These annual rankings were last updated on May 23, 2025. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking. Split by the North China Sea into Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo’s East Malaysia, the country has a particular geographical location that has contributed to a diverse and forward-thinking architectural landscape. Its history originates from the Malay kingdoms, which were colonized by the British Empire in the 18th century. Ornate mosques adorned with intricate carvings to elegant colonial buildings lining the streets of George Town are testaments to the country’s architectural heritage. Malaysia’s modern architecture such as the Petronas Twin Towers, designed by César Pelli and the visionary works of Hijjas Kasturi that have reshaped the urban landscape of Kuala Lumpur exhibit technological prowess and sustainable designs. Malaysian architects today draw equal inspiration from traditional Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous motifs, infusing contemporary designs with elements that resonate with Malaysia’s diverse cultural fabric. The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia for example is where traditional Islamic architecture harmonizes with modern museum design principles. Projects such as the Forest City development in Johor demonstrate the country’s commitment to integrating green spaces and innovative technologies to create eco-friendly communities of the future. With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Malaysia based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge. How are these architecture firms ranked? The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority: The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025) The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025) The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025) Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Malaysia architecture firms throughout the year. Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in Malaysia: 20. Design Unit © Design Unit Sdn Bhd John Bulcock has 35 years experience working as an architect, planner, interior designer and landscape designer on a wide variety of projects in Europe, Turkey, India and Southeast Asia. His experience encompasses Architecture as well as Architectural, Master, Urban and Sustainable Planning. Since 1994 he has been commissioned to carry out a variety of projects in Malaysia, India and Southeast Asia including residential, commercial and institutional buildings and sustainable master planning of resorts and townships. Low energy and sustainable design is central to his philosophy and approach to architecture and he has received a number of awards for his work. Some of Design Unit’s most prominent projects include: Cantilever House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The following statistics helped Design Unit Sdn Bhd achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 19. Eowon Designs © Eowon Designs An integrated team of design professionals incorporating architects and interior designers. We believe exquisite designs are produced as a result of artistic judgement coupling with visional innovation. Dedicated to pursue perfection in every project through expressive creativity and committed professionalism. We design to impress! Some of Eowon Designs’ most prominent projects include: BSG Sales Gallery , Penang, Malaysia The following statistics helped Eowon Designs achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 1 18. Hijjas Architects & Planners © H Lin Ho Formerly known as Hijjas Kasturi Associates; Hijjas Architect & Planners is the evolution of a long standing professional practice that values a holistic approach to design and building; combining multi-disiplinary approach with strong concept and contextual driven solutions. Some of Hijjas Architects & Planners’ most prominent projects include: Heriot Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia Heriot Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia The following statistics helped Hijjas Architects & Planners achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 2 17. Anuar Aziz Architect (a member of Arte Axis Design Group) © Anuar Aziz Architect (a member of Arte Axis Design Group) Arte Axis Design Group is a boutique multi-disciplinary design group specializing in green build environment. Central to the company philosophy is design excellence, achieved through extensive and active collaboration with our clients, consultants and specialists. The work emerges from an evolutionary design process, exploring and testing ideas, while focusing on the clients’ objectives, functional discipline and value based design. Some of Anuar Aziz Architect (a member of Arte Axis Design Group)’s most prominent projects include: SOCSO Rehabilitation Centre, Malacca, Malaysia PPR (People Housing Program) Gua Musang , Gua Musang, Malaysia UPSI Student Village, Tanjung Malim, Malaysia The following statistics helped Anuar Aziz Architect (a member of Arte Axis Design Group) achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 16. Seshan Design © Rupajiwa Studio We are a boutique, design driven practice based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, where we offer customized design solutions, tailor-made to suit our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations! We believe every project is unique and the best results are obtained from intimate discourse and development with our clients. We are passionate about our work and we seek equally passionate clients who will willingly work closely with us to push the limits of what is possible. We are a very versatility office- our projects range from masterplanning, architecture to interiors and in various categories: residential, commercial, food and beverage and hospitality. Some of Seshan Design’s most prominent projects include: “Chahna” – Glenhill, Shah Alam, Malaysia Menerung House, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia SS3 House, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia The following statistics helped Seshan Design Sdn Bhd achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 3 15. Kee Yen Architect © Pixelaw Photography We respond to the sensitivity and random at its artfulness for all reveries. – Ar. Lim Kee Yen “We are dedicated in using multi-perspective and rational means to intervene the development of contemporary living environment, committed to creative-thinking and thorough design solutions. In this complex era, the new ideas and inspirations are always come from the responsiveness and sensitiveness of the contextual study – a careful study of the unique needs, the constraints of each project as well as from continuous improvements in the process from conceptual to construction details. Some of Kee Yen Architect’s most prominent projects include: Project Conservatory, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia KYA Studio, Shah Alam, Malaysia Fillet House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Kemaris House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3-Juxta House, Malaysia The following statistics helped Kee Yen Architect achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 5 14. D&P Associates © D&P Associates Founded by Romain Duval in 2004 after a successful career with top practices in Paris. We are band of makers — curious, industrious and experimental. We are architects, designers, creators and entrepreneurs working together across a wide range of landscapes and locations. We are futurists, making today what we believe will inspire and connect people tomorrow. Our philosophy is to work closely with client to refine designs and produce cost effective and elegant solutions. People entrust us with realizing the expression of themselves and to translate that into built form. Ours is an architecture of listening & understanding. This is what we know to do. Some of D&P Associates’ most prominent projects include: Spaces Rialto , Melbourne, Australia Regus HP Tower , Wellington, New Zealand Regus Center One, Seoul, South Korea Regus Center One, Seoul, South Korea La Table du Chef, Hanoi, Vietnam The following statistics helped D&P Associates achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 36 13. TKCA Architect © TKCA Architect TKCA Architect is an award-winning architectural firm located in Kota Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia which provides complete architectural, planning and interior design services. Founded by Ar. Ts. IDr Rien Tan in year 2020, TKCA Architect has a diverse portfolio of outstanding community, adaptive reuse, industrial, commercial and residential projects. TKCA Architect fully embraces the Integrative Design Team and Integrative Design Process method of design and building which assures the most responsive, accurate and cost effective process for each client. Notably, TKCA Architect has recently earned recognition as one of the emerging architects in Malaysia under KLAF 2023. Some of TKCA Architect’s most prominent projects include: Skyblox Co-living, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Spectrum House, Subang Jaya, Malaysia SAMA Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ERASCAPE PAVILION, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The following statistics helped TKCA Architect achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 1 Total Projects 4 12. zlgdesign © zlgdesign zlgdesign was set up some 20 years ago by two architect both trained in London under the banner of zeidlerlim design. Susanne Zeidler had worked and studied under sir Peter Cook in London and Frankfurt, and later at the Bartlett, London, whereas Huat Lim trained at the Architectural Association London, and then went on to work at foster and partners in the UK (at the time the chelsea reach offices had not yet been built) in 1984 and for foster france at the time, in Nimes, south of France. Some of zlgdesign’s most prominent projects include: Point 92, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Lantern Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia BOH Tea Visitor’s Centre, Pahang, Malaysia The following statistics helped zlgdesign achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 11. Fabian Tan Architect © Fabian Tan Architect Fabian Tan Architect is an architectural studio based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The firm has completed several notable houses which have garnered awards and favourable publication throughout Asia & Europe. Its approach to architecture has been one that involves evolution and flexibility. Ideas that are formed in the conception of a project never imposes anything on the site. Throughout, conventions are constantly reassessed, resulting in individual variations of concepts meant for a specific context. He believes that the essence and consistency of a space is a whole that reflects its constituent parts such as light, material, volume, and relationships. In this hectic and overly complicated times we exist in, restraint and refinement serve as his guiding philosophy to create buildings of subtle beauty. Some of Fabian Tan Architect’s most prominent projects include: Voila House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Eigent House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Ittka House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Ottiqa House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tessera House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The following statistics helped Fabian Tan Architect achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 6 10. Eleena Jamil Architect © Marc Tey Ge Wai EJA was formed in 2005 by Eleena Jamil and is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a breadth of experience in delivering successful and imaginative projects. With a dynamic and committed team of architects and assistants, it focusses on creating enduring architecture by seeking tactile spatial solutions with strong references to context and culture. Some of Eleena Jamil Architect’s most prominent projects include: Sepang House, Selangor, Malaysia The Buzz.ar, Malaysia Bamboo Playhouse, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Sri Rampai Pedestrian Bridge, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Shadow Garden Pavilion, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia The following statistics helped Eleena Jamil Architect achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 8 9. S.PIN ARCHITECT © S.PIN ARCHITECT S. Pin Architect is an award-winning firm based in Kuala Lumpur. Founded by Ar. Tan Sih Pin, one of the alumni of ’30 Under 40 Emerging Malaysian Architects 2011′, the firm strives for holistic approach in architecture which includes urbanism, interior design & landscape design. It has vast experience in wide range of projects which include residential, commercial, hospitality, recreational, industrial and mixed development. Inspired by Malaysia’s rich nature & diverse culture, S.Pin’s architecture has been persistently spinning out from the following core visions: NATURE When architecture embraces & responses to the surrounding nature, magic happens, innovative solutions will emerge. We believe architecture & nature can symbiotically co-exist and mutually calibrate to reach a new sustainable balance for our challenged environment. CULTURE Architecture functions at its best when it works seamlessly with its surrounding socio-cultural and historical fabric. Some of S.PIN ARCHITECT’s most prominent projects include: The Skywalker House, Jalan Medang Tanduk, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Concrete Cloud, Bayan Club, Seri Kembangan, Malaysia MINANGKABAU-LONIAL House at Subang Heights, Subang Jaya, Malaysia Pantech Corporation, Pasir Gudang, Malaysia The following statistics helped S.PIN ARCHITECT achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 11 8. architects 61 © architects 61 sdn bhd Architects 61 was established in 1995 by Jeffrey Ling. The firm with 50 strong workforces has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and is associated to the regional architectural practice of Architects 61 which is one of the largest practice in Singapore that was founded in 1974. With a proven track record spanning over 25 years, our portfolio includes master planning, mixed use developments, hotels, residences, offices, civic buildings and urban heritage conversion. The Firm is registered with US Green Building Council (USBGC) and also member with GBI as we strongly believe GREEN would be direction to pursue in order that developments become sustainable. Some of architects 61’s most prominent projects include: Kia Peng Suites, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Troika Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia Continew, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Lakeville, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia D’Sara Sentral, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia The following statistics helped architects 61 sdn bhd achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: A+Awards Finalist 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 6 7. Core Design Workshop © Core Design Workshop With experiences in new builds, remodeling design and adaptive reuse architecture, Core Design Workshop has been emphasizing on looking deep into the iNSIDE of Architecture, not in the context of interior design but simply representing architecture from the iNSIDE out. Putting Form and Function as the old norm, prioritising on defining the spatial quality within the context of architecture, with creating NEW spatial experiences as the top agenda of all the design programs, re-discovering the inner essence of what truly matters to the building users. Some of Core Design Workshop’s most prominent projects include: inTroVerse House, Subang Jaya, Malaysia inSight House, Malaysia inTerlace House, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia The following statistics helped Core Design Workshop achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 3 6. Kuee Architecture © Kuee Architecture Kuee Architect(s) is a multiple PAM Award-winning ISO 9001 Architecture practice in Malaysia. With our design works spread across various countries, our focus is on delivering green, sustainable buildings with exquisite quality and functionality. Some of Kuee Architecture’s most prominent projects include: Rebranding of Pantai Hospital Ipoh, Ipoh, Malaysia 1 Lasam, Ipoh, Malaysia Galasa Event Place, Ipoh, Malaysia Kuee Architect’s Residence, Ipoh, Malaysia The following statistics helped Kuee Architecture achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 4 5. SAVA Architects © SAVA Architects SAVA is a design consultancy firm based in Borneo, Malaysia and Danang, Vietnam. We are inspired by the mountains in Northern Borneo and coastlines in Central Vietnam. SAVA is formed with a commitment to designing spaces for people from every walk of life – by utilising locally-sourced materials and local building techniques. Our design intends to bring people closer to nature, especially in an urban environment. Our portfolio ranges from residential, hospitality, commercial to interior design, with past experience in masterplanning, housing and bamboo architecture in Asia and Europe. SAVA’s architecture is beyond aesthetics. Our aim is to raise awareness and appreciation for our surroundings through our thoughtful design process. Some of SAVA Architects’ most prominent projects include: Thavi Cosmetic Showroom, Vinh, Vietnam Red House, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia The following statistics helped SAVA Architects achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: A+Awards Winner 1 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 2 4. Gibert&Tan © Gibert&Tan GIBERT&TAN is a design studio directed by Michael Gibert & Tan Seok Foong. The studio was founded on the premise that a small but expert group of individuals can deliver outstanding works. Our prism is in a permanent search for an accurate interaction with the present, attentive and non-arrogant, with collaboration standing at the core of our methodology. Our interest does range from the mundane to the spiritual and we endeavor to bring these two conditions together to truly impact those who experience our works in real time. Some of Gibert&Tan’s most prominent projects include: 181Chambers@Semantan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia BBR Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Gale’s Residence, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Lotus KL Store, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The following statistics helped Gibert&Tan achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 4 3. ArchiCentre © Archicentre Sdn. Bhd. Founded in 1994, ArchiCentre is a multidisciplinary architecture design practice based in Malaysia. Archicentre’s work is driven by sustainable regionalism to create socially responsive built environments. Their portfolio of works range from large scale city and town planning through to commercial, hospitality, residential, and adaptive re-use projects. Archicentre’s multi award-winning designs are widely published in the region. Some of ArchiCentre’s most prominent projects include: Estuari Sport Complex, Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia Setia Corporate Headquarters, Shah Alam, Malaysia Glad Tidings Vision Centre, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia S14 House, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Setia Eco Tower, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Malaysia The following statistics helped Archicentre Sdn. Bhd. achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 3 Total Projects 10 2. Code Red Studio © Utile, Inc. CRS also known as Code Red Studio, aim to be the key player of architecture, interior and illustration industry in Johor Bahru. Some of Code Red Studio’s most prominent projects include: Autodesk Boston Workspace Expansion , Boston, Massachusetts The Bunker House, Kulai, Malaysia 30° tilted terrace REJUVENATION, Taman Tasek, Johor Bahru, Malaysia POOL HOUSE @ Leisure Farm., Malaysia The following statistics helped Code Red Studio achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: A+Awards Finalist 3 Featured Projects 2 Total Projects 5 1. DRTAN LM Architect © H Lin Ho DRTAN LM Architect (DTLM) is an architectural design studio that operates out of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where they are involved in a large variety of high profile work. Ar. Dr. Tan Loke Mun is the principal of DrTan LM Architect (DTLM). DTLM’s works embrace and interpret regionalism in a modern social context. In a rapidly changing world landscape, they believe that well designed buildings and spaces create added value for all its users. Often working from the basis of typologies, they have managed to interpret and translate simple regional metaphors into their increasingly green architecture. DTLM’s notable projects include GTVC Centre, M Marini, No.19 Subang Jaya, Puchong Festival City, Nagaworld Phnom Penh Cambodia, Suen Galleries Bangsar, No.18 House, 23 Terrace and House 12H. Some of DRTAN LM Architect’s most prominent projects include: PJKita Community Centre, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia 23 Terrace, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia House No.18, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Clay Roof House, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia 8D House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The following statistics helped DRTAN LM Architect achieve 1st place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Malaysia: Featured Projects 8 Total Projects 16 Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking? With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year. Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York. An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted A Guide to Project Awards The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award. The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status: Project completed within the last 3 years A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value High quality, in focus photographs At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings Inclusion of construction photographs There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.     We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com. The post 20 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Malaysia appeared first on Journal.

For the past few years, Six One Indie has been delivering stellar showcases that highlight an often overlooked category of games: indies. Though these titles might be made by smaller teams working on a much smaller budget compared to their AAA counterparts, you'd be wrong to think they don't contain every bit the charm and artistry of those promoted all across your social media timelines--and the games below serve as irrefutable proof.Though the team at Six One Indie featured nearly 50 games in its May showcase--the entirety of which you can watch here--we decided to round up just a few dozen of our favorites. From cozy titles like Bobo Bay to the hilariously bizarre Dinoblade, these are some of the indie that we immediately added to our Steam wishlist. Shadows of Chroma TowerShadows of Chroma Tower combines stylish, high-contrast art direction with "the best features of dungeon crawlers and ARPGs" to create a frenetic experience you can play by yourself or with friends. You'll be able to join factions, choose from five classes and six professions, upgrade a robust skill tree, and truly tailor your experience as you make your way up the tower in search of the game's big bad. Mouse: P.I. For Hire"Steamboat Willie-meets-John Wick" is probably one of the strangest combination of words I've ever used to describe a game, but when it comes to Mouse: P.I. For Hire, it just makes sense. In it, players take on the role of Jack Pepper, a hyper-violent private investigator with a strong right-hook and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, one of which is quite literally a ray gun that causes heads to explode. Its gritty, blood-splattering content is in stark contrast to game's visuals, which draw inspiration from 1930s cartoons, making the whole experience even more over-the-top. All that plus some neo-noir vibes and a jazzy soundtrack make this a game all you shooter fans should definitely keep an eye on. LeilaUbik Studio's Leila is one of the handful of games Six One Indie showed off that is available now--and for only $12, I might add. The hand-animated, story-driven puzzle game sees you relive a woman's "fragile memories" as she undergoes a deeply personal and transformative journey. It's worth noting that Leila features strong adult themes and some body horror, so don't go in expecting something "cozy." However, if you're looking for a dark, cerebral experience, this might be a great pick. Muffles' Life SentenceMuffles' Life Sentence is another game that is already available to play on Steam for the low price of $0, so there's really no reason to not give it a lil' whirl. The "darkly quirky" RPG take place in a prison where inmates are "remade" to match their crimes, and features gameplay stylings that are sure to delight fans of Paper Mario or Undertale. DinobladeSometimes, you can come up with an extremely cool idea for a game just by taking two really cool ideas and mashing 'em together. Such is the case with Dinoblade, a new action RPG that sees players take on the role of a young, blade-wielding Spinosaurus who must fight off other dinosaurs in order to prevent an extinction. It's ridiculous, yes, but what's not ridiculous is how much developer Team Spino commits to the bit--the game looks extremely cool and seems like it'll be a blast for fans of over-the-top action titles like Devil May Cry. Bobo BayHave you ever wished you could stay in Sonic the Hedgehog's chao gardens just a bit longer? Bobo Bay might be the game for you. The pet simulation title sees you care for, collect, breed, train, and accessorize adorable little creatures, all while readying them up for fun competitions such as races and wrestling matches. Though the game isn't scheduled to release until next year, those interested can play its alpha build now. Oscuro Blossom's GlowIf you're looking for a delightful-looking puzzle platformer accompanied by gorgeous, 2D, illustrative art, you should check out Oscuro Blossom's Glow. In it you play as Selene, a young girl with the ability to emit light; naturally, this power helps her traverse the lush woodlands she find herself in by creating life, dispelling creatures, and more. The game currently has a demo available to play over on its Steam page. Truth ScrapperInsertdisc5, the studio behind 2023's indie gem In Stars and Time, is back with a new game that looks every bit as lovely as its predecessor. In Truth Scrapper you play as Sosotte, a member of the Truth Scrapper guild who is sent to investigate a mysterious sinkhole that has destroyed the community's "sense of will." The only problem? The vast majority of your memories reset at the end of each day, and you're the one responsible for choosing which ones stay and which ones to abandon. 1000 Deaths1000 Deaths is a "gravity-bending 3D platformer" that features some truly fun visuals and an early 2000s, Adult Swim feel. However, to relegate it to just another platformer is a disservice, as 1000 Deaths also features a unique spin: the ability for players to make choices that completely alter the game's mechanics, story, and level design. This chaotic, hardcore, action game aims to set the stage for some fun speed-running opportunities--if its players can stay alive. Sound interesting? Fortunately, you can check out 1000 Deaths' demo now. Cast n ChillA massive departure from the previous entry on this list, Cast n Chill features a far more relaxing gameplay loop. The cozy idle game sees its players explore serene lakes, rivers, and ocean with their loyal pup, their only goal being to catch some fish. As they play, they'll get the chance to upgrade their gear, granting them the ability to reel in more impressive catches. It's a low stakes experience accompanied by some truly picturesque pixel-art, and best of all, you can play the game's demo right now. Future Vibe CheckEven if you've played automation games before, I can almost guarantee that you've never played one quite like this. In Future Vibe Check, players are tasked with slowly building a factory that doesn't just create products--it creates music, too. As they rebuild the given area, the structures they place create their own unique sounds whenever energy courses through them. Curious as to how that will play out? Fortunately, you can try Future Vibe Check's demo now. Scratch the CatFor all the Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Croc, and other 3D mascot platformer fans out there, here's a new game to keep on your radar. In Scratch the Cat, players take on the role of DJ Scratch, a sleek-looking cat who is on a journey to reclaim his stolen records. The adventure game features some remarkable visuals that are absolutely on par other games in the genre, and seems like it'll be ripe with collectibles, unique bosses, and plenty of ways to traverse and explore. Jump the TrackBilled as an "explosive comedy that blends visual novel with pachinko," Jump the Track looks like an incredibly charming game with plenty of style and humor. When not dishing out some pinball action, the game unfolds in an almost comic book-style way, as it tells the story of Sam, "a young dreamer struggling in the gig economy" whose fortune might just change tonight. Jump the Track currently has a demo available to play on Steam, as well as an extremely close release date: May 28, 2025. Rogue EclipseIn Rogue Eclipse, players get the chance to traverse stunning seas of stars and comets as they take down starfighters, armadas, and otherworldly behemoths. That said, it's not just a flight-based shooter, as Rogue Eclipse features an "epic roguelike campaign" as well. Developer Huskraft calls the game "easy to learn, tricky to master, and impossible to put down," and after this first-look, it's easy to see why. Guilty as Sock!One of the more bizarre games in the showcase, Guilty as Sock! looks incredible and I cannot wait to force my friends play it with me. The multiplayer, court simulator sees you and your pals jump into a chaotic trial where each person plays a sock puppet bound to a specific role--lawyer, judge, etc.--and must then present evidence cards that help support their agenda. While your friends testify, you can choose to throw paper balls and mock them in an attempt to shake them up and sway the verdict in your favor--it'll be up to the judge to call the behavior out, or encourage it. All in all, it's some real Among Us-style nonsense that I will absolutely be playing later this week, thanks to its new demo. Rue ValleyRue Valley is yet another title on this list with a demo I downloaded immediately. The gritty-looking narrative RPG follows a man trapped in a time loop and whose choices are bound by his mental state; if he is introverted, for example, even if you want him to go up and talk to a woman at a bar, he might not be able to muster up the courage. It will then be up to you to figure out how to deal with his various mental hurdles, form relationships with complex characters, and break out of the loop. Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn LimbsThere were a lot of game shown at Six One Indie's May showcase that featured some truly fantastic art direction, and Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs is absolutely one of them. The bleak, horror-adjacent title sees players take on the role of the Cariamara, a mysterious figure whose mission is to conjure up ghosts and answer their questions using a deck of cards. Described as a "short and creepy fairytale," this one might not be for the easily perturbed--but looks potentially delightful for those of us who love disturbing little creatures and moody, PS1-era visuals. A Week in the Life of Asocial GiraffeHave you ever just wanted to be left alone? That's precisely how this giraffe feels, and is the conceit behind A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffe. In it, your goal is simple: avoid all social contact. However, the citizens of Friendly City do make things a bit harder thanks to their chatty nature. It is up to you to help our giraffe friend do all his chores and live his best life, all while avoiding people by solving point-and-click puzzles and utilizing stealth. If you're looking to give it a go, the game's demo is now live on Steam. InkshadeAnother visually remarkable entry on this list, Inkshade is turn-based tactics game that sees players take control of strange wooden miniatures that are "wrapped in a web of locked rooms and orchestrated by an otherworldly game master." The end goal of Inkshade is to guide these tokens to a mysterious realm known as the abyss, but they'll first need to conquer the continent, procure an airship, and sail through "cursed skies," and none of that will be easy. However, if you're interested in giving it a shot, you can play the game's demo now. One Way HomeBased on its trailer, One Way Home reminds me a lot of Limbo or Inside, albeit with realistic visuals, more horror, and some cool "choose-your-own" adventure elements. The game follows Jimmy Taylor, a 12-year-old boy who gets involved in a car accident on his walk home from school. When he comes to, Jimmy finds himself thrust into a mysterious version of his world that, while seemingly devoid of humans, is filled to the brim with monstrosities and disturbing visuals. What ensues is a tense-looking puzzle platformer in which player-choice dictates the skills, locations, enemies, and endings Jimmy stumbles upon--and thanks to its new demo, you can get a first glimpse at how this will all play out now. Kabuto ParkWith its playful visuals and adorable premise, Kabuto Park looks perfect for those seeking a game with a bit of whimsy and childlike wonder about it. At its core, the game revolves around bugs: finding them, catching them, training them, and ultimately winning the Summer Beetle Battle Championship with them. As players bug-catch and battle, they'll also gain the ability to upgrade their equipment, allowing them to find even "rarer, stronger, and shinier little friends" to use in the game's card-based competitions. Sounds cute, right? If you think so, I've got great news for you: the game comes out on May 28. Oh and if you're feeling really antsy, you can play the demo right now. Quite a RideIt's just you, your bicycle, a half-charged cellphone, and one very good boy against the world in the upcoming psychological horror game Quite a Ride. In it, you play as someone whose quick trip to their friend's house is derailed by the sudden presence of a dense, oppressive fog filled with eldritch horrors. As such, you have no choice but to keep pedaling--even as the beings following you grow so close you can hear them breathe and the world shifts around you. And though this and the game's beautiful, Pacific Northwest vibes are already enough to make me extremely interested in it, Quite a Ride also has another thing going for it: collective progress. This means that player's collective, global efforts will change the game over time by introducing new characters, locations, and secrets. We'll see if I am actually brave enough to play it, but wow am I eager to try. OddbatOddbat likens itself to Celeste in that it is an extremely challenging platformer filled with secrets and over 700 unique levels. That said, it is immediately obvious that its personality, humor, and style are all its own. In Oddbat, you play as a vampire on a mission to perform an elaborate ritual. However, you'll need to drain the blood of seven bosses and make your way through five unique dungeons to do so. Naturally, you'll need to rely on one of your most iconic vampiric powers--the ability to become a bat--to help you accomplish your goals. With its cheeky tone and monochromatic color scheme, Oddbat looks to be shaping up into a viciously fun and stylish platformer.

Doom The Dark Ages – not a cheap game (Bethesda) The Friday letters page blames Sony for the decline of Bungie, as one reader thinks they’ve guessed the secret of Super Mario on Switch 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Top three I was considering buying Doom: The Dark Ages but was shocked to find that the game is £70 on PC. I know it’s that on console too but normally PC games are at least £10 cheaper, although I’m not sure why. So we’ve got a game that is single-player only, can be beaten in around 13 hours, and is not only the most expensive a console game can be but the same on PC too. How many different ways can Bethesda find to put me off buying the game?I wonder if this is an attempt by Microsoft to push people towards paying for Game Pass, but I can assure them that is not going to work on me. I’ll just buy the game on Black Friday, when I’m sure it’ll be at least half price – just like Doom 2016 was by that same point. Video games might not have seen much of a price rise over the decades, I understand that, but what these companies seem to forget is that back in the SNES days most of us were only getting two or three games a year, because they were so expensive. If Microsoft and whoever wants to go back to those days then fine, but I can tell you Doom is not going to be one of my three for 2025.Sonny GC: PC games are usually cheaper because there’s no licensing fee to pay to publish them, as there is on consoles. Expect nothing So basically Sony are wasting another year? Possibly no summer showcase at all and if it is it’ll just be a bog standard State of Play? That is just tragic at this point. We’ve had three years of them acting like this and I have no idea why or what would convince them to stop and go back to how they used to be. I guess the assumption has to be that they’re never going to now.We’ve got Ghost Of Yōtei this year and the Returnal sequel next year and I think that means nothing else is imminent. If they had something coming out between those two, I think we would’ve heard about it by now. We might get more games published but not made by them, like Death Stranding 2, but I’m not even sure if that’s hoping for too much at the moment.Scooby Tears of the Mushroom Kingdom How did Nintendo shake up the long running Zelda franchise? They went open world with Breath Of The Wild. How are Nintendo shaking up the long running Mario Kart franchise? They’re going open world with Mario Kart World (it’s in the name!) for the Switch 2 release.So, what do I predict they’ll do with the next mainline Mario game to shake up the franchise? No, I’m not going to predict anything because it’s a fool’s errand to predict Nintendo!ttfp saylow (gamertag) Now playing: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom (rescued from the backlog) and Crime Scene CleanerEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk Hands-on management I have been hearing about Bungie having bad management for years, long before Sony bought them, so I’m not sure why this has never been solved. Obviously, they’re the ones in charge, so there’s not much the workers can do, but Sony certainly could, and should’ve, knocked some heads together.In that sense it’s hard not to at least partially blame Sony for the mess that Bungie has got into. They bought them but don’t seem to have had a plan for what they were going to do with them. It makes me wonder whether these companies are just bought like trophies, with no real idea of how they could be used effectively. I remember when Sony bought Bungie the rumours were that they did it just as much to stop Microsoft from getting hold of them, who would’ve presumably used them to revitalise Halo. But then what has Microsoft done to change or improve Activision? As far as I can see nothing has changed and they certainly haven’t started making more games or bringing back any of their old franchises. The average person probably has no idea they even changed hands.Whisper No answer I have been trying for hours to find a direct link to GAME online UK customer services contact details, to raise an issue with a faulty controller purchased in April of this year.Although on the GAME website there is information regarding contacting customer services every link you follow sends you to drop down menus that do not meet the criteria I’m looking for. I have accidentally but more successfully had immediate contact with GAME SA via WhatsApp or email but as for GAME UK, no response at all. Is this a purposeful ploy on behalf of GAME online UK to make their customers so frustrated they give up?!Lorraine First impressions I just wanted to say thank you to GC for their preview of the Nintendo Switch 2. I just finished reading the feedback, from the press event in Paris. It was a very informative piece and I’m modestly relieved to see positive impressions. I am pleasantly unsurprised to see the Welcome Tour was the lowest point of the event. Of course, you had to expect that GC. It did put someone to sleep, after all.I’m glad to also see that Cyberpunk 2077 is a winner as well. It was a dumpster fire on PlayStation 4, so it’s extremely important that it was ported sufficiently enough to ensure the same issues never bore fruit. Mario Kart World is shaping up to be a wonderfully delicious experience and I’m deeply glad for it, since I’ve brought the bundle. It was important that my investment is paying off. I also am curious to see how the titles that we’ve yet to see test footage run on the system, namely Star Wars Outlaws and Borderlands 4. I’ve also heard that the upcoming James Bond title will be ported; very interesting to hear. I wasn’t expecting that at all and it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. But we know nothing of the title yet, so that’s essentially a long time away. That’s all my thoughts. So, I’d like to thank GC again and I am indeed much more positive. With two weeks left until launch day, hopefully the positive momentum continues.Shahzaib Sadiq Giving it a chance I’m glad that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has done well, despite all the negativity before it was released. Ubisoft brought some of it on themselves, but it reviewed well and I took a chance and was very impressed by it. It has some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen and while the gameplay is a little predictable for the series it’s still a lot of fun.It makes me want to try out Star Wars Outlaws too, as that good a bad rap before it was released as well, mostly just because it was a Ubisoft game, as far as I can tell. So I’m going to try and pick it up next time I see it on sale. I’m not a fan of any company but I don’t think it’s right to dismiss any game just because of who made it.Arnie All in good time I definitely agree that Rockstar’s best game is possibly Red Dead Redemption and taking nothing away from Grand Theft Auto due to the more interesting new ideas involved in the game. One of these was getting a bounty on a person and being able to hogtie a target and take them back alive if possible, which was just like a Western film.Literally. you had every location going, with the great plains, the forests, the variety of frontier towns with the characters doing an amazing job creating the best drama out there. And of course, the mountain ranges and across the border to the desert region and Mexican villas, amongst their own unique landscapes. The city is awesome in GTA and the night life and sunrise appearing on the horizon, with your favourite radio station blasting a belter of a tune, is how gamers fell in love with GTA. But Red Dead just made it work over a 100-odd years prior. A future Red Dead Redemption 3 would be an incredibly exciting experience to dream about, with all the amazing possibilities that Rockstar’s clever devs can give us. But hey, GTA 6 soon and I’ll go with that for now.Alucard Inbox also-rans I’m still kind of shocked that Monster Hunter Wilds is the best-selling game of the year. I know of literally no one in the real world that is even aware of the franchise. Good for Capcom though, I guess.FocusReally excited about the fan campaign for Star Wars Battlefront 3. I’m not sure it’ll work, given the costs involved, but I’d love to see it, given all the new shows they could base maps on. I want to play as K-2S0!Gordo More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is Rockstar Games’ best game? GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Sciel is a true heavy-hitter in your Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 party, offering a fairly straightforward way to make number go up compared to her counterparts. While, yes, Lune and Maelle can dish out serious damage, both require some preparatory work to achieve that output, whereas Sciel only requires you to be aware of her comparatively more streamlined Twilight mechanic. If you’re interested in the best of the best for your scythe-wielding teacher, this Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 guide will break down the best Sciel build, including her best weapons, attributes, Pictos, and skills to quickly dispatch foes. Best Sciel build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sciel works as a support unit and DPS, but we believe her talents are much better in a damage-dealing role. She’s at her best as the team’s primary source of damage. With Sciel, you want to apply Foretell stacks on enemies and then trigger those stacks with the appropriate skills. The best skills for Sciel will allow her to mark enemies as well for her other teammates to trigger, so she works well with at least one other dedicated damage dealer — preferably Maelle. The best Sciel build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is: Attributes: Defense and Luck Weapon: Charnon Skills: Twilight Dance, Sealed Fate, Final Path, Delaying Slash, Fortune’s Fury, and Plentiful Harvest Pictos: Immaculate, Glass Cannon, and Inverted Affinity Sciel’s best attributes by far are Agility and Luck. Her skills and playstyle are meant for someone who can attack often and deal critical hits, too. What’s more, in the game’s opening act, the best weapon for Sciel, the Scielson, scales well with the stats mentioned above. As you progress, you’ll be swapping weapons to the Rangeson and Charnon, respectively, but once you reach the endgame and the Charnon, you’ll have access to guaranteed critical hits. This allows you to Recoat her attributes away from Agility and put them into Defense instead. Below, we’ll explain in more detail why this is the best Sciel build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Best attributes for Sciel Your attribute spread for Sciel will look different depending on how far in the game you are. Make sure to save a Recoat for the late game so you can prioritize the perfect attributes for the final stretch. In Act 1, prioritize Agility and Luck for the extra turns and crit chance. (You can also put points into Vitality to give Sciel some survivability in the early game.) In Act 2, the best weapon for Sciel becomes the Rangeson, so her attributes should reflect that. You should alter your strategy and prioritize Agility and Defense. Once you get Charnon, you’ll want to Recoat your attributes again, only this time prioritizing Defense and Luck for that weapon’s scaling. Best weapon for Sciel The best weapon for Sciel is the Charnon. This missable weapon can be found by defeating the Gestral Merchant, Grour, at Renoir’s Drafts. To find this merchant, you must have Esquie’s diving ability, which you get when he reaches relationship level 6. Defeating Grour will allow you to purchase the Charnon. Hopefully you’ve been saving your cash — it costs a whopping 89,884 chroma! The weapon’s strength comes from its Level 4 passive, granting guaranteed critical hits when Sciel is in Twilight. Sciel’s abilities fit into one or two categories, Sun and Moon. Using a skill will generate a card of the assigned typing. Once you’ve generated both a Sun card and a Moon card, Sciel will enter Twilight, offering increased damage and double the amount of Foretell you can stack on an enemy. The goal is to ensure Sciel spends as much time in Twilight as often as possible, so it only makes sense you’d want a weapon that empowers the stance to new heights. Best Pictos and Luminas for Sciel You will need some time to build up the best Pictos and Luminas for Sciel. The best Pictos in her case are Immaculate, Glass Canon, and Inverted Affinity. Below are the detailed descriptions of what these Pictos do and the stats they grant bonuses to. Immaculate — Speed and Crit Rate. 30% increased damage until a hit is received. Glass Cannon — Speed. Deal 25% more damage, but take 25% more damage. Inverted Affinity — Health and Crit Rate. Apply Inverted on self for three turns on battle start.50% increased damage while Inverted. These Pictos are pretty much the “One Shot Setup.” They provide Sciel and other DPS characters the scaling and damage necessary to dictate the battlefield. However, the trade-off of these Pictos is low survivability. If you’re not a God at Expedition 33’s defense mechanisms, maybe you should practice them as you make your way through the game and to Sciel’s perfect build. You can also offset this weakness a bit with the right Luminas. We’d recommend using the following Luminas, depending on how many Lumina Points you have. Augmented Counter I Auto Rush Critical Burn Dead Energy II Roulette Empowering Parry Energising Jump Energising Parry Energising Start II First Strike Tainted Full Strength Painted Power Recovery Cheater Solidifying Sweet Kill Warming Up Best skills for Sciel The best skills for Sciel are the following: Twilight Dance: Deals extreme single target Dark damage. 4 hits. During Twilight, extends Twilight duration by 1 turn. Consumes all Foretell to deal additional damage. Sealed Fate: Deals high single target damage. 5-7 hits. Uses Weapon’s element. Each hit can consume 1 Foretell to deal 200% more damage. Critical Hits don’t remove the Foretell but still gets the damage increase. Final Path: Deals extreme single target Dark damage and applies 10 Foretell. 1 hit. Can Break. Delaying Slash: Deals medium single target damage. 2 hits. Uses weapon’s element. Consumes Foretell to increase damage and delay target’s turn. Fortune’s Fury: Targeted ally deals double damage for one turn. Plentiful Harvest: Deals medium single target Physical damage. 2 hits. Consumes all Foretell on a target and gives 1 AP to a party member for each Foretell consumed. These moves allow you to properly set Sciel or your chosen sub DPS unit for success. Fortune’s Fury will be your primary skill. Combined with a skill like Marking Card, it is perfect for unleashing considerable damage on the game’s more challenging encounters. Final Path and Twilight Dance are your primary sources of damage if you prefer another weapon. However, with the Charnon and its awesome critical hit passive, you can’t go wrong with Sealed Fate.

When performing date calculations, creating date ranges can be helpful. But how can we do this, and which DAX function can help us in which case? Now you can learn more about this topic. The post About Calculating Date Ranges in DAX appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Please Read Carefully & Fully Complete the Application BelowWe’re excited to offer an opportunity to join One Janitorial as a Lead Generator — a full-time remote position with consistent hours, a supportive team, and strong earning potential.CompensationBase pay ranges from $1,170 to $1,300 CAD per month, with additional commissions of $250 to $750 CAD monthly based on performance.To be considered, please read the job description in full and complete the video and send it to us.Video Submission RequiredPlease record a short 2–3 minute video answering the following:How long have you done outbound cold calling or lead generation?How many outbound calls did you make per day in that role?Why do you believe you’d be a great fit for this position at One Janitorial?Send your video directly to [email protected]. You can upload it to Loom, YouTube (unlisted), or Google Drive and share the link, make sure you authorize us to view it.Your application will not be considered without this video.About the Role: Lead GeneratorAs a Lead Generator, your main responsibility is to create sales opportunities by consistently making outbound calls and sending emails. You’ll be expected to:Make 150+ outbound calls per daySend follow-up emails to prospectsBook a minimum of 4 qualified appointments per week.RequirementsEnglish fluency — minimum 9/10 written and spokenA computer with at least 4GB RAMA high-quality webcam and microphone headsetStable, high-speed internet — run a free test by searching “internet speed test” on GoogleA quiet, distraction-free home workspaceAvailability to work Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM MDTHigh energy, self-motivation, and strong communication skillsA strong work ethic and commitment to hitting daily goalsFamiliarity with Google Suite (Drive, Sheets, Gmail, etc.) is a plusOur Core Values at One JanitorialDisciplineEthical BehaviorResults-Oriented MindsetMaking an ImpactCommitmentResponsibilityIf these values resonate with you and you're ready to contribute to a high-performance team, we want to hear from you.We look forward to reviewing your application.– The One Janitorial Team

Who gets hired as an NBA coach? How long does a typical coach last? And does their coaching background play any part in predicting success? This analysis was inspired by several key theories. First, there has been a common criticism among casual NBA fans that teams overly prefer hiring candidates with previous NBA head coaches experience. Consequently, this analysis aims to answer two related questions. First, is it true that NBA teams frequently re-hire candidates with previous head coaching experience? And second, is there any evidence that these candidates under-perform relative to other candidates? The second theory is that internal candidates (though infrequently hired) are often more successful than external candidates. This theory was derived from a pair of anecdotes. Two of the most successful coaches in NBA history, Gregg Popovich of San Antonio and Erik Spoelstra of Miami, were both internal hires. However, rigorous quantitative evidence is needed to test if this relationship holds over a larger sample. This analysis aims to explore these questions, and provide the code to reproduce the analysis in Python. The Data The code (contained in a Jupyter notebook) and dataset for this project are available on Github here. The analysis was performed using Python in Google Colaboratory.  A prerequisite to this analysis was determining a way to measure coaching success quantitatively. I decided on a simple idea: the success of a coach would be best measured by the length of their tenure in that job. Tenure best represents the differing expectations that might be placed on a coach. A coach hired to a contending team would be expected to win games and generate deep playoff runs. A coach hired to a rebuilding team might be judged on the development of younger players and their ability to build a strong culture. If a coach meets expectations (whatever those may be), the team will keep them around. Since there was no existing dataset with all of the required data, I collected the data myself from Wikipedia. I recorded every off-season coaching change from 1990 through 2021. Since the primary outcome variable is tenure, in-season coaching changes were excluded since these coaches often carried an “interim” tag—meaning they were intended to be temporary until a permanent replacement could be found. In addition, the following variables were collected: VariableDefinitionTeamThe NBA team the coach was hired forYearThe year the coach was hiredCoachThe name of the coachInternal?An indicator if the coach was internal or not—meaning they worked for the organization in some capacity immediately prior to being hired as head coachTypeThe background of the coach. Categories are Previous HC (prior NBA head coaching experience), Previous AC (prior NBA assistant coaching experience, but no head coaching experience), College (head coach of a college team), Player (a former NBA player with no coaching experience), Management (someone with front office experience but no coaching experience), and Foreign (someone coaching outside of North America with no NBA coaching experience).YearsThe number of years a coach was employed in the role. For coaches fired mid-season, the value was counted as 0.5. First, the dataset is imported from its location in Google Drive. I also convert ‘Internal?’ into a dummy variable, replacing “Yes” with 1 and “No” with 0. from google.colab import drive drive.mount('/content/drive') import pandas as pd pd.set_option('display.max_columns', None) #Bring in the dataset coach = pd.read_csv('/content/drive/MyDrive/Python_Files/Coaches.csv', on_bad_lines = 'skip').iloc[:,0:6] coach['Internal'] = coach['Internal?'].map(dict(Yes=1, No=0)) coach This prints a preview of what the dataset looks like: In total, the dataset contains 221 coaching hires over this time.  Descriptive Statistics First, basic summary Statistics are calculated and visualized to determine the backgrounds of NBA head coaches. #Create chart of coaching background import matplotlib.pyplot as plt #Count number of coaches per category counts = coach['Type'].value_counts() #Create chart plt.bar(counts.index, counts.values, color = 'blue', edgecolor = 'black') plt.title('Where Do NBA Coaches Come From?') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.1, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.xticks(rotation = 45) plt.ylabel('Number of Coaches') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) for i, value in enumerate(counts.values): plt.text(i, value + 1, str(round((value/sum(counts.values))*100,1)) + '%' + ' (' + str(value) + ')', ha='center', fontsize=9) plt.savefig('coachtype.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') print(str(round(((coach['Internal'] == 1).sum()/len(coach))*100,1)) + " percent of coaches are internal.") Over half of coaching hires previously served as an NBA head coach, and nearly 90% had NBA coaching experience of some kind. This answers the first question posed—NBA teams show a strong preference for experienced head coaches. If you get hired once as an NBA coach, your odds of being hired again are much higher. Additionally, 13.6% of hires are internal, confirming that teams do not frequently hire from their own ranks. Second, I will explore the typical tenure of an NBA head coach. This can be visualized using a histogram. #Create histogram plt.hist(coach['Years'], bins =12, edgecolor = 'black', color = 'blue') plt.title('Distribution of Coaching Tenure') plt.figtext(0.76, 0, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.annotate('Erik Spoelstra (MIA)', xy=(16.4, 2), xytext=(14 + 1, 15), arrowprops=dict(facecolor='black', shrink=0.1), fontsize=9, color='black') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.savefig('tenurehist.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show() coach.sort_values('Years', ascending = False) #Calculate some stats with the data import numpy as np print(str(np.median(coach['Years'])) + " years is the median coaching tenure length.") print(str(round(((coach['Years'] <= 5).sum()/len(coach))*100,1)) + " percent of coaches last five years or less.") print(str(round((coach['Years'] <= 1).sum()/len(coach)*100,1)) + " percent of coaches last a year or less.") Using tenure as an indicator of success, the the data clearly shows that the large majority of coaches are unsuccessful. The median tenure is just 2.5 seasons. 18.1% of coaches last a single season or less, and barely 10% of coaches last more than 5 seasons. This can also be viewed as a survival analysis plot to see the drop-off at various points in time: #Survival analysis import matplotlib.ticker as mtick lst = np.arange(0,18,0.5) surv = pd.DataFrame(lst, columns = ['Period']) surv['Number'] = np.nan for i in range(0,len(surv)): surv.iloc[i,1] = (coach['Years'] >= surv.iloc[i,0]).sum()/len(coach) plt.step(surv['Period'],surv['Number']) plt.title('NBA Coach Survival Rate') plt.xlabel('Coaching Tenure (Years)') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.05, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.gca().yaxis.set_major_formatter(mtick.PercentFormatter(1)) plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.savefig('coachsurvival.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show Lastly, a box plot can be generated to see if there are any obvious differences in tenure based on coaching type. Boxplots also display outliers for each group. #Create a boxplot import seaborn as sns sns.boxplot(data=coach, x='Type', y='Years') plt.title('Coaching Tenure by Coach Type') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.xlabel('') plt.xticks(rotation = 30, ha = 'right') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.1, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.savefig('coachtypeboxplot.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show There are some differences between the groups. Aside from management hires (which have a sample of just six), previous head coaches have the longest average tenure at 3.3 years. However, since many of the groups have small sample sizes, we need to use more advanced techniques to test if the differences are statistically significant. Statistical Analysis First, to test if either Type or Internal has a statistically significant difference among the group means, we can use ANOVA: #ANOVA import statsmodels.api as sm from statsmodels.formula.api import ols am = ols('Years ~ C(Type) + C(Internal)', data=coach).fit() anova_table = sm.stats.anova_lm(am, typ=2) print(anova_table) The results show high p-values and low F-stats—indicating no evidence of statistically significant difference in means. Thus, the initial conclusion is that there is no evidence NBA teams are under-valuing internal candidates or over-valuing previous head coaching experience as initially hypothesized.  However, there is a possible distortion when comparing group averages. NBA coaches are signed to contracts that typically run between three and five years. Teams typically have to pay out the remainder of the contract even if coaches are dismissed early for poor performance. A coach that lasts two years may be no worse than one that lasts three or four years—the difference could simply be attributable to the length and terms of the initial contract, which is in turn impacted by the desirability of the coach in the job market. Since coaches with prior experience are highly coveted, they may use that leverage to negotiate longer contracts and/or higher salaries, both of which could deter teams from terminating their employment too early. To account for this possibility, the outcome can be treated as binary rather than continuous. If a coach lasted more than 5 seasons, it is highly likely they completed at least their initial contract term and the team chose to extend or re-sign them. These coaches will be treated as successes, with those having a tenure of five years or less categorized as unsuccessful. To run this analysis, all coaching hires from 2020 and 2021 must be excluded, since they have not yet been able to eclipse 5 seasons. With a binary dependent variable, a logistic regression can be used to test if any of the variables predict coaching success. Internal and Type are both converted to dummy variables. Since previous head coaches represent the most common coaching hires, I set this as the “reference” category against which the others will be measured against. Additionally, the dataset contains just one foreign-hired coach (David Blatt) so this observation is dropped from the analysis. #Logistic regression coach3 = coach[coach['Year']<2020] coach3.loc[:, 'Success'] = np.where(coach3['Years'] > 5, 1, 0) coach_type_dummies = pd.get_dummies(coach3['Type'], prefix = 'Type').astype(int) coach_type_dummies.drop(columns=['Type_Previous HC'], inplace=True) coach3 = pd.concat([coach3, coach_type_dummies], axis = 1) #Drop foreign category / David Blatt since n = 1 coach3 = coach3.drop(columns=['Type_Foreign']) coach3 = coach3.loc[coach3['Coach'] != "David Blatt"] print(coach3['Success'].value_counts()) x = coach3[['Internal','Type_Management','Type_Player','Type_Previous AC', 'Type_College']] x = sm.add_constant(x) y = coach3['Success'] logm = sm.Logit(y,x) logm.r = logm.fit(maxiter=1000) print(logm.r.summary()) #Convert coefficients to odds ratio print(str(np.exp(-1.4715)) + "is the odds ratio for internal.") #Internal coefficient print(np.exp(1.0025)) #Management print(np.exp(-39.6956)) #Player print(np.exp(-0.3626)) #Previous AC print(np.exp(-0.6901)) #College Consistent with ANOVA results, none of the variables are statistically significant under any conventional threshold. However, closer examination of the coefficients tells an interesting story. The beta coefficients represent the change in the log-odds of the outcome. Since this is unintuitive to interpret, the coefficients can be converted to an Odds Ratio as follows: Internal has an odds ratio of 0.23—indicating that internal candidates are 77% less likely to be successful compared to external candidates. Management has an odds ratio of 2.725, indicating these candidates are 172.5% more likely to be successful. The odds ratios for players is effectively zero, 0.696 for previous assistant coaches, and 0.5 for college coaches. Since three out of four coaching type dummy variables have an odds ratio under one, this indicates that only management hires were more likely to be successful than previous head coaches. From a practical standpoint, these are large effect sizes. So why are the variables statistically insignificant? The cause is a limited sample size of successful coaches. Out of 202 coaches remaining in the sample, just 23 (11.4%) were successful. Regardless of the coach’s background, odds are low they last more than a few seasons. If we look at the one category able to outperform previous head coaches (management hires) specifically: # Filter to management manage = coach3[coach3['Type_Management'] == 1] print(manage['Success'].value_counts()) print(manage) The filtered dataset contains just 6 hires—of which just one (Steve Kerr with Golden State) is classified as a success. In other words, the entire effect was driven by a single successful observation. Thus, it would take a considerably larger sample size to be confident if differences exist. With a p-value of 0.202, the Internal variable comes the closest to statistical significance (though it still falls well short of a typical alpha of 0.05). Notably, however, the direction of the effect is actually the opposite of what was hypothesized—internal hires are less likely to be successful than external hires. Out of 26 internal hires, just one (Erik Spoelstra of Miami) met the criteria for success. Conclusion In conclusion, this analysis was able to draw several key conclusions: Regardless of background, being an NBA coach is typically a short-lived job. It’s rare for a coach to last more than a few seasons. The common wisdom that NBA teams strongly prefer to hire previous head coaches holds true. More than half of hires already had NBA head coaching experience. If teams don’t hire an experienced head coach, they’re likely to hire an NBA assistant coach. Hires outside of these two categories are especially uncommon. Though they are frequently hired, there is no evidence to suggest NBA teams overly prioritize previous head coaches. To the contrary, previous head coaches stay in the job longer on average and are more likely to outlast their initial contract term—though neither of these differences are statistically significant. Despite high-profile anecdotes, there is no evidence to suggest that internal hires are more successful than external hires either. Note: All images were created by the author unless otherwise credited. The post What Statistics Can Tell Us About NBA Coaches appeared first on Towards Data Science.

A review published in Virtual and Physical Prototyping explores the growing field of additively manufactured acoustic metamaterials (ACA-Meta), highlighting how 3D printing technologies enable novel designs for effective sound absorption across diverse applications. Authored by researchers from Khalifa University and Dassault Aviation, the paper classifies acoustic metamaterials into perforated, slotted, cellular, and hybrid types and investigates how additive manufacturing enhances their performance. Expanding acoustic control with 3D printing Additive manufacturing offers unique benefits for acoustic metamaterials, enabling precise control over geometry, material distribution, and internal architecture. This level of control allows researchers and engineers to tailor acoustic behavior at specific frequency ranges, while simultaneously optimizing for weight, mechanical strength, and structural complexity.  Traditional sound-absorbing materials, such as porous foams or fibrous panels, are often constrained by fixed properties and limited adaptability. In contrast, 3D printing allows designers to create resonant structures and internal cavities with sub-wavelength precision, an essential factor in manipulating how sound waves interact with matter. The review outlines how techniques such as Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and Digital Light Processing (DLP) are being employed to fabricate a new generation of acoustic absorbers. These processes enable the construction of intricate geometries previously unattainable with conventional manufacturing, and allow for the fine-tuning of key parameters such as pore size, wall thickness, infill density, and material gradients. In doing so, additive manufacturing not only improves absorption efficiency but also broadens the usable frequency range of these metamaterials, making them more adaptable to specific environments and industrial requirements. ACA-Meta fabricated by various additive manufactured techniques: a) vat photopolymerization, b) powder bed fusion, c) binder jetting, d) extrusion, and e) material jetting. Image via V. Sekar et al., Virtual and Physical Prototyping. The paper categorizes these acoustic metamaterials into four structural families, each with distinctive mechanisms for managing sound waves. Perforated metamaterials absorb mid- to high-frequency noise by dissipating energy through arrays of micro-holes, often backed by air cavities to enhance low-frequency performance. Slotted designs employ labyrinthine or coiled channels to extend the acoustic path length, enabling effective attenuation at low frequencies within a compact footprint. Cellular structures, including periodic honeycombs, gyroids, and stochastic foams, are engineered to exhibit broadband performance through controlled porosity and internal resonance. Lastly, hybrid designs combine multiple features, such as perforated faces with embedded coiled cavities or layered cellular cores, to achieve tunable, wideband absorption across multiple acoustic regimes. Classification and sub classification of ACA-Meta. Image via V. Sekar et al., Virtual and Physical Prototyping. These classifications are not merely theoretical; each has been demonstrated through experimental validation, with performance metrics such as sound absorption coefficient (SAC) measured using impedance tubes and reverberation chambers. The paper emphasizes that even minor design modifications, like altering the angle of perforations or grading cell density, can have significant effects on absorption performance, reinforcing the value of additive manufacturing as both a prototyping and production tool in acoustic engineering. Simulation and experimental validation To quantify acoustic absorption, the study reviews both analytical models and experimental methods. Key parameters include the sound absorption coefficient (SAC), surface porosity, and sample orientation. Validation techniques such as impedance tube and reverberation room testing show that additively manufactured metamaterials can achieve or exceed the performance of traditional absorbers. The review also identifies future directions, including volumetric 3D printing, multi-material printing, and 4D printing using smart materials for tunable acoustic responses. These approaches promise scalable, reconfigurable absorbers that can adapt to environmental changes or user-defined inputs. Schematic representation and design parameters of ACA-Meta. Image via V. Sekar et al., Virtual and Physical Prototyping. Reshaping acoustic metamaterials Interest in the acoustic capabilities of 3D printing has grown significantly in recent years. In 2019, researchers at the University of Sussex demonstrated a 3D printed metamaterial capable of directing sound to a specific location without the use of headphones, an early example of how additive manufacturing could redefine personal audio delivery. More recently, the University of Strathclyde received £500,000 in funding to develop miniaturized acoustic systems using 3D printing, aiming to advance compact and high-performance devices for sensing and communication. Consumer audio brands have also embraced the technology; Campfire Audio, for instance, leveraged additive manufacturing to create earphones internal structure for their Supermoon series, optimizing both sound performance and fit. On a more experimental front, researchers have begun using sound itself as a medium for fabrication, as seen in a recent study on holographic Direct Sound Printing (DSP), which manipulates ultrasonic fields to solidify resin. Together, these developments underscore the growing convergence of 3D printing and acoustic innovation, a convergence that the reviewed paper situates within the emerging domain of engineered sound-absorbing metamaterials. Read the full article in Virtual and Physical Prototyping Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us onLinkedIn and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel to access more exclusive content. At 3DPI, our mission is to deliver high-quality journalism, technical insight, and industry intelligence to professionals across the AM ecosystem.Help us shape the future of 3D printing industry news with our2025 reader survey. Feature image shows ACA-Meta fabricated by various additive manufactured techniques.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will get its next major update on Thursday, May 29 which will add a new booster pack to the popular mobile game. Dubbed Extradimensional Crisis, the new pack will add Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Moon to the mix. Since its release last year, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has received regular updates. Its most recent one, which featured two Celestial Guardians booster packs, introduced critters from the Alola region to the card game. Extradimensional Crisis will continue that thread, adding some missing monsters to the card pool. Recommended Videos The big news is that the packs will add Ultra Beasts to the game, a set of eclectic Pokémon that are exclusive to Sun and Moon. That means that you’ll be able to battle with some of the series’ strangest — and most absurdly named — creatures, like Buzzwole and Guzzlord. Type: Null will get its own card too, bringing a very peculiar legendary to the game. The update will also add more Alolan Pokémon to the mix, including new EX cards. A new trailer shows off a bunch of those new cards, which includes Tapu Koko EX. As part of the update, the shop will be updated with some new collectibles. An Ultra Beast binder cover is coming and will be purchasable with shop tickets. Players can grab a floral display board too by participating in a new Wonder Pick event that will run between June 11 and June 28. So consider this a bit of a PSA: start saving your hourglasses now. If you’re like me, you’ll probably want to do some 10 pack pulls early to get a chunk of the collection completed. If you’re hurting for resources, don’t forget to do your single player battles, as those will give you a lot as rewards. Monthly hourglass packs will also refresh in the shop at the end of May, so make sure to grab as many as you can now. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is available now on iOS and Android devices.

At Appfest 2022, Noelia Lopez, Blockchain PM and Senior Monetization Manager at Tilting Point, shared her ad monetization strategies for midcore and hardcore mobile games. Read the summary or watch the full video.She kicked off her presentation with the main challenge facing free-to-play games: less than 3% of gamers actually pay for in-app purchases. But, Noelia explains, just because 97% of users aren’t paying, doesn’t mean you can’t monetize them.The pillars of monetizationAs Noelia explains, many hardcore and midcore game developers are concerned that ad monetization may negatively affect retention and/or revenue. She’s heard them say that:“paying users will churn if they see ads”“in-app ads might cannibalize in-app purchase revenue”“ads attract low-quality players or decrease the quality of the game”But, according to Noelia, none of these concerns are true - in fact, it just means these developers aren’t implementing their ad placements the right way (or, as she puts it, “you aren’t doing your job well enough!”).The roadmap of ad implementationSo, how can you monetize with ads in a way that promotes revenue growth and [tooltip term="user-engagement"]engagement[/tooltip]? Follow a roadmap, implementing placements throughout the development lifecycle, from prototyping, soft launch, global launch, and finally live ops.PrototypingMany developers think the prototyping stage of the game is too early to begin thinking about ad monetization, and would rather focus on other in-game features - but in fact, Noelia says it's critical to begin here.That’s because during the prototyping phase, your entire studio is conducting the necessary market research to understand your competition - making it a critical time to also understand the monetization strategies your competitors use and the strategies you’d like to adopt.From here, conceptualize putting these placements into your game and how much revenue they could bring. Understanding each ad placement’s revenue potential will help you prioritize which placements to focus on first. By getting started this early, you can also encourage the product team to prioritize placements and align on your exact strategy.Noelia emphasizes the importance of conceptualization, or mentally preparing yourself and your team for an ad placement, even if there’s no space for it in that moment. You can start preparing by asking yourself: where exactly a placement should go, what it looks like, and what else it needs, like a tutorial.Soft launchAfter prototyping, it’s time for the soft launch, or the testing phase. Noelia broke this phase down into three parts: integration, goal setting, and testing.First comes your ad placements. This starts with integrating ad networks - whichever ones you find perform best - and a mediation platform. The best ads for hardcore games are rewarded videos and offerwalls.In the next stage, you want to always consider your goals - like fill rate, boosting LTV, and finding the balance between in-app ads and in-app purchases that maximizes revenue. As she explains, there’s no need to push for CPMs, or make a complex waterfall because soft launches often run in countries that tend to have lower impressions. That’s why it’s important to focus on fill rate, so you understand your engagement and impressions per day, and that your fill rate is good.As for tests, Noelia suggests conducting multiple tests for your ads - it’s important to test the most challenging ads, or the ones that might cannibalize in-app purchases, affect retention, etc. As you determine your game economy, this is also the time to test the ideal reward amount you want to give - increasing or decreasing it accordingly. Even after launch, you should continually be testing and optimizing to ensure the highest performance.Global launchNext comes the global launch - time to finally monitor how your in-app ads are performing. Noelia recommends viewing the metrics of all your ad placements, like engagement and ads per [tooltip term="daily-active-users"]DAU[/tooltip], on one page so you can see which perform best. The ad engagement rate for hardcore games, according to Noelia, hovers around 60%, ads per DAU ranges from 0-3, and ad revenue can get up to 15%. The goal is to have a 95% fill rate, to ensure there’s the highest opportunity possible to serve impressions.To drive home her point, Noelia shared successful examples of placement strategies from her games, like Warhammer: Chaos and Conquest. For example, they offer a welcome package of hard currency every time a user logs on, which boosts players to get started in the game and keep playing. To get non-paying hardcore users to experiment with your game’s ads, she also recommends using offerwall ads - which also helped increase Warhammer’s engagement rate.Live operationsFinally comes the live ops, or the post launch period, where you should be adjusting your ad placements to optimize performance. Before making any adjustments it’s important to be mindful that these changes don’t impact users’ ability to engage with ads.The live ops period can even be an opportunity to increase revenue. For example, if you establish a leaderboard to incentivize non-paying players, you can use ad placements as “tickets” for getting in. Due to increased competition with non-paying users, paying users can also be motivated to invest more to stay on top.Ultimately, ads are a major asset to monetizing your midcore or hardcore game, but placement strategies can only succeed with the right amount of monitoring and optimizing - even from the initial stages of your game’s development.