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The Verge
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Playdate's second season is off to a great (and very weird) start
A lot of games have been released for the Playdate since it launched in 2022, as a quick browse of or the Catalog shop will attest. But still, there's something unique about the handheld's seasonal format, which just kicked off its second iteration. When it first launched, the Playdate came with 24 games from notable indie developers that were steadily released on a weekly cadence, making a perfect introduction to the little yellow device and its crank. Now, a few years later, we finally have season 2, and it's off to a solid start — and it even includes a bizarre mystery. The new season runs for the next six weeks and totals a dozen games, two of which will drop each week. The entire collection will run you $39. To start, we have a pair of very different games. Fulcrum Defender, from FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games, is sort of like a modern take on Asteroids. You control a little ship in the middle and fire guns at little squares flying toward you. The twist is that you use the crank to rotate the ship around and aim your shots. There's also something of a roguelike element, where you steadily unlock random upgrades like new weapons or a larger spread for your bullets. The goal is to last for 10 straight minutes. It's a pretty challenging game — so far, I've only really had success on easy mode — but it's also surprisingly chill, eliciting that sort of zen state that the best shooters and puzzle games can create. This is helped by its lo-fi soundtrack that pretty much demands you play with headphones on. It's an absorbing game. On the other end of the spectrum is Dig Dig Dino!, developed by Dom2D and Fáyer, who brag that the game 'is perfect to play while watching TV! No time pressure, no quick reflexes needed!' It's a puzzle game where you travel to different dig sites to uncover dinosaur bones, artifacts, and trash. You only have a limited amount of moves per dig, but you can upgrade your capacity over time — while also getting new tools to smash rocks or dig deeper — letting you dig both more and for longer. It's sort of like a really cute take on Minesweeper, one clearly designed for short play sessions. It's not exactly difficult, but there's still something satisfying about uncovering a large dinosaur bone when you're just about to run out of moves. These two games do a good job of showing the breadth of games possible on the Playdate; one is meant for quick bursts, the other for longer, more focused sessions. But the launch week package is rounded out by something a whole lot weirder. It's called Blippo Plus and, well, it's a series of TV channels you can flip between using the crank. Some are nothing but static, while others have giant FMV videos of strange TV shows or commercials. One show, called Tantric Computing, is nothing but closeup shots of someone using a computer mouse. Another, Werf's Tavern, is some kind of musical talk show. There's also a messaging tool and some kind of fax service. What's most interesting about Blippo Plus, though, isn't just that it's odd. It's also a mystery that seems like it will evolve over the course of the season. Playdate maker Panic says that 'Playdate season 2 owners should tune in weekly and make sure they are connected to WiFi when season 2 updates at 10 AM PT on Thursdays.' There are lots of other promising games planned for season 2, including the point-and-click adventure Shadowgate PD and whatever the heck Long Puppy and Tiny Turnip are. But an FMV mystery that unfolds over the course of weeks is something that's pretty unique to this format — and further evidence that the Playdate exists in its own parallel universe.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Best Place To Farm Mass Lumina Points In ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'
Expedition 33 If you've played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, easy GOTY contender, you've probably been here at some point. You get a new Pictos, you want to use it, you are short 15-20 Lumina Points per character. Bummer. Well, there is a solution to that, or rather a pair of solutions in the same location, where you can farm Lumina Points in Expedition 33 essentially consequence free to your heart's content. This is a late-game farm so you can use it to refine your best builds for tough bosses you may have left, you can use it to prepare for the harder New Game+ before you start it, or you can just do it for fun as a relaxing, mindless farm. The location is Renoir's Drafts, where you will fight tougher monsters leading to the hardest boss in the game, eventually. Don't worry, you're not farming him (you can't). Either you can use the first flag to teleport to the second one, or you can hang left and go through a few monster packs until you get to the correct spot. You won't have to fight those again. The flag is on the right with the exit portal on the left From the flag, you're looking for two monster packs that have three 'Creation' monsters between them. You can use a full team of three so you can come up with the best strategy to nuke them one at a time, or take out the whole batch. The fights will get easier as you farm more. I eventually got a full clear Monoco build that takes both out in one hit, and there are certainly other builds that could do that. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Expedition 33 You kill the first duo with one Creation then head over to the other two Creations. Then you head back to the very close flag, rest to respawn, and do it again. This will get you 4x Lumina mats to spend at the flag guaranteed. I usually wait until I get 20 or 30 before dumping them and unlocking specific things I have made 'goals" per character. Expedition 33 There is an alternative to this. If you kill the single Creation pack you just go up a ramp and launch onto the roof. There is a vendor there you can fight in a 1v3 with a character of your choice, and he will drop 1-2 every fight. But mostly 1. The benefit of this fight is that you don't have to go to a flag, you can just sit there and do it again and again. Personally I found this less efficient, but it's an easier fight if you have all the solo boost Pictos on and a halfway decent build and a couple dodging skills. You can end it in a turn or three usually. Expedition 33 That's my advice! I'm still doing this and will start NG+ soon as I'm sort of running out of core Pictos passives I need. Have fun! Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Game bought by 12.5 million is shutting down for PlayStation and Xbox fans unless you upgrade by ‘final wipe' deadline
A POPULAR game bought by millions of players is shutting down for some PlayStation and Xbox owners unless they upgrade. The fan-favourite game will go dark later this year, studio bosses have confirmed. 4 4 It affects fans of hit survival game Rust, which launched in early access in 2013 before a full release in 2018. Sadly the "old-gen" version of the game – the one built for PS4 and Xbox One – is set to be delisted from online stores. And it will become unplayable after "the final wipe" later this year. "Starting May 29, 2025, the old-gen version of the game will no longer be available in platform stores," said Rust official Pedro Silva. "If you already own it, you can keep playing until the final wipe, which will wrap up in October. "We're planning to make that one something special." PS5 (which recently had a price hike) and Xbox Series X or S. This upgrade will be available for free, so you can snap it up without paying a penny extra. There's no exact release date for this yet, but Silva said that it's coming soon. "Players will have until the end of October to transition to the new and improved version of Rust Console Edition, which is expected to launch sometime this summer," Silva explained. Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition "Just to be clear, the release date is not May 29, 2025. "We still need a bit more time. More will be announced in the future. Thank you for your support!" It suggests that there will be a gap between the old game being removed from sale and the upgraded game becoming available – leaving potential new players locked out. And existing gamers will need to upgrade by October before the old-gen title is killed off. 4 Rust landed on consoles in 2021, three years after the official PC release. The multiplayer survival game sees players trying to survive in the wilderness, gathering and stealing materials while trying to avoid starvation, death, and other players. Rust received mixed reviews at launch, but ultimately sold more than 12.5 million copies and secured a loyal fanbase of gamers. Now game-makers at Double Eleven have teased details about the new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the title. "The game will be available in three editions: Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate," Double Eleven, a British studio responsible for the console version, said in a statement. "We'll reveal the perks and prices for each edition soon, along with upgrade options if you want to switch editions on the same platform." It added: "To mark the occasion, we are planning something special: the 'Wipe of Wipes', a memorable send-off to celebrate the legacy of old-gen. "By then, the new-gen version will already be available to everyone and you can smoothly transition to this new era of Rust Console Edition." 4
National Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Xsolla Acquires Ludo to Advance Player Engagement and Monetization
Article content Article content LOS ANGELES — Xsolla, a global leader in video game commerce, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Ludo, a platform designed to drive community engagement through code-free social quests. This strategic acquisition brings Ludo's innovative technology into the Xsolla portfolio, combining its questing tools with Xsolla's Web Shop and other Xsolla Rewards Solutions to help developers worldwide increase player engagement, drive retention, and unlock new monetization opportunities beyond the traditional app store model. As the #1 web shop provider in the video games industry, with over 500 web shops launched, Xsolla and Ludo will take mobile players' experience to the next level for game developers. Article content Ludo's integration with Xsolla centers on incorporating Community Quests into Xsolla's ecosystem, giving developers a simple, built-in way to spark engagement through gamified social experiences. This aligns Ludo's expertise in player activation with Xsolla's robust commerce infrastructure, creating a seamless path from gameplay to web-based purchases and turning community participation into revenue-generating behavior. Article content The timing is significant. New platform flexibility allows mobile developers in the U.S. to promote and link to their web shops directly from their games, unlocking more seamless access to external purchasing experiences. This shift means developers can now: Article content With these capabilities combined with Ludo's community-driven questing tools, developers can now create full-circle engagement loops that increase monetization, drive loyalty, and grow their player base without adding development overhead. Article content 'Welcoming Ludo to the Xsolla family strengthens our push to give mobile game developers accessible, innovative tools,' said Chris Hewish, Chief Strategy Officer at Xsolla. 'With an expanded Xsolla Rewards ecosystem, we're adding loyalty and questing features that turn player engagement into lasting growth for games and their communities. The integration empowers developers to create dynamic quests that reward players for in-game purchases, social participation, and community-building actions such as joining a Discord channel or engaging on social networks. This opens up new avenues for re-engagement, loyalty, and increased conversion, all without requiring additional development resources or burdens on game developers.' Article content 'Player loyalty is shaped the moment or even before the game begins; a dynamic questing system rekindles that spark every day, turning fleeting engagement into a sustainable, ever-growing community,' said Renee Russo, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ludo. Article content 'By adding advanced community quests and rewards at checkout, developers can nurture their communities, raise conversion rates, and protect margins,' said Annie Reardon, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ludo. 'Xsolla remains at the forefront of game commerce, and we're thrilled to team up – blending rich out-of-game experiences with steady, player-driven growth to drive user acquisition and incremental revenue opportunities for games around the globe.' Article content In the coming months, Xsolla will continue rolling out tools and integrations built on Ludo's capabilities, simplifying implementation and providing developers with actionable, data-driven insights. The goal is to give developers of all sizes the ability to grow their games, increase lifetime player value, and build vibrant, engaged communities. Article content Xsolla is a leading global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla's mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue, and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in London, Berlin, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Raleigh, Tokyo, Montreal, and cities around the world. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content
The Review Geek
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Revenge of the Savage Planet Guide: 'My First Rodeo' Walkthrough
Mission List (Tap to jump down the page!) My First Rodeo My First Rodeo is one of the sub-missions as part of That Has My Name On It, and it involves obtaining the Proton Whip to progress. If you'd rather read the full guide for the entire mission, you can do so by clicking HERE! My First Rodeo Back to top ↑ If you haven't scanned a Beetle or Fecal Beetle yet, the game should automatically prompt you to go and grab this next item simply through story progression, but if it doesn't, go and scan the beetle to make sure this part of the mission pops. We now need to progress much further north than we have done before on Stellaris Prime. This Proton Whip that we're after can be used to destroy, not just growths on the back of beetles, but also blocked walls like this one (pictured below). If you survey the area nearby, the game does, on occasion, prompt to where your destination is located and in this instance, it's high up to the east in the acidic jungle section. There's a Teleporter nearby so be sure to activate this before hopping over the orange mushrooms. At the end of the path, make sure you have you Hose equipped. Aim for the bulb at the base of the tree (pictured above) and hit it with water. This will cause it to expand out into a platform. Use your double jump after hitting the first platform and then progress up the tree, being sure to look up whenever a bulb is located to make more platforms. There Are also Amber-spitting flowers here, which can be destroyed by spraying them with water, along with green blobs that ca be eliminated in the same way too. Once you reach the top of the platforms, you'll find the crate covered in green goo. Use your Hose to wash off the dirt, then hit Square (X) to open it up and gain the Proton Whip. This will be equipped immediately, and it will also complete this part of the mission too.
