Culture

A Very Studio Ghibli Road Trip

Artur Sadlos is an artist based in Japan. He’s worked on stuff like League of Legends, The Witcher 3 and For Honor, but alsothat wonderful Ghibli x Oregon tourism ad from last year We actually featured Sadlos’ work as one of the first ever Fine Art posts, butsince that was eight years ago I figured…

For Streamers Dealing With Stalkers, Twitch’s Solutions Fall Short

For the last 41 days, a Twitch user named Mosheddy has been persistently harassing a streamer named Tanya DePass. She quickly banned him from her channel, but now he lurks, follows her to other people’s Twitch chats, sends private messages to everyone he can, and has friends drop into chat with messages “from Mosheddy.” Twitch…

Chrono Trigger’s Writer Made A Mobile JRPG That’s Not Defined By Its Microtransactions

Can two of the people who helped make Chrono Trigger one of the most amazing games of all time find a balance on mobile between the nostalgic appeal of classic Japanese role-playing games and the economics of free-to-play? Based on a couple hours with Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, the answer is:…

Here’s February 2019’s Xbox Live Games With Gold Lineup

February’s Games with Gold is an interesting mix, from retro stylings to series like Star Wars and Assassin’s Creed. As always, these games are only “free” if you have an active Xbox Live Games with Gold subscription. February’s Games with Gold are: Xbox One Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (February 1-20) Super Bomberman R (February…

Track: Come To Daddy | Artist: Aphex Twin | Album: Come To Daddy Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Fake Maps Are The Best Maps

Karl Vesterberg is a freelance artist from Sweden who has a particular thing for fictional hand-drawn maps and city illustrations. This is the kind of work you normally see on a map screen, or board game board, or coffee table guide book, and it is very much my fetish. In addition to the fantasy stuff,…

After Two Controversies, Twitch Says It Will No Longer Run Ads For Other Twitch Streamers

In the past couple months, Twitch has gotten into the habit of running ads for big streamers’ events on other streamers’ broadcasts—first with the Tyler “Ninja” Blevins New Years Eve extravaganza last month, and, more recently, ahead of a Pro Bowl event hosted over the weekend by Imane “Pokimane” Anys. Streamers don’t love it, and…

The Difference Between Horror Movies And Horror Games

I hate horror movies. I hate having to sit and watch as helpless people walk headlong into traps or hide fruitlessly from killers. I hate the moments of quiet leading up to the next jump scare. But I love horror games. I review them enthusiastically. So much of the distinction comes down to doors and…

The Week In Games: Grab Your Keyblades & Get Ready!

Sora, Goofy and Donald Duck team up once more to take down evil in this week’s biggest release: Kingdom Hearts 3. I hear a lot of folks enjoy them some Kingdom Hearts and they now will finally be able to play this long awaited sequel. Which is great! Hope it was worth the wait! As…

Track: In Love With A Camera | Artist: The Struts | Album: Young & Dangerous Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Sunday Comics: WHEAT!!!

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published January 21. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published January 26. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for having been invited to a birthday party involving bowling, a thing I have not done in a concerningly long time. I guess if I throw my back out there’ll be lots of video games to play while I recover. I really want to check out Slay the Spire, which I’ve heard…

Overwatch Is No Longer My Third Place

Nobody ever asks why anyone stopped playing Halo 2. No response would merit it. The game came out in 2004, and three years later, there was Halo 3. At some point, it got old. Another game came along. Friends moved on. It was just a thing you did, and then you went and did something…

Retro Studios Is Now Developing Metroid Prime 4 For Nintendo Switch

Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo’s development head, just announced that Retro Studios, maker of the original Metroid Prime series, is now developing the fourth installment. Make that, restarting development from the beginning. Metroid Prime 4 was announced back in June 2017. At that time, details were scant and only the logo was shown. Nintendo did reveal that…

Track: Harmony Hall | Artist: Vampire Weekend | Album: Father of the Bride Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

From The Observation Deck in Roppongi Hills. Tokyo, Japan. By Davide Sasso | Instagram  JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

A Highlight Reel Of 2018’s Biggest Cosplay Shows

Throughout 2018, our photographer and videographer Mineralblu travelled the country covering cosplay conventions. To celebrate, and to recap some of the amazing stuff spotted at the shows, he’s put together this 15 minute highlight reel. There are 21 shows covered in all, from DragonCon to Comic Con to BlizzCon to New York Comic Con. Cons…

Games Are Made By More Than Just One Famous Figurehead

We all know that Cory Barlog didn’t single-handedly make the latest God of War, and Hideo Kojima didn’t go it alone on making Metal Gear. Yet as human beings, we can’t help but latch onto figureheads and their personal successes and failures. On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, Kirk and Jason and I discuss video game…

Overwatch‘s New Skins Are Based On Historic Figures

It’s that time again: Another year has passed, sapping us all of precious vitality and slowly pulverizing our faculties until we’re unidentifiable powder in the wind. But in return, we get new Overwatch skins as part of the game’s annual Lunar New Year event. Really, it’s a pretty even trade. Overwatch’s “Year of the Pig”…

When You Realize Your Strategy In A Video Game Is Doomed

When I landed at the location I’d designated in my latest game of Rimworld, I felt optimistic. It was permanent summer, but not so arid that there wasn’t anywhere to plant. I thought that this time, I’d make it a few years. A few minutes later, I realized I had gotten myself into a death…