“The factory must grow.” It’s a mantra that all Factorio players know – or at least they should. But it’s one thing knowing it, and quite another to put it into action. The truth is that it can be tricky for new players to know just how to grow their factory from nothing into an energy-guzzling, environment-poisoning behemoth of efficiency and automation.

Our Factorio guide for 1.0 hopes to solve this problem for new players, as we delve into our top 15 Factorio tips covering everything from quality of life improvements to building strategies, and much more.

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To fully defox the following enlargeable geofoxer, identify all twelve locations plus the theme that links them. (more…)

In Britain at least, Desert Wings – Tobruk’s release couldn’t have been timed much better. Convincing yourself you’re buzzing WW2-era North Africa in a sweltering airborne sweat lodge is much easier when your skin and flightstick are clammy with briny body dew. Not that this generously proportioned IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover expansion is wholly reliant on real-world weather for its perspiration production. When it comes to beading brows and irrigating armpits, the unusually energetic bandits more than pull their weight. (more…)

If you’re looking to pick up a great graphics card deal before the new [cms-block] RTX 3000 cards get announced next month, then there are some truly fantastic bargains going on in the UK right now thanks to a new Ebay voucher knocking up to £60 off loads of Nvidia and AMD GPUs. You’ll need to hurry, though, as the voucher expires today, meaning you’ve only got until midnight tonight to make use of it.

So, to help you get the best price on your new graphics card purchase, I’ve put together this list of all the cheapest graphics card prices around right now so you can see exactly how each graphics card deal compares with the competition and whether it’s a good buy. In case you need a refresher, I’ll also tell you exactly what each card is capable of when it comes to gaming performance, and how much prices have changed week-on-week.

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After seven years in early access, factory-building management sim Factorio is finally finished enough to launch properly. Update 1.0 arrived today and developers Wube Software have removed that “early access” label, though they’re not done with patches yet. Factorio was already great in early access, plopping players on an alien planet to slowly build a vast network of mines, conveyor belts, processors, assemblers, defences, trains, cranes, pylons, and drones, until we’ve gone from chopping trees down manually to launching a rocket into space. Now it’s bigger, prettier, and more polished. It has an updated free demo too.

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I know that many readers will have been anxiously awaiting news of Aliceburg, the scenic seaside village that I have been growing in lovely medieval city-builder Foundation, particularly since the Great Accidental Bread Famine of Winter 2019. At this point, it is on the verge of becoming one of my favourite games of all time, full stop, and it’s not far off getting a sexy new UI update that I can show you.

The tidings I bring today are mixed, though, because Foundation recently had another huge update to its early access build. V1.6 has made many small but significant changes (including large piles of rocks), and Aliceburg has become a bit borked as a result, especially now that Foundation has some tutorialising and quests to teach you how to build a city properly. Last time, I spoke of one day abandoning Aliceburg as if it were a long way off, but I am afraid that the day is now. Scenic Aliceburg is dead; long live scenic Alvania!

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As a devout pluviophile and a lover (and creator) of abstract digital landscapes, there are very few moments that bring me as much pleasure and serenity as when it rains in Alto’s Odyssey.

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The latest show to hit Fortnite‘s Party Island isn’t a blow-out concert or Chris Nolan flick. Somehow, it’s weirder. Hop in front of Fortnite’s big telly right now and you’ll find a call to “#FreeFortnite” from the supposed tyranny of tech giant Apple, who today removed the battle royale from the App Store for sidestepping its revenue policies. Now, Epic are taking Apple to court – and they’ve got an in-game ad campaign to make sure public perception is on their side.

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There’s a new conductor on the Metro: Exodus train. Or driver, even. Captain? I might not know how trains work, but I can tell you that Metro developers 4A Games have just been picked up by Embracer Group for around $80 million (roughly £61 million), and are floating plans to put that partnership to work on a multiplayer take on the post-apocalyptic Muscovite.

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One day, someone is going to build a genetically-engineered dinosaur theme park that doesn’t turn its guests into lunch. Parkasaurus may not quite escape from the murder, but I reckon it’s easier to be eaten by a T-Rex when it’s wearing a funny hat. Emerging from the labs of early access, Washbear’s colourful dino tycoon opened the gates to a full release today, with 20% off tickets for early visitors.

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