Nintendo has a new mobile game on the way, which will turn your selfies into quirky WarioWare-esque minigames. The game is called Pictonico!, and will release on May 28 for Android and iPhone.

Pictonico! was co-developed by Intelligent Systems, the studio behind the WarioWare series of games, and that influence is clear from the minigames Nintendo has teased so far. The main difference is that Pictonico’s minigames pull faces from your photos, warping real people into its absurd minigames.

When setting up the game, you can either snap a photo in the moment or pull an existing picture from your gallery--meaning friends, family, or even your favorite celebrities could be subjected to the indignity of starring in a WarioWare-style game.

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Square-Enix's line of HD-2D role-playing games have been hailed for how they balance nostalgic appeal with modern-day visuals, and next month, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales joins that growing library. A new demo for the game is also available right now, giving you an early slice of the next title from the creators behind Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default.

An action-RPG with real-time combat, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales follows the adventurer Elliot and his fairy sidekick Faie on their journey to complete a thousand-year mission. As part of their mission to lift the curse placed on Princess Heuria of Huther, Elliot and Faie will explore different periods in history, from humanity's strife-filled Age of Reconstruction to the height of prosperity in the Age of Magic. Every era has a looming threat that Elliot and Fae must deal with, and like previous Square-Enix games, the entire experience looks like an homage to Super NES-era JRPGs.

"The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales has some elements to overcome--a chatty companion character and, let's be honest, a clunky title," Steve Watts wrote in his preview. "But it also showed that HD-2D can be applied to other genres that we remember fondly from decades ago. And more than just empty nostalgia or homage, it looks to build on those elements."

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Mortal Kombat Klassic: Sub-Zero

$32 | Releases August 23

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Mortal Kombat Klassic: Reptile

$30 | Releases August 23

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Mortal Kombat is back in the spotlight thanks to the release of the new live-action film, and if you're looking to bring some of that video game magic home, you can check out two new collectible action figures. McFarlane Toys is expanding its line of Mortal Kombat toys with two new "Klassic" Sub-Zero and Reptile figures. Bearing a design that harkens back to their arcade roots, each figure is also constructed from translucent materials to make them stand out on your shelf and you can preorder them ahead of their August 23 arrival.

Mortal Kombat Klassic: Sub-Zero $32 | Releases August 23

The greatest weapon of the Lin Kuei ninja order, Sub-Zero, has been realized in a cool blue plastic inspired by his ice clone ability. The figure comes with an alternate set of hands, a base, and is packaged inside a display box. Featuring 22 points of articulation, it's seven inches tall.

Preorder at Amazon Mortal Kombat Klassic: Reptile $30 | Releases August 23

Similar to Sub-Zero, Reptile has also been manufactured in a plastic that makes the infamous assassin almost invisible. Featuring a smoky translucent design, the Reptile figure also comes with an alternate set of swap-out hands, a full range of articulation, display box packaging, and is the same height as Sub-Zero above.

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To expand the collection--and host your very own Mortal Kombat tournament--you can pick up several more figures from McFarlane Toys. The lineup currently includes fan-favorite characters like Johnny Cage, Raiden, and Ermac alongside a regular version of Reptile.

• Ermac -- $30
• Jade -- $35
• Johnny Cage -- $32
• Kitana -- $30
• Noob Saibot -- $35
• Raiden -- $29.51
• Reptile -- $30
• Reptile (Invisible) -- $32
• Sub-Zero (Ice Clone) -- $30

Mortal Kombat 2 Blu-ray preorders are now live

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It's nearly the end of May, and Fanatical is celebrating with another one of their annual sales on digital games. The May Madness sale, live and running until May 31, has over 10,000 discounted digital games available, including brand new titles like Resident Evil Requiem for $57.39 (was $70) or Crimson Desert for $59.49 (was $70). But another interesting aspect is that even preorders for upcoming games are discounted. You can get 007 First Light for $60.89 (was $70) or The Blood of Dawnwalker for $59.49 (was $70), just to name a couple. Along with these every day discounts, each day of the sale will also include multiple limited-time Flash Deals offering even bigger discounts on select titles popular games. And finally, if you spend $15 or more on a single purchase, you can get an extra digital game or coupon code. Keep in mind, all of these games come as digital download codes for redemption on Steam.

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If you're looking to finally pull the trigger on some more recent releases like Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert mentioned above, this sale has plenty of titles that launched within the last year or two at nice new discounts. Marathon is Bungie's next big thing, available for $34.39 (was $40) for the new extraction shooter. I'd also highly recommend Mixtape, a slice of life John Hughes-inspired teenage romp set to a killer soundtrack for $18 (was $20). And if you're a fan of gigantic open world RPGs with plenty of customization and humor to boot, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is down to $28.19 (was $60).

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Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle

$500 | Launches June 7, 2026

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On May 12, Nintendo announced a new $500 Nintendo Switch 2 Choose Your Game Bundle that includes the console and a digital game code. The download code can be used on one of three possible titles: Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokemon Pokopia. When purchased separately, Mario Kart World retails for $80, while Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokemon Pokopia both retail for $70. At the Switch 2's current $450 price tag, that saves shoppers at least $20-$30 depending on which game you buy. Once the price hike goes into effect, then you're essentially getting one of those full-priced digital games for free. If you've been looking forward to buying it, good news: the bundle is available to preorder now at Best Buy, GameStop, and Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle $500 | Launches June 7, 2026

As mentioned above, this new bundle includes the Switch 2 console, Switch 2 dock, a set of Joycon 2 controllers, and all the necessary components to hook the device up to your TV. You also get a voucher code that lets you pick one of three digital edition games from the Nintendo eShop:

• Mario Kart World (normally $80)
• Donkey Kong Bananza (normally $70)
• Pokemon Pokopia (normally $70)

There is only one voucher per console, and you can only use the voucher once. However, once you've redeemed the game, it's added to your library permanently and you'll be able to download and play whenever you want. You can also share the downloaded game to other Switch 2 devices you own or those on your NSO family plan via the Swtich 2's Virtual Game Card system.

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If you're planning to pick up the bundle but aren't sure which game to use the voucher on, you can check out our reviews for Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokemon Pokopia--all of which scored 9/10 from our reviewers--to see which might appeal to you most. Note that you'll have to download the full game to your Switch 2 before you can start playing, which can take a while depending on the file size and the strength of your internet connection. Luckily, the Switch 2 ships with 256 GB of internal storage, which is more than enough to download and install any of the games on offer. It can also be expanded using a microSD Express card. Here's the data footprint of each of the three games you can pick, in case you're curious:

• Mario Kart World: 22 GB
• Donkey Kong Bananza: 9 GB
• Pokemon Pokopia: 6.2 GB

If the games in this bundle don't appeal to you and you just want to grab a Switch 2 at the lowest possible price, you can do that at most major retailers for $449. As long as you get your order in before September 1, you'll still get the old price before the increase. While Nintendo may not reduce the cost of its first-party games very often, you still have floods of excellent indies to choose from via the eShop and the many physical edition games available for the system.

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The planet of Proteus offers a slew of resources for you to loot in Subnautica 2, but some of the most difficult ones to find are minerals. Minerals such as Titanium, Copper, and Silver are used in a variety of crafting recipes, and you'll often have to head out on scavenging trips just to get enough of one resource for a single item on your to-do list. However, perhaps the most difficult mineral to find in Subnautica 2 is Gold.

Gold isn't used too frequently in Subnautica 2, but you'll suddenly need it for a crafting recipe and likely have no idea where to look. For a full explanation on how to find Gold, keep reading the guide below.

Gold location in Subnautica 2

Unlike many of the other minerals in Subnautica 2, you won't just find a deposit of it in some random location. Instead, you'll have to progress the story of the game before you're able to even access the area of Proteus that has Gold.

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For the past few years, major first-party exclusives for both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles have been expected to arrive on PC after a certain period of time--if not same-day. However, with brands now looking to differentiate themselves in the current hardware market, the winds seem to be shifting. Reporting from various sources in the last few months has indicated that Sony intends to step away from bringing some of their high-profile exclusives to PC. This approach has now apparently been confirmed by Head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Hulst himself.

According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier--who previously broke some initial reporting about the change in strategy--Hulst revealed in a staff meeting today that "the company's narrative single-player games will now be PlayStation exclusive." This means that the likes of Saros, Ghost of Yotei, and the upcoming Wolverine are unlikely to come to PC in the near future, though multiplayer-centric titles like the megahit Helldivers II and the recent Marathon are still likely to see cross-platform play.

While this is a disappointment to PC gamers, the business logic behind it is sound. With the overall gaming hardware market becoming more cutthroat--and more expensive--it makes sense for Sony to attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition through the tried-and-true method of big-budget, critically acclaimed exclusives. We'll have to wait and see if the strategy pays off in console and game sales.

Are you eager to unlock all Biomods in Subnautica 2? These are character upgrades that you're able to alter periodically. Some are active skills which you need to trigger, while others are passive skills that have a constant effect. Our guide has all the details that you need, so get ready for a deep dive.

Table of Contents [hide]

• All active and passive skills from Biomods in Subnautica 2
  • Biomods available by default
  All active and passive skills from Biomods in Subnautica 2

  Subnautica 2 Biomods are either active or passive skills. A select few are available fairly early in the game, though the rest have to be unlocked much later as you progress. Here's a quick summary of what you can expect:

  • Check out our mini-walkthrough so you know where to go first. One particular location that you should visit is the Welcome Center, which is a short distance away from your Lifepod. Upon restoring power to the facility, you'll be able to interact with a machine known as a Biolab. It lets you equip active and passive skills that are available by default.
  • Later once you have a base up and running, you can construct your own Biolab, which requires 3x Titanium, 1x Copper Wire, and 1x Mild Acid. This is so you can equip different Biomods without having to return to the Welcome Center periodically.
  • As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of Biomods still need to be unlocked. To do this, you have to scan specific creatures using the Bioscanner. This is an upgraded version of the device, and you can learn more about it in our Bioscanner guide.
  Biomods available by default

  The following Biomods in Subnautica 2 are available by default:

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Tom Kane, a staple in various children's animated shows and numerous video game franchises, has died at the age of 64. Representatives for Kane confirmed the news of his passing to TMZ, citing complications from a stroke the voice actor suffered in 2020.

Kane lent his voice to the universes of Marvel, Star Wars, Powerpuff Girls, and Call of Duty. His most prolific role was the voice of Yoda in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and various Star Wars shows and games, most recently Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. He also voiced established characters like C-3PO, Boba Fett, and Admiral Ackbar in other Star Wars media.

In the wider realm of video games, Kane was the original voice of Call of Duty Zombies mainstay Takeo Masaki, performing as the character from World at War to Black Ops 4. His game credits are almost innumerable, with highlights including voicing both Jim Gordon and Quincy Sharp in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Lok in Fortnite: Save the World, and Magneto in several Marvel games, including Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.

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PlayStation Plus prices will increase for new subscribers starting May 20, but depending on your subscription status, it might not be time to panic--yet. According to Sony, only "select" regions will be affected for now, and it blames "ongoing market conditions" for the increases.

So far, only monthly and three-month subscriptions are being affected, with new US subscribers facing an increase of $1 for a one-month PS Plus Essential subscription and a $3 increase for the three-month version of that subscription tier. For now, the annual subscription price to PS Plus remains unchanged.

Current subscribers will not pay extra--unless they reside in Turkey or India--but letting your subscription lapse and then rejoining PS Plus at a later date will result in you paying the higher rate. Overall, the new prices look like this:

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Hopes that preorders for Grand Theft Auto 6 would start on Monday seem to have reached a dead end.

Some content creators in Best Buy's affiliate program claimed to receive emails indicating that GTA 6 preorders begin on May 18, and optimistic fans speculated that a third trailer for Rockstar's next blockbuster would drop at the same time. But such heresay seems to be a pipe dream, with an administrator in the (unofficial) GTA Forums claiming that a source in a European distribution company "confirmed there's no pre-orders," per IGN.

As of Monday morning, GTA 6 has yet to emerge on any major online retailer. Assuming that holds for the rest of the day, it'll end another chapter in the long wait for GTA 6, defined by the GTA fan base's restlessness and eagerness to grasp at straws. The latest rumors of GTA 6 preorders even boosted stock prices for Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two----leading to a drop Monday morning, which has since been recouped.

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HD-2D, the retro-cool art style spearheaded by Square Enix and imitated by many others, was originally built as a way to pay homage to classic Super NES-era role-playing games while also making them look distinctly modern. And to that end, it's been used exclusively for RPGs like the Octopath Traveler series and the Live A Live remake. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, then, represents the next big evolution of this concept, showing that the art style can just as easily apply to other classic genres--this time, the top-down action-adventure game.

I played about two hours of The Adventures of Elliot in a demo that takes place about 3-4 hours into the game. At this point in the game, the main quest was to seek a magical shield, but I was given freedom to roam almost anywhere in the open world across two distinct time periods. Square Enix noted that this build of the game has incorporated some feedback from the public demo released last July--faster movement speed, a weapon-shortcut menu, and a selection of difficulty levels. The difficulty was set to Easy by default in my demo, but I switched it to Normal and kept it there without too much trouble.

On the topic of menu options, I should mention one more. Your fairy companion, Faie, is very chatty. Her voice is cloying, and she talks frequently, with an odd babytalk affect. It's a lot. Players of the 2025 demo must have given feedback on this too, because the build I played had a menu option devoted to Faie's chattiness. Her default is set to "Chatty" but you can switch her to "Reticent," which tones her down, a little. I played the majority of my demo with the default Chatty option but switched to Reticent to see the difference, and she still chimed in quite a bit. I have a high tolerance for these things but even I found Faie a little offputting, so I imagine some players will have a stronger reaction.

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The US Library of Congress has amassed numerous treasures deemed worthy of preservation over the years, and recently, the original Doom soundtrack has made the cut. Now sitting alongside other cultural artifacts that were added this year--like Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and Weezer's debut blue album--Robert Prince's Doom soundtrack is being honored for its part in ID Software's genre-defining first-person shooter.

As part of the selection criteria for the National Recording Registry, sound recordings need to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and can only be added 10 years after it was first created. The program has been running since 2002 following the creation of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, and the first 50 entries were officially announced in 2003.

So what Doom so special? According to the Library of Congress, Doom's soundtrack earned its place by being an "adrenaline-fueled soundtrack" produced during an era when video game composers had to deal with limitations of the time. "Prince composed the perfect riff-shredding accompaniment for the game's demon-slaying journey to hell and back," the Library said in a statement. "Taking advantage of his knowledge of MIDI, Prince even worked to ensure that the sound effects he created could cut through the music by assigning them to different MIDI frequencies."

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, May 17, 2026. Below, we examine how its release reflects a particular time in gaming history, making it one-of-a-kind.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was a standout RPG when it launched fifteen years ago, but it's the kind of game you could never make now.

Each of the three games in the Witcher series marks an important moment for developer CD Projekt Red. The Witcher was the moment the organization went from being a studio that mostly translated games from other territories to being a developer of new games. The Witcher 3 was the moment CD Projekt Red became a household name among gamers, as it set a high-water mark for open-world RPGs that similar games are still compared against.

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Mike Mignola is one of the most celebrated modern comic writers and illustrators, best known for creating Dark Horse's iconic demonic paranormal investigator, Hellboy, and the rest of the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) extended universe. His dark and imaginative universe now spans several decades, and knowing where to start can be an intimidating task for newcomers. However, for a limited-time, you can grab over 100 digital edition comics and graphic novels from Mignola's catalog for just $35 or less thanks to Fanatical's limited-time Hellboy: Mike Mignola's Masterpiece Collection. The bundle deal includes Big Red's entire mainline story, as well as plenty of spin-off and supplemental one shots from throughout the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) extended universe and beyond.

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As with many other of Fanatical's bundles, this impressive Hellboy collection offers variable pricing. The basic bundle includes four digital comics for just $1. You'll get the collected trade paperback edition of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1952 and the first issues of Frankenstein: New World, Shadow of the Golden Crane, and The Serpent in the Garden. At just $1, this is great introduction to not only Hellboy as a character, but to Mignola's much larger supernatural world he's created. However, there are three more tiers with even more content if you want to delve even deeper.

The next bundle tier includes 25 comics for $15. You'll get what's included in the $1 bundle, as well as all 10 B.P.R.D. Omniubus Editions, as well as the remaining Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1953-1957 volumes, and the first TPB volumes for Joe Golem, Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder, and Baltimore.

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Earlier this week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma put the following question to fans on social media: "Xbox" or "XBOX"? Out of the 19,176 votes cast, all caps XBOX was the clear winner with 64.8% of the total. Now, Microsoft has seemingly taken that to heart by rebranding the Xbox account on X with all-caps XBOX.

The Verge was one of the first outlets to notice the change, and it notes that Xbox's Bluesky and Threads accounts have yet to reflect the slight renaming. When reached for comment by The Verge, Microsoft directed readers back to Sharma's poll on X.

When the original Xbox console was released in 2001, its name was in all caps. The subsequent logos for its successors were also in caps, but the brand was spelled normally by Microsoft. Earlier this year, Sharma reverted Microsoft Gaming's name back to Xbox, so it's entirely possible that the XBOX spelling is back as well. This may be an exercise in branding and nostalgia for a time when Xbox was at its peak before the significant declines that the company has recently suffered in hardware and game sales.

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Video game adaptations can be a tricky beast. They can either go the prestige route like The Last of Us with its Emmy-nominated television series, or be a dreadful reference marathon such as The Minecraft Movie. While 2021’s Mortal Kombat film had a myriad of issues, such as the lack of the tournament that serves as the game series' centerpiece, and a focus on an original character created for the film rather than one of the franchise's existing cast, it had its heart in the right place by trying to honor the original game series. With the expansion of a sequel, the series had the opportunity to course-correct to deliver not only an engaging film, but also one that fans of the series deserve.

I’m pleased to report that despite some near-fatal flaws in the storytelling department, Mortal Kombat II is mostly a success.

Mortal Kombat II opens with a flashback depicting Outworld ruler Shao Kahn usurping control of the realm of Edenia, and right off the bat, establishes itself as more in tune with the lore of the Mortal Kombat series than the previous movie. The 2021 film struggled in this regard because the film followed Cole Young (Lewis Tan), an original character who served as an audience self-insert. While that route might have worked to bring in audiences who had no prior experience with the games, the decision felt like it went against what Mortal Kombat is: a battle between the six realms for complete control.

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Fanatical's May 2026 Bundle Fest is still going strong, and one of the best ones to browse is the Capcom Classic Bundle: GOG Edition. If you're a fan of retro games, this eight-game collection offers some of Capcom's best, covering a few different genres like survival horror, fighting, and RPGs. Like with other build your own bundles through fanatical, you can start with choosing any three games for $8, or $3 each. Then if you get five or more games, they're down to $2.80. If you want all eight titles, they're each $2.75. That's eight games for just $22 compared to the $96 full-price value.

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One of the biggest draws here is the first three original Resident Evil games. These may have no aged the most gracefully, but it's hard to deny the charms of the cheesy voice acting and the tense fixed camera angles. I know we all remember the first time the zombie dog crashed through the window in the Spencer mansion in the opening moments of Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis' Clocktower section is an iconic location that sadly wasn't included in the 2020 remake. You can also pick up Dino Crisis and its sequel, which take the fixed camera, tank-controls, and other design sensibilities from Resident Evil and pits against new prehistoric threats.

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Crunchyroll Ani-May Discounted Memberships

$2-$3 monthly | Available until May 22

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Keeping up with an endless pile of streaming subscriptions can feel almost like a second job--not to mention how expensive it gets to pay for them all. That's why Crunchyroll's limited-time subscription deal during its annual Ani-May event is such a steal. You can snag three months of ad-free access for less than $10 in total to access popular shows like Dr. Stone, Solo Leveling, Witch Hat Atelier, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more.

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Crunchyroll's deals include two of its tiers: Fan and Mega Fan. Fan, which normally costs $10 a month, is $1.99 for the first three months when you sign up before May 26. This tier includes no ads, streaming to one device, offline viewing, 5% off select items in the Crunchyroll store, and access to new episodes shortly after they air in Japan.

The Mega Fan tier is normally $14 a month, but you get this one for $3 per month for three months when you sign up during May. This tier gets you everything from the Fan tier and adds the ability to stream to three additional devices. It also bumps the discount at the Crunchyroll store up from 5% to 10%. But maybe most impressive of all, it grants access to Crunchyroll's Game Vault, which features everything from shooters to visual novels, all playable on mobile devices.

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Fanatical and Humble Bundle are easily the most popular bundle sites online, offering countless games, books, software, and more over the years at great discounts and benefitting good causes. This month, it both sites have a vast and eclectic of indie showcase bundles available for you to peruse. The Humble 15th Anniversary Indie Icons Showcase bundle gets you 8 games for just $10, with titles like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Citizen Sleeper as part of its catalogue. Fanatical, on the other hand, has the Build Your Own Indie Showcase Bundle, which has a variable pricing model where you can buy as many of the 20 listed games as you want. The more games you add, the more you'll save in the long run. Regardless of which bundle you pick, every game included is given as a digital Steam key. These can expire, so be sure to redeem them before it's too late. Check out the full lists below.

Humble 15th Anniversary Indie Icons Showcase

While this indie showcase bundle doesn't quite have nearly the same quantity of games as the Fanatical version, some of the best indie games in recent years are included. Celeste is a super challenging 2D platformer that will tug hard at your heartstrings, while Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (a personal favorite of mine) is a Castlevania-adjacent adventure developed by small indie studio ArtPlay, which is headed by Castlevania legend Koji "Iga" Igarashi. There's a sequel coming soon, so it may be a good time to jump in now. If you like narrative-centered RPGs, Citizen Sleeper is a gorgeous tabletop-inspired story set in a Cyberpunk world. You can pay as much as you want, but if you want the full 8-game bundle, a minimum of $10 is required. Any extra amount you decide to donate goes directly to the corresponding charity.

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