Five short and (very) simple adventures are at the end of Chapter 4: Creating Adventures in the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. The front of the chapter teaches how to, yes, create adventures. The back of the chapter puts adventure writing into practice. 

They want to debunk the idea that you, sitting at home, cooking up your own content, somehow have to come up with a 200-page monstrosity of an adventure like publisher Wizards of the Coast does. No. You don't have to do all that. At all.

"Don't write Curse of Strahd," interviewer Todd Kenreck says.

"No," designer James Wyatt says. "Even Curse of Strahd started out as a 48-page adventure."

These half-page to one-page adventures are all you need to plan out a "full session." A session could last anywhere from an hour to a day. That varies from table to table. But these are indeed boiled down to what is hopefully a "one shot," as far as length is concerned.

These single-session adventures combine with (some of) the 15 maps in Appendix B, and monsters in the Monster Manual. Presumably the 5e Monster Manual is suitable, since the new 2024 Monster Manual doesn't launch until February 2025.

The adventures are for levels 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. The first three happen in and around the City of Greyhawk, the campaign  setting packed into the 2024 DM's Guide. The level 3 adventure features an entire dragon. Which is crazy. For comparison, my players are level 7 in the Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen adventure. They haven't even seen a true dragon yet.

They don't spoil every situation and hook for these adventures, but here's the list:

• Level 1: The Fouled Stream
• Level 2: Miner Difficulties. James Wyatt's daughter ran this adventure at home.
• Level 3: The Winged God. There's an entire red dragon in here.
• Level 5: Horns of the Beast. It's a quest looking for an ancient temple in the jungle. Focuses on a long journey that uses the pullout poster map of Greyhawk. Brings in travel stuff from Chapter 2: Running the Game. 
• Level 7: Boreal Ball

Kenreck and Wyatt also laugh over how some days as a Dungeon Master are easy, lazy, and fun days. And they're not going to correct any of their players if they think their DM is brilliant. 

The D&D 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide launches November 12. But hardcopies are on dedicated hobby store shelves right now. And if you've preordered the DM's Guide on D&D Beyond, you already have access to it there as well. We reviewed the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook here.

Indie developer Chimera Entertainment is taking its gorgeous 4X strategy RPG, Songs of Silence, 1.0 on November 13^th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Blending a story-driven campaign, with fast-paced tactical battles and resource management, Songs of Silence features a 15-ish hour story campaign, as well as PvP and co-op multiplayer skirmishes. Perhaps its most striking feature is the beautiful Art Nouveau art style. On the gameplay front, you will assemble an army of over 100 units as you attempt to defeat rival kingdoms for resources as you rebuild the realm.

I first discovered Songs of Silence a couple of weeks ago and it has wedged itself in my brain ever since – this one is definitely going on my PS5 wishlist. Check out the new 1.0 launch trailer below.

The Metro series is good, real good. Based on a series of Russian novels, the well-developed lore behind the scenes certainly sets the stage but the games just deliver on that promise weaving excellent action and set pieces through its storylines. Metro Awakening is the upcoming addition to the series that mostly found its conclusion with Metro: Exodus; but this time the game follows a doctor rummaging through the Russian underground instead of a combat veteran rampaging past its checkpoints and opposing forces. So expect more story and stealth than bullets and bravado, although from the gameplay below, things do kick off only a few minutes in with a mounted machine gun against a wave of onrushing aliens. What also should set this entry into the series apart is that Khan, who's tale you are to follow, is fully voiced to better flesh out the story and interactions with other characters; unlike the Artyom from the original trilogy of games who was a silent protagonist. Then there is the fact that the creator of the original novels, Dmitry Glukhovsky, has been closely working with this newest game to get the tone and feel right; and that it's in VR. Did I mention the VR? Well, it's in VR, which probably benefits both ways. Taking the primary focus off of third person shooting and into first person interaction should play to the strengths of VR as a medium. 

Metro Awakening releases November 7th. Pre-orders of the deluxe edition on PSVR2 and Steam VR can get early access starting tomorrow, November 5th. When the game releases in full it will be available on PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 2, 3, 3S, Steam VR, and Viveport.

It actually makes a lot of sense.

The biggest thematic shift in the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is "fun." Publisher Wizards of the Coast wants lots of it, more of it, and for you to keep making it. Before you get to the text of Chapter 1: The Basics, the (admittedly very fun) full-page artwork is captioned: 

You don't need a magical game table to play D&D, but wouldn't it be fun?

The word fun is mentioned 31 times in the first 15 pages of the DM's Guide. This is a change from the 2014 5e DM's Guide, which mentioned the word fun sparingly and, sometimes, seemingly on accident. That's all changed in the 2024 DM's Guide. In a chapter that conversationally describes the many roles and responsibilities of a DM, the 'fun count' keeps going up:

• The DM gets to play many fun roles.
• ...Creating situations that facilitate fun.
• ...Make the game fun for everyone.
• ...Facilitating the fun of everyone at the table.
• It's your job to provide fun challenges...
• ...Ensure everyone is having fun.
• ...Enrich your game and make it more fun.

Even in the Example of Play section, it describes letting a player step in the way of a monster's attack because it gives the player "a fun heroic moment."

Then there's a sidebar for not the Rule of Cool, but the Rule of Fun:

D&D is a game, and everyone should have fun [ding!] playing it. Everyone shares equal responsibility in moving the game along, and everyone contributes to the fun [ding!] when they treat each other with respect and consideration: talking through disagreements among players or their characters, and remembering that arguments or mean-spirited squabbles can get in the way of the fun [ding!].

People have many different ideas about what makes D&D fun [ding!]. The "right way" to play D&D is the way you and your players agree to and enjoy. If everyone comes to the table prepared to contribute to the game, the entire table is likely to have a wonderful and memorable time.

But that sidebar isn't all. The fun discussion continues:

• If you introduce a house rule that isn't fun, remove or revise the rule.
• [How did the DM make] the game fun to watch?

Then there is an entire section titled "Ensuring Fun for All" that wraps up Chapter 1. There is a Game Expectations sheet that serves as a broad outline for important meta topics to cover during your Session 0, before the actual gameplay begins. The Game Expectations sheet is a new concept that has emerged among D&D tables over the past 10 years. It covers potentially sensitive elements (such as spiders, snakes, demons, romance, and mind control). It describes Hard Limits and Soft Limits on such topics. 

If a player puts a hard limit on romance, for instance, it means that player is asking for that topic to not be mentioned or even included in the campaign.

Or if a player puts a soft limit on, say, demons, it means that player would like those topics handled with care or off-camera, so to speak.

All of this, of course, is to "ensure the game is fun for everyone." But Chapter 1 continues its fun tirade:

• Respect for the Players: Your players need to know from the start that you'll run a game that is fun, fair, and tailored for them.

• Sharing the Spotlight: Away from the game, point out that the player's behavior is spoiling the fun for others, and ask the player to tone it down.

• DM Die Rolling: Even if you usually roll behind a screen, it can be fun to make an especially dramatic roll where everyone can see it.

• Respect for the DM: As the DM, you have the right to expect your players to respect you and the effort you put into making a fun game for everyone.

• Evil Characters: ...Sometimes a whole group decides it might be fun to play evil characters together.

• Players Exploiting the Rules: ...It can cross a line into being exploitative, interfering with everyone else's fun.

• Rules Aren't Physics: The rules of the game are meant to provide a fun game experience, not to describe the laws of physics in the worlds of D&D...

• Rules Rely on Good-Faith Interpretation: The rules assume that everyone reading and interpreting the rules has the interests of the group's fun at heart...

If nothing else, the new DM's Guide wants to put the "fun" in Dungeons & Dragons. Fungeons, if you will. If you cram all of these mentions of fun all together (as I've done here), the word "fun" stops making sense. But Chapter 1 means well. And rather than try and define what fun is for all people—because it varies from person to person—the chapter simply provides sound advice on how to access fun for you the DM and your table of players. Fun is hard to define. All I know is that D&D has a lot of it.

I wasn't going to mention this, but out of nowhere, Chapter 1 has a picture of Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi ... probably just so Wizards could sneak "fun" onto the page a couple more times (get it? Fun guy?)

The new D&D 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is out in early access now on D&D Beyond if you've preordered it. Otherwise, the book hits store shelves November 12. If you've read our review of the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook and feel like you're ready to be on the DM's side of the DM's screen (or if no one else is willing to take on the job), then the new DM's Guide is your next step.

Fresh off the review from my colleague Jason, I am here to make a confession. I actually had a lot of fun playing Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 multiplayer mode simply titled as Zombies. Sure I'm a fan of Left 4 Dead, G.T.F.O, and any game where you shoot down endless hordes of creatures with your friends. I even played The Descent for a bit, which is more of a top down shooter, but I digress. I have two Call of Duty streams on my content pages. Who am I? 

This isn't a review, per se, but it is a full resolution of "don't knock it 'til you try it." I will also bring to light that if not for Game Pass, this would've been a no for me, so I'm glad I made the space for the 137 GB monstrosity. I just wanted to clear the air. I know nothing about this game. I have seen the toxicity it produces, and the realism does nothing for me. Beautiful game, just not my cup of tea. 

I do love Zombies though. You can play the game solo, or with a team, and you can't just go in tearing things up. You need reps. You need strategy. You need to run. And you need to die. You will do all of those things. Once you ready up with your pew pew 9mm weapon, and your knife, once you learn how to use it (Thanks, Loot Lovas Lounge), you're off and running. You're told to hit some markers on a map, and to hit those markers, you need essence. Not the magazine, even though you use magazines in this game. I got off track. 

As you maul through zombies, you realize they come in rounds, and the longer the rounds, the more zombies that come. You get essence from killing these freaks, and use that to get through laser barriers and get to the next checkpoints. You can also use essence to set traps for the zombies, like electric fields, and a standee that shoots laser beams from her eyes. Essence also gets you new guns, and more armor slots (Thanks, DJ Coolbreeze), but it doesn't stop there. 

Essence will get you upgrades to your weapons, and your operators. You can get different stamina perks, and something called "pack a punch", which upgrades THE WEAPON IN YOUR HAND (thanks, Me) with max ammo, and bullet power. You can also get one for melee purposed, and punch the dim lights out of some brain dead heads. Lastly, you can get ammo from an ammo crate for a smooth 250. That isn't the only in game currency though.

You can also pick up salvage, dropped sometimes by your undead enemies. Salvage is the same idea, except it can only be used a certain stations. You can upgrade the rarity of your current weapon, or add napalm, or electricity to the weapon you currently wield. If it can't be upgraded, the game will tell you. All of this, while running from Zombies, and waiting for an extraction, is the name of the game. Except, we never made it to extraction. 

This is where the loadout comes in. The loadout doesn't come to you until you hit level 5, and then you can change your starting weapon. Weapons level up as you use them, so if you want to unlock a new weapon in the assault rifle category, you're going to have to level up. You will eventually be able to augment your weapon as well. I just upgraded my sub machine gun because I used it a lot., and now it's more powerful, but there are diminishing returns. You can also change your tactical and lethal weapons, so instead of a regular grenade, you can start out with C4. You can pick those up in the field. 

The gobblegum, and the Field upgrades are still something I am not privy on. I don't know how to trigger them, and my gobblegum load out is absurd, as I tried to get rare and even legendary ones to pop up. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's ok. I don't either. If anyone wants to go to the comments on my streams and tell me, it would be very appreciated. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available right now, in bundles. Or get that sweet sweet Game Pass, and don't shell out another dime more than the monthly subscription. While some people only want to play one mode, and won't branch out for fun (Thanks for nothing, Charles), I invite you. Give Zombies a shot. I can't believe I just typed that. 

This article may hit a little late, but fortunately for you, you can play scary games all year round. I just asked the fine folks at Gaming Nexus what is their favorite spooky or scary game to play. And I specifically asked for the favorite, not the scariest. I'll go first. 

Joseph - Resident Evil VII: Biohazard 

Let me start off with the fact that I do not play scary games. I hate them, because they scare me. In my early days of streaming, I played Resident Evil VII, super late, for the first time. There was no reason for this game to be as scary as it was. This was the introduction of Ethan Winters, and his girlfriend Mia, who was also half antagonist. Then you meet her family, and they're worse. This was also the first Resident Evil in first person, and though the Ethan Winters sequel Resident Evil: Village was toned down. the Bienviento House, was a return to Biohazard form, and I did not take it well. 

Randy - Inside

Inside is a 2016 sequel to the black and white hit Limbo, where you die, and die again. The protagonist is silent through most of the game, and though most of it is puzzle and strategy based, the graphic deaths include drowning, getting mauled by dogs, and electrocution. Randy remembers that there was a preorder bonus of a human blob, courtesy of the Real Doll company. So there's that. 

Randy has in fact played Inside, and penned one of the THREE reviews on this very site. He says "Inside was pretty much three hours of me shaking my head, clutching my chest, and realizing every few minutes that my mouth was hanging wide open. This is a game that will still be talked about five years from now—even 10 years from now.". And that was in 2016, so we're right smack dab in the middle. I've deleted the statement that Randy has never played the game.  

Eric - Exorcist: Legion VR

Anything horror in VR, in my opinion, will always be scary. Of course, our editor in chief would choose Exorcist: Legion. Based on the the Exorcist III, the 2017 VR hit has been described as "truly terrifying". The game comes in chapters, and "tests your resolve and courage". Eric specifically brings up a scary church with a dead pig, possessed statues, and made him question if even playing the game was a good decision. I know I won't be playing it. There's crying babies in the trailer. No thank you. 

Jason - The Last of Us Part 2

You may think The Last of Us Part 2 is an action adventure game that happens to have zombies in it, but I have to agree that it is a very scary, dare say horrifying experience. This game plays with your brain, and tugs at your heart, before ripping it out, only to put it back in. Then it rips your heart out again. There are scenes in the cinematics alone that are absolutely gut wrenching, and it doesn't help that there are even more infected in this game. I believe this is the one with the sneaky infected, who you have to hear coming out of nowhere, and that's terrifying. I have not played this since the first playthrough. I hope those who are watching the show are ready for season 2. It's not going to be pretty. 

John - Half Life Alyx

Another VR immersive experience, Half Life Alyx is graphically stunning. Released in 2020, the visuals and levels are amazing to see in VR, but John picked out the "Jeff Level", which is chapter 7. Readily available via playthroughs online, the sounds alone creep me all the way out. I guess I would have to play it, to make it that far, but again, VR horror games are a no no. Jeff can't see you, but he can hear you, and that's all I need to say. Just think. Blind monster, chasing you, waiting on you to make a sound. No.  

What is your favorite spooky game? I would say leave it in the comments below, but the internet doesn't know how to act, so if this gets shared to our other socials, consider yourself one of the good ones. Happy Halloween! 

*UPDATE: the publisher reached out to clarify that Diggerland pass is a family pass*

Yes, this is real, and yes, that equates to $644,138.98 US Dollars. The mad lads at publisher Wired Productions and developer Just Add Water are upping the ante for collector’s editions in the video game industry. This (extremely) special version of DIG VR, the Meta Quest VR game all about operating heavy digging machinery, is available to order now over at the publisher’s website.

The DIG VR collector’s edition includes a litany of incredible items. Here is the list, pulled directly from the press release:

• One custom ASHVILLE-wrapped JCB 100c-2 Excavator – fully equipped and ready for a true-to-life digging experience. The owner of this Collector's Edition will be able to liaise directly with Ashville to agree a look for their custom wrap!
• One custom DIG VR wrapped JCB 100c-2 Excavator – As if it has come straight out of Diglington, this excavator will come fully equipped and ready to dig!
• Two Meta Quest 3 VR headsets – offering an immersive gameplay experience as close to reality as possible.
• Two copies of DIG VR – so players can enjoy the co-op gameplay modes, digging in virtual environments with friends or family.
• Trip to 'Dig This' in Las Vegas – a unique adventure to experience America’s heavy machinery playground. Travel and hotel included.
• Tour of the JCB Museum in the UK – for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s top construction equipment brands. Travel and hotel included.
• Family pass to Diggerland in Kent – the ultimate theme park for machinery lovers, offering an array of digger-based rides and activities.
• Custom hard hat and high-vis jacket – personalized with the buyer’s name, making it a collector’s piece in its own right.
• In-game personalization – buyers will get their names added in to the game credits.
• Bonus sticker sheet – a fun addition for all ages.

Folks, that is how you do a collector’s edition. But do be sure to read the fine print, because there is a catch – shipping is not included. Also, it will take about six months for your order to be ready once placed, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to get two full-sized pieces of industrial machinery hauled to your front door. Or maybe right through it.

If you don’t have half a million pounds sterling burning a hole in your knickers, you can also just buy the game a la carte for 14 pounds sterling, which equates to a far more palatable $19.99 US Dollars.

Lithuanian indie developer Karaclan is releasing its very first game on November 14^th, a choice-driven turn-based RPG called VED. With a gorgeous hand-drawn art style and animation work, VED is certainly a looker, which you can check out in the new trailer below.

In VED, you play as Cyrus, a young man who discovers that he can teleport between two interconnected worlds – the human world, and a magical world full of dangerous beings. Cyrus embarks on a journey based on your choices as the player, which will directly affect the fate of both worlds. VED’s story is non-linear, with every choice you make having potentially irreversible effects or leading to an alternative ending. The developer says that a single playthrough will take around 10 hours, but that one is not enough to see every outcome in the game.

It also features multiple factions which create a dynamic relationship system with other characters based on their views and beliefs. From a gameplay standpoint, VED has a turn-based battle system where positioning is key, and combined with incredible enemy design, it looks quite good.

VED will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.

Spooky season is upon us, Halloween is tomorrow and Bandai Namco has dropped a new trailer for Little Nightmares III. This time around the game follows characters Low and Alone and this trailer shows off a new level, the Candy Factory where Low and Alone have to sneak around while avoiding the watchful eye of "The Supervisor". Check it out below.

Little Nightmares III is launching in 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, Switch and PC. 

Nintendo has been panned for shooting down channels and content, for using their content. The constant cry of the internet is that if Nintendo would give us access to their music, then we wouldn't have this problem. Nintendo broke the 4th wall today, looked dead at the screen and said "Fine. We'll do it ourselves." Welp. You asked for it. 

Nintendo Music is here. And yes, it looks just like Spotify and Apple Music, and yes, most of your favorite Nintendo music is here. You can look music up per character, game, and even download the songs to your device for offline play. All your repeat, shuffle, and playlist creations are available, too. You can download this and start playing the Outset Island theme right now, but ONLY if you have a Nintendo Switch Online account. So yeah, like Spotify, or Apple Music. Enjoy.