Hostile creatures in Dungeons & Dragons are cut apart, burned, frozen, and dispatched in many other ways during battles. However, a game master wants to know what kind of wound a particularly “radiant” attack would leave… but it is mainly the reason for their question that sparks discussion within the community.
Why does the game master want to know more about the damage? The DM (Dungeon Master) reaches out to the D&D community on Reddit with a burning question. He is running a campaign for a group where one player wants to play as a master chef who prepares the slain creatures for the group to eat after battle. The plan strongly resembles the anime “Delicious in Dungeon,” which we feature in this list on MeinMMO.
He can envision and explain how the wounds would look and how the type of damage affects the flesh of the creatures and its flavor. Only for one type is he currently at a loss: radiant damage.
“I know the simple and boring answer is ‘white burning,’ but personally, I want more interesting answers,” he writes on Reddit. He also wants to know how he could describe the taste of the flesh that was “cooked” with radiant damage to the player.
Here you can see the trailer for “The Mighty Nein” on Amazon Prime, the series adaptation of Critical Role’s second campaign:
Start video
The trailer for Critical Role’s The Mighty Nein on Amazon Prime shows the first conflicts that the “heroes” have to struggle with
Radiant damage can lead to incredible flavor, but also inaccurate preparation
What exactly is radiant damage? To determine what wounds and flavors radiant damage may cause, one must first clarify what kind of damage it actually is.
In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, radiant damage is described as “Holy Energy” and “Searing Radiation.” In this regard, it can be considered a type of “burn” that is not caused by fire, but rather by holy energy. Even in Baldur’s Gate 3, a target killed by radiant damage falls burning to the ground in a kind of white “fire.”
But how would the flesh react to this kind of holy fire? On Reddit, hundreds of players participate in the discussion.
Due to the holy influence, many players expect that the flesh should simply taste divine. The user shutternomad already floats in culinary heaven with their description:
“Perhaps radiant flesh… is too perfect? The fibers separate cleanly. No cartilage. The fat transforms into a translucent, pearl-like gel that melts instantly on the tongue and tastes amazing.”
Holy damage, on the other hand, could also render the flesh completely inedible. Due to radiation, the flesh could be completely destroyed. The molecules might decompose and break down before it can even be consumed.
“Radiant damage is not a cleansing force. It’s deadly light,” explains Hades_Gamma, and TalksInMaths emphasizes: “Acute radiation damage is much worse than just being unevenly cooked. Seriously, don’t look at images of it if you’re sensitive. The body begins to disintegrate at the cellular level.”
In this regard, the game master should consider whether their master chef might prefer to only handle creatures roasted by fire.
Since there are still no exact specifications regarding the taste of flesh that has been affected by radiant damage, we also want to hear from you if you have a hypothesis on the question. The player of the asking DM has given their character a solid backstory with the master chef background, which can lead to exciting moments within the group. Not every group can claim to be rewarded with a real meal during their nightly rest. If your characters still lack backgrounds, we have prepared more inspirations for you here on MeinMMO: 5 strong backgrounds from Dungeons & Dragons in the ranking that can enhance your backstory’s advantage in gameplay
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the most celebrated series from 2025 is Pluribus. The sci-fi series comes from the creator behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The lead actress, Rhea Seehorn, you might already know from a quirky role from 1997, at least if you have an interest in games related to Magic: The Gathering .
What is Pluribus? On November 7, 2025, the new sci-fi series Pluribus premiered on Apple TV. It is created by Vince Gilligan, who has brought us two of the best series of all time, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
The star of the series is Rhea Seehorn. Although she has been acting since 1997, her most notable role is probably in the series Better Call Saul, where she played the character Kim Wexler in 61 episodes. However, her first role was actually in a video game, in 1997 in Magic: The Gathering by developer MicroProse.
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Pluribus shows in the trailer for the sci-fi series what the creator of Breaking Bad has conjured up as his latest work
A tutorial sorceress who explains the game to you
What is her role in the video game? The Magic: The Gathering game developed by MicroProse was a fairly simple adaptation of the well-known card game for PC in 1997. The game also featured a tutorial on the rules presented by two real actors.
They embodied wizards who explained the rules of the card game to you in a live-action video and 90s CGI. One of these wizards is portrayed by Rhea Seehorn. Appropriate to 90s live-action cutscenes, similar to those from Command & Conquer , the acting is also quite exaggerated.
In an interview (via Instagram), Rhea Seehorn talked about the role and explained that with the very low budget they didn’t even have money for real shoes: We played wizards, and the budget was so low that they didn’t have shoes, but they wanted us to look like we were wearing some kind of gladiator wizard boots or something. So we just wore knee socks with tape that we had wrapped around.
If you need a tutorial for Magic yourself, here is the over 20-minute tutorial where you can hardly recognize Rhea Seehorn:
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How did Rhea Seehorn’s career progress? Her first live-action role aside from the Magic tutorial was according to IMDb in the series Homicide in 1997, but only for one episode. After that, she regularly had smaller roles, while larger roles appeared in the less known series I´m with Her (2003-2004) or Alex and Whitney – Sex without Marriage (2011-2013).
Her probably most known role before Pluribus was in Better Call Saul between 2015 and 2022. The series also comes from the pen of Vince Gilligan. In 2024, she additionally had a role in the action film Bad Boys: Ride or Die. In the meantime, she also worked as a voice actress, among others in the series Invincible or My Adventures with Superman.
For the former CEO of Blizzard, the outlook for the new gaming studio is bleak. The latest game is now being given away for free.
Mike Morhaime was the head of Blizzard. When he left the company a few years ago, he was sorely missed and wanted to establish his own gaming studio: Dreamhaven. So far, four games have been released or they have acted as a publisher, but the ambitious “Wildgate” from Moonshot Games just hasn’t taken off. Just about six months after the release, the game is now even being given away.
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Wildgate zeigt Gameplay im Trailer, sieht aus wie eine Mischung aus Concord und Overwatch
Where is the game being given away? Currently, Wildgate is free in the Epic Games Store, instead of the usual around 30 euros. So anyone who wants to try the game should take advantage of this offer before January 8, 2026, to add Wildgate to their collection for free.
No more than 200 players at once – a death sentence?
What kind of game is Wildgate? Wildgate is a wild genre mix, reminiscent of hero shooters like Overwatch and also Hunt: Showdown. You take on the role of a member of a space crew and must gather resources on a procedurally generated map while searching for the “artifact.” The catch: All other teams want it too, and only one team can win. Victory comes when you escape with the artifact or eliminate all enemies.
As a team, you want to proceed tactically. Some gather resources, others might guard the spaceship, or some try to sabotage the enemy ships. The possibilities are diverse.
How is Wildgate doing? Honestly: Pretty bad, and it’s surprising. Because if you look at the game’s ratings on Steam, they are quite positive. 81% recommend the game based on over 4,000 reviews.
But that doesn’t help if no one plays the game anymore. If you look at Steamcharts for the current player numbers, Wildgate is essentially dead. The simultaneous active players on Steam hover between 80 and 200, even though you have to keep in mind that the game is also available on other platforms (like the Epic Games Store). Nevertheless, this is a devastatingly low number, where hardly any matches can take place. The failure of Wildgate has likely also led to layoffs at Dreamhaven.
Many fans had already worried months ago, that Dreamhaven would simply let Wildgate die. Because some have taken the game to heart and feel that it hasn’t received enough attention. Perhaps giving it away on the Epic Games Store is now a last-ditch effort to gain some attention – one can only hope for the game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Final Fantasy XIV is getting a new version for the Nintendo Switch in addition to the PC, PlayStation, and Xbox versions. However, many players are not pleased, as they fear it may make their characters look uglier.
Where was this announcement made? Naoki Yoshida, the producer of the MMORPG, logged into Costa del Sol, a beach area in the game, for a short time. There, he answered many fan questions, including those about the next Ultimate and some customization options for their characters.
He also confirmed with a brief sentence that Final Fantasy 14 is coming to Switch consoles: “Look forward to the Switch version.”
Yoshida likely refers to the Nintendo Switch 2, as the original Switch has been available for nearly 9 years, while its successor has only been on the market for a few months. Prior discussions about a possible port are rumored to have already taken place.
However, many players are not happy about the new version coming to the Switch 2.
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV: Rocking trailer for “Into the Mist” sets the stage for patch 7.4
Initial reactions to the version on Switch 2 are negative
What are players saying? On the Japanese blog Livedoor, which was the first to report on Yoshida’s announcement, several comments have accumulated. However, the majority of commenters are negative about the Switch 2 port.
Users believe that the quality of FF14 would decrease with this version. One fan even states that he would stop playing the MMORPG because Square Enix would be forced to develop with much lower performance limits than the standard PS4. He refers to the performance of the Switch 2 hardware.
One user clarifies:
If a Switch version is released, it’s easy to imagine that they would make excuses like “The Switch is holding us back.”
Players are therefore suggesting creating a separate server for Switch 2, similar to the mobile version, which is still being prepared for worldwide release. Otherwise, they plan to mute the players on the Switch 2.
Is there only criticism? In the comments, there are a few proponents of the Switch 2 version. One user is excited that the new version would attract fresh players again. He believes that any online game that cannot attract new gamers will be discontinued.
On Reddit, there are also some users who are excited about the announcement. They are convinced about the handheld version and want to play the MMORPG from bed.
MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has been playing almost exclusively the Paladin in Dungeons & Dragons or in Baldur’s Gate 1+2 for many years. Almost exclusively, because the only switch failed.
Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 were released in 1998 and 2000. The two games are based on the rules of Dungeons & Dragons, specifically the 3.5 edition. However, I only got into it around 2010. Since then, I have played the game for dozens of hours every year because the old games were and still are a milestone for party-based RPGs and remain unsurpassed for me.
By now, it must be somewhere between 500 and 800 hours, counting all attempts. The time spent on the Switch version is not included.
In Baldur’s Gate and also in other D&D games like Solasta or Icewind Dale, I almost always choose the Paladin or he is always dutifully there when I have to create a full group of characters. The Paladin is definitely a class that has accompanied me throughout all rounds, sometimes more successfully than other times.
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Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition 1.3 Trailer
The Paladin is my class and has been for over 10 years
Why the Paladin? The Paladin in Dungeons & Dragons is a tough melee fighter who also has a few magical tricks up his sleeve. His many hit points and heavy armor make him a grateful class with little frustration potential, especially at the beginning.
When I first got into Dungeons & Dragons with Baldur’s Gate, the Paladin was the perfect class for me: The Paladin is robust and his abilities are manageable. This also makes group play easier compared to other classes: I stand in front and soak up damage while my team takes care of the rest.
Oftentimes, the Paladin also fits the characters I usually take along best: Typically in Baldur’s Gate, they are Imoen (Thief), Khalid (Fighter), Jaheira (Fighter/Druid), Minsk, and Dynaheir (Mage). Rarely, I also take the depressed Xan (Mage) or the cleric Branwen, if I have freed her from her petrification.
My party in part 1: Khalid, Jaheira’s husband, is still alive, and Dynaheir is still with us.
In part 2, my party shifts slightly but mostly remains good-aligned: I stay loyal to Imoen, Jaheira, and Minsk, and then Aerie (Mage) and Nalia (Mage/Thief) join. The 6th spot in my group varies depending on who I need at the moment.
Overall, I often play a good-aligned group, aside from the argumentative Viconia (Cleric) who occasionally has a guest appearance in both games. The Paladin fits perfectly without me having to break my oath.
Additionally, I believe the Paladin has the best class quest in part 2. The quests of the warrior and druid are nice, but do not have nearly as cool a final boss. What good is a druid grove or a castle of my own when I can defeat a huge dragon?
Once I played something else and instantly regretted it
Once, I actually wanted to play something else, namely a bard. But I couldn’t connect with him: I got to the Friendly Arm, an important tavern in Baldur’s Gate 1, and picked up Jaheira and Khalid for my group. And then I lost interest.
There were probably various reasons for this back then: The beginning of Baldur’s Gate 1 is slow and not quite easy, and a class like the bard, which is not necessarily suitable for beginners, didn’t make it any better. Especially when at the beginning you only have Imoen as your companion and she is fairly fragile. In the worst case, you can be torn apart by the first larger group of wolves right behind Candlekeep.
In the end, I ended up going back to the Paladin. A class that forgives errors a bit more and doesn’t confront me directly with the harsh reality of the Sword Coast.
The bard simply wasn’t beginner-friendly enough for me as a novice because I couldn’t endure much damage and had to rely on my party to utilize my skills effectively. This made the beginning quite tough, which I was not keen on.
You’ve probably noticed many dances in World of Warcraft look familiar. No wonder, as they all have real-world counterparts. MeinMMO presents 20 dances and their origins – and you can directly test how many of them you already know.
What still exists is dancing, an activity that everyone probably knows from raid breaks between pulls, from bored traders in the auction house, or when that annoying guy with his flute comes along and forces everyone to move. There’s even a dance studio in WoW.
All dances you find in the MMORPG have a counterpart from the real world. Some of them come from music videos – in which a lot of dancing was done back then (yes, WoW is from “back then”, that was 2005) – or are based on an existing dance from pop culture.
You can also build your own dance studio – housing makes it possible:
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WoW: Early access to housing has started
Not all dances from WoW are based 1:1 on the template, some are assembled from various music videos, show only a snippet, or have been slightly adapted. Nevertheless, they all have more or less well-known foundations:
Mechagnomes dance to the “Robot”
Male undead headbang to… some metal song
Male gnomes perform the “Bad Touch” by the Bloodhound Gang
To make the article not too dry, we have directly linked it with a small quiz so you can check how many of these dances you have recognized in the game. Have fun!
Note: We have not listed all dances because some do not have a clear source.
The free games for PS Plus Essential in January 2026 on PS5and PS4 are now known. We briefly introduce you to the games and tell you when you can start playing them.
What PS Plus games are there in January 2026? January 2026 comes with three games that you can play with the PS Plus Essential subscription.
Need for Speed Unbound | PS5
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed | PS4, PS5
Core Keeper | PS4, PS5
When are the games available? You can start playing on the first Tuesday of the month:
PS Plus games available: January 6, 2026, around 12:00 PM
Everything important about the PS Plus Essential games in January 2026
Here we briefly introduce you to the three games:
Need For Speed Unbound: In the latest installment of the racing series, you race to the top in street races. You have to not only compete against other racers but also outsmart the police when they are hot on your heels.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed: The remake of the action-adventure from 2010 sends you into a fantastic world. Armed with paint and thinner, you embark as Mickey Mouse into a desolate realm full of forgotten Disney characters. Your choices influence the course of your journey.
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Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – The release trailer for the remake of the classic
Core Keeper: In this sandbox game for 1–8 players, you explore endless caves full of creatures, relics, and resources. You mine materials, build your base, farm, craft better tools, and even fight against titans to uncover the secret of the core.
What else do I need to consider? If you haven’t claimed the games from last month for PS Plus yet, you still have time to do so. Once the new games are available, the old ones will be disabled.
If you want to get the games, you need a paid PS Plus subscription for your PS4 or PS5.
Many animes now have small novels, also known as light novels. Often, it is the case that the series are based on the stories from the small book. MeinMMO presents several light novels that anime fans should not miss out on.
In many cases, a manga is initially created by a publisher, which, after great success, is adapted into an anime. As another medium, there are also light novels. These are novels that come with a lot of text and few illustrations.
The writing style is intentionally kept simple and thus easy to read. There are many dialogues and short paragraphs that sometimes reveal details that are not present in the anime and manga. Sometimes, the light novels also serve as the basis for an anime, for example in Solo Leveling or The Apothecary’s Diaries.
Below, we present the personal recommendations from MeinMMO that you should read as a fan of the respective anime.
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The Rising of the Shield Hero: Trailer for the Anime with Shield Hero
The Rising of the Shield Hero
Volumes: 22 (on hiatus since June 2019)
Published in Germany: up to volume 16
What is it about? The Rising of the Shield Hero begins like many isekais. Naofumi Iwatani is actually a student but awakens in another world after browsing through a book in the library. The fantasy world is protected by four legendary heroes who are supposed to fend off monsters.
Naofumi receives a shield as his weapon, which makes him the weakest of the heroes. Within a few days, he is betrayed by the princess of the country, robbed, and accused of rape. No one believes him, and he loses all his reputation. Filled with thoughts of revenge, he decides to become stronger on his own.
What makes the light novel so good? In the anime, Naofumi’s inner monologues unfortunately get lost. He appears much more cynical and psychologically unstable in the novel. His hatred of the world is much more intense and is portrayed in a more understandable way.
The book also provides more insight into the motivations of the individual characters. In the light novel, the story arc “Spirit Turtle Arc,” which in the anime seems rushed, is presented in a more engaging and detailed manner.
Continue to page 2.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
ARC Raiders has achieved something that other multiplayer shooters like Battlefield 6 can only dream of at the moment. The game has managed to retain most of its players on Steam even two months after release.
Where do these numbers come from? To view the number of concurrent players in a specific title on Steam, you can refer to websites like SteamDB.info. It should be noted that the statistics only include players on Steam. Other platforms like consoles or different launchers are not included.
Looking at the numbers of concurrent players in ARC Raiders on Steam, one thing stands out: The title has hardly lost players since its release on October 31, 2025.
ARC Raiders reached its peak on Steam on November 16, 2025, with almost 482,000 concurrent players (according to SteamDB.info). On December 28, the game had around 439,000 players once again.
The English-speaking business magazine Forbes has calculated what this means. Accordingly, ARC Raiders has managed to retain 91% of its players on Steam since release.
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ARC Raiders zeigt im Launch-Trailer, wie der Kampf Mensch gegen Maschine aussieht
ARC Raiders remains strong since release
Why is this so unusual? Even successful multiplayer games typically lose a large portion of their players in the first months after release. This is quite normal and not always a cause for concern as long as the player base is large enough.
Battlefield 6 reached a peak of 747,440 concurrent players on Steam at launch (according to SteamDB.info). In the last peak, there were only around 113,600. Battlefield 6 has thus lost 85% of its Steam players over a similar time frame – ARC Raiders launched about two weeks later.
Similarly, the Free2Play hero shooter Marvel Rivals shows a comparable trend. The current number of concurrent players has settled at around 100,000, but is far below the peak of around 644,000 reached in January 2025 (according to SteamDB.info).
Part of ARC Raiders’ success is likely due to the quick, solid updates. On November 13, 2025, the developers delivered a new map and two ARCs as well as fresh events, items, and quests. On December 16, 2025, the next big update, Cold Snap, followed.
For years, fans have been begging for it, and now there are finally stylish clothes in World of Warcraft. But you have to hurry, because it will be gone in a few weeks.
Satisfying the community in World of Warcraft can sometimes be quite simple. Everyone knows that the true endgame is about transmog, and sometimes you just want your character to look nice. However, this requires appropriate clothing, which can sometimes be a bit revealing. For fans of such designs, 2026 starts perfectly – because the long-awaited chain bikini is finally here, which will find diverse applications immediately.
Start video
WoW: Patch 11.2.7 – The warning shows what threatens Quel’thalas
How do you get the clothing? The chain bikini is part of the Trading Post in January. There you can easily purchase the bikini for trader currencies. Since this is a cosmetic item, there are no restrictions on which classes can use the transmog. It can be worn by all cloth classes, as well as plate, chain, or leather classes – and of course by male characters, if that matters.
The cost is only 150 trader currencies, making the chain bikini clearly one of the cheaper transmog items.
Even Khadgar is pleased.
“It feels surreal to see something like this in WoW again”
Accordingly, the clothing is also well received in the World of Warcraft community. Because in a post where a Draenei player shows the outfit of their Man’ari Eredar, there are many positive comments:
“WoW is healing.” – LazyKaiju
“It feels almost surreal to see a new item with cleavage in WoW. It feels like at least 12 years have passed since they introduced something like this into the game. I really hope that WoW eventually returns to its roots, where such revealing clothing was normal; it didn’t bother anyone, and people just enjoyed it.” – NeifirstX
“So is the fruit bowl embargo finally over?” – WtONX
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The overwhelming opinion was that Blizzard went too far. This also raised concerns that “attractive” clothing would no longer be featured in the game. Even though it took a while, new items have repeatedly been introduced over the months that could at least counter this accusation. The chain bikini also belongs to this category. By the way, this trend continues with Midnight. Because right now, an HD variant of the clothing has been found in the game files that will probably bring the most famous “slut mog” back to life: The Mage set.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since almost 20 years, the Drachenfest gets celebrated in Germany – it’s one of the largest German LARP events. MeinMMO editor Sophia Weiss has been participating for a few years now and tells you why she cannot imagine her vacation calendar without this event anymore.
One of my favorite hobbies is playing Pen & Paper. Meeting with friends to play Dungeons & Dragons or Call of Cthulhu. Determining how well my character can do something with dice while trying to stay in character. The usual.
However, I am a very active person and sitting still is difficult for me. I need movement. That’s why since 2022 I regularly attend LARP events. Part of my annual summer vacation? The Drachenfest, the festival of Dragons. The ticket for my 5th visit in summer 2026 is already secured.
But what is LARP actually? LARP is short for Live Action Role Playing, and it is when Dungeons & Dragons at the table is no longer enough, and you go on quests in reality with costumes and foam weapons.
People gather here dressed up to play a real round of Pen & Paper. There are tasks to complete, duels to fight, and monsters to slay. From high fantasy to cyberpunk to post-apocalyptic, there is a genre of world and intensity for every taste.
You can read more about what exactly LARP is, who you play there, and how everything works here:
The Drachenfest – When over 4,500 nerds enjoy themselves
The Drachenfest is a big convention. Since 2006, it has spread over approximately 40 hectares at the Quast near Diemelstadt and, according to the Facebook page, has recently accommodated over 4,500 participants. This makes it one of the largest LARP events in Germany. It usually takes place at the end of July or the beginning of August and typically lasts for four days – over a week, if you count the preparation.
The participants consist of organizers, game masters, non-player characters (NPCs), helpers like paramedics, and finally regular players. The latter camp in 11 thematically different camps, depending on how they classify their character or where their best friends are. In addition, there is the Orc camp, the Landsknechte, the tribes, and the town where most NPCs live.
Each of the 11 camps is assigned a colored dragon. Each embodies its own philosophy and calls corresponding characters to it. Here are a few examples:
The motto of the blue camp is “Free and Unyielding”. So, it is a camp full of freedom-loving people, including sailors of all kinds, sea creatures, or just anyone who values not being in any kind of unwanted chain.
For the red dragon, those who love to fight and enjoy battles rally. The black one calls mages and shadow beings to it. The camps with the most participants include blue and green. The latter stands for the cycle of life, hunting, and natures power.
Important: Any character can attend the Dragon Festival. Elves, Vikings, wizards, lizard folk, orcs, pirates, Landsknechte… I even once saw a samurai and a stormtrooper. The most important thing is that you find the camp that suits your character.
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The plot of the Drachenfest is essentially the same every year: The dragons call their followers together to determine the best among them in a competition.
The winner is the camp that has collected the most dragon eggs after the final battle. These are awarded, for example, by successfully completing tasks, winning competitions, or collecting specific quest rewards.
Each camp also has a camp banner. If a camp manages to steal another camp’s banner and keep it, there are eggs for that as well. This way, the warriors, too, can actively participate in the competition. However, the most eggs at once are awarded for victory in the final battle on the last game day.
The dragon with the most points wins, and the new Dragon Year is dedicated to the winner.
In addition, there are of course many other large overarching, but also many small storylines and plot points that players can follow. Generally, there is always something for everyone to do, and if you want, you can always find eager quest-givers who need help – for example, I once provided marriage counseling.
And if you simply don’t want to, you can just enjoy an incredibly atmospheric event. The players make great efforts every year to decorate their camp sites appropriately:
For example, the pirates hang many blue string lights that cloak the paths at night in the eerie light of a siren cave. Green is known for its large and extravagant garden, where the history of the dragon world is told.
Each camp has attractions and also businesses run by players: There are coffeehouses, at least one pizzeria, mages, alchemists… The list is long.
The NPCs mostly live in the town of Aldradach. Here you can find, for example, the fighters’ and alchemists’ guilds. If you want, you can grab a drink at the Durstiger Dolch (Voracious Dagger), a real tavern. There is even a matchmaking service, a post office, and the herald, the official newspaper of Aldradach.
Click on one of the images to enlarge it:
Camps are always beautifully decorated
An alchemy labAgainst the darkness, “fairy lights” help – for example, string lights with a well-hidden battery box
Adventures at the Festival of Dragons
I have spent my dragon years in the green camp so far. Originally, I signed up because it explicitly states on the homepage that it is also suitable for beginners. By now, I am there because I like it and have found many friends there.
I camp with a super nice group of Vikings, orcs, and amazons. The roof over my head is a large black yurt. In the morning, we have a communal breakfast and in the evening, we take turns cooking.
Adventures at the Drachenfest look different depending on the time of day. In my first year, for example, I encountered a troop of horrible orcs on my way to the NPC town with friends during the day. First, they surrounded us, and then their leader politely but firmly asked us where we were going.
We explained that we were on our way to the town. It was still exactly 50 meters away. Unfortunately, we were already surrounded. There were four of us. The orcs were more like ten.
Talking our way out of it didn’t get us anywhere. Eventually, I offered them the four copper coins I had in my pocket: One copper for each of my group, whom the orcs would safely escort to the town. I was really nervous. But the orc chief liked the deal. We made it to our destination.
On another occasion, a female archer from our camp burst through our gate: She and her companion had been in the orc camp, and he was badly injured with the Landsknechte. He needed urgent medical help. I felt called to help and ran off. Normally, it would have taken me about 20 minutes to walk to the Landsknechte’s camp. This time it took five.
I had exactly one bandage and some water with me. First, I poured the healing potion down the throat of the injured person (with permission, of course), but it only healed one of two wounds. I treated the wound on the arm with the bandage as best as I could. With some helping hands, I finally carried the colleague back to the camp. I was out of breath, tired, but incredibly satisfied with myself.
Click on one of the images to enlarge it:
For the opening ritual, most players gather already in character at the ritual circleOnly at the ritual circle are there spotlights at the Dragon Festival
At night, however, it feels entirely different. Everything is more serious, wilder. Orcs attack before they talk to you. Once it gets dark, one does not simply walk across the field anymore.
At the Drachenfest, there are no huge spotlights. All the light you have are brought-from-home, lanterns and (electric) candles. Accordingly, at night in the field is the time of the hunters:
Small groups wander around and catch unsuspecting groups on their way back to the camp. Some want tolls in copper. Others attack and send you directly to the limbo. The limbo is the place where players respawn when they have lost all their life points. After big battles, there are often queues here.
At night, the monsters from the Wandel also come out. In the over-18 camp, you will find almost exclusively mythical creatures like Japanese fox gods, man-sized rats, or lizard folk. During the day they are already impressive. But when unnatural, unexplainable sounds come at you in the dark, you better run away quickly.
A week of hardly sleeping? Awesome, gonna be doing it again
The Drachenfest has been a fixed part of my vacation calendar since 2022. I want to keep it that way. After every trip to the green camp, I return very satisfied with myself and the world. Even if I don’t get much sleep at Drachenfest and at home, I first lie flat for another one or two days.
Moreover, it helps me to completely block out reality: To not disturb the atmosphere, the phone stays in the pocket most of the time. Other electronics are also scarce due to the lack of power supply. You are almost completely offline for a week at the Drachenfest. It feels good.
I am also very much looking forward to 2026. In 2025, the festival took place for the last time at Quast near Diemelstadt. Next year, it will be celebrated for the first time at Waldeck by the lake, on the grounds of the former golf club.
This will make the Dragon Festival even bigger: The golf course, whose area is now being taken over, had 99 hectares according to Golfdates.de. Thus, the event will grow by a whole 59 hectares. That’s almost 140 soccer fields.
My legs are already thanking me. More cardio in my gym plan is probably appropriate. I will also tidy up my crafting corner soon for the new projects.
I can only recommend the Dragon Festival as a wonderful LARP experience. Even as a first LARP experience. The only important thing is to bring some curiosity.
A large Con is incredibly exhausting. But equally satisfying and fun. I don’t want to miss the Drachenfest anymore, and I look forward to meeting all my old and hopefully many new friends in Waldeck in 2026. Maybe you will be there with us too. If you’re still looking for ideas to design your character, maybe here is something for you: 11 magical tattoos in Dungeons & Dragons that will make you not only stylish but also powerful
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An achievement in World of Warcraft is so ruthless that most players will never achieve it. Because the effort is enormous.
There are achievements in World of Warcraft that are literally thrown at you. Leveling a character to level 10 or 20 is not a big achievement, and completing a certain questline in an area does not pose significant difficulty either. But then there are achievements that are so exhausting, annoying, and difficult to attain that only a small fraction of players possess them – like the achievement “‘Employee’ of the Month”.
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WoW: Early access to housing has started
What kind of achievement is that? The achievement “‘Employee’ of the Month” is always available at the beginning of a new month, when you have proven in the previous month that you are the “most valuable” employee. Something that sounds so simple on paper – but is much more ruthless than one might think. Because you are competing against hundreds of thousands of other players.
Hundreds of hours of farming – for a small chance
How do you obtain the achievement? The Reddit user Walocial has documented this and also shown how crazy it actually is. Because if you want the achievement, you have to be the one who has submitted the most “C.H.E.T.T.” lists on a character within a month – in the entire region (such as Europe or America). You get these lists in Lorenhall and complete them by fulfilling various tasks. Only one character can get this achievement each month per region – last month, it was Walocial.
It’s no wonder that currently only 0.0017% of accounts have this achievement (DataforAzeroth).
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How many lists were needed? To ensure his victory, Walocial submitted a whopping 607 C.H.E.T.T. lists within a month, that’s over 20 per day.
The catch is that you can really only submit one list per week and character. If you want more C.H.E.T.T. lists, you must collect 40 C.H.E.T.T. cards for each additional list, which drop from enemies in Lorenhall or the Depth there after submitting the first list. Typically, during one run through the Depths, around 20 to 30 of these cards drop, meaning you need to run through many hundreds of Depths to get the necessary amount.
Another catch with the achievement is: You never know how many lists other characters have submitted. You might think you are secure with 200 or 300 lists while another player on an unknown realm has submitted many more.
This also directly leads to the next problem. Because if you do not get the achievement in a month, the progress is logically reset to zero – so you have to repeat all the farming in the following month.
No matter how you turn it, the “‘Employee’ of the Month” achievement is likely one of the toughest and most ruthless grinds in World of Warcraft – and that without a guarantee that you will actually achieve the accomplishment in the end. We have introduced you to other really tough achievements in the 5 hardest achievements of WoW.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The second season of the Netflix series about One Piece will not be released until March 2026. Until then, the actors are spending their time in various ways – one by shaking up a tournament for the official card game of the anime.
Who is it about? The Japanese-American actor Mackenyu is one of the stars of the Netflix adaptation of One Piece. However, long before he took on the role of the green-haired pirate Zorro, he was a big fan of the anime, and the associated card game.
His colleague Jacob Romero, who plays the role of Lysop, referred to him in a Q&A in 2024 as being downright obsessed with the card game (via X). In an interview with Crunchyroll, Mackenyu stated that One Piece is among his top 3 favorite anime.
Now the actor shows that he is just as dangerous with a deck of cards as he is with his 3 swords.
Start video
Der Trailer zu Staffel 2 von One Piece auf Netflix zeigt direkt, dass Staffel 3 kommen wird
Imagine you are playing Zorro… against Zorro
What has he achieved now? Mackenyu participated in a tournament for the One Piece collectible card game from December 27 to 28, 2025, with over 360 participants. He achieved an impressive 8th place.
He later shared on X the deck with which he participated, focused around the character Imu.
Attentive fans might be much more impressed by another detail. Mackenyu apparently had a playmat with a drawing of his character Zorro, personally signed by Eiichiro Oda. With such a good luck charm, the actor naturally couldn’t help but steer directly into the top 10. In fact, it is said that Mackenyu is even a regular guest of the mangaka and plays cards with him.
A user wrote on X: “Can you imagine making it to the top 8 of a huge One Piece tournament, and your opponent is literally just fucking Zorro.”
If you are already impatiently waiting for the continuation of the live-action adaptation of One Piece on Netflix, we have compiled all the important information for you here. As soon as there are any updates, we will update the article for you: One Piece Season 2: Release, Trailer, and Cast for the Netflix series
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
One of the actors from the series about Fallout on Amazon has thanked some YouTuberswho helped him prepare for his role. One of the mentioned YouTubers reacted – and is incredibly excited.
Who is this actor? It is Rafi Silver. The actor portrays Robert House in the series about Fallout – a character that fans of the games already know from Fallout: New Vegas. Mr. House is the enigmatic ruler of New Vegas, most of the time he appears as a face on a screen that speaks to the player character.
In a recently released interview clip from IGN, Silver publicly thanked some YouTubers. He utilized their videos about Fallout to get a better feel for the character. You can also see this clip as a Short on YouTube.
Here you can see the trailer for Fallout Season 2:
Start video
The official trailer for Fallout Season 2 takes us back to the apocalypse
Actor spent hours watching lore videos on YouTube
This is what the actor said: Silver watched “hours and hours” of YouTube videos to prepare for his role. He explains: “I come from drama school and I like to have a dramaturg.” In this case, YouTube was his dramaturg.
The actor even names four YouTubers in this interview: JuiceHead, MrMattyPlays, Oxhorn, and KnightRaven. “I studied every one of those videos over and over and over,” he says. This way he learned more and more about the story of Mr. House.
Those YouTubers are so dedicated. They were the ones that educated me and being on set, doing this, I feel like it’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ to them.
What do the YouTubers say about this? One has already spoken up after the release of this clip – MrMattyPlays. He apparently can hardly believe what has happened.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the YouTuber writes: “Dude, I’ve rewatched this like 80 times and I still CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!!”
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In the comments on this post, there are congratulations raining down for the YouTuber:
“Yo, this is awesome! Well deserved!”, writes the user Eric Smith on X
PlayStalgia says: “So cool, and that man seemed ready to name-drop you guys too, like he wanted to make sure you got a proper shoutout” (on X)
YouTuber KnightRaven also noticed this shoutout. In the comments to the clip on YouTube, he speaks up and writes: “Thank you so much! I’m so honored!” None of these YouTubers probably ever thought that their videos would someday be incorporated in such a way into a Fallout series.
The WoW project by Papaplatte, HandOfBlood, and Metashi12 has been running for less than a week, but it has already taken the international Twitch by storm and given the MMORPG a visible boost.
What kind of event is this? Sauercrowd is a content guild of the German Twitch streamers Metashi12, HandOfBlood, and Papaplatte, modeled after OnlyFangs, who helped WoW regain its glory on Twitch single-handedly. The event started on December 27, 2025, with over 200 participants and the declared goal of conquering the raid Zul’Gurub.
HandOfBlood is one of the organizers of the event.
Start video
HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute
WoW grows by 150%, Twitch is full of death clips
It is so successful: The WoW event has not only conquered the German Twitch landscape but also goes far beyond national borders. Both the MMORPG itself and the participating streamers are experiencing significant viewer growth, and wherever you look right now, you see streamer characters dying.
In numbers, this looks like:
The event has given WoW a visible push on Twitch: In the last 7 days, both the number of hours watched and the number of average viewers increased by 152.7% (Source: SullyGnome, as of December 31, 2025)
World of Warcraft is currently ranked 3rd worldwide on Twitch for most-watched games, and even 1st in the German-speaking region, ahead of the overpowering “Just Chatting” (Source: SullyGnome).
With Papaplatte and HandOfBlood, two of the organizers are in the top 5 of the currently most-watched streamers on Twitch, while Metashi12 reaches at least 13th place. Within the WoW category, the top 9 spots in the top 10 are all German streamers, led by the 3 guild leaders (Source: SullyGnome)
For the second day in a row, the most popular Twitch clips worldwide are all Sauercrowd moments. The streamer JenNyan can currently boast the most-watched clip of the week with her AFK death (Source: TwitchTracker).
Although the event is extremely successful from a content perspective, one can’t necessarily say the same for the individual players. Many of the participating streamers are trying WoW for the very first time, and of course, they are making all the mistakes that beginners tend to make – from pulling too large to standing AFK in dangerous areas.
But at least: The compilations of death clips on the fan-operated YouTube channel have already become significantly shorter after the first day, and fewer characters are meeting their end. This is necessary, as entertaining as the shameful deaths at the start are, in the end, the goal is to reach max level and conquer the raid Zul’Gurub.
And somehow the schadenfreude is even greater when a character that has been ground to a high level for countless hours bites the dust.
On Steam, there are countless games, from expensive AAA productions to small indie games from solo devs. For developers who offer their games on Steam, there are therefore various rules and conditions from Valve. One of these conditions means that a developer has been reminded for 7 years that he does not earn money with his game.
Note: This article was previously published in an earlier version on MeinMMO. Whether the developer still received the messages this year could not be determined with certainty.
What is behind the reminder? An indie developer mentioned on Reddit that he received an email from Valve informing him that he would not receive a payout from Steam for August 2024. He had not reached the required minimum for a payout.
Another indie developer commented below the post, reporting that he has received the same email every month since 2017. He shared his screenshot via imgur.com, which shows the email correspondence with Valve and confirms his statement.
The special thing is: the developer does not expect any revenue from Steam at all. He has been offering his game since 2017 with a free-to-play model and has sold nothing on the platform since then. Therefore, the developer has been reminded every month for 7 years that he does not earn money with his F2P game.
Valve is currently also working on a new game. We present it to you in the video:
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This is Deadlock – The new MOBA shooter from Valve
Minimum amount is intended to protect indie devs from costs
What is this about the minimum income? One condition for developers on Steam states that they must earn at least 100 US dollars before they can receive a payout. This is to prevent developers from incurring disadvantages due to any costs and bank fees, says Valve.
However, this does not mean that Steam simply withholds the developers’ earnings and enriches itself. Instead, the money is kept and collected until the developers reach the minimum. Valve says about this:
Due to the costs and potential bank fees associated with each individual payment we make, which are charged to you upon receipt of the payment, it would be disadvantageous for you if we were to pay out small amounts. Therefore, we may hold your payment until you have earned a minimum amount of 100 USD.
Steam also offers developers the opportunity to set a minimum amount themselves if bank fees take a large part of the payouts for sales on Steam.
The developer says he asked Valve several years ago to stop sending him emails and just keep the money or donate it to charity. However, they refused. The most recent email in the screenshot is from the morning of the day the capture was made, presumably from September 28, 2024.
Valve has not only various conditions regarding the payouts of revenues on Steam. There are also regulations regarding the design of the Steam page of a game.
Some players have companions in World of Warcraft that no one else can obtain. One player belongs to the handful of hunters in the world.
In World of Warcraft, like in most other MMORPGs, players want to brag about special achievements and stand out from the crowd. Hunters, in particular, have many options to acquire unique companions. However, even among the rarest pets, there are a few that are much more exclusive – for example, because they are not even wild animals and therefore should not be owned by the character.
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WoW: Patch 11.2.7 – The warning shows what threatens Quel’thalas
The player Dizzy_Director_7506 spotted a hunter in WoW that he had to showcase immediately on the game’s subreddit. With the name “Holy crap, a hunter ooze pet” he presented his find:
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The gnome Sneedge possesses a pet that he can use in combat, with a rather unusual shape: an ooze, which is more commonly found in the world. However, these oozes are generally not considered “wild animals”, but rather “elementals” or “deviations” and therefore should not be tamable. This makes it an extremely rare sight.
However, Sneedge seems to have a cohesive appearance, having styled his entire look around it. For instance, his gnome wears green clothing, a gas mask, and additional green companions that clearly indicate that someone has a fondness for green ooze.
Hunter companions were available for only a few days
What kind of pet is this? This exact ooze could be encountered during a quest in the Sholazar Basin from Wrath of the Lich King. It only appeared during a quest line and was mistakenly marked as a “wild animal”, making it tamable by hunters – at least for a few days before Blizzard fixed the error.
Now, the pet is only owned by a few hunters who were active back then and still are today.
Is it still possible now? No. The corresponding enemies were corrected by Blizzard long ago, so it is no longer possible to tame an ooze. Anyone trying to do this today will simply receive an error message and cannot repeat the attempt. This is precisely what makes this find so rare.
Are there other pets of this kind? Yes. In the past of World of Warcraft, there have been moments where hunters could temporarily tame enemies that were actually not suitable for it. For example, one could tame a small worgen, and a plant creature was also temporarily possible.
However, most pets of this type have been corrected by Blizzard. When appropriate companions are summoned from the stable, they largely transform into a more appropriate form. For example, one could tame a wolf completely covered in oil – but once summoned or entering an arena, the oil would be removed.
A similar solution has been applied to all other pets that hunters should not own. In this case, it seems our gnome in the picture has been fortunate. If you want to have a pretty exclusive pet as a hunter, you can get the spirit beast Sul’raka from the Emerald Dream – it is highly sought after.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
While many MMO fans are currently crying into their pillows (metaphorically), friends of the RPG genre are delightfully looking back at one of the best role-playing years of all time – at least that’s what MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz thinks.
At the beginning of 2025, I had quite a bit of hope that a good role-playing year awaited us. Since I really enjoyed the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance, I was very much looking forward to the sequel. The same went for Monster Hunter Worlds and the upcoming Wilds sequel.
It was also certain that at least one new role-playing game from the Obsidian creatives (the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds) was on its way, as they never publish total failures. And my list of upcoming MMORPGs was long.
However, I had no idea how good the role-playing vintage of 2025 would actually turn out to be in the end. Thanks to positive surprise hits that came out of nowhere, and despite the ultimately very frustrating year for MMORPG fans. From my perspective, there are good arguments to suggest that one of the best RPG years of all time is already behind us.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is, for many RPG fans, the best game of the year – here is a trailer:
Start video
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – JRPG with French Flair has Release Date
Game of the Year – which RPG should it be?
This year I had the opportunity to play and complete a lot of games again. And it speaks volumes that in my heart, ultimately, 3 very different role-playing games competed until the last minute for the title “My Personal Game of the Year.”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was – I had already hinted at it – my anticipated favorite. The developers at Warhorse Studios delivered a great sequel, which, although not perfect, is immensely charming and entertaining in its own quirky way.
I simply love the turn-based combat with its real-time elements and a certain degree of Soulslike difficulty. Plus, the gorgeous visuals, the catchy soundtrack, the exciting setting, the nostalgic overworld, and the heart-wrenching story. This qualifies as “Game of the Year” material and one of the best role-playing games of the past decade.
Then, in November, Where Winds Meet was also released, which actually does everything to be disliked by Western players: mobile port. Free2Play model with countless battle passes, shop, and gacha system. A flood of currencies and resources plus an extremely convoluted, nested interface. A poor, quite likely AI-assisted localization.
However, behind this seemingly generic Free2Play game from Asia lies one of the most remarkable and exciting role-playing games of recent years.
Role-Playing Year 2025 vs. 2017 I can only remember one other game year in which 3 role-playing games competed for the title “My Personal Game of the Year”: 2017. At that time, I was equally captivated by Divinity: Original Sin 2, Nier: Automata, and Persona 5. In the end, the sequel to Original Sin won the race. A few years later, I was therefore also very pleased that many strengths of the game made it into a certain Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Great Role-Playing Games from the Second Tier
However, the role-playing year 2025 is not only marked by a strong peak for me. The RPGs from the second tier, although not grand, but still very enjoyable, have also made a good impression in recent months.
Similar to Monster Hunter Worlds, I played the new Monster Hunter Wilds (in the review) at launch with great joy. The way small and large monsters behave within the ecosystem and during hunts continues to fascinate me, even if everything was certainly not perfect in Capcom’s blockbuster.
Start video
Monster Hunter Wilds Shows What It Has to Offer in Launch Trailer
I was also pleased with two solid role-playing games from Obsidian: Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2. Experiencing the universe of the two “Pillars of Eternity” parts (which I also like very much) from the first-person perspective works better than I was fearing after the first trailers. Additionally, it is surprisingly fun to explore the world by running, jumping, and climbing.
I personally enjoy the humor of the “The Outer Worlds” series, the different ways to tackle the challenges of the RPG, the colorful crowd of companions, and the motivating character progression. Part 2 indeed delivered what I was expecting from the predecessor.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – New Action RPG from China Shows Boss Fight and Release Date
Furthermore, I unexpectedly had fun with the early access version of Titan Quest II, which gives off a wonderfully old-school vibe while also feeling like a sensible continuation of the action-RPG classic Titan Quest. Here, I am already looking forward to upcoming content updates.
The Forgotten Gems
Surely some of you may have a role-playing game that has not been mentioned still on the tip of your tongue. For instance, I only briefly played the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I lack the courage for The First Berzerker: Khazan, it’s supposed to be incredibly difficult.
Since I am writing this article before the Game Awards, I will refrain from speculating about how many role-playing games might win awards by the end of the year. Likewise, there is no glimpse into the role-playing games of 2026.
A father promises his son a PS5 and GTA 6 for his birthday if he can master a very special challenge.
What is the task? A user with the nickname Terminally Dyslexic tells in a post on X (formerly Twitter) about a special challenge he has devised for his son. He promised his boy a PS5 including GTA 6 for his birthday in 2026 if he manages to collect all achievements in a very specific game.
The game is Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, a 3D platformer. The user gifted the game to his son for Christmas. It is currently available on Steam for half price until January 5, 2026, for €19.99.
You might think that this is not too difficult a task. However, those who think so have probably never tried it. The reactions of other players clearly show how tough this challenge is.
Here you see the game in the gameplay trailer:
Start video
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time – Gameplay Trailer
Father presents son with a “wicked” challenge
How players react:
“That’s one hell of a challenge and I’m saying that as someone who have done it on PS4,” writes a user on X. The father replies that he has already mastered this challenge himself – twice.
“Oh you are EVIL,” comments another user on X – many share this opinion. The father always responds with humor and an evil laugh.
The post has also made it to Reddit. There it states in a post: “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.” Another one states: “Well thats one way to keep your kid away from GTA.”
Why is this task so tough? To unlock all achievements in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, the boy has to put in a lot of effort in the game. He not only has to complete the story but also collect collectibles, finish time challenges, and fulfill some hidden tasks.
According to the website HowLongToBeat, it takes about 85 hours to complete the game 100% – and that with a story that only takes 10 hours.
According to PSNProfiles.com, it takes around 100 hours and 4 runs to get all trophies. The game receives a difficulty score of 9/10. In comparison, Elden Ring only has a 6/10 (source: PSNProfiles.com).
On Steam, only 2.3% of players have thus far mastered this challenge. On PlayStation, it is a bit more with 3.5%, but still so few that the platinum trophy is considered “ultra rare” [as of December 31, 2025].
Obtaining the achievements through technical means such as the Steam Unlocker is obviously not allowed for the son. Making the game easier with mods is also prohibited.
At least the boy is not completely unprepared for the game: He has already played all the original parts on PS1 and the N. Sane Trilogy. The father accompanies the challenge and regularly shares updates on his profile. If you follow these posts, you can see that the son is making quick progress.
Slowly, the father realizes what he has gotten himself into. As for the fact that he will probably have to buy his son a PS5 and GTA 6 in the end (which will likely hit his wallet hard), he shared the following GIF on X on December 31, 2025:
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The end of the year is the perfect time for MeinMMO editor Lydia to tackle a few titles from her endless backlog on Steam. One game has taken up more of her time than expected.
Between baking cookies, buying the last gifts, and getting the place ready for the family visit, I didn’t have much time – or inner peace – for gaming before Christmas. I didn’t want to start an epic adventure just to have to interrupt it after an hour or two because something else needed to be done.
Instead, I decided to tackle my Pile of Shame, which has grown alarmingly over years of Steam sales and bundles. I looked for titles with a playtime of just a few hours, perfect to finish in an afternoon before Christmas.
On a bit of a whim, I started Overboard!, an adventure game by Inkle from 2021. Honestly, I don’t even know how it ended up in my library. But as a big fan of detective games, the premise of being the murderer myself and needing to cover up my crime attracted me – and before I knew it, I was hooked.
Start video
Overboard! zeigt die mörderische Seefahrt im Trailer
The life insurance only pays out if someone else goes to jail…
In Overboard!, we take on the role of former actress Veronica Villensey, who has seen better days. On the voyage to America, she disposes of her unfaithful husband to collect the life insurance and start anew.
With 8 hours until arrival in New York, it is essential to divert suspicion away from herself, so that her new life doesn’t start off less than glamorous in jail.
This endeavor isn’t difficult in itself: While I got tangled in contradictions during my first run, I managed to convince my fellow travelers of my innocence during my second attempt and even hooked the dashing ship’s captain.
A run takes about 30 minutes, which is quite short, and the experience left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied with a “Is that all?”. But alright, I wanted a little gaming snack, and theoretically, nothing should have stopped me from checking off the game and focusing on something else. If it weren’t for one detail.
Because as Veronica – and I – quickly find out, life insurance doesn’t pay out in cases of suicide. It’s not enough to convince everyone that my spouse threw himself into the waves – I needed a murderer.
The next days were spent coming up with more and more devious plans to optimize my timing and commit the perfect murder. I found that I had fun, even when I wasn’t technically playing.
Because after each run, when I put away my Steam Deck, I immediately started planning my next run: What could I do differently next time? Maybe take the sleeping pills first and then… Would I still have enough time for my rendezvous with the captain?
The game itself provides some additional incentives. For example, you can also con the young Englishman out of his money while playing cards, or chat with God in the chapel… or whatever pretends to be that.
For a game that was only supposed to fill a cold afternoon, Overboard! kept me occupied this way for several days, even though the playtime on Steam ended up being just a few hours.
For the full price, that might seem too little for some, but conveniently, the title is currently 50% off in the winter sale until January 5, 2026, on Steam, costing only €6.24. If you want, you can also get the sequel Expelled!, which was released in March on Steam.
After Christmas, I finally had the muse to engage in a somewhat more intensive gaming project, and I started catching up on the game that probably no one could escape this year: Clair Obscur. Now I can also understand why the role-playing game has captivated so many – and is now already attracting the first imitators.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
![Valve regularly sent a developer a reminder for 7 years that he wasn’t making any money on Steam [MeinMMO Classic]](https://images.mein-mmo.de/medien/2022/11/steam-gaben.jpg)
