It's Thirsty Thursday, which brings the chance to slake your thirst for free games as well as suggestive photos. Everyone interested now has the chance to hydrate their game libraries with two more giveaways on the Epic Games Store. Between now and next Thursday, Jitsu Squad and Mighty Fight Federation are each available for free. There are no strings attached, and either or both are yours to keep if you make with the snagging over the next seven days. After that two more freebies will arrive, which are GigaBash and Predecessor. Here's more on today's gratis games:

Jitsu Squad is a 4 player co-op beat ‘em up with fast-paced cartoony action and wacky chaotic battles! It has the accessibility and classic brawler mechanics of games like Streets of Rage and Final Fight but with the speed and intensity of fighting games such as Marvel vs. Capcom II, Dragonball FighterZ & Super Smash Bros.

Mighty Fight is a throwback to classic 3D arena fighters, but with a focus on fighting game fundamentals. Select from a roster of characters each with distinct and deep combo opportunities. Use the game's Hype mechanics to zone, evade, counter and play mind-games with your opponents. Mighty Fight combines the old with the new in a fresh competitive twist on the party-fighter genre.

A Xeet from the Destiny Team has damage control from Bungie following the launch of the Season of Wish event for Destiny 2. After some backlash, the Starter Pack was pulled from stores. This is the acknowledgement "that there are other parts of Destiny 2 that new players should want to dive into first," and that this pack was "not something bringing joy." Here's more:

Hey everyone, we launched Season of the Wish yesterday and have been monitoring the conversation around what you’ve been enjoying and what you haven’t. We’ll start things off with the Starter Pack, which is not something bringing joy.

Which is why we’ve pulled it from stores.

We’ve heard your concerns and agreed that there are other parts of Destiny 2 that new players should want to dive into first before chasing these Exotic weapons, cosmetics, and upgrade materials.

Publisher Graffiti Games and developer Snoozy Kazoo announce Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, is arriving on PC and consoles on January 18, 2024. This action/adventure is the sequel to Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. This is the proper way to build your life of crime, since bank robbers need to launder money (after all, taxes were famously Al Capone's downfall). In this comedic roguelite, Turnip Boy teams up with the Pickle Gang to pull off what's described as the weirdest heist of all time (You son of a bitch! I'm in!). Here's a Coming Soon Trailer along with some details:

In Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, you'll need more than just your average garden tools to get the job done. Buy wacky items like a diamond pickaxe, C4 and a cardboard box on the dark web to help you achieve the perfect heist. But robbing banks won’t be a carrot cakewalk – you'll have to survive intense shootouts with security guards and elite veggie swat teams to secure your harvest and keep on thieving! Who knew turnips could be so dangerous?

KEY FEATURES

• A thrilling, single-player adventure full of high-stakes bank robbing, dark web browsing, and furious fuzz fighting!
• A big ol’ bank to explore and loot, with roguelite elements to turnip the action.
• Take on the authorities in intense shootouts with tons of wacky weapons.
• Meet a cornucopia of quirky food-based characters, including some familiar faces, plus new citizens with their own stories and problems.
• Earn collectible hats to wear and cassettes with new banger tracks to blast.
• Discover the deeper history of Turnip Boy’s world and peel back the layers of how it became what it is.

Continue here to read the full story.

Truck & Logistics Simulator has rolled out of Early Access, and is now officially available for Windows on Steam, offering a transportation game with a self-explanatory title. This also marks the game's debut on consoles, so a Console Edition Trailer accompanies the news. Here's more on this chance to get behind the wheel of a big rig and put the hammer down:

Manage a fledgling logistics company with a handful of forklifts to its name on an immersive journey to transform it into an industry titan. Tackle missions and challenges to fund the acquisition of everything from delivery vans to heavy trucks. Master over 30 vehicles, each with realistic physics and damage systems, as well as fully detailed interiors, while facing multi-step delivery missions where the right vehicle is the key to success.

Use profits from completed jobs to customize each vehicle in the fleet to match personal preference or address specific mission parameters. Load up vans and trucks with precious cargo and travel to the delivery point, avoiding speed cameras and police patrols on the lookout for reckless drivers eager to cut corners and expedite deliveries. Learn the intricacies of each vehicle with steering wheel support on PC and consoles for added immersion.

Continue here to read the full story.

A Steam Listing is online for a War of the Worlds game that's so far gone unmentioned here (thanks RedEye9). This is an open-world survival game based on The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells' sci-fi novel about an invasion from Mars. This will debut in Early Access, but does not yet have a release window. But there is a recent Survival & Exterminator Gameplay Trailer showing off almost 30 minutes of "pre-alpha" footage. This post has timestamps and notes that closed testing is available for through Patreon. Here's a description of the game:

War of The Worlds is a hardcore horror survival game that throws you into the extermination of man kind. Survive a week in an open world while avoiding giant alien machines that will exterminate you on sight. Avoid demise from dehydration or starving by scavenging and looting for food, resources and other tools to aid your survival in an alien invasion apocalypse. Watch the military's measly attempts to fights back. Commandeer military vehicles to fight back. The extraterrestrials are not the only threat. Other humans may try to rob you from your resources, vehicle or your life. Multiplayer delivers a unique experience allowing you to pick a side, humans or aliens. As the aliens, your goal is to exterminate all humans, harvest their blood, and fertilize the earth with it. As team humans, your goal is to be the last man or group standing and out live the aliens long enough to fight back and find a way to bring them down. Will you survive the war?

Continue here to read the full story.

Pixel Cafe is now available for Windows and consoles, offering an arcade time management sim with pixel art graphics and a protagonist named Pixel. This is a familiar formula, but Baltoro Games promises a "one-of-a-kind journey." The PC edition is on Steam with a 10% launch discount and a playable demo to sample for free. Here's the release trailer with a look along with more details:

Meet Pixel, a small-town barista with a big story to share. Living in her grandparent’s home in Karstok, Pixel works in diners across the city, serving specialty drinks and meals to her happy customers. Each cafe across Karstok provides a different ambiance, different recipes, and different employers; as Pixel spends more time behind the counter, she begins to better understand the place she calls home.

Experience Pixel Cafe’s eclectic diner scene and use your earnings to upgrade your space. Access your weekly schedule so you never miss a shift at Pixel Cafe’s ten unique restaurants, each with a new management team and specialty dishes! Once it’s time to clock out, spend time unwinding after your workday by purchasing furniture for your new house and creating your dream home! Ready to turn up the heat? Test your culinary expertise in any of the game’s 50 Nightmarish levels; from beginner baristas to super-human sous chefs, Pixel Cafe serves something for everyone!

Continue here to read the full story.

Time Walker: Dark World is now officially available for Windows on Steam, offering a free-to-play roguelike auto-battler from indie developer Heartfun and Chinese publisher 2P Games. The Official Launch Trailer takes a look at the game's throwback art and the current state of gameplay following 14 months of Early Access. Here's more:

Time Walker: Dark Lord is a pixel art based roguelike auto-battler where you get to pick four heroes that you take into battle against the Dark Lord and his army of subordinates and minions. Featuring a wide variety of skills which are not class-bound, the game allows you maximum customization in terms of playing the game how you want and building your skill set and weaponry to your preferences as you battle your way through the hordes of enemies. Want to play as a magic-wielding boxer? No problem. A barbarian archer? We can do that too. The possibilities are endless.

After each battle you get to loot, spending your earned combat experience to upgrade your talents and becoming even stronger to take on more formidable foes as the game goes on. Strategise and use all your buffs, potions and resources effectively to maximize your gains. With an elective difficulty system which allows you to choose which difficulty you want to play at, Time Walker allows you to choose your gaming experience.

Continue here to read the full story.

Astirian-Rae Games, Gameparic, and Games Incubator now offer signups on Steam to playtest Dracula's Castle. This upcoming tactical/RPG allows players to play as the vampire lord, terrorizing the countryside while also experiencing some of the bureaucratic side of the job. There's a request access button, but word is that all requests will be granted, and applicants will soon receive notification of when testing begins. The most recent trailer is from last year, but these details are fresh out of the oven:

In Dracula's Castle, players assume the role of Count Dracula, the enigmatic ruler of Wallachia, as they embark on a journey to manage the Transylvanian noble's dark domain. The game offers a unique blend of strategy and dark fantasy. Playtest are now open for registration and everyone can sign up now on Steam.

Dracula's Castle invites you to play as the infamous ruler of Wallachia, the Vampire King, Count Dracula! Manage the Transylvanian noble's dark domain by recruiting minions and expanding the castle.

Continue here to read the full story.

• Regional pricing in games distribution is still necessary – here is why.

Official patches.

• Disney Speedstorm - Disney Speedstorm Community Pit Stop – Shop Adjustments.
• PAYDAY 3 Update 1.0.2.
• REMEDIUM Act 2 - New Content Released Today.
• The Use of Life - Misha Route Chapter 4 Update Out Now.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: November 29, 2023.
• Xbox App [2312.1001.11.0].

• Far Cry 6, SteamWorld Build, and Both Remnant Games Head To Game Pass This Month.

• Resident Evil 4 VR Mode out Dec 8, standalone PS VR2 gameplay demo available same day.
• Terra Alia VR on the META store (trailer).
• UBOAT: The Silent Wolf - Release date trailer - November 30, 2023.

Official trailers.

• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Behind The Music.
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden - The Weight of Consequences (ft. Amaka Okafor & Russ Bain).
• Season 1 Launch Trailer - Call of Duty- Modern Warfare III & Warzone.
• For Honor - Content Of The Week - 30 November.
• Murder On The Orient Express – Accolades Trailer.
• Once Human- Official Closed Beta Test Trailer.
• PAYDAY 3- Legacy Heists Release Trailer.
• Slay the Princess Accolades Trailer.
• Wartales, Pirates of Belerion - TEASER.

• There's still hope for the future of this 42 year old RPG series, despite its brush with NFTs - PC Gamer.

• Riot Games to establish new EMEA esports arena.

• Tune in to REDstreams to learn more about Update 2.1 for Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty.

• Snail Games Unleashes ARK- Survival Ascended on PlayStation®5 - Cross-Platform Gameplay and 250+ Mods Await.
• Luto - Demo available on PS5 (video).
• Steam update teases Elden Ring DLC news for PS5 and Xbox players.
• Turn Your Controller Into a Command Center – Introducing Turtle Beach’s Groundbreaking Designed for Xbox Stealth Ultra Wireless Controller.
• Free Play Days – Rainbow Six Siege, Dead by Daylight, DriftCE and Hell Let Loose.
• Nintendo Download: Dark Heroes.

• App Store Awards 2023.

• Weird Al Disses Spotify In Year-End Video Fan Message On Spotify.
• X CEO addresses Musk’s 'go f*** yourself' comment to advertisers. Thanks Matthew.
• Mozilla Firefox 120.0.1, See All New Features, Updates and Fixes. Thanks Frans.
• Google agrees to pay publishers in Canada and drops plans for blocking news. Thanks Max.
• Inactive Google accounts to be deleted from Friday.
• Jezebel acquired by Paste Magazine. Thanks Acleacius.
• Disney+ Now Offers a Ton of Perks For Subscribers for the Holiday Season.

Thanks Console General.

• NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Believes That The US Needs "Decades" For Chip Supply Chain Independence.
• PC gamers in China to get new RTX 4090 cards after all, just not the versions they might have hoped for.
• Sam Altman officially back as OpenAI CEO- “We didn’t lose a single employee.”
• Triumphant OpenAI CEO spends a whole interview dodging questions about why he was fired like he's in The Matrix.
• Hard drive prices could go up significantly after the rumored 'collapse' of key player — paving the way for growing SSD domination in the storage market.
• Disney CEO Iger promises 2026 exit, says ABC not for sale.
• Yes, you can have too many CPU cores - Ampere's 192-core chips break ARM64 Linux kernel in two-socket systems.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23595 (Dev Channel) - Windows Insider Blog.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26002 (Canary Channel) - Windows Insider Blog.
• AMD Radeon RX 460 reportedly runs Portal and Minecraft on Raspberry Pi 5.

• OpenAI’s Custom Chatbots Are Leaking Their Secrets (may require registration or subscription).
• Google issues an emergency update to fix yet another zero-day exploit for Chrome. Here's what to know.
• Black Basta ransomware group generates $100M+ since 2022.
• Dollar Tree confirms significant data breach. I'd breach that for a dollar!

• Judge orders Epic, Google to hold settlement talks. Settle down you two!
• Amazon, Google and other tech giants pledge action on fraud.
• US lawmakers put Chinese LiDAR on NatSec radar.

• Berzerk: Recharged - Christ Centered Gamer.
• Robocop: Rogue City - Fully Ramblomatic (NSFW video). Thanks The Flying Penguin.

• Graphics Card: Asus Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti SSD OC Edition with M.2 Slot - Guru3D.
• Headset/Earbuds: Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed Wireless Gaming Headset Review.
• Headset/Earbuds: ThieAudio Monarch MKIII In-Ear Monitors Review - TechPowerUp.

That fake me on Twitch eventually got banned yesterday. Thank you to those who also reported it, I'm sure that helped get this cleared up. I've also had to report accounts on Facebook for impersonating a cousin not once, but twice in the past two days. She's had the same thing happen in the past, so I've warned her she seems to have a fox in the henhouse of her friends list. It's like the wild west out there!

Obituary: Shane MacGowan, Pogues Singer and Poet, Dead at 65. Thanks Acleacius.
Obituary: Frances Sternhagen, who played Bunny MacDougal on ‘Sex and the City,’ dead at 93.
Obituary: American diplomat Henry Kissinger dies at 100.

Wild Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• How to get someone out of a cult – and what happens afterwards. Thanks Acleacius.

Stories

• 2023 set to be hottest year on record: United Nations. Thanks Acleacius.
• Ohio Supreme Court suspends attorney over dropping poop filled can. Thanks Boing Boing.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Innovative wireless light switch could cut house wiring costs in half.
• The 'longevity bottleneck' hypothesis- Research suggests that dinosaurs may have influenced how human beings age.

Media
Thanks RedEye9.

• True Facts: The Science of Real-Life SuperPowers.
• I FOUND THE WRECKED LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH FROM THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.

Follow-up

• Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of ‘ultimate partnership betrayal’ in plan to sell stake in business.

The Funnies

• Brevity.

Endnight Games announces release plans for Sons of the Forest, saying the open-world survival/horror game officially launches on February 22, 2024, almost a year to the day since it entered Early Access. The announcement includes word on an update tomorrow and more of what will happen between now and version 1.0:

Today we are announcing that Sons Of The Forest v1.0 will release February 22, 2024 after 1 year in Early Access.

We are also excited to announce Shawn Ashmore has joined the cast and will be voicing Timmy as we expand his role in the game and story. In addition to story updates, new features and polish, v1.0 will also include the final ??? piece.

After tomorrows patch, we will continue to release hotfixes as needed, but the team will be focused on the bigger content release for v1.0.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us so far in this Early Access journey, we are really excited for what we have in store for the v1.0 release and beyond.

Orten Was The Case is now available on the Epic Games Store and Steam for Windows as well as for consoles, offering a time-looping detective adventure where you must solve puzzles and avert a global catastrophe. Credited to Woodhill Interactive, word is this was "developed with love and passion over the last decade by Oskar Thuresson." That passion is seen in the Launch Trailer, which reveals a distinctive visual style, and there's a playable demo on Steam to sample firsthand. Here's more:

Ziggy wakes up one day with a strange mark on his hand, clueless about what happened the night before. After a couple of minutes lost amongst the familiar streets of his suburb, Orten, an explosion brings him back exactly where he woke up moments before… He’s stuck in a time loop.

With no shoes or recollection of the past, he goes on a mission to discover what the hell is going on and how to avoid the destruction of his city. This won’t be easy though, cause the more he snoops in the wrong places, the more he learns that his hometown has a lot of secrets hidden. His weird neighbors become weirder, and he can only rely on his friends, and on his highly reliable brain.

Continue here to read the full story.

Inflexion Games announces Nightingale is still on track for its latest release date of February 22, 2024, saying a server stress test early next year will pave the way for the launch of the survival game. It will also come to the Epic Games Store, but the stress test will only be on Steam, where you can now register to participate. Word is: "This stress test is completely separate from any previous playtesting you may have been a part of. If you previously completed a playtesting survey or received playtesting keys, they WILL NOT grant you access to the stress test. You must sign up for the playtest on our Steam page to ensure you’re eligible." Here's a refresher on the game:

Nightingale is a PVE open-world survival crafting game played solo or cooperatively with friends. Build, craft, fight and explore as you venture through mystical portals into a variety of amazing and fantastical realms.

You are stranded beyond our world, cut off by the collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophe has left you fighting to survive in a labyrinth of beautiful and dangerous Fae realms.

Your goal: become a skilled Realmwalker, and navigate the web of transdimensional portals. Only then can you discover your way to the magical city of Nightingale, the last known bastion of humanity.

Publisher Toplitz Productions and developer Mehuman Games announce Vampire Dynasty, a dark fantasy installment in the Dynasty series coming to Early Access on Steam in 2024. The new game will leave behind the real-world locales of its forebears and take players to the fictional Balkan setting of Sangavia, an open world where you can stalk the nights alone, or with up to three other players in co-op. Here's a Cinematic Trailer along with some details:

For the first time in the Dynasty franchise history, the premise leaves historical references behind and blends open world exploration, fantasy horror action and a branching story set against the backdrop of the fictitious Balkan area of Sangavia.
As a surviving victim of a vampire attack, you will not only have to learn to utilize your newfound abilities but also find a place in a society where vampires are at the top of the food chain.

To ensure the advancement of your vampire clan, you can either go solo or team up with up to three more players in co-op mode and explore the rich game world, uncover its secrets, fight against vampire hunters as well as build a keep as a testament to your eternal reign.

Continue here to read the full story.

Valve announces that as of February 15, 2024, Steam will end support for macOS 10.13 and 10.14. After that, Steam will no longer receive updates or support for those operating systems, and Valve cannot guarantee things will continue to function on them after that. There's more Steam news for macOS, as support is ending for 32-bit macOS games, and there is a strong recommendation that affected users upgrade to a more recent version of macOS to continue to receive proper support. Here's a bit:

Unfortunately, macOS 10.14 was the last version to support running 32-bit games on macOS. Since Apple chose to drop support for 32-bit games and applications in macOS 10.15 (released 2019), and since many developers have not updated their games to support 64-bit executables, some games will effectively stop functioning on macOS. The Steam store will stop considering games that offer only 32-bit macOS binaries to be Mac compatible before the end of 2023. For the 98%+ of macOS users already running macOS 10.15 or newer, 32-bit only games and applications have already stopped running.

In order to ensure continued operation of Steam and any 64-bit supporting games or other products purchased through Steam, users on these older versions should update to a more recent version of macOS. We expect the Steam client and games on these older operating systems to continue running for some time without updates after February 15th, 2024, but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date.

• Fight T1D With JRPGs! (pay what you want and help charity).*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Embracer lays off 50 more employees and may soon close resurrected TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design, yet its CEO and board of directors still have their jobs and were 'discharged from liability for the financial year.'

• Game Awards Honorees Demand Ceremony Acknowledge Palestine.

• SpongeBob SquarePants Karate Chops into Brawlhalla.

• Counter-Strike- Condition Zero - November 29, 2023 Update.
• Hearthstone 28.0.3 Patch Notes.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• TIE Fighter Total Conversion version 1.3.4.

• Uncovered EA patent would use AI to replace professional voice actors with (fake) you.

• Get Ready for Chessarama on Xbox with a Chance to Win a Board Signed by Four Chess Legends.

• PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for December- Lego 2K Drive, Powerwash Simulator, Sable.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2402.231127-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2408.231127-2000).

• EVs have 79% more reliability problems than gas cars, says Consumer Reports.
• GM Slashes Spending on Robotaxi Unit Cruise, a Setback for Driverless Cars (may require registration or subscription).

• Elon Musk on X antisemitism controversy: “Don’t advertise. Go f*** yourself.”
• Go on a Psychedelic Journey of the Internet's Growth and Evolution (may require registration or subscription).

• Google’s DeepMind finds 2.2M crystal structures in materials science win.
• Apple pays Arm less than 30 cents per chip in royalties, new report says.

• Okta- Breach Affected All Customer Support Users.
• US investigates water system cyberattack linked to Iran crew.

• The CEOs of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord will testify before the US Senate on child safety.
• Crypto Started With Grand Dreams, Then Backroom Deals. Now It’s Mired in Lawsuits (may require registration or subscription).

Last Link of the Day: Police chase of truck towing house. I totally thought he was going to get away. Thanks Boing Boing.

The TRIBES 3: Rivals Website now offers signups for playtesting of a planned new installment in the Tribes series of first-person shooters. The registration process is different from the Google Doc form we reported on Monday. Since the description of this process made it sound like a moving target, it might be prudent to sign up again if you're interested, in case the new form supersedes the old one. Applicants must be at least 16 years old and agree to the terms of service. And though there are checkboxes for PlayStation and Xbox, PC is the only platform being tested. If the original plan holds true, keys should be distributed later today to those who are accepted. For more on the game, there's a preview on IGN along with a Gameplay Trailer and some details like the following:

Rivals is a team-based shooter that includes jetpacks, skiing, and class-based warfare. You fight to capture the enemy team’s flag while defending your own, with a number of classes (light, medium, and heavy) available to choose from, each with abilities, perks, and weapon loadouts. The high-speed movement revolves around the use of jetpack flight and ‘skiing’, which lets you get about the huge maps quickly.

Prophecy Games said Tribes 3 is currently a 5v5 game, but it is considering other game mode sizes depending on feedback. There are also plans to support other game modes, such as time trials. Vehicles will be available in the future, but not in the early stages of testing. Tribes 3 will support custom matches, custom game modes, and user generated content in a phased approach.

Continue here to read the full story.

Early Access is now underway for Wizordum on GOG.com* and Steam, offering Windows gamers a throwback first-person shooter from Emberheart Games and Apogee Entertainment. The game's decidedly retro graphics and gameplay are on display in the Early Access Trailer and there's a playable demo on both GOG.com and Steam. Here's the pitch:

The Ancient Seal of Terrabruma has shattered, unleashing the forces of Chaos once more. As one of the last Mages of Wizordum sanctuary, you must embark on a quest to find the source of this corruption and push the Chaos back before they consume the kingdom in a speedrun-friendly fantasy FPS tearing a page from the spellbooks of ‘90s fantasy FPS classics like Hexen and Heretic.

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item. Continue here to read the full story.

A few posts on Xitter confirm recently revealed plans for a Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition, a celebration of the 20 years since the release of the original, rather than the seven years since the sequel was announced. As unusual as it is for anything about this series to arrive early, word is the announcement was premature, but it includes a confirmation that we can expect the Beyond Good and Evil 20th Anniversary Edition next year:

Well, looks like the cat’s out of the bag, dagnammit. Happy 20th anniversary to Beyond Good & Evil! While we cannot wait to show you more about this special edition, more news to come in early 2024!

An early development version of Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition was recently released to some Ubisoft+ subscribers by mistake. We apologize for any confusion and want to assure our community that this version is not indicative of the final game.

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Beyond Good & Evil, our commitment to delivering a game that meets the high expectations of our fans is unwavering.

We're excited to announce that the official launch is set for early 2024, and we're dedicated to making it an experience that truly honors the legacy of the original. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Forest Grove has sprouted, and this first-person puzzle game from Miga Games and Blowfish Studios is now available for Windows with a 20% launch discount on the Epic Games Store and Steam. Also available for consoles, this features the classic MacGuffin of the missing heiress, whose disappearance you must investigate. You'll do this with the aid of your trusty Nanodeck, because you work for the Remote Forensic Bureau (which sounds like the ultimate evolution of true crime podcasts), allowing you to investigate the crime without visiting the crime scene. The Launch Trailer shows this high-tech virtual sleuthing in action, and here are more details:

The elite Forest Grove investigation team known as the Remote Forensic Bureau (RFB) must tackle its most daunting case yet, after local tech heiress Zooey Kunstmatigaard is reported missing. Armed with the latest in crime analysis technology, search for clues and solve perplexing puzzles to ensure Zooey’s eagerly awaited return, one way or the other.

Inspect a virtual Nanodeck recreation of Kunstmatigaard’s grandiose Victorian manor, meticulously analyzing room after room in search of clues. Decipher complex puzzles and examine digital recreations of key conversations, while cross-referencing other evidence for any irregularities.

Continue here to read the full story.

Early Access to Cross Blitz is now underway on Steam, offering the first chance to experience the turn-based combat in this Windows deckbuilding RPG. The Early Access Release Date Trailer looks at the game in action. Here's a bit on the game, which carries a 10% launch discount:

Within Cross Blitz’s two ‘Fables’ storylines arriving today, join the fearless pirate Redcroft as he strikes a deal to win back his stolen freedom from a merciless princess, or aid the famous pop-star Violet in her search for an artifact to stop the evil escapades of a mysterious doppelganger hijacking her stardom. During each hero's adventure, you’ll explore a variety of distinct locations and meet a wide array of colorful characters, all while unlocking a wealth of new cards, abilities and relics. Use your treasure trove of strategic tools to craft the perfect deck that suits your preferred playstyle.

In the roguelite 'Tusk Tales' mode, face an endless challenge featuring five different playable mercenaries with seven different bosses to conquer, each with their own unique decks and relics. The challenges and possibilities in 'Tusk Tales' are endless – with new foes, cards, trinkets, and more to encounter on each randomized run. And completing a run is just the beginning, as you'll upgrade your characters to suit your preferred strategies and unlock new mercenaries with entirely unique starting cards. Shape your own adventure across randomized maps, while making important moment-to-moment choices as you craft an unstoppable deck.

Continue here to read the full story.

Gameparic and Hobo Bunch have launched playtesting on Steam for El Dorado: The Golden City Builder - Prologue, a preview of El Dorado: The Golden City Builder, an upcoming strategy game where you rule a tribe in the Americas seeking favor by creating the city of El Dorado. This test is separate from the playable demo, which is still available on Steam. The plot here is an odd blend, as it plays into the myth that the conquistadors believed about a city built from gold, which brought about peaceful missions to politely ask natives where it might be found. But in the game, the gold and city are real, as are the gods, who watch over your every move. You can now request access to the test and see how this all works. Here's word:

El Dorado: The Golden City Builder is a strategy city-building game in which you plan, build, and develop your settlement to conquer Jukatan and earn the title of The Golden City. Become a leader, whom even Gods will bow to. Offer sacrifices to the Gods to earn their favor, but beware and don’t lose yourself in your riches.

The Playtest will be available in 13 languages - English, Spanish - Spain, Simplified Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish.

• MW2019 dev claims Zombies mode was scrapped by Activision.

• After the cancellation of Hyenas, Creative Assembly will hone in on RTS games.
• Planet Coaster developer Frontier refocusing on sims after low sales of Warhammer RTS.

• Hack & Slash Sale – time for some good old slaying and looting with games on discounts up to -90% - GOG.com.*

*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.

• Roughly 6,500 video game workers have been laid off globally since January.
• Unity Software to cut 3.8% of staff in 'company reset.' Thanks Max.

• Hunt- Showdown -- Update 1.14.1.
• World of Warcraft Hotfixes: November 28, 2023.

↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.

• Diablo 2 Remake Demo in Unreal Engine 5 Available for Download.
• Starfield gets a 4K Texture Pack that improves all spaceships.

• Ark- Survival Ascended Dev Pulls Windows PC Version From PVP Crossplay Over Rampant Cheating. Cheating is one thing. But rampant cheating…
• PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Weekly Bans Notice (11-20~11-26).

• Cyberpunk 2077 — Night City Archives - Episode 1- A Brief History of Night City.
• TEKKEN 8 - Steve Fox Reveal & Gameplay Trailer.
• Winter Survival – Official Cinematic Trailer.
• Let's Talk Early Access and Linkedin... - Chet Faliszek.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• Arcanum As A Windows 10 App - Timothy Cain.
• Stealing teammates loot in games - Viva La Dirt League. Thanks Ant.

• Atari's re-focus on retro - GamesIndustry.biz.
• How Composer Inon Zur Created the Soul of Starfield in Just Six Musical Notes - Xbox Wire.
• GOG Interview- Ziggurat Interactive talks about Slave Zero X – their much anticipated 2.5D character action game! - GOG.com.

• UModeler Initiates Global Free Open Beta Test for Real-Time 3D Asset Creation Service 'UModeler X.'

• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora AMD Graphics Contest.

• Gamescom Latam launching in 2024, merging with BIG Festival.

• Gothic II Complete Classic - Nintendo Switch Release Trailer.
• Fatal Run - Limited Edition – Atari 2600 cartridge preorders. Party like it's 1979.

• YouTube’s Playables games are now available for Premium subscribers. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• Gillette Gaming launches new creative concept, Hit Reset with Gillette, to encourage and inspire gamers and fans worldwide.
• They Might Be Giants currently offering a free download of their 2004 live album, "Almanac."
• Amouranth Drops $17 Million On Orchard To ‘Overtake’ Bill Gates. She's beautiful, she's rich, she's got huge tracts of land.

Thanks Ant.

• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.2776 (Beta Channel). Thanks Console General.
• Download Microsoft's new Windows XP Bliss wallpapers for mobile, desktop, or Teams.
• Microsoft goes back to Windows XP for this holiday season's ugly sweater -- here's how you can get one.
• Every Bitcoin payment 'uses a swimming pool of water.'

• India’s CERT exempted from freedom of information laws. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1bn lawsuit over Binance ads.

• Irem made WAY more than just R-Type! - Retro Ramble (video).

• Laptop: Razer Blade 14 (2023) Gaming Laptop - TweakTown.
• RAM: Neo Forza MK5 DDR5-6000 96 GB CL40 Review - TechPowerUp.
• SSD: PNY CS3150 XLR8 2 TB RGB Review - Finally a Gen 5 SSD with Fan-Stop - TechPowerUp.

I got a note yesterday from someone who was offered coverage here by someone on Twitch claiming to be me. They forwarded a chat showing this impersonator demanded money in exchange for promoting a game. The fake Blue's News account is using our logos and the bio says the owner is El Presidente for Life, so this is more than just a superficial effort. And the pitch is devious, as rather than promising a post here on the website, it was for an email campaign, presumably to explain why coverage a victim might buy won't actually appear in a story here. I refer to this in the present tense, because as of now the profile remains active despite my report. It should be apparent that something's fishy, since the account has never streamed on Twitch, but has a tidy 7.5K followers, which were presumably purchased. I expressed to Twitch my dismay at how damaging this scammer could be to this site and my reputation, and included the information to verify my claims. So I'm angry that this is still going on. I guess the next step would be to lawyer up, but this shouldn't have to come to that. If anyone has a connection at Twitch to drag into the matter or other ideas of how to escalate my report, I'm eager for suggestions.

To be clear, we've never taken a dime or any other consideration in exchange for coverage, and there has never been any advertising that wasn't clearly just ads. And these ads are brokered by a third-party as an intentional firewall between advertising and our editorial decisions. We don't do advertorials, infographics, three-way link exchanges, back-link placements, or any of the other sketchy stuff so common on the internet. All income for the site comes from these third-party ads, clearly marked affiliate links, and the generous support of our backers.

Obituary: Novelist Tim Dorsey, who mixed comedy and murder in his Serge A. Storms stories, dies at 62.
Obituary: Charlie Munger, the 'Oracle of Pasadena' who was Buffett's second-in-command.

Scammed-up Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Science
Thanks Max.

• Unwrapping Uranus and its icy secrets- What NASA would learn from a mission to a wild world. Thanks Acleacius.
• Scientists discover master regulator gene for fat storage.
• Electricity Seen Flowing Like Liquid in Strange Metals.
• Lilly's Mounjaro leads to more and faster weight loss than Novo obesity drug, data analysis finds.

Media

• Traffic cone RC Car prank.
• Funniest Airport Prank. Practical joke with German precision. Thanks RedEye9.

Creature Features

• Abandoned Rooster Jumps Into Couple's Truck And Goes Home With Them. Cocky fellow. Thanks RedEye9.

Follow-up

• Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 27 years in prison for nearly 2 dozen state financial crimes.