HELLCARD is a co-op roguelike deckbuilder in development at Thing Trunk for release next year on Steam. This shares a setting with Book of Demons, and will be published by Bill Wang and David Brevik's Skystone Games. Here's a Teaser Trailer with a gander at what to expect. Here's the deal:

What makes HELLCARD unique and different from other card games? In the battles, monster placement actually matters and can be used to your advantage if you’re up to the strategic challenge. Your team of heroes has its own strengths and weaknesses, each with an ever-growing deck of abilities and equipment to use on the battlefield. It will take the hardiest of champions to withstand the evil hordes and defeat the Archdemon.

HELLCARD supports co-op battles with up to three heroes facing Archdemon’s hordes. In single-player mode, you can descend into the dungeons solo or recruit computer-controlled companions. In multiplayer mode, your friends or strangers can help you battle the hordes of hell.

Continue here to read the full story.

A new post on SCS Software's blog follows up on the recent reveal of the Oklahoma expansion for American Truck Simulator. This officially introduces the add-on and serves up over a dozen screenshots showing the flat brown vistas of the Sooner State. Here's word:

Dear #BestCommunityEver, you may have caught a glimpse of the following announcement at this year’s edition of Czech & Slovak Games Week, but now it is time to make it official. So, without further ado, let us show you the next step in the journey across the US states...

While Oklahoma tends to have an unfortunate reputation of being a rather arid place, sometimes it’s much better to avoid judging a book by its cover. The state is home to wonderful national parks, several natural marvels, and historical places full of mysteries and legends. And if you are looking for something more practical instead, the local road network and a strong economy will keep every trucker properly busy.

• Unreal Engine Ultimate Game Dev Assets (pay what you want and help charity).*

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

• New Poster: HBO's "The Last of Us."

• Valve's Proton 7.0-5 release brings support for 14 more games to Linux and SteamOS.

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

• World of Warcraft — Dragonflight Update Notes.

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's next-gen’s update trailer is here.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• The 30 Year History of Crystal Dynamics - Noclip Documentary. Thanks Ant.

• Pentiment to update credits, but game workers deserve better.

Thanks Console General.

• Xbox Admits PlayStation Exclusives Are ‘Better Quality.’
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Next-Gen Update Hits Xbox Series X|S on December 14.
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Omega (2211.221118-1015).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Delta (2211.221118-1015).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Beta (2211.221122-0300).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha (2302.221121-2200).
• Xbox Insider Release Notes - Alpha Skip-Ahead (2308.221120-1900).

• Elon Musk Hires PlayStation 3 Jailbreak Hacker To Fix Twitter.
• Elon Musk proposes letting nearly everyone Twitter banned back on the site.
• January's Firefox release will support Manifest V3 extensions. Thanks DSLReports via Ant.
• Amazon Plans 12-15 Annual Cinema Releases.

Thanks Neutronbeam.

• Intel Officially Introduces Pay-As-You-Go Chip Licensing.
• Apple and Elon Musk's Twitter are on a collision course. Thanks Matthew.
• Elon Musk's six rules of 'insane productivity' sent to all Twitter employees. Sanest thing we've seen from him in a while.
• Twitter Is the Elon Musk Show Now (may require registration or subscription). Thanks Matthew.
• Azure Data Studio v1.40.1. Thanks Console General.
• Plex for Windows v1.58.1.3380.
• FileZilla v3.62.2 (2022-11-22).

• Meta claims US military link to online propaganda campaign.
• These crooks have stolen millions of passwords. Here's how to avoid becoming their next victim.

• New York's Governor Kathy Hochul signs fossil fuel-based crypto mining moratorium into law.
• Congress to Hold Hearing After Ticketmaster-Taylor Swift Fiasco.

• China claims youth gaming addiction resolved…

Last Link of the Day: Elon Musk Is An Idiot (and so are Zuck and SBF) (NSFW video). Thanks Matthew.

Obituary: Wilko Johnson dead: Game of Thrones actor and Dr Feelgood star dies aged 75. Thanks Console General.

Black Friday is still a couple of days off, but GOG.com has gotten a jump on the festivities, and its Black Friday Sale* is underway as of today. This week-long sale offers over 4000 deals with discounts up to 90% off. But it's no surprise there's a 100% discount or two to be had, as that's the GOG way. Everyone is now entitled to claim a free copy of Narita Boy, Studio Koba's 2021 throwback action/platformer. This is yours to keep if you claim it by Friday, and at that point the sale will feature another giveaway, which will be Terroir. We're not sure the second freebie is intended as public knowledge, but it would be a shame for anyone to pay for it in the meantime. Here's more on the sale:

A grand sale like Black Friday requires a grand release – Europa Universalis IV (-80%) with all its DLCs (-50%) is now live on GOG, entirely DRM-free. Rule your land, build an empire and dominate the world in this classic grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive.

Now for the main dish, thousands of huge deals are waiting for you, including some of the all-time bestsellers, so make sure you check them out. Here’s a short list showing what you can expect:

• BioShock Infinite Complete Edition (-80%)*
• Mafia Trilogy (-60%)Cyberpunk 2077 (-50%)*
• Cyberpunk 2077 (-50%)*
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (-70%)*
• Steelrising (-40%)*
• SWAT 4 – Gold Edition (-50%)*
• Dying Light – The Following: Enhanced Edition (-67%)*
• POSTAL 2 (-90%)*
• Saints Row®: The Third™ Remastered (-75%)*
• Stronghold: Warlords (-75%)*
• Syberia: The World Before (-50%)*

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

A Job Listing for a Game Director, Games Studio on the Netflix Website reveals that Netflix is gearing up to develop a AAA PC game (thanks Mobilegamer via VGC). Up until now, the streaming giant's announced gaming aspirations were all in the mobile realm. The new listing shows this is about to change. It's a little vague, but there's an indication this will be a first- and/or third-person shooter. Here's are some more tea leaves to help us try and predict what will happen:

The Ideal Candidate

• At least 10 years of game design experience, including experience as a Creative Director, Game Director, or comparable design leadership role
• Shipped content that is directly the result of the candidate's work that can be reviewed - level designs, gameplay mechanics, metagame features, etc.
• Can balance innovation with what is tried and true to develop a game that can appeal to 10’s or 100’s of millions of players around the world
• Extensive experience working on live service games; Deep understanding of highly engaging content and how to deliver it
• Deeply passionate about social systems and gameplay - both cooperative and competitive
• Proven track record of delivering clear and consistent creative feedback that elevates other team members’ work
• Thrives as a member of a cross-functional multidisciplinary team
• Communicates with authenticity, intention, and curiosity
• Proven track record of empowering their lieutenants to make decisions and implement initiatives with limited oversight
• Gets excited by learning new skills, dashing to pitch in, even if this means flexing beyond this role’s core responsibilities if it can help us win
• Experience with FPS and/or Third Person Shooter games is preferred

GamesRadar+ offers a video replay of last night's Golden Joystick Awards, along with a rundown of all the winners. If this affirmation tempts you to get any or all of the winners, there's a Steam Listing with links to buy them, including a few discounts. FromSoftware is Studio of the year, and Elden Ring won four awards, including the "Ultimate Game of the Year" award, so it seems safe to deem it the big winner of the show. Here are all the honorees:

GOLDEN JOYSTICK AWARD WINNERS 2022

• Best Storytelling - Horizon Forbidden West
• Still Playing Award - Genshin Impact
• Best Visual Design - Elden Ring
• Studio of the Year - FromSoftware
• Best Game Expansion - Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
• Best Early Access Launch - Slime Rancher 2
• Best Indie Game - Cult of the Lamb
• Best Multiplayer Game - Elden Ring
• Best Audio - Metal: Hellsinger
• Best Game Trailer - Goat Simulator 3 Announcement Trailer
• Best Game Community - Final Fantasy 14
• Best Gaming Hardware - Steam Deck
• Breakthrough Award - Vampire Survivors
• Critics' Choice Award - Elden Ring
• Best Performer - Manon Gage (Marissa Marcel, Immortality)
• Nintendo Game of the Year - Pokemon Legends Arceus
• PC Game of the Year - Return to Monkey Island
• PlayStation Game of the Year - Stray
• Xbox Game of the Year - Grounded
• Most Wanted Game - Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Ultimate Game of the Year - Elden Ring

Continue here to read the full story.

• Gabe Newell says all his PC bits come from different manufacturers, and that's why PC is best.

• Bandai Namco Entertainment Black Friday Retail Sales.

• Elden Ring: The Board Game by Steamforged Games Ltd — Kickstarter.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II & Warzone 2.0 Season 01 Patch Notes.
• EVERSPACE 2 - The Ancient Rifts Update Is Out - Changelog 0.10.30110.
• World of Warcraft — Hotfixes: November 22, 2022.

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

• Half-Life mod offers new ending if you constantly hold a cardboard box. What's in the box?

• Men of War II - The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 Trailer.
• subROV Early Access Trailer.

↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.

• How to Druid - DiabLoL 2 #56 - Carbot. Thanks Rhialto.

• The Callisto Protocol: Returning to the Dead of Space - MCV/DEVELOP. Conversation with Glen Schofield.

• No Man's Sky Holiday 2022 Expeditions.

• Help Me! by Madmind Studio S.A. — Kickstarter. "A story-driven first-person horror game where you are going to unravel family secrets as you move between reality and nightmares."

• Atomic Heart is a Smart Shooter Packed Full of Surprises.

• Sony claims Xbox’s Activision deal could ‘hurt developers and lead to price rises.’
• New job listings suggest Valorant could be coming to consoles.

• 'SuperGPS' Technology Accurately Pinpoints Your Position Within Inches. Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before. Thanks Max.
• Deus Ex Go becomes unplayable in January, even if you paid for it.
• China Covid: Angry protests at giant iPhone factory in Zhengzhou.

• Zoom shares down 90% from peak as pandemic boom fades. Thanks Slashdot via Ant.
• As Elon Musk Cuts Costs at Twitter, Some Bills Are Going Unpaid (may require registration or subscription).
• Twitter reinstates US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s personal account.
• Twitch streamers slapped with DMCA strikes over Pokemon Scarlet & Violet song.
• "Andor" Season 2 Filming Now Underway.
• Tor Browser v11.5.8. Thanks Console General.

• How AMD became a chip giant, leapfrogged Intel after playing catch-up.
• Thinking about taking your computer to the repair shop? Be very afraid. Wouldn't even consider it.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X Graphics Card Replaces GDDR6 Variant.
• HP to cut up to 6,000 jobs due to falling PC demand.
• Facebook Says It Has Created A 'Human-Level' Board Game AI. So it flips the table when it loses?

• Energy firms hacked via flaws in discontinued server.
• DraftKings users lose $300,000 to credential stuffing attack. As opposed to the way they were supposed to lose.

• Evil West Review - Undead Redemption - GameSpot.

• Case: Thermaltake The Tower 500 - OCinside (German).
• CPU Cooler: Arctic A35-I35 A-RGB air coolers review - Guru3D.
• Flash Drive: Sabrent Rocket CFX Express Type-B 512GB & 1TB Memory Cards Review - TweakTown.
• Headset: Audeze LCD-5 Planar Magnetic Headphone Review - One of The Best There Is - ThePCEnthusiast.
• Keyboard: Meletrix Zoom TKL Essential Edition Review- A New Standard for Entry-Level Custom Keyboards - Tom's Hardware.
• Mini PC: Minisforum HX90G (Ryzen 9 5900HX + RX 6600M) mini PC review - Guru3D.
• Monitor: AOC Agon Pro AG274QG Review- A Competitor’s Tool With Vivid Color - Tom's Hardware.
• Monitor: Samsung Odyssey Ark Review - IGN. Thanks Neutronbeam.
• Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi Motherboard Review - ThinkComputers.org.
• NAS: TerraMaster F4-423 NAS Review - TerraMaster F4-423 NAS Review
• SSD: ADATA Legend 960 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD Review - TechPowerUp.
• SSD: Samsung 990 Pro review- a new standard of gaming speed - Rock Paper Shotgun.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we're set with most of what we need. We can pick up any last minute essentials if we think of them today, but we actually did a surprisingly thorough first shopping run, so this is not the urgent necessity it often is. If you're celebrating, here's hoping your preparations are going at least as smoothly as ours.

Smooth Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Breakfast Link

• Seasonal affective disorder can last months.
• Bruce Lee died from drinking too much water, nephrology team concludes.

Stories

• Huge horde of Celtic gold coins stolen from German museum.
• "Echo" To Lead Into New "Daredevil" Series.

Science
Thanks Acleacius.

• Expert Proposes a Method For Telling if We All Live in a Computer Program.
• One of The World's Worst Parasites May Hide an Amazing Healing Effect. Thanks Max.
• People don't mate randomly.
• Groundbreaking studies of Earth's churning oceans recognised at Australia's most prestigious science prizes this year.

Image

• The James Webb Space Telescope shows that a gas giant planet is partly cloudy.

Media

• Parallel Axis Tripteron Concept. Got them moves like Jaeger. Thanks VideoSift.
• A stunning cloudburst over Lake Millstatt, Austria captured by photographer Peter Maier. Thanks Kxmode.

Creature Features
Thanks Kxmode.

• Why is it that puppy chewing sounds are so adorable? Nom nom nom.
• Giant Honeybees protect their hive from predators with a ripple effect known as "shimmering."