Games

It’s crazy to think the Xbox 360 is over 20 years old now! As a fan, I remember when it first came out and how it really changed gaming for Microsoft. They improved everything, especially Xbox Live. Sure, there were issues – anyone who had one remembers being terrified of the Red Ring of Death! – but despite that, Microsoft sold over 84 million consoles, making it the most successful Xbox ever. And the games! Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 were just the beginning of an amazing library. Even with newer consoles out there from PlayStation and Nintendo, I still get a huge wave of nostalgia thinking about my Xbox 360.

The new Switch 2 is definitely more powerful, but some early adopters were let down by how things played out in 2025. It would have been helpful for them to have known more beforehand about what to expect, especially when it came to selling old gear or buying new accessories. Hopefully, future buyers can avoid those same problems.

Stardew Valley is a hugely popular indie game from the 2010s that remains incredibly successful today. Players worldwide adore the game, and that affection often extends to its creator, ConcernedApe. The developer has earned a lot of praise from the community by consistently releasing updates without asking for any additional payment beyond the original price.

This list reflects the LEGO set’s price at the time of release, not adjusted for inflation.

Strategy games, like 4X and real-time strategy titles, have always been important in video game history, proving that games can be more than just following a set path. They can offer players complex and immersive experiences. While games like the Sid Meier’s Civilization series are well-known, titles such as Stronghold Crusader and The Settlers were crucial in making the genre popular. Now, Steam’s Earth of Oryn might be a great new option for fans of these classic games.

Many other role-playing games feature stories with unexpected twists that can change how players see things. These surprises can be really effective, but occasionally they become overly complex. Regardless, these games all offer something different and have been around since the days of the original PlayStation.

In ARC Raiders, you’ll face threats from both AI enemies and other players. The game blends cooperative and competitive elements, letting you team up to fight and gather items, but also encouraging more aggressive, player-versus-player combat. Like other games of this type, you’ll drop your collected items when defeated, which means other players can steal your resources. Now, some players are offering to help those who prefer to focus on the cooperative side of the game.

Buckshot Roulette is a darkly humorous game that blends the fast-paced action of roguelites with the tension of a tabletop experience. It’s a digital take on Russian Roulette, but instead of a revolver, players use a shotgun. Originally launched on Windows and Linux in late 2023 – marking its second anniversary on December 28th – Buckshot Roulette is also coming to Xbox Series X/S. A trailer announced this February that the game will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, with a planned release sometime in late 2025.

Even though open-world games are incredibly popular, many excellent ones don’t get the recognition they deserve. While games like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 are well-known, there are numerous other fantastic open-world titles that deserve more attention. This list highlights just a few of those hidden gems – games that offer something fresh and might be new to you.

Dream BBQ, known as ENA, is a quirky adventure game created by ENA Team, an independent group led by artist and animator Joel Guerra from Peru. The game isn’t just inspired by, but continues the story of Guerra’s popular and strange YouTube shorts. These shorts, known for their unique art style, memorable characters, and nonsensical humor, were released between May 2020 and February 2021. Instead of making a fifth short, Guerra expanded the series into a full video game, which launched on Steam on March 27th.