How To Start Speedrunning Video Games

With the time-shattering feats and game-breaking exploits of Games Done Quick upon us, some video game players might be wondering how they can start their journey in the mesmerizing world of speedrunning. Here’s some advice for those first few steps. This post originally appeared 7/18/17. We’re bumping it today for SGDQ. Pick the right game…

The Week In Games: Child Superhero and Flailing Bandicoot

The game release cycle is back in the swing of things post-E3, and that means we’ve got Captain Spirit’s debut, a Ys game, and some excellent Switch ports. As a longtime fan of Dontnod, I’m more than a little bit curious about The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. I’ll admit to finding the trailer a…

A Running Silhouette. Sugar Beach, Sipalay, Philippines. By Martin Tan. 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 Queen Titan From Teen Titans

Cosplayer Oh My Sophii wanted to try something a bit different with her Raven outfit, and so instead of just straight copying the character’s appearance from the TV show and comics went with a more regal tone. With original plans to draw up a “high fashion” Raven, Sophii’s sketches eventually led her towards a “Queen…

Overwatch Cosplay Puts The Guns Down For A Second

Team Paraluna are a pair of cosplayers from the Netherlands who are responsible for these terrific Overwatch costumes. There’s so much detail here. Witch Mercy’s garments are airbrushed to look worn, while her book was hand-made with actual pages (as in, it’s not just a block of wood or foam). Dragon Symmetra, meanwhile, has a…

But Officers, These Are My Friends

Nikita Kukolev is a freelance artist from Russia. You can see more of Nikita’s work at their ArtStation and Instagrampages. 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 both their…

A Most Unusual Harry Potter Crossover

Two of the most hated characters in British kid’s literature are Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter and Ms. Trunchbull from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. This cosplay shoot, for probably the first and only time ever, imagines what it would look like if they became best friends and hung out. Let this be a reminder that while…

Witcher 3 x Minecraft Build Recreates Novigrad (And Then Some)

This sweeping timelapse video shows the construction—out of thin air—of Novigrad, the great city of The Witcher 3 (and Witcher lore in general, I guess). Built by Elysium Fire, this video not only looks amazing as the city emerges out of the countryside, but also gives you a very good look at just how many…

Fan Creates Fallout Scene In Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines is an excellent tool for doing basically anything at this point, and intrepid YouTuber Crumbs McGee has used it to create a small diorama of post-apocalyptic action inspired by Fallout 76 While Skylines is mostly known for being a city building game, the advent of the Steam Workshop on PC and its thousands…

The DreamboxXx Bundle is a collection of nontraditional, queer arcade games available now on itch.io It contains 8 games originally commissioned by Death By Audio Arcade and The Dreamhouse for inclusion in a unique arcade cabinet. Proceeds from the bundle go to charity. 

‘Shop Contest: Summer Sports

Mario Tennis Aces is slamming into Switches everywhere this weekend, so I think it’s time for us to get video games ready for summer sports. I’m not really a “sports and shorts” kind of guy, but it’s hard to deny that it feels great to go outside and throw some sort of ball object around…

Watch The Second Day Of The 2018 Summer Games Done Quick Speedrunning Marathon

Summer Games Done Quick returns for its eighth year with speedrunning performances across a number of classics, starting with Banjoe-Tooie. SGDQ is one of my personal favorite ways to kick-off the season and is always a great distraction from the summer heat and quiet release schedule. Based out of the DoubleTree Hilton in Minneapolis, Minnesota,…

All The Games Jason Played At E3

I’m back from E3, and I’ve brought a truckload of video game impressions with me. You can hear them all on this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, or read some of them right here. On today’s episode, Kirk and I talk about tons and tons of games, starting with the many demos I played at E3, like…

Sunday Comics: Live Musical Performances

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 June 18. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published June 18. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…

An Animated Storybook Is The Best Way To Learn Dark Souls Lore

I’m a sucker for Dark Souls lore, and Dark Souls retold as a fairy tale storybook is one of the best ways to get that lore communicated in an easy, simple way. This video spoils the entirety of Dark Souls. There are spoilers. Dark Souls is often discussed as a game with an oblique story…