Black Mirror Season 4 Breakdowns: Every Episode Analyzed And Secrets Revealed
Black Mirror, Neflix's modern-day take on The Twilight Zone with a tech twist, is finally back for your binging pleasure. Season 4 released on Netflix December 29 with six brand-new episodes, and we've broken them all down.
In true Black Mirror fashion, this season follows the same sort of sci-fi anthology type of storytelling. Each episode is a complete story, and the characters within them are in their own universe. It's dark, satirical, and plays off of much of what we see in our society today in regards to developing technology. This season is absolutely no different, no different, using unsettling scenarios to deliver commentary on commentary on tech can twist society and the people within it.
If you've already had a chance to watch every episode we've put together detailed breakdowns exploring the themes and ideas behind each episode, and revealing their secrets. You can watch all of our breakdown videos below, or alternatively check out this YouTube playlist.
USS Callister
A woman finds herself aboard a ship that resembles pop-culture darling's Star Trek. But for some reason, everyone on this ship doesn't just love their jobs, they're utterly obsessed with their captain, Robert Daly.
Arkangel
Love makes us do crazy things. A mother, Marie, who has nearly lost her daughter turns to technology that will help her keep an eye on her child at all times.
Crocodile
Shazia has a device called the Recaller which allows her to revisit the recent memories of people she interviews.
Hang the DJ
There's a hip new dating app out in the open, but the catch is that the length of all relationships are dictated by a mysterious algorithm.
Metalhead
Bella, Tony, and Clarke, are on a mission to fulfill a promise to Bella's sister, and it lands them in serious danger.
Black Museum
Nish comes across the Black Museum, the home to "authentic criminal technology." The proprietor, Rolo Haynes, tells her the stories behind the artifacts.
Black Mirror Season 4 Breakdowns: Every Episode Analyzed And Secrets Revealed
Black Mirror, Neflix's modern-day take on The Twilight Zone with a tech twist, is finally back for your binging pleasure. Season 4 released on Netflix December 29 with six brand-new episodes, and we've broken them all down.
In true Black Mirror fashion, this season follows the same sort of sci-fi anthology type of storytelling. Each episode is a complete story, and the characters within them are in their own universe. It's dark, satirical, and plays off of much of what we see in our society today in regards to developing technology. This season is absolutely no different, no different, using unsettling scenarios to deliver commentary on commentary on tech can twist society and the people within it.
If you've already had a chance to watch every episode we've put together detailed breakdowns exploring the themes and ideas behind each episode, and revealing their secrets. You can watch all of our breakdown videos below, or alternatively check out this YouTube playlist.
USS Callister
A woman finds herself aboard a ship that resembles pop-culture darling's Star Trek. But for some reason, everyone on this ship doesn't just love their jobs, they're utterly obsessed with their captain, Robert Daly.
Arkangel
Love makes us do crazy things. A mother, Marie, who has nearly lost her daughter turns to technology that will help her keep an eye on her child at all times.
Crocodile
Shazia has a device called the Recaller which allows her to revisit the recent memories of people she interviews.
Hang the DJ
There's a hip new dating app out in the open, but the catch is that the length of all relationships are dictated by a mysterious algorithm.
Metalhead
Bella, Tony, and Clarke, are on a mission to fulfill a promise to Bella's sister, and it lands them in serious danger.
Black Museum
Nish comes across the Black Museum, the home to "authentic criminal technology." The proprietor, Rolo Haynes, tells her the stories behind the artifacts.
from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2q2cWf6
Let's Play Resident Evil 7 Part 8 - Resident Kinevil
It's all been building up to this - the boss fight with Jack, the escape from the mansion, and the fake end of the game. Seriously, we're not sure how Mary doesn't know about the tanker yet, either.
Mary also discovers the secret second half of the game that makes it even better. There's no joke here, this game is just really good.
Join former GameSpot producer Mary Kish and current GameSpot producer Mike Mahardy every Saturday at 3 pm PT as they play through every numbered Resident Evil title. You can catch up on previous episodes on the show's GameSpot page here, or on its YouTube channel here.
from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2lr4HnZ
Let's Play Resident Evil 7 Part 8 - Resident Kinevil
It's all been building up to this - the boss fight with Jack, the escape from the mansion, and the fake end of the game. Seriously, we're not sure how Mary doesn't know about the tanker yet, either.
Mary also discovers the secret second half of the game that makes it even better. There's no joke here, this game is just really good.
Join former GameSpot producer Mary Kish and current GameSpot producer Mike Mahardy every Saturday at 3 pm PT as they play through every numbered Resident Evil title. You can catch up on previous episodes on the show's GameSpot page here, or on its YouTube channel here.
PlayStation Sale Offering Up To 50 Percent Off On Some Games Until January 2
Holiday deals are finally coming to an end. PlayStation already has featured mark downs on their higher-end products, like the PS4 Pro and PSVR headsets, but now the games are getting a little love. Until January 2, catch all your favorites on the PlayStation Store for up to 50 percent off.
The sale appears to be exclusively for video games, but it isn't limited to full games alone. Deals include mark downs on PS4, PS Vita, PS3, PS2 and PS1 Classic, and PSVR titles, as well as bundles and DLC.
PlayStation Plus members can save even more with this sale, netting upwards of 60 percent off. But it should be noted that PlayStation Plus memberships themselves are not currently on sale. You can take a sneak peek at some of the deals below, but the prices listed may be a little less for Plus members.
PlayStation Holiday Sale
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: $26
- Ark: Survival Evolved: $36
- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix: $30
- Overcooked: $9
- Suikoden IV: $6
- Final Fantasy XV Digital Premium Edition: $38
- Grim Fandango Remastered: $5
- Mind Zero: $13
- Skyrim VR: $41
- Thief: $3
- Final Fantasy XIII-2: $9
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 w/ DLC: $18
- Silent Hill: $4
- The Evil Within Digital Bundle: $18
from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2Ejtvq0
PlayStation Sale Offering Up To 50 Percent Off On Some Games Until January 2
Holiday deals are finally coming to an end. PlayStation already has featured mark downs on their higher-end products, like the PS4 Pro and PSVR headsets, but now the games are getting a little love. Until January 2, catch all your favorites on the PlayStation Store for up to 50 percent off.
The sale appears to be exclusively for video games, but it isn't limited to full games alone. Deals include mark downs on PS4, PS Vita, PS3, PS2 and PS1 Classic, and PSVR titles, as well as bundles and DLC.
PlayStation Plus members can save even more with this sale, netting upwards of 60 percent off. But it should be noted that PlayStation Plus memberships themselves are not currently on sale. You can take a sneak peek at some of the deals below, but the prices listed may be a little less for Plus members.
PlayStation Holiday Sale
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: $26
- Ark: Survival Evolved: $36
- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix: $30
- Overcooked: $9
- Suikoden IV: $6
- Final Fantasy XV Digital Premium Edition: $38
- Grim Fandango Remastered: $5
- Mind Zero: $13
- Skyrim VR: $41
- Thief: $3
- Final Fantasy XIII-2: $9
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 w/ DLC: $18
- Silent Hill: $4
- The Evil Within Digital Bundle: $18
Developers Share Their Favorite Games Of 2017
2017 has been a banner year for videogames, with many successful and important titles getting released throughout the year. Instead of presenting you our favorite 2017 games, we asked developers which titles resonated with them instead. Their answers are once again testament to the richness and diversity that independent games have to offer. If 2018 will only be half as good, we're in for quite a ride!
Jay Tholen (@jaytholen):
"Rex: Another Island was my indie pick for 2017. It's a solidly designed 'open world' (it has one really huge level with warp points) platformer in which you play as an adorable pink dinosaur exploring an island with diverse biomes. Games of the 'difficult platformer' variety don't normally do this for me, but Rex was therapeutically relaxing and I want to go hang out in its world again just thinking about it."
Sam Luangkhot (@flarechess):
"Really loved Brianna Lei 's Butterfly Soup VN for a lighthearted and touching story that has now become close to my heart. It's so rare to find content that is made BY someone like you ABOUT people like you, which makes the game all the more endearing to me."
Omar Cornut (@ocornut), Lizardcube:
"Fidel Dungeon Rescue - I thought it was brilliantly designed, there are lots of subtleties with how to deal with the monsters, the game lets you discover and understand them by experimenting (much like The Witness did), and it doesn't have an invasive tutorial.
It's also a game that makes it clear that you can't "perfect" a level, you have to go with the flow and try to do the best you can, alternating moments of slow experimentation with moments where you have to save yourself and play a more risky and instinctive game. I think this is what the Ghost conveyed, you have to move on, don't try to perfect a level too much. Like the typical rogue like, it's not about a given level but about your ability to do well enough under always varying conditions."
Christian Miller (@SilvrSpookGames), Silver Spook Games:
"Tacoma - The way that the story was told, through AR recordings, bits of news and text littered around this space station was reminiscent of System Shock, but with its own innovative spin. The story is pretty short but well told with a lot of reversed expectations and sci-fi delightfulness generally."
Byron Atkinson-Jones (@xiotex):
"For me it's Doctor Kvorak's Obliteration Game by Freekstorm - the reason why is because I know the developer and saw the love and attention that went into that game. They were not only really passionate about their craft but the most wonderful people you could meet.
It resonated with me because I saw myself in them - trying to make a success in this brutally difficult industry. Doing everything they could within their means to make their game a success, just like I and all the other indie devs I know do."
Michael Rader (@raderm), Theory of Games:
"I love Tooth and Tail's minimalist approach to the RTS genre. Feels like a throwback and an evolution simultaneously. I've also gotten super addicted to Oxygen Not Included, even though it's still in Early Access. I love the interplay of automation vs manual control, and the complex-yet-transparent mechanic design."
Alexander Formoso (@Alexformosoc), Bohemia Interactive:
"Dead Cells doesn't have a deep story that touches the depths of human nature and so on. It's a simple 2D Roguelite Metroidvania, much like this year's Hollow Knight, which is also fantastic. But the difference with Dead Cells is that it compresses the play sessions in 10 minute runs. Every time you play, your character gets stronger, and you can get farther away, but since its stronger, you breeze through the beginning sections with reduced chances of getting harmed.
It sports phenomenal pixel art, fluid as hell combat, funny and responsive animations and super juicy effects. For a Dark Souls fiend like me, it feels like they found an amazing spot in the formula. THIS is the "Dark Souls in portable mode" that I've been wanting to play on commutes and lunchbreaks."
Louise Chamberlain (@LouiseWooeez), Triangular Pixel:
"Night in the Woods - its pessimistic/dark/humourous narrative really touched that cynical, teenage part of me that still lives on deep down! It's also beautiful."
Matthieu Richez (@cccpingu), CCCP:
"This year, the indie game that resonated the most with me would be Kitfox Games' The Shrouded Isle. A simple, short yet hard, compacted intriguing experience that really itches my game designer skills. The mechanics are subtle, board game like, when you play the game as a game designer you say to yourself: "ah! That's a game I could almost do on my own!" and at the same time "Gosh, that is clever!" It made me think a lot about new, small concepts, and made me nervous about my own skills as a designer to put on paper something so focused and in line with a cool, innovative theme like that."
Talha Kaya (@taloketo), Kayabros:
"Dujanah is my favorite indie game of this year. It is courageous in how it handles the serious themes while maintaining the absolutely punk, crazy and colorful style throughout. It is a game that truly embodies the vision of its developer and does not yield to anything less. It exists against all odds of this industry and we are lucky to have it."
Megan Fox (@glassbottommeg), Glass Bottom Games:
"Both Heat Signature and Streets of Rogue hit this free-form action sweet spot for me that I haven't seen done this well in, maybe ever? I'm hard pressed to think of another action game like this with as much breadth of choice as you've got in both. Bounce the wrench off the guy's head then grab your target and slam him into space, leaving him to suffocate, while you last-minute grab yourself with your own spaceship? Yeah, sure, that works. Become an ape, free your own kind, and fight an army of soldiers with nothing but a pile of bananas (and access to a cloning machine to bolster your ape army), all to steal a baseball that will fund yet more ape cloning? Yep, that works too. I'll leave it to you to guess which game is which.
Also, West Of Loathing is possibly the best-written RPG I've ever played. I mean that literally. I've never played something with such obvious love and care put into every word, that somehow did all that without the words burying the rest of the game. It's a beautiful work of fiction, full of silly walks and quite possibly the best subplot featuring a spitoon ever to grace the world of man."
Tom Grochowiak (@TomGrochowiak), MoaCube:
"Reigns: Her Majesty. The Tinder-like swipe-to-make-royal-choices mechanic is pretty much the perfect format for a mobile narrative game. The writing's witty, there's some mystery to it, and I had more fun with it than any "full-blown" indie game this year."
Chris Floyd (@DeckNine_Floyd), Deck Nine Games:
"Hollow Knight is a masterful exercise in tone (as well as finely tuned gameplay).
LogISTical is an addictive management game with an ABSURD amount of content.
What Remains of Edith Finch fascinated those of us making narrative games and thinking about gameplay in that context.
West of Loathing is a joyous and generous game. And freaking funny.
Super Blood Hockey is a brilliant revival of an old classic for the NES, with smart updating of the formula."
Jana Reinhardt (@rottenhedgehog), Rat King Entertainment:
"I feel >OBSERVER_ grabbed my Cyberpunk heart. The works of Bloober Team remind me of art installations the way they use space, music and effects so perfectly. Plus the setting in their very own hometown Krakow really made the cyberpunk believable. I also liked the limited setting and how you do interviews through doors. And that they could get Rutger "Tears in the rain" Hauer to do voice acting is just cream of the crop. Oh, and pigs with VR glasses!"
David Wehle (@DavidWehle):
"Easy choice for me, What Remains of Edith Finch. It left an indelible mark on my mind on how to tell a beautiful story in a video game. The themes of family and loss are ideas I try to present in my games with half of Giant Sparrow's grace and talent."
Joachim Holmér (@JoachimHolmer), Neat Corporation:
"Night in the Woods for its characters and for dealing with psychological struggles. The fact that you don't know the history of them makes it all very interesting as well. This is also a case where dialogue options are reflective of character, in a really nice way."
Tomas Rawlings (@TomasRawlings), Auroch Digital:
"I have really enjoyed playing The Shrouded Isle. It's a great game putting you in charge of an insular cult attempting to navigate your way to ensuring the whims of your dark god are carried out whilst making sure your followers remain obedience. That demands blood. The interaction is simple yet layered in complexity, the writing is witty and dark. It's the prefect gamic reflection of the times in which we live in..."
We'd like to thank all developers who contributed to this feature, as well as, of course, our readers for making 2017 such a good year for indiegames.com. We hope you have a great 2018!
from IndieGames.com http://ift.tt/2lwctwe
Black Jewel Brings Commodore-Style Shirtless Swordplay Action
Black Jewel aims to emulate a c64 art style with its tale of stolen magical jewels and shirtless men with swords who aim to bring them back.
Darkor, unfortunate enough to have been saddled with such an obviously-evil name, has decided to steal the black jewel, and Ryan the Barbarian is having none of it. Even if he has to cross forty levels, striking countless goblins, ogres, and other giants until their skin literally falls off, he'll bring the gem back. Unless, you know, all of those fire-breathing trees and huge bosses give him some guff.
Black Jewel is a slower-paced action game, with Ryan taking a little bit of time to wind up a swing or a jump, making things feel a bit more strategic rather than slashing away, players will need to take care if they want to return that enchanted jewel. Still, they'll be gifted with some soothing sounds and charming pixel art that will dredge up many fond memories of the system and games built for it. Just don't lose YOUR skin while enjoying it all.
Black Jewel is available for $1.99 on Steam and Itch.io. For more information on the game and developer Oscar Celestini, you can head to the developer's site or follow them on YouTube and Twitter.
from IndieGames.com http://ift.tt/2DxqDob
TouchArcade Game of the Year 2017: 'Death Road to Canada'
GAME OF THE YEAR: DEATH ROAD TO CANADA
I'm not sure what kind of witchcraft is enchanting both Rocketcat Games and Madgarden, but it seems like the monkey's paw wish they made years ago is still paying off with their ability to flawlessly release game that push every single one of our buttons. Back in 2014 we awarded Rocketcat Game of the Year for Wayward Souls [$6.99], and this year we are happy to announce that our 2017 Game of the Year is Death Road to Canada.
We absolutely loved the game in our review back when it was released earlier this year. It was the game to beat, and while many games came close, nothing dethroned Death Road to Canada. The roguelike gameplay of completely random games and the absurd events that would transpire made trading tells from your time on the Death Road just as fun as playing the game itself. Additionally, a barrage of updates has pulled us right back into Death Road to Canada multiple times throughout the year. The game was among the most popular titles on our forums as well.
One thing we really loved about our 2016 Game of the Year, Crashlands [$6.99], is how it took a fairly complicated genre and made it unbelievably approachable. The Gentlebros' Cat Quest [$1.99] is dripping with similar magic, and is both a super lightweight RPG you can just play for a few minutes at a time which also features loads of depth if you're looking to explore it. Great touch controls, a ultra cute art style, and perfectly paired music all come together in one of the top must-play experiences of the year. (And our forums also agree!)
HONORABLE MENTION: SPLITTER CRITTERS
With our top two picks being pretty deep in the gamer-y games category, we also wanted to give a special nod to the best iOS puzzler of the year, Splitter Critters [$2.99]. When we first saw this at PAX it was obvious that Splitter Critters was either going to win tons of awards or it'd just be totally under the radar. Thankfully, they ended up winning all sorts of things including an Apple Design Award. As we explain in our review, gameplay involves making tears (or splitting) in the game world to then rearrange those pieces of the level into a way that allows your Lemming-like little blue aliens to reach their space ship. The base game was amazing, and then they updated it to support ARKit, turning one of the best puzzlers of the year into the best AR experience we've seen yet. Folks on our forums also really dig it.
For more end of the year coverage of the best games of 2017, be sure to check out our top 100 best iOS games list, as well as these personal top tens that we've been drizzling out over the week:
- Jared's 10 Best Games of 2017 - Some of the Biggest Releases of the Year and a Few Hidden Gems
- Eli's 10 Best Games of 2017 - These Games Need to Be Listed SOMEWHERE
- Mikhail's 10 Best Games of 2017 - Best iOS Gaming Year Ever
- Shaun's 10 Best Games of 2017 - A Year Full of Truly Unique Mobile Games
- Rob's 10 Best Games of 2017 - A Purrfect Year for Mobile Gaming
- Tasos' 10 Best Games of 2017 - 'Arena of Valor', 'Gorogoa', and More Made the List
Also, if you'd prefer to listen to our Game of the Year discussion in the form of an audio podcast, here's all the links to do that:
iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Stitcher: The TouchArcade Show via Stitcher Radio for Podcasts [Free]
RSS Feed: The TouchArcade Show
Direct Link: TouchArcadeShow-336.mp3, 83MB
Thanks a ton for sticking with us all through 2017. It's been a wild year filled with amazing games, and we really can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for us. Something tells me 2018 is going to be filled with lots of mobile games, but that's just a hunch.
We pride ourselves on delivering quality, long-form articles like this one instead of the SEO-driven click bait that is slowly taking over the internet. Unfortunately, articles like these rarely generate the traffic (and as a result, the ad revenue) of listicles, cheat guides, and other junk.
Please help us continue producing content like this by supporting TouchArcade on Patreon, doing your Amazon shopping by first visiting http://ift.tt/2pHr7VS, making one-time contributions via PayPal, and/or sending Bitcoin to 1Bodu89YrJKBLwS8y8tVF4XyQ5b2dR2cnK.
from TouchArcade http://ift.tt/2Eg2Bz0
TouchArcade Game of the Week: 'Cinco Paus'
The idea behind the TouchArcade Game of the Week is that every Friday afternoon we post the one game that came out this week that we think is worth giving a special nod to. Now, before anyone goes over-thinking this, it doesn't necessarily mean our Game of the Week pick is the highest scoring game in a review, the game with the best graphics, or really any other quantifiable "best" thing. Instead, it's more just us picking out the single game out of the week's releases that we think is the most noteworthy, surprising, interesting, or really any other hard to describe quality that makes it worth having if you were just going to pick up one.
These picks might be controversial, and that's OK. If you disagree with what we've chosen, let's try to use the comments of these articles to have conversations about what game is your game of the week and why.
Without further ado…
Cinco Paus
It was an odd week around here with the App Store being frozen for the holidays and only a handful of new games even being released. We even decided not to do our normal Out Now post on Wednesday because, well, it would have had like four games on it. However, one pretty significant game did make its surprise debut on Christmas Day and that game is Cinco Paus [$4.99], the latest game from popular roguelike developer Michael Brough. If you're familiar with the fanaticism surrounding Brough's previous games and their enduring designs, you'll know why Cinco Paus was an easy pick for Game of the Week this week whether it was just a handful of games being released or a hundred. This is another dose of the Michael Brough good stuff.
As our own Shaun Musgrave has already reviewed Cinco Paus in depth, I'll save going into the details in this feature. All I'll say is that the immense replay value, layers upon layers of depth, and many hidden elements that slowly unfold the more you play are all hallmarks of Brough's designs and they're ever-present in Cinco Paus too. One interesting tidbit is that the game is purposely in Portuguese, because Brough is currently learning the language and wanted to immerse himself in it as much as possible, even while designing games. It also pushed him to think about how to make the gameplay clear to everyone whether they knew the language or not, which I think is really interesting. He goes into more detail about the design process of Cinco Paus in this blog post and it's a really fascinating read.
So, with this being our final Game of the Week of the year, I feel pretty good we're sending off 2017 with such a high-quality release from one of the best game developers out there, and I'm looking forward to whatever amazing mobile gaming adventures await us in 2018!
from TouchArcade http://ift.tt/2Coet1K
Best of 2017: Game Design Deep Dive: Creating believable crowds in Planet Coaster
from Gamasutra News http://ift.tt/2CbNCc8
Get a job: Insomniac Games is hiring Engine Programmers
from Gamasutra News http://ift.tt/2lsh42j
Battlegrounds surpasses 3M concurrent players on Steam
from Gamasutra News http://ift.tt/2zNWwGO
Jared's 10 Best Games of 2017 - Some of the Biggest Releases of the Year and a Few Hidden Gems
Beat Street, Free - Being an '80s and '90s arcade rat, one of my very favorite genres is the side-scrolling beat 'em up. Despite being a somewhat shallow type of game, it's surprisingly hard to get the formula just right, which explains why there's a zillion beat 'em ups out there but only a very few great ones. It's why the classics hold up so well decades later. Lucky Kat's Beat Street has found that special sauce that makes a beat 'em up fun, and has added some very smart modern touches that have made it a daily habit for me. The most important elements of a great beat 'em up are the combat and the enemy AI, both of which need to be complex enough to still be engaging but simple enough to be approachable. Beat Street nails those aspects perfectly. Then layered on top is a LENGTHY campaign mode (rare for this genre) and a character unlocking and upgrading system that ensures you've always got something to shoot for when you play.
Cat Quest, $1.99 - I have a hard time getting into most RPGs usually because I can't handle the scope. Rather than hundred-hour affairs with deep, complex storylines I'd much prefer something breezier that gets to the point and focuses on what makes the genre so fun. It feels like Cat Quest was made for someone like me. There's not loads of text to bog down the action, but the main storyline and side quests are still filled with entertaining tales and colorful characters. There's equipment upgrading and character progression, but it's just enough to be manageable while still allowing you to tailor your character to your style. The combat and magic system are similarly diverse enough to be interesting but not overwhelming, and it's tailored so well to the touchscreen it makes the real-time battling tons of fun. Cat Quest is like a concentrated dose of action RPG and cat puns, and it's some of the most fun I've had gaming in 2017.
Darts of Fury, Free - Yes, it's the year 2017 and I'm picking a darts game of all things for my top 10 of the year. I'm just as surprised as you. The funny thing is, despite there being dozens if not hundreds of darts games on mobile over the years, none have been especially great, which is a shame as flicking your finger on a touchscreen is a great way to represent throwing a dart. Well, I'm here to tell you that Darts of Fury gets it right. The physics are totally on point, and reward solid flicking mechanics and aim just like the real thing. Aside from a couple (admittedly fun) training mini-games, Darts of Fury is an online PvP game, and with good matchmaking and a great leveling system it's a blast to rise the ranks and face off against other players. There's plenty that could be improved here, namely the inclusion of more modes and dart game types and especially the ability to play against friends instead of just randoms, but the dart throwing is so much fun that it hasn't stopped me from playing this one each day since its release.
Death Road to Canada, $10.99 - There's something about Rocketcat's games that just push all the right buttons for me. They tend to create games that reward skill and insist you actually learn the details of the game rather than just brute force your way through. Our 2014 Game of the Year Wayward Souls was an excellent example of that. And now Death Road to Canada, made in conjunction with authentic Canadian developer Madgarden, is another. Your goal is pretty simple on paper: Escape the zombie apocalypse by road tripping from Florida to the safety of The Great White North. In practice it's not quite so easy. I've always loved roguelike games because of their ability to let you create your own adventures rather than the one the developer envisioned for you, and in that sense Death Road is like a storytelling machine. The sheer variety of what can happen to you in any given road trip is sure to create some lasting memories, and with careful resource management, some nimble fingers, and a whole lot of luck it's chock full of extremely rewarding gameplay too.
Flipflop Solitaire, Free - I don't think I'm alone in saying that I have thousands of hours invested in playing Solitaire over the years. It was a big reason my parents bought a computer when I was a kid! With such an enduring design, you'd think a classic like Solitaire would be impossible to improve on, but developer Zach Gage somehow pulls it off with Flipflop Solitaire. Just a few rule changes have created an entirely new experience, and unlike Solitaire where you'll often find yourself in a dead end situation nearly all games in Flipflop Solitaire can be won. Because of that each game feels almost like a puzzle that you can solve, and with so much extra flexibility in the rules compared to the traditional game, I've been surprised with how many times I think I've been stumped only to discover a string of crazy moves I can make to get me out of a stuck situation. It's SO satisfying.
Getting Over It, $4.99 - I love weird physics-based games, mostly because they're purposely silly and somewhat shallow and don't take themselves too seriously. Getting Over It shares the silly and weird part, but it most definitely takes itself seriously. This is a game that's built to abuse you over and over while simultaneously talking you through the emotional damage it's causing you. Your job is to climb a mountain while sitting in a cauldron using nothing but a sledge hammer to push and fling yourself around. It's totally absurd, but there's something incredibly satisfying about overcoming such adversity… right up to the point where you make a wrong move and go plummeting down to the bottom, losing possibly hours of progress in the process. Yes, that happens a lot. But somehow you just want to come back for more.
Gorogoa, $4.99 - This has to count as the biggest surprise of the year for me, as Gorogoa only came out a couple of weeks ago but in all honesty it only took a couple of minutes before I knew this would be one of my favorites of 2017. It's something of a hybrid of a point and click adventure game and one of those tile-sliding picture puzzles, but that description doesn't nearly do this masterpiece justice. You'll zoom in and out of many beautiful illustrated scenes, and also slide different layers off of the environment to manipulate and interact with various elements in the pictures. Gosh, it's SO hard to explain, but that's what's so amazing about Gorogoa. It's unlike any game I've ever played, and it will constantly be blowing your mind with how inventive it is and how it can create these rich, interconnected environments. The best part is that Gorogoa tells an interesting story and creates an interesting universe to explore and it does it entirely without text. It's so stunningly brilliant that the only bad thing I can say is that the game ends at all, as I could easily poke and prod my way around this fascinating world for eternity.
GRID™ Autosport, $9.99 - I don't get into racing games very often, and even when I do they tend to be the more unrealistic, arcade-style games. I did have a love affair with the original two Gran Turismo games back in the day but as technology advanced the series just got too difficult for a car noob like me, and I've pretty much avoided hardcore racing sims ever since. Which sucks because I WANT to like them, you know? I just couldn't. Then GRID Autosport arrived on iOS and basically provided my dream racing game. It's simulation-focused but not overly so, and it has so many dang options you can pretty much tailor the game to suit your style no matter what your experience or enthusiasm towards racing is. Then there's the staggering amount of event and race types that are connected to a rich career mode that is always waiting to give you something satisfying to accomplish. Throw in the best visuals we've ever seen in a mobile game to date and there's no better way to spend your money than GRID Autosport for both hardcore and casual racing fans on the go.
Pigeon Wings, $1.99 - Side-scrolling cave flyer games are a staple of the mobile platform, as they're typically one or two button affairs that lend themselves incredibly well to the touchscreen. Because of that we've been inundated with these types of games for years, and it's become increasingly difficult for new ones to stand out. Pigeon Wings may look like your average cave flyer, but it's actually one of the finest racing games on mobile and stands out in a number of ways. First, it's level-based, and each level is a finely-crafted course that will reward your quick reflexes and taking advantage of subtle strategies like drafting behind the racers ahead of you. There's also some shooting elements thrown in and even boss fights, and each level is bite-sized enough that it's easy to squeeze in a game here and there as well as go back and repeat a course over and over trying for a better time. This formula has brought me back to Pigeon Wings constantly since its release, but a recent endless mode addition pretty much ensures I'll never stop playing this one.
Steredenn, $3.99 - I love shoot 'em ups, and I love roguelikes, so it stands to reason that I'd love a roguelike shoot 'em up and the brilliant Steredenn is proof of that. It's a horizontally-scrolling shooter that has you playing through a set of semi-randomized levels each capped off with an epic boss battle. Upon completion of each level you're given the choice of a number of weapons or power-ups to equip, meaning you only get more bad ass the further you get in the game. It's also designed so that you can beat all levels and loop back around to continue on, going until you die, and like most great shooters it's not merely designed to be "beaten" but mastered and replayed over and over. A special shoutout goes to the excellent touch controls implemented into this mobile version of Steredenn that creates a crosshair sort of thing whenever your ship might be hidden by your thumb, which is just ingenious and should be standard on all mobile shooters from now on.
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Some mobile games now report TV viewing habits back to advertisers
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Gamasutra's Best of 2017: Brandon Sheffield's top 10 games hidden in other games
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The Biggest Movies to Watch in 2018
2017 was a great year for movies. But next year looks even better. Marvel fans have three movies to look forward to, including the hugely-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War, plus the debut solo movie for the Black Panther and the Ant-Man sequel. The second Star Wars spin-off arrives in the shape of Solo, which will focus on the early adventures if the iconic space smuggler.
Beyond these big tentpole franchises, other crowd-pleasing favourites are set to return. There's more dinosaur action in the Jurassic World sequel, the sixth Mission: Impossible movie, and no fewer than three more films in the X-Men universe. Lara Croft returns to the screen, the first of Sony’s Spider-Man spin-offs arrives, and we'll find out if there's life in the Predator franchise. So here are the movies we're most looking forward to in 2018, in order of release...
Black Panther
The first of 2018's Marvel movies, the spectacular trailers for Black Panther suggest a wild mix of political intrigue, incredible set design, and amazing action. The film's star, Chadwick Boseman, reprises his role from Captain America: Civil War; and director Ryan Cooler's success with the Rocky spin-off Creed proved that he can handle heartfelt drama as well as gritty action. With a supporting cast that includes Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), and Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)--plus a Hobbit reunion for Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis--this is a Marvel movie that looks set to continue the studio's cinematic hot streak.
Release date: February 16, 2018
Tomb Raider
While the previous two Tomb Raider movies were box office hits, neither are fondly remembered, and it's been 15 years since Lara Croft last appeared on a movie screen. But there are a number of reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming reboot. The film seems to be heavily influenced by the games--particularly the 2013 reboot--and star Alicia Vikander will bring some Oscar-winning clout to the lead role. Could this finally be the movie that breaks the cycle of terrible video game movie adaptations?
Release date: March 16, 2018
Pacific Rim: Uprising
For a long time, it looked as if the Pacific Rim sequel wouldn't actually happen. The original film had a mediocre US box office performance, and despite its popularity overseas, the film was hit with a series of delays and changing personnel. But Pacific Rim: Uprising finally arrives in March. Director Stephen DeKnight is unlikely to bring the same level of dazzling visual artistry as Guillermo Del Toro, but with with Star Wars favorite John Boyega in the lead role and a whole new range of awesome Kaiju-killing Jaegers, Uprising should deliver some crowd-pleasing monster mayhem.
Release date: March 23, 2018
Ready Player One
The acclaimed 2012 novel Ready Player One focuses upon a teenager who enters a virtual reality world to try to win the ultimate game, and it is packed with pop culture references to the 1980s. Who better to adapt the film version than Steven Spielberg, who defined '80s Hollywood as much as any filmmaker? The trailers released to date look spectacular, although don't expect to see much of Spielberg's own work in there. "I've cut most of my movies out," he said last year. "I was very happy to see there was enough without me that made the '80s a great time to grow up. I think one of the reasons I decided to make the movie was that it brought me back to the '80s and lets me do anything I want, except for with my own movies."
Release date: March 30, 2018
A Quiet Place
This creepy-looking horror movie is the second film directed by former Office star John Krasinski (who will also be seen next year in Amazon's Jack Ryan reboot). It's got a great premise--a family forced to communicate using sign language to avoid some mysterious supernatural evil attracted to sound--and a seriously spooky trailer. Krasinski stars alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt.
Release date: April 6, 2018
The New Mutants
The huge success of the R-rated X-Men spin-offs Deadpool and Logan proved that superhero movies can have adult themes and content but still be embraced by a huge number of fans. The New Mutants seems to be going in a new direction again--director Josh Boone has been promising a full on "horror movie" for a while, and the first trailer delivers on this. The movie looks scary as hell, as a group of young mutant teens (including The Witch's Anya Taylor-Joy and Game of Thrones's Maisie Williams) come to terms with their powers while locked up in a terrifying top-secret facility.
Release date: April 13, 2018
Super Troopers 2
Hitting theaters on the very appropriate date of April 20, Super Troopers 2 is the crowd-funded sequel to the cult 2001 comedy. All the key members of the Broken Lizard comedy team return for this second movie, which sees the hapless Vermont troopers sent to the Canadian border, to a town that was thought to be Canadian soil but is actually part of the US. "We essentially have to impose US law on a bunch of Canadians that aren't at all happy about it," Broken Lizard member Paul Soter said about the movie.
Release date: April 20
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Avengers: Infinity War
While expectations are high for both Black Panther and Ant-Man and the Wasp, it's Avengers: Infinity War that promises to be the defining Marvel movie of 2018. The culmination of a decade of interconnected superhero storytelling, the movie will feature every major hero from the MCU to date in a fight to stop the evil Thanos and the universe-threatening Infinity Stones. Captain America: Civil War proved that directors Joe and Anthony Russo are adept at juggling multiple characters, and if the first trailer is anything to go by, this will easily be the most spectacular Marvel movie to date. Until Avengers 4 arrives in 2019 that is.
Release date: May 4, 2018
Solo: A Star Wars Story
The second Star Wars spin-off has been marked by much behind-the-scenes turmoil, with original directors Chris Lord and Phil Miller being replaced during production by Ron Howard, leading to months of extensive reshoots. But last year's Rogue One emerged unscathed after similar production problems, and Howard is an experienced veteran of dozens of crowd-pleasing movies. The adventures of a young Han Solo is something that Star Wars fans have wanted to see for decades, and with a hugely talented supporting cast (Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton) backing up Alden Ehrenreich (Han) and Donald Glover (Lando), we're excited for this one.
Release date: May 25, 2018
Deadpool 2
Deadpool was one of the 2016's biggest cinematic surprises--not only was it the most successful R-rated movie of all time, it outgrossed every other movie in the X-Men universe. So expectations are high for the sequel. The movie lost original director Tim Miller early on due to creative disagreements with star/producer Ryan Reynolds. But with John Wick co-director David Leitch on board and a cast that includes the return of Morena Baccarat, T.J. Miller, and Brianna Hildebrand, including the much-anticipated movie debuts of Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino, everything is in place for bigger, badder, and more outrageous follow-up. The marketing campaign is already refusing to play by the rules; expect the movie to do the same.
Release date: June 1, 2018
The Incredibles 2
Pixar's long-awaited sequel to its 2004 superhero family smash The Incredibles was originally set for a 2019 release but having switched places with Toy Story 4, we now get it a whole year earlier. Although the first teaser gives little away, we do know a few plot details. At Disney's D23 convention this summer, director Brad Bird revealed that the movie take place immediately after the end of the first movie, and will focus more on Elastigirl's superhero adventures, while Mr. Incredible is now a stay-at-home dad, trying to deal with the increasingly powerful baby Jack-Jack. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Samuel L. Jackson all reprise their roles, with Toy Story veteran John Ratzenberger playing the villainous Underminer.
Release date: June 15, 2018
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World wasn't just the fourth part in a series of big dinosaur movies; it was an absolute box office monster, and currently stands as the fourth biggest film of all time. For the follow-up, acclaimed Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona takes over from Colin Trevorrow, who remains on-board as producer and co-writer. Meanwhile Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprise their roles. Trevorrow has described the movie as a "Spanish horror thriller"(in reference to Bayona's earlier hit Mama) but most exciting is the return of Jeff Goldblum, who starred in Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park way back in 1993.
Release date: June 22, 2018
Ant-Man and The Wasp
The first Ant-Man was a welcome contrast to the likes of The Avengers and Captain America: Civil War. As much of a heist comedy as a superhero movie, it featured a winning lead role from Paul Rudd and put the emphasis much more on character and humor than huge CG-driven action sequences. With Avengers: Infinity War due in May, Ant-Man and the Wasp should be a good follow-up two months later. Evangeline Lily reprises her role as Hope Van Dyne, who now fights alongside Ant-Man as The Wasp, with Michael Douglas and Michael Pfeiffer as her parents. We don't know what direction the movie will go in this time, just that director Peyton Reed promises "an entirely different genre template."
Release date: July 6, 2018
The Nun
James Wan's The Conjuring was one of most successful horror movies of recent years, inspiring not only a prequel, but two spin-offs focusing on spooky doll Annabelle. The latest movie in this horror series is The Nun. It's set before the other four movies in the series so far, and focuses on the investigation into the earlier life (and death) of Valak, the terrifying demon nun from The Conjuring 2. Wan co-wrote the screenplay, and it's directed by Corin Hardy, who previously helmed the acclaimed low-budget shocker The Hallow and is about to start shooting the remake of The Crow. Expect plenty of scares.
Release date: July 13, 2018
Alita: Battle Angel
James Cameron has been looking to adapt the classic manga series Battle Angel Alita for many years, and the movie finally arrives next year. Although Cameron handed directorial reins over to Sin City's Robert Rodriguez, he has still produced and co-written the movie. The recently-released first trailer for this futuristic story of an amnesiac cyborg who becomes a deadly bounty hunter has caused some controversy over the decision to give star Rosa Salazer giant, manga-style eyes, but it's still packed with kinetic action and looks pretty faithful to the source material.
Release date: July 20, 2018
Mission: Impossible 6
The Mission: Impossible series might be more than 20-years old, but on-set injuries aside, star Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down. M:I6 (the film is yet to be given the traditional subtitle) sees Rogue Nation's Chris McQuarrie return to the directors chair, with Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, and Alec Baldwin all reprising their roles from previous movies. Superman star Henry Cavill joins the cast, as does his controversial moustache. While the plot remains under wraps for now, it is rumored that the movie will put the focus upon Ethan Hunt's personal life. Expect plenty of insane action too of course.
Release date: July 27, 2018
The Predator
Although the original Predator is an '80s action classic, the movies that have followed have ranged from interesting but flawed (Predator 2) to completely terrible (Alien vs Predator). The Predator is writer/director Shane Black's attempt to get the franchise back on track. Black's impressive resume ranges from writing Lethal Weapon to directing Iron Man 3, and as a young actor he even had a role in original Predator. We're yet to see any footage from the movie, but the plot details we know so far suggest that it will focus upon a group of traumatised prisoners who do battle with Predators in a suburban setting. Black himself has said that he only agreed to make the film if he could do it on a big, blockbuster scale, while still delivering the sci-fi horror goods.
Release date: August 3, 2018
Venom
Although the deal between Disney and Sony has ensured that Spider-Man is currently part of the former's Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie right to the character ultimately remain with Sony. As a result, the studio is launching its own interconnected universe of characters from the canon of Spidey comic-books. Venom is first up; it stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, a photographer who ends up with superpowers after he is taken over by the alien parasite of title. No footage has been revealed yet but we have seen a potential logo and some behind-the-scenes videos. It's directed by Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer, and the impressive supporting cast includes Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, and Riz Ahmed.
Release date: October 5, 2018
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
There were rumours that after the relatively disappointing box office results of X-Men: Apocalypse, Fox was looking reboot the entire X-franchise. But that's proved not be the case, and all the regular cast are returning for the long awaited adaptation of the the classic Dark Phoenix storyline from Marvel's comic books. The story was tackled in a half-hearted way in 2006's X-Men: the Last Stand, but with the franchise's long-time writer/producer Simon Kinberg making his directing debut, hopes are the high that Dark Phoenix will really do the story justice. Plus, this could be the last X-Men movie that isn't part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following December's sale of Fox's entertainment assets to Disney.
Release date: November 2, 2018
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Harry Potter series might have finished in 2011, but the wider movie universe goes from strength to strength. The success of 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them led to the announcement of a further four movies, the first of which arrives in November. Eddie Redmayne returns as Newt Scamander, with Jude Law as the young Dumbledore, who enlists the help of Newt to help defeat the dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). David Yates directs once more, from a screenplay by Potter creator JK Rowling.
Release date: 16 November 2018
Aquaman
The DC universe has had a bumpy ride so far, with only Wonder Woman connecting with both audiences and critics. But there's every reason to be hopeful that Aquaman could do the same. Director James Wan is a skilled genre operator, whether delivering crowd-pleasing horror (Saw, The Conjuring) or blockbuster action (Furious 7), and there's a killer cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Defoe, Nicole Kidman, and '80s action icon Dolph Lungren, plus Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Amber Heard as Mera. Wan recently debunked the rumour that the film would be overstuffed with multiple villains, and promises an "emotional and powerful" origin movie.
Release date: December 21, 2018
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