Wholesome Direct 2025 - everything announced at this year's cosy indie showcase Big hops! Discount shops! Spooky pups! More! Image credit: Eurogamer Feature by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on June 7, 2025 If you're the sort who just can't seem to resist the soothing rhythms of turnip planting and interior design, you've come to the right place. This year's Wholesome Direct - which marks the fifth anniversary of the showcase - has now aired, unleashing a fresh wave of cosy games to stick on your wishlists. We've got vending machine management, adorable puppies on spooking adventures, cheese-based puzzling, geckos, goats, seasonal cemetery exploration, and a whole lot more. So if that sounds like it might help sate your idyllic yearning, read on for all the big announcements from Wholesome Direct 2025. And for more indies, you can check out our round-up of this year's Day of the Devs showcase elsewhere. Leaf Blower Co. Leaf Blower Co. trailer.Watch on YouTube Ever wished your PowerWash Simulator had a little less splosh and a little more whoosh? That seems to be the starting point for developer Lift Games' Leaf Blower Co., a game about making the untidy tidy come rain, snow, or shine, one mechanised gust at a time. It's got a story mode plus a variety to locations waiting to be blown debris-free, and if that appeals, a demo's available now on Steam ahead of its release later this year. Instants Instants trailer.Watch on YouTube Instants is a creativity themed puzzler about the intoxicating pleasures of obsessive scrapbooking. It sees players attempting to sort images into chronological order and then assembling them into a scrapbook to reveal a "heartwarming" story inspired by the way family history can be passed down using pictures. It's developed by Endflame and launches today on PC (via Steam and Epic), and Switch. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar trailer.Watch on YouTube Stardew Valley might be the face of farming sims these days, but the grandaddy of the genre - Story of Season (formerly Harvest Moon) - never went away, and another entry in the venerable series is looming. Grand Bazaar is actually a remake of 2011 DS game Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar, and it's got pretty much everything you'd expect from these kind of things - including turnips to fondle, animals to rear, and locals to dazzle with your impressive root vegetable collection. The main twist is you'll be selling all this yourself by setting up shop in the titular bazar. And if that sounds like something you'd enjoy, it launches for Switch, Switch 2, and Steam on 27th August. Gourdlets Together Gourdlets Together trailer.Watch on YouTube Perhaps you're already a fan of last year's Gourdlets or perhaps you're completely new to its vegetable-themed low-stakes thrills. Either way, there'll soon be a new way to play, thanks to developer AuntyGames' Gourdlets Together. Essentially, it takes the laid-back village-building vibes of the original, slings in a bit of a fishing focus - where earnings can be spent on upgrades or accessories to decorate your island home - then lets you do it while hanging out with friends online. Gourdlets Together launches on PC later this year. Luma Island Luma Island trailer.Watch on YouTube Don't think we're done with the farming sims yet - not by a long shot! Luma Island launched last year, offering an attractive mix of crop whispering, profession-specific activities, creature collecting, exploration, and puzzle-y dungeoneering. And come 20th June, it'll be getting just a little be more swashbuckling, thanks to its free Pirates update, introducing a new profession, new Lumas, new outfits, and a pirate cove filled with mini-games, temples, traps, and treasures. It'll also bring a range of different difficulty modes to suit players of all tastes. Is This Seat Taken? Is This Seat Taken? trailer.Watch on YouTube Think you're a dab hand at the old 'awkward family gathering' seating plan challenge? Well then, this might just be the game for you. In Poti Poti Studio's "cosy, silly, and relatable" logic puzzler Is This Seat Taken?, the goal is to satisfy the demands of a particularly fussy group of chair occupiers to find the perfect spot that'll keep everyone happy - be they on the bus, at the park, or in the office. It's coming to Steam, Switch, iOS, and Android this August, and a Steam demo's out now. MakeRoom MakeRoom trailer.Watch on YouTube Here's one for the aesthetic tinkerers and furnishing fetishists out there. MakeRoom, from developer Kenney, sees players decorating a series of miniature dioramas - from cosy indoor retreats to camper vans and even forests - to fulfil the requests of adorable NPCs. You might, for instance, be tasked with creating the perfect room for cats, or a suitably moody hideout for a vampire. Then it's simply a matter of hanging drapes, plopping down plants, and even crafting furniture to bring these spaces to life and satisfy your clients' whims. It all sounds very much like Animal Crossing's weirdly compelling Happy Home Paradise expansion, so if it's more of that sort of thing you want, MakeRoom comes to Steam on 7th August. Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell trailer.Watch on YouTube The apple bell - whatever an apple bell is - has been stolen, but luckily for apple bell lovers everywhere, renowned detective Ambroise Niflette is on the case. Over the course of Topotes Studio's investigatory adventure, Ambroise - and players - will roam the village of Touvoir, interrogating its inhabitants and searching for secrets, all while using a notebook of steadily amassing leads to reveal contradictions and unmask the culprit. It all sounds perfectly lovely, but the real draw is the delightful art style, which is heavily inspired by miniatures and stop motion. Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell is eventually set to launch on Steam, but first there's a Kickstarter, which is underway now. Let's Build a Dungeon Let's Build a Dungeon trailer.Watch on YouTube First there was Let's Build a Zoo, and now comes Let's Build a Dungeon. But while developer Springloaded kept its focus pretty tight for its debut release, Let's Build a Dungeon goes broad; not only is it a playable RPG creator where you can rustle up your own worlds and quests, it's also claiming to be an entire games industry sim too, where you'll need to manage all the malarky around releasing your game - from attracting funding right through to making a profit at the other end of the process. But if all that sounds too stressful, Springloaded has confirmed - as part of its latest showing - there'll be a cosy sandbox Build Mode too. There's still no release date for Let's Build a Dungeon yet, but it's heading to Steam (there's a demo here), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Squeakross: Home Squeak Home Squeakross: Home Squeak Home trailer.Watch on YouTube What do you get if you cross adorable mice with classic grid-filling puzzler Picross? Well, this thing, obviously. Squeakross: Home Squeak Home is the work of developer Alblune, and it adds its own twist to the familiar logic-testing formula by introducing a home decorating element. The idea is each puzzle corresponds to an unlockable bit of decor - including furniture, accessories, and stickers - so you'll slowly amass new furnishings and trimmings as you give your brain a work out. Is there an in-game lore reason why puzzles equals furniture? Who knows! We'll soon find out, though, given Squeakross launches for Switch and PC (via Steam and itch.io) today. Monument Valley 3 Monument Valley 3 trailer.Watch on YouTube Ustwo Games' perspective shifting puzzle series Monument Valley has been a big old hit, amassing tens of millions of downloads since its iOS debut back in 2014 - so it wasn't a huge surprise when a third entry showed up on mobile last year. Initially, however, it was locked behind a Netflix subscription, but Monument Valley 3 - which we quite liked despite it offering little meaningful evolution for the series - is finally spreading its wings later this year. As announced during today's Wholesome Direct, it's coming to Steam, Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 22nd July. Big Hops Big Hops trailer.Watch on YouTube If you immediately thought bunnies, you're wrong. Big Hops is, in fact, a frog-themed action platformer, in which players attempt to help the titular Hop find his way home. Each world he visits on his adventure promises its own self-contained story - involving everything from mountain cultists to desert ne'erdowells - all interspersed with plenty of agile platform action. You can grapple across gaps, hoist levers, rotate wheels, even pick locks - all using your tongue - and it's accompanied by some veggie-based gameplay that lets players introduce the likes of climbable vines and mushroom-based bounce pads into levels. Big Hops is currently raising funds via Kickstarter and a Steam demo's out now. Little Kitty, Big City Little Kitty, Big City trailer.Watch on YouTube Here's quicky for you. Little Kitty, Big City - the feline-focused open-world adventure from Double Dagger Studio - is getting a little bigger. That's thanks to a free content update coming to all platforms this "summer", promising new story content, a new neighbourhood to explore, and new oddball characters to befriend. That's alongside a new cat customisation feature for you creative sorts out there. Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk trailer.Watch on YouTube What's in a name? Well, pretty much everything in this case. Aftabi Games' Vending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk is, just as it sounds, a cosy, laidback game about managing your own vending machine empire. You'll choose where your machines go and what they sell, and hire staff to ensure they stay stocked, clean, and in working order. There's a heavy customisation element too, as you're free to decorate the areas surrounding your vending machines in order to attract new customers. Kozy Kiosk is officially referred to as an "idle simulation", and can be played both actively and passively. And if that appeals, it launches for Steam today. Winter Burrow Winter Burrow trailer.Watch on YouTube Developer Pine Creek Games' "woodland survival game" Winter Burrow was unveiled during December's Wholesome Direct, but it's back to announce it's now coming to Switch. If you missed its original reveal, Winter Burrow casts you as a mouse who's attempting to fix up their burrow and turn it into a toasty retreat from the cold. That requires exploring the snow-covered world outside, gathering resources, crafting tools, building things, making friends, baking pies, and more. Winter Burrow launches next year and will be available for Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game Tales of the Shire trailer.Watch on YouTube After multiple delays, cosy hobbit life sim Tales of the Shire is almost upon us, and developer Wētā Workshop is readying for its arrival with a brand-new trailer. It's been described as a game about "finding joy in the small moments", and features all the usual life sim activities - fishing, cooking, gathering, decorating, merrymaking - with a bit of a Lord of the Rings twist. So yes, you CAN decorate your hobbit's hole. Tales of the Shire launches for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on 29th July. Haunted Paws Haunted Paws trailer.Watch on YouTube If your interests lie at the intersection of spooky mansions and adorable pups, prepare to have your day made. In developer LazyFlock's supernatural adventure Haunted Paws, players - either solo or with a friend - control two brave (and customisable!) puppies as they explore a creepy old house in search of their human, who's been kidnapped by sinister forces. It promises puzzles, lighthearted spookiness, and even a few emotional bits. There's no release date for Haunted Paws yet, but it's coming to Steam. The Guardian of Nature The Guardian of Nature trailer.Watch on YouTube This wholesome, hand-drawn puzzle adventure from Inlusio Interactive is all about the interconnectedness of nature, and sees players embarking on a botanical journey as the lovably be-hatted Henry. Not only does Henry know his stuff about the natural world, he's also able to change his size, meaning players can explore both above and below ground as they solve puzzles to assist nature. The Guardian of Nature launches into Steam early access today, and it's coming to Switch, Xbox, iOS, and Android too. Everdeep Aurora Everdeep Aurora trailer.Watch on YouTube If you've ever thought Dig Dug would be improved if its protagonist was a cat, Everdeep Aurora might be the game for you. It follows the apocalyptic adventures of a kitten named Shell as she explores subterranean depths in search of her mother. You'll obliterate blocks, do some platforming, play mini-games, and converse with peculiar characters as you investigate the dark secrets buried below, all without a hint of combat. Its limited-colour pixel art looks wonderful, and it's coming to Steam and Switch on 10th July. Seasonala Cemetery Seasonala Cemetery trailer.Watch on YouTube From the creators of A Mortician's Tale, the "meditative" Seasonala Cemetery is a "peaceful but poignant reflection on life and death". It's set in an expansive, living cemetery that changes dynamically based on your system's time and date. The summer, for instance, might see the world bustling with vibrant life, while the winter brings quiet and snow. You can interact with NPCs and animals, rummage through nature, learn the history of the nearby city through its gravestones, or simply relax to its ambient sounds. Seasonala Cemetery is out today on Steam and itch.io, and is completely free. Camper Van: Make it Home Camper Van: Make it Home trailer.Watch on YouTube One of (bizarrely) several camper-van-themed games currently in the works, developer Malpata Studio's Make it Home is a pretty self-explanatory thing. You've got a camper van to make your own as it journey across beautiful, idyllic landscapes. Part of your goal is to solve organisational puzzles, but there's laidback interior design too. Camper Van: Make it Home is available today, alongside a demo, on Steam. Lynked: Banner of the Spark Lynked: Banner of the Spark trailer.Watch on YouTube FuzzyBot's Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a cheerily colourful action-RPG, that's part sci-fi roguelike, part relaxed life sim. At its most peaceful, you'll farm, fish, gather materials, and build your base with help from your robot pals, but that's all in service of its more frenetic hack-and-slash action. When you're ready for some proper adventure, you can brave the wilds, battle evil robot forces with a large arsenal of weapons, and search for helpful bots to bring back home. Lynked is already available on Steam, but it's coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S too. Omelet You Cook Omelet You Cook trailer.Watch on YouTube In this chaotic cooking roguelike from SchuBox Games, you're tasked with creating the perfect omelettes to satisfy your customers' increasingly peculiar demands. That involves combining ingredients as they fly by on a conveyor belt, from the relatively mundane to the rather more dubious, in the hope of earning enough money to increase your provisions, add useful relics to your pantry, and, hopefully, please the fearsome Principal Clucker. It all looks wonderfully ridiculous, and it launches on Steam today. Milano's Odd Job Collection Milano's Odd Job Collection trailer.Watch on YouTube Milano's Odd Job Collection (known as Milano no Arubaito Collection in Japan) is coming to the west for the very first time. It follows the adventures of 11-year-old Milano as she's left to her own devices over the summer. Free to do as she pleases, she embarks on a range of odd job - from pizza delivery to milking flying cows - in order to make money and have fun. Milano's Odd Job Collection, from developer Westone, is coming to Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC later this year. Fireseide Feelings Fireseide Feelings trailer.Watch on YouTube If you've got something to get off your chest, what better place to do it than by a roaring fire in a cosy forest glade? Fireside Feelings is described as a "mental wellness experience" promoting empathy, connection, and positivity between players. Situated cosily in your customisable camp, you're able to answer questions on a range of topics, taking part in conversations between people "separated in space and time". Conversations aren't live, and there's no direct interaction with others, but the goal, according to developer Team Empreintes, is to "share experiences, express your emotions, and be a part of a caring community". It launches today on Steam. All Will Rise All Will Rise trailer.Watch on YouTube Well here's something you don't see every day. All Will Rise is a "narrative courtroom deck-builder", in which you and your team take a corrupt billionaire to court, accusing them of a river's murder. That involves accumulating cards and using them to engage in conversation battles, attempting to charm, intimidate and manipulate those you meet around the vibrant city of Muziris. "Obey a dead river god's summons - or defy them," developer Speculative Agency explains. "Pass information to violent ecoterrorists - or maintain your pacifist ideals. Convince a corporate stooge to testify for you - or blackmail him with sensitive information. Your choices will determine the [city's] fate." All Will Rise is currently crowdfunding, but it's aiming to launch on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam. Gecko Gods Gecko Gods trailer.Watch on YouTube It's hard to go wrong with a gecko, which immediately gives developer Inresin's Gecko Gods a bit of an advantage. What we've got here is a "serene lizard-sized puzzle-platformer" set on a beautiful archipelago, in which its tiny protagonist clambers across forgotten ruins, solving puzzles as they go. There are secrets of a lost civilisation to uncover, hidden paths, and more, all of which you'll be able to explore for yourself when Gecko Gods launches for Switch, PS5, and Steam later this year. But if you're an impatient sort, a Steam demo is available now. One Move Away One Move Away trailer.Watch on YouTube If you quite fancied the idea of Unpacking, but thought it had far too much 'taking stuff out of things' for its own good, you might enjoy Ramage Games' One Move Away, which is basically the inverse experience. Here, you play as three different characters, starting with a young girl in the 1980s, gradually learning more about them as you pack their belongings away ready for another chapter in their intertwining lives. All this plays out in first-person across 20 levels, and if that takes your fancy, a Steam demo's out now ahead of a full launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Heidi's Legacy: Mountains Calling Heidi's Legacy trailer.Watch on YouTube As you've probably already guessed, Heidi's Legacy: Mountains Calling takes inspiration from the classic children's stories. Which is why it's something of a surprise to learn its protagonist is called Adèle. Regardless, this is a game of grumpy old men, goat management, and alpine wandering, where you'll explore the beautiful countryside with your bleating pals, foraging for herbs, mushrooms, and more in a bid to help the nearby village. You can unlock abilities that open up more of the world, and chat to the locals in branching conversations'll that impact their lives. And as for those goats, they can provide milk, cheese, and wool. "Will you embrace slow living," asks developer Humble Reeds, "or push for bolder change?". Heidi's Legacy is coming to PC "soon". Hotel Galatic Hotel Galatic trailer.Watch on YouTube In Hotel Galactic, you're responsible for the running of a modular hotel on a strange cosmic island, which you'll customise and optimise in order to provide guests with the perfect stay. There are resources to manage, a workforce to build, and more, as you cater to the demands of your ever-growing colony, all with assistance from your ghostly Grandpa Gustav. There's a bit more to it than that, though, and the whole thing's framed by a tale of love and vengeance that's conveyed through some lovely anime-inspired art and animation. Hotel Galactic launches into Steam early access on 24th July, with consoles to follow, and a demo's available now. Out and About Out and About trailer.Watch on YouTube If it's serene forest meandering you're after, then look no further than Yaldi Games' Out and About. It's a "cosy foraging adventure" focused on exploring nature and identifying real-life plants and fungi. You'll cook recipes, make herbal remedies, and help rebuild your community after a devastating storm, all while hopefully learning a bit of botanical knowledge you can take out into the real-world. Out and About looks to be aiming for a 2025 release on PC, with a console launch to follow. And if it's piqued your curiosity, you can test out a Steam demo now. Discounty Discounty trailer.Watch on YouTube Forget the farm life; how about managing your own discount supermarket in a small harbour town? That's the premise of Discounty from Crinkle Cut Games, which sees you designing and organising your shop, managing stock levels, working the checkout, and striking trade deals. You'll make friends, navigate local drama, and expand your empire, but that doesn't mean you have to play nice. After all, can you really become filthy rich without making a few lifelong enemies along the way? Discounty launches for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on 21st August and, yup, a demo's available now on Steam. Islanders: New Shores Islanders: New Shores trailer.Watch on YouTube We're big fans of developer GrizzlyGames' minimalist city builder Islanders around these parts, so news publisher Coatsink was developing a sequel earlier this year came as a pleasant surprise. It is, if you're unfamiliar, a game about attempting to squeeze as much onto a procedurally generated island as possible, maximising building synergies and minimising penalties to get the highest score. New Shores sounds like a gentle finessing of the formula, rather than a radical reinvention - it's got a sandbox mode as well as a high score mode now, alongside new power-ups called "boons" - but that's okay. The big news is it now has a release date and is coming to Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam on 10th July. Collector's Cove Collector's Cove trailer.Watch on YouTube VoodooDuck's Collector's Cove might be yet another farming game, but it does at least have a unique twist. For starters, your farm is on a boat endlessly sailing the oceans AND it's powered by an adorable sea monster who you'll need to forge a bond with. As you set out on a tranquil adventure across the water, you'll farm, fish, craft, and personalise your surroundings, sometimes stopping off at passing islands to catalogue their unique flora. Collector's Cove doesn't have a release date yet, but it's coming to PC and a Steam demo's available now. Town to City Town to City trailer.Watch on YouTube Fans of minimalist railway game Station to Station might want to pay attention here. Town to City is developer Galaxy Grove's follow-up to that earlier puzzler, sporting a similar voxel art aesthetic and vibe. This time around, you're charged with building quaint picturesque towns by placing shops, houses, amenities, decorations, and more - all in a bid to please your residents and encourage more to move in. Eventually, you'll have multiple towns under your care, helping the whole region grow and thrive. Town to City doesn't have a release date yet, but you can play a demo on Steam. Fishbowl Fishbowl trailer.Watch on YouTube And finally for the big, non-montage reveals, it's Fishbowl, a coming-of-age tale told over the course of a month. Developer imissmyfriends.studio describes it as a "warm and cozy story about living in isolation, nurturing friendships and understanding grief", and it's all focused on 21-year-old video editor Alo as she works from home while mourning her grandmother. As the days tick by, you'll video call loved ones, work to assemble videos, do care tasks, and solve puzzles to unpack your grandmother's belongings - recovering childhood memories as you do. There's no release date for Fishbowl yet, but it's coming to PS5 and Steam.

Interviews Mickey 17: Stuart Penn – VFX Supervisor – Framestore By Vincent Frei - 27/05/2025 When we last spoke with Stuart Penn in 2019, he walked us through Framestore’s work on Avengers: Endgame. He has since added The Aeronauts, Moon Knight, 1899, and Flite to his impressive list of credits. How did you get involved on this show? Soon after we had been awarded work, Director Bong visited our London Studio in May 2022 to meet us and share his vision with us. How was the sequences made by Framestore? Framestore was responsible for the development of the Baby and Mama Creepers. We worked on the shots of the Baby Creepers within the ship, and the Creepers in the caves and the ice crevasse. We developed the ice cave and crevasse environments, including a full-CG shot of Mickey falling into the crevasse. Within the ship we were also responsible for the cycler room with its lava pit, the human printer, a range of set extensions, Marshall’s beautiful rock and—one of my personal favourites—Pigeon Man’s spinning eyes. We also crafted the spacewalk sequence. All the work came out of our London and Mumbai studios. Bong Joon Ho has a very distinct visual storytelling style. How did you collaborate with him to ensure the VFX aligned with his vision, and were there any unexpected creative challenges that pushed the team in new directions? Director Bong was fun to work with, very collaborative and had a very clear vision of where the film was going. We had discussions before and during the shoot. While we were shooting, Director Bong would talk to us about the backstory of what the Creepers might be thinking that went beyond the scope of what we would see in the movie. This really helped with giving the creatures character. Can you walk us through the design and animation process for the baby and mother creepers? What references or inspirations helped shape their look and movement? Director Bong had been working with his creature designer, Heechul Jang, for many months before production started. We had kickoffs with Director Bong and Heechul that provided us with some of the best and most thought out concepts I think we’ve ever received. Director Bong set us the challenge of bringing them to life. We took the lead on the Baby and Mama Creepers and DNEG took on the Juniors. It’s fun to note that the energy and inquisitive nature of the Babies was inspired by reference footage of puppies. Were these creatures primarily CG, or was there any practical element involved? How did you ensure their integration into the live-action footage? They were all CG in the final film. On set we had a range of stuffies and mockups for actors to interact with and for lighting reference. People became quite attached to the baby creeper stuffies! For the Mama there was a head and large frame that was controlled by a team of puppeteers for eyeline and lighting reference. The ice cave has a very distinct visual style. How did you achieve the look of the ice, and what techniques were used to create the lighting and atmospheric effects inside the cave? I was sent to Iceland for a week to gather reference. I visited a range of ice cave locations—driving, hiking and being dropped by helicopter at various locations across a glacier. This reference provided the basis for the look of the caves. The ice was rendered fully refractive with interior volumes to create the structures. As it’s so computationally expensive to render we used tricks where we could reproject a limited number of fully rendered frames. This worked best on lock offs or small camera moves—others we just had to render full length. How were the scenes featuring multiple Mickeys filmed? Did you rely mostly on motion control, digital doubles, or a combination of techniques to seamlessly integrate the clones into the shots? For our shots it was mostly multiple plates relying on the skill of camera operators to match the framing and move and the comp work to either split frames or lift one of the Mickeys from a plate and replace the stand-in. Since Mickey’s clones are central to the story, what were the biggest VFX challenges in making them interact convincingly? Were there any specific techniques used to differentiate them visually or subtly show their progression over time? This really all came down to Robert Pattinson’s performances. He would usually be acting with his double for interaction and lighting. They would then switch positions and redo the performance. Robs could switch between the Mickey 17 and 18 characters with the assistance of quick hair and makeup changes. The prison environment seems to have a unique aesthetic and mood. How much of it was built practically, and how did VFX contribute to enhancing or extending the set? The foreground cells and storage containers were practical and everything beyond the fence was CG with a DMP overlay. The containers going off into the distance were carefully positioned and lit to enable you to feel the vast scale of the ship. We also replaced the fence in most shots with CG as it was easier than rotoing through the chain links. When Mickey is outside the ship, exposed to radiation, there are several extreme body effects, including his hand coming off. Can you discuss the challenges of creating these sequences, particularly in terms of digital prosthetics and damage simulations? Knocking Mickey’s hand off was quite straight forward due the speed of the impact. We started with a plate of the practical arm and glove and switch to a pre-sculpted CG glove and arm stump. The hand spinning off into the distance was hand animated to allow us to fully art direct the spin and trajectory. The final touch was to add and FX sim for the blood droplets. How did you balance realism and stylization in depicting the effects of radiation exposure? Were there real-world references or scientific studies that guided the look of the damage? Most of the radiation effects came from great make up and prosthetics—we just added some final touches such as an FX sim for a bursting blister. We tried a few different simulations based on work we had none on previous shows but ultimately dialed it back to something more subtle so it didn’t distract from the moment. Were there any memorable moments or scenes from the film that you found particularly rewarding or challenging to work on from a visual effects standpoint? There were a lot of quite diverse challenges. From creature work, environments, lava to a lot of ‘one off’ effects. The shot where the Creepers are pushing Mickey out into the snow was particularly challenging, with so many Creepers interacting with each other and Mickey, it took the combination of several animators and compositors to bring it together and integrate with the partial CG Mickey. Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of? The baby creeper and the Ice cave environment. How long have you worked on this show? I worked on it for about 18 months What’s the VFX shots count? Framestore worked on 405 shots. A big thanks for your time. WANT TO KNOW MORE?Framestore: Dedicated page about Mickey 17 on Framestore website. © Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2025

Published May 22, 2025 10:00am EDT close 'CyberGuy' praises Trump admin for Take It Down Act Kurt Knutsson joins "Fox & Friends" to discuss President Donald Trump's Take It Down Act and Meta avoiding removing scam ads from its platforms.  Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is under fire after a major report revealed that thousands of fraudulent ads have been allowed to run on its platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta accounted for nearly half of all scam complaints tied to Zelle transactions at JPMorgan Chase between mid-2023 and mid-2024. Other banks have also reported a high number of fraud cases linked to Meta's platforms.JOIN THE FREE "CYBERGUY REPORT": GET MY EXPERT TECH TIPS, CRITICAL SECURITY ALERTS AND EXCLUSIVE DEALS, PLUS INSTANT ACCESS TO MY FREE "ULTIMATE SCAM SURVIVAL GUIDE" WHEN YOU SIGN UP! Meta logo (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Why are scam ads so widespread?The problem of scam ads on Facebook has grown rapidly in recent years. Experts point to the rise of cryptocurrency schemes, AI-generated content and organized criminal groups operating from Southeast Asia. These scams range from fake investment opportunities to misleading product offers and even the sale of nonexistent puppies.FBI WARNS OF SCAM TARGETING VICTIMS WITH FAKE HOSPITALS AND POLICEOne example involves Edgar Guzman, a legitimate business owner in Atlanta, whose warehouse address was used by scammers in more than 4,400 Facebook and Instagram ads. These ads promised deep discounts on bulk merchandise, tricking people into sending money for products that never existed."What sucks is we have to break it to people that they've been scammed. We don't even do online sales," Guzman told reporters. Facebook login page on a laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Meta's response: Is it enough?Meta says it's fighting back with new technology and partnerships, including facial-recognition tools and collaborations with banks and other tech companies. A spokesperson described the situation as an "epidemic of scams" and insisted that Meta is taking aggressive action, removing more than 2 million accounts linked to scam centers in several countries this year alone.However, insiders tell a different story. Current and former Meta employees say the company has been reluctant to make it harder for advertisers to buy ads, fearing it could hurt the company's bottom line. Staff reportedly tolerated between eight and 32 fraud "strikes" before banning accounts and scam enforcement was deprioritized to avoid losing ad revenue. META ENDS FACT-CHECKING PROGRAM AS ZUCKERBERG VOWS TO RESTORE FREE EXPRESSION ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM Instagram on a smartphone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)The human cost of inactionVictims of these scams often lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars. In one case, fake ads promised free spice racks from McCormick & Co. for just a small shipping fee, only to steal credit card details and rack up fraudulent charges. Another common scam involves fake puppy sales, with victims sending deposits for pets that never arrive. Some scam operations are even linked to human trafficking, with criminal groups forcing kidnapped victims to run online fraud schemes under threat of violence.Legal and ethical questions for MetaMeta maintains that it is not legally responsible for fraudulent content on its platforms, citing Section 230 of federal law, which protects tech companies from liability for user-generated content. In court filings, Meta has argued that it "does not owe a duty to users" when it comes to policing fraud. Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit over allegedly inflated ad reach metrics is moving forward, putting even more pressure on Meta to address transparency and accountability.How to protect yourself from scam adsStaying safe online takes a little extra effort, but it's well worth it. Here are some steps you can follow to avoid falling victim to scam ads.1. Check the source and use strong antivirus software: Look for verified pages and official websites. Scammers often copy the names and logos of trusted brands, but the web address or page details may be off. Always double-check the URL for slight misspellings or extra characters and avoid clicking links in ads if you're unsure about their legitimacy.The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.2. Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true: If an ad offers products at an unbelievable price or promises huge returns, pause and investigate before clicking. Scammers often use flashy discounts or urgent language to lure people in quickly. Take a moment to think before you act, and remember that if something sounds impossible, it probably is. 3. Research the seller: Search for reviews and complaints about the company or individual. If you can't find any credible information, it's best to avoid the offer. A quick online search can reveal if others have reported scams or had bad experiences, and legitimate businesses usually have a track record you can verify.4. Consider using a personal data removal service: There are companies that can help remove your personal info from data brokers and people-search sites. This means less of your data floating around for scammers to find and use. While these services usually charge a fee, they can save you a lot of time and hassle compared to doing it all yourself. Over time, you might notice fewer spam calls, emails and even a lower risk of identity theft. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.5. Never share sensitive information: Don't enter your credit card or bank details on unfamiliar sites. If you're asked for personal information, double-check the legitimacy of the request. Scammers may ask for sensitive data under the guise of "verifying your identity" or processing a payment, but reputable companies will never ask for this through insecure channels.6. Keep your devices updated: Keeping your software updated adds an extra layer of protection against the latest threats. Updates often include important security patches that fix vulnerabilities hackers might try to exploit. By regularly updating your devices, you help close those security gaps and keep your personal information safer from scammers and malware. 7. Report suspicious ads: If you see a scam ad on Facebook or Instagram, report it using the platform's tools. This helps alert others and puts pressure on Meta to take action. Reporting is quick and anonymous, and it plays a crucial role in helping platforms identify patterns and remove harmful content.8. Monitor your accounts: Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized transactions, especially after making online purchases. Early detection can help you limit the damage if your information is compromised, and most banks have fraud protection services that can assist you if you spot something suspicious.By following these steps, you can better protect yourself and your finances from online scams. Staying alert and informed is your best defense in today's digital world.Kurt's key takeawaysThe mess with scam ads on Meta's platforms shows why it's important to look out for yourself online. Meta says it's working on the problem, but many people think it's not moving fast enough. By staying careful, questioning suspicious offers and using good security tools, you can keep yourself safer. Until the platforms step up their game, protecting yourself is the smartest move you can make.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPShould Meta be doing more to protect its users from scam ads, even if it means making changes that could affect its advertising revenue? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Dogs have been man’s best friend for centuries. In recent decades, those furry friends have transitioned into “fur babies,” with many people opting for dog ownership over traditional parenthood. But what does choosing dogs over children say about our society and the way we think about family?In a study published in European Psychologist, a research team from Eötvös Loránd University suggests that declining global birth rates and increasing dog ownership are related. Although dogs cannot replace children, they can effectively offer people the chance to fulfill the parenting urge without the financial and social demands associated with human offspring.“Among many factors, the relatively short lifespan of dogs might contribute to it, as most people expect to outlive their dog, but not their child,” said Laura Gillet, Ph.D. student at the Department of Ethology, in a press release. “Not only individual decisions, but also sociocultural context are crucial to understanding how and why people develop certain types of relationships with their animals.”Why People Choose Dogs Over ChildrenGlobally, especially in wealthy and developed countries, birth rates have steadily declined. In these same countries, dog ownership has only continued to skyrocket, with more people opting to have a pet instead of having a child.To investigate this phenomenon, researchers completed a comprehensive literature review and came up with a hypothesis: for many people, dogs exist as the perfect compromise. We all have a genetically-embedded drive to nurture, and our social bonds with dogs can satisfy this drive. Furry children allow their owners to achieve emotional outcomes similar to those of traditional parents, including positive emotions, social support, and a sense of purpose. By fulfilling this need for dependence and costing less time and money than human children, parenting dogs is a win-win situation.What Makes Dogs Good Kids?Dogs’ cognitive abilities that allow them to learn and respond to human communication are partly why they’ve been by our side for so long. These special adaptations also aid in developing their social behaviors, many of which are incredibly similar to pre-verbal children. Breeds that are particularly baby-like, such as pugs and French bulldogs, can even exhibit the innocence and helplessness of toddlers.Like children, dogs are also dependent on humans as their caregivers. Domesticated dogs can’t feed themselves, take themselves for walks, or arrange social interactions. Their parents are fully responsible for providing them with the necessary means for survival. Although the expectations are high and dogs become incredibly attached to the humans who take care of them, the commitment is still less than expected for a human child. Even with all these comparisons between fur and biological children, treating dogs this way isn’t universal for all dog owners.“We would like to point out that, contrary to popular belief, only a small minority of dog owners actually treat their pets like human children. In most cases, dog parents choose dogs precisely because they are not like children, and they acknowledge their species-specific needs,” said Eniko Kubinyi, senior author of the study and head of the MTA-ELTE “Momentum” Companion Animals Research Group, in the press release.The Future of Pet ParentingFor the research team, it is important that people remember that dogs don’t always want and need what humans think is best for them. Unfortunately, seeing a dog like a human child often raises ethical concerns. The growing interest in infant-like traits has led to the mass breeding of unhealthy breeds. Additionally, being overprotective and sheltering dogs can result in emotional and behavioral problems.Overall, the study’s authors hope that their findings will result in a broader way of thinking about the bond between people and their pets. Due to increasing social isolation and loneliness in our modern world, dogs are still our best friends, companions, and partners, no matter what shape that relationship takes.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article: European Psychologist. How modern dog ownership has redefined family and parenting As the marketing coordinator at Discover Magazine, Stephanie Edwards interacts with readers across Discover's social media channels and writes digital content. Offline, she is a contract lecturer in English & Cultural Studies at Lakehead University, teaching courses on everything from professional communication to Taylor Swift, and received her graduate degrees in the same department from McMaster University. You can find more of her science writing in Lab Manager and her short fiction in anthologies and literary magazine across the horror genre.

Humpback Whales Give Birth Much Farther South Than Previously Thought, Study Finds Researchers in Australia found records of humpback whale calves more than 900 miles farther south than expected A mother and baby whale spotted swimming near Kiama, New South Wales, Australia.  Vanessa Risku / Instagram: droning_my_sorrows Each year, humpback whales migrate predictably between cold, nutrient-rich feeding grounds and warm, tropical calving grounds, where they give birth and care for their young. Or so scientists thought. Researchers in Australia recorded calves being born much farther south than previously thought, which challenges long-held assumptions about humpback migration patterns. They shared their findings in a new paper published yesterday in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) live in all of the world’s oceans. These behemoth marine mammals are highly migratory, swimming thousands of miles each year. The longest humpback whale migration ever recorded was 8,106 miles, from South America to Africa, though more typical distances are around 5,000 miles. In the Southern Hemisphere, humpbacks head to the krill-rich waters of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica every summer, then venture up the eastern and western coasts of Australia toward the warmer waters north of the continent every winter. Researchers long believed that humpbacks only gave birth to their calves in the tropical waters north of 28 degrees latitude on Australia’s east side and north of 23 degrees latitude on the west side. “Our general concept of humpback whale ecology is that they feed at high latitudes in the poles, breed in the tropics, and they have this migration that's driven between the two needs,” says lead author Jane McPhee-Frew, a marine guide and biologist at the University of New South Wales, to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Ellen Phiddian. But, for the new study, scientists found more than 200 records of calves spotted south of these cut-offs. Some were seen as far south as Tasmania and New Zealand, at around 43 degrees latitude, which is between 807 and 932 miles farther south than expected. And that’s just where the sightings stopped—it’s possible humpbacks are giving birth even farther south. “Eventually, we just ran out of land to see them from, so we don’t actually know where the limit is,” McPhee-Frew says in a statement from the university. The scientists gathered the baby humpback whale sightings from a variety of sources, including migration surveys, stranding reports and citizen science observations from tourism boats. In total, the data included 209 observations consisting of 11 births, 41 strandings and 168 live calves; the scientists believe the reports represent at least 169 individual calves. Though the stranding data went back as far as 1991, most of the opportunistic observations occurred more recently, from 2016 forward. Roughly two-thirds of the total opportunistic observations occurred in 2023 and 2024. Since this is the first study of its kind, the scientists aren’t sure whether this is a new trend or just something no one had noticed before. “It may be the case that this has always been happening and we’ve just not documented it well or been paying attention,” study co-author Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist at Macquarie University, tells the Guardian’s Petra Stock. “Or it may be something new is happening because waters are becoming warmer further south of those traditional tropical areas, which means that they’re more favorable for a humpback whale to have a calf.” The findings were not necessarily a surprise, either, because humpbacks are known to feed, mate and give birth along their migratory corridor, says Olaf Meynecke, a marine scientist at Griffith University who was not involved with the study, to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. However, scientists “don't know to what extent they are doing this,” he adds. The findings also raise additional questions. The biggest one? If humpbacks don’t need to be in tropical waters to give birth, then why are they migrating to do it? “I don't know, but it's exciting,” McPhee-Frew tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. One possibility is that whales born in warmer waters have better chances of survival. These regions have fewer predators, like orcas, and the waters tend to be calmer. The warmer climate may also be beneficial for baby whales—called neonates—with poor temperature regulation. In addition, calves born farther south must still migrate northward with their mothers. This long journey is not only taxing, but it also takes them through busy shipping lanes and past urbanized areas, which opens them up to risks like boat strikes, entanglement and pollution. “Newborns are like Great Dane puppies,” says study co-author Tracey Rogers, also a biologist at the University of New South Wales, in the statement. “They have those long, enormous fins that they need to grow into, and they’re not very strong swimmers. So they rest a lot of the time on their mum’s back.... It’s heartbreaking to think of these young whales traveling through busy ports and dangerous shipping lanes with those long, clumsy fins.” Moving forward, researchers might be able to answer some of these questions by following calves born in cold waters and comparing their health and longevity to those born in warm waters. Scientists are also curious about other effects, like whether calves born in colder waters also return to these same areas when they’re ready to reproduce. In the meantime, the scientists say their findings could have important conservation implications. For instance, with calves being born farther south than previously thought, policymakers may want to consider expanding marine protected areas or launching awareness-raising campaigns to help keep them safe. “We can't be in a situation where we're putting any age of whales—especially baby whales—in a situation where they're getting caught in nets, being exposed to chemicals, being hit by boats and being harassed,” McPhee-Frew says in the statement. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Fake puppies and phony offers of mouthwatering bargains are often seeded by overseas crime networks; employees says company is reluctant to impede its advertising juggernaut

Amber RutherfordSenior EditorAmber RutherfordSenior EditorPublished14 May 2025TagsShowcase Your Product to Our Creative AudienceLet's TalkDaniel Sarapp shared the outcome of his first experience with XGen.Daniel SarappThis terrifying creature bears little resemblance to mole rats, or "sand puppies," which look like walruses and primarily feed on large tubers. Daniel Sarapp crafted this humanoid mole rat using ZBrush, Maya, Substance 3D Painter, and Unreal Engine 5. It's also his first time working with XGen, which added a perfect touch to the design.Daniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappDaniel SarappHave a look at Daniel's other works and visit his ArtStation page for more:Also, join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.