1 hour ago Notorious gangster 'tired of criminal life' does strange dance as he's arrested

Jamie Rothwell, 38 was banged up for 43 years at Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to gun and drug offences - he now says he's 'tired of criminal life'

Events

3 d. ago Mandrake – the rural life sim that lets you befriend a river and eavesdrop on the dead

Failbetter’s beguiling take on country life has its comforting routines but slowly reveals a richer and stranger life than you expectWith dulcet Welsh tones, an actor bearing an uncanny aural resemblance to Michael Sheen introduces players to the world of Mandrake. The village of Chandley is “small” and “complicated”, he says warmly. “Everyone’s got their own story.” The action cuts between cosy, wooden cottages and a moss-covered forest filled with folkloric creatures. We see the protagonist, a horticulturist wizard “steeped in the green and growing arts”, returning home and tending to an abundance of vegetables. Some you’ll find in your local supermarket; others are of a decidedly more magical variety.As a rural life simulation, Mandrake is odder and more beguiling than most. It possesses the same undeniable allure as classics such as Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, inviting players to slip into the seasonal flow of crop cultivation, countryside exploration and conversations with...

Events

8 d. ago Bernband’s alien landscape is the perfect place for digital wandering – just don’t expect a map

With distinct, discrete areas that you can visit at any time, this is not a traditional open world adventure, and it resists gamification with the mantra ‘there’s no goal but to stroll’Here is poetry in the form of a game description. Bernband is “a sci-fi exploration game for people who like to wander ”. Players will be able to simply walk around a colourful and unusual world, wandering in the glow cast by streetlights and ducking beneath zigzagging overhead flags. They’ll tour hallways where strange green life grows politely in planters, and they’ll even get the chance to snooze on rattling otherworldly subway trains while hand grips – tentacle grips? – jiggle as they hang overhead. “There’s no goal but to stroll,” the game’s Steam page promises. “Where will your feet take you?”There’s something intoxicating about a game that just lets you wander. But it doesn’t mean the game itself is easy to make, of course. “Wandering [as] the main goal is quite difficult for many reasons,” say...

Politics

1 week ago Myleene Klass reveals she 'helped save a stranger's life' at Brighton Pride

Myleene Klass revealed she helped save a stranger's life while volunteering for St John Ambulance at Brighton Pride this weekend

Politics

1 week ago 'Life saver' hero dog leads stranger to two unconscious people in park

Gary Thynes was walking his dog at a park on July 29 when another canine repeatedly approached him, trying desperately to get his attention

Politics

3 w. ago A hero stranger saved my husband's life when he had a heart attack at a gas station... now he's marrying my daughter and they're expecting their second baby

It was a normal Thursday afternoon when Gary Stevens popped down to the local petrol station - and one that changed his family's lives forever.

Events

3 w. ago Winona Ryder has seen a UFO in real life and says it was a 'strange thing'

Netflix show Stranger Things has been a worldwide smash and returns for its fifth and final season at the end of this year, which will be split into three parts

Politics

3 w. ago Glasgow VFX studio celebrates supporting role in bringing The Penguin to life after Emmy recognition

Govan-based FixFX was involved in bringing Colin Farrell’s character in The Penguin to life, as well as creating effects for shows including Stranger Things and Outlander.

Politics

4 w. ago Sara Pascoe at artsdepot: a deep dive into the artist's own psyche

Sara Pascoe’s new tour, I Am A Strange Gloop, sees her tackling family life in intelligent and relatable style

Politics

4 w. ago Sara Pascoe at artsdepot: 'motherhood and marriage are not the fun she hoped for'

Sara Pascoe’s new tour, I Am A Strange Gloop, sees her tackling family life in intelligent and relatable style

Politics