I’ve been meaning to sink some proper time and energy into Subnautica, Unknown Worlds’ game of submarine exploration and underwater survival, but looking at the latest update suggests I might be best waiting until I get my shiny new PC. That’s because the Eye Candy update makes the game (visually) better, down where it’s wetter. Rub your eyeballs all over the update trailer within or take a peek at the full update notes here.

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It s snowing outside my window, but on my screen all I see is sand. I m one of 5 remaining players, and the circle of safety is much larger than it usually is by the time a round reaches this point. I can hear a sniping war going on to my right and since I ll have to run across the rocky expanse in front of me soon anyway, I choose that moment to make a break for it.

Of course, I get shot down the moment I start running. I m playing on the new desert map in Playererunknown s Battlegrounds and this is still the same old Plunkbat – only now there are no bushes for me to cower in.

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Videogames were a presence throughout my childhood, thanks to my dad having a PC for work. When he didn t need to use it, I was allowed to tinker and explore. The games built into the computer like Solitaire, SkiFree and Fuji Golf, as well as the CD-ROM games we got from stores like Office Max and Borders, quickly became second nature to me.

Now, looking back at publications and exhibitions intended to showcase gaming history I realize that some of my own experiences are often missing. While many influential PC games are well known and we can trace their influence on videogames today, there are more blind spots when it comes to the CD-ROM boom of the mid-90s. These games were built for an audience that was familiar with PC software but perhaps not with games, and even in their own time they ignored the conventions of game design. This led to types of experimentation videogames of today can still learn from.

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Welcome back to Unknown Pleasures, our weekly* search for five splendid but under-reported new games released on Steam over the past seven days.

This week: firelight survival, bootleg Podracing, Mario vs Super Crate Box, monkey-free Monkey Ball and lava lamp simulation. (more…)

Representation matters but the inclusion of more diverse casts of characters is the starting point, not the goal. Too often, characters with identities other than straight, white male are written as caricatures. They no longer represent an individual but instead represent the sum total of their gender, their sexuality, their race. They become tokenistic stand-ins for the complexities of real people.

Inclusion and representation alone can be ineffective or actively unhelpful if not backed up with strong writing and a level of care about characters that goes beyond the basic facts of their identity. It can be a tricky line to walk but Butterfly Soup, by Brianna Lei, is here to show how to do it right.

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Your monitor is one of the most important parts of your PC, so finding the best monitor to suit your needs and budget is vital. Take a look at the display section of any electronics retailer, though, and you’ll find hundreds of screens costing anything from 70 right up to 1500. The range of models and prices can be overwhelming, but this guide is here to help.

We’ll take you through everything you need to know about screen sizes, resolutions, refresh rates, panel types, inputs and adjustable stands, as well as provide a few recommendations of our own based on our own testing. By the time you’re done here, you’ll be fully equipped to find the best monitor for you. Let’s begin!

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Terrible, terrible name aside, 10 Chambers 4-player horror FPS GTFO looks like a good time for fans of running terrified down a claustrophobic sci-fi corridor. You can see its flashlights and monsters in the trailer below.

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The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a beautiful, quiet game — a thoughtful and sedate walking simulator. Bulletstorm and Painkiller are not. They re both balls-to-the-wall action and dripping with over-the-top machismo and violence. On the surface, the only similarity is the people who made them. Witchfire, The Astronaut s latest project, looks a lot like the former at first. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Devour the teaser below.

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There’s more than one type of Christmas card and more than one way to deck the halls.

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At The Game Awards last night, Geoff Keighley introduced the new trailer for his best pal s bold new take on Arnold Schwarzenegger s 1994 comedy, Junior. That s about the best explanation I could come up with after watching the eight minute trailer for Kojima s Death Stranding. Enjoy the mishmash of science fiction and horror ideas below. (more…)