The Essential Guide to Gaming

How video games kept me from social isolation while growing up autistic
When I was little and unable to speak, my dad and one of my adult cousins turned on the television alongside a black box I eventually discovered was a Sega Genesis. I would watch my dad control a blue creature who whizzed by onscreen and I would…
By Haley Moss

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The new 'Harry Potter' video game will include transgender characters (take that, J. K. Rowling)
By Kara Weisenstein
In a tacit rejection of J. K. Rowling’s transphobia, developers working on the highly anticipated Harry Potter video game, Hogwarts Legacy, fought to include character customization options that allow for transgender avatars, according to Bloomberg.…
If liking Post Malone's Hootie and the Blowfish cover is wrong, I don't want to be right
By Shawn Cooke
Post Malone will forever be the most Mad Libs-y artist working in music. Post Malone raises more than $2 million for COVID relief with a Nirvana covers livestream? Oh sure. Post Malone joins the rest of the Bud Light Cinematic Universe for its…
At least you'll be able to live your best winter life on 'Animal Crossing' thanks to a new update
By Tebany Yune
Animal Crossing's newest update is coming on November 19, and will bring expanded storage space, new character reactions, more hairstyles, and seasonal events. The free update comes just in time for players who may be considering hanging out on…
Biden continues the video game campaigning trend with a new ‘Fortnite’ map
By Tebany Yune
On Friday, the Biden-Harris campaign launched a new Fortnite map full of trivia about the candidates, information about their stances on certain issues, and mini games for players to explore as they roam the map. Christian Tom, director of digital…
What's up with the massive explosion of coronavirus-themed video games?
By Mark Hay
In early April, as many Americans were still coming to grips with the scale and severity of the coronavirus pandemic, Beat the Bomb, an “immersive video game company,” released Fauci’s Revenge. It’s a simple Space Invaders-style shooter, but with…
What's the deal with 'Among Us', the video game AOC and all your friends are obsessed with
By Tebany Yune
"Orange is sus, vote him out," might sound like something from a 2020 campaign ad, but it's actually a phrase more likely to be heard in Among Us, a multiplayer game released in 2018 but that has recently become a massive hit. Available on mobile…
AOC played 'Among Us' for 430,000 viewers and the internet was here for it
By Tebany Yune
Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar slayed last night in Among Us, a multiplayer video game that’s basically Mafia but on a spaceship. There was maniacal laughter, shocked gasps, and plenty of love all around, but the main point…
There is now an 'Animal Crossing' clothing line
By Tebany Yune
Like Animal Crossing so much you wish you could wear it? Now you can, as Australian-based clothing designer BlackMilk and Nintendo have teamed up to bring Animal Crossing fans a delightful splash of color into their non-digital lives with a new…
Nintendo's new Mario Café looks like a paradise
By Tebany Yune
Before the pandemic, Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and Nintendo announced an upcoming "Super Nintendo World" theme park filled with iconic Mario characters and items. The park was supposed to open in 2020, just before the Summer Olympics, but then…
The 'Animal Crossing' fall update is all about Halloween
By Tebany Yune
Halloween is just a few weeks aways, and Nintendo has announced an Animal Crossing: New Horizons fall update that will introduce a busy month of decorating, costuming, and pumpkin farming starting September 30. The update comes at an especially…
With Luna, Amazon has officially entered the game streaming wars
By Tebany Yune
On Thursday, Amazon announced a new game streaming service during their invite-only hardware event. Called Amazon Luna, the service will provide subscription members instant access to a library of games including selections from Ubisoft, Capcom, and…
How 'Animal Crossing' players are designing their islands for fall
By Tebany Yune
September 1 marked a new season in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and that means new bugs and fish to catch, pinecones and acorns to collect, and more decor to craft. After a busy summer filling up the museum, learning how to swim, and watching…
The new Xbox consoles are coming on Nov. 10 — and they're surprisingly cheap
By Tebany Yune
On Wednesday Xbox announced its latest generation of consoles, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, will launch on November 10. Both consoles promise to prioritize speed and performance with improved processors that offer better, more detailed graphics;…
How to customize your gaming consoles to save energy — and the planet
By Tebany Yune
I love playing video games, but I also love not destroying the environment. Whenever I plug in a console or two, the guilty half of my brain is aware that I’m using up precious amounts of electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, further…
You can now grab an official Biden-Harris sign for your Animal Crossing island
By Tebany Yune
Nintendo really knocked it out of the park with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's proved to be the perfect game to sink into while folks were (still) stuck at home in quasi-quarantine. The game still enjoys a steady stream of popularity, thanks to…
The latest 'Animal Crossing' updates let you watch fireworks and lucid dream
By Tebany Yune
Nintendo has announced the second part of its summer update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. 'Wave 2,' as it's called, will wind down the summer season with a colorful bang when it drops on July 30. It features weekly fireworks, traveling through…
The new 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' soundtrack recaptures the magic of the original
By Shawn Cooke
The pandemic has activated some nostalgic impulses, from all the Zoom TV reunions to social media users exposing their favorite high school albums. These are ideal conditions for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to mount a comeback, as it plans to remaster…
Massive Nintendo leaks reveal hidden secrets from classic video games
By AJ Dellinger
What you experience when you play a video game is often not all there is to see. Like movies, games have plenty of things left on the cutting room floor, but instead of being shared in DVD extras, the hidden levels and characters in games are often…
Finally, they're turning 'The Sims' into a reality show
By Tebany Yune
A new reality show called The Sims Spark'd featuring a group of contestants coming together to create unique characters, worlds, and stories within the game is premiering later this month on TBS. The players' creations will be scrutinized by…
The best game shows to watch on Netflix after you finish 'Floor Is Lava'
By Shawn Cooke
Somehow, after vowing we’d never watch it again through two episodes, my girlfriend and I are nearing the end of the first season of Floor Is Lava. The “I have questions” blogging trope is a tired one, but this is a show that invites them by the…