Skip to content

Video Game Devs Explain How Pausing Works And Sometimes It Gets Weird

Developers provide some insight into how they all make games stop and start when you press a button

By Zack Zwiezen

Charles Dickens looks shocked.
Amazon Punches Digital Book Lovers In The Face
Punch Out Cartridge Featured On The Cutting Room Floor's Website
A Rare Early Version Of The NES Classic Punch-Out!! Has Been Unearthed
YouTuber Receives Copyright Strikes For Silent Hill 2 Playthrough From Makers Of Two AI-Generated Silent Hill 2 Songs
Graveyardkeeeper
News

One Of The Best Stardew Valley-Likes Ever Is 100% Free On Steam, But Only For A Few Days

To celebrate the just-announced sequel, the original Graveyard Keeper costs $0 right now
Zack Zwiezen
Games

Hardcore Survival Sim With A Deadly Twist Makes Enough In 24 Hours To Stay For ‘Years And Years To Come’

Games

Surprise, A New Borderlands Game Just Launched, But…

Horror

This Podcast Based On The Eldritch Horrors Of Lovecraft Is Your Next Big Obsession

Tips & Guides

• View all
Mega Hawlucha poses in a ring.

Pokémon Champions Turned One Mega Evolution Into An Instant Win Button

Kalos starters in Z-A

Every Ability The Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions Have In Champions

Ladykliff

You Can Now Play Crimson Desert As A Female Character Via The Magic Of Mods

A robot appears alongside Pokemon.

The Week In Games: Pokémon Champions And Starfield’s Second Chance

Top Games

• View all
Resident Evil Requiem

Resident Evil Requiem

Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert

Reanimal

Reanimal

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Entertainment

• View all

Resident Evil Requiem Includes A Surprising Homage To The Lord Of The Rings Movies

Link holds up his sword.

Link Shouldn’t Speak In The Legend Of Zelda Movie But He Definitely Will

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Doing Last-Minute Reshoots Because It Needed More Jokes

Pratt

Chris Pratt Gets Roasted For Fumbling Basic Mario Lore

Deals

• View all
Nest Doorbell

Google Drops Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd Gen) to Black Friday Pricing as It Clears Out the 2025 Model

Samsung 27 Inch Odyssey G3

Samsung 27-Inch Odyssey G3 Gaming Monitor Falls to Its Lowest Price With Prime Day-Level Savings on Amazon

Amazonfiretvsoundbar Plus

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus Is Back in Stock at New Record Low After Selling Out (Built-in Subwoofer, 3.1 channel, Dolby Atmos)

11:01 AM

Amazon Clears Out Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse at Below Black Friday Pricing, Save Money and Your Wrist With This Ergonomic Design

10:21 AM

Lenovo 15.6” Laptop (2026 Edition) Gets 42% Off, Now a Smarter Pick Than Budget Tablets

10:04 AM

How to Access and Unblock Pornhub in Australia 2026

9:41 AM

GMKtec G3 Pro Mini PC Drops Nearly 40% to All-Time Low on Amazon, No Need for a Full-Size Desktop

9:01 AM

Anker Prime Power Bank With Charging Base Hits Its Lowest Price, 26,250mAh 300W Output for 6 Devices

8:21 AM

Sony S100F Soundbar With Bass Reflex Speaker Falls Under $100 as Stock Begins to Run Out on Amazon

7:41 AM

AirPods Max Now Cheaper Than Used Pairs at Record Low as Apple Phases Out Older Model After the 2nd-Gen Release

6:53 AM

PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Still Available at Its Old Price on Amazon While Sony Raises the Console Prices

Apr 8

UGREEN Revodok 6-in-1 USB-C Hub at 40% Off Feels Like a Giveaway on Amazon (Ethernet, HDMI, USB-A, and USB-C Ports)

Reviews

• View all
Samson review

Samson Is A Clunky, Broken Mess That GTA IV Lovers Might Still Want To Check Out

05 Minishoot

Minishoot’ Adventures: The Kotaku Review

Img 2694

Life Is Strange: Reunion: The Kotaku Review

Marathon: The Kotaku Review

Retro

• View all
Princess fights Wart in SMB2.

Princess Peach Was The Best Character In Super Mario Bros. 2

Art shows the original Super Mario Bros. cover.

The Original Super Mario Bros. Is Still Hiding Secrets 40 Years Later

Special Donkey Kong Country SNES Cart Shows Up On Antiques Roadshow To Make You Feel Old

The Best Games For The Game Boy Advance 25 Years After It Launched

Kotaku Video

• View all

Ring Psychology: Understanding The 6 Phases Of A Wrestling Match Through Heel Era John Cena

Disney+ Pulls The Abyss Over Controversial Rat Scene — Again

02:08

A Hot-Fix Is On The Way For MindsEye’s Frustrating CPR Mini-Game

02:00

Ironheart‘s New Trailer Delivers A Couple Cool Surprises

02:16

Black Ops 7, Invincible Vs & More — Here Are The 5 Games That Stole Microsoft’s Show

02:36

PlayStation News

• View all
A PS5 appears in front of a grid.

New PS5 Dashboard Update Leaks And Damn, Sony, That Looks Good

A PS5 appears in front of a grid.

Old PlayStation Consoles Used To Be Affordable After Just A Few Years But The PS5 Has Become A Luxury

Xbox News

• View all
An Xbox logo is displayed in blue and green.

Xbox Achievements Are Getting A Long-Overdue Update

Forza Horizon 6 Is On Track To Be The Best One Yet

Nintendo News

• View all
Image: Nintendo

Over 1,000 Mario Maker Levels Have Been Deleted, And It May Be Just One Person’s Fault

Mario and Luigi make scared faces.

Ex-Nintendo Sales Lead Explains The Three Factors Making A Switch 2 Price Hike ‘Inevitable’

PC News

• View all
Art for various games from 2025

The Best Games Of 2025 (So Far)

What We Love And Miss About The Xbox 360

🕹️ Level up your inbox

Don’t miss the latest reviews, news and tips. Sign up for our free newsletter.