Shovelware Maker Going to Jail for Not Paying Workers

The owner of a Utah game studio is going to jail for not paying his employees. Criminal prosecution for nonpayment of wages is rare. Incarceration is even more rare, but it is deserved for a guy like Dave Rushton, considering the lives he upended four years ago at Sensory Sweep Studios in suburban Salt Lake…

This Insane Super Hexagon Run May Just Be a New World Record

Super Hexagon is hard. The kind of hard that keeps you coming back for more of its sweet, brilliantly designed torture. Getting to the top of your friends’ list in Game Center is a feat worth celebrating. And landing on top of everyone else playing Terry Cavanagh’s collision avoidance game? Well, that’s damn special. It…

The Song That Blew Me Away In Borderlands 2‘s Newest DLC

All of Borderlands 2‘s environmental music is pretty great. It’s fitting, subtle enough to set the mood but powerful enough for your ears to perk up and notice. The first campaign add-on to Gearbox’s sequel is Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty. There are a lot of things that are great about this new DLC:…

I Love My Monsters, And Hope They Never Stop Singing

I like growing a stable of video game monsters as much as the next red-blooded American. But I didn’t realize how much more I would enjoy it if the monsters sang to me. Thanks to My Singing Monsters, I now know—singing monsters are great! The game is a trip—it’s out on iOS and Android, and…

The Best Song Lyrics About Video Games

At the 2:47 mark of a song called The Gauntlet, the rapper Acrobatic makes a reference to… Gauntlet. That fits, but it’s just one of many, many video game references in rap songs. Which are you favorites? Which are the best ones? Add a clip below. And if rap’s not your thing, other genres are…

After One Day, 85 Percent of Facebook Gamers Don’t Care About Their Own Stupid Farm, Either

Research by a “social game analysis firm,”—the existence of that title tells you a lot about the state of the business—indicates that 85 percent of social gamers, who began a new title sometime between July and September, quit playing it after just one day. Nine out of ten of them didn’t play it after September.…

Maingear F131 Gaming PC: The Kotaku Review

When boutique PC maker Maingear contacted me about sending out a loaner F131 system for review, I had no idea that I would soon be face-to-face with the most attractive machine ever to grace my computer desk. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder—not everyone is as big a fan of the…

Hell Hath No Fury Like a PC Sports Gamer Scorned

In forums and comments, PC gamers come off as implacably angry about a number of topics. The most vehement responses are in issues that treat PC gamers like second class citizens; for example, DRM, console ports, DRM, piracy, DRM, delayed releases and DRM. Let me tell you, there is no citizen more second class than…

Six Reviewers Are Shaken, Not Stirred, By 007 Legends

This week’s 007 Legends puts players into the iconic (stylish, expensive) shoes of Britain’s most famous secret agent, Bond. James Bond. A famous secret agent may be a puzzling concept, but more puzzling still is this pastiche of his most classic adventures, reviewers seem to find. Does 007 Legends leave players feeling like they have…

Choose Your Favorite Serial-Killer Mask In This Freaky Top-Down Killfest

Not many games give you unique power-ups based on what super-creepo mask you’re wearing. Hotline Miami does. The game is out next week, and it’s super cool

Forza: Horizon Is Best Played as a Ryan Gosling Simulator

I have a confession: I hated Forza Horizon when I first played it. Something about the tone, from Axe Body Spray sponsored races to the presence of terrible dubstep on the radio, just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. But then something happened as I was driving around. I saw a sunset. As Owen mentioned…

The Game That’s Keeping Me Up All Night

Last Tuesday, I went to bed at around 10:30pm, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep. Maybe I’d wake up early, go for a run before breakfast. You know, try to be a human being Then I started Virtue’s Last Reward By 3am, I was shivering under the covers, jabbing my thumb at my…

This Ballin’ New Free iPhone Game is Not for Squares

There is no greater scourge to our universe than blatant shapism. The people of the Square Planet have subjugated the Ball People, crushing their spirit beneath their sharply-angled boots, but they didn’t count on the heroic Round Ball and his unique ability to roll with the punches. I could do this all day. Unleashed on…

Star Citizen Pledge Drive Adds Kickstarter Support

Game designer Chris Roberts, known for the Wing Commander games of yore, made a big splash last week when he announced Star Citizen, a return to the spaceflight genre. The announcement was so well-received, in fact, that Roberts Space Industrties, the website set up for the in-house crowdfunding initiative, crashed. Hard. Although the website is…

Walking Dead: Episode Three – Long Road Ahead is now available on the iPad. Play it, and then resume waiting

Is Dear Esther Still Poignant During a Speed Run? Let’s Watch and Find Out.

Indie sensation Dear Esther won lots of praise for its distinctive feel and moody narrative when it came out earlier this year. Even though it’s short, The Chinese Room’s experimental title is the kind of experience you take your time with so that the mournful vibe and lushly drawn virtual world can seep into your…

Mystery Manor Blitzes Its Way to the iPad

Every day more and more social games are dipping their toes into the mobile market, perhaps hunting for firm footing in the face of Facebook’s big mobile push. Now one of the social networks most beloved hidden object tiles takes the iPad plunge with Mystery Manor Blitz Mystery Manor is one of those relaxing object…

My Awesome New Borderlands 2 Gun Won’t Stop Judging Me

Like I mentioned yesterday, I felt like I was in a rut for a little while with my Borderlands 2 arsenal. But suddenly, upon starting the first, pirate-themed DLC, I wound up with an embarrassment of great weaponry. When it rains, it pours (bullets). Among the guns I got was a unique Hyperion sniper rifle…

CastleVille Halloween Tricks Quests: Everything You Need to Know

CastleVille‘s Halloween event has expanded far beyond simply growing spirits in your Kingdom, as you can now build a Haunted House, grow pumpkin crops and much more to celebrate the holiday. While we’ve already brought you a complete guide to completing the game’s Halloween Treats quests, the second you plant your first Pumpkin in your…

The Next Game From The People Behind The Witcher Is Called Cyberpunk 2077

We’ve known for a while that CD Projekt Red, the folks who make those great Witcher role-playing games, are making a new sci-fi game. Previously codenamed “Cyberpunk,” it now has an official title. Cyberpunk 2077 It also has a new official website Here’s CD Projekt Red on their new cybery, punky game, which is based…