, crackling space between these two things, you can cup a hand to your ear and hear a hundred thousand real-world curators screaming in the staff room). Image credit: Eurogamer/SegaThe expeditions are the biggest new feature here, and it's smartly done. As you manage your museum and make sure you have enough toilets and staff to handle the gift shops (I am forever forgetting to build toilets), you must also send off specialists into the wider Two Point world across a series of expanding maps. Each one has new locations that unlock once specific conditions are met.Expeditions start simply, but pretty soon need a mix of staff types. They come with the risk of injury, which you can help mitigate with certain items, and they often lead to dilemmas, where you have to make tricky choices in the moment. All of this stuff is handled through menus, but it provides a chummy mixture of decisions and unlocks and new items to build back at the museum. It's more than enough to keep you busy, and each expedition ends with a crate to be opened and - hopefully! - a new exhibit to be sent to the museum floor or stuck in the inventory.It's very moreish, but it's hardly the end of the complexity. New specialists will be required over time while other staff must be trained in new skills, but exhibits can also be loaned to the museum at the same time you're developing new ones. Fancy planning tours or building new kinds of displays? You're always thinking about Knowledge and Buzz and money, just as you're always keeping an eye on cleanliness and staff happiness and the sheer question of floor space. When to expand? Too soon and you'll take a financial hit on a huge empty space that nobody wants to visit. Decisions! Image credit: Eurogamer/SegaThe campaign leads you through this stuff like a jolly tour guide at a really good children's museum, and the pace of missions and mini-objectives manages to teach things briskly and with plenty of rewards. At times, in fact, Two Point Museum is so swift and ingratiating it can feel like a clicker game, and only occasionally - often as you're zeroing in on a museum's next star rating - does it become slightly unclear what you should be focusing on next.But I think Sandbox mode is the true draw here. In Sandbox mode, you can set your own criteria for success, work out how punishing you want things to be, and muddle with pretty much all of the exhibit types at once as you see fit. This, for me, is where Two Point Museum had satirical bite. It's where I had to properly engage with systems, like the one in which you must destroy an exhibit to learn more about its qualities, and thus unlock perks in any subsequent versions of the exhibit that your teams pick up. It's a lovely bit of design, but it also comes with a sort of moral wince: destroy this thing? What right do I have? And "what right do I have?" is an interesting thread to follow in this kind of world. Image credit: Eurogamer/SegaI also had to really think about people management when things got tough, and this is where this lighthearted game with funny dinosaurs properly floored me. You know the deal: I'm slouching through the fourth quarter and my financial target looks unlikely. But I really want to hit that target. I could stop, reorganise my messy museum, min-max everything and really get stuck into the details or - what's this? I could fire all my curators, who are expensive and not needed precisely at this moment. Plus they're getting annoyed at me anyway because I forgot to build toilets again. Let them all go! Bump in earnings, target hit, long term viability sacrificed for short-term gain!This is, of course, capitalism at its grubbiest, stupidest, and most abusive, and it's a real testament to Two Point Museum that it didn't teach me this directly. Like any good parent, it simply provided an environment in which I could teach myself. How did I feel afterwards? A strange mix of relief and deep, deep shame. And this was probably the least questionable business practice I picked up in this game.I love this stuff because it means that, underneath everything, these management games are really engaging with the realities of the things being managed. It reminds me of the opening sequence for the first Theme Hospital, in which a heroic surgeon is ready to operate (with a chainsaw, I seem to remember, but you do you etc.) until the word comes through that the patient has no insurance and they're dumped into the pit. The Two Point series carries on that tradition by taking public goods - hospitals again, education, museums - and making you run them as if they're purely businesses. Image credit: Eurogamer/SegaTwo Point Museum accessibility optionsUI scaling options. Camera shake and flash effects can also be disabled.Alongside this stuff you get all the silliness and cute little extras you could hope for. This is a game for zooming in close. A museum curator will be scanning an alien pod with a PKE device. A ghost will be idly checking out the furnishings. A thief will be absconding with a fossil, while a kid then hangs from part of the frame it was once displayed on. In the aquariums, faces press up against the tanks. People clamber on the bigger exhibits and try to climb into them. What's that clown doing? Why are all those people suddenly running?All that, but it's also a game for zooming out. Why does any of this have to be run this way? Why did I just fire all of my janitors rather than giving them that raise? Oh yes, and has anyone seen the toilets?A copy of Two Point Musuem was provided for review by the publisher Sega.

Pokmon Go developer Niantic has responded to confusion over unexplained progression limits for the game's first paid event battle pass, which went on sale yesterday.The game's Tour Pass is a core part of this weekend's upcoming Go Tour event, and rewards an encounter with Mythical creature Victini plus oodles of in-game items and bonuses. It also includes the first Lucky Trinket item, which instantly unlocks Lucky Friend status with a player of your choice.There's a free version of the Tour Pass without Victini and the Lucky Trinket, or alternatively you can pay 14.99 for the Deluxe version with far more rewards at each rank. For those really looking to spend, you can instead pay 19.99 for the Deluxe pass with 10 tiers unlocked straight away.Why would you want to pay to unlock tiers? Well, the Tour Pass has 100 levels of item and Pokmon encounter rewards, and then a further 400 levels of Stardust resource dollops - making for 500 levels total. And, currently, you are restricted to only unlocking five tiers per day. Pokmon Go does not currently state in-game that this restriction will be lifted when this weekend's game properly begins, and yet you can start inching through the battle pass now. "I was excited to have something to grind for and actually go out and play," one fan wrote on the top Pokmon Go reddit TheSilphRoad. "Then I reached my cap just playing around my office and I suddenly have no interest in going out to play.""I feel robbed but I guess that's the norm," wrote another fan. "Went out and did all the raids and caught all the legendries from research only to get to the same level as I could have by just catching a few pokemon in the yard." Pokmon Go's Tour Pass. | Image credit: Eurogamer/NianticOn the one hand, allowing players to get to grips with the game's first battle pass ahead of Pokmon Go Tour this weekend means fans can figure out how it all works in good time. On the other, not explaining the limits, not giving players the same experience they'll get at the weekend and selling an even more expensive version of the battle pass with extra progression built in without explaining that has left some fans complaining of a cash grab.At the very least, it's a bizarre situation that could have been better explained - something Niantic itself has seemingly now realised, as it issued a clarification notice via the game's Support social media account."Trainers, we want to clarify the Tour Pass experience during the Road to Unova event. You can earn a capped amount of Pass Points per day from Monday to Friday to get a head start on your Tour Pass," Niantic wrote. "During Go Tour Global weekend, the Pass Point limits will be removed and you will have the opportunity to obtain an unlimited amount of points during the event."The forthcoming event is one of Niantic's most heavily-monetised in-game weekends ever, with the following tickets available:Masterwork quest for Shiny Meloetta - 4.99Tour Pass Deluxe - 14.99Tour Pass Deluxe + 10 Levels - 19.99Road to Unova: Raids Ticket - 4.99Road to Unova: Hatch Ticket - 4.99Last week, it was reported that Niantic was in negotiations with the Saudi-backed mobile giant Scopely, developer of Monopoly Go and Marvel Strike Force, over a sale of the still hugely lucrative Pokmon Go. The news was met with shock by members of the Pokmon Go community, based on the aggressive monetisation added by Scopely to other games it has acquired. Fans have since begun contacting the overall owner of the Pokmon franchise to share their concerns.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Dead By Daylight is famous for its crossovers, and so far this year we have had Junji Ito, as well as Resident Evil combined with 2v8 mode. More exciting crossovers are on the way including Five Nights At Freddys. While the FNAF collaboration is official, a skin leak possibly reveals a collaboration for DBD with a mega popular game awards 2024 winner.Dead By Daylight skin leak possibly reveals new collaborationDead By Daylight is officially collaborating with the mega popular card game, Balatro. As announced on X, the card game has a free update which introduces three new DBD-inspired cards.These cards include icons of The Huntress, The Legion, and The Trapper. The Trapper is King, The Huntress is Queen, and The Legion is portrayed as the Joker. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. Image credit: @DeadbyDaylight on XWhile this crossover is official and has happened right now, there is the possibility Balatro could return the favor. Previously, DBDLeaks revealed a Jester skin for The Unknown. This skin will come out on April 1st.It was originally believed that the skin was merely a way to celebrate April Fools Day, but Dvveet has theorised it could possibly be a DBD x Balatro collaboration skin. This is not a leak or anything official, but its a theory that would make sense. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Image credit: @Dvveet on XBalatro is a mega popular indie card game that won best indie game of the year at the Game Awards 2024. Its a lot of fun, and its definitely recommended, even for people who are not conventionally fans of card games.While it remains to be seen if the skin is a collaboration with Balatro, the next crossover for Dead By Daylight will be Tokyo Ghoul, according to prominent leaks. This is for Chapter 35, of which the PTB is part of the March 2025 roadmap following a delay.For more Dead By Daylight content, check out ourranking of the top 10 DLC expansions to buyalong with a ranking of thebest killer perksandbest survivor perks.About the AuthorDead by DaylightPlatform(s):Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Survival Horror7VideoGamerRelated TopicsDead by Daylight Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Epic Games and DC have collaborated several times in the past, bringing many amazing Fortnite skins. Thanks to this partnership, battle royale fans can now play as some of the most iconic characters, including Batman and Superman. Furthermore, Season X players also had an opportunity to visit Gotham City in Fortnite and use DC-themed items.The collaboration between these two companies has been fruitful so far, so continuing it makes sense. According to a recent report, James Gunn, the CEO of DC Studios, is in talks with Epic Games regarding future characters.More DC skins should come to Fortnite soonAs of February 2025, there are 26 DC skins in Fortnite. Interestingly, six of them are based on Batman, who is arguably the most iconic hero from this franchise. A couple of these characters, like Clark Kent and Aquaman, are no longer available, as they were included in the Battle Pass. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. According to Brandon Davis, who had an interview with Gunn, DC and Epic will keep collaborating. In fact, the CEO of DC Studios is already in talks with the game developer. James Gunn is in talks with Epic about all the designs and which skins should arrive, hes actively approving designs as well, Davis reported.Fortnite has 26 DC skins at the moment. Image via Epic GamesDC has many more fantastic characters that would make great Fortnite skins, and we cant wait for them to come out! The release date is currently unknown, but considering that both sides are in talks, it wont be surprising if we get more DC skins in the second half of 2025. With a new Superman movie coming this summer, the companies may release another Clark Kent skin and use it as a promotion. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now James Gunn has big plans for the future of the DC Universe and even wants to make a game similar to Marvel Rivals! Unfortunately, the game wont come out for at least a few more years. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

At nine oclock in the morning, clear sunlight bathes the Potosi highlands in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The landscape here is a mix of desert scrub and pine and oak forests. Vegetation plays a leading role in this project with walls and plants, columns and trees, viewed as interchangeable, says Berenice Hinojosa, founder of Estudio Hidiin.Together with the architects Eduardo Moreno, Vernica Gmez, and Mariel Portales, Hinojosa has created a 14,000-square-foot house inspired by traditional Mexican design. She did so, however, in subtle and unexpected ways, beginning with using a courtyard with an apple tree as the homes focal point. The courtyard and the tree evoke the natural cycles of life, establishing a direct relationship with the passage of time. This approach is consistent with a design that recalls the traditional houses of ancient Mexico that were also built around central courtyards and where nature was integrated with architecture in a functional way, she says.Symbolically the figure of the tree is an affirmation of a regional identity that connects the house with the landscape and local history, giving the project an architectural depth and coherence that doesnt depend on ornamentation, but instead on a clean and powerful intervention, explains Berenice Hinojosa.Davide Groppis Moon lamp is the centerpiece of the dining room, with its high ceilings and walls of windows. At night, this room comes to life, giving the impression that the moon has descended from the sky.In Mexico, residential construction projects have become larger and larger, with leading designers, architects, and artists often working on a huge scale. Many homes have grown, mainly because of the dependence on private cars and the lack of efficient public transportation. This leads to houses that include more spaces, such as parking areas and secondary buildings, Hinojosa explains. However, she assures us that while Casa JN has three floors, it can be lived in as if it were a single-story home: The clients wanted their daily life to be on one level, she shares. It was a wish that was impossible to grant completely given the current needs and size of the family and the shape of the lot. The fascinating thing, however, is that although the house is organized on three levels, the parents of the family manage to live practically on just one. This will allow them, in the future, to adapt it to their lives when they are the only ones here, she explains.Despite the houses large size, the project was completed in just 18 months. This is thanks to a steel construction system that allowed for faster build time without compromising the quality or aesthetics of the final result. For Hinojosa, this not only reflects an efficiency when it comes to construction, but it was also a way of rethinking how we can make architectural processes more agile, adapting them to contemporary demands without losing the essence of our vision.Considering who these clients were and how they would live in this house led me to constantly question each decision and how the architecture reflected their needs and desires, says Hinojosa.Mexican craftsmanship is a priceless heritage that remains fundamental to our practice. Having the opportunity to work directly with local artisans, who have mastered these age-old techniques, is an incredible experience, the architect says.In one of the living rooms, a gold-leaf-covered panel. In front of it, a Butterfly chair. The desk and the sculpture on the wall are both handcrafted pieces.The house was conceived to be experienced as a series of surprises. The clients asked for a very private house that felt closed inward on itself. That resonated strongly with the design approach of our studio, Hinojosa explains. Casa JN is designed with a palette of materials and colors that is measured and restrained, but also rich in textures and contrasts: Volcanic stone, wood, steel, and marble are notes in a composition that is both calm and robust. The key is in the subtlety with which they are presented, she says. The ensemble is also remarkable for a clever use of light and elegantly chosen pieces by international and Mexican designers and artists. Namely, theres a Moon lamp by Davide Groppi (in the dining room), a PH5 light by Louis Poulsen (in the kitchen), a work by Isabel Garfias paired with a contemporary piece by Eliana Portilla, an Eames lounge chair in the office, and a Butterfly chair by Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan, and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy.In addition to these design icons, the homes interior makes some nods to Mexican craftsmanship: The woodwork designed for this house, particularly in the office, is a clear example of how architecture can incorporate handcrafted elements into a contemporary vision. The wall unit and the desk in the office are, without a doubt, some of our favorite details. The gold-leaf-covered panel in one of the rooms adds to this idea: not only are all these elements functional, but they also refer to the work of Mexican sculptor, poet, art historian, architect, and painter Mathias Goeritz, and also to the home of his colleague the architect Luis Barragn, where there is a similar panel by Goeritz.In the office, in front of a large window that fills the space with natural light and offers views of the interior courtyard, an Eames lounge chair for Vitra.The guest bath is made of the same volcanic stone that was used for the interior patios.Next, as one moves through the house, are the most private rooms. The sink in the powder room is a small architectural jewel of hand-carved volcanic stonethe same stone that is used in other parts of the house, helping to create a sense of continuity. The inspiration behind this design is also deeply influenced by the work of artist Pedro Reyes, whose exploration of materiality and the interaction between the artisanal and the conceptual motivated us to think of this bathroom not only as a functional place, but as a sensory experience that invites a moment of reflection, notes Hinojosa.A detail of one of the living rooms overlooking the outdoor dining area. Above to the left, a small square window filters the suns rays.Wood is one of the principal materials used throughout the house. The wood furniture, floors, ceilings, and walls accentuate the feeling of continuity with nature outside.For Hinojosa, who recently returned to Mexico after an extended period in Madrid, color and materiality are deeply linked to her past experiences. I remember a conversation with Salvador Macias, from the architectural firm Macias Peredo, that undoubtedly impacted my creative process. He told me: Bere, please, when you design a house in San Luis Potos, dont make it white. This is the Potosi highlands, choose a palette that responds to the essence of the place. That stuck with me and, from then on, I understood the importance of integrating the identity of an environment into the design. His advice accompanied me throughout the process of creating this house and led to a palette that not only responds to the landscape, but becomes part of it, connecting the architecture with its context in a profound and sensitive way, she recalls.

Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum complex that dates back to the 17th century. It was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife and later became his own resting place, as well. But the structures fame has much more to do with its impressive, historically significant design than the people who are buried there.Its this incredible synthesis that really defines the early modern world, which is a story about contact, says Kishwar Rizvi, a professor of Islamic art and architecture at Yale University. The Taj Mahal references Timurid architecture from Central Asia, it builds on Safavid architectural trends from Iran, as well as craftsmanship from Italy. And its part of the history of Islam in India, building on the funerary tombs that had existed since the 12th century. Its a fabulous example of this historical moment.To learn more about the Taj Mahal, AD chatted with Rizvi and local licensed tour guide BK Jain. Heres everything you need to know.Where is the Taj Mahal located?The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It sits on the right bank of the Yamuna River, the second-largest tributary of the Ganges, which is an atypical spot for a mausoleum. The Taj Mahal is a very self-aware structure that breaks away from tradition, explains Rizvi. Rather than having the tomb at the center of a garden, its been pushed to the edge, right on the riverfront. The architecture invites a new and different view. You can see it from the other side of the river.When and why was the Taj Mahal built?In 1631, Shah Jahan ordered that the Taj Mahal be built to house the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. She was the second queen of the emperor, Jain notes. She died when she was delivering her 14th child. There was an excess of bleeding due to complications in the womb. She was not in Agra at that time, and was instead accompanying Shah Jahan to Burhanpur. While she was pregnant, she spent almost a month on the back of an elephant to reach there.According to legend, Mumtaz Mahal requested that Shah Jahan build her a funerary tomb while she was on her deathbed. She said, You have to make some commitments to me, recounts Jain. First, Please do not marry again. This way, you can remember me in the afterlife. Second, Take care of the children. Third, Build a funerary tomb over my grave. This should be a symbol of love. That is the reason for the Taj Mahal.An illustration of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.Photo: Dinodia Photo/Getty ImagesRizvi, however, points out another motivation for the Taj Mahals construction. In the 19th century, there were romantic British stories about this being a monument to love, which, yes, it was built for his wife, but he was always going to be buried there too, she explains. I think its more important to see this as an imperial monument that tells us something about the ambitions of Shah Jahan himself and the worlds that he wanted to create.The mausoleum was completed in 1648, but it was another five years before the rest of the complex was finished. Overall, the project lasted 22 years and required over 20,000 workers. It cost an estimated 32 million rupees at the time, which would be 52.8 billion rupeesor $827 millionnow. These days, you can say its priceless, adds Jain.Who designed the Taj Mahal?Shah Jahan appointed Ustad Ahmad Lahori to lead the team of architects and artisans who designed the Taj Mahal. He was a renowned Persian architect, Jain says. He presented a model to Shah Jahan, who made some modifications and then approved it. The emperor supported Lahori and checked in from time to time.What does the name Taj Mahal mean?The name Taj Mahal is believed to be of Persian origin. Taj means crown and mahal is palace, explains Jain. Its crown palace because the building itself looks like a palace and there are four minarets in the corners, which look like a crown for the building. The real name of the building was Rauza-e-Munawwara, but later on it became known as Taj Mahal.What are the different elements of the Taj Mahal complex?The complex consists of the mausoleum, gardens, and two identical buildings (one a guest house, one a mosque) that create a sense of symmetry.Video: Getty ImagesThe Taj Mahal complex includes a mausoleum, a main gateway, a red sandstone mosque, a jawab (which translates to answer, and looks just like the mosque), and a garden. When you enter the main gate, there is a mosque and an identical building that looks like a mosque, describes Jain. The real name of that second building was Mehmaan Khana, but when the English ruled over India, they called it the guest house. That building just maintains the symmetry. The mosque, the mausoleum, and the guest house are in one line. In the front, theres a beautiful garden with water fountains.What materials were used to build the Taj Mahal?White marble was used to build the Taj Mahal mausoleum, giving it a luminous, ethereal quality. The marble is from a quarry in Makrana, a place in Rajasthan about 240 miles away from Agra, Jain specifies. At the time, there was no modern transportation, so the marble got there by camel carts and burro carts.Shah Jahans choice to employ white marble was also a symbolic one. Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, is an integral part of the Indian subcontinent, says Rizvi. The first white domes that we see are on the tombs of Sufi shaikhs. What Shah Jahan is doing in the use of white marble on this tomb is overlaying his authority as the king with his authority as a representative of Islam. He was known to be pious and religious.The mausoleum is located on the banks of the Yamuna River.Photo: Melvyn Longhurst/Getty ImagesThe imported white marble of the mausoleum is juxtaposed with red sandstone from nearby Fatehpur Sikri, which composes the mosque and the guesthouse. I think a beautiful part of the architecture is the balance of red sandstone, which is local, and the gleaming, white marble. opines Rizvi.What are the most important architectural features of the Taj Mahal?The mausoleum building, which stands on a 20-foot tall plinth, is completely symmetrical. Each of its four nearly-identical sides features a pishtaq, a portal with a recessed arch, and an onion-shaped dome. The large, central onion-shaped dome is topped with a finial that was originally gold, but later replaced with gilded bronze.The domes on top of minarets is a unique element of the Taj Mahals architecture.Photo: Philippe Lissac/Getty ImagesFour minarets with small domes on top rise out of the plinths chamfered corners. Usually, you dont see minarets with domes attached to them, explains Rizvi. The mosque on the platform, which is facing towards Mecca, represents an important devotional aspect of the complex. Thus, the Taj Mahal serves both as a tomb, but also as a place where you would go and pray.The gates and the tomb are adorned with calligraphy. From the entrance gateway all the way through, the tomb complex is covered in Quranic verses, almost like a choreographed calligraphic recitation, Rizvi describes. Shah Jahan presented himself as a pious Muslim ruler, in contrast to his father, who was known for his addictions.What are the most important interior design features of the Taj Mahal?The inside of the Taj Mahal is quite different from the outside. The interior is where it flips, its where we see the opulence, shares Rizvi. The exterior is covered in Quranic verses and is very austere, while the interior becomes this almost garden-like space with colorful flora and vegetation. Its a very traditional tomb structure with an octagonal jali, or screen, around it, but its in the details that you get to see some really interesting things.The details Rizvi is alluding to are not frescoes or sculptures, but intricate inlays. From a decoration point of view, there is no paintingthey used only semi-precious stones inlaid into the marble, says Jain. Maybe they thought paint would not be lasting and that is why they introduced this inlay work, which is known as pietra dura in Italian and parchin kari in the Persian language. They used coral, malachite, carnelian, jasper, and lapis lazuli. These gems display that India was the wealthiest nation in the world at the time.Inside, the marble is inlaid with semiprecious stones, such as coral and malachite.Photo: Dinodia Photo/Getty ImagesMany of the inlays depict flowers. The floral motifs show the Mughals interest in naturalism, Rizvi explains. They had been getting botanical books from Europe, brought by the Portuguese and the British envoys and missionaries, so they were very much part of the Mughal vocabulary. For example, you can see poppies that are very realistically rendered.What are the most important features of the Taj Mahal gardens?In front of the mausoleum is a 3,200-square-foot charbagh, also known as a Mughal garden. Inspired by the descriptions of Paradise in the Quran, the garden is divided into four quadrants by two walkways. The idea is like heaven on earth, says Jain. According to the Quran, in front of the house of Allah, theres a beautiful garden with four riversone for hunting, one for milk, one for water, and one for wine. A reflecting pool mirrors the image of the Taj Mahal.Originally, the garden was wild and lush, but it was converted to more tailored, Victorian-style landscaping during the British Raj in India. You have to imagine it as an orchard, which means that there were fruit trees and sweet-smelling flowers like jasmine and rose, Rizvi says. It was meant to be a living, organic space with seasons. It was imagined as a sustaining space of sanctuary. Monuments such as these came with endowments that paid for the buildings care and upkeep, and served as socially responsive institutions. For example, every Thursday, food would be distributed for the poor.How has the Taj Mahal been maintained?Over the years, efforts have been made to protect the Taj Mahal from deterioration. A few decades ago, there were a lot of iron foundries in Agra, but by the order of the law, those were stopped and shifted 50 kilometers away, shares Jain. Right now, the Taj Mahal area is a pollutant-free zone. Vehicles are not allowed up to the Taj Mahal. Before COVID, it was cleaned by a special method. Only the dome was not cleaned. The white part of the mausoleum is totally clean.The Mughal garden was inspired by descriptions of Paradise in the Quran.Photo: Anna Mardo/Getty ImagesDespite these protective measures, the Taj Mahal is still at risk. Marble is very sturdy, but its still an organic material, explains Rizvi. The environment that we have now is not something it can naturally defend itself against, which is why we need conservation scientists and preservationists learning how to protect these buildings from human and environmental damage. And unfortunately, unless they are prioritized, that wont happen. Mughal heritage in India is very much under threat. A lot of my colleagues have been writing and raising alarm about the disrepair of the Taj Mahal. Theres a lot of urgency to its survival.What is the best time to visit the Taj Mahal?A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, the Taj Mahal welcomes over 7 million visitors a year. The best time to tour the Taj Mahal, according to Jain, is from October to March. He advises against coming in January, when its cold and foggy. Most importantly, you shouldnt plan to visit the Taj Mahal on a Friday. The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday for prayer, so tourists are not allowed. Its only for Muslims. Otherwise, its open every day from sunrise to sunset, all year. Just pay the entrance fee, he says.Jain also recommends staying overnight in Agra, rather than just taking a day trip from Delhi, to see landmarks of Mughal architecture like the Agra Fort, the tomb of Itimd-ud-Daulah, and the tomb of Akbar. But, of course, the Taj Mahal will always be the main event. Its a symbol of lovethats why people come here, says Jain. Everyone needs love in his or her life.

Ryan King Art shows how to create these ice cream drumsticks in Blender.Source

Gas KnightingWant Moon Knight season 2? Well, you're probably not getting it, so I guess you just shouldn't trust Marvel's post credits scenes any moreThough there are apparently "plans for Moon Knight down the road."Image credit: Marvel News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 25, 2025 Despite clearly setting things up for one, it sounds like Marvel's Moon Knight won't get a season 2 any time soon.Moon Knight, like pretty much every single Marvel project under the sun, ended with a post credits scene, notably introducing Jake Lockley, one of the titular character's system members that had seemingly been teased throughout the first season. It was an obvious setup for a second season, except in a recent interview Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum has essentially confirmed that one isn't going to happen. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Speaking to Comicbook.com, Winderbaum explained, "So, I think Marvel Television has happened in waves, and I think Moon Knight happened in a wave of shows that were going to establish characters that would tie-in to the future. "And moving forward our priorities have shifted. Were making shows as shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television. I would love to see a Moon Knight season 2, but there are plans for Moon Knight down the road."Moon Knight is yet to make a proper appearance in another MCU project since the first season aired in 2022, though Oscar Isaac did reprise the role in voice over form for the last season of Marvel's What If? last year. Obviously Winderbaum noted that Marvel has plans for Moon Knight, but honestly at this point you have to wonder why they're still bothering with post credits scenes at all when so many of them just haven't had a follow-up of any kind.It's clearly massively backfired for them with the Kang setups that they've since abandoned due to actor Jonathon Majors' conviction, and even with films like the Eternals that set up Blade have proven to be a mess too. Perhaps it's time to retire the post credits scene before it's too late (even though arguably it already is).

Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin's Creed Shadows footage is out there in the wild prematurely, in what's the latest bad thing to happen to a game we've all be waiting to see the nice clouds of for ages. Read more

How many friends does this guy have?Prepare yourselves, poker fans, because our beloved roguelike Balatro has just landed another 'Friends of Jimbo' update, adding a whole new batch of crossovers into the mix.Much like the three previous additions, the latest update features new card cosmetics from eight different crossover games. The Assassin's Creed, Fallout and Civilization series all crop up in this one alongside beloved indies like Slay the Princess, Bugsnax, the unexpected arrival of Dead By Daylight and Rust, and, weirder still, Critical Roll.Read the full article on nintendolife.com