Director and DC-boss James Gunn announced on social media Saturday that he has cast German actor Lars Eidinger as the villainous Brainiac in his Superman follow-up film Man of Tomorrow.

“In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top,” Gunn wrote on his Instagram account. “Welcome to the DCU, Lars.”

Eidinger, 49, may be relatively unknown to North American audiences, but he can currently be seen in the George Clooney-Adam Sandler movie Jay Kelly, which is streaming on Netflix.

His other film and TV credits include Babylon Berlin, All the Light We Cannot See, High Life, Tim Burton’s Dumbo, My Little Sister, Dying, Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, White Noise, and Irma Vep. Eidinger is also a rapper, musician, and DJ.

It’s December, meaning it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, I’m cliché and enjoy the holidays for the warmth and celebrations they bring, but today I’m more interested in reflecting on the evolution of accessibility throughout 2025. And thankfully, this year brought improvements to long-standing franchises, as well as surprise additions to the triple-A and indie scenes.

From my perspective, there were no accessibility moments that revolutionized the industry in 2025. Instead, the year demonstrated a continuous evolution of what disabled players have rightfully come to expect when purchasing a new release. In my opinion, no one game has been better than another, especially in terms of innovation, but that’s not to say this year didn’t surprise me in unexpected ways. So, for this Access Designed, let’s explore some of my favorite examples of accessibility during 2025.

Runner-Up: and Roger

This section contains mild spoilers for and Roger.

The inclusion of TearyHand Studio’s and Roger on my list may surprise some. This roughly hour-long visual novel features numerous quick-time events that guide you through the loving memories of Sofia and her husband, Roger, as Sofia succumbs to dementia. Each minigame puts you directly in control of Sofia as she completes everyday tasks like brushing her teeth, making soup, or looking through old photographs. While these may seem mundane activities, Sofia’s dementia makes each simple event feel like a monumental task. And for disabled players, the intensity of the QTEs is exacerbated by the game’s notable lack of accessibility features.

And Roger features no accessibility tools to help you complete the game. There are no alternatives to finishing QTEs, options to skip them, or settings that have the game natively complete them for you like in this year's Assassin’s Creed Shadows. You are forced to continuously mash or perfectly drag a white button for every single QTE, something that was immensely exhausting with my physical disabilities. Yet, after completing an event within the first chapter that had Sofia push Roger’s hand away by rapidly mashing a button on the screen, I realized its inaccessibility made the experience much more powerful.

And Roger, through its lack of accessibility, made me reevaluate how I critique games, something I’ve been professionally doing for six years. Sofia’s struggles with dementia were far more pronounced when I was struggling with her. And in an industry where proper disability representation is still relatively lacking, and Roger masterfully captures the truest expression of disability. There are moments of love, grief, pain, joy, and suffering – all emotions I’ve personally felt or witnessed disabled friends and family experience. I have never played a game so dedicated to having, and occasionally forcing, the disabled experience on the players, thus making and Roger one of my favorite games of not only 2025, but of all time.

Runner-Up: EA Sports FC 26

I will be the first to admit I don’t like sports games. The genre just doesn’t appeal to me, which is admittedly ironic considering I live in a very sports-centric city. Yet, EA Sports FC 26 made me appreciate soccer games (football for non-Americans) because of its incredible attention to accessibility detail.

FC 26, like most games with accessibility offerings, provides customizable controls, subtitles, and colorblindness settings. However, I appreciated the features for varying gameplay assists. Shooting, passing, defending, switching, and dribbling all have their own settings to provide relief during extended play sessions. When I was too fatigued to properly shoot, I would activate Auto Shots, which would trigger as I came close to the goal. If passing becomes too much, I can simply increase the sensitivity, making the game natively pass the ball without the need for immense precision. Even as the goalkeeper, I can use assists to help with saves. And for longer sessions, I can activate one or two button control schemes, significantly reducing the number of inputs needed to play (unfortunately, one and two button use cannot be used in competitive play).

Yet, FC 26’s greatest accessibility achievement doesn’t impact my disability. For the first time in the series, as well as in a competitive multiplayer setting, players can activate High Contrast Mode. Everything from the home team, away team, referees, to even ball color can be customized to increase their contrast. This provides blind players with crucial visual information when playing frantic matches. It’s easy to lose control of player and ball position when matches become intense, especially with online PvP, but FC 26 redefines what accessibility can be in the competitive scene. The potential to challenge industry perspectives for competitive games is why FC 26 deserves a spot among the most accessible games of 2025.

Winner: Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages, id Software’s latest in the iconic FPS series, is by far my favorite entry, as well as its most accessible. While the newest game includes relatively common accessibility options like customizable controls, adjustable subtitles, and varying difficulty modes, The Dark Ages adds new tools that redefine accessibility in this fast-paced game.

Shooters like Doom rely on immense speed and precision to slaughter enemies and complete levels. You are constantly dodging enemy fire, sprinting through levels, jumping over obstacles, and switching weapons within your extensive arsenal to play the game. And if you don’t have the strength or stamina to perform any of the above, the gameplay formula becomes abysmally inaccessible, even with lowered difficulty settings. But The Dark Ages has a solution: it introduces modifiers that adjust game speed, enemy projectile speed, enemy aggression, player damage, and even enemy damage. Further, The Dark Ages includes options to change the parry windows for melee encounters. Every piece of the combat system is customizable.

With accessibility, there’s often this incorrect notion within Internet spaces that options and inclusive designs ruin the intended gaming experience. The Dark Ages completely nullifies this argument with its customizable settings, which indicate that the "artistic intent" is the experience that you as a player want to have. There's no punishment for modifying the experience. Whether you have a disability or not, you control how you play. Are you a masochist that enjoys frantically throwing yourself against an onslaught of demons? Simply adjust every setting listed above to maximize their values. In my case, I would customize parry windows and game speed if I was particularly tired, but would find myself increasing enemy aggression for more of a challenge. I’ve never played a game that allows me to fine-tune every aspect of combat, and that is why Doom: The Dark Ages is my game of the year for 2025.

These three games represent only a fraction of the excellent accessible titles throughout 2025. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, South of Midnight, Split Fiction, and even Kirby Air Riders all deserve credit for their accessible tools and designs. And while the three games listed above are my personal favorite, 2025 has arguably been my favorite year as a critic, not for the innovations, but for the continued dedication to disabled players.

Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter.

It’s been a tough few years for voice actors. While it’s perhaps never been more obvious how much value they provide to a game’s characters and story – the huge success of Baldur’s Gate 3 and its beloved cast put the profession in perhaps the brightest spotlight it’s ever had – voice actors and motion capture performers face a daunting threat in artificial intelligence. That’s just one of the reasons why we wanted to honor the art of performance in this year’s IGN Awards. Actors bring our games to life, and our digital worlds would be poorer without them.

As with our other awards, we asked the IGN team to nominate their favourite performances from across the past 12 months, and then we all voted for which one we felt was the very best example. These are our picks for the best individual performances in video games this year:

Runner-Up – Erika Ishii (Atsu, Ghost of Yotei)

The role of a revenge-seeking samurai is well-trodden ground, but Erika Ishii breathed refreshing new life into Atsu, the protagonist of Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei. Lending the character a believable “rough around the edges” feel, Ishii ensures that Atsu’s bloodlust has depth.

Runner-Up – Aaron Paul (Robert Robertson, Dispatch)

Unlike Hollywood, which has long cast animated movies using celebrity movie stars, video games have predominantly held onto the idea that voice acting and performance capture is a distinct skill, and that hiring people who specialize in that is the way to go. But while Dispatch features industry titans like Laura Bailey and Matthew Mercer, it’s screen actor Aaron Paul who’s the standout; our review explains that he's able to deliver "a nuanced performance as a man struggling to hold onto his optimism while reconciling with who he is outside of his giant mech suit."

Runner–Up – Konatsu Kato (Hinako Shimizu, Silent Hill f)

Lending both her voice and likeness to Silent Hill f’s protagonist Hinako Shimizu, Konatsu Kato brought to life one of the series’ most tortured heroes. While many of us will have relied on subtitles to understand her Japanese-language lines, her delivery helped instill every scene with the heavy, complex emotions intended by the script’s nuanced tale.

Runner-Up – Ben Starr (Verso, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

In Verso, Ben Starr was able to take the gruff, dark hero voice he adopted for Clive in Final Fantasy 16 and perfect it. The maturity of Expedition 33’s themes, particularly in its final act, allow for Starr to explore a character who must revel in tragedy, but who carries enough optimism and conviction to never allow the dark to obscure the light.

Winner – Jennifer English (Maelle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

Maelle is the heart of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and a major reason her journey rings so true is Jennifer English’s performance. Grief is a difficult emotion to wrestle with, especially when it’s part of a story that happily leans into the melodramatic, but English keeps Maelle eternally grounded and completely believable. Expedition 33 may be a game with flashy combat, monstrous deities, and an army of goofy paintbrush people, but what it’s really about is the human condition and, more specifically, how we deal with loss. As Maelle, Jennifer English ensures that Clair Obscur’s loftier, more literary themes and ambitions are never lost among the more video game-y, JRPG-inspired tropes.

While individual performances are important, a strong ensemble cast can help bring a level of consistent immersion to a fictional world. When everyone in an ensemble gives their A-game, there’s no fracture in your belief that these video game characters are genuine people. Our picks for the best video game ensemble cast are:

• Runner-Up – Ghost of Yotei
• Runner-Up – Hades 2
• Runner-Up – Dispatch
• Runner-Up – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Winner – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Congratulations to Jennifer English, the entire cast of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the team at Sandfall Interactive, as well as the casts and development teams of all the games we nominated. For more from the IGN Awards 2025, be sure to check out our complete list of winners.

Matt Purslow is IGN's Executive Editor of Features.

Warning: This piece contains spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Grab your ikrans and fly to your nearest cinema, sci-fi fans, because Avatar: Fire and Ash is now in theaters. The third of five planned entries in James Cameron’s epic space opera, this installment sees Jake Sully and his family continue their war against the Resources Development Administration and the Recombinant version of Colonel Miles Quaritch while also dealing with a new threat in the form of Varang and the Ash People, villainous Na’vi with an affinity for fire. Reviews have skewed positive with some reservations, but IGN’s Max Scoville was particularly impressed with this installment as an ending to the first Avatar trilogy, writing in his 9/10 review that the film is “an immensely gratifying finale that’s well worth the wait.”

Still, even with its impressive technical achievements and enjoyable action set pieces, some aspects of the film have left us scratching our heads. Let’s dive into the biggest burning questions we have after Avatar: Fire and Ash!

Why is Varang Not a Bigger Part of the Story?

If you went by the trailers and the title, you’d likely assume that Varang (Oona Chaplin), the leader of the Ash People, would be Fire and Ash’s main antagonist. She’s certainly the film’s most exciting addition to the Avatar mythology, with Chaplin blazing onto the screen with a level of menace and sexuality that we haven’t yet seen in the franchise. Essentially a cross between a warrior queen and a blood witch, Varang hooks up with Stephen Lang’s Colonel Quaritch (in more ways than one), and the two seem set to be co-villains ready to literally take the fire to the Sully clan… until they don’t. The back half of the film doesn’t forget that Varang exists, but she becomes much less important in the later acts as the film settles into a retread of Avatar: The Way of Water’s finale. We end up learning very little about the Ash People’s way of life and how they use fire beyond a couple of weapons and minor rituals, and there’s only one scene set in their home territory, which is an encampment at the base of a volcano. Varang is apparently set to reappear in Avatar 4 and 5, but given that this film is called “Fire and Ash,” we can’t help but wonder why this movie doesn’t make more use of the, well, fire and ash people.

"For those who come after." It's a simple but effective phrase from this year's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one that was stuck in the minds of many for nearly an entire year. But although Expedition 33 won the hearts of many, it was far from alone. 2025 saw the release of the hotly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong, and with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 we got a new Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, and the sequel to IGN's 2020 Game of the Year, Hades 2. Over in the world of entertainment we got plenty of great movies like Superman, Sinners, Weapons, and possibly the best Predator movie ever in Predator: Badlands.

Every year, across all forms of media, there are situations where critics and audiences either agree or disagree. That's never going to change, we're talking about opinions, after all, although this year we definitely saw more alignment than normal. Every year, we ask you all to vote on each of our award categories, and many of our awards have gone to the games, shows, and movies that you chose, too. That's a great sign that our thoughts and opinions are aligned with our community's.

But what did you vote for? Here are the complete results for each Community Award, voted on by you, the IGN community (Results finalized at 12/20 12AM ET).

Best Sci-Fi or Fantasy Movie 2025

Winner: Predator: Badlands (33.1% of the votes)

Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel

Winner: Batman: Dark Patterns (40.4% of votes)

Best Anime of 2025

Winner: Dan Da Dan (49.4% of votes)

Best Action-Adventure Game of 2025

Winner: Ghost of Yotei (29.6% of the votes)

Best Horror Movie of 2025

Winner: Sinners (41.5% of votes)

Best Playstation Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (43.6% of votes)

Best RPG of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (66.8% of votes)

Best Nintendo Game of 2025

Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza (49.9% of votes)

Best Xbox Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (60.2% of votes)

Best PC Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (51.2% of votes)

Best Strategy Game of 2025

Winner: Anno 117: Pax Romana (25.5% of votes)

Best Puzzle Game of 2025

Winner: Blue Prince (72.9% of votes)

Best Roguelike Game of 2025

Winner: Hades 2 (57.2% of votes)

Best Action Game of 2025

Winner: Hades 2 (58.8% of votes)

Best Shooter Game of 2025

Winner: Arc Raiders (28.3% of votes)

Best Superhero Movie of 2025

Winner: Superman (57.3% of votes)

Best TV Show of 2025

Winner: Andor (38.0% of votes)

Best TV Episode of 2025

Winner: Andor Season 2, Episode 8 - “Who Are You?” (46.9% of votes)

Best Ensemble Cast in a TV Show or Movie of 2025

Winner: Andor Season 2 (39.9%)

Best Performer in a TV show or Movie

Winner: Genevieve O'Reilly (Mon Mothma, Andor) (29.2% of votes)

Best Performer in a Movie of 2025

Winner: Michael B. Jordan (Elijah "Smoke" Moore and Elias "Stack" Moore, Sinners) (36.8% of votes)

Best Ensemble Cast in a Video Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (65.2% of votes)

Best Performance in a Video Game of 2025

Winner: Jennifer English (Maelle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) (36.5% of votes)

Best Video Game Music/Score of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (67.5% of votes)

Best Art Direction in a Video Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (58.5% of votes)

Best Remake or Remastered Game of 2025

Winner: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (34.6% of votes)

Best Movie of 2025

Winner: Sinners (24.7% of votes)

Best Game of 2025

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (50.8% of votes)

Thank you to everyone who participated in our community-voted awards categories this year. In 17 of the 23 categories, the winner garnered over 40% of the total votes, showing a sense of unity on what you found to be your favorites in 2025. Clair Obscur, as expected by many, ran the gauntlet to win all nine of the categories it was nominated in. Meanwhile, Andor was a huge audience favorite, sweeping all four of the categories around TV. The win by the most narrow margin goes to Predator: Badlands, which took home the win for Best Sci-fi or Fantasy Movie over Frankenstein by only 1.1%, while Blue Prince won by the biggest margin, taking home over 72% of votes in the Best Puzzle Game category. Thank you again to everyone who voted. And now, with big games like GTA 6, Marvel's Wolverine, and other major releases on the horizon, we look forward to seeing how 2026 turns out and learning your favorites this time next year.

Keepin' It Clean

Throughout the year, we have been monitoring those who do not foster a positive experience here at IGN. We remove the most problematic users regularly to improve everyone's overall experience. But we also use this time, before the end of the year, as an opportunity to remove those who were given more time to see if their infractions throughout the year was part of a pattern, or if they were potentially just someone having a bad day or week. So, in addition to recognizing the users who uplifted our community, we have also removed several users who have consistently violated our community guidelines. These banned accounts are those who have engaged in hate speech, harassment, or other toxic behaviors. We know these actions are not always popular, but they are necessary in our commitment to creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone at IGN.

As we continue to build upon our community, we will continue to monitor and address any problematic behavior to ensure that our community remains a positive and inclusive place for everyone. We can create a respectful, supportive, and enjoyable community by working together.

We appreciate our readers who regularly make us their home for gaming, entertainment, and more. We are excited to continue building and improving together in the coming months and years. Once again, thank you to all of you who regularly do your best to create a positive experience on IGN.

Jada Griffin is IGN's Community Lead. If she's not engaging with users here, chances are she's developing her own games, maxing the Luck stat in her favorite games, or challenging her D&D players with Intense combat or masterful puzzles. You can follow her on Bluesky @Jadarina.bsky.social

If we’ve learned anything from watching the IT movies and the spin-off series, Welcome to Derry, it’s that Derry, Maine is about the last town on Earth anyone should ever visit. Around every corner lurks a creepy, homicidal clown who loves to season his victims with the sweet taste of fear, and that’s not even counting the more mundane but still terrifying evils lurking in this cursed town.

Now that IT: Welcome to Derry has ended its first (but apparently not only) season on HBO Max, the time has come to break down the most horrifying moments featuring Pennywise the Dancing Clown or his various other supernatural manifestations. Check out our ranked list, and let us know your favorite Pennywise scares in the comments below.

Warning: This article contains full spoilers for both IT movies and IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1.

11. Patrick In the Sewer

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT (2017)

How quickly the bully becomes the bullied. This brief but intense scene almost makes us feel a little bad for budding psychopath Patrick Hockstetter (Owen Teague). Patrick chases poor Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) into the sewers, eager to cook him with a homemade blowtorch; instead, Patrick discovers the demonic clown living in Derry’s underbelly, and learns that once you enter the sewers, it’s not so easy to find your way out again.

10. Return to the Neibolt Street House

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT: Chapter Two (2019)

We get that the Losers Club members lost many of the memories of their childhood ordeal, but you’d still think they’d retain enough to remember one vital lesson: Never go into the house on Neibolt St. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the adults do in the sequel, and for their trouble, they’re greeted by the severed, crab-like head of poor Stanley Uris. If any moment in the IT series owes a debt to the great John Carpenter, it’s this one.

9. The Sewer Showdown

As seen in: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 5 (2025)

Welcome to Derry takes its sweet time actually showcasing Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown, but the villain certainly makes up for lost time in Episode 5. No sooner do Clara Stack’s Lilly and friends follow Miles Ekhardt’s “Matty” into the sewers (an obvious no-no) than their friend reveals himself to be a horrifying clown monster in disguise. Even as the friends scatter into the tunnels in sheer terror, we see the Air Force’s ill-fated mission completely collapse. Worst of all is seeing Pennywise worm his way into Dick Hallorann’s (Chris Chalk) mind and open the terrible box he’s kept sealed there for decades.

8. The Flooded Basement

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT (2017)

Basements are pretty creepy on the best of days, but especially so when you’re talking about old New England houses. This scene really plays on that fear as Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher) ventures downstairs to find his basement is flooded and hiding the ghost of his dead brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott). That’s when Pennywise chooses to make his stomach-churning entrance.

7. Marge the Slug

As seen in: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 4 (2025)

Few things in horror are more squirm-inducing than scares involving eyeballs; the sheer thought of damaging or losing an eye gives almost anyone the ick immediately. Welcome to Derry’s fourth episode zeroes in on that universal truth when IT manipulates poor Marge (Matilda Lawler) into thinking she’s become a human slug. Watching her lose her mind and attempt to saw off her own protruding eyeballs is not a scene for the squeamish.

6. Georgie’s Death

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT (2017)

The first IT movie opens with a scene that’s very much a statement of intent for the series. We see young Georgie joyfully enjoying the rainy weather with his paper boat, only to happen across a not-at-all creepy clown hanging around a storm drain. In a tamer horror franchise, Georgie’s age would render him immune to any severe consequences, but this is IT, so of course he gets his arm ripped off and is then dragged into the sewer to become the first of Pennywise’s many victims in the movie.

5. Eddie Meets the Leper

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT (2017)

By no means should anyone ever venture inside the dreaded house at 29 Neibolt St., but even wandering around outside can be extremely hazardous to your health. Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) learns that the hard way when he walks by the house and encounters Pennywise manifesting as a terrifying leper (Javier Botet). For a kid raised to be a pathological germaphobe, there can be no greater monster.

4. The Hall of Mirrors

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT: Chapter Two (2019)

While most fans agree that IT: Chapter Two is a big step below its predecessor in quality, it does boast one of the most inventive and scary scenes in the series when the adult Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy) finds himself trapped inside a funhouse hall of mirrors. The sheer claustrophobia of that situation would be enough to mine some real fear, but the film goes the extra mile by forcing Bill to watch as Pennywise torments and ultimately eats a young boy who’s also trapped in the maze.

3. The Movie Theater Massacre

As seen in: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1 (2025)

As mentioned, the original IT movie starts off by making it clear that no one is safe from Pennywise, not even innocent young children. The first episode of Welcome to Derry goes one step further in its efforts to hammer that point home, closing with a grotesque, horrifying scene where Lilly and her friends are locked inside a movie theater while monsters devour them one by one. Just when we thought the series had introduced 1962’s answer to the Losers Club, It goes and eats most of them for dinner.

2. Inside the House at Neibolt Street

As seen in: Stephen King’s IT (2017)

Once again for the cheap seats: Never go inside the house at 29 Neibolt Street for any reason! The first movie really nails that down when our young heroes venture inside this dilapidated structure and encounter the full scope of Pennywise’s horrors. We’re especially creeped out by the scene where Richie (Finn Wolfhard) is trapped inside a bedroom full of unnerving clown dolls, only to encounter the real Pennywise emerging gleefully from a coffin.

1. Matty Goes Hitchhiking

As seen in: IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 1 (2025)

Welcome to Derry really makes a strong case for itself in its very first episode, delivering some of the franchise’s best scares to date. That includes the best of them all, in an early scene where Matty opts to hitch a ride out of town rather than deal with his abusive home life one minute longer. Unfortunately for him, he winds up stuck inside a ghost car alongside a family of demented ghouls and a mother proudly giving birth – very graphically, we might add – to a demon baby. This is why they always say it’s not safe to hitchhike.

For more on IT: Welcome to Derry, check out IGN’s review of the season finale and see all the easter eggs for the Stephen King multiverse.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Spoilers follow for Stranger Things Season 5 and the Broadway/West End play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

We only have four more episodes to go until Stranger Things is done forever, and speculation is running high. Who will die? Who will live? And how important is the series’ spin-off Broadway show, The First Shadow, to the end of the series? While we may not know the answers to the first two questions yet, we have a pretty good idea about the answer to the last one, based on what happened in the first half of Season 5. The answer is “very important,” particularly in explaining Will’s (Noah Schnapp) power-up, where Max (Sadie Sink) is hiding, and even giving some serious clues about how the Hawkins gang might finally beat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

That’s a lot to unpack, and if you don’t live in New York or London, your first question might be: Wait, there’s a Broadway show? There sure is, and the live-action play written by Stranger Things writer and co-executive producer Kate Trefry is crucially tied to the overall history laid out in the series and sets up a number of plot points in the final season.

In the play, we catch up with Henry Creel (aka, the kid who will eventually become Vecna) when he and his family move into what is later known as the Creel House in Season 4 of Stranger Things. Over the course of the play, we discover just how Henry got his psychic powers, how he met Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine on TV), and even get to see a tiny little version of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown on TV) meeting Henry for the first time.

But the play doesn’t even start with Henry. There’s actually a prologue set in 1943 that depicts the United States performing experiments in what they call “Dimension X,” as they attempt to turn submarines invisible during World War II. Unfortunately for them, they get attacked by Demogorgons, and then the action switches to 1959 Hawkins. Dimension X sounds like the Upside Down, right? Well… not exactly. There’s actually a lot of debate about the difference between the two, particularly because neither the stage play nor the TV show have been explicit about how it all works, though franchise masterminds, the Duffer Brothers, have promised that all will be explained “pretty early on” in the upcoming batch of episodes.

As far as we understand now, there’s the “real” world; a place that’s been called the Hellscape – aka the area Henry Creel was sent to between dimensions where he was electrocuted by lightning strikes and got real gross looking in Season 4; and Dimension X, which is where Henry met the Mind Flayer again. Meanwhile, the Upside Down is an as-yet undefined extra area – either a parallel dimension, or a bridge between the Hellscape and Dimension X, or something else entirely.

Did we just say, “met the Mind Flayer again?” This is one of the wildest twists in the play, and has huge repercussions for the TV series as well. As you may recall from the first batch of episodes that dropped on Netflix for Season 5, Max Mayfield – or at least her mind – reappeared in a strange, sunny reality that seems to be made up of Henry Creel’s memories. She’s been hiding out in one of them – a cave that Henry is clearly too terrified to enter, which is where Max breaks down how she’s alive and what happened to her to Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). While we don’t see that cave in The First Shadow, we do hear all about it.

Dr. Brenner’s father was the only person to survive the submarine experiment in 1943, passing his knowledge on to his son. Brenner the younger established something called the Nevada Experiment, which was meant to try and access Dimension X, but one scientist went rogue, stole the equipment, and headed to – you guessed it – a cave in Nevada. Remember the spyglass Holly was using in Season 5? That’s the same spyglass Henry used to explore the cave system, dropping it just like Holly does when she runs away scared in the TV episodes. In Henry’s case, however, he and the rogue scientist are accidentally sent to Dimension X for 12 hours; there, Henry was infected by the creature later known as the Mind Flayer, and not only gained his psychic powers, but was tortured, corrupted, and driven insane by the cloud creature. So rather than Henry creating the Mind Flayer, as we’re shown in Season 4 of the TV show, the Mind Flayer – or at least an aspect of it that exists in Dimension X – created Henry, and therefore Vecna.

To be 100% clear: If you thought Henry had naturally occurring psychic abilities, you were wrong. It all comes from the infection that happened to him over those 12 hours he was missing in Nevada, which is why he’s so scared of the caves. That’s where he was driven insane. That’s where he turned evil. That’s where it all went wrong.

The twists don’t stop there, though. Thanks to Henry reconnecting with Dr. Brenner in the second act of The First Shadow, Henry’s blood containing the infection from the Dimension X Mind Flayer is harvested and injected into prospective mothers as part of the MKUltra program codenamed Indigo. There are at least 10 psychically powered babies born in that program, including – you guessed it – Eleven.

So again, to be ultra-clear – MKUltra clear, if you will – the world of Stranger Things isn’t a Firestarter or X-Men situation where some folks are born naturally with psychic abilities. Instead, they all come from the infection Henry contracted in Dimension X. This also means that if the Mind Flayer in Dimension X was destroyed or cut off, there would potentially be no more psychic powers on Earth, including those used by Vecna and Eleven.

That said, it’s possible there could be still another twist, with Eleven being the lone exception. In the play, we’re shown a family tree with all the program kids branching off from Henry, except Eleven, who he meets in the closing moments of the show. It’s possible that Eleven could be something different than Henry and his “children...” or not. Who knows?

In a roundabout way, though, this also explains how Will shockingly got powers in the final moments of “The Sorcerer.” As we saw at the beginning of Season 5, young Will was pumped full of goop during his first trip to the Upside Down, connecting him to the Hive Mind that is ostensibly controlled by Vecna. But as explained in The First Shadow, Vecna’s power comes from Dimension X. Will does not have powers on his own, because they all – Vecna, Eleven, Will, even Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) – come from the same central source. In Will’s case, he is very specifically drawing from Vecna’s power… but it all goes back to Dimension X.

There are other aspects of the play we need to discuss. When Max first describes traveling through Henry’s memories, we see a scene of Hawkins High School featuring younger versions of the parents from the TV show, and the reveal of a leaflet advertising a performance of Oklahoma featuring, among others, Henry Creel. In a nutshell, that’s the main plot of The First Shadow, following a production mounted by Joyce (played on TV by Winona Ryder), starring Henry and Patty Newby, Bob’s (played on TV by Sean Astin) sister. Henry and Patty sort of fall in love, with Patty ultimately leaving Hawkins to find her mother in Las Vegas, which is why she hasn’t appeared on the show yet. So Joyce, Hopper (played on TV by David Harbour), and Bob (RIP) all knew Henry back in high school, and even worked on a play with him. Will that ever get mentioned? It did look like Joyce wanted to shout “Henry, come on,” in that final sequence in Season 5’s fourth episode before he flipped her into the air.

Also possibly of note: In The First Shadow, Bob is hosting a pirate radio show out of a mobile rig he built that he carts around school. Well, on the TV series, Season 5’s fifth episode is titled “Shock Jock.” Though the online speculation around the episode has pointed to Robin (Maya Hawke) and Steve’s (Joe Kerry) show on WSQK, and the fact that they pointed out one could get electrocuted by the radio tower in the first episode, is it possible the shock jock of the title isn’t either of our ’80s kids getting literally shocked – it’s Bob Newby circa 1959? Given the subsequent episode is titled “Escape From Camazotz,” which references a key location in A Wrinkle in Time and suggests Holly and Max will try to flee Henry’s mindscape (which is a whole other explainer), it’s possible we could be getting some flashbacks to specific events from The First Shadow in the next episode. That could definitely establish how Joyce and Hopper know Henry, as well as why they haven’t brought it up yet. Regardless, this seems to be too important a detail not to bring up in some capacity, particularly as that otherwise extremely confusing flyer was seen on the TV series. This brings us nicely to how this whole thing might directly set up how to beat Vecna: They don’t.

If you’ve been paying attention to what we’ve laid out so far, most of what’s happened on Stranger Things isn’t Henry’s fault. He was corrupted by the Dimension X Mind Flayer, used and abused by Dr. Brenner, and even tried to escape the influence of the creature in the play thanks to his love for Patty. Joyce and Hopper know him as a weirdo, but not a bad one (at least not initially), and there’s every chance this is what Max and Holly will discover once they more fully explore his memories. Certainly it seems incredibly likely they’ll find out what happened to Henry in the cave in Nevada, and discover that he has been infected… and can potentially be cured.

There’s a running theme throughout Stranger Things that love is far more powerful than hate. That’s true in The First Shadow as well, though in that case, hate – at least with Henry – ultimately wins. In the TV show, it’s looking increasingly likely that the way to beat Vecna isn’t to kill him, but to bring him back to humanity, cut him off from Dimension X, and save the day. Beat him with love, not hate? That would definitely be worth the price of admission.

It may be the season of giving, but there are things you don’t always want to receive. A computer virus is one of them. Unfortunately, cybercriminals don’t take breaks for the holidays, which means you need to do everything in your power to protect yourself against these perpetual naughty listers. Cybersecurity software is the easiest way to ensure you and your family stay safe online, and Webroot is a solid all-in-one software option. See more info below and how to save big before New Year's Day on this cybersecurity option.

Get Half Off Webroot's Total Protection Cybersecurity Plan

Give, or better yet, treat yourself to the gift of clean floors this holiday season with a brand-new robot vacuum. These machines have come a long way from bumping into furniture and suctioning up socks while attempting to clean up your space. Now, you’ll find options that navigate your home with ease, mop, self-empty, and more for a truly hands-free clean. The vacuum brand Narwal is an innovator in the space, developing some incredible robot vacuums, some of which I’ve even been lucky enough to test out myself.

If you or someone you love has been eager to get a robot vacuum or upgrade an older model, Narwal has brilliant options for a range of needs, and it’s a great time of year to buy. Although Narwal’s Black Friday sale is now over, Narwal is still offering incredible discounts at near-Black Friday prices on Amazon right now for a limited time.

Everything from its wildly capable, full-of-all-the-bells-and-whistles flagship Flow model to the Freo X10 Pro, is up to 40% off for a limited time at Amazon. That’s up to $460 in potential savings, just $40 more than the Black Friday savings offered earlier.

For Budget Shoppers: The Narwal Freo S Vac and Mop Combo is Under $300

Finding the perfect gift for someone who only likes tech stuff can be a challenge. Partially because the best tech gifts tend to be inherently expensive. If you're buying someone new technology for Christmas this year, it has the potential to be the only gift that truly gets them excited while also blowing a massive hole in your budget.

There are exceptions to this, of course. Plenty of high-quality tech and gaming accessories are surprisingly affordable and practical. If you're looking for ideas of what to get the tech nerd in your life this year, we've rounded up 10 gifts we love and recommend buying in 2025 to help get you started.

1. Ecoflow Rapid Pro Power Bank

Steelseries' Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 wired mouse is, as we said in our review, the budget master: cheap, reliable, well-built, and precise in twitchy FPS games. There’s a reason it’s one of our favorite gaming mice. For the past week I've been testing the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 wireless, and the differences are more substantial than an absent cord.

This wireless version is far heavier, mainly because you have to insert AAA batteries. It has no customisable RGB, its click latency is higher, and it's quite a lot more expensive. On the other hand, its sensor has a higher maximum DPI, and it promises hundreds of hours of battery life in the right condition.

SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless – Design and Shape

This is a heavy, heavy mouse, and it'll be too heavy for some people. With both AAA batteries inserted, it weighs just shy of 110g – double many lightweight gaming mice. The mouse works fine with one battery, dipping the weight below 100, but it's still beefy.

As somebody who prefers lighter mice, the Rival 3 Gen 2 still felt smooth, and still glided fine on its PTFE feet. I could still whip it around my mousepad and make precise adjustments when needed, and neither my hand nor arm ached while using it.

But there's no denying it required more effort. I was constantly reminded of its heft – it certainly didn't feel like an extension of my arm, and I enjoyed using it less than the 77g wired version, which I tested for comparison. I could feel the difference when I took one battery out, and I preferred it, but it's still hard to wholeheartedly recommend the Rival 3 Gen 2 wireless to anyone who's used to lightweight mice.

Its sensor sits lower down the body than for most mice. The further forward a sensor is, the more it will move to match fine adjustments of your fingers. A low-down sensor means your fingers need to move further to make the sensor travel the same distance. Combine that with its weight and you have to put more effort than normal to make those small adjustments.

Putting the substantial weight to one side, there's lots to like. I always worry about build quality with cheaper mice – no worries here. This is a solid mouse with good bones. I can squeeze it, twist it, and prod it without any creaking or signs of weakness.

You can buy it in four colours: black, white, lavender or aqua. I tested the white version and enjoyed the arctic look against my black mousepad.

The main body of the mouse slides back to reveal the battery compartment. It requires a decent level of force, making it virtually impossible to open accidentally, and it feels tight and secure when shut. You can also slide the small USB dongle – which enables low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection – into this compartment, where it sits snugly, and there's a sturdy switch to flick between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections.

The shape is identical to the wired version. It's almost symmetrical, but the left side is more angular to accommodate the bend of your thumb. Its low profile is comfortable in fingertip or claw grips. I tried it in palm grip and the right-hand ridge sat awkwardly against my pinky finger.

Its left and right clicks are bouncy, responsive, and perfectly spammable. When I really hit them hard, both for testing and in a panic during rounds of Arc Raiders, they sound loud, echoey and cheap, but under normal conditions they sound light and crisp.

The side buttons are annoyingly thin and there's almost no gap between them, but despite that I never misclicked. The addition of a DPI switch button – positioned smartly so you can't accidentally nudge it – is welcome, and the scroll wheel is just fine for a budget mouse. It feels a little loose and rattly, but never caused me any problems.

SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless – Performance and Gaming

We loved the SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 wired's gaming performance. It showed that, for most people, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a mouse. On paper this wireless version is different in two noticeable ways. Its sensor has a higher maximum DPI but its click latency – the time between your physical click and it registering on your PC – is longer.

Huge DPI numbers are often pointless. The 8.5K DPI sensor on the wired one felt good, and I honestly couldn't feel much of a difference with this 18K one. And a 1.9ms click latency is still low enough for me to not feel the delay. So in reality it will perform just as well as the wired version: no better, no worse.

I tested it in a variety of games including Arc Raiders, Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite, and Blue Prince for a mix of casual clicking and flicky shooting. It was responsive and accurate, and I felt my mouse movements, including small adjustments and rapid flick shots, were reflected on screen. It never held me back during multiplayer matches.

Its max 1,000Hz polling rate – the number of times the mouse reports its position to your PC – falls short of high-end performance mice, but in my experience you get diminishing returns as polling rate rises. As I move up to 2,000Hz and 4,000Hz I can, just about, feel a difference in smoothness and responsiveness. It helps that I have the set-up to take advantage of a higher polling rate, including a recent graphics card and a 240Hz refresh rate screen. But the difference is small and staying at 1,000Hz is absolutely fine for most players, especially those on a budget.

You can also lower the polling rate or switch to Bluetooth to save lots of battery (which I'll discuss more in a moment). Cutting the polling rate to 500Hz felt fine for a singleplayer game like Blue Prince, as did playing on Bluetooth: you lose some performance but you don't really need it, and the extra battery life is more than worth it.

The mouse's weight will, I feel, be the biggest factor in whether you enjoy gaming with it or not. If you're used to a lightweight mouse it might throw off your aim, at least initially before you get used to it.

SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless – Battery Life and Software

Steelseries makes lofty claims about battery life: 175 hours via the 2.4Ghz connection or a staggering 450 hours over Bluetooth. Connecting to Bluetooth was always easy and instant, and it's an excellent option for low-stakes singleplayer games. You'll need to buy new batteries when they run out so being able to squeeze hundreds of hours from each one is brilliant.

On 2.4Ghz connection, you won't get 175 hours unless you lower the polling rate. Again, in singleplayer games like Blue Prince that's completely viable but in multiplayer games, playing below 1000Hz can hamper your performance. If you stick to 1000Hz you'll get roughly 100 hours of life, in line with other modern gaming mice. Just make sure you stock up on AAA if you're going to use it long term.

I like that Steelseries lets you take out one battery to cut the weight to less than 100g. You half the battery life, but for me the improved feel was worth the sacrifice and, ultimately, it's the same total life on two AAA batteries.

As for software, the SteelSeries GG app looks intimidating at first but is actually quite simple and intuitive. The fundamentals – DPI adjustment and polling rate – sit alongside other settings that are explained clearly, such as a battery-saving mode, cursor smoothing on Bluetooth, and separate sensitivity for X and Y-axis movements.

What it lacks is the complex RGB customization of the wired mouse. The only lighting on the Rival 3 Gen 2 wireless is on the scroll wheel, blinking blue for Bluetooth connection and cycling colours when you change DPI, and you can't change them in any way. If you really care about RGB then the wired version is your best bet.

The best possible gift you can buy for a gamer is more games. The newest video games don't come cheap and they have the potential to provide hours and hours of entertainment. But what do you get for the gamer in your life who already has all of the games they could ever want?

If you're looking for some great gift ideas for 2025, I've got you covered with 10 of the most popular gamer gift options of the year.

1. Nintendo Switch 2

It's the last Friday before Christmas, and the last thing you want to be doing at this point is walking into a brick-and-mortar store. There's always something you'll forget to pick up for Christmas, but my team and I have got your last-minute gifting covered.

TL;DR: Deals for Today

Best-Selling Magic: The Gathering Booster Boxes and Commander Decks are still on offer from yesterday, but maybe you'd fancy a cheeky discounted Yu-Gi-Oh! booster pack instead? I've also got Donkey Kong and LoZ: TOTK amiibo deals, perfect for a solid stocking filler.

Still looking for a good PlayStation 5 deal outside of Black Friday? We've found a PS5 Slim (Disc Edition) with a copy of Black Ops 7 for $469.99, saving $149.99 with free shipping. And of course, we couldn’t leave Pokémon TCG out, the Pikachu Ultra PRO Pikachu-themed playmat is down to $9.99 from $26.99.

Side note: Are you following IGN Deals on TikTok yet?

MTG Deals

Edge of Eternities only released in August, but it’s already available in a great bundle deal that’s ready-made for multiplayer Commander nights. The same goes for the Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander Deck Bundle. One of the standout deals right now is the Commander Masters Play Booster Box, which is currently over $100 cheaper than market value. That said, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Booster Box is also under market value on Amazon at $159.99, making it a solid pickup for fans of Universes Beyond.

PlayStation 5 Slim Console + Call of Duty Black Ops 7

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Tactical Edition (PS5)

Amiibo Deals

Yunobo unlocks the Sage of Fabric for Link’s Paraglider in Tears of the Kingdom, and it can also give out Cobble Crushers, various rocks, and ores. The Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo unlocks Pauline's Diva Dress cosmetic early in Donkey Kong Bananza, doubles the drop rate of music discs, and gives explosive golden KONG tiles. Buying both together is cheaper than the standard amiibo price, making them perfect stocking fillers for Switch 2 players.

Konami - Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game: Doom of Dimensions Sleeved Booster

Ultra PRO - Pikachu Playmat for Pokémon

Apple iPad Air (M3) Wi-Fi

MSI SHADOW GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7 PCI Express 5.0 Graphics Card 3X OC

LEGO Ideas Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

49" Samsung Odyssey G9 (G91SD) Gaming Monitor

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16" OLED Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Laptop

Sony WH-1000XM5 + Free WF-C700N Earbuds

iBuypower Element SE AMD Ryzen 7 8700F RTX 5060 Ti Gaming PC (32GB/1TB)

Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Slim Power Bank

Metal Gear Solid Deta: Collectors Edition (PS5)

8Bitdo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller

Samsung P9 256GB MicroSD Express Card

eBay "Holiday Rush" Sale

The best Black Friday deal on Sony's newest flagship wireless noise cancelling headphones has returned. eBay (via either Buydig or Electronic Express) is offering a brand new pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for just $358.20 after you apply off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". That's a 20% discount off the $450 list price. eBay estimates free delivery before Christmas. Both retailers are authorized Sony resellers, so you get the full manufacturer's warranty.

Meta Quest 3 / 3S Deals

Deals aside, should you get a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S? Here's a specifications comparison table so you can make up your own mind:

Amazon Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Book Sale

So the quarter-bound The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion Tolkien Illustrated Editions are must-buys in this sale for me, and they are 44% and 46% off, respectively, before the buy one, get one deal comes into play. So that's a total of $191.29 down from $243.63. Bear in mind, at MSRP, both of these books come to $445. That's an insane deal on its own. Other highlights for me are The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia and A Game of Thrones hardback box set.

Sonos Refurb Sale

When it comes to big-brand gear, I'd always go for a solid refurbished or open-box deal over brand-new products. If it's a brand or retailer worth its salt, these products are pretty much new anyway but can't be sold as such, as they're a customer return or something similar.

With Sonos refurbs, you're getting the same one-year warranty you would with a brand-new alternative, plus they get delivered as new with all the leads and gubbins you'd usually get. It's literally a no-brainer when you're getting over 55% off a Sonos Arc soundbar, for example.

Pokémon TCG Single Card Price Crash

Pokémon TCG stock levels are getting better and better across the board, which means there's more chance of buying off store shelves and a much bigger chance of scalpers losing out. It's a win-win, especially for Pokémon card collectors, as single cards are finding a new floor when it comes to market values.

It's the best time this year to snap up some of those grails you've been eyeing up, so I've found the top 5 chase cards in every Pokémon TCG expansion and base set from the previous Scarlet and Violet era, as well as Mega Evolution, the current era of Pokémon cards. There's some serious bargains to be had here, and I reckon we'll see prices tick back up when Ascended Heroes launches early next year, so don't wait around.

Best Pokémon TCG Sealed Deals

The best deal here for me is the Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Premium Collection that's currently at market value on Amazon and close to MSRP.

• 4 x Phantasmal Flames
• 4 x Mega Evolution
• 4 x Destined Rivals
• 4 x Journey Together
• 2 x Surging Sparks

The main pull of this UPC is the Mega Charizard X ex Mega Attack Rare and Oricorio ex SIR promo cards, which, frankly, are the best couple of promo cards we've had in a big box collection for a while. It also contains Mega Charizard X-themed card sleeves, deck box, damage counter dice, playmat, and a metal coin.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A and More Deals

Need to get Pokémon Legends: Z-A sorted for Christmas? Here's the cheapest way: the Nintendo Switch 1 version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A for $44.99 on Woot, then upgrade it to the Switch 2 version for $9.99 via the Amazon digital code service. You're saving $15 compared to buying the usual Switch 2 copy of Legends: Z-A.

Woot also has more discounts on top Pokémon Switch games, such as Legends: Arceus alongside Scarlet and Violet. It's a great time to build up your library if you've got a few Pokémon-sized gaps on your shelf.

Pokémon Squishmallow Deals

Nothing beats cuddling a Squishmallow, and I'll admit that to anyone. Well, getting a $69.99 massive 20-inch Sprigatito Squishmallow for $37.99 definitely beats that feeling, but there's some great deals on the best Pokémon plushies right now (in my opinion, which is correct).

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

As one of Nintendo's most iconic characters, Mario is everywhere on the Switch. The plumber has had multiple releases every year since the system first came out with no signs of stopping, even as we head further into the Switch 2 era. Some of the best Mario games ever have launched on the Switch, like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

From 3D platformers to the newest versions of Mario Kart, here's every Mario game available on the Switch and Switch 2, as well as upcoming Mario games set to launch on the new system.

How Many Mario Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?

A total of 21 Mario games have been released for Nintendo Switch. This spans from the launch of the system in March 2017 to the present day. Below, we've compiled each of the original Mario titles available on Switch. Keep in mind that this list won't include games that are a part of Nintendo Switch Online.

All Mario Switch Games in Order of Release Date

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)

The first Mario game on Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, brought together all Mario Kart 8 had to offer on Wii U in one package. The game has gone on to receive a handful of new characters and 48 new tracks through the Booster Course Pass DLC. It is the best-selling title on the Nintendo Switch, partially thanks to a Black Friday bundle that has been discontinued.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (2017)

A unique partnership between Ubisoft and Nintendo, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle brought together the worlds of Super Mario and the Rabbids. A turn-based strategy system was implemented to allow you to control Mario and friends around each map to take down enemy Rabbids.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Super Mario Odyssey is a revolutionary release that reinvented and transformed the 3D Mario formula forever. You travel with Mario across all sorts of kingdoms to stop Bowser's plans to hold a wedding with Princess Peach. The big new feature of Super Mario Odyssey is the addition of Cappy, Mario's trusty cap. With Cappy, you can capture and transform into all sorts of enemies, allowing for a wide variety of gameplay. It's arguably the best Super Mario game to ever be released.

Mario Tennis Aces (2018)

Mario Tennis Aces was the first Mario sports title to release for Switch. The game had a large focus on its Adventure Mode, which was the first story mode in a Mario Tennis title since the Game Boy Advance's Mario Tennis: Power Tour. Content was released frequently after launch, with a total of 30 unique characters available to choose from.

Super Mario Party (2018)

The first Mario Party title for Nintendo Switch is Super Mario Party, which was coined as a refresh of the beloved series. Contrary to Mario Party 10, this game brought back to turn-based boards for the first time since Mario Party 9. Over 80 minigames are available with a handful of modes to play with friends.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (2019)

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe hit Switch in early 2019. This package combines New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U into one bundle. Between the two games, there are a ton of levels available for you to play through. Additionally, new playable characters Toadette and Nabbit were added to this Deluxe package.

Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)

The exciting follow up to the hit Wii U title, Super Mario Maker 2 implemented new tools like slopes, on/off blocks, seesaws, vertical areas, water levels, and more. Additionally, a style based on Super Mario 3D World is available to create courses with, allowing for items like the Cat Powerup and Clear Pipes to be used. A Master Sword powerup was even added, which transforms you into Link.

Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (2019)

A staple series with each year of the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 released for Switch in November 2019. A story mode featuring Mario, Sonic, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman is available, in addition to online play with events. A total of 32 different characters are available to choose from. It's one of the many Switch Sonic games worth adding to your collection.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020)

The main Paper Mario release for Nintendo Switch was released in July 2020. Paper Mario: The Origami King features a unique puzzle battle system that involves rotating rings to line up enemies. Like previous Paper Mario titles, The Origami King was developed by Intelligent Systems.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)

A collection of three 3D Mario titles, Super Mario 3D All-Stars was a limited release that celebrated the 35th Anniversary. It bundles together Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy into one package. Both Sunshine and Galaxy received substantial resolution upgrades with this collection's release.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (2020)

You might have forgotten about this game, but Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit hit Nintendo Switch in 2020. The game utilizes AR technology to allow you to create Mario Kart tracks in real life with RC cars. The game combines the environment around you with the world of Mario Kart, featuring coins, powerups, and other racers to go up against.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)

The Wii U's 3D Mario title made its way to the Switch in 2021, with an enhanced version of Super Mario 3D World. A new mode, Bowser's Fury, was added as a part of the package. Bowser's Fury brought a brand-new take on the 3D Mario formula, opting for one large, open sandbox environment.

Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021)

Developed by Camelot, Mario Golf: Super Rush released in June 2021. A story mode is featured, where you level up your Mii character across different courses. Multiple new modes were introduced with Super Rush, like Speed Golf where you run across the course to hit the ball into the hole as fast as you can. It's one of the best golf games on the Switch.

Mario Party Superstars (2021)

Mario Party Superstars is a classic take on the Mario Party formula, bringing back older boards from the Nintendo 64 titles. One hundred minigames were featured in this release, with returning favorites from prior games. Additionally, Nintendo and NDcube finally opened up online play for all modes.

Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022)

The first Mario Strikers game in more than 15 years, Mario Strikers: Battle League was developed by Next Level Games and released in June 2022. Plenty of new characters and abilities were made, with eight-player multiplayer added as well. The highlight of Battle League is the Strikers Club, which allows you to create clubs with up to 20 other players and take on competing clubs.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022)

The sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope completely revitalizes the combat system. The game opts for an open approach to combat rather than the Grid system found in Kingdom Battle. New characters like Rosalina and Edge join the battle in an action-packed adventure that spans the cosmos.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the latest 2D Mario game in the Super Mario Bros. series. It introduced the Wonder Flower, a unique mechanic that allows everything you know about a Mario level to flip on its head and surprise you. A total of 12 characters are playable through more than 100 unique levels.

Super Mario RPG (2023)

Released in late 2023, Super Mario RPG, is a remake of the classic SNES title of the same name. The wacky and colorful title recreates each of the unique characters, environments, and battles with exquisite detail. Even composer Yoko Shimomura returned to recreate the magical original soundtrack with modern orchestration! If you are looking for a good game like Paper Mario, this is basically the original Paper Mario.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of the 2004 GBA game of the same name. It's a puzzle-platform game that brings the the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises together once again for entertaining gameplay.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2024)

The Nintendo Switch remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the most faithful remake of the original GameCube sequel to Paper Mario that released in 2004. The graphics are upgraded to give the characters and their environments a bigger pop of color, but the comedy threaded into the game's plot remains a classic. It's arguably the best Paper Mario game there has ever been.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)

The third Mario Party game of the Switch generation, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the series' biggest entry to date with 22 playable characters, seven game boards, and over 110 minigames across its various single- and multiplayer modes. Jamboree notably intrdouces the Jamboree Buddies mechanic, which allows you to compete for companions through more complex minigames called Showdowns.

Super Mario Party Jamboree was also one of the select games that got an enhanced edition for the Switch 2. This enhanced edition is called "Jamboree TV" and incorporates the Switch 2's mouse, voice, and camera features... to varying results.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership (2024)

The most recent Mario game isn't just dedicated to one brother: Brothership launched in November as the first mainline "Mario and Luigi" game from Nintendo since 2015's Paper Jam. With a fresh new artstyle, gibberish voicelines, and even some turn-based combat, Brothership lets you take control of both brothers to restore the land of Concordia. And while our Mario and Luigi: Brothership review did say the game "feels designed specifically for ages six to 12 rather than ages six to 66," that could make this game a great gift or entry point for younger gamers.

Mario Kart World (2025) *Switch 2 Exclusive

The newest Mario game brings us into the world of the Switch 2: a new Mario Kart game launched alongside alongside (and bundled with) the new console on June 5. Mario Kart World introduces free roaming, weather conditions, and double the amount of racers on each track. That means tons of playable characters, including the Moo Moo Meadows Cow.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025)

Originally released during the Wii generation, Super Mario Galaxy was, in my opinion, an absolute peak moment for 3D Mario. This peak was somehow surpassed with Super Mario Galaxy 2, which we described as "the pinnacle of Mario games" in our 10/10 review. Now, both games have made their way to Switch consoles in a new bundle with boosted resolution quality, UI improvements, and an in-game music player. Yippee!

These days, streaming services are a dime a dozen. Disney+ remains one of the most popular services, largely because of the amount of exclusive content. You'll not only have access to dozens of Disney and Pixar films and TV shows, but the entirety of the collected Marvel Cinematic Universe and every Star Wars project pre- and post-acquisition. Depending on the subscription tier or bundle you pick, you can also experience Hulu and ESPN Unlimited content as well, making this the best bang-for-your-buck streaming services around.

I think it goes without saying that Disney+ is a particularly good gift idea for any Disney adult in your life. If you suddenly remembered it's Christmas next week and are looking for last-minute gift ideas, why not help a friend or family member cut down on their subscription bill? We've gathered everything you need to know on how to give a subscription out to your loved ones and how the process works.

How to Give Disney+ as a Gift

How to redeem a gift card

1. When you're ready to redeem, visit the disneyplus.com/commerce/gift webpage
2. Enter the gift card number, security code, and ZIP and they're ready to go. If they're a first-time subscriber, they'll have to create an account.
3. Select the desired Disney+ or bundle plan.

Does a Disney+ Gift Card Work With Streaming Bundles?

There are a handful of different Disney+ bundles available, and luckily the gift cards work towards these as well. So if you're wanting to grab Hulu, ESPN, and HBO Max to bundle and save, you can do so to save a few bucks. Our explainer guide on how to get or switch to one of these bundles is a useful tool for how to decide what to pick.

How Much Should You Gift?

Here's a conundrum: Cooperative board games have wide appeal, but they tend to have a singular problem. Because everyone around the table wants to win, rather than genuine cooperation, there’s a tendency for groups to accept plans suggested by the most experienced or able player. Of the various ways to prevent this, the most successful has been to give players hidden information they’re not allowed to communicate.

The most extreme example is 2018 game The Mind where players aren’t allowed to talk at all, and simply have to rely on their innate sense of timing to lay cards in the correct numeric order. Take Time belongs in this group, but it’s trying to use a set of novel, simple mechanics to chart a worthwhile course between no communication at all, and heavyweight cooperative planning.

What’s in the Box

Take Time’s tiny box belies a wealth of goodness within, which you can sense by its weight. First up there’s a player deck of numeric cards, 24 in all, embossed in gold and set against fetching, complimentary shades of white and dark blue. Beneath there are a set of 12 envelopes, also embossed in gold and set with luminous art pieces depicting colorful, stylized scenes from nature. It’s a salutary lesson in how simple yet highly effective graphic design and artwork can elevate everyday game components into something glorious and eye-catching.

Most of the envelopes contain four clock discs, each with six points. While these are thinner cardboard and lack the gold that elevates the cards and envelopes, they’re still delightful things, carrying more of that rich, stylish nature art in slightly more muted colors. You’ll be playing cards at each of the points, and as soon as they’re on the table, the whole thing springs to life visually. The final component is a set of punch tokens which contain a clock hand and several cogs. They’re chunky and a little drab compared to everything else in the box, but that’s fine: they take a back seat during most of the play time.

Rules and How It Plays

The core game rules are very simple. Each player gets a hand of number cards which come in two colors that run from 1 to 12. In the center of the table is a clock face with six segments. One of these will be the starting segment and your goal, as a group, is to play cards so that the total in each segment runs from lowest in the starting segment and ascends to the highest in the final segment. The catch? Most of your cards must be played face down, and you’re not allowed to talk about your plays while making them.

So, you start to make logical deductions about what people are likely to have played. It’s up to the players – without discussion – to decide who’s going first so, intuitively, someone with a low card will likely play into the starting space and the group will understand that is probably a one, or a two. If the next player plays into the next space, it’s a good bet they’ve played a two (ties count as being part of the ascending order) or a three. Cards played straight into the final space are probably high, and so on. On this basis you can begin to figure your way around the puzzle, although deciding where to play your limited number of face-up cards is still an interesting choice. If no one reaches to open the play, for example, then it’s likely nobody has a low card so starting with a face-up mid-range option might be wise.

Each pack contains four clock faces and, from the very first challenge, there are additional requirements to frustrate you. That first face, for instance, requires the first segment to have a single white-color card in it, and the last segment can contain no more than three cards. So you can’t just dump high-values into that final space mindlessly and call it a day, as once you hit the three-card limit there’s a good chance the penultimate space might end up containing a higher total.

Take Time’s tiny box belies a wealth of goodness within.

Once the difficulty begins to scale, you’ll start making use of the game’s most ingenious aspect. Although you can’t communicate while you’re playing cards, you’re allowed to plan and strategize before anyone has looked at the cards they’ve been dealt. Initially this looks of limited value: how can you plan when you don’t know what values anyone has at their disposal? But there are still things you can do. The card colors are public knowledge, for example, as it’s reflected on the card backs, so in that first clock you can quickly see how many white cards have been dealt and whether you’re likely to have a low-value card to play into its first segment.

But that’s not all. The rules are purposefully vague about what you can discuss in this phase, only explicitly disallowing “codes or signals” during card play. This leaves cunning players with a wealth of ways to approach the game and increase the group’s chances. No spoilers, but once you understand the game flow you can be surprisingly creative in terms of forming a plan, and when imaginative proposals pay off on a difficult clock it is incredibly satisfying. But remember that you have to adhere to the dictum that you must not communicate in any way, even with devised codes, during the card-play phase.

If you’ve played a limited-communication cooperative game before, such as Hanabi, or Take Time’s spiritual predecessor The Mind, you’ll know this rule is hard to enforce. Sometimes a player forgets, and blurts something out by accident, or the preceding player will instinctively react to a play with a wince or a knowing smile, all of which gives out useful information. Some players find this vagueness troublesome: if that’s you, be aware that Take Time has nothing to ameliorate this issue. If not, it can actually be quite fun to watch how different groups interpret and enforce “no communication.” It’s a cooperative game, so it doesn’t really matter so long as you’re on the same page.

Curiously, the game has no final fail state. If you mess up on a clock face, you get to have an additional face-up play for each failure to a maximum of three, and then you keep going until you either succeed or give up. In the latter case, you place the clock into the delightfully named Sleeve of Regrets and move on. To win overall you must go back and ensure you pass all 40 tests although once you’ve at least attempted them, you can open a final sleeve for additional replayability. But how you actually approach this is up to you: Take Time is more interested in being surprising and fun than it is in whether a group wins or loses. It’s clearly supposed to be a cozy, cooperative time to be enjoyed together.

Although you can’t communicate while you’re playing cards, you’re allowed to strategize before anyone has looked at their cards.

From the initial clock face, you may be wondering how any of the subsequent puzzles get hard enough to make you want to skip them. Each new face introduces new rules and wrinkles, but these never become overwhelming. After the first three faces, for instance, you’re not allowed to have any segment total higher than 24. Later, some segments disallow certain cards, while others force you to draw new cards, and an increasing proportion will have one or more placement rules. The design has a fantastic knack of pulling the rug out from strategies you’ve become used to. If your new clock disallows laying your lowest cards on the first segment, and your highest on the last, working out how to get them in ascending order suddenly becomes a whole lot more challenging.

Amazingly, the lack of an absolute loss condition does little to undermine the excitement and thrill of play. Even with good communication and a full three bonus cards, there’s easily enough uncertainty about what’s around the clock to require thoughtful consideration before late cards, and ramp up the tension ahead of the final reveal. A group win is always gratifying, and it doesn’t take many losses before any given face begins to assume a daunting prospect, propelling you toward discussing new approaches, and offering ever-sweeter satisfaction when you finally take the win.

Where to Buy

• See it at Amazon
• See it at Asmodee

I'm what you might call a chronic last-minute gifter. Gifts just aren't one of my core love languages and I almost always forget to get something for other people until it's almost too late. Because of this, I have ample experience with picking out last-minute gifts that don't necessarily feel like I didn't put enough thought into them. Finding the perfect gift for someone right before christmas is an art, and I can help you craft a masterpiece.

The first thing to remember is that gift cards have a time and a place. There are some people on my list who are absolutely going to get a gift card this year, but that's because they prefer being able to make their own purchasing choice rather than leaving it up to me. For everyone else, it's all about trying to find something that feels thoughtful and doesn't require shipping.

1. Books

It's the perfect time to grab your trunk and check out of Hogwarts to move on to something new. If you don't plan on re-reading all seven books any time soon, there's nothing to fear as there are plenty of other brilliant books that will sate your appetite for fantastical storytelling. From magical school murder mystery novels to spell-teaching academies in the clouds, to low stakes fantasy to a boarding school for kids rejected from the mythical portals that once welcomed them; you'll find something to love in our list. So pick up your magic wand, settle into a comfy spot, and get ready to find some new favorite titles like Harry Potter worth reading in 2025 and beyond.

1. The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

If you're looking for that feeling of being a new student at a magical academy, this is the perfect book for you. The Marvellers will make you feel like a little kid again, as Dhonielle Clayton guides us into the enchanting world of the Arcanum, a global magic school sitting high in the clouds. Ella is the school's first conjurer and she couldn't be more excited, but Arcanum isn't all that it's promised and there are secrets and mistrust behind the gilded doors. Clayton crafts a world you want nothing more than to join, but never shies away from the grim realities that would impact even the most magical of spaces. Ella is a dynamic lead and you'll come away from the Marvellers desperate to read more and rejoin Ella in her new magical world.

2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan's epic fantasy series has always been a great counterpoint / companion to the Boy Who Lived and is overall a fantastic coming-of-age story. Introducing readers to a world where the children of gods live among us, the first book follows Percy Jackson the son of Poseidon who must go on a dangerous journey to find a thief who has stolen Zeus' lightning bolts and clear his own name. These inclusive, thoughtful stories do a great job balancing the fantastical with the everyday featuring a hero with ADHD and Dyslexia and dealing with the sometimes hard realities of growing up. Riordan began writing these stories for his son, but the immersive, sprawling world he's created has become a favorite for readers around the globe and once you pick them up it's easy to see why.

You can check out our full guide to the Percy Jackson books in order or even check out the Percy Jackson series on Disney+ for more of this. The second season of the show has started on Disney+ as of December 2025.

3. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Impossible Creatures is a fairly new series from author Katherine Rundell that has some serious Harry Potter vibes as a british children's fantasy novel. The story follows a young boy named Christopher who discovers a hidden archipelego of mythical creatues while visiting his grandfather. If you liked how well Harry Potter slowly introduced you to a hidden magical world through the perspective of a seemingly ordinary human, then this series is absolutely worth a try. There are only two books so far, but it has already been picked up by Disney for a live-action adaptation.

Fans expect Nintendo to soon make cheaper Switch 2 cartridges available to game publishers as a fresh alternative to Game-Key Cards, though one developer has said it expects its game to still cost around $10 more as it shifts to a proper game card.

In a statement today, R-Type Dimensions 3 publisher Inin Games initially said it would take advantage of two new Switch 2 cartridge size options that Nintendo will offer to developers currently stuck choosing between an expensive 64GB cart or a cheap Game-Key Card release.

Inin Games has now reworded that same statement to clarify that Nintendo itself has not made any announcement concerning cartridge storage capacities, and in a further post on social media said that any references it previously made "should not be interpreted as official information from Nintendo."

That corporate snafu aside, Inin Games is still now launching R-Type Dimensions 3 as a physical release where previously it was not, due to what its hastily-edited announcement now blandly describes as it being able to "recalculate the production in a way that wasn't possible before." (Such as with a smaller cartridge size, hypothetically.)

Game-Key Cards — mostly-blank cartridges that simply prompt users to download the game's contents — have proven unpopular among Switch 2 fans, though some developers have defended their use, saying they are necessary for games that otherwise would not fit on a 64GB cartridge, and a cheaper option for both publishers and players alike.

As if to demonstrate that, Inin Games has said it will switch its physical production run for R-Type Dimensions 3 to cartridges rather than Game-Key Cards, though at a higher price point that's €10 (just over $11) more expensive. Still, that's cheaper than the "at least" €15 higher price Inin Games previously said it would have cost players had it used the standard 64GB Switch 2 cards. Not that other, smaller cartridge sizes are confirmed for now, of course.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

The holiday season is fast approaching and there are plenty of Christmas and winter-themed events taking place all across Roblox. Many of them have already launched their holiday-centered updates, including advent calendars and daily login rewards. But if you haven't dipped your toe in yet, and you're looking for games to keep you entertained over the festive period, here are all the updates you can expect over the next few weeks.

99 Nights in the Forest Christmas Update

99 Nights in the Forest has sat near the top of the Roblox charts for months, showing that survival horror isn't just for Halloween. For the unfamiliar, the game involves trying to keep your character fed, warm, and sheltered while you rescue missing children and avoid a dangerous deer-like entity at night.

If like me, you love a spooky experience at any time of the year, then the Christmas Week updates are for you. In Part 1 of the Christmas update introduces elves that need saving, and help with their festive tasks. There's also a North Pole Biome and Christmas Shop, along with Santa's Helper as a new class. With Christmas Week 2 launching on December 20, there's lots more Christmas in the forest to be celebrated.

Fish It! Christmas Update

If you're a fan of Fisch, you're likely to be a fan of Fish It! The fishing simulator boasts over 1,000,000+ variations of fish for you to catch. A Christmas Event has been running in Fish It! for a week, introducing a huge new update that brought along a new island, 43 new fish, and a reworking of quests. Christmas Week 2 begins on December 21, where you can expect an expansion of the current event, and special luck admin event.

Brookhaven Christmas Update

Brookhaven is a roleplaying game where all of the inhabitants live on an island and can use vehicles and visit stores. The simulator experience regularly releases new items, clothing, and more to customize your character. On December 19, the Winter Festival begins. Expect ice skating, sledding, carols, festive rewards, and more in this new update.

Steal a Brainrot Christmas Update

Steal a Brainrot is a particularly popular Roblox experience where you'll need to capture Brainrots from a conveyor belt and keep them locked away from other players. You can steal Brainrots and have your Brainrots stolen, so we advise you stick close to that lockdown button if you want to protect your Secret Brainrots.

The North Pole event has been running for the past week, with new Christmas Brainrots and Festive Blocks available. Christmas Part 3 is scheduled to launch on December 20, so expect even more Christmas Brainrots to add to your collection.

Adopt Me! Christmas Update

Adopt Me! is a notoriously adorable experience that lets you collect and trade pets. Well, it's about to get a lot cuter and fuzzier, as winter descends on Adoption Island. We're already into Week 2 of the Adopt Me Christmas Week, which has seen the emergence of Snowball Pugs and the use of Yarn Beanies to tame them.

Christmas Week 3 is about to begin on December 19, and introduces a new Legendary Frost Phoenix. You'll also be able to spend the Gingerbread you've built up on the Cozy Misletroll in case you missed in the 2025 Advent Calendar. There will also be a special party with admin abuse hosted on December 20, where I'm sure even more rewards will be available.

As if that wasn't enough, on December 23, for one hour only, Adopt Me 2D Tuesday kicks off. You'll need to complete 20 needs to get a 2D Kitty that will give you double XP and Bucks.

The Forge Christmas Update

The Forge has quickly stormed the Roblox charts in recent months. The RPG is focused on mining for rare ores, rolling for different character classes that will give you special perks, and fighting off hordes of zombies and skeletons in underground caves. After releasing in Beta, The Forge is ready to launch its first big expansion.

Just before that takes place, there's another Luck Boost weekend coming on December 20. These have become a regular occurrence each weekend since the launch, and have helped people mine for rare ores like Rubies, which are essential for quests. On December 25, the Winter Expansion will begin, and though little has been revealed so far, there are talks of a third island, new armor, a blueprint system, and more.

Scary Shawarma Kiosk: The ANOMALY Winter Update

Shawarma and horror is probably not the first combination you'd think of, but the creators behind the Scary Shawarma Kiosk have created a simple experience with plenty of jump scares. Throughout your shift, you'll need to create shawarma and hand it to customers. The problem is, some of them are a little bit strange, and its in your best interest to shut the service window as soon as possible.

They'll be taking the Christmas Night Shift and giving it an ho-ho-horrifying twist with new anomalies and screamers disrupting your service. As part of the seasonal updates on December 20, The Narrator will also be joinig the horror experience during the New Year and Christmas shift.

Murder Mystery 2 Christmas Update

In Murder Myster 2, you'll play as either a Innocent, Sheriff, or Murderer. The idea is for the Innocents to hide and survive against the Murderer, while working with the Sheriff to try and identify the culprit. The Sheriff is the only person who can take down the Murderer. Meanwhile, the Murderer works hard to eliminate everyone before being caught.

Last week, the experience launched an enormous Christmas 2025 update. This brought with it daily quests, a battle pass, and Christmas Mystery Boxes. There's even a new Ski Village map and game mode, which is a seasonal Snowball Fight. This will run until January, but you'll also get the addition of Santa's List from December 20 to December 29. If you can find seven items hidden around maps, then you'll get a special reward of a Knife Skin from Santa.

Dandy's World Christmas Update

Another horror experience on Roblox is making sure it gives as much attention to the festive period as it does Halloween. If you've never played Dandy's World, it's a multiplayer survival horror, where you'll work together to go deeper into the Gardenview Center by completing machines.

The Christmas Event has already launched, but there's more coming on December 19 with the update that brings the Bobette and Coal quests, along with new skins. Then, on December 26 to January 2, you can expect to see the introduction of the New Years Calendar and even more holiday skins.

Dress to Impress Update

Dress to Impress is all about serving looks by creating outfits that you can strut on the runway. For the Winter Update, we're currently saying "bonjour" to Paris. The event launched on December 13 and has introduced snow, snowflakes, shimmer, and more. Each day, you can login to unlock a reward from the Winter Advent Calendar. There are also some adorable Gingerbread Onesies available.

Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.

Late night maestro Jimmy Kimmel got emotional while reflecting on the difficult year he and his show endured during the final Jimmy Kimmel Live show of 2025, shedding some tears as he gave his opening monologue.

"Thank you for joining us here at our home in beautiful Hollywood, California, for what is our final show of the year," the host began on Thursday, December 18. "And this one, this has been a strange year. It's been a hard year."

He got a little choked up, but continued, "We’ve had some lows. We've had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year in my life. But on behalf of all of us — I'm crying already. I'm sorry."

Winter PC game sales have officially begun, making now the perfect time to stock up your library with some excellent new games to play over the holidays. Steam, Fanatical, GOG, Humble Bundle, and the Epic Games Store have each launched their respective Winter sales, and there's a treasure trove of discounts to look through right now while they're still live.

Winter PC Game Sales

Each of these sales is stacked with excellent discounts at the moment. Some of our favorites include The Game Awards' Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting a 28% discount, down to $35.99 at Fanatical; Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dropping 50% to $29.99 on Steam; and Silent Hill f coming down 53% to $32.89 at Fanatical, but they're just the beginning.

Below, you can see a few more of our favorite offers from the various Winter sales right now. If you're curious to see the sales in full, just click on their individual links above.

• Doom: The Dark Ages - $34.99 (50% off)
• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - $41.99 (40% off)
• Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition - $16.99 (66% off)
• Blue Prince - $17.09 (43% off)
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - $20.99 (30% off)
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition - $15.99 (60% off)
• Alan Wake 2 - $14.99 (70% off)
• Silent Hill 2 - $34.99 (50% off)
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - $23.99 (60% off)
• Battlefield 6 - $48.99 (30% off)

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 is a winner all around, with critic Michael Higham writing in his review, "Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story."

With Christmas coming up next week, this is an excellent time to treat yourself to some new games to play over the holiday period. However, if you have to get last-minute shopping done right now for other people in your life with a love of games, we can help there as well. We've also gathered up the 10 best gifts for gamers to help you find the best gifts to give this year, from Xbox Game Pass gift cards to the sleek Meta Quest 3.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

There’s never really a bad time to be reading comics, but 2025 proved to be an especially strong year for the industry. From DC’s Absolute Universe and Marvel’s Ultimate Universe to Skybound’s Energon Universe and IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles relaunch, it’s never been easier or more rewarding to dive into the big franchises. And this was an equally great year for indie titles at publishers like Image Comics and Dark Horse.

Each December, the IGN team looks back at all the comics we’ve read over the past year and votes on which one we think is the greatest of them all. Now, the time has come to narrow down 2025’s lineup to the absolute best of the best and pick a winner. Keep reading to find out which book came out on top.

Honorable Mentions

As mentioned above, there’s rarely been a better time to dive into the big superhero properties, as publishers are making things more accessible than ever with reboots and relaunches like the Absolute Universe and Ultimate Universe. In fact, last year’s winner was Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri’s The Ultimates, and that remains one of the best books on the stands. The same goes for Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s Ultimate Spider-Man, Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra’s TMNT, and Daniel Warren Johnson’s Transformers.

Elsewhere in the industry, we were enamored by several Image Comics projects in 2025, including Johnson and Riley Rossmo’s fantasy adventure The Moon Is Following Us and Matt Rosenberg and Stefano Landini’s spy/revenge thriller We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us. It was also a great year for original graphic novels, including Mike Mignola’s Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown, Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux’s This Place Kills Me, and Craig Thompson’s Ginseng Roots.

Runner-Up: Assorted Crisis Events

One of the challenges this year was figuring out which of Deniz Camp’s various projects to single out. The Ultimates is still great, and his collaboration with Javier Rodriguez, Absolute Martian Manhunter, is equally strong. But in the end, we had to give the nod to Camp and Eric Zawadzki’s Image Comics series Assorted Crisis Events.

Assorted Crisis Events is a sci-fi anthology series set in a world where a cosmic calamity is causing the very laws of time and space to break down. It’s like Crisis on Infinite Earths, only it focuses on the ordinary men and women who have to soldier on as the world collapses around them. It’s a high-concept, deeply character-focused series that never fails to tug at the heartstrings.

Runner-Up: Batman - Dark Patterns

DC publishes so many Batman comics that, statistically, one of them was bound to end up on this list. But as much as we’re enjoying the flagship Batman title from Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez and the bombastic thrill ride that is Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s Absolute Batman, there’s a slightly more under-the-radar Bat-book that has truly consumed our attention this year. That would be Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman’s Batman: Dark Patterns.

In many ways, Dark Patterns is the spiritual successor to the classic Legends of the Dark Knight series. It’s set earlier in Batman’s career and takes more of a detective, noir-laden approach to his nightly adventures. It’s also an expertly plotted, gorgeously rendered series that trades blows with any superhero book on the stands. It’s just a shame we only got 12 issues.

Runner-Up: Drome

Of the many great graphic novels released in 2025, none left quite as strong an impression as Jesse Lonergan’s Drome. Lonergan has been one of the most exciting new cartoonists to hit the scene in recent years, and he truly levels up with this massive fantasy epic. Drome is essentially a sci-fi creation myth following a demigoddess sent to lead mankind away from its darker impulses. It’s a stark, beautifully rendered story, with all the inventive panel work and use of color we’ve come to expect from Lonergan.

Runner-Up: Ice Cream Man

Ice Cream Man has easily ranked among Image Comics’ best ongoing series for the past several years. Writer W. Maxwell Prince and artist Martín Morazzo have crafted one of the most unique horror comics on the stands. It’s an anthology series loosely tied together by the sinister title character, and one crammed full of disturbing, unsettling sights.

Part of the fun with Ice Cream Man is that the creators are never content to rest on their laurels and follow the same formula month-to-month. They’re always finding ways to experiment. Case in point: Issue #43 features a number of guest creators (including Grant Morrison and Patton Oswalt) crafting one-page tales of terror. It’s risks like that that make Ice Cream Man one of the most rewarding comics you’ll find today.

Winner: Absolute Wonder Woman

In many ways, 2025 really felt like the year of the Absolute Universe. This new line is easily the most exciting thing DC has launched in years, offering fresh, contemporary takes on DC’s classic heroes free of the burden of 80+ years of continuity. One need only look at the monthly sales charts to see that the Absolute line has struck a serious chord with readers.

We could have crowned any one of several Absolute titles as the winner this year and felt satisfied with our pick. Absolute Batman is an inspired revamp of DC’s most popular hero, and Absolute Martian Manhunter is quite possibly the most inventive superhero comic on the stands right now.

But, in the end, we had to give the crown to Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman’s Absolute Wonder Woman. More than any other Absolute comic, this series realizes the full promise of this blank canvas of a universe and truly reinvigorates Diana. Thompson’s characterization of a woman raised in Hades but whose heroic heart burns as brightly as ever fuels this series. And as for Sherman, his art is simply stunning, characterized by both massive scale and a true sense of warmth. Along with colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Becca Carey, they make a truly killer team.

Absolute Wonder Woman is IGN’s best comic of 2025.

Congratulations to DC Comics, and to the other publishers whose projects were recognized in the Best of 2025 awards. Did your favorites make the cut, or would you have picked different winners? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our full list of awards to see who else we honored in our round-up of the very best of games, movies, TV shows, and more from across the year. We hope you had a great year, and we’ll see you soon in 2026.

Variety is, as they say, the spice of life, and 2025 provided a fantastic array of different video games. We’ve survived and extracted from the robot-ruled battlefields of Arc Raiders, adventured across the medieval lands of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and established mind-expanding exhibitions in Two Point Museum. We helped Keeper’s sentient lighthouse solve puzzles, and unearthed the secrets buried in Atomfall’s eerie England. But which of the year’s many different video games is worthy of being crowned the very best of 2025?

Every December, the IGN team considers all the games they’ve collectively played and reviewed across the year, and votes on which one they think is the greatest of them all. Which one is the “Game of the Year”? Sometimes that choice is incredibly difficult. Other years, it’s easy. 2025 was the latter, with our winner securing almost three-quarters of the vote. But what is that near-universally admired game? That’s what we’re here to reveal.

Honorable Mentions

Before we run down the games that made it onto our final shortlist, we’d like to recognise several other brilliant experiences that we’ve had this year. Hazelight Studios once again proved that it's the king of co-op with the wonderful Split Fiction, a creative action platformer that builds atop the successes of 2021’s It Takes Two with some of the most surprising and innovative level design that we’ve seen not just this year, but this decade. There was some interesting innovation happening over at Konami, too. With Silent Hill f, developer NeoBards Entertainment took the series’ trademark oppressive horror and blended it with a novel approach to new game plus to create a remarkable story that deepens with each replay.

Talking of replays, that’s the name of the game for Ball x Pit, the brick-breaking roguelike from Kenny Sun and Devolver Digital, whose furious action had us coming back for one more run time and time again. So long as our time wasn’t being stolen by Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, of course – Level-5’s smart blend of Animal Crossing’s cosy slice-of-life and The Legend of Zelda’s dungeon diving turned out to be a real comfort game for us this year. The same could be said for Ghost of Yotei, too, which rekindled happy memories of 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, but boosted all of that game’s good ideas with even deeper mechanics and more striking landscapes. It’s safe to say that 2025 was pretty good for games, and we’ve not even discussed the very best of them, yet.

Runner-Up - Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Exactly half of our shortlist for the Best Game of 2025 is made up of sequels that faced tough challenges. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arguably faced the most difficult one: how to turn a divisive “walking sim” into something more universally beloved, without betraying its core, admittedly niche values? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly for a Kojima Productions project, was to look back to Metal Gear Solid and incorporate the freedom of The Phantom Pain into this open-world delivery simulator. A constantly rolling conveyor belt of gear, from ladders and boots to coffin hoverboards and weaponised electric guitars, ensures you always have the tools to tackle Death Stranding 2’s missions on your own terms. While this is still a game fundamentally about transporting items from location A to location B, no two deliveries feel the same. An ever-evolving and adapting world sees journeys that once unfolded on foot upgraded to make use of roads, ziplines, and eventually monorails, with destinations pursued either via your own pathways or by making use of creative solutions designed by other players. Such a journey isn’t purely physical, either; as you travel, your growing team supports you through an emotional ordeal that ponders the value of human connection. All this ensures that On the Beach finally fulfills the unique promise of the original Death Stranding.

Runner-Up - Hades 2

The creative juggernaut that is Supergiant Games likely could have simply recreated its 2020 roguelike hit, Hades, with just a few mechanical upgrades and still received critical acclaim. And, on the surface, that’s what Hades 2 appears to be. It takes just a single scratch to reveal the truth about this incredibly ambitious sequel, though, which smartly rethinks and remixes many of its predecessor’s fundamentals. Yes, this is still a game in which you battle as far as you can through the branching routes of a dungeon until death forces you to start all over again, but new protagonist Melinoë’s quest to kill Chronos, the Titan of Time, takes place along two opposing routes. Every run starts with a choice: ascend Mount Olympus, or descend into Tartarus. Each location provides entirely different bosses, biomes, storylines, and challenges, which solves the age-old roguelike issue of grinding repetition. Stuck on a formidable boss? There’s an entire other world to conquer instead. And conquer you will, armed with the most refined set of skills and upgrades the genre has seen. This is a buildcrafter's dream, even in spite of the random nature of your God-given boons, and each run is an opportunity to mold Mel into a brand new kind of magic weapon. With unrivaled art and music, and one of the tightest combat systems around, Hades 2 is a spectacular triumph.

Runner-Up - Hollow Knight: Silksong

The eight-year wait for Hollow Knight’s sequel did the expectations around Silksong no favours. This wasn’t just one of the most anticipated indie projects of all time – many major series with decades of history would envy this kind of attention. Some would say it’s nothing short of a miracle that Silksong met (and arguably exceeded) those expectations, but the reality is anchored in creative talent, clear vision, and exceptional art. This is one of the most beautifully drawn video games of the generation, packed with haunting caverns, overgrown dungeons, and myriad more unmissable vistas. Such regions are not just pretty, but precision-engineered to provide some of the best platforming challenges this side of Celeste and Super Meat Boy. And at the heart of each level are the exhilarating boss fights that are partially responsible for Silksong’s fiendish reputation. Yes, this is an unapologetically challenging adventure that stings as fiercely as any of its insectoid characters. But it never strikes unfairly, and its elegant Metroidvania map always offers an alternative route, should a foe prove too imposing. In a world where difficult games have perhaps become something of an oversubscribed format, the idea of a challenge being truly worth the pain has perhaps worn a little thin. But in Hollow Knight: Silksong, developer Team Cherry really has crafted a treasure worth fighting for.

Runner-Up - Blue Prince

The roguelite is nothing if not an incredibly malleable genre. You can make an action RPG roguelite, a shooter roguelite, a card game roguelite, even a puzzle roguelite – although that latter one is certainly rarer than the others. Joining that small roster of looping head-scratchers is Dogubomb’s Blue Prince, an elegantly crafted labyrinth in which the corridors are all of your choosing. Every new run is, fundamentally, an attempt to find a mysterious hidden room within a sprawling mansion where every new chamber you enter is chosen from a random selection of blueprints. But that overall goal is ultimately less important than the many secrets that await in every fresh attempt – room combinations that unlock clues to further mysteries, and breathtaking discoveries that deepen the house’s story. Its random nature is the initial obstacle, as building rooms in the correct order is all but impossible when you don’t know which blueprints you’ll be dealt. But soon you realise that the real challenge is in logic, pattern, and connections. And when you finally see the fine lines that link its many ideas together, it instantly becomes clear how immaculately constructed Blue Prince is.

Runner-Up - Donkey Kong Bananza

When Nintendo launched the original Switch, it did so with the open world-redefining Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And so with Switch 2, the pressure was on to craft yet another ground-breaking launch window game. Nintendo took on that mission quite literally with Donkey Kong Bananza, in which your core interaction with the world is to shatter it into tiny chunks. We’ve had games with destructible environments before, but there’s nothing quite like Bananza’s complete demolition of its levels, which somehow still manage to maintain their Mario-grade craftsmanship even after having been pummeled to pieces. That terrain is filled with buried collectables, and excavating them often requires the completion of clever challenges that feel satisfying to solve every single time. The banana on top of this platforming delight, though, is the duo of DK and Pauline, whose pairing is not only charming, but also mechanically powerful: the titular Bananzas, activated via catchy songs, turn you into unstoppable brawling machines that can easily defeat monkey, monster, and mountain. It’s perhaps Nintendo’s best-ever power trip.

Winner - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

There’s something undeniably nostalgic about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Its turn-based battles, party-driven story, and linear exploration are distinctly old-school in nature, and undeniably indebted to the RPG greats of yesteryear. There’s perhaps no other game out there that wears its love for Final Fantasy as proudly as Expedition 33 does. But with its debut game, Sandfall Interactive has done more than pay homage to the past – it has demonstrated a scholarly understanding of why those games succeeded, and how their ideas can be revitalised.

Within the framework of a traditional, Japanese-style role-playing game, the young studio has created a distinctly modern take on the genre. Breathtaking combat encounters demand both split-second, real-time reactions and careful turn-by-turn tactical planning. Daunting bosses are overcome by smart (and sometimes enjoyably exploitative) use of a deep perks system that empowers you to transform your band of adventurers into a battalion of unstoppable heroes. And the archetypes used for each party member, from elegant fencers to destructive mages, are defined not just by weapons, but by bespoke battle mechanics that ensure each character feels like a distinct, unique personality.

Sandfall’s artistry is not limited to its impressive combat systems, though. Clair Obscur transports you to a breathtaking world where every sight and sound feels genuinely fresh. Its distinctly French, Belle Époque-influenced art style is unlike anything in the genre, as is its incredible music, composed by Lorien Testard, which is destined to play alongside Nobuo Uematsu’s best work in the video game concerts of the future. But it’s Expedition 33’s deeply affecting, emotionally resonating story – and the powerfully drawn characters who live and suffer through it – that leaves the greatest mark. In a world where a deity extinguishes swathes of ever-younger people on an annual basis, what does it mean to survive, grieve, and, ultimately, continue on? The answers to those questions changed not just Clair Obscur’s characters, but its players, too. This is without a doubt the year’s most talked-about game, and it comes as no surprise that it didn’t just win IGN’s end-of-year vote, but stole it by a landslide.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is IGN’s Best Game of 2025.

Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive, and also to all of the studios whose games were nominated and recognised as part of our end-of-year awards. Did we choose your favourites, or do you think we missed a worthy winner? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out our full list of awards to see who else we honored in our round-up of the very best of games, movies, TV shows, and more from across the year. But for now, we hope you had a brilliant time with the fantastic games of 2025, and we’ll catch you for even more in 2026.

Matt Purslow is IGN's Executive Editor of Features.