Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 9:57 AM
People were quick to react in horror at the shortcuts and crappy images in the episode The post This Week's <i>Saturday Night Live</i> Was Drowning In Grim AI Slop appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 9:35 AM
For a limited time, you can save as much as 25% on the Apple Watch Series 11 in a variety of colors. The post Apple Watch Series 11 Suddenly Selling at Old-Model Prices, Lowest Price Ever Just Before Christmas appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 9:05 AM
It packs a powerful processor, and delivers impressive graphics for an immersive gaming experience. The post ASUS Goes on Clearance With Its ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop (RTX 5060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) for the Holidays appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 8:35 AM
Now is a great time to surprise a Star Wars fan in your life with the Dark Falcon LEGO set without going over budget. The post LEGO Expands Its Star Wars Starship Clearance, The Dark Falcon Hits a Record Low After the Millennium Falcon appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 8:05 AM Samsung Clears Out G50D Odyssey Gaming Monitor at 42% Off, the 32″ Model Is Now Cheaper Than the 27″
Run to Amazon now to save $180 on Samsung's Odyssey G50D Series QHD monitor and give your gaming a serious upgrade. The post Samsung Clears Out G50D Odyssey Gaming Monitor at 42% Off, the 32″ Model Is Now Cheaper Than the 27″ appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 8:00 AM
Xbox had great games in 2025, but everything else is bad, bad, bad, bad The post The State Of Xbox And Game Pass In 2025 appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 7:35 AM
Hurry or you'll miss out on scoring pro-level noise-cancelling headphones with peak Bose sound for just $170. The post Bose QuietComfort Headphones Drop 53% Off as This Limited-Edition Color Is Cleared Out Before Christmas appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Monday, December 15, 2025 7:05 AM Apple M4 MacBook Air Joins the Holiday Price War at an All-Time Low to Compete With Windows PC Deals
Put an elite-level 2025 laptop with the powerful M4 processor chip under the tree for just $749 before the price snaps back to its usual $999. The post Apple M4 MacBook Air Joins the Holiday Price War at an All-Time Low to Compete With Windows PC Deals appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 9:06 AM With gen AI making its way into some of 2025's biggest games, I asked BG3's Neil Newbon for his thoughts on the controversial tech. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 9:00 AM The big Arc Raiders Cold Snap update has been fully revealed, with new mechanics, map makeovers, and plenty more ways to earn rewards. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 7:45 AM Whether you're looking for the best DPS or best Support unit in the game, this Roblox Universal Tower Defense tier list can help you save your gems. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 6:48 AM Steal the Brainrot sets a new record for Fortnite Creative, but it's still got a long way to go if it wants to surpass the Roblox original. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 6:00 AM Red Dead Redemption 2 will be available free this year, for any of you who still haven't played Rockstar's momentous cowboy simulator. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 6:22 AM Unlock loads of easy freebies, from rerolls and gems, to limited-time characters with the latest Universal Tower Defense codes on Roblox. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 7:17 AM Plug in new Anime Celestial X codes to score free gems, gamepasses, and potions in this new Roblox anime bandit beater. |
PCGamesN Monday, December 15, 2025 7:18 AM Grab all the gear, weapon, and normal spins you need, plus some easy cash and runes with these Roblox Anime Final Quest codes. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 15, 2025 8:21 AM Total War: Attila becomes Tolkien war, as a massive Lord of the Rings mod delivers its full campaign  If you're in the mood for more TWar following the recent reveals of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 and Total War: Medieval 3, one of Total War: Attila's most ambitious mods has finally made it to 1.0 release. It's taken a decade for Lord of the Rings conversion The Dawnless Days to deliver its full ring-warring campaign, but that day's arrived at long last. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 15, 2025 7:55 AM  As a kid playing RPGs in the 90s, I'd roam backdrops spamming the pick-up button in hopes of secret treasure. I'd do this especially in PS1 Final Fantasies, with their deceptively inert hand-drawn environments, and their greasy invisible walls. You'd smoosh Squall Leonhart's galloping form up against the level border as though bashing a skirting board with a hoover nozzle, and every now and then, you'd be rewarded with the hitch of a searching animation. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 15, 2025 7:04 AM  Amid the maelstrom of things happening last week, the original Doom blasted out the candles on a big cake commemorating its 32 years of demon destruction. As part of those celebrations, the shooter which can be played on (inhales) human test, lawnmower, electric toothbrush, tractor, the bad social media place, pregancy test, and gut bacteria - it's gained another way in which to be appreciated. There's now a website called DoomScroll which lets you dive into a bunch of fan-made level WADs via browser. |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Monday, December 15, 2025 6:59 AM  11 Bit Studios' sci-fi management game The Alters arrived at a point when I was unhappy with the trajectory my life was taking. But, I wasn't expecting a story about a shipwrecked astronaut and his cabal of clones to leave me questioning not just the choices I'd taken that led me down that path, but also highlighting all the choices I had left untaken along the way. That's not bad going for a game in which you spend most evenings getting hammered playing beer pong. |
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Siliconera Monday, December 15, 2025 9:00 AM
Ever since the Suika Game (Watermelon Game) appeared in 2021, we've seen a lot of companies build on that matching formula for their own titles and takes on the concept. Inti Creates made a version tied to Azure Striker Gunvolt. BeXide made 3D generic and Hololive takes on the concept. With Fayer and Sketchy Ceviche's PancitoMerge, we again get a 2D Suika Game like, but there's more strategic intent to it that adds extra flavor to the affair.
There's no need to worry about any sort of story in PancitoMerge, as just like Suika Game it gets right down to making matches. This puzzle game takes place in a Mexican bakery. As you drop different types of pan dulce, you'll see two of the same variety merge together to create a new, larger option. The "well" in which all items drop looks like a bag, which gradually fills as you let new elements fall in. Every few moves, a new customer will come to the door in search of a different pastry, which you can then pluck from your bag and give to them in order to maintain a combo. You're scored based on number of pastries in the bag and successful maintained combos.
Now, there are a lot of things that PancitoMerge does that I like more than Suika Game. The first is that I felt like it was better about the variety of items that show up as potential things to drop into the bag. In Suika Game, it typically feels like it sticks to the first two to four options most frequently appear as drops. Here, after both getting past 1,000 points and unlocking certain treats, I'd occasionally see some of the larger, later drops come up like an empanada de fruta or concha. (I think I even saw a Marranito come up as a drop once.) This is helpful for matching purposes, of course, but it's also pretty invaluable for the "customer service element of things.
By the way, the pan dulce designs are fantastic and incredibly recognizable. Like you can clearly tell these are things like besos, chinos, cubiletes, galletas, gendarmes, nino envueltos, and polvorones. There are a few different bakery designs that can unlock, with each one featuring different desserts, which is a nice touch.
The customers part of PancitoMerge is also absolutely fantastic. Every few turns, a new individual will show up at the door requesting a specific type of baked good. Like a luchador might want an oreja. If you have it, you press a button to pluck it from the bag and offer it to the person. If you have more than one of it, you could select each one. If you don't have the item, you have some leeway where the person will keep that request for a few drops before changing their order to something else. (That breaks your combo in the process.) Strategically, it's fantastic. It frees up room in your bag! It might help you with some matches, in case one is in the way. Or you could just get rid of one of the smaller galletas that fell through the cracks to the bottom.
Speaking of rearranging, PancitoMerge includes a shake bag mechanic. From time to time, you can occasionally press the triggers to shake things slightly. Think of it like the tilt function in a pinball game. Does it help? Sometimes, yeah. So much so that I would even save up the shakes to ensure it might be ready when I'd be closer to the top or in need of a larger, more high-value pastry.
The only thing I noticed is that if someone does prefer shorter Suika Game style merging puzzle sessions, PancitoMerge isn't that. Because of the more strategic elements like serving certain items to customers and shaking the bag, it is very easy to get a minimum of 2,000 points before things start to get challenging. Even then, as long as you're playing smart, I think someone could maybe even get to 3,000 without too much trouble. (But then again, I have been playing a lot of games like this lately.)
I really love PancitoMerge and feel like it's a more stylish and thoughtful approach to the Suika Game style matching and merging puzzle. The different pan dulce desserts all look fantastic. The themes are great. I loved being able to serve customers in the name of more points and bag management. Even something so similar as a little bag shake helped a lot. It means longer game sessions, which I saw as a plus, as well. It's just a lovely little puzzle game.
PancitoMerge is available for PCs via Steam.
The post Review: PancitoMerge Adds More Flavor to the Suika Game Recipe appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Monday, December 15, 2025 9:01 AM
'Tis the season to lose a limb from frostbite in ARC Raiders.
The popular extraction shooter's new Cold Snap update will hit the servers tomorrow, bringing cold weather and map changes for gamers to now contend with, along with other players, murderous robots, and the new frostbite affliction.
As part of Cold Snap, playable maps will feature snowfall that reduces visibility and freezes over lakes, opening up new areas for traversal. But also with the seasonal change comes the new frostbite mechanic, which will slowly drain your health bar if you remain outdoors for too long. To contend with frostbite, players will have to take shelter to warm up, adding a potential new wrinkle to the tried and true extraction gameplay.
The new update also brings the game's first Expedition Project, giving players the chance to reset their inventories for new rewards, but the game's second-ever Raider Deck is also coming, offering new feats to complete and items to collect. This includes the new hockey-inspired Goalie Raider Deck outfit and hockey stick tool, coming to the game on Dec. 26.
Throughout the duration of Cold Snap, there will also be the Flickering Flames event with new gear and rewards to unlock, plus a new Project called Candleberry Banquet that will reward Raiders for scavenging unique items such as these Candleberries. Both events will be available only for a limited time, from Dec. 16 to Jan. 13.
The snowy weather aims to become yet another hazard for players to contend with in ARC Raiders, making each raid deployment a difficult choice when it comes to deciding what kind of loot to bring. With frostbite, you may want to pack a few extra bandages, but you also run the risk of losing whatever you have, as always.
Cold Snap arrives in ARC Raiders tomorrow, Dec. 16, at 3:30am CT, just in time for the holiday season and potential Christmas noobs to follow not long after.
The post ARC Raiders' Cold Snap update drops the temperature with new frostbite mechanic, plus free skins for the wintry conditions appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, December 15, 2025 8:50 AM
The best units in Universal Tower Defense depend on five categories which are Hybrid, Hill, Ground, Support and Farm. I'll show you the best ones for all roles as well as talk about specific game modes, traits and relics. Here's my Universal Tower Defense tier list and guide.
Table of contents
Universal Tower Defense Unit Tier List
This is just a preview of the Universal Tower Defense tier list but the real ranking reasons are below. I'll go into each individual unit and talk about why it's ranked where it is, as well as the best game modes for it and specific traits. Note that I won't go much into progression since any unit can be good to progress with if you upgrade and Etherealize it with some Relics equipped. I'll focus more on Nightmare, Infinite, Challenges and Virtual Realm.
Meta/S-Tier Hybrid
A-Tier Hybrid
Meta/S-Tier Ground
A & B-Tier Ground
Meta/S-Tier Air/Hill
A & B-Tier Air/Hill
Meta/S-Tier Support
Farm
Best Relics in Universal Tower Defense
Below you'll find a list of all Relics and their set bonuses as well as which units you should use them on.
That's it for my Universal Tower Defense tier list and guide. Check out our Universal Tower Defense codes for a bunch of free goodies.
The post Universal Tower Defense Tier List – Units, Traits & Relics appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, December 15, 2025 7:49 AM
Warframe's The Old Peace update has three new Proto-Frames to find in La Cathedrale, and making Lyon Allard speak with you is a pretty tricky task.
I am unsure if this is by design or a mistake that many, including me, made. Thankfully, there's a workaround for you to speak with him to advance part of The Old Peace quest. This guide will lay down the exact steps to make Lyon speak with you.
How to make Lyon Allard speak with you in Warframe
Communicating with Lyon is different. You can only communicate using the KIM system. To do so, you'll first have to complete The Old Peace quest organically.
You'll have to complete a bunch of missions to gain access to The Old Peace questline, then finish all the missions on the questline to be able to speak with the new Proto-Frames.
If you're new, reaching this point will take plenty of time. If you managed to experience The Old Peace quest with a friend, you'll still be unable. Digital Extremes has added a skip-ahead system that allows you to experience The Old Peace without completing the previous quests.
First, you'll have to talk with Marie. Bring your rapport up from Neutral to Friendly, and then to Liked status. It's the same way in which you can romance her. Once you have raised Marie's relationship from Neutral to Liked, you can then speak with Lyon. You can do so using the cathedral of the KIM system.
Go to the POM console in your Orbiter, and you'll find a new button. This will switch you from Hex to Devil's Triad, allowing you to speak with Lyon Allard. This will take a bit of time if you're yet to complete The Old Peace quest.
The post How to speak with Lyon Allard in Warframe The Old Peace appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, December 15, 2025 7:23 AM
You've finally made it to Cinderella's level 10 friendship quest, which means it's time for one last mission to unlock her epic final rewards in Disney Dreamlight Valley. Her last task is called The Friendship Ball, and it's a big one.
Missions given to you by villagers come with plenty of tricky tasks to tackle, and you might need some help navigating through this one. So here's a full walkthrough for The Friendship Ball quest in Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Table of contents
How to complete The Friendship Ball in Disney Dreamlight Valley
To complete The Friendship Ball quest for Cinderella, you need to help throw a lavish ball for all the valley villagers. There's a lot of setup and prep work to be done, but before you can dive in, be sure you've already fully completed the Cinderella's Custom Creation quest, Critter Chaos quest, and A Dream Come True quest. Once you have, you can officially get going on this one.
Talk to Lumiere
To get things started, track down and chat with Lumiere from The Beauty and the Beast Realm. He didn't arrive in the valley very long before Cinderella, so if you don't have him unlocked, you'll need to recruit him before you can tackle this quest.
Talk to Jasmine about decorations for the Friendship Ball
Next, meet up with Jasmine and chat with her to discuss some decor for the ball. There are a whole lot of tasks focused on talking to different villagers in this mission, so be prepared to run around quite a bit to meet them all.
Trade 8,000 Star Coins with Scrooge McDuck for all the decoration supplies you need, or gather materials
For the next step of this quest, you've got two options. You can either trade 8,000 Star Coins with Scrooge McDuck for all the decoration supplies you need or gather the required materials for Jasmine. Either option helps you get to the next step, so it doesn't matter which you choose.
If you want to trade with Scrooge, simply meet up with him and chat to pass over 8,000 Star Coins. I find making Star Coins to be quite easy, while gathering materials can be tougher, so I chose to spend the money here.
If you'd rather give Jasmine the supplies, you'll need to either find or pull from storage all of the following items.
Talk to Remy about food and drink for the Friendship Ball
With the decorations now sorted, it's time to think about the food and drinks. Track down Remy and chat with him to decide what will be served at the Friendship Ball.
Gather ingredients for the Friendship Ball menu
You'll need a whole lot of food and drinks for the ball, so you need to gather ingredients for the menu. Here are all of the items you need to get for Remy to cook up the dishes.
Once you have all of the required items, meet up with Remy and chat with him to pass them over.
Talk to Belle
The next villager you need to meet up with is Belle, so track her down around the valley to chat with her. She's the last villager you need to find to make final preparations for the ball, so it's almost time to get the party started.
Meet Cinderella in her House for final preparations for the Friendship Ball
It's finally time to get things going at the Friendship Ball, so head into Cinderella's house to get going. The Fairy Godmother is waiting with Cinderella for you inside the castle. Chat with Cinderella to discuss next steps.
Dress up for the Friendship Ball
Before you can attend the ball, you've got to look the part, which means it's time to dress up for the Friendship Ball. You might be tempted to wear a ballgown or suit, but Cinderella has a different, specific look in mind for you. To progress, you need to wear:
Attend the Friendship Ball in the Dream Castle
Now that you're dressed, head inside the Dream Castle to get the Friendship Ball started. Chat with Cinderella inside once you arrive. Then, chat with Remy, the chef behind the ball, to progress.
Bring a glass of Dream Fizz to Cinderella, Merlin, and the Fairy Godmother
Head over to the punch table and interact with it to grab yourself and some villagers a Dream Fizz. Chat with Cinderella, Merlin, and Fairy Godmother around the castle to give them this refreshment.
Take some selfies on the dance floor inside the main entrance to the Dream Castle
This epic party isn't one you'll want to forget, so head over to the dance floor near the entrance to the Dream Castle. Once you're there, take out your phone and snap three photos around it. Then, meet up and chat with Cinderella to end the Friendship Ball when you're ready to do so.
Exit to Dream Castle and head over to the wishing well in the center of the Plaza. Chat with Cinderella again here to officially complete The Friendship Ball quest, thus unlocking her exclusive level 10 rewards, including a Silver Pumpkin Necklace, a Pink Homespun Gown, Pink Homespun Gloves, and Glass Bow Heels.
The post The Friendship Ball quest walkthrough in Disney Dreamlight Valley appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Monday, December 15, 2025 4:06 AM
The ever-popular Winter Wildcards are coming to FC 26 Ultimate Team ahead of the festive season, and the first leaks have already arrived on social media.
Unlike other promos, there are no doubts over the eventual release of Winter Wildcards. We already have a Winter Wildcards item guaranteed from Season 3 rewards in Ultimate Team. However, more cards are coming to the promo soon, and the social media leaks have signalled what to expect.
Table of contents
All FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 players (leaks)
The only confirmed Winter Wildcards player is Gianfranco Zola. However, the following names are leaked to appear in the promo as part of the first team.
Some of these cards will have two versions available for you to collect. Most will be released via packs once the promo goes live. However, we can also expect to get promo items from SBCs and objectives. I am sure that we will have more leaks as we approach the release date.
FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 release countdown
The first team for Winter Wildcards is expected to launch after the Unbreakables promo expires. The cards will be added to Ultimate Team on Friday, Dec. 19. The following countdown will expire when the promo goes live.
The countdown is based on the following times.
This is the usual schedule that EA Sports follows approaching the launch of any promo. It will be interesting to see how many of these leaks will make it to the promo when Winter Wildcards launches later this week.
The post FC 26 Winter Wildcards Team 1 players (leaks) and release countdown appeared first on Destructoid. |
MonsterVine Monday, December 15, 2025 9:00 AM It was a 13-year wait between the announcement of Lunar Software's survival horror game Routine and its release earlier this month, and there were times when fans worried the game would never come out. Now, not only is it finally here, but it turned out well. After playing Routine for my review, I had a chance […] |