If you’re a child of the ’80s or ’90s, chances are you know about the video game console wars. Before the era of PlayStations and Xboxes, many of that era grew up as either Nintendo kids or Sega kids. Of course, the war between the two video game companies went far deeper than playground squabbles about whether Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis had the superior Aladdin game–t was Sega, by the way.
There was also a battle in the boardrooms of Nintendo and Sega, as the companies battled for video game console supremacy, which takes center stage in the new CBS All Access documentary Console Wars, from directors Blake J. Harris and Jonah Tulis. Harris also wrote a novel of the same name, which was released back in 2014. What many might now know, though, is that the documentary doesn’t exist because of the book. Instead, they were developed simultaneously, along with another medium they want to use to tell this story.
“Blake came to me and said, ‘I found this cool story. I don’t know what it is yet.’ He’s like, ‘I think it’s a book,'” Tulis told GameSpot. At the time, the two were screenwriting and film producing partners, which gave Tulis the idea that, given how visual a medium video games are, this could make for an interesting documentary.
“You have all this great media and you want to be placed in this time capsule of the ’90s, which is sort of the biggest thing we try to do with this was turning this into a time capsule,” he explained.
Then, Harris realized they could also approach the story from a narrative angle, much like The Social Network. At that point, the duo met with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to see if they’d like to executive produce the documentary. Instead of that, Rogen and Goldberg offered to write the forward of the book, finance the documentary, and help them make their video game version of The Social Network, which was going to be produced with Columbia Pictures. Instead, the project will now be a limited series on the CBS All Access streaming service.
How will the series differ from the documentary, though? “It becomes much more of a character piece. I think you really want to get into the characters even deeper and deeper and deeper in a series like that,” Tulis said. “And, you know, you have the best actors in the world able to handle it and take these characters who need another level.” Thus far, no casting has been announced, but the documentary is full of interesting characters.
Chief among them is Tom Kalinske, the former CEO of Sega of America. He helped launch the Sega Genesis, coming to the company after working for Mattel over a decade. “Tom Kalinske, he’s a huge part of the documentary–you might say the main character–but we’ve really just scratched the surface there. We don’t really get into how things ended at Mattel not in a way that he wanted and sort of [how] Sega was his one last chance to do something great.”
Likewise, Harris hopes to put more of a spotlight on Ellen Beth van Buskirk, the former marketing services manager at Sega of America. “[She’s] probably my favorite character in the documentary. You don’t really get into it, [but] there’s a lot about what it was like to be a woman working at all, let alone in the game industry,” he said. “And these are the kinds of things that, we tried to hint at and try to get at in small ways. But in an episodic format, you can really get more much more into the motivations and what’s driving these people.”
Hopefully, focusing more on the characters in a limited series format means viewers will get to see the head of Nintendo legitimately wanting to get into a street fight with the head of Sega–an event that’s covered in the documentary.
The Console Wars documentary is streaming now on CBS All Access.
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Spider-Man Remastered for the PS5 is making a lot of visual upgrades to the acclaimed PS4 game, but one of the most noticeable is sure to be Peter Parker’s new face. Insomniac announced that it replaced face model John Bubniak with Ben Jordan, to better match the facial capture performance from Yuri Lowenthal. The new actor looks a bit younger and more like Tom Holland from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Insomniac released an early cutscene to show off Peter’s new face, and you can see it side-by-side with the original to choose your favorite Parker.
It’s been a while since the gang of South Park has graced our screens–since Season 23 wrapped up in 2019. However, airing on September 30 is a brand-new hour-long special titled “The Pandemic Special,” which was recorded remotely. A new video gives fans a glimpse into how it was done.
Producing any type of TV show remotely is an incredible challenge, and a video released on South Park’s Twitter shows us just that. Aside from massive video conference calls, with a staggering amount of attendees, and completing animations and voice over, the South Park staff had to deal with issues at home. This ranged from getting ethernet cables run under houses to dealing with children being at home during the workday. Check out the video below.
Go behind the scenes to see how South Park Studios produced its first-ever supersized episode, “The Pandemic Special”, completely remotely. The all-new episode premieres tonight at 8/7c on Comedy Central! #SouthParkpic.twitter.com/Y0DywVzwMJ
The special episode airs Wednesday, September 30 on Comedy Central at 8 PM / 7 PM CT. In order to watch it, you need to have access to Comedy Central through a cable, satellite, or streaming service provider.
If you don’t have Comedy Central, there are some decent streaming options. The cheapest is Philo, which offers 61 channels for $20 a month. Aside from Comedy Central, MTV, Travel, and Discovery, there is also video on demand as well. The second least-expensive option is Sling. Comedy Central is available in both the Blue and Orange packages, and individually, they cost $30 a month. You’ll probably want to go with the Blue package as it is entertainment focused and has more channels.
Aside from those, Hulu has live TV and so does YouTube, but it is a bit pricier compared to Philo and Sling. If you aren’t able to watch it live, it will more than likely be available for purchase through iTunes or Google Play the day after airing.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a direct follow-up to the original, Naughty Dog-developed trilogy that was released on the original PlayStation. But with decades having gone by since their release, Crash 4 developer Toys for Bob had the chance to make something ambitious in size and scope that just couldn’t be done back then.
Speaking to IGN ahead of Crash 4’s launch, Toys for Bob studio head Paul Yan elaborated on the scope and ambitions of Crash 4 from the team behind the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
“…We did set out from the very beginning to make this the biggest Crash game ever,” Yan said, noting that the recently released demo, which has already led to some impressive speedruns, was meant to give longtime fans a sense that scope didn’t literally just mean the longest levels ever, but something much more all-encompassing.
“That was part of the motivation for releasing the demo, to help more people get their hands on it and get a feel for just how much bigger and massive the levels are. When you think about how we compare to the previous games, it’s not just the length of the levels, but also just how densely packed the activities are. Some levels like Snow Way Out asks you to explore open areas in limited ways, and it’s not entirely linear in the same way that you could compare it to the original the trilogy.”
But Yan emphasized that, even as the scope of the game grew with new gameplay additions, additional modes like the N. Verted mirror mode, playable characters, and more, grounding it in the classic Crash platforming experience returning players know was a key aspect of the development process.
“We developed the tool set of new abilities and we knew that the masks and their new powers were going to be a part of what we wanted to do to layer on top of the core Crash classic gameplay. And the balance of it is something we were really sensitive about all the way through,” he said. “There’s new masks. There’s new locomotion tricks. There’s new alternate heroes. But we want to make sure that you’re coming to this game presumably to play as Crash. And we don’t want this to be a string of disparate experiences where it felt like…all kinds of other things outside that may give variety, but might overpower what that core experience is.
“So when we looked at the original trilogy, many of us looked at Crash 2 [as] a really great example of hitting the right balance,” Yan explained, noting that the team doesn’t see Crash 4 as something to directly compare solely to Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, but merely that striking a balance was key to a great Crash experience.
“That was a lens which we applied and said, ‘Hey, everything that we’re putting into this and the way that we’re distributing it and pacing it out, does this compliment on-foot, core platforming gameplay?’ Because if it doesn’t, let’s get it out and make sure that we make Crash the center of this game.”
With the Skywalker Saga coming to a close last year, it’s been a relatively quiet year for the beloved Star Wars franchise. New film projects–the number of which continues to grow–aren’t coming to theaters for a few more years, though Season 2 of The Mandalorian premieres on Disney+ October 30. And, of course, there’s still an onslaught of new Star Wars toys, collectibles, and other merch steadily arriving in stores. In that sense, Star Wars fever never really ends, even when a tentpole movie isn’t on the horizon. Chances are you have a Star Wars fan on your shopping list this holiday season, and we’re here to help you pick out the perfect Star Wars gift.
Our Star Wars gift guide, as you might expect, features a heavy dose of Baby Yoda, from plushies to figures to a brand-new Lego set. In addition to the galaxy’s favorite baby, there are plenty of cool Star Wars gifts to choose from, including Blu-ray box sets, action figures, board games, and more. We’ll add more Star Wars gift ideas to this list as we find more noteworthy products, but for now, here are the best Star Wars gifts for 2020.
Star Wars: Squadrons, which releases October 2, is the latest Star Wars video game for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A starfighter game, Squadrons will place you inside X-wings and TIE fighters to take on the Empire following the events of Return of the Jedi. Squadrons also supports 5v5 multiplayer. Squadrons is a nice Star Wars gift idea for gamers.
Respawn’s action game takes place a few years after Revenge of the Sith. In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you play as Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who wants to get as far away from the Galactic Empire as possible (can’t blame him). Fallen Order is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC and earned an 8/10 in GameSpot’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order review. Fallen Order’s price fluctuates quite a bit, and we imagine you’ll be able to find it for around $30 this holiday when shopping for Star Wars gifts.
For the hardcore Star Wars fan, Disney+ is a must thanks to The Mandalorian, which is exclusive to Disney+ and available to stream now. You can give the gift of Disney+ in the form of a one-year subscription card for $70. In addition to The Mandalorian, every mainline Star Wars film is on Disney+. This is arguably the safest Stars Wars Christmas gift on this list, as even those already subscribed to Disney+ can add a year to their account.
For the collector in your life, Best Buy’s exclusive box set contains every movie in the Skywalker Saga in one gorgeous package. Each of the nine movies has three discs: 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and special features. Additionally, the foldout case features artwork from each of the nine mainline films. Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is easily the most impressive Star Wars box set we’ve seen and would be a worthy addition to any collection.
For those who wish Baby Yoda was real (don’t we all?), this animatronic doll is the closest we can get to the real thing. Baby Yoda has 25 different sound and motion combinations, including cute giggles and the ability to move his eyes and ears. It also comes with a Mandalorian pendant necklace. Animatronic Baby Yoda doesn’t release until December 15, but you can preorder it now and get it before Christmas.
Mattel’s 11-inch Baby Yoda plush is absolutely adorable and pretty much replicates The Child’s look in The Mandalorian. His hands and head are made of a hard rubber, while his plush body is filled with beans so he can be propped up for display. It’s hard to find a cuter Stars Wars gift than Baby Yoda.
If you’re looking for a smaller Baby Yoda plush that could possibly fit in a large stocking, Mattel has an 8-inch plush that is probably the most cuddly of the bunch. Though it doesn’t look as realistic as the 11-inch plush or Animatronic Baby Yoda, the 8-inch plush is a full plush–even its head and arms are soft to the touch.
The perfect stocking stuffer for the Baby Yoda fan in your life, these 2.2-inch figure sets show the galaxy’s most perfect baby in different poses. Each set comes with two figures, most of which are based on popular Baby Yoda moments in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, including Baby Yoda sipping soup and eating a little froggy.
Releasing October 30, this Baby Yoda Lego set is the perfect gift for fans of The Mandalorian and Lego. The 1,073-piece build stands at 7.5 inches tall and features a posable head, ears, and mouth. It also comes with a Baby Yoda minifigure and a small information sign. The Baby Yoda Lego set is one of the more inventive Star Wars gifts on this list.
For the Lego fan in your life, this set is an excellent way to celebrate their love of The Mandalorian. This 1,023-piece build recreates Mando’s ship and includes a cockpit, cargo hold, spring-loaded shooters, and a detachable escape pod. It also comes with five Lego figures: Mando, Greef Karga, Baby Yoda, IG-11, and a Scout Trooper. The Razor Crest Lego set is one of the pricier gifts for Star Wars fans on this list, but it’s also one of the cooler Lego Star Wars sets in recent memory.
This limited-edition Star Wars throw blanket from the Northwest Company features an illustration by Star Wars artist Jason Palmer. While you can find plenty of knockoff Star Wars blankets, this is the real deal. Made of 100% polyester with a soft silk feel, it features all of the major players in Empire Strikes Back. It’s also quite large for a throw blanket at 50 x 60 inches.
The Millennium Falcon has been a Lego Star Wars staple for years, with numerous iterations available to purchase. The latest set is based off of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The main difference between this Millennium Falcon and older ones is the figures you get. Seven figures are included here: Chewbacca, Finn, Lando, C-3PO, Boolio, D-O, and BB-8. The build itself is 1,351 pieces, which makes it one of the more in-depth Star Wars Lego sets around and an ideal Star Wars gift for those who love Lego.
Arcade1Up’s Star Wars Home Arcade Machine is one of the manufacturer’s most eye-catching cabinets yet. Featuring art that pays homage to the original Star Wars arcade cabinet, the machine comes with classic arcade versions of Star Wars, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It includes a solid flight yoke and four buttons to mirror the original cabinet’s design and feel. This particular Arcade1Up cabinet includes the riser to make the three-quarter-scale machine come in at 5-feet tall.
Lego Brickheadz are both weird and cool. These chunky figures are meant for display and kind of feel like Lego’s answer to Funko Pops. Of course, the best Star Wars Lego Brickheadz set features Mando and Baby Yoda in his bassinet. While they are small, the builds are still engaging, with the combined number of pieces for the two-pack at 295. While the box may be too large to fit in a stocking, this Star Wars gift idea is sure to delight fans of the Disney+ show.
Lego Art is one of the company’s most intriguing new products. Designed to be hung on walls, each Lego Art build features a staggering number of bricks that really help accentuate the finer details of the images. Star Wars Lego Art focuses on The Sith and includes three different builds that can be made with the same 3,395-brick set: Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and Darth Maul. If you purchase three sets, you can combine them to make one giant display of Darth Vader. This is certainly one of the classier gifts for Star Wars fans on this list, one that will probably appeal more to older fans of the franchise.
Hasbro’s The Black Series is arguably the best Star Wars action figure line around right now, and this Darth Vader figure shows why. The 6-inch-scale figure is modeled after Vader’s appearance in The Empire Strikes Back and features a stellar amount of detail for the price. It is fully articulated and has a stunning metallic finish.
On the other side of the Force, you can pick up this wonderful set featuring Luke Skywalker and Yoda. Released in celebration of The Empire Strikes Back’s 40th anniversary, the “Jedi Training” set commemorates the famous teaching sessions in the movie where Master Yoda imparts some of his wisdom to the young Jedi. It’s also part of the Black Series, so you’re getting high-quality figures with fine details and full articulation.
Even though the school year looks different this year, eventually the kiddos will need a new backpack and lunch box, right? This five-piece set features chibi Baby Yoda looking ridiculously cute. The officially licensed bundle comes with a backpack, lunch box, zippered case for school supplies, a water bottle, and an ice pack at a bargain price. It’s a great Star Wars gift idea for the young Mandalorian fan in your life.
With everyone watching more movies at home this year instead of at the theater, it may be time to grab a popcorn maker. Designed by Uncanny Brands, this popcorn maker is shaped like the Death Star. The top pops off and can be used as a bowl. So essentially you’re destroying the Death Star and enjoying some delicious popcorn at the same time.
Waffles are great already, but waffles with a Baby Yoda imprint? Even better. This Baby Yoda waffle maker imprints an image of his adorable face on a fluffy waffle while it cooks. You’ll need to get your own waffle batter and some non-stick spray to go along with the maker. You can also use the waffle maker to make other dishes like brownies, cakes, and sandwiches.
Star Wars: Rebellion is a fairly in-depth board game that makes use of more than 150 miniatures representing troops and ships in the Imperial and Rebel armies. Played with two to four players, one team commands the Imperial Army, while the other tries to thwart their attempts to take over the galaxy as the Rebel Alliance. It’s an interesting game with lots of strategic depth, and you’ll have to play differently depending on which side you’re on. Rounds last upward of four hours, so this is an excellent weekend game for the family to enjoy together.
A retro board game originally released by Kenner in 1980, Stars: The Empire Strikes Back – Hoth Ice Planet Adventure has a mouthful of a title, but it’s a pretty straightforward board game that can be enjoyed by youngsters and adults alike. Each turn, players spin to move about Hoth and collect Force Cards. Once a player acquires enough Force, they can battle Darth Vader to win the round. It’s a quick and breezy game that lasts no more than 30 minutes. While there’s not much strategy involved, it’s a fun, family-friendly game.
Star Wars: Legion’s Core Set released in 2018 and has amassed numerous expansions since. The popular miniatures game puts you in control of an army of troopers, vehicles, and major characters in the franchise. Before even playing Legion, you’ll want to paint the miniatures. This makes Legion fun for both board game fans and those who like collecting and tinkering with models. The game itself is quite dynamic, which can lead to some thrilling battles that remain interesting and unique each time you play. The Core Set will get you started. From there, you can keep building your collection and expand the scope of the battles.
What do you get a Star Wars fan who has a ton of officially licensed art and decorations? These gorgeous watercolor prints may do the trick. The four-pack comes with prints featuring Darth Vader, Yoda, R2-D2, and C3PO. Each print is roughly 12 x 8 inches.
The Star Wars: Secrets of the Galaxy series features some of the cooler companion books for the most dedicated of Star Wars fans. Each book serves as a handbook to a different topic in the Star Wars universe. Annotations from major characters in the Star Wars universe are scattered throughout–a fact that gives these books some extra charm. This box set includes The Jedi Path, Book of Sith, The Bounty Hunter Code, and Imperial Handbook. The hardcover set comes in an exclusive slipcase that will look great on any shelf.
Ultimate Star Wars: The Definitive Guide to the Star Wars Universe contains useful background information on every major character in the series along with details on vehicle tech, lightsabers, planets, critical battles, and much more. It’s the one encyclopedia that every Star Wars fan should own.
As part of The Empire Strikes Back’s 40th anniversary, Disney released this charming comforter set for full-size beds. It comes with a soft comforter, two sheets, and two pillow cases. All of the stars of the film are featured, including Luke, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and Yoda. The comforter can be reversed to reveal a more simplistic Star Wars logo, too.
Roar like Chewbacca with this awesome Wookiee mask. All you have to do to mimic Chewie’s sounds from the movie is open your mouth like you’re actually going to roar. Since the sound could annoy you, this is one of those things that’s perfect to buy for nieces, nephews, grandkids–kids that don’t live with you. It’s a small price to pay to complete your Wookie costume.
What’s better than chocolate in an Advent calendar? Lego figures, of course. This Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar comes with 311 Lego bricks, including six minifigures, six figures, and 12 mini builds such as the Millennium Falcon and X-wing. The calendar also comes with a code to unlock content in the Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which launches next spring.
For the Star Wars fan that seemingly has everything, this Millennium Falcon wireless charger is a novel gift idea. You can place your phone atop the ship to charge wirelessly. Plus, it doubles as a pretty cool display piece.
Releasing November 15, this adorable Baby Yoda Funko Pop places the little Force-wielder in a bag. This Pop figure would make for a wonderful–and rather meta–stocking stuffer. While some cute characters don’t make the Pop figure transition well, Baby Yoda still looks exceedingly adorable as a Funko Pop. It’s safe to say even those who don’t collect Funko Pops will appreciate it.
Season 2 of The Mandalorian figures to bring ample use of the iconic jetpack that Mando received near the end of the Season 1. This Funko Pop celebrates Mando’s fully finished look, showing him taking off to the skies with an itty bitty Baby Yoda safely tucked beneath his arm. It releases just in time for the holidays on November 15 and is available to preorder now.
Heat-activated mugs are cool, and this one makes great use of Star Wars’ most iconic weapon, the lightsaber. As the mug heats up, 13 lightsabers come to life, casting their iconic lights across the mug. You’ll see the lightsabers wielded by iconic characters such as Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. It’s available in 12-ounce and 20-ounce sizes.
This rather classy T-shirt shows off Tatooine, Luke’s home planet. It’s understated, but the mix of oranges and reds under the night sky gives it a really cool look.
There’s no shortage of shirts based on The Mandalorian, but this one has a beautiful design that keeps things simple–no logos, no in-your-face characters–which can be really appealing to some. You can see the silhouettes of Mando and Baby Yoda walking beneath the setting sun. It’s available in more than a dozen colors, though it will probably look best against a dark background.
While Hasbro is primarily known for action figures like the Marvel Legends or Power Rangers Lightning Collection line and for board games, the company has really been delivering on some great-looking replica collectibles. Star Wars: The Black Series Force FX line has seen releases of numerous Jedi and Sith lightsabers, with the most recent being Darth Revan. Now, Hasbro is dipping into the Ghostbuster franchise to create collectibles that recreate some of your favorite items from the films.
The Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand is a bit of a mouthful for a collectible, but the second you see it, you’ll get flashbacks to the first time you saw Ghostbusters. However, this is a replica from the upcoming movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which hits theaters on March 5, 2021. Hasbro sent us the replica, and you can check out a few images below.
Much like the Darth Revan Force FX lightsaber, the Neutrona Wand has an LED light tube incorporated into the collectible that flashes when activated. There are four different modes for the LED tube: Proton Stream, Slime Blower, Stasis Stream, and Meson Collider. Of course, it makes sounds from the movies as well, and it vibrates to give you the feeling of you actually busting ghosts.
Where the Neutrona Wand really shines is the design. Sure, the bells and whistles of noises and colors are cool, but just look at the finer details in this collectible.
It’s a fine toy, for sure, but the subtle details are fantastic, like the welding of the handle to the main box, wires that are almost in your way while you hold it, and the random flips and buttons on the wand. It embodies the DIY spirit of the Ghostbusters movies. Writing and paint are worn off of the replica, and overall, aesthetically, it’s a home run.
However, there is one major drawback. It’s currently sold out. Normally, you would be able to purchase this item from the Hasbro Pulse site for $100 USD, but it is sold out. Amazon has it listed at a higher price through third-party sellers, but your best bet, if you want to pick this up, is to order it through GameStop. It is on backorder, and there is no shipping date currently, but you’ll be paying $100 USD instead of trying to find it on Amazon–and the cheapest we saw was for $165.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
By now you’ve almost definitely heard of Among Us, the exceedingly popular deception-based party game that’s netted several millions of downloads in the last few months alone. While Among Us is enjoying massive success–no doubt due to lockdown, its accessible crossplay support, and the fact that it’s free to play–it isn’t the only game of its kind. If you’re on the hunt for similar social deduction games that boast a fine balance between cooperation and deception and can be played online, no contact necessary, check out some of our favorites in the roundup below.
Push the Button (Jackbox Party Pack 6)
Voting players off in Push the Button from The Jackbox Party Pack 6.
Like Among Us, Jackbox Party Pack 6‘s Push the Button is a social deception game that supports 4-10 players. It’s also set in space and separates teams into humans and aliens. The humans’ goal is to identify the aliens and eject them from the ship while the aliens work to sabotage those plans and get the humans to misidentify each other. I prefer Push the Button to Among Us for its more humorous minigames and deliberation sessions. In one minigame, players have to draw a picture based on a prompt, but the aliens are given a slightly different prompt. If an alien “hacks” one of the tests, a human player might be given an alien prompt, which could bring them under scrutiny from their teammates.
By making the actual “tasks” more interesting (tests rather than chores), Push the Button encourages more friendly banter throughout the game rather than just during the brief meeting periods where players discuss their suspicions. It also provides more unique opportunities for deception and comedy, as alien players might be forced to justify a strange test result.
You can play Push the Button in The Jackbox Party Pack 6, which is available on pretty much all major platforms and digital storefronts.
– Chloi Rad (Editor)
Secret Hitler (Web version)
The unofficial web version of Secret Hitler, based on the tabletop game.
Secret Hitler is a battle of wits and restraint. As someone who is notoriously terrible at restraint, this game forced me to reel back the knee-jerk gasps that give me away in so many of those games. While Secret Hitler shares Among Us’ core element of deception, the perpetrator isn’t as easily identifiable. You can’t just point to someone else, claiming you saw something–this is about the long game. And messing with people’s minds. There’s a lot of that.
Players are divided into two teams: liberals and fascists, the latter with a randomly selected Hitler. Each round, the rotating role of President is in charge of passing policies along with an elected Chancellor. These policies are drawn face-down from a deck, and it’s up to the two of them to figure out which ones to choose. For the liberal party, the goal is to pass five liberal policies or assassinate Hitler. As for the fascists, they win if either six fascist policies are implemented or when Hitler gets elected to Chancellor. At the end of each round, everyone can discuss what happened and what to do next. That’s when the fun (and panic) starts.
You can let the other players argue among themselves, allowing paranoia to take cautious guesses to emotionally charged heights, or you can attempt to corral the masses with a desperate, imploring speech. If a fascist law passes, was it on purpose or an accident? Toward the end, all of you will look like Charlie in the mail room from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. I guarantee it. And even then, the game will still manage to surprise you.
– Ashley Oh (Senior Social Media Producer)
Trouble in Terrorist Town (Garry’s Mod)
The Traitor’s buy menu in Garry’s Mod game mode Trouble in Terrorist Town.
Trouble in Terrorist Town is one of the most iconic game modes from Garry’s Mod, and it still holds up over 10 years later. Players are divided up into a team of Innocents, a team of Traitors, and a team of Detectives. Traitors must eliminate all Innocent players while Innocents and Detectives must survive while positively identifying all Traitors. Both Traitors and Detectives can purchase weapons and other equipment from an exclusive buy menu, which Innocents don’t have access to. Detectives even have access to a DNA scanner and a few other devices that can provide more information on the circumstances of a player’s death.
Because of the large maps, action-oriented gameplay, wide arsenal of weapons and tools, and built-in voice communication, Trouble in Terrorist Town has a lot to offer in terms of emergent comedy and psychological mind games. You’ll need both Garry’s Mod and Counter-Strike: Source to play, which makes it a little less accessible than some of the other games on this list. But if your crew is on Steam and doesn’t mind a more dated option, Trouble in Terrorist Town remains a classic of the genre.
– Chloi Rad (Editor)
Hidden Agenda
Interactive mystery thriller Hidden Agenda on PS4.
The folks who made Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology are also behind Hidden Agenda on PlayStation 4. Like Among Us, it’s a low-impact party game that works well even for people who don’t play a lot of video games. The entire game is played with a smartphone app, and like Until Dawn, it’s largely about watching interactions, learning about characters, and making choices about how the story unfolds.
Hidden Agenda is something of an interactive movie in which several characters hunt a serial killer. Your interactions with the game include finding objects in investigations and voting on dialogue choices with the other players. The thing is, some of those players might have, surprise, hidden agendas. Not everyone has the same conditions to win the game, and some people might try to sabotage your progress.
Hidden Agenda’s presentation–more of a cinematic thriller than a traditional video game–and its use of the PS4 PlayLink app as a controller means it’s the kind of game you can play with just about anyone. Its skill requirements are pretty low, and it rewards people who pay attention and think out their choices carefully. You also can play it without differing agendas, so all players can focus on discovering who the murderer is in the game’s story, rather than discovering who the imposter is among your friends.
If you liked Until Dawn but wished there was more police procedure and lying involved, this is a fun one to check out.
– Phil Hornshaw (Editor)
Project Winter
Multiplayer social deception and survival game Project Winter.
Take Among Us, throw it on a mountain, and call it Project Winter. You and up to seven other players work together to get everything you need to call a helicopter and escape with your lives–except two of those players are actually working against you. No one knows who the traitors are, and because voice chat is proximity-based, they’ll have to be smart about when they coordinate their moves to prevent the survivors from leaving the mountain. Leading a survivor to their demise in the thick wilderness is a risky play; you never know if another survivor will show up to see you deliver their comrade’s final moments. Survivors constantly question who they can trust, but with the threat of wild animals and the treacherous climate, they can’t complete their tasks alone. And if a traitor happens to reveal themselves, it’s not as easy as ejecting them into the void of space. They still pose a threat and can pick off each survivor one by one… but how do you know this supposed traitor wasn’t just defending themselves from the real traitor? Welcome to the paranoia of Project Winter.
Despite being plagued with release and production delays, Disney+’s Marvel Cinematic Universe projects are still very much moving forward. The upcoming Ms. Marvel TV show has found its lead in newcomer Iman Vellani who, will be taking on the role of Kamala Khan, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Kamala Khan, who recently took center stage in the Avengers video game, has become a massively popular character in the Marvel universe following her debut in 2013. A Muslim teenager from New Jersey, Kamala was introduced as a passionate superhero fan. Kamala initially believed herself to be just a regular girl, but when an attack from the Inhumans covered parts of the globe in mutagenic “Terrigen Mists,” Kamala learned that there was a secret locked deep within her DNA. The mists triggered a transformation in her that activated a superpower to grow and change her body’s size or “embiggen, as she puts it.”
Kamala was eventually given the name Ms. Marvel by her personal hero, Carol Danvers. It’s not entirely clear where the Ms. Marvel show will fit into the MCU timeline or with the on-screen Carol whose own solo movie was set in the 1990s, but it is safe to assume that Carol’s legacy will play some role in Kamala’s on screen debut.
In a detailed blog post that revealed information about Zombies, Activision said squads in the mode can be “formed across platforms and generations, marking the first time in franchise history this co-op mode is available via cross-play.” Regardless of whether players are on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series S/Series X, everyone can play together in Black Ops Cold War.
Though the blog doesn’t explicitly state it, the Zombies mode is also likely to include cross-progression support just as the rest of Black Ops Cold War does. Activision confirmed that a player’s progress will be tied to their Activision account. This feature lets players freely switch between platforms, taking their save data to the console of their choosing. The same should be the case for Zombies data.
Activision did specify in the blog post that Zombies will support cross-generation, meaning no matter what console generation players are switching between, their progress will also travel with them. While not the same as explicitly confirming cross-progression, the fact that battle pass progression and loadouts will carry over between modes seemingly indicates Zombies data is not tied to any particular console.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War drops on November 13 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/Series X. Check out our Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War preorder guide to learn about the various bonuses and editions available.
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Ah yes, Among Us, the latest game that’s taking over our social feeds and seizing our memes. Back in 2018, it was a way to connect with my friends back home and realize they’re all still really bad liars, but have the most infectious giggles when they get caught and know I can’t whoop their asses–I miss them very much. So with all that experience in catching liars, I’m here to help all you bad liars become better imposters.
Admittedly, it’s a bit tough to guide folks through Among Us because success revolves around social interaction, not necessarily being good at a certain game mechanic or grasping deep gameplay systems. There are optimal ways to manipulate your environment or understand how certain tasks work, but when it comes down to identifying the imposter or defending yourself from being ejected from the crew, you have to be ready to speak up. This may not be ideal for some players, so take what you feel comfortable with from this guide.
Depending on the rules, Among Us pits a number of innocent crewmates against one or two secret imposters, but lumps them all into one group of up to 10 players. Crewmates need to complete a number of tasks across the map before imposters kill enough of them, and imposters need to be clever about how they blend in and commit murders. Everyone deliberates when a dead body is reported or when an emergency meeting is called, and can subsequently vote on who to eject from the group, in hopes of ridding the crew of its imposters.
Veteran players know how this all works, but regardless, be sure to check how the host has configured the rules of the game before playing. Pay particular attention to the imposters’ cooldown timer for kills, the parameters for tasks and types of tasks that have been set, player vision settings, and whether imposter confirmation upon ejection is enabled. Alright, that’s enough setup,: let me show you how to be a better imposter –and feel free to share your own tips in the comments, too!
Make sure you take note of the rules before starting the match.
Make Sure You Know Your (Fake) Tasks
When you’re designated imposter, you’ll be given fake tasks across the map. These are in spots where real tasks happen, and provide effective opportunities to blend in with crewmates and act normal among them. You don’t actually get to do anything for these “tasks,” though. However, understanding what these tasks are is a key piece of concealing your identity throughout a match
It isn’t much use if you don’t know what those tasks entail, since some take longer than others, and some are multi-step processes that make you go to different locations on the map. Knowing the task’s requirements gives you an idea of how long you should be at that location, especially when other players are keeping a watchful eye. During discussion phases, aggressive crewmates tend to question what others’ tasks are and what they had to do, so you better be ready to reasonably lie your ass off to blend into the discussion and explain the tasks you were “supposed” to complete.
Track Where Others Are Going And Have Been
Sometimes it’s not enough to just state your case when lying in discussions. You might also want to blend into talks by taking note of where crewmates have been and where they’re going. This helps you look active in the process of weeding out imposters, but can also present opportunities to seed suspicion of others who might trip up defending themselves.
This is especially useful when you start killing crewmates yourself. When someone reports a dead body, everyone will question crewmate locations and tasks. If you can pin it on someone else because you saw them in rooms or hallways near the body, more power to you.
Work With Your Fellow Imposter
All the matches I’ve played have been set with two imposters among our group. And I found that chances of success increase significantly when working in tandem. Of course, you can’t be talking with anyone during gameplay phases, but you should keep tabs on how they’re moving and sometimes move with them.
The best reason for this is to set up double kills. Although there tend to be few opportunities to pull this off, it’s especially effective when you have the chance. You can rid the crew of two players simultaneously and prevent either one from reporting dead bodies in that moment. It’s dangerous, for sure, but it’s efficient when you both slip away unnoticed.
You’ll know that your partner used their kill cooldown around the same time as you, too. It’s sort of a waste of time for one imposter to use their kill and have a body reported before the other imposter can pull off their kill in that same round.
Oof, ya hate to see it.
Kill The Sharpest Crewmates Early
I have this one friend who is very observant and actually good at tracking who’s doing what in relation to the rules and tasks given. He tries too hard, but I respect it. You know who you are, Jeremy.
That said, they should be in your sights early on, especially if the rest of the crew doesn’t know you have it out for them. The last thing you need is them keeping a long list in their mind of where you’ve been and what you say you’ve been doing. This kind of player will grill you on your task list, what those tasks required you to do, why you took so long in one area, or why you moved on so fast from a task that should’ve taken longer. You don’t need that energy in your hunt for crewmates.
Don’t Sit On Your Kill Cooldown For Too Long
It’s tempting to go for a kill once your cooldown recharges. It goes without saying that you should be very careful of when and where you kill a player, as well as being mindful of players in the vicinity and how you could create an alibi. But you should also be quick in getting that kill in.
After deliberations, whether it be from an emergency meeting or body report, imposter cooldown timers will restart when you get back to the game. It hurts to sit through that timer again and keep trying to fake tasks and hide in plain sight, so get to work on that kill as soon as is reasonably possible.
When playing with other tryhards, like my aforementioned friend Jeremy, keep in mind that they tend to use up their chance to call an emergency to simply reset the imposters’ cooldown timer in the mid-to-late game. I hate it when this happens, so don’t let it happen to you.
I stay winning with this guide.
Kill The Lights To Cover Up Or Setup A Kill
As the imposter, you have a few map-wide distractions, called sabotages, at your disposal, which throw off the crewmates from their normal tasks and draw their attention to a temporary, but critical task. One of them can be the ability to turn off the lights on the map, which shrinks everyone’s vision to what’s immediately next to them, creating a dense fog of war for you to take advantage of.
The best use of this is to cover up a dead body, since you’re limiting player vision, or to set up a kill and make sure no one else who might come around sees it happen. Turning off lights right after a kill can also buy you time to relocate and create a new alibi before someone discovers the body. On top of that, it’ll also draw players to the task of restoring the lights.
Understand What Each Sabotage Does And Where It Forces Crewmates To Go
In a broader sense, imposter sabotages can be the key to pulling off slick kills unnoticed. However, each sabotage draws players to specific locations on the map, so you need to be mindful of where it takes them.
For example, in the snow map Polus, initiating the seismic stabilizer sabotage will take players to the two northern corners of the map to disable the countdown. This will help draw attention away from the lower end of the map, which could be useful if you’re making a killing in those areas. Shutting down comms disables player task lists, so this would be good to disperse the overall group as they scramble to get comms back on and get back to tasks, especially if you’re feeling uneasy about how you’ve been faking your own tasks.
Use Vents Sparingly
Imposters can use vents to hide away from everyone else. It’s important to know where vents are to conceal yourself in butt-clenching situations when you have nowhere else to hide, or when you want to pull up on someone who enters a room alone. But you can’t rely on vents too much.
Vents pause your kill cooldown timer from recharging, so hiding in one wastes precious time that can be spent setting up a kill. Staying in a vent too long can also hinder your ability to form an alibi when crewmates start to question where others have been and what others have been doing–no one can vouch for you (not even yourself) if they haven’t seen you around.
Wow, it was purple in medbay.
Self-Report And Frame Others Only With Confidence
If you’re a real savage, you can report a dead body yourself, but you better be ready to play it off. This can go two ways: you can either be like “wow, I found the body in [x] room, damn, ya hate to see it,” or “WOW, I JUST SAW [other player] COMING FROM [X] ROOM, YOU LOOKIN REAL SUS BUDDY.” Either way, you need to be able to play the part just like you would as a crewmate, and make sure you can cover your tracks. You also want to know who’s been in the general vicinity, because you’re the only one who’s going to look suspicious if a dead body is in a spot no one else has been for a good long while.
Another similarly bold move is to kill someone right in front of another player, report the body, and immediately sell everyone on the lie that you saw that other player commit the murder. You basically have to lie so good that you’re even convincing yourself of it. And you need to make sure the player you’re pinning it on has either ambiguous or dubious status among the crewmates.
Please note that this method only has a chance of working when the option for imposter confirmation upon ejection is disabled. Even then, you’ll want to use this sparingly; if anything in your case starts to fall apart, the only one looking sus is you.
The Infamous Stack Kill
I’m not going to say I’ve had success doing this, but damn do I respect a good stack kill. A stack kill is when a bunch of players stand in one spot doing a task–ideally more than four–and you hit the kill button, leaving everyone there wondering who the hell it was in that group that just committed murder in plain sight. Of course, this puts you in the conversation of suspicious players if you’re noticed as one in the stack. Just be ready to defend yourself incessantly.
