Playdate Season Two is here, bringing with it two new games for the quirky yellow handheld every week until July 3. And if the first two titles are any indication of what this season will be like, it's sure to be a great one. Season Two kicked off on May 29 with the arcade action game Fulcrum Defender — from the studio behind FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach — and the delightfully chill Dig! Dig! Dino!. The two games couldn't be more different from each other, but they're both bangers in their own right. Panic also released Blippo+, which can only be described as a fever dream of cable TV, with the first drop of Season Two, and it is amazingly bizarre. Fulcrum Defender Subset Games "Survive for 10min!" sounded almost like a threat when I first started reading through Fulcrum Defender's How To Play guide. Between all the on-screen information you need to pay attention to, the many different types of enemies that'll be attacking and the various weapon upgrades you can earn over the course of a run, there's a lot to take in, and I braced myself for a tense and complicated playing experience. But, while that may be closer to the case on Hard Mode, I found that Fulcrum Defender wasn't all that punishing of a shooter on Normal Mode. It's a challenge, for sure, but one with a surprisingly achievable goal that I was able to enjoy without losing my mind. At least, not until crossing the 10-minute mark. After that, all hell breaks loose. In Fulcrum Defender, you're positioned at the center of a circular arena and have to fend off a continuous swarm of enemies. Your shield will take damage any time an enemy collides with it, and once enough have breached that zone, it's game over. To avoid that, you need to shoot them down one by one, using the crank to aim your weapon and the D-pad to shoot. Some enemies can be taken out in one shot, but others — distinguished by their filled-in appearance — require multiple shots. Over time, you'll earn weapon upgrades to build out a more powerful defense system, with options like large, guided projectiles and a flail that can knock out several enemies in one sweep. It's unexpectedly addicting. The music is beautiful and calming, giving the whole thing a pleasant atmosphere despite the fact that you're surrounded by enemies at any given moment and trying not to die. Once I realized it was absolutely possible to survive 10 minutes and even go beyond that, I got sucked into the loop of trying over and over to beat my high scores. I'd love to see a global leaderboard for this game at some point, because I just know I'd be floored by how long some players will be able to last. If you liked this one and want to know a little more about the making of it, be sure to check out our interview with Jay Ma, the co-founder of Fulcrum Defender developer Subset Games. Dig! Dig! Dino! Dom2D & Fáyer I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now than pretending to be a paleontologist and casually digging for bones. No thoughts, just dig. That's exactly what Dig! Dig! Dino! has going on, and it's awesome. You're working as part of a crew (made up entirely of anthropomorphic animals) at the site of some really unusual dinosaur fossils, and it's your job to dig up new bones and artifacts. Once you've got the entire skeleton of a particular dinosaur, you can scan it in the lab to reveal what it was like when it was alive. That information, coupled with the peculiar artifacts scattered around the site, paints a picture of some pretty strange activities that went on there long ago. For example, some of these dinosaurs seem to have had crystals growing out of their bodies, and it looks like they were warned about the asteroid extinction event. Fishy! The gameplay is extremely low stakes — this is one for when you just want to zone out playing something that'll keep your hands busy. You're equipped with a shovel, a drill and a radar gadget for detecting items beneath the surface, and have no time-sensitive goals to hit. You only have so much energy, though, which will be consumed with each use of your tools. When you run out, the round is over. But you can visit each site as many times as you need to in order to find all of the dinosaur pieces hidden there, so it can be a really casual undertaking if you want it to be. It's a really nice time, with a fun story to tie it all together. You'll get a solid few hours of playtime out of this, too, and the simplicity of it all means you can put it down and come back to it later without having to rack your memory to figure out where you left off. I loved this one. Blippo+ Panic What can one even say about Blippo+? This bizarre "1-bit television" experience came as a bonus with the first Season Two games, and it is something. Panic first teased it back in December 2024 as a Steam title, but here it is for the Playdate now, complete with a roster of channels playing hallucinatory programs and Femtofax, an interactive message board of sorts where you can find affirmations, neighborhood drama, chatter among amateur astronomers and more. Panic describes it as being "comparable to an old episode of The Twilight Zone," but it's more like an old episode of The Twilight Zone if it were made by Tim & Eric and aired after midnight on Adult Swim. I think I am obsessed with it? I'm really interested to see where this goes. I would totally park my Playdate in a dock (but not the Stereo Dock </3) on my desk and leave Blippo+ running in the background all day if it has enough fresh material to sustain it. The song playing alongside the endlessly scrolling Blippo+ TV guide screen is already stuck in my head, and I don't hate it. The program guide with this week's schedule is online, if you're curious about what's going on right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-2-review-fulcrum-defender-dig-dig-dino-and-blippo-140036697.html?src=rss

A lot of games have been released for the Playdate since it launched in 2022, as a quick browse of itch.io or the Catalog shop will attest. But still, there’s something unique about the handheld’s seasonal format, which just kicked off its second iteration. When it first launched, the Playdate came with 24 games from notable indie developers that were steadily released on a weekly cadence, making a perfect introduction to the little yellow device and its crank. Now, a few years later, we finally have season 2, and it’s off to a solid start — and it even includes a bizarre mystery.Fulcrum Defender. Image: Subset GamesThe new season runs for the next six weeks and totals a dozen games, two of which will drop each week. The entire collection will run you $39. To start, we have a pair of very different games. Fulcrum Defender, from FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games, is sort of like a modern take on Asteroids. You control a little ship in the middle and fire guns at little squares flying toward you. The twist is that you use the crank to rotate the ship around and aim your shots. There’s also something of a roguelike element, where you steadily unlock random upgrades like new weapons or a larger spread for your bullets. The goal is to last for 10 straight minutes.It’s a pretty challenging game — so far, I’ve only really had success on easy mode — but it’s also surprisingly chill, eliciting that sort of zen state that the best shooters and puzzle games can create. This is helped by its lo-fi soundtrack that pretty much demands you play with headphones on. It’s an absorbing game.Dig! Dig! Dino! Image: Dom2D and FáyerOn the other end of the spectrum is Dig Dig Dino!, developed by Dom2D and Fáyer, who brag that the game “is perfect to play while watching TV! No time pressure, no quick reflexes needed!” It’s a puzzle game where you travel to different dig sites to uncover dinosaur bones, artifacts, and trash. You only have a limited amount of moves per dig, but you can upgrade your capacity over time — while also getting new tools to smash rocks or dig deeper — letting you dig both more and for longer. It’s sort of like a really cute take on Minesweeper, one clearly designed for short play sessions. It’s not exactly difficult, but there’s still something satisfying about uncovering a large dinosaur bone when you’re just about to run out of moves.These two games do a good job of showing the breadth of games possible on the Playdate; one is meant for quick bursts, the other for longer, more focused sessions. But the launch week package is rounded out by something a whole lot weirder. It’s called Blippo Plus and, well, it’s a series of TV channels you can flip between using the crank. Some are nothing but static, while others have giant FMV videos of strange TV shows or commercials. One show, called Tantric Computing, is nothing but closeup shots of someone using a computer mouse. Another, Werf’s Tavern, is some kind of musical talk show. There’s also a messaging tool and some kind of fax service.What’s most interesting about Blippo Plus, though, isn’t just that it’s odd. It’s also a mystery that seems like it will evolve over the course of the season. Playdate maker Panic says that “Playdate season 2 owners should tune in weekly and make sure they are connected to WiFi when season 2 updates at 10 AM PT on Thursdays.” There are lots of other promising games planned for season 2, including the point-and-click adventure Shadowgate PD and whatever the heck Long Puppy and Tiny Turnip are.But an FMV mystery that unfolds over the course of weeks is something that’s pretty unique to this format — and further evidence that the Playdate exists in its own parallel universe.See More:

One of the many beautiful things about the indie gaming scene is that there's always something to check out. So if you don't fancy playing Elden Ring: Nightreign this weekend, there are plenty of other new options. To help you keep up with what's going on in the space, here's our weekly indie game roundup. As a heads up, we won't be publishing an edition of this roundup next week. Not because there won't be enough games to highlight. Quite the opposite: Summer Game Fest kicks off on Friday June 6. There will be literally hundreds of game announcements and updates. There's also the small matter of the Nintendo Switch 2's arrival in a matter of days. You can check out what to expect from SGF and find out how to watch the various showcases in our preview. We'll be bringing you news on titles of all shapes and sizes from Summer Game Fest Live, Xbox Games Showcase and other events. We'll also be on the ground in Los Angeles to go hands on with many of the newly announced games. Keep up with our coverage here on Engadget throughout SGF.  In the meantime, there are a host of new games to savor, as well as peeks at what's coming your way in the coming weeks and months. Let's get to it. Thinky Direct This showcase from Thinky Games was jam packed with captivating puzzle and mystery games. Two in particular caught my eye. The first is a very intriguing first-person archery puzzler. In He Who Watches, you'll walk on walls, rotate rooms and use a bow and arrow to solve puzzles. It reminds me of the shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. A demo is out now on Steam and the full game should arrive this fall. The other game that really stood out to me was Echo Weaver, a so-called "Metroidbraina." Unlike in many Metroidvanias, where you need to find power ups or new abilities to progress, here you'll move forward by acquiring knowledge, including figuring out your character's special abilities.  There aren't any procedurally generated elements here. As with the likes of Outer Wilds, each run is time-based. You can find ways to extend the limit or sacrifice some time to pass through a barrier. Echo Weaver is coming to Steam and Xbox (including Game Pass). There was lots of other interesting stuff in the first-ever Thinky Direct. I really enjoy the chill train puzzler Railbound and it was neat to find out that there's a level editor available in beta. Kiko's Apple Adventure is an adorable-looking block-pushing game in which the aim is to nudge apples onto rafts. It just arrived on Steam. The Button Effect features a museum with a lot of buttons, each with a purpose for you to find out. It seems like a certain Taskmaster task taken to new extremes. The first public demo just hit Steam. Nonolith is another compelling game that was featured in the showcase. In this puzzle platformer, you can copy and paste blocks to create openings, bridges and staircases. At first glance, it reminds me a little of Animal Well. Monolith is coming to Steam in 2026. New releases One thing definitely worth getting excited about this week if you own a particular yellow console with a crank owner is the start of Playdate Season Two. Every Thursday throughout the six-week season (which costs $39), two new games arrive on Panic's diminutive device.  The first batch includes the charming-looking Dig! Dig! Dino! and Fulcrum Defender. The latter of those is from FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach studio Subset Games, whose co-founder Jay Ma went through hell to make Fulcrum Defender. One of the titles included in the season, Blippo+, is a full-motion video game. It will have weekly episodic updates for 12 weeks, extending far beyond the rest of the Season Two window. The first episode is out now. Trails is a lovely puzzle game that just landed on Steam. You'll guide sandships to their destination by drawing a path for them. You can't take a ship through the same square twice, and you'll need to make sure they don't crash into each other. There are obstacles, of course, and you'll sometimes have to collect and deliver cargo. I've enjoyed my time with Trails so far. Developer PurpleSloth gradually teaches you how to play through trial and error, and it adds new hazards and mechanics at a nice pace, though the puzzles do become quite tricky. You may have spent many pleasant hours cleaning grime off of various objects and iconic landmarks in PowerWash Simulator (which is set to get a sequel later this year). It's time to flip the script a bit in Spray Paint Simulator, from North Star Video Games and publisher Whitethorn Games. The concept is pretty similar, in that you'll complete jobs for clients by painting certain items or environments. There are no time limits here and a feature that lets you mask an area to ensure you get clean lines is a nice touch. If marking your territory on public or private property with sick, definitely-not-ugly tags is more your thing, there's a free spray mode that you can play alone or with a friend in co-op. Spray Paint Simulator is out now on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It's on Game Pass too. The game is also coming to Nintendo Switch on June 19. Eternal Evil debuted on Steam back in 2022, and two and a half years later, the survival horror game has made the jump to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It has mostly positive reviews on Steam and seems very much in the vein of the Resident Evil series (it even has a dual narrative with two characters to play). You'll take on vampires that get stronger as they feed in this game from solo developer Honor Games. How could I not include a game with a name like Trash Goblin? This is a cozy shopkeeping title from Spilt Milk Studios that just came out of early access on Steam. You'll unearth, restore and upcycle trinkets to sell to customers so you can upgrade your shop. It seems one you might chill out with. Elsewhere, To a T, a game we mentioned last week, is out now on Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass, PS5, Steam and the Epic Games Store. Cowboy-themed life sim Cowboy Country just landed on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch as well. Upcoming I've had my eye on Kingmakers for a while. It's a completely bananas-looking blend of third-person shooting and strategy game from Redemption Road in which you travel back in time to a medieval war, bringing modern weapons and vehicles with you. Publisher tinyBuild revealed during a showcase this week that Kingmakers will debut in early access on Steam on October 8. Really looking forward to that one. Beyond the Board is a moody-looking adventure that takes a rook... well, beyond a chess board. It takes inspiration from puzzle games like Limbo and Monument Valley, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the story is told through visual storytelling and soundscapes rather than dialogue. This game from Fragile Shapes Studio doesn't yet have a release window, but you can check out a demo on Steam now. An extended demo for a fast-paced, melee-focused dungeon runner called Bloodthief dropped this week. It looks like a lo-fi, medieval spin on Ghostrunner (a series I enjoy but am quite bad at) but with vampires. So yes, I will be digging into this when I have a chance. The original demo is said to have 20 or so hours of gameplay and there's even more in the extended version, which will be featured in Steam Next Fest. Bloodthief, from developer Blargis, is slated to arrive later this year. I'm going to close this edition out with a game you'll probably never be able to play. Developer Kenney says that, a few years back, they helped a young Star Wars fan make a game based on The Mandalorian after a Make-a-Wish connected the pair. It's a heartwarming story, and the game looks quite charming based on the clip that Kenney shared on BlueSky. However, for legal reasons, it'll likely stay under lock and key, sadly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playdate-season-two-spray-paint-simulator-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110035699.html?src=rss

Meg Cherry Member Oct 25, 2017 7,847 Seattle, WA So, Panic - a studio out of Portland that mostly does Mac software - is going to release a custom handheld with a 'premium' black-and-white screen - with 12 games that will be kept a secret until they unlock after release (one a week). Also, one of the inputs is a hand crank. One of those games is the game you saw above: Crankin's Time Travel Adventure from Katamari Damacy designer Keita Takahashi. The crank is used to manipulate time forwards and backwards. Despite the presence of buttons, the only way to interact with Crankin' is with said crank. Not all games will work that way, obviously, but it's reasonable to expect many will make use of it. There are other games coming from Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It), Zach Gage (SpellTower), and Shaun Inman (The Last Rocket), among others. What exactly they're making for Playdate, however, remains unannounced, with more details later this year. Click to expand... Click to shrink... $150, pre-orders out this year. This thing looks absurd, but maybe in a way worth supporting.  Last edited: May 22, 2019 KoolAid Member Oct 25, 2017 7,055 Keita Takahashi? Bennett Foddy? I'm interested.   atomsk Member Oct 28, 2017 1,762 Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising. Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already.  BocoDragon Banned Oct 26, 2017 5,207 I love the hardware design.   Deleted member 42 user requested account closure Banned Oct 24, 2017 16,939 CRANKIN' IT   marrec Banned Oct 26, 2017 6,775 I'm sooo in for wild shit like this with limited but specific use cases.   kikuchiyo Member Nov 9, 2017 1,103 atomsk said: Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising. Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Didn't get those shirts when they came out and I've been kicking myself for it ever since :(  JamboGT Vehicle Handling Designer Verified Oct 25, 2017 1,537 The most hipster of hipster gaming stuff I have ever seen.   Tiktaalik Member Oct 25, 2017 3,749 Looks like a lot of fun. There's an opportunity for these small little devices now that 3DS is going away. Come on Nintendo, make Game Boy Classic happen.  Deleted member 54469 User requested account closure Member Mar 4, 2019 320 design is cool but what exactly is the point? for it's niche community i'm not going to ask. forever everyone else kinda feel like this is one of those things (like everything else now) cashing in on nostalgia and basically gentrifying by giving it a new instagram worthy paint coat and new name. $150 for a black and white game boy with some weird gimmick? i'm cool lol. that's nice they found some great (also niche) developers to make great (also niche) games for it. just not sure why this exists though? especially for that absurd price? i mean you can get a 2ds bundle with a game and another free nintendo select for like $80 now.  eyeball_kid Member Oct 25, 2017 12,138 Panic, Takahashi (please why are you distracting him from finishing Wattam!), and Teenage Engineering (makers of the awesome OP-1 synth). This is like a videogame hipster dream come true. Not sure how well that crank is going to feel for left-handed users though.  Colloco Self-Requested Ban Banned Oct 27, 2017 403 florida 150 kind of hurts for a black and white screen device in 2019, but DAT CRANK THO   Ghos Member Oct 25, 2017 3,986 cute design Keita tho? 👀  Weltall Zero Game Developer Banned Oct 26, 2017 19,343 Madrid Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.   Lego Killer Moth Avenger Oct 25, 2017 1,292 This is the coolest thing I've ever seen   Toumari Member Oct 27, 2017 8,811 England Cute and bizarre. Never expected Panic to ever dabble in hardware like this.   Deleted member 41931 User requested account closure Member Apr 10, 2018 3,744 I'm in for Keita Takahashi. No idea if this is going to be good, but it'll certainly be different.   marrec Banned Oct 26, 2017 6,775 JamboGT said: The most hipster of hipster gaming stuff I have ever seen. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's like they made it specifically for me  CloseTalker Sister in the Craft Member Oct 25, 2017 38,131 Yeah, I'll buy one of those   Colloco Self-Requested Ban Banned Oct 27, 2017 403 florida Is this secretly Soulja Bois new console?   corn_fest Member Oct 27, 2017 323 I can't help but compare this with the 32blit which recently sprung up on Kickstarter. Spec-wise, the console seems a little disappointing in comparison, but Panic, Teenage Engineering, and the developers they've partnered with all create great stuff so I feel like this will be cool regardless. Ugh I'm gonna end up getting both aren't I.  Lego Killer Moth Avenger Oct 25, 2017 1,292 Weltall Zero said: Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out. Click to expand... Click to shrink... There's gonna be more if it's a success. It's 12 so far. One a month for the first year.   KoolAid Member Oct 25, 2017 7,055 Weltall Zero said: Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out. Click to expand... Click to shrink... ...i see what you did there also they say there's potential for more games, unsure if they'll charge for them though  Deleted member 33571 User requested account closure Banned Nov 17, 2017 907 very very cool, the lil bit of the Keita Takahashi game they showed looked really neat I immediately got teenage engineering vibes between the price (eek) and the concept so it makes sense they worked on some of the hardware  Kirksplosion Member Aug 21, 2018 2,682 Eh, can't say I'm interested at all-- Keita Takahashi Click to expand... Click to shrink... So I make this check out to Panic in Portland, OR?  Ginger Hail One Winged Slayer Avenger Oct 25, 2017 3,358 It's a cute little thing. Definitely gonna keep my eye on it.   jml Member Mar 9, 2018 4,849 Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all   Conan Member Oct 25, 2017 707 It's like having a bad analog stick. Cool?   Jonnykong Member Oct 27, 2017 8,992 It looks pretty nifty when you see the game in action by spinning that delightful crank.   marrec Banned Oct 26, 2017 6,775 jml said: Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all Click to expand... Click to shrink... The appeal is in the design and the games.  makonero Member Oct 27, 2017 11,177 If it was $50 I could see myself grabbing it for novelty purposes But I can't justify $150 for a black and white handheld with no backlight. I had an original GBA for five years, not going back now  Vivian-Pogo Member Jan 9, 2018 2,142 It's neat but about 3x the price of what I would want to pay for it.   wideface ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 25, 2017 7,184 Hidamari Apartments Keita Takahashi? Okay, I'll buy it.   NickatNite Member Oct 27, 2017 6,217 California An interesting concept, but may or may not be worth the price point. I definitely will keep my eye on it.   Deleted member 23046 Account closed at user request Banned Oct 28, 2017 6,876 Panic is also the first publisher of Campo Santo's Firewatch.   Dancrane212 Member Oct 25, 2017 14,110 Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious.  JamesQuall Member Oct 27, 2017 752 I'm in. I already love Panic for publishing Firewatch and the Goose Game, and for putting a cool sign on their building that I can change the colors on during my lunch break!   RyougaSaotome Member Oct 25, 2017 5,365 It seems absurd so I'm in.   eyeball_kid Member Oct 25, 2017 12,138 Here's a peek at Keita Takahashi's game:   ryushe Member Oct 27, 2017 5,063 If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify $150 for this no matter how hard I'd like to try.   Anno Member Oct 25, 2017 7,889 Columbus, Ohio That's weird enough that I'm at least interested.   the_wart Member Oct 25, 2017 2,346 That's so dumb. ...I want it.  KilgoreTrout696 Member Oct 25, 2017 667 ryushe said: If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify $150 for this no matter how hard I'd like to try. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 100% with you on the backlight. I'm looking into getting older gameboys modded with backlights not getting something new without them. Just flashing back to trying to play pokemon at night while in the car driving home, would have to wait to pass a streetlight in order to see the screen for a second.   boontobias Avenger Apr 14, 2018 10,144 Dancrane212 said: Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Rebels huh? There goes my interest  8bit Member Oct 27, 2017 5,390 Oh fuck yes, I want one.   pronk Member Oct 26, 2017 2,034 Swery retweeted this, then retweeted a tweet about the Ouya store closing lol Also pretty sure EDGE had an Ouya cover.  Deleted member 2791 User requested account closure Banned Oct 25, 2017 19,054 I like the idea and the hardware execution, but 150 bucks for twelve short games just doesn't cut it.   Brian_FETO The Million Post Man Member Oct 25, 2017 19,825 I think I love this? idk $150 is an investment but like......it's also not that bad? hmm The curious thing is whether future seasons would be downloadable (it does have wifi) or if the intent is to have limited run systems with preset seasons  RoboitoAM Member Oct 25, 2017 3,271 This thing looks stupid.   El Pescado Member Oct 26, 2017 2,042 That thing looks right up my alley. I'm 100% in.  

Whether you subscribe to them individually or as part of a bundle deal, Disney+ and Hulu both have a lot to offer streaming fans. Disney has the ultra-popular Marvel and Star Wars franchises, represented this month by the latest Captain America flick, while Hulu brings the heat with tons of original shows and movies from around the world, coupled with American TV shows from network partners. There's a lot to watch, with new stuff added every day, so we picked out the three best choices for the last week of May, and the full list of TV shows and movies coming to the streaming services below.This Week on Hulu and Disney+: PCMag's Picks The Seed of the Sacred Fig (May 27)The latest movie from acclaimed Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig received a Special Jury Award at Cannes following an over 12-minute standing ovation after its screening. Set against the backdrop of the 2022 protests against Iran's authoritarian government, the plot follows newly appointed judge Iman, who quickly learns that he wasn't given a promotion to find the truth, but rather to rubber-stamp verdicts from the regime. He becomes increasingly paranoid and unhinged, with his family becoming a target.Director: Mohammad RasoulofCast: Soheila Golestani, Missagh Zareh, Mahsa RostamiGenre: DramaRating: PG-13IMDb Rating: 7.6/10Captain America: Brave New World (May 28)Sam Wilson's first solo feature as the new Captain America was a mixed bag, with praise going to the lead performances but a general consensus of it not living up to the high points of the struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America: Brave New World is definitely still worth a watch when it premieres on Disney+, though, as it sets up some plotlines that we'd see play out in Thunderbirds, as well as future big adventures.Directors: Julius OnahCast: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Shira HaasGenre: ComedyRating: PG-13IMDb Rating: 5.7/10Adults (May 29)FX does solid young adult comedy, and AdultsDirectors: Anu Valia, Jason Woliner, Jonathan KriselCast: Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack InnanenGenre: ComedyRating: TV-MANew TV Shows and Movies Coming to Disney+ This WeekMay 24Doctor Who - Season 2, Episode 6May 25Captain America: Brave New WorldMay 28Me & Winnie the Pooh - Season 2, 6 episodesPlaydate with Winnie the Pooh - Season 2, 5 episodesRecommended by Our EditorsNew TV Series and Shows Coming to Hulu This WeekMay 24BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Anderson V. Burrell - Season 4Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern - Season 3Fixer Upper: Welcome Home - Season 1Gold Rush - Season 1Homestead Rescue - Season 12May 27Re: Zero - Season 1Tower of God - Season 1Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy - Season 1May 29Adults - Season 1New Movies Coming to Hulu This WeekMay 25How to Please a Woman (2022)May 27The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)May 29The Silencing (2020)May 30Into the Deep (2024)Rickey Smiley: Untitled (2025)

Meeting an online friend in person for the first time can be pretty awkward. If only there were a way to skip the weird small talk part and get right into the flow of real conversation — like, say, getting shrunk down to the size of a chess piece and trapped in a series of board games, forcing you to communicate so you can find your way out. That's exactly the scenario in which characters Alex and Sarah find themselves in the Playdate game Escape the Boardgame, and it's incredibly charming. Escape the Boardgame is kind of like an interactive comic, and it's the second such game by Julie and Anders Bjørnskov, following 2024's Escape the Arcade. You use the crank and sometimes the D-pad to move the story forward panel by panel, running into puzzles along the way that will serve as temporary roadblocks until you've come up with the solution. While it is an escape room of sorts, this isn't a high-tension situation; Alex and Sarah are stuck in a cozy boardgame cafe, not Jumanji. As they try to make their way out the door by traversing various game boards, they encounter a bunch of quirky but ultimately harmless characters. Just because it's casual doesn't mean it'll be a breeze to solve the puzzles, though. They're really creative, sometimes requiring you to pay close attention to every little detail on the screen in order to crack some obscure code, and other times forcing you to zoom out and consider the whole picture to see what's hidden in plain sight. The games within the game, like one in which you need to match pets with their correct owners, are a delight to take in. There are multiple hints for each puzzle, which you can access in the menu, so you can have varying degrees of assistance depending on how stuck you are. Savvy puzzle solvers will probably finish Escape the Boardgame in under an hour, so this one is perfect for when you just want to play something easygoing that can be wrapped up neatly in one sitting. Instead of leaving you frustrated, it's a brain teaser you're likely to walk away from feeling all warm and fuzzy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/if-you-like-puzzles-check-out-this-trippy-comic-style-escape-room-game-for-playdate-200003217.html?src=rss

Game Dev Digest Issue #282 - Unity 6.2 Beta, Level/Character Design, and more posted in GameDevDigest Newsletter Published May 16, 2025 Advertisement This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.comEnjoy!Unity 6.2 Beta is now available - Test the latest features, including Unity AI, Mesh LOD, and World Space UI for UI Toolkit. Dive in today and help shape the future of Unity!discussions.unity.comSpace is not a wall: toward a less architectural level design - People want to do level design. They grow up playing games like Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite — all 3D games with 3D worlds. And to create 3D worlds, supposedly you need this thing called “level design.” Then when you search YouTube, you'll be told that level design is about implanting secret lines that "guide the player" into walking down hallways. Such is the power of ARCHITECTURE!blog.radiator.debacle.usSound and Music in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader | An Audio Director's Perspective - In this article, I will discuss the approach to sound design and music that we took in our latest game: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.audiokinetic.comCastle Kellmore rendering - Since Castle Kellmore released on Playdate, I have had a lot of interest in the technical aspects of its rendering system. So I thought I would give a brief insight into how I made it look as good as possible, while (mostly) keeping to 50 frames per second.ligeiagames.comUnity-Advanced-Engineering-Guide - Unity Software Engineering Guide (Design Patterns, Software Architecture, Algorithms and Data Structure)MfaXyz VideosDesigning and Creating Video Game Zombie AI ft. PikPok - James and Sarah from PikPok (creators of Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days) are here to share their process for designing zombie behavior and bringing them to life in Unity!UnityThe GOOD, The BAD, and The BIZARRE of Unity 6.1's XR Updates - Unity 6.1 brings major XR updates, but not all features are created equal! This breakdown reveals which VR/AR features are genuinely useful. Learn about Variable Rate Shading, the new Mixed Multiplayer Tabletop Template, and why Deferred+ rendering is great tech you'll rarely use unless you're making a PC VR experience. I also dive into Unity's strange decision to support Android XR devices that don't actually exist yet!Fist Full of ShrimpHow to Generate Random Tilemap Decorations in Unity - In this continuation of the "How to Make a 2D Platformer Game in Unity" series we'll be generating random tilemap decorations using a rule tile.Wild Cockatiel GamesDiscover the HIDDEN POWER of Unity Property Bags and Visitors - The Property bag is the cornerstone of Unity.Properties—a powerful system that lets you generically access, inspect, and modify object data at runtime without reflection. In this video, we’ll show you how property bags, visitors, and adapters work together to build flexible, high-performance systems for tooling, UI binding, data validation, and more. You’ll learn how to write your own visitors, construct property paths, and use these patterns to create runtime features that adapt to any data structure.git-amendUnderstanding shaders is easy, actually - Shader code can be scary but... 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Includes ready-to-use samples, real-time previews, and per-vertex animation capabilities.LeiQiaoZhi Open SourceStereoCancer - An open-source stereo-correct screen-space shader for Unity, mainly intended for usage in animations and games such as VRChat.xwidghet Open SourceMobileConsoleKit - Mobile Console Kit is a Unity Asset Store that help you not just viewing logs in mobile devices, but helping you monitor, do experiment and speed up development time.pixeption Open SourceDevAccelerationSystem - The DevAccelerationSystem helps to enable features to speed up development iteration from code perspective. It includes ProjectCompilation checks for all your target platforms with different scripting define symbols combinations in your project.FoxsterDev Open Sourcenvim-unity-sync - nvim-unity is a Neovim plugin that helps you keep your .csproj files up to date when working on Unity projects.apyra Open SourceSavable-ScriptableObjects-Unity - Unity plugin that enables saving and loading ScriptableObjects using JSON serialization (Newtonsoft.Json) and PlayerPrefsEduardMalkhasyan Open SourceUltimate World Building Asset Bundle - Imagine it—build it—love it Elevate your next project with elite 3D assets, textures, references, and more from the Ultimate World Building Asset Bundle by ScansMatter—featuring 300 free commercial credits on ScansMatter.com, Rooftop Asset Kit, Office Environment Kit, and much more. This limited-time partnership with ScansMatter gives Humble Bundle members a unique opportunity to access countless professional-quality assets at a fraction of the price. 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Infiltrate, sabotage, and seize districts in a world that fights back. Unlock abilities, recruit allies, and shape the resistance-one mission at a time. Will you rise or be crushed?__My game, Call Of Dookie. Demo available on SteamYou can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter on GameDevDigest.comThis post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article. Comments Nobody has left a comment. You can be the first! You must log in to join the conversation. Don't have a GameDev.net account? Sign up!