Mario Kart World was first developed for the original Switch, but 60fps only possible on Switch 2 Plus more on the creation of Cow. Image credit: Nintendo News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on May 21, 2025 Mario Kart World was originally in development for the original Switch, but Switch 2 has allowed the developers to realise their vision of an inter-connected world. Nintendo began prototyping for the new Mario Kart game back in 2017, even during development of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Development then began at the end of that year. "I felt that in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, we were able to perfect the formula that we'd been following in the series up to that point, where players race on individual courses," explained Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki in a new interview from Nintendo. "That's why, this time, we wanted the gameplay to involve players driving around a large world, and we began creating a world map like this." Mario Kart World – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube Programming director Kenta Sato continued: "When we were developing for Nintendo Switch, we often worried whether we could find the right balance between planning and performance. Of course, the Switch system's performance is sufficient for developing different kinds of games, but if we had included everything we wanted to in this game's vast world, then it wouldn't have run at 60 fps and would have suffered from constant framerate drops. "I think there were a lot of people on the team who were worried about whether we could really manage it. But once we decided to release this game on Switch 2, we expected our worries to evaporate all at once. I remember being overjoyed when I discovered we could express even more than we'd originally set out to." Yabuki noted that had the idea for the game just been more courses it would've been called Mario Kart 9, but the new approach led to the name Mario Kart World. In fact, that name was added to concept art in the early stages of development. "In previous Mario Kart games, after finishing a course, you'd move on to the next course," said Yabuki. "However, I thought that with modern technology, being able to seamlessly transition between courses and realise a single, vast world wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. So, with this in mind, we set out to create a new kind of Mario Kart...And that's when all our troubles began." Image credit: Nintendo Sato had heard of difficulties in creating open world games and felt pressure to achieve this with Mario Kart, especially as Nintendo considers 60fps to be important for the series, as well as split-screen multiplayer. It seems the power of the Switch 2 allowed for this to happen. The move to an open world also led to the increase of 24 players instead of 12, which was decided fairly early in development. "By creating long routes in a vast world, you could end up with players spread out in various places, which could diminish the sense that they're racing against each other," said Yabuki. "So, we figured that by increasing the number of racers, you'd be sure to see some competitive action here and there." Added art director Masaaki Ishikawa: "I felt like the 12 players we had previously was a lot, but as Yabuki-san said, once players spread out, the course starts to look sparse, and the visuals give off a sort of lonely feel. So, I thought that 24 players would be better because there'd be more interaction between various players. That said, it was quite challenging once we got going and the volume of design work increased. But it was worth it." Speaking of art, the team wanted to recapture the "lively, bustling atmosphere" of Super Mario Kart on the SNES, with a key phrase being "playfulness". This led to the more rounded, cartoonish designs of Mario Kart World. "The characters in the Super Mario series have a rounded look, so we wanted to give the vehicles a rounded design too, to match their appearance," said Ishikawa. "We also wanted to give the characters a livelier look even while they're in their vehicles, so we put everything together in a way that gives off a sense of playfulness through the combination of the characters' rounded designs, soft facial expressions, and rich movements." The open world design means courses are now inter-connected across the world, but Yabuki said adding up all the possible variations would "easily exceed 100". Image credit: Nintendo Lastly, the developers discussed the creation of Mario Kart World's meme-worthy new character, Cow. "Each new Mario Kart game features new characters to race with, but since we added so many to the previous game, we wondered where we could go from there," said Ishikawa. "And then one of the designers came up with that silly sketch of Cow cruising along, and I thought to myself, 'This is it!' So that's when we realised the course surroundings actually contained a lot of untapped resources. "The character designer quickly put together a prototype of Cow that could race, and surprisingly it didn't feel out of place at all. So we thought maybe we could include other obstacle characters, and decided to add Cheep Cheep and Pokey as racers. As a result, the idea of taking obstacle characters, usually found in courses in past games, and having them participate in races made sense to me in terms of an interconnected world." Mario Kart World will launch alongside Nintendo's Switch 2 on 5th June as a key game in the launch lineup. Earlier this month Nintendo responded to the suggestion it had used AI-generated images in the game.

May 21, 20254 min readVitamin D May Slow Cells’ AgingVitamin D supplements may help prevent the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences that shrink with aging, a large study shows. But the health effects aren’t yet clearBy Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna BrynerA new study suggests vitamin D supplements might slow cellular aging by protecting telomeres. Olga Pankova/Getty ImagesVitamin D supplements might slow cellular aging by preventing the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that shorten in old age, a new study suggests. The health effects of these findings aren’t yet clear.Vitamin D had been touted as a panacea for a number of health conditions, from cardiovascular disease to bone loss. In 2020 a large randomized controlled trial of supplementation instead found benefits only in a few conditions, particularly autoimmune disease and advanced cases of cancer, says the new study’s co-author JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a principal investigator of that large trial, called the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). The new study is an analysis of data from VITAL. Its finding could explain the protective effect of vitamin D supplements on these specific aging-related diseases, Manson says.“If is replicated in another randomized trial of vitamin D supplements, I think this could translate into clinical effects for chronic diseases of aging,” she says. “We’re already seeing that vitamin D does reduce inflammation; it reduces advanced cancers and cancer deaths, as well as autoimmune diseases. This could provide a biological mechanism.”On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.In the VITAL project, researchers enrolled nearly 26,000 women aged 55 or older and men aged 50 or older, and they randomly assigned participants to take vitamin D supplements, fish oil supplements, a combination of both or a placebo. For the new study, published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the scientists looked at a subset of 1,054 participants who lived close enough to Harvard’s Clinical and Translational Science Center in Boston to have their blood drawn three times over four years so researchers could measure their telomeres.Inside the nuclei of most cells in the human body reside 46 chromosomes, where our DNA is neatly packed. Each time a cell divides, these chromosomes unravel and copy themselves, and the copies coil back into the nuclei of the new cells. Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences that cap the ends of chromosomes. They stabilize the chromosomes during cell division, though they get shorter each time cells divide. When the telomeres get very short, the cells stop dividing and die. Over time, as more and more of our cells die, the body ages and ultimately stops functioning. Telomeres aren’t a perfect clock for health—very long telomeres can increase cancer risk by stabilizing mutated cells—but they’re often used as a biomarker for aging.Participants in the placebo and supplement groups had similar telomere lengths at the beginning of the study, the researchers found. But over the four years of follow-up, people assigned to take 2,000 international units of vitamin D per day showed less shortening of their telomeres compared with people in the placebo group. Fish oil had no significant effect.“Vitamin D supplementation is able to slow down the telomere shortening process, at least during the four-year period,” says the study’s first author Haidong Zhu, a molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.Participants started out with an average of 8,700 base pairs of DNA telomere length, and vitamin D supplementation slowed the loss of length by about 140 base pairs over four years, the study found.The health implications of that number aren’t clear. “It’s only at the extremes that telomere length really matters in terms of aging,” cautions Mary Armanios, a professor of oncology and director of the Telomere Center at Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved in the research. The magnitude of difference seen in the vitamin D trial is within the normal range of human variation, meaning it may not equate with aging or youthfulness in any clinical sense.“Most of us are going to be within this normal range, and there is a wide buffer for how much telomere length can change,” Armanios says.In addition, Armanios says, the study used a method called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to assess telomere length, and this method can be very sensitive to factors such as when samples were collected and what time elapsed between collection and testing. “The methodology for telomere length measurement has been compared to others and found to be the least reproducible,” she says.A large study of people aged 60 and older in the U.K. also found that very high levels of vitamin D in the blood were associate with shorter telomeres, suggesting that more is not always better. The participants in the VITAL study were supplemented with a moderate amount of vitamin D, Manson says.Most of the participants in the new study were white, Zhu adds, so the results need to be replicated in a more diverse sample. The researchers are also currently analyzing data from the 1,054 VITAL participants to understand other facets of cellular aging, including DNA methylation, a type of regulation of gene expression.The results are intriguing, says Anastassios Pittas, a professor of medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. Vitamin D supplements are now recommended by the Endocrine Society for people aged 75 and older, as well as for people of any age with prediabetes to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, Pittas says. “These new findings from the VITAL study lend scientific support to these recommendations, highlighting possible mechanisms through which vitamin D may influence long-term health outcomes,” he says.The findings are leading researchers toward a better understanding of who should pop a daily supplement, Manson says. “It shouldn’t be a universal recommendation to be screened for vitamin D blood levels or to take a supplement,” she says. “But it appears that selected high-risk groups may benefit.”

If you're trying to achieve "room serenity" in your home, that is, a calming design that immediately makes you feel more relaxed when you walk through the door, the best person to ask is a therapist. One of the most important parts of their job is making you feel at ease, so you feel comfortable being vulnerable. The design of their office is a huge part of that—if you feel like you're walking into an examination room, you might not want to spill your secrets. Interior designers who work with therapists (or use neuroscience findings to inform their choices) take this into account. "A therapist’s office is, at its best, a sanctuary of stillness," interior designer Rachel Blindauer says, "I often ask my therapist clients: Where do you want the eye to rest? Where do you want the heart to land? That conversation becomes the foundation of the design. I build in asymmetry to avoid rigidity, muted palettes for safety, and natural materials—linen, wool, unfinished wood—that ground the space in the sensory world. Vulnerability requires softness, but also containment. It’s a delicate balance."The lessons you can learn from therapeutic design can make any home feel more tranquil. You don't need to limit yourself to a specific aesthetic, either. People often gravitate toward Japanese-inspired wabi-sabi, organic modernism, Scandinavian minimalism, or Japandi styles for serenity. But it's more about the intention than a particular design style. "What they all share is restraint, reverence for texture, and a belief in negative space," Blindauer says. "It’s not just what you put in—it’s what you leave out." Scroll on for expert advice from designers and mental health professionals on everything to add to achieve "room serenity"—and what to avoid.Related StoriesBring in Biophilic FeaturesKirsten Francis, Design by Augusta HoffmanOne of the easiest ways to add some serenity to your space is to integrate themes from the natural world. Biophilic design, which centers around elements of nature, is your best friend here. This includes everything from live houseplants to small water fountains. Anita Yokota, licensed therapist-turned-interior designer, leans toward materials like wood, rattan, and stone to offer a grounding energy. "These connect us back to something primal and steady," Yokota says. Think beyond live plants and moss, though. Even nature-inspired patterns in your rugs or art can bring a sense of ease. "We are drawn to fractals—repeating natural patterns found in ferns, leaves, even firelight—because our brains process them easily and pleasurably," says Erica McLain, a Science in Design-certified interior designer. Related StoryIncorporate Nature-Inspired Colors Kirsten Francis, Design by Augusta HoffmanIn a similar vein, when selecting a serene color palette, you can never go wrong with earth tones. This is not the space for overly vibrant hues. Steer clear of the saturated, high-contrast primary colors, as this can easily feel overstimulating. Yokota recommends muted hues like blush, lavender, and sage green, "as long as they have gray undertones to soften their intensity and invite quiet."That doesn't mean it has to be dreary, though. Licensed psychologist Hannah Holmes designed her own therapy office for a balance of calmness and alertness, wanting her clients to feel safe yet inspired. "I balanced cool tones—gray carpet, gray and blue area rug, and cool florals—with pops of warmth—brown leather, wood accents, and orange accents—to make the space feel both peaceful and 'alive,'" Holmes says. Another thing to keep in mind: Blindauer cautions against painting your space in a too-trendy color. "A serene room should feel timeless, not timestamped," Blindauer says.Related StoryLayer Your LightingPhoto: Julie Soefer, Design: Marie Flanigan InteriorsAs you might've expected, the "big light" often isn't conducive to room serenity. Harsh overhead lighting creates more tension than calm. Instead, make sure to have warm and dimmable sources of lighting placed throughout the room. Eryn Oruncak, a Science In Design-certified interior designer, focuses on the following: "beautiful lamps with warm bulbs, quality task lighting on the desk, and as much natural light as you can get." "This kind of layered lighting creates gentle contrasts between shadow and glow, which helps the brain regulate and feel cocooned," Yokota says. "Neuroscience shows that soft, indirect lighting lowers cortisol levels and helps shift the body from 'fight-or-flight' to 'rest-and-digest.'" To help achieve this, look for bulbs with a color temperature of 3000K or less. Krista Walker, Clinical Director of The Ohana Luxury Addiction Treatment Center, advises that smart lighting is ideal for this look, as it's some of the most easily adjustable lighting technology.Arrange Your Seating in an Inviting WayCredit: Lindsay Brown, Design: Avery CoxThough "therapeutic seating" might conjure the image of a Freudian chaise lounge, there are plenty of other furniture styles that'll help put you at ease. The main features you want to look for? Soft lines and rounded silhouettes. As Yokota puts it, "no sharp edges, no emotional armor."It's not just the chairs themselves that matter, though. It's their positioning. The arrangements should place people on equal footing. To soften power dynamics, Yokota often recommends slightly angled seating, which is a touch less intense than face-to-face seating. Holmes pays attention to how the position of her seating can impact a sense of safety, and keep you from feeling penned in. "I intentionally positioned seating within the room so that both the client's seating options and mine are easily accessible to the door—which is helpful to a person who may have a history of trauma or stressful experiences—and offer a view out the window," Holmes says. Related StoryChoose Soothing and Soft TexturesPhoto: Madeline Tolle, Design: Mandy ChengWalker knows the importance of soft textures to rest against. They communicate warmth, and touching them can help calm clients’ nerves. "Texture is the unsung hero of serenity," Blindauer says. "Bouclé, washed linen, matte clay—all these create a tactile lullaby. I avoid anything slick or too cold to the touch." It's not just the blankets and throw pillows, though. The same principle applies to your upholstery and flooring. Focus on rich fabrics and soft rugs underfoot for a cozy feel all around."Soft, tactile materials like velvet, linen, or chunky knits enhance comfort and emotional safety, inviting physical touch to help occupants feel supported and emotionally grounded," interior designer Christina Kelley says.Avoid Anything That Feels ColdIf there's one important takeaway to achieving "room serenity," it's to avoid anything that feels too formal and cold. You want your home to feel peaceful, comfy, and lived-in, not sterile like a spaceship. "You want to avoid overly clinical spaces that remind clients of being at a hospital," Walker says. "Avoid rigid chairs and seating. Also, avoid overcrowded spaces." Glossy glass tables might be great for the dining room, but many people can feel on edge around them. Keep the sharp edges in task-oriented spaces. "Avoid slatted blinds, ceiling tiles, large square downlights, busy patterns, harsh lighting, corporate finishes, hard-edged furniture, stark contrasts, and highly reflective surfaces, as these can feel cold, sterile, and overly stimulating rather than soothing," Kelley says. The beauty of creating a serene room is in the little things. You don't have to undergo the stress of a major renovation to invite ease. "Even small details—an armrest that yields, a pillow that invites—can subtly signal that here, you’re safe to exhale," McLain says.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered tops April sales, becoming 2025's third-biggest selling game | US Monthly Charts Sales of games, hardware, and accessories all slip YoY, by 2%, 8%, and 2%, respectively Image credit: Bethesda News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on May 21, 2025 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered topped Circana's charts for US game sales in April 2025 - becoming the third best-selling game of the year to date - while video game spending across games, hardware, and accessories all slipped a little year-on-year, by 2%, 8%, and 2%, respectively. As noted by analysts Circana, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: Remastered sold more units in April 2025 than The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion achieved across its first 15 months in market combined. It has also generated more "full game dollar sales" than the original’s first 14 months combined. As detailed by Circana's executive director, Mat Piscatella, Forza Horizon 5 was the second-best-selling game after its PS5 debut, whilst Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - which also jumped to PS5 this month - came in in third position. Four of the top five - and five of the top seven - best-selling PlayStation games were published by Microsoft. In news unlikely to surprise you, Call of Duty HQ led all titles when it comes to monthly active users, but Schedule 1 boasted the biggest active users in April on Steam. Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, and Candy Crush Saga were the biggest games in terms of consumer spending in April. Hardware sales in April fell to $186 million - that's down 8% year-on-year, and the "lowest monthly hardware dollar sales total reached in the US market since July 2020. While both PS5 and Switch hardware sales were down - the latter by a considerable 37% - Xbox bucked the trend by seeing Xbox Series sales increase by 8%. Accessory spending was down 2% YoY. “While April 2025 showed a slight decline in the U.S. mobile games market compared to March, several top games continued to perform strongly,” said Lexi Wei of Sensor Tower. “Gossip Harbor: Merge & Story experienced the most significant ranking improvement this month, climbing five spots to enter the top ten at #9. This surge was driven by a 9.8% increase in consumer spending, largely attributed to the Easter Jamboree event launched on April 10, which introduced new decorative content and gameplay elements.” Here are the top 20 selling games from the period April 6 to May 3, 2025, data courtesy of Circana: Rank Last month rank Title 1 NEW The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: Remastered 2 42 Forza Horizon 5 3 2 MLB: The Show 25^ 4 11 Minecraft^^ 5 1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows 6 118 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle 7 6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 8 4 WWE 2k25 9 8 NBA 2K25 10 7 PGA Tour 2K25 11 3 Monster Hunter: Wilds 12 5 Split Fiction 13 23 The Last of Us: Part 2 14 13 EA Sports FC 25 15 12 Grand Theft Auto 5 16 14 Red Dead Redemption 2 17 29 The Elder Scrolls: Online 18 16 Elden Ring 19 10 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 20 21 Hogwarts Legacy ^ Digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox platforms not included ^^ Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included

Meta is launching a new program to incentivize startups to adopt its Llama AI models. The program, Llama for Startups, provides companies “direct support” from Meta’s Llama team, as well as funding in certain cases. Any U.S.-based firm that is incorporated, has raised less than $10 million in funding, has at least one developer on staff, and is building generative AI applications is eligible to apply by the May 30 deadline. “Members may receive up to $6,000 per month for up to six months to help them offset the costs of building and enhancing their generative AI solutions,” Meta wrote in a blog post. “Our experts will work closely with them to get started and explore advanced use cases of Llama that could benefit their startups.” The launch of the Llama startup program comes as Meta tries to cement its lead in the fiercely competitive open model space. While the tech giant’s Llama models have racked up more than a billion downloads to date, rivals such as DeepSeek, Google, and Alibaba’s Qwen threaten to upend Meta’s efforts to establish a far-reaching model ecosystem. Not helping matters, Llama has suffered several setbacks over the past few months. The Wall Street Journal last week reported Meta has delayed the rollout of a flagship AI model, Llama 4 Behemoth, over concerns the model underperforms on key benchmarks. In April, Meta had to fend off allegations that it cheated on a popular crowdsourced AI benchmark, LM Arena. The company used a version of its Llama 4 Maverick model “optimized for conversationality” to achieve a high score on LM Arena, but released a different version of Maverick publicly. Meta has huge ambitions for Llama — and its broader generative AI portfolio. Last year, the company made a prediction its generative AI products would rake in $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue in 2025, and between $460 billion and $1.4 trillion by 2035. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Meta has revenue-sharing agreements with some companies that host its Llama models. The company recently launched an API for customizing Llama releases. And Meta AI, the company’s AI assistant powered by Llama, may eventually show ads and offer a subscription with additional features, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company’s Q1 earnings call. These products have proven costly to build. In 2024, Meta’s “GenAI” budget was more than $900 million, and this year, it could exceed $1 billion. That’s not including the infrastructure needed to run and train the models. Meta previously said it plans to spend $60 billion to $80 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, primarily on new data centers.

It's easy to stick with strategies that work - but incremental growth comes from balancing exactly that with constant testing and experimentation. That's why at Appfest 2022, Samantha Benjamin, Director of Growth at Supersonic, explored four ways you can break old patterns and be more experimental with your monetization strategy - or, as she puts it, “get off of autopilot."Get inspired by successful creativesFirst, Samantha recommended getting inspired by features in what she calls “booster creatives,” or creatives that give you 3-5x more installs for the same cost as other creatives (and can even change the marketability power of your game).For example, her team saw that creatives with realistic obstacles performed significantly better than creatives with cartoonish ones - so they decided to take those realistic obstacles and actually add them to their game Going Balls. As a result, LTV grew on both iOS and Android, and D7 ARPU jumped 5-7%.As your creative team finds these “boosters”, make sure they pass them directly to your monetization team. This way, with every new idea, you can consider and optimize any potential monetization opportunities.Building a sophisticated interstitial player experienceThough interstitials are a major source of revenue, the potential impact on retention sometimes deters developers from monetizing with them . So to ensure players have the best possible interstitial experience, it’s critical to adjust it to your players’ engagement behavior.No-touch interstitialsFor example, when a player hasn’t touched their screen for at least 20 seconds, Supersonic displays what they call “no touch interstitials”. This player is likely taking a break - but they’re going to return to their phone eventually, so the ad will be the first thing they see. CPMs are high with this placement, and it’s a win-win - LTV is high, advertisers get installs, and players can enjoy a more sophisticated interstitial experience.Before or after end-level screenAdditionally, Supersonic tested adapting interstitials for users who reject rewarded video offers. Usually, developers just show interstitials when this happens, but clearly these users don’t want to engage with ads. Supersonic tried a different approach: showing interstitials to this segment during natural pauses in the game, like commercials. They tested this by putting interstitial ads for these users right before or after the end-level screen - and engagement boosted as a result.Looking at other genresNext, try broadening your sources of inspiration - beyond just games competing in your genre. Other kinds of games might seem drastically different, but if they have similar motivations, they can be an ideal learning opportunity.Highlighting progress with a leaderboardInspired by PvP games, Supersonic decided to add an automated leaderboard that pops up at the end of their hyper-casual games. By creating a competitive atmosphere and displaying players’ progress, they boosted LTV and ARPU lifted 12% on average.Celebrating wins with confettiThe Supersonic team noticed other genres creating excitement within their games, so they decided to add a burst of confetti in their games whenever players achieved something (like shooting a basketball through the hop). Simply by emphasizing their players’ success and making them feel like winners, Supersonic saw their ARPU jump by 15%.The power of musicAs Samantha puts it: “never underestimate the power of music,” especially in ad-oriented games. When Supersonic tested incorporating more music into their games, they saw a 10% ARPU uplift - simply by tweaking the music and testing different volumes and sound effects.Staying open to ideasFinally, Samantha explains the value of having dedicated time to think of new ideas. In fact, when one growth operations manager at Supersonic pitched an idea, it inspired a real change in their games: timed treasure chests. To increase session length, as the user was approaching the average session length, they would see a pop-up chest with a timer - encouraging the user to keep playing and wait for their prize to be available. This proved so successful at increasing session length that Supersonic implemented this into three of their biggest games.Ultimately, new monetization ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere - so it’s crucial to stay on the lookout, trust your data - and, when the opportunity strikes, don’t be afraid to try going off autopilot.Watch the session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqiWKAFENY

It’s likely that you’ve never played or even heard of Grow a Garden, a new user-created experience in Roblox. But millions of people have. In fact, the very simple farming sim at one point had over 5 million active players, beating out games like Counter-Strike 2 and Marvel Rivals on Steam. It’s likely Grow a Garden is one of the most played games on the planet right now. And it was developed by a teenager in a few days. Suggested ReadingThe Top 10 Most Played Games On Steam Deck: February 2024 Edition Share SubtitlesOffEnglishSuggested ReadingThe Top 10 Most Played Games On Steam Deck: February 2024 Edition Share SubtitlesOffEnglishThe Top 10 Most-Played Games On Steam Deck: February 2024 EditionOn May 21, as highlighted in a new report by GameFile, Grow a Garden has become the most popular game on Roblox, which itself is a massive platform with millions of active users. As I write this on a Wednesday, Grow a Garden is hovering at around 1 million CCUs (Concurrent Users), making it easily the most popular game on Roblox. It would also outrank everything on Steam except Counter-Strike 2,But on May 17 (a Saturday), Grow a Garden had over 5 million active players, the first game to ever do so on Roblox. At that number, Grow a Garden would be nearly twice as popular as PUBG on its best day which, at a peak of just over 3.2 million, still holds the record on Steam.So yeah, Grow a Garden is popular. The simple farming game was developed by a teenager according to Janzen Madsen, the owner of Splitting Point, a game studio which has taken over management of the game since it hit the big time. Madsen told GameFile that the unnamed creator still retains “like 50 percent of the game.” It’s MattyMadsen told the outlet that the original creator made Grow a Garden in about three days. And it shows. Watching gameplay of it, the menus, visuals, and gameplay are very basic and look more like a prototype of something that will be finished later. But this is the game. And millions of people around the world are playing it everyday, growing crops and sharing videos of their adventures on TikTok. While some might be surprised that something like Grow a Garden is reaching millions of players, the reality is that Roblox has become a massive platform. It recently, with the help of hit games like Grow a Garden, reached over 16 million active users. Games like Brookhaven, Dress to Impress, and Adopt Me are more likely to be the games kids are playing these days than GTA, Call of Duty, or even Minecraft. Of course, anything that’s this popular and making this much money is bound to be filled with bad actors and scammers. And yes, there’s a very well-documented seedy underbelly of Roblox, with allegations that kids are being exploited by adults and evidence of some truly horrible shit happening in servers around the game. But so far, Grow a Garden seems to be a mostly wholesome piece of the Roblox ecosystem. It’s also a sign that we are entering a new era of video games, even if I’m not sure it’s a better one. .

Author Wojtek: The Soldier Bear is a narrative-driven real-time strategy (RTS) game inspired by the true story of a Syrian bear adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II. Wojtek didn’t just march with the army — he helped carry artillery shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino, becoming a symbol of courage, loyalty, and the absurd humanity of war.This game combines:- Real-Time Strategy gameplay: Manage Polish II Corps across real WWII battles- Character-driven storytelling: Experience Wojtek’s life and bond with his unit- Humorous and heartfelt minigames: Wrestling, stealing food, building morale, etc.Our mission is to create an emotionally impactful, historically grounded indie game that honors Wojtek’s story while delivering a meaningful player experience.💼 TEAM STRUCTURE & ROLES NEEDEDWe are forming a focused team to build a playable MVP (Minimum Viable Product) over 8–12 months. This version will serve as the foundation for attracting publishers, securing grants, or launching a crowdfunding campaign.🧠 Core Roles to FillRole    DescriptionUnity Developer (1–2)    Build RTS systems, minigame logic, and gameplay framework3D Artist / Animator (1–2)    Model & animate Wojtek (growth stages), soldiers, props, and environmentsUI/UX Designer (1)    Create intuitive HUDs and interfaces for RTS and narrative segmentsGame Designer (1)    Co-create mechanics, systems, and minigame logicSound Designer / Composer (1)    Create ambient effects and original Polish-themed scoreNarrative Designer / Writer (1)    Script cutscenes, minigame dialogues, soldier interactionsProducer / Assistant PM (optional)    Assist in task planning and workflow (Damian leads core management)​💰 COMPENSATION MODEL: REVENUE-SHARE + PAID OPTIONSWe offer two paths for team members based on your preference and availability:🅐 Revenue-Share Model   Profit-sharing based on contribution and responsibility.   Simple, signed agreement with transparency and trust.   Revenue begins from first monetization event (sales, crowdfunding, grants).🅑 Paid Role (Upfront Fee)   For highly skilled or experienced contributors who prefer standard contract work.   Limited budget available — will prioritize candidates offering strong value to the MVP.   Pay rate and deliverables to be negotiated individually.You can even combine both — reduced rate + revenue share, if you’re open to collaboration but want some upfront compensation for stability.🛠️ TECHNICAL INFO   Engine: Unity (target MVP build).   Platform: PC (Steam-first), future console/education options.   Visual Style: Stylized realism (low-mid poly).   Scope of MVP:       1 playable battle (Monte Cassino)       2–3 minigames (wrestling, carrying supplies, camp antics).       Beginning of Wojtek’s narrative arc.🔍 WHO WE’RE LOOKING FORYou might be a great fit if you:   Are passionate about meaningful storytelling or historical themes.   Want to collaborate creatively on a tight-knit remote team.   Are looking to build a powerful portfolio piece or take on a leadership opportunity.   Can reliably commit 5–10 hours/week with transparency and communication.📬 HOW TO APPLYMessage Damian (Project Creator) with:   Your role of interest.   Portfolio, experience, or anything showing your work.   Your compensation preference (profit-share, paid, or hybrid).   Weekly availability and motivation for joining.🙌 BONUS PERKS   Be part of telling one of the most unique real WWII stories.   Build a game with real emotional and historical value.   Get credited, featured, and involved in future funding/promo efforts.   Potential to join educational or museum outreach post-release.Let’s build something real, together.🐾 Wojtek would approve.​With best regards,Damian "AZ" Andruszkiewicz Damian!What an exciting project! The world certainly needs more good RTS games!! My name is Elben Schutte, or just Ben for short, and I am the senior composer for video games at Pressure Cooker Studios. Without getting into too much of a “hard sell” , we have built a kickass, tight-knit team of music composers and sound designers ready and willing to build epic experiences with passionate people. Our studio is based in Cape Town, South Africa. We have a beautiful facility consisting of two floors, which includes around 12 composition/design suites, an atmos cinema room, 2 additional mix rooms, a beautiful live recording room, 2 vocal/voice-over booths, and a newly built foley stage with pits. I want to thank you for your very well-rounded and detailed message above! Please allow me to answer some of your application points:  Message Damian (Project Creator) with:   Your role of interest. Making things sound epic with music and sound 🙂    Portfolio, experience, or anything showing your work.Our roots are the film industry, so story-telling is in our DNA. We have recently and enthusiastically broadened our scope into the gaming sphere, and some of our projects include Manor Lords (I was lead composer), Ancient Dungeon VR and Semblance. We have quite a few portfolio pieces in the film space, and have worked with companies like Paramount, Netflix, Amazon and more!    Your compensation preference (profit-share, paid, or hybrid).We are definitely open to negotiation on this. We want to do what makes sense for the project and get to a place where everyone is transparent and happy, so we can make cool shit together 🙂    Weekly availability and motivation for joining. Our weekly availability will largely be determined by our schedule. We have a team, and we believe in pairing the right talent with the right project. I would certainly be interested in leading a project for an RTS, I'm a massive fan of the genre! Once we are in a place to lock in the project potentially, we will put it in our pipeline and make sure that whoever you need would be available, when you need them. 🙌 BONUS PERKS   Be part of telling one of the most unique real WWII stories. Well, I grew up playing red alert, and dig company of heroes! I do love a good WW11 story - and would be excited to bring such a world to life.    Build a game with real emotional and historical value.Through my experience with Manor Lords, I have learned how to sweat the details when it comes to historical accuracy and authenticity. I had a great teacher in SlavicMagic on the subject, he was extremely focused on the finer details of historical accuracy. As far as the emotional component, WW11 is such a rich area to draw from when it comes to gritty tales and heart-wrenching experiences.    Get credited, featured, and involved in future funding/promo efforts.All for it. We did a bunch for Manor Lords, including our interviews at Air studios when we recorded the orchestra (you can see me in that interview🙂). I also did a talk at Devcom last year on creating an authentic sonic world.    Potential to join educational or museum outreach post-release.I am not really sure what this means, but it sounds cool! Let’s build something real, together. Agreed!! I would really dig to open a dialogue with you and your team to explore what a possible collaboration could look like between us, and to see where our team could add value. We are open to discuss any and all audio needs you might have, including implementation and writing epic cinematics etc, along with any other needs for music and sound design. Looking forward to your response! Best RegardsBen  Advertisement Damian! What an exciting project! The world certainly needs more good RTS games!!My name is Elben Schutte, or just Ben for short, and I am the senior composer for video games at Pressure Cooker Studios. Without getting into too much of a “hard sell” , we have built a kickass, tight-knit team of music composers and sound designers ready and willing to build epic experiences with passionate people. Our studio is based in Cape Town, South Africa. We have a beautiful facility consisting of two floors, which includes around 12 composition/design suites, an atmos cinema room, 2 additional mix rooms, a beautiful live recording room, 2 vocal/voice-over booths, and a newly built foley stage with pits.I want to thank you for your very well-rounded and detailed message above! Please allow me to answer some of your application points: Your role of interest.Making things sound epic with music and sound 🙂 Portfolio, experience, or anything showing your work.Our roots are the film industry, so story-telling is in our DNA. We have recently and enthusiastically broadened our scope into the gaming sphere, and some of our projects include Manor Lords (I was lead composer), Ancient Dungeon VR and Semblance. We have quite a few portfolio pieces in the film space, and have worked with companies like Paramount, Netflix, Amazon and more!Your compensation preference (profit-share, paid, or hybrid).We are definitely open to negotiation on this. We want to do what makes sense for the project and get to a place where everyone is transparent and happy, so we can make cool shit together 🙂Weekly availability and motivation for joining.Our weekly availability will largely be determined by our schedule. We have a team, and we believe in pairing the right talent with the right project. I would certainly be interested in leading a project for an RTS, I'm a massive fan of the genre! Once we are in a place to lock in the project potentially, we will put it in our pipeline and make sure that whoever you need would be available, when you need them.BONUS PERKSBe part of telling one of the most unique real WWII stories.Well, I grew up playing red alert, and dig company of heroes! I do love a good WW11 story - and would be excited to bring such a world to life.Build a game with real emotional and historical value.Through my experience with Manor Lords, I have learned how to sweat the details when it comes to historical accuracy and authenticity. I had a great teacher in SlavicMagic on the subject, he was extremely focused on the finer details of historical accuracy. As far as the emotional component, WW11 is such a rich area to draw from when it comes to gritty tales and heart-wrenching experiences. Get credited, featured, and involved in future funding/promo efforts.All for it. We did a bunch for Manor Lords, including our interviews at Air studios when we recorded the orchestra (you can see me in that interview 🙂). I also did a talk at Devcom last year on creating an authentic sonic world. Potential to join educational or museum outreach post-release.I am not really sure what this means, but it sounds cool!Let’s build something real, together.Agreed!!I would really dig to open a dialogue with you and your team to explore what a possible collaboration could look like between us, and to see where our team could add value. We are open to discuss any and all audio needs you might have, including implementation and writing epic cinematics etc, along with any other needs for music and sound design.Looking forward to your response!Best Regards,Ben 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt celebrated ten years of monster slaying on May 19, and publisher CD Projekt honored the milestone with an anniversary stream starring Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle, a stunning new trailer, and The Witcher 3 price drops across platforms for those who aren’t one of the 50 million who’ve already purchased it. Yet, while you may want to celebrate by booting up The Witcher 3 for one more hunt, consider instead diving into the books that provided the foundation for CD Projekt Red to build the games upon.I bought The Witcher 3 five years ago, but to avoid another Game of Thrones situation (where silly me watched the show before reading the books), I committed to reading the entire book series before installing the game. And I’m so glad I did! Andrzej Sapkowski’s two short story collections and six novels all tell an amazing story, as well as provide so much context and depth for the events of The Witcher 3.If you start The Witcher 3 without the knowledge of the books, you’ll be unknowingly hindering the emotional impact of so many characters and quests in The Witcher 3. Take Geralt and Yen, for example. Their fates are literally tied together due to the events of the short story “The Last Wish,” and Geralt’s wish ensures they never stray from the other’s orbit for long. Yet The Witcher 3’s quest of the same name explores the wish’s impact from Yen’s point of view; it’s left her with an uneasy feeling regarding what the two truly mean to one another, leading to one of the best quests in the entire game — one that I don’t think can emotionally resonate with the same impact if you hadn’t read about these two from their from first meeting onward. They’ve both loved and hurt each other over the years, but are meant to be together, djinn or no djinn.Reading the short story collections and novels will also introduce you to some of the best supporting characters found in Witcher canon. The later books mostly concern Geralt’s pursuit of a missing and fleeing Ciri, and along the way he’s joined by his Hansa, a Fellowship of The Ring-like group of excellent supporting characters. While you certainly know Dandelion from the games, the Hansa also includes the heroic Nilfgaardian soldier Cahir and my personal favorite Milva, human ally to the majority-elven guerilla fighters Scoia’tael. Each member of Geralt’s Hansa has a captivating arc, and the books are perhaps worth reading for them alone.With The Witcher 4 too many years away, now is the perfect time to dive into Sapkowski’s eight-book series (with a ninth on the way!). Not only will the books enrich your experience playing The Witcher 3, but they’ll also provide context on why this saga was Ciri’s story all along. Yes, the books are told mostly from Geralt’s perspective and you embody him in the games, but his role in the novels is in part to advance Ciri’s plot, to save her from falling in the machinations of evil men like Emhyr and Vilgefortz who want to use her and her Elder Blood gene to advance their own schemes.Having Ciri star as a Witcher in CDPR’s next game and follow in her father figure’s footsteps is a natural continuation of her story. Yes, this may essentially canonize one of the multiple endings of The Witcher 3, but the other two — her dying, or her becoming empress of Nilfgaard — either cut her journey short or don’t quite fit the character.There’s a vocal minority on the internet that tends to cry out when *gasp* a woman stars as the playable character in a game, and that group has let their thoughts be known about Ciri. To them, I say listen to Geralt himself (well, his voice actor) and “read the damn books” — anyone who does will soon realize this saga has always been about Ciri.See More:

News Lies of P Developer is Adding Difficulty Options With Overture’s Launch The default difficulty will be "Legendary Stalker," while the new options are "Butterfly's Guidance" and "Awakened Puppet." Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 22nd, May. 2025 Lies of P director Jiwon Choi has spoken about making Overture, the upcoming expansion, accessible and enjoyable to veteran players and newcomers. With a wave of new previews dropping, Choi has since confirmed to VGC that it will launch alongside an update that adds difficulty options. Available for the base game and expansion, the new difficulty options are called “Butterfly’s Guidance” and “Awakened Puppet.” The default difficulty will henceforth be known as “Legendary Stalker” (which surely isn’t foreshadowing for Overture’s events). Regarding the decision to include difficulty options, Choi said, “We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could play the game.” He also confirmed that they were implemented based on player and developer feedback. “So by making development adjustments and introducing these difficulty options, we can offer the experience to different types of players. This broadens the base.” Lies of P: Overture launches this Summer for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. Choi previously said it would take 15 to 20 hours for experienced players to complete; how this shakes out on lower difficulties remains to be seen. Unfortunately, there is no connection to the post-credits scene from the base game. You probably have to wait for Lies of P 2 to learn more, which is potentially developed on Unreal Engine 5 per this job listing. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Lies of P – Boss Rush and Boss Replay Coming in Free Update Battle Memories lets players rematch against previous bosses at five difficulty tiers, while Death March allow... Lies of P Developer is Adding Difficulty Options With Overture’s Launch The default difficulty will be "Legendary Stalker," while the new options are "Butterfly's Guidance" and "Awak... Silent Hill f is a “Completely New Title, Independent of the Series,” Says Konami The publisher adds that its upcoming survival horror "can also be played by those who have never played the Si... The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered Tops US Video Game Sales Charts in April Circana's Mat Piscatella also revealed that it sold more in its debut month than the original did in its first... Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Might Get Director’s Cut Re-Release – Rumour While Ubisoft hasn't commented on the matter yet, a Director's Cut release would likely also include both of t... PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program is Being Shut Down on November 2, 2026 No new members for PlayStation Stars will be accepted, and those that decide to end their membership early can... View More