Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree has been out for less than a week, and we already have absolute sickos beating the new content’s bosses at level 1. Just because they can!

A content creator known as LastDarkHope has been quietly plugging away on their YouTube channel for the last few months, defeating Elden Ring boss after Elden Ring boss with absolutely no rune levels gained, and no equipment leveled up. That’s impressive enough on its own, but when the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dropped last week, this incredible player simply started beating those bosses too. Again, this is without using runes to level up at all, and without using any smithing stones to upgrade equipment.

Critically, LastDarkHope does seem to be using Scadutree Fragments. These fragments only impact the DLC content, but they do give damage negation and damage output increases that are far from negligible. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere on site, the Elden Ring community has been really struggling with the difficulty of some of Shadow of the Erdtree’s bosses. Scadutree Fragments are the DLC’s way of countering its heinous difficulty, and you’re very much encouraged to seek them out if you’re having trouble. But it seems that even these buffs weren’t enough for many, pushing FromSoftware to drop a patch today that increases the benefits from earlier Scadutree Fragments before leveling out their buffs later on.

That said, what LastDarkHope is doing is still a wildly impressive feat. Most people who are struggling with these bosses and stocking up on Scadutree Fragments are doing so at levels well beyond 100, while LastDarkHope is still stuck at 1. No 60 Vigor, no wildly high Intellect or Strength, and no ability to wield certain weapons with specific stat criteria. What’s more, they don’t even seem to be going that hard on Scadutree Fragments despite collecting a few. Checking out their most recent stream, it looks like LastDarkHope was barreling around Castle Ensis with just three Scadutree levels. That’s certainly lower than I’d personally be comfortable with, and I’m running around with a level 168 mage trying to sneak attack dudes with Comet Azur.

At the time this piece was written, LastDarkHope had just published a video defeating Chief Bloodfiend and seems to have tackled at least some of Jagged Peak – though no video of the very curse-able Bayle just yet. What’s extra interesting is that LastDarkHope doesn’t seem to have finished all of the regular Elden Ring bosses yet – ultra-hard Malenia, for instance, isn’t listed, nor are the final bosses of the base game. We’ll be keeping an eye on their run to see how it progresses…as well as on the certain parade of ridiculously hard runs that other content creators start to drum up in the coming weeks and months. We reached out to LastDarkHope for comment for this story but haven’t yet heard back.

If this somehow isn’t impressive enough for you, as we were on the cusp of submitting this story, another wild kill emerged from a different content creator and threw us for a loop. GinoMachino posted their own video of a Level 1, no weapon enhancement, no Scadutree Fragment, no hit kill on legacy dungeon boss Rellana. GinoMachino has been on a roll performing all sorts of challenging Elden Ring feats, but this is one of their first cracks at the new DLC, with more almost certainly to come. Absolutely incredible.

This boss is just beautiful. Already one of my favourite Fromsoft bosses.

Here is an RL1, +0 weapon, Blessing level 0, No status, No Hit kill on her 🙂 pic.twitter.com/Tc2v9WDJcE

— GinoMachino (@GinoMachino) June 26, 2024

We love talking to people beating Elden Ring bosses in cool ways. In the past we’ve interviewed community hero LetMeSoloHer, as well as MissMikkaa, who inexplicably beat Malenia using a dance pad. But if you just want to finish the DLC for yourself before reading about what others are doing, we highly recommend loading up on Scadutree Fragments even if you’re level 500. Here’s a guide to get you started.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is no longer confirmed for a Game Pass launch despite previous messaging from developer Thunderful.

When the studio originally revealed its steampunk strategy follow-up in April of this year, it promised fans that they would see it launch on August 8, 2024, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, and Game Pass. However, as spotted by XboxEra, social media posts mentioning a Game Pass release have since been deleted, and trailers that included the Xbox service’s branding have seemingly been modified and reuploaded without the logo. Its inclusion can still be seen in re-uploads from third-party accounts like YouTube channel GN Game Trailers.

A representative with Fortyseven PR confirmed with XboxEra that SteamWorld Heist 2 is no longer coming to Game Pass, adding that the Xbox service’s logo was mistakenly added. Thunderful and Fortyseven did not reveal how the Game Pass logo managed to worm its way into an official trailer, but in a statement sent to Kotaku’s Ethan Gach, a spokesperson further clarified that distribution plans for SteamWorld Heist 2 are still being ironed out.

“We inadvertently included a Game Pass logo in our reveal trailer,” the statement says. “We have not finalized our distribution plans for SteamWorld Heist 2 at this time. We’ll share news about our distribution plans closer to launch.”

SteamWorld Heist 2 is still planned to launch for all other previously announced console and PC platforms. The sequel follows Captain Leeway and their struggle against a new menace that threatens the Great Sea. Spicing up the turn-based combat this time around is real-time naval combat, more crew customization, more story, and more steampunk weapons.

Although it’s looking like SteamWorld Heist 2 won’t sneak its way into Game Pass when it launches this August, the service does currently offer other SteamWorld games to enjoy. Included in the PC and console tiers today are SteamWorld Dig 2 and SteamWorld Build. Console players also have access to the original SteamWorld Dig. We interviewed the team at Thunderful about SteamWorld Heist 2 when it was revealed earlier this year. During our chat, we learned more about how the team keeps the SteamWorld franchise chugging with each new release as well as how the sequel gives tactical players more to explore.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

Secret identity board games, or social deduction games, are incredibly popular among casual and hardcore audiences, and it isn’t hard to see why. Perhaps it is the thrill of lying to your friends’ faces and knowing that everything will still be okay between you when the game ends, or maybe it’s the excitement of learning that the quiet one in your group secretly harbors an excellent poker face. Either way, these titles often make for some of the best party games, thanks to the memories they frequently create.

Most already know about genre staples like Mafia and Werewolf, but the category is incredibly deep, with diverse games for various audiences. The secret identity genre features longer epic experiences as well as quick playthroughs – games for large groups and titles for just two players. Regardless of skill level and general interest in the hobby, no matter what you’re in the mood for, social deduction games are a surefire hit to break out at your next get-together.

TL;DR The Best Secret Identity Board Games

• Blood on the Clocktower
• Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
• The Resistance: Avalon
• One Night Ultimate Werewolf
• A Fake Artist Goes to New York
• Spyfall 2
• Inhuman Conditions
• Feed the Kraken

Blood on the Clocktower

• Age: 15+
• Player: 6-21
• Play Time: 30-120 mins

While Blood on the Clocktower isn’t quite as accessible as some other titles on this list, its additional rules aren’t simply bloat, either. Instead, Blood on the Clocktower adds new wrinkles that often solve problems some players have with other games in the genre. It requires a larger group and a bit more time than some other recommendations in the space, but if you can find the time and the players, Blood on the Clocktower is easily one of the best board games money can buy.

The core mechanics of Blood on the Clocktower play out in a manner that those familiar with the genre will immediately grasp: players each receive a secret role with accompanying abilities, the demon kills another player during the nighttime phase when players’ eyes are closed, and during the daytime phase the townsfolk get together to try and deduce who the villains are and ultimately sentence someone to death. The goal of the good team is to execute the demon, and the goal of the evil team is to survive until the end. However, things get truly interesting when Blood on the Clocktower deviates from classic secret identity games like Mafia and Werewolf.

One notable difference is that executed players remain in the game. They lose their various abilities, but they can still contribute to the deduction and even retain one final vote on who to put to death. Additionally, players can share their secret identities, but this is a double-edged sword as it will also give the demon valuable information. It’s also challenging to know who to trust because the demon gets to see three different unused identities at the beginning of the game, meaning they can pretend to be one of these characters. Blood on the Clocktower is one of those games that your group will have just as much fun discussing afterward as they did actually playing it.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

• Age: 14+
• Player: 4-12
• Play Time: 20 mins

Players take on the roles of investigators hoping to solve the titular murder in Hong Kong. However, one of the investigators is secretly the murderer. As a twist, one player knows the killer’s identity but cannot say it. Instead, they are only allowed to give clues concerning aspects of the crime, such as the cause of death or location. In front of each player are cards with potential murder weapons and clues, leaving the investigators to solve the rest. There is still enough ambiguity within the cards that players are left to discuss who they believe the culprit is, resulting in some classic moments of deduction and a mountain of lies. In a sense, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong plays out as a hidden identity version of Clue, making the stakes feel much more personal as a result.

The Resistance: Avalon

• Age: 13+
• Player: 5-10
• Play Time: 30 mins

The Resistance: Avalon is a team-based social deduction game set against the backdrop of Arthurian legend. It’s a classic good versus evil showdown but with hidden identities. Players work to get elected to positions of power to advance their team’s goals, but they attempt to do so without revealing their alliances. Only the player taking on the role of Merlin knows who is who, but disclosing this information risks losing their team the game, meaning there are layers upon layers of deception going on simultaneously. Fans of the Secret Hitler board game will recognize many of the rules and mechanics in The Resistance: Avalon, but the latter title is far less likely to offend anyone at your next get-together.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

• Age: 8+
• Player: 3-10
• Play Time: 10 mins

One Night Ultimate Werewolf has cemented itself as one of the most accessible party games, thanks mainly to an excellent audio app that walks players through each phase. It’s so easy to pick up and play that One Night Ultimate Werewolf has become a favorite among nongamers as well as more serious hobbyists. This bluffing game offers players a single card, each with a different role. Some are villagers, some have special abilities, and some are the titular werewolves. For the most part, the villagers want to identify the werewolves, and the werewolves want to remain anonymous.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf has two phases: night and day. During the nighttime phase, players put their heads down as the app narrates them through various card-swapping, identification, and general trickery. In the day phase, players open their eyes and attempt to deduce what happened the night before. Following the thread of who had what card at what time can get quite confusing, helping to cloak the deceit in uncertainty.

A Fake Artist Goes to New York

• Age: 8+
• Player: 5-10
• Play Time: 20 mins

A Fake Artist Goes to New York is a fun twist on deductive games and drawing-based titles like Pictionary. Players take turns collectively drawing a single picture one line at a time. The twist is that every player except for one knows what the final drawing is supposed to look like. The fake artist must guess what the image is supposed to be and add a line to the drawing when it is their turn, using only a vague category and the picture forming in front of them. After each player draws two lines, the group can guess who they believe the fake artist is. Identifying the phony artist may seem simple, but as many people are simply bad at drawing, it is more challenging to decipher who the trickster is than you might think.

Spyfall 2

• Age: 13+
• Player: 3-12
• Play Time: 15 mins

Spyfall 2 is an ingeniously simple game where players try to deduce who the spy is with only a card and a location. Each player receives a single card, all of which, except for one (or two if you’re playing with multiple spies), has a location on it. The outlier card simply says the word “spy.” Players must discover who the spy is among them by asking questions about the listed location. The key is to pose questions and give answers that won’t reveal the setting so the spy doesn’t catch on. Unless you’re the spy, then the goal is to bluff your way to victory. After just a few minutes, the group concludes the interrogation process and votes on who they think the spy is. Not only is the game fun and addictive, but it’s also simply a joy to locate the cartoon spy lurking in the background in each card’s artwork.

Inhuman Conditions

• Age: 12+
• Player: 2
• Play Time: 5 mins

A true rarity in the secret identity space, Inhuman Conditions is a social deduction game for only two players. It’s not just the player count that makes Inhuman Conditions unique; it’s also that this Blade Runner-inspired bluffing game is centered around a five-minute conversation. In each game, there is one investigator and one suspect. The investigator’s goal is to identify whether the suspect is a human or a robot, and the suspect’s goal is to pass as a human. However, this is easier said than done, as robots are given specific prompts to follow. The trick is to naturally work these prompts into the conversation, which can quickly become tricky when every word you say is being analyzed by the other player. As Inhuman Conditions’ writing can be a bit wacky, it is best suited for two players who can embrace its sillier role-playing elements.

Feed the Kraken: Deluxe Edition

• Age: 12+
• Player: 5-11
• Play Time: 45-90 mins

While most social deduction games omit the board altogether, Feed the Kraken: Deluxe Edition brings players to the figurative and literal table surrounding a beautifully constructed board and stunning minis. Players in Feed the Kraken are split between three secret roles: sailors, pirates, and cultists. The players’ goal is to simply move the ship from one side of the board to the other, but each team is secretly working to navigate toward a different game-ending location. Each game starts with one player selected as the captain, and that player chooses their lieutenant and navigator. This trio ultimately decides the direction the ship will head for that turn, but opportunities for mutiny ensure fate isn’t always left in their hands.

Along the way, the ship might move to spaces with icons that enable the captain to perform various tasks, such as seeing another player’s role or even keeping someone from talking for the rest of the game. If the ship reaches a Kraken tile, the captain will fulfill the title by feeding the sea beast a crew member. However, feeding the cult leader to the Kraken will result in victory for the cultist team, so players should tread carefully.

If you’re looking for more great titles to play with larger groups, check out our picks for the best six-player board games and the best four-player board games.

Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGOs. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter.