Category: Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Match-3 games are probably the purest out there, at least in terms of genre. They are so instantly understandable by pretty much anyone, no wonder there’s a seemingly infinite number of them available on our phones. The issue is that most of them can’t match up to the heights of a classic like Bejeweled, though at least every once in a while we get delightful spins on the genre like Spirit Swap. Now, there’s a new, quite tiny new kid on the block in the form of Sinister Sodies, a match-3 game where you set out to “purify your carbonated concoction before time runs out.”

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Today’s lineup mixes boutique muscle with budget-friendly firepower. The RUSH Mk. IV from MAINGEAR is a top-tier build I’m personally using—and it shows. Built, optimised, and debloated on the same bench it was assembled on, it’s the kind of machine that screams craftsmanship. You’re paying for a system that’s more than parts in a box: it’s pristine cable management, smart airflow, clean software, and solid support from people who actually know what they’re doing.

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Crytek had a little bit of an oopsie yesterday with the Hunt: Showdown 1896’s 2.4 update yesterday. As soon as it arrived, there were reports of server problems and issues with buying Blood Bonds. This led to Crytek trying to fix it, taking the game’s servers offline to do so, except when the shooter was brought back online, it wasn’t with a fixed version of the new update, but version 2.3. However! It looks like the team continued work on getting it fixed (hope you didn’t have to crunch too hard, Crytek staff), and the update is back and available to download.

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Last week, Valve added in a feature that lets you browse Steam via a multitude of different accessibility tags. This week, it’s making Steam itself more accessible! Or more specifically, Steam in Big Picture Mode, and on devices running SteamOS, i.e. the Steam Deck of Lenovo Legion Go S. Valve shared word of the new accessibility setting in a blog post, though for now these are just a part of a beta update, so not everyone will have them just yet.

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Dune: Awakening developers Funcom have revealed in a post-launch Reddit AMA that they’re currently aiming to release a fresh update full of quality of life-related tweaks in early July, as well as adding “new contracts across the board” down the line.

However, if you’re after big new stuff to do, you’ll have to wait for the major updates that’ll be releasing alongside the game’s DLCs.

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I swear I don’t actually have anything against the Nintendo Switch 2, other than its suspect attempt at Zoom Meetings But Games and some slight jealousy that it got DLSS support before a PC handheld did. Even so, I do feel obliged to warn Steam Deck owners – and, in fact, anyone who has any current portable PC – away from microSD Express cards, support for which is one of the Switch 2’s key storage upgrades.

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Rematch, the game about kicking it in the goal from Sifu and Absolver devs Sloclap, have launched today, June 19th. The folks behind it have rung in that occasion by outlining a bunch of their future plans, as well as saying they’re very sorry you can’t currently show off your mouse and keyboard skills by nutmegging some fool who owns one of those ex-boxers.

Don’t worry, though, crossplay and a bunch of other stuff are in the works for future updates to the foot-to-ball thing Nic and James dug the beta of, and that currently sits fourth in Steam’s top sellers list.

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Ara: History Untold is a game I briefly gave a go last year, back when Civ 7 was still a game we were all yet to play and have a vast slew of different opinions about. I thought the little I played was alright, but didn’t stick with it that long, slipping back into the pair of comfy slippers that were Civ 6.

Now, though, Ara’s just gotten a big update, and it looks like it should solve some of the issues that folks flagged with the base game.

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Do one of those kick-the-flips. Okay, now do it again but spinny. Wow, fellow teen, that was radical, well done. Here is some video game news for you as a reward: physics-funny skateboarding sim Skate (aka Skate 4) will release in a couple of months. That’s what publishers Electronic Arts say, anyway. You must be very excited to do more dinner tray flips and three-hundred-and-sixty popular shovel-its. Why yes, I am something of a skate boarder myself. How keen-eyed of you to notice.

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I actually can’t remember the last time I played a shmup. Maybe a Gradius? I don’t know anything about ZPF’s genremates or even what its name stands for, but I do know a good colourful big bastard turtle when I see one, and that was enough for me to try the Steam demo.

“Great score!” Zam Pankman-Fried told me after I died 45 seconds in. From this, I learned that ZPF is a massive liar, but also that I actually quite like shmups still. Pretty compelling as far as avoid the bad thing ’em ups go.

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