Culture

The Five Highest Rated Games On Steam Probably Aren’t What You Expect

Of the 100 billion games on Steam, one for every star in the sky, which are the absolute cream of the crop? Which have users rated the highest? To borrow a cliche from The Bad Internet, the answer may surprise yo—[vomits profusely]. Seriously, though, you’re probably expecting a bunch of Valve games and maybe, like,…

That’ll Do It

Serge Birault is an artist and character designer based in Montréal. You can see more of Serge’s work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of…

Snacktaku Eats Firework Oreos, Does Not Explode

In the hierarchy of things you don’t put in your mouth, fireworks are right up there with razor blades and hobos, but nothing will stand in the way of Nabisco’s relentless quest to keep Snacktaku from eating things that aren’t Oreos. Firework Oreos, in stores now alongside something called Waffle and Syrup Oreos (which we…

Track: Sennou (Brain Washing) | Artist: Radwimps | Album: Sennou (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Lotus Eater | Artist: Mura Masa | Album: Soundtrack to a Death Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

YYYAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHH

Piotr Krezelewski is a freelance artist from Poland. I want to frame this and put it somewhere I drink scotch under dim lighting. You can see more of Piotr’s work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a…

Prey NPC Has Had It With These Turrets

Today on Highlight Reel we have vikings out the door, Andromeda drink trouble, Battlegrounds grenade failures, and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! For…

Steam’s Latest Hit Is Like Castlevania, Except More Random

My favorite moment in Dead Cells so far came right after I won my first boss fight. I gained the ability to make climbable vines sprout from certain surfaces, allowing me to access areas I hadn’t previously been able to. Classic Metroidvania stuff, right? The twist: Dead Cells’ levels, unlike those of a Castlevania or Metroid,…

Wind Waker HD Speedrunner Averts Disaster With Clutch Trick

Even the best players run into bad luck. Dying to some enemies should be enough to kill a speedrunner’s attempt at a fast time. But thanks to some quick thinking and a tricky glitch, a Wind Waker HD speedrunner brought Link back from the dead and saved their run. gymnast86 is a Zelda speedrunner who runs…

 Snacktaku Eats Something Healthy For A Change

Every time Snacktaku posts a review of some hideous food monster, people always ask, “How are you still alive?” They also ask, “When will you eat something healthy?” Why, right now, as I eat my way through two boxes of healthy snacks from LevelUp Foods’ subscription gamer treats service The gaming community is often stereotyped…

Replica Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sword Even Glows

Of all the weapons in Breath of the Wild, the Guardian gear must be the hardest for a prop-maker to recreate properly. Yet here we are, with a replica Guardian Sword, blue glow and all. This full-scale replica built by Adafruit Industries, which is 34 inches long, was 3D printed and is full of tiny little…

Cosplayer Spotlight: Megan Coffey

Late last year, in the real world, Megan Coffey was getting ready to graduate from South Florida with a Masters in Biology. On the internet, however, she was fast becoming one of the most recognisable cosplayers on the planet. We talk a lot about cosplay here on this site, and about stuff around cosplay, but…

We Should Probably Talk About Edith Finch‘s Ending

The new PS4/PC game What Remains of Edith Finch tells the tale of a doomed family living in a mansion off the coast of Washington state. It’s a cool story, but what does it all mean? Let’s discuss. My colleague Gita Jackson and I decided to get together and chat about Giant Sparrow’s ambitious new…

For Many Speedrunners, It’s Not About The World Records

Speedrunning is all about going fast, which can mean shattering world records or performing wild feats. But for many players, speedrunning is less about spectacle and more about self-improvement. From Any%, which seeks to beat a game as fast as possible to the daunting 100% runs that collect every little knick knack, there’s all sorts…

Track: Native Dancer | Artist: Sakanaction | Album: Shin-shiro Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Princess Zelda Cosplay Walked Straight Out Of Breath Of The Wild

This Princess Zelda cosplay by LayzeMichelle gets better the closer you look. While the overall look is fantastic, the real killer here is in the details, like how all her accessories (even a Sheikah Slate!) are finished and coloured to match the game’s cel-shaded look. She even made the flowers, which took ten hours to paint,…

If The Mass Effect Games Had Kids

Early in the development of Mass Effect Andromeda, the team’s artists spent a week doing nothing but coming up with cool ideas. One of them that didn’t make it into the final game, but which was at least explored in this art, is having Mass Effect kids running around. Having children in your big open…

Battlegrounds Players Win Match Without Killing Anybody

I’ve tried winning PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds matches with pacifism. I’ve tried hiding out, talking to other players, and (very unsuccessfully) blocking bullets with a frying pan. I never believed it was actually possible, though. Eventually death—aka the ever-encroaching blue fog of doom—claims us all. Against all odds, however, Kurtjmac and a partner pulled it off. They spent…

Speedrunner Completes Homestar Runner Game In 17 Milliseconds

Speedrunning is all about beating games as fast as possible. One speedrun through a free Homestar Runner web game is so fast that you can literally blink and miss it. Where’s An Egg? is a quick puzzle game where players guide an inspector around on a journey to find an egg hidden on someone’s possession. The…

What We Loved (And Didn’t Love) About Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

There’s a new Guardians of the Galaxy movie! Let’s talk about it. Mike Fahey and I are both avowed fans of James Gunn’s original Guardians of the Galaxy film, and both of us headed to the theater over the weekend to see his follow-up. Did the second outing capture the unlikely charm of the first…