Since engaging with my relatively newfound love for Walkabout Mini Golf, I've been intrigued with the prospect of trying out every new course developer Mighty Coconut creates for the game. The courses are deeply elaborate, feeling like entire slices of fantastic worlds that just happen to have minigolf courses laid into them. It is amazing how well Mighty Coconut can convey a sense of time and place with it's stylized graphical approach, and the use of some very deliberate sound cues.

The latest (37th!) course for Walkabout Mini Golf releases today, December 4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland takes the player on a tour of some of the more notable moments from Lewis Carroll's classic - and sometimes creepy - literary work. 

As players become more deeply familiar with Walkabout Mini Golf's courses, they start to notice that many of the courses have a "hook". For example, the Laser Lair uses various laser traps that can fry your ball if you mistime your shot. Upside Town plays with the player's perspective and gravity to deliver a funhouse effect. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland seizes on the book's shrinking and growing dynamic to deliver a unique and sometimes puzzling experience. 

I've had a chance to play through all 36 holes in the new course (18 easy holes and 18 hard), and I'm pleased to report that Mighty Coconut's trademark creativity is on full display here. Players will quickly recognize the characters from the book and the settings, but the golf dynamics at play are a bit more elusive until you figure out what is going on. How, for example, do you handle a situation when your ball is far to large to fit into the tiny hole?

I don't want to spoil any of the puzzles, but I will say that I recommend playing through the course the first few times just for fun, not worrying about your score until you get a handle on how to best navigate the sometimes surprising effects at play. If you find yourself wondering how the heck you are going to manage a certain shot, take a step back and reexamine the possibilities. As usual, there is likely a solution that will present itself if you mess around a little bit. 

In addition to the new course, Walkabout Mini Golf is also receiving an overall update, adding a friends list that will make it easier to connect with your buddies in-game. New course filters are also available, which will help players that don't want to continuously scroll through the entire list to get to what they are looking for - 37 courses are becoming a bit unwieldy to get through, I suppose. All of this in addition to the other recent additions and changes (you can now play Chess in-game, which Mighty Coconut seems to have added just for the fun of it). 

It's great fun to continue exploring the way Mighty Coconut fills these courses with creativity and life. I love the mini golf, but I also have a great time just exploring the worlds, poking at the corners to see what I can find. I can't want to jump into this course with the Gaming Nexus gang to watch them gasp with surprise the same way I did at certain points. We all know Alice's story, but Wonderland still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

My review for Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked went live yesterday, and while I absolutely love the game, I did reserve some minor critiques for its "Hirelings" system. Demeo is typically a four-player game but can still be greatly enjoyable played alone. Hirelings are the mechanic Battlemarked currently uses to fills out your adventure party when you play solo. To build out a party of four, you choose one of your own custom characters and then fill out the other three with "Hirelings"—which are standardized characters that don't level up. 

From my review:

My primary issue is that, while playing solo, you can only bring one of your created characters into the game. Meaning that if I choose to bring my pet rogue into a solo campaign, the other three characters I play with are “hirelings”, meaning that they don’t pick up XP or advance. My pool of created characters sits stagnant on a server somewhere while I adventure around with look-alike chumps, who never advance and get zero benefit from my adventures. I absolutely understand the reasons for this decision - every player would instantly be dropping into multiplayer with a cadre of maxed out adventurers. But the other side of the coin is that I don’t want to solo the campaigns six times to build out my stable. There has to be a middle ground somewhere between “make everyone a God” and “stupid hirelings”.

Well, one day later, it seems as though this isn't going to be an issue much longer. Demeo dev Resolution Games today announced a two-step "Hirelings Redesign," which will now allow players to fill out their single player party with their own created characters.

From Resolutions Games' Dev Update:

Phase 1 - Singleplayer

The first phase of this change will affect the singleplayer portion of the game, as this is where the basis of a lot of the feedback has come from. What we plan to do is to give players the option of filling the party with customized heroes that then gather XP and can be leveled up. 

Phase 2 - Multiplayer

Multiplayer is much more complex for this; players join, leave, rejoin, and doing that while also bringing your own heroes into the session becomes more complicated. It becomes a much larger task, both from a technical perspective, for user interface design, and overall experience for you.

This phase will be a later update so that we can properly estimate and account for potential issues with this system.

I usually avoid press and user reviews while writing a review of a game so that I don't get unduly influenced by the experiences of others; I was surprised to see that my dislike of Hirelings mechanic was so universally shared. That said, Resolution has long been a very responsive game developer, prioritizing feedback from players to deliver quick solutions to issues, so the fact that they are moving on this almost immediately doesn't surprise me a bit.

From the blog post, it seems as though Phase 1 will be ready fairly quickly, while Phase 2 will need to cook for a while due to the greater complexity of the issue. No worries at all on that from my end, I'm very happy to patiently await these updates. It's just nice to know that Resolution Games is continuing its tradition of responsiveness and care. Three cheers for the end—or at least the "redesign"—of Hirelings!

Publisher Arc Games announced today that it has reached an agreement with Embracer Group to complete a buyout of itself from the Swedish gaming conglomerate, establishing itself as an independent publisher. Arc Games will keep its existing organizational structure and leadership, including CEO Yoon Im, who said the team is excited for the next chapter in a prepared statement:

“This milestone marks a major new chapter for Arc Games,” said Yoon Im, CEO of Arc Games. “We appreciate our time being part of Embracer Group and the accomplishments achieved since the company’s inception over 15 years ago. These experiences have shaped who we are today. As an independent publisher, we are now positioned to more fully pursue our vision—collaborating with exceptional developers worldwide and bringing standout games to market. 2026 is already shaping up to be one of the most ambitious and innovative years in our history, and we are excited for what lies ahead.”

Arc Games is known for publishing AA and indie games on PC and consoles such as Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, the Remnant series, the Torchlight series, and most recently, Fellowship, some of which were published under their old name – Perfect World Entertainment. Arc Games now turns to the future, with new unannounced games on the horizon and a call for new partnerships with developers looking to bring their game to market. Let’s keep an eye on their future endeavors.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition (4e) continues its feature creep into D&D 5e. It all began when the boar showed up in the 5e 2024 Player's Handbook with the Bloodied condition. "Bloodied" simply means that a creature (player character, nonplayer character, monster, or what have you) has been knocked down to half its hit points. For the vast majority of creatures, being Bloodied is merely a narrative footnote. But for an increasing number of creatures, it's having a gameplay effect.

Take the aforementioned boar: When a boar is knocked down to half its hit points or fewer, it becomes Bloodied. When a boar is Bloodied, it begins rolling its attacks with Advantage. Having Advantage on your attacks means you roll with two 20-sided dice—instead of just one—and take the higher result. Advantage is awesome. Everybody loves it. There's never a time when you don't want Advantage. Unless you're volunteering to fail a Saving Throw or Ability Check, etc., and that's a whole other situation.

Suffice it to say, when that boar becomes Bloodied, it gets nasty. 

Now, thanks to the Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun player expansion, there's a general Feat you can select, starting at Level 4, that makes you fight as nasty as that Bloodied boar: Purple Dragon Commandant.

Purple Dragons? There are Purple Dragons in D&D? Close. They're Amethyst Dragons, introduced in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. Only in the last decade have Amethyst Dragons partnered with a faction of warriors called the Purple Dragon Knights.

To get this Bloodied feat, you start by taking the Purple Dragon Squire background. The Purple Dragon Squire background gives you the Purple Dragon Rook feat at Level 1. At Level 4, having the Purple Dragon Rook feat (and/or Martial Weapons Proficiency) gives you access to the Purple Dragon Commandant feat. The Purple Dragon Commandant feat has a benefit called Last Stand. Last Stand gives you advantage on attack rolls while Bloodied. Boom.

That's a lot of proper nouns, I know. And it's less straightforward when I'm typing it out in a paragraph. But that's how you do it.

If being a do-gooder Purple Dragon Knight doesn't sound like your cup of joe, then you're still able to access the Purple Dragon Commandant feat by having Martial Weapons Proficiency. So, it's probably not an easy get for dedicated spellcasters, but players dip into multiclassing builds all the time. 

Pretty awesome when you've got a feat that will make you fight harder, but also make you hold off on gulping that healing potion for one more round, or make your warrior tell the Cleric to heal somebody else on their turn.

That is not a typo. NBA2K26 is already on Season 3, and there's a lot going on, and it's all being highlighted by Piston's star Cade Cunningham. I'll try to sum it up. 

The MyPark for Season 3 is a remaster of the NBA 2K16 Sunset Beach. It call comes with the volcano, the fish tank, the lazy river, and all. Reminder that all park games get you a 25% rep bonus, if you're good at this sort of thing.

Rewards range from a Snowflake Ball Trail at Level 3, and at level 39, you get to play as a gingerbread man. Others include a new release graphic at level 12, a Jetpack (for only Gen 9 players) at level 18, and a No Limit basketball jersey at level 36, which is crazy to me. 

MyTeam cards being added as rewards include Evolution Kyle Kuzma at level 1, Diamond Kyrie Irving at level 20, Pink Diamond Alonzo Mourning at level 30 and Galaxy Opal Rookie #1 Anthony Edwards at Level 40. If you're thinking about playing it on mobile, you will receive a Pink Diamond Jalen Brunson. MyTeam card.

The Pro Pass is where it gets a little tricky. If you buy into the pro pass, you'll get 4 automatic rewards, including a MyTeam Pink Diamond Cade Cunningham, and the chance to earn 40 more rewards that you cannot earn on the standard pass. At level 3, you'll get the No Limit Chain AND Jersey. At level 25, you'll get a legend badge pack, and at level 40, you'll get the Pro-Pass Galaxy Opal Anthony Edwards, which I will probably never get to. 

There are plenty more rewards, unlocks, and other NBA2K26 goodies in Season 3. Go here for more info. 

Hear ye, Hear ye! I, the great King of Gaming Nexus Pinball FX VR, have been bestowed the privilege to make the new announcement for incoming tables. There is no one more fitting to relay this information, for the throne belongs to me. 

Hence, The 4th of December, Zen shall make available 6 new tables for you to play. The Godzilla VS Kong pack comes with three of the six. Godzilla Pinball has you facing Mecha Godzilla. Kong Pinball will have you building your high score against the Warbat, and Godzilla VS Kong Pinball will have you...well you know. 

The Universal Monsters Pack brings Williams and Bally pinball tables to your VR kingdom with Monster Bash, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. If you've seen tables in VR so far, you know that Zen delivers in amazing detail. Of course, the visual added effects are available to toggle on and off at your convenience. 

The biggest surprise here is A Charlie Brown Christmas pinball, full with music and sounds from the Peanuts classic. Direct the play, decorate the Christmas Tree, and I hope you can get Charlie Brown to finally kick the ball LUCY!

These tables will also be conquered by my kingdom, of course. My loyal court will also partake in these activities, as I have released them from their own personal purgatory. December 4th is the day, which is next week. Look for more coverage here. Until then, check out the last Pinball Bites of the year for more information.

-All hail, King Joseph

I don't know if you're a fan of the music from Katamari Damacy like I am. If you are, this news is for you. Available now, the first DLC is available for Once Upon a Katamari. This DLC comes with five new remixes from the Denonbu Katamarespect album from DEN-On-BU. And yes, I've already listened to them. 

Ball of Love (Shinpei Nasuno Remix), Lonely Rolling Star (Picco Remix), Red Rose with Gin & Tonic (Haretokidoki), Moon & Prince (Tatsunoshin Remix), and Katamari on the Rocks (hirihiri remix) are all available to listen to at will, or during gameplay. 

With the music, comes ten customizable accessories from series past. I told everyone in my review that this game was a love letter to the other games. This DLC further accompanies that theory. It's available now for $7.99 USD. You could probably listen to it in advance on the music streaming service of your choice. 

I apologize to my fellow journalists that have used that headline already. Regardless, I think it's pretty cool that Street Fighter 6 has sold 6 million copies worldwide. Since the release, they've added 10 more characters. with two more on the way. Alex will probably be released in January, and we'll probably get our first look at The Game Awards. Ingrid will be here in Spring 2026. 

I've said on several occasions that this is the most fun I've had with a Street Fighter game since Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Capcom VS SNK 2, and Street Fighter Alpha 3. The World Tour mode, with all the characters' storylines added to the mode as they are added to the game. I gave it a ten. I stand by it If you haven't given it a shot, there are enough modes, characters, and in game tutorials to make you into a pro in no time. 

Congrats, Capcom. You are so back. 

UPDATE: Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders has been delayed on PS5 after a critical bug was discovered. A new release date will be announced soon.

The latest game in the Lonely Mountains series, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, will ski on over to PlayStation 5 on December 3rd. After previously releasing on Steam and Xbox Game Pass, the hit snow skiing game will head to Sony's console next week for the price of $24.99.

The PS5 version will include all of the game's updates thus far, including the Freestylers Update, which added a Trick Mode and Free Style Mode. Additionally, the new Highlanders premium DLC will be available for purchase on the PS Store.

If you've never played Snow Riders or the first game, Downhill, prepare for physics-based downhill skiing that is somehow both very zen and very challenging. Snow Riders features solo play, or both cooperative and competitive multiplayer with cross-platform support, if you're more of a social skier.

Have a look at the trailer before you dive into some Thanksgiving turkey:

If you like a little film noir and pulp adventure in your Dungeons & Dragons, then these are the Warforged you're looking for. The Eberron campaign setting leans into magical technology ("dungeonpunk") and applies the cynical, low-life, high-tech ethos of cyberpunk and bangs it with a magical-world hammer. The genre's star is the mechanical Warforged species. But a close second is the Artificer character class for more engineering-minded players who get their kicks from manufacturing.

Eberron: Forge of the Artificer hits store shelves soon, though Master Tier subscribers to D&D Beyond can get their forge-blackened hands on it now, digitally.

This is a 112-page expansion. With "expansion" being D&D 2024's new favorite word, considering the recent release of the Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun player expansion and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun Dungeon Master's expansion. Forge of the Artificer deems itself as a third new type of expansion: a Rules Expansion. Presumably for both players and DMs alike.

Inside you'll find:

• 5 subclasses (four reimagined, one new): The Cartographer, who charts the unknown with maps that reshape reality. Or as our own John Yan speculates, "The Cartographer is going to be subpar." I dasn't agree.
• 5 revised species
• 17 backgrounds
• 28 feats
• 9 magic items
• 1 map
• 25 monsters
• 3 vehicles
• 1 spell
• 3 campaign frameworks channeling Eberron's genres: noir intrigue, sky-high pulp, and political peril

Originally scheduled for August 19, both digital ($20) and physical ($30) editions will now launch December 9. Master Tier subscribers (on D&D Beyond) received early digital access today, November 25. And Hero Teir subscribers receive access on December 2.