- Culture
Steam Is Banning Sex Games With Young-Looking Characters [Update]
These days, anything goes on Steam, but not anything anything. If games are “illegal, or straight up trolling,” Valve says it’ll send them packing. In the past, that’s meant low-effort games with titles like Big Dick and MILF, achievement spam, and certain sex games Now, according to some developers, Valve is going after games that…
By Nathan Grayson Published December 7, 2018 -
OpinionImpressionsI Am Going To Play A Ton Of Hades
Hades, a new action game from Supergiant Games, released in early access last night in the new Epic Games store. It’s pretty limited right now, but even with only a handful of weapons and levels it’s got me extremely excited. Being trapped in Hell and dying over and over has never been so fun. Hades…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 7, 2018 - Esports
Europe’s Top Counter-Strike Team Eyes $1 Million Grand Slam Prize
Astralis have been on a roll lately. After starting out the year with an uncharacteristically disastrous performance at the ELEAGUE Boston Major in January, they rallied to take first-place at just over half of all tournaments they’ve competed in so far this year. Another win at this weekend’s ESL Pro League Finals would help them…
By Ethan Gach Published December 7, 2018 -
UncategorizedA Look At Smash Bros. Ultimate’s New Characters
Now that Smash Bros. Ultimate is finally here, and I’ve gotten over being shook by it, I asked our resident Smash Bros. expert Cecilia D’Anastasio to give me a quick rundown of the new characters and their new movesets. Joining the already massive roster are a handful of characters that all have some unique moves…
By Paul Tamayo Published December 7, 2018 -
UncategorizedFigure Skaters’ Routines Keep Referencing Video Games
My roommate Hilary is obsessed with figure skating, and is watching the currently airing Junior Grand Prix. The competitions she’s watching keep crossing over with video games. Last night, as she watched the competition and I did laundry nearby, I looked up at the screen, and stopped what I was doing, in shock. “That’s Lara Croft,”…
By Gita Jackson Published December 7, 2018 -
UncategorizedEpic’s New PC Game Store Is Making Waves Even Without A Ton Of Games
Epic Games’ new digital storefront went live last night during the Game Awards and it already has an exclusive to call its own: Hades, the latest game from the developers of Bastion and Pyre at Supergiant Games. It’s one of the reasons to give the store, which lives inside Epic’s game launcher for Fortnite, a…
By Ethan Gach Published December 7, 2018 -
UncategorizedGothic Puzzle Game Iris Fall Plays Beautifully With Light And Shadow
One of my favorite video game mechanics is harnessing the relationship between light and shadow for clever platforming puzzles. That’s why I’m excited about Iris Fall, a gorgeous new game from Chinese developer Next Studios. The visuals first drew me to Iris Fall. Heavy, dark and near-monochrome, the game’s art direction is exactly my sort…
By Mike Fahey Published December 7, 2018 -
OpinionThe First Tree Offers A Beautiful, Pensive Break From Everyday Life
The First Tree is an exploration game about learning who you are. You take control of a fox in a colorful frosted forest. As the fox searches for her children, another story plays out, recounted by an unseen male narrator, that focuses on family relationships and regrets. Those thoughts come paired with intoxicating sights and…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 7, 2018 - Culture
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for having been invited to a potluck/Christmas decoration party, which is so wholesome it’s kind of freaking me out. It’s also for playing video games. In my determination to get nowhere in Red Dead Redemption 2 I haven’t had a chance to check out so many recent games, so hopefully I’ll do…
By Riley MacLeod Published December 7, 2018 - CultureKotaku Game Diary
Help, I Accidentally Bought Mario Party Instead Of Smash
After last night’s announcement that Persona 5’s Joker is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I finally decided I was going to buy the damn game. Then I bought Super Mario Party I don’t know how I made this mistake. Maybe I was just being hasty. Maybe after so many hours of Game Awards my…
By Gita Jackson Published December 7, 2018 - Uncategorized
We were disappointed that your dog companion in Far Cry 5 couldn’t ride in your car with you and instead ran behind. According to the official Twitter feed for the franchise, the dog in February’s Far Cry New Dawn will ride with you, as the game’s debut trailer last night teased.
By Stephen Totilo Published December 7, 2018 - Uncategorized
Gengar and Mimikyu on one card? Either it’s a sign of the apocalypse, or it’s the Pokémon Trading Card Game Sun & Moon Tag Team expansion. Announced at the 2018 World Championships and launching February 1, the expansion features high risk, high reward Tag Team cards, which also serve as shipping fodder.
By Mike Fahey Published December 7, 2018 -
UncategorizedMagic: The Gathering is getting a pro league, publisher Wizards of the Coast announced yesterday. 32 top players will get the change to win a combined $10 million in prizes. Their contracts, Wizards says, will be for $75,000, directly addressing concerns Magic pros had about earning sub-par money. Some top players might even come out…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 7, 2018 - CultureGame Awards
The Russo Brothers Have Mastered Avengers 4 Trolling
Earlier this evening, the Russo brothers appeared on stage at the Game Awards to make a Thanos joke and give an award to Fortnite Their appearance at the Game Awards was promoted. Repeatedly. Nobody forgot! When Joe and Anthony Russo appeared on stage, people got excited. People thought it meant an Avengers 4 trailer or…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 7, 2018 - Uncategorized
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate And The Pokémon Card Game Draw Lines In Japan
Today is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s big release day. People in Japan are definitely keen to get the game. Interestingly, there were also lines were for the newest Pokémon card expansion set. At the Akiba Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo, one of the biggest electronics shops in the country, there were around 20 people at 6:00…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 7, 2018 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Monsieur
I’ve been on an indie kick recently if you haven’t noticed. I personally blame Haruna Stella Jang, who officially debuted in 2014, is an interesting study. Her musical style is greatly influenced by 90s artists like Yoon Jong Shin and Jung Jae Hyung, by her own admission, and yet, her latest track is an eighties-city-pop…
By Seung Park Published December 7, 2018