8 h. ago We know that cosy games have big audiences – so where’s my epic Call the Midwife sim?

In a world overwhelmed by noise and with more players looking for solace, it’s time the triple-A developers pay attentionI am 85 hours into Death Stranding 2, an apocalyptic nightmare about Earth becoming infected with death monsters, and I’ve realised that I’m playing it as a cosy game. For hours at a time, I trundle along the photorealistic landscapes in my pick-up truck, delivering parcels to isolated communities and building new roads. The only reason I complete the main story missions is to open new areas of the map so that I can meet new people and build more roads. I find it blissfully enjoyable.Of course, I am far from alone in playing video games this way. “Cosy games” have become a thriving cottage industry over the past five years, led by crossover successes such as Minecraft, Stardew Valley and Untitled Goose Game, but also housing hundreds of smaller titles that appeal to highly engaged communities. On Steam this month you’ll discover Catto’s Post Office, a delightful g...

Events

19 h. ago Scammers accused of stealing $5 million from hundreds of seniors by posing as their grandkids in distress

Nine of the defendants are in custody while four remain at large, authorities say

Economics

33 h. ago Punchdrunk's new live action video game is searching for early access players

Everything to know about how to become a part of this IRL multiplayer stealth survival game set in space

Sport

38 h. ago Groundbreaking study reveals whales and dolphins regularly play with each other

Researchers say findings can lay foundation for future studies into complex social structures of marine ecosystems

Politics

54 h. ago Spanish press issue telling Marcus Rashford verdict after 'miss of the season' – 'Left me cold'

Spanish media outlets have been tearing into Marcus Rashford after the England international squandered a golden opportunity for Barcelona in a pre-season game at the weekend

Politics

56 h. ago Liverpool to release heartbreaking Diogo Jota footage filmed shortly before death

Liverpool will release a never before seen clip of Diogo Jota as part of an in-club video of their players recounting their Premier League winning campaign

Events

56 h. ago Diogo Jota's heartbreaking message in Liverpool interview filmed shortly before death

Liverpool will release an in-club video of their players casting their eye over their Premier League winning campaign with Diogo Jota featuring as never before seen clips are shown

Events

5 d. ago Ed Sheeran reunites with Rupert Grint for ‘bonkers’ new music video, 14 years after ‘Lego House’ collab

Ed Sheeran has teamed up again with Rupert Grint for a new music video, reprising the same character he played 14 years ago in visuals for the singer’s hit “Lego House”.

Culture

5 d. ago The WNBA’s sex toy epidemic is Skibidi brainrot writ large. Trolling has replaced meaning with noise | Lee Escobedo

The trolling of WNBA games isn’t just juvenile spectacle. It’s the logical endpoint of a culture fluent in irony, addicted to attention and hollowed out by meaninglessnessThe first dildo dropped from the sky like a glitch in the matrix. For anyone tuned in to the 29 July game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries, the initial reaction was disbelief. In a world where feeds are increasingly AI-generated and algorithmically tuned for confusion, the boundaries between real and unreal have softened into clay. Our senses, once reliable, now compete with simulation. What does it mean when dildos become airborne at WNBA games? Not once, not twice, but repeatedly? Protest? Performance art? Or just another malformed blip in the automated dreamscape we scroll through daily?Two men have been arrested thus far in these grotesque affronts. One was 18, the other 23, part of Gen Z, the prime consumer of debased meme culture. Authorities have not identified suspects in the most recent...

Politics

7 d. ago Video shows German war bombs being blown up in Welsh playing field

Police were called to Penarth and three unexploded devices were blown up

Events

7 d. ago Michael Owen releases video of Brighton players celebrating Glorious Goodwood victory

Seagulls Eleven, who is owned by a syndicate of current and former member of the Premier League team, scored at Group 3 level for the first time

Sport

7 d. ago Forever young? I’m another year older but I’ll never stop playing games

My love for video games has never wavered, I have no intention of growing up and moving onIt is my birthday this week. And while that may not sound like a worthy subject for Pushing Buttons, bear with me.I am now 54 – and so officially in my mid-50s – and I still write about video games for a living. I play video games every day; I work in a home office where I’m surrounded by video games. When I’m not playing them, I’m probably thinking about them. But at times like this, I think: maybe should I stop someday? Is there an upper limit on how long someone can do games journalism? Certainly I only know of a handful of people my age who are still writing about games on a full-time basis. Some of my friends outside the industry still play games, but usually only one or two a year – EA Sports FC, maybe, the latest blockbusting narrative adventure, Nintendo with the kids. If you’re not careful, life has a way of shepherding you away from your interests. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Sir Rod Stewart slammed for 'tacky' and 'out of touch' AI tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Sir Rod Stewart has sparked backlash after playing an AI‑generated video of Ozzy Osbourne “in heaven” with deceased music icons during his recent concerts

Events

3 w. ago Senior Monk accused of 'embezzling temple donations and romantic relationship'

A senior monk is being investigated for allegedly misusing millions of baht worth of temple donations and accused of being entangled in an inappropriate romantic affair with a woman

Politics

3 w. ago 'You're my Wonderwall!': Oasis fans ignore security and climb barrier to try and see band play gig at Heaton Park

Oasis fans climbed the newly erected fence on "Gallagher hill" so they can catch a glimpse of Oasis from the Hill when they play at Heaton Park this evening.

Events

last month Cuomo vows to stay in NYC mayor race despite losing Democratic primary to Mamdani: ‘I’m in it to win it’

The former governor promises to ‘hit the streets’ in social media video taking a page from Mamdani’s playbook

Politics

last month Gaming in their golden years: why millions of seniors are playing video games

Adults over the age of 50 represent nearly a third of US gamers and are becoming more visible in the mainstreamMichelle Statham’s preferred game is Call of Duty. It’s fast and frenetic, involving military and espionage campaigns inspired by real history. She typically spends six hours a day livestreaming to Twitch, chatting to her more than 110,000 followers from her home in Washington state. She boasts about how she’ll beat opponents, and says “bless your heart” while hurtling over rooftops to avoid clusterstrikes of enemy fire. When she’s hit, she “respawns” – or comes back to life at a checkpoint – and jumps right back into the fray.The military shooter game has a predominantly young male user base, but Statham’s Twitch handle is TacticalGramma – a nod to the 60-year-old’s two grandkids. Her lifelong gaming hobby has become an income stream (she prefers to keep her earnings private, but says she has raised “thousands” for charity), as well as a way to have fun, stay sharp and con...

Politics

last month The way a child plays is the way they live’: how therapists are using video games to help vulnerable children

Minecraft and other creative games are becoming recognised as powerful means of self-expression and mental health support, including for traumatised Ukrainian refugeesOleksii Sukhorukov’s son was 12 when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. For months, the family existed in a state of trauma and disarray: Sukhorukov was forced to give up his work in the entertainment industry, which had included virtual reality and video games; they became isolated from friends and relatives. But amid the chaos, his boy had one outlet: Minecraft. Whatever was happening outside, he’d boot up Mojang’s block-building video game and escape.“After 24 February 2022, I began to see the game in a completely different light,” says Sukhorukov. I discovered that Ukrainian children were playing together online; some living under Russian occupation, others in government-controlled areas of the country that were the targets of regular missile attacks; some had already become refugees. And yet they were still ab...

Society