The way I’d summarise Crusader Kings 3 depends heavily on where you’re coming at the game from. If you never played Crusader Kings 2, but were always interested, then I heartily recommend this extremely long, in-depth strategy/RPG hybrid about managing the successive lives of a dynasty of medieval problem people. It’s very complex, but it does a better job than its predecessor of explaining itself, and offers more rewards along the learning curve. Similarly, if you tried CK2 but bounced off, now would be your cue to come back for another bite of the turkey leg.

If you have played CK2, however, then I honestly don’t know what to say to you. You might find that CK3 preserves the best of CK2, while losing some of the irritations. Or you might find that it has preserved the general structure, while losing the magic. Which end of that spectrum you skew towards will depend on what details of CK2 your particular devils resided in.

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The more I see of Minecraft, the more I’m convinced that we all live in a simulation. Possibly one that’s also inside Minecraft, and running some fancy shaders. I don’t make that claim lightly. Like all conspiracy theorists, I have proof that you cannot dispute. Prepare yourself for a reality check. Below are some dazzlingly intricate pieces of computing, but rendered entirely inside> Mojang’s blocky world-builder. And if Minecraft is capable of running in-game PCs, then we’re all just Creepers waiting to explode.

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Wadjet Eye Games have been around for absolutely yonks. First rising to prominence with the Blackwell series, in which you and your ghost pal help lost souls transition to the afterlife, the studio have dabbled in a host of intriguing settings and locations for their puzzle games.

Unavowed is the culmination of all the years spent perfecting the craft.

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Screenshot Saturday Sundays! We’re the last stop on the road to another working week – so why not stay a while, rest your legs, and soak up some of our lovely selection of screenshots, vids and gifs? This week: moody melodies, grimy bikers, reckless taxis and a bothersome door.

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Sundays are for going for a run, drinking coffee out of doors, and looking forward to a few days respite.

For Polygon, Jay Castello spoke to trans streamers about why they need better discoverability tools within Twitch. This is a good example of how basic decisions of a platform holder can have sweeping consequences for communities.

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Doom Eternal

‘s upcoming DLC might take place in the immediate wake of the base campaign, but that doesn’t mean you’ll need to have actually played it. Arriving this October, Id Software this weekend confirmed that you’ll be able to pick up the first bit of two-part romp The Ancient Gods without having actually bought the base game, letting you jump straight into the deicidal carnage.

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It’s been a minute, eh Tunic? For as long as I’ve been paying attention, Andrew Shouldice’s sharp, foxy roll n’ slash has been hiding in the bushes. Ever-present, yet always skittering just out of sight. But while Tunic may be no closer to an eventual release, you can play a bit of it right now thanks to a free Gamescom demo.

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Some people just want to set the world on fire. Or drown it, or cover it in goblins, or unleash ruinous magicks upon the land. Such is Ruinarch, a villainous fantasy sandbox that lets you meddle in the meticulously-modeled lives of tiny hapless townsfolk. Released earlier this week on Steam early access, your devilish dabblings can be found at a discount until this coming Tuesday

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Fancy a walk in the woods, readers? Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest, a howling World Of Darkness narrative written by former Witcher devs and Wanderlust creators Different Tales, has opened its winding, text-based trails with a limited demo this weekend. Just try and stick to the paths while hiking, yeah? I hear there are beasts aplenty in the darkest depths of the forest.

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Ever wondered what it’d be like if Pokemon’s perpetually-childish heroes settled down to start a farm? Lucky for you, that’s exactly the premise of Monster Harvest. Sowing its first seeds this week, Maple Powered Games’ upcoming crop punctuates Stardew Valley‘s pastoral life sim with brutal fights between half-plant, half-animal hybrids called Planimals. Geddit?

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