Talisman: The Magical Quest Game’s 5th Edition is steeply discounted at Amazon. Released last year for $60 to substantial fanfare, the updated version of the classic fantasy dungeon crawler is up for grabs for only $38 right now. The 37% price cut is the best yet, but like many Amazon deals, there’s no way of knowing when the price will jump back up. Talisman still regularly sells for its full MSRP, so you shouldn’t wait long if you want to embark on a Magical Quest.

You can also get the cooperative Alliances Expansion Pack for $25.75 and the brand-new Nemesis Expansion Pack for $35.

• Talisman 5th Edition — $38 ($60)
• Nemesis: Call of the Hunt Expansion — $35
• Alliances: Fate Beckons Expansion — $25.75 ($35)

Talisman: The Magical Quest Board Game, 5th Edition (Avalon Hill)

If you’ve never played Talisman before, it’s an adventure board game with light RPG mechanics where up to six players compete to obtain the Crown of Command, slay the Elder Dragon and become the new ruler of the land. Each player chooses from one of 12 characters to play as, including the Thief, Elf, Wizard, and Prophetess. The original game launched back in 1983; the 4th Edition released in 2008 and had been out of print for years, so the 5th Edition’s launch was a big deal last June.

Talisman Harry Potter & Kingdom Hearts

In the years leading up to the 5th Edition’s release, Talisman became one of the many classic board games to get new versions themed around popular entertainment and gaming franchises. Talisman’s Kingdom Hearts crossover launched in 2019, and Harry Potter joined the Magical Quest in 2021. Unfortunately, both of these editions are out of print, so you can only purchase them from third-party resellers. Harry Potter Talisman is currently $60, while the Kingdom Hearts version is $90. Your order will be fulfilled by Amazon and includes free 30-day returns.

• Harry Potter Talisman Board Game — $60
• Kingdom Hearts Talisman Board Game — $90

Talisman Adventures Tabletop RPG

In 2021, Talisman was adapted into a tabletop RPG called Talisman Adventures. The Core Rulebook is in stock at Amazon for $41, and multiple Adventure Books are $30 each.

• Talisman Adventures: Core Rulebook — $41
• Talisman Adventures: Master’s Kit — $10
• Talisman Adventures: Tales of the Dungeon — $30
• Talisman Adventures: Tales of the City — $30
• Talisman Adventures: Myths and Monsters — $30

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The newest update for the viral Steam game Escape from Duckov is out now, and it discourages players from eating poop.

Up until now, players of the game made by five people that has sold more than 1 million copies could eat poop to restore energy and hydration values. Players can still do that after the new update, but it’s less effective to do so. The patch notes state:

“Reduced the Energy and Hydration values provided by Poop.”

As PC Gamer points out, some players resorted to downing dookie to revitalize their character. The fecal matter is found on the map and can be eaten to restore some energy and hydration levels, at the cost of somewhat poisoning yourself. Apparently this proved to be too successful a tactic, and developer Team Soda made some changes. Players can still craft poop to create a throwable weapon called, wait for it, a Poop Ball.

You can see the full patch notes for the Duckov October 23 update below, as Team Soda shared on Steam.

Escape from Duckov October 23 patch notes

Updates

• Orange Headphones can now be dismantled.
• Added indicator display when the player is injured.
• Removed the footstep sound of dogs.
• Reduced the Energy and Hydration values provided by Poop.
• Added another construction site in the base to prevent players from getting stuck inside rooms.
• Slightly reduced the damage of Storm Creatures.
• In Motion Sickness-Friendly Mode, removed the camera movement when leaving the base.
• Mad Bombers now have a chance to drop other cellar keys.
• Reduced the durability consumption of Small Energy Bullets, Enhanced Small Energy Bullets, and Large Energy Bullets.
• Monster: Storm? now inflicts a “Shatter” effect.

Fixes

• Fixed lag issues caused by mining machines.
• Fixed an issue where the Sniper Trial quest requirements do not match its description after the last update.
• Fixed a bug where the MCXspear blueprint incorrectly appeared in the Recipe Collection even when it was locked.
• Fixed an issue where the Standard Bullet (MAG) crafting recipe used a deprecated item.
• Fixed an abnormal amount of ornaments appearing in the sewers.
• Fixed an issue where weapon attachments were lost when disassembling guns.
• Guns with Armor Penetration will now display their Penetration Level.
• We’re trying to fix the issue where reloading caused ammo to become “-1.”

Analyst Daniel Ahmad reminded people that Duckov was made by a team of five people, which makes the game’s success even more impressive. The game is a parody of Escape from Tarkov and published by BiliBili, a Chinese giant also behind titles like Magicraft, Core Keeper, and Warm Snow.

Duckov is available now for $15.83 USD, but the price will go up 12% to $18 USD on October 30. It’s putting up massive numbers on Steam, where it’s reached more than 250,000 concurrent players. The game is also available on the Epic Games Store, but not console.

If you bring your Nintendo Switch 2 with you on all your travels, a reliable case is a necessity. While Turtle Beach is known for its catalog of quality gaming gear, and naturally has plenty of fantastic Switch 2 cases on the market already, the manufacturer is launching a new case next month that’s specifically designed for robust protection while traveling. The Turtle Beach PlayTrek 2-in-1 Case is–as its name suggests–two cases bundled in one, allowing you to pack heaps of accessories in a larger hardshell unit, or head out with just your Switch using the slim case. The PlayTrek 2-in-1 Case for Switch 2 launches November 12, but you can preorder it now for $50.54 at Amazon. Like the rest of PowerA’s Switch 2 gear, this is an officially licensed product.

Turtle Beach PlayTrek 2-in-1 Case

If you need even more options to choose from, the popular Tomtoc Slim Carrying Case is currently getting a limited time deal that brings it to just $27.74 (was $37). It’s a top seller for Switch 2, and it’s sitting with 4.7 stars on Amazon with over 1,200 reviews. The deal is only for the black, gray, and white versions, but there are some colorful ones worth checking out.

PowerA Pikachu Storm and Metroid Prime 4 Slim Cases

RDS Industries, meanwhile, has churned out a bunch of unique Switch 2 cases. From the Hard Shell Switch Controller Case to the Deluxe Vertical Crossbody Bag, there are plenty of cool choices. These are all quite affordable too, with all of them clocking in under $30 (except for the big Game Traveler Deluxe System Case, which lets you shlep around your console, dock, Pro Controller, and other accessories and costs $40).

We’re also fans of the designs on the officially licensed PowerA cases, especially the upcoming Metroid 4 Slim Case–which arrives on October 30. There’s a cool Pikachu Storm Slim Case arriving on October 26, and it looks like a nice complement to the recently launched Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

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The Baltimore Ravens have gotten off to a 1-5 start this NFL season, and the coaching staff are apparently making moves to help turn things around, including removing certain items from the locker room, in an effort to help players focus.

According to reports, a series of leisure items–including video games, cornhole boards, a ping pong table, and a basketball hoop–have been removed from the team locker room for the time being.

Writer Sam Cohn of The Baltimore Sun said some Ravens players really enjoyed playing Super Smash Bros. in the locker room, with teammates crowding around to watch, but that’s coming to an end for now. Players told The Sun that the coaching staff wanted to remove distractions for the players.

The video games were apparently removed after the Ravens started the season 1-3, and since then, the Ravens have lost two more games to sink to 1-5.

“The only worse thing is 0-6, so yes, it’s a big hole. We’re going to have to bounce back,” center Tyler Linderbaum said. “We have 11 games left to try to run the table.”

The Ravens hit the field again this Sunday, October 26, at home against the 4-2 Chicago Bears.

In 2006, Scarface: The World is Yours was released as an alternate timeline sequel to the classic 1983 film starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana. The game has been unavailable for a long time, but it’s recently shown up as a pending re-release on Epic Games Store and Steam. However, no one seems to have heard of the publisher, EC Digital, and it’s unclear if it’s actually happening.

As reported by PC Gamer, Scarface: The World is Yours was accidentally released early on Epic Games Store, and the game page is still active. It’s also listed on Steam, which included an explanation for the early release.

“Due to a technical issue during backend configuration, the game was unintentionally pushed live on a different platform earlier than planned. We want to clarify that our intended long-term release platform includes Steam, and we’re now accelerating our efforts to finalize this version,” the statement reads.

Because Scarface went live prematurely, Wario64 and others noted that it includes two fan-made patches, SilentPatch and Fusion Fix, which make the game playable. The creator of SilentPatch, Silent, notes that the patches were incorporated into this release without permission, but also acknowledges that it wasn’t “necessary as per the license, but would be nice.”

Attempts to reach EC Digital didn’t turn up any contact info, and it’s unknown if Universal sanctioned this re-release. Following the initial reports, EC Digital has shared a statement on Steam that it has asked Valve to temporarily hide the page “while we worked through ongoing licensing and technical matters.”

The statement goes on to say that EC Digital’s plans were disrupted by the unplanned early release, and the company wants “to apologize to the community for the confusion and concern this situation may have caused. If things change and we’re able to bring the game back in the future, we’ll let you know right away.”

For now, this doesn’t appear to be going forward. However, the Scarface Ultimate Collector’s Edition was released on Bluray earlier this month.

The idea of exclusive games in 2025 is “antiquated,” according to Xbox president Sarah Bond. She said in a new interview that people are beginning to “evolve way past” the idea that a game should be exclusive to one store or device.

“The biggest games in the world are available everywhere. You look at Call of Duty, you look at Minecraft, you look at Fortnite, you look at Roblox … that’s actually what’s really driving community in gaming. That’s where people gather. And the idea of locking it to one store or one device is antiquated for most people,” she told Mashable.

“You want to be able to play with your friends anywhere, regardless of what they’re on. And we’re really leaning into that with this experience [Rog Ally X]. It just opens up another way for you to play, as does cloud, as does PC as do the consoles we all have in the living room,” she added.

Microsoft was once a big believer in exclusive games, but the company has updated its business strategy and has in recent times opted to release its games in more places, including rival systems.

For Sony, the company has also begun to bring more of its games to places beyond PlayStation, including PC and, in the case of Helldivers 2, Xbox. Nintendo, however, only releases its own games for its own exclusive platforms, and that’s proven to be good business for the company.

Microsoft does not have one single strategy it applies to all of its game releases, as some titles are released across multiple platforms simultaneously, others are not. One of the next Xbox games that could make the jump to PlayStation is Starfield, with a report saying this will be announced in 2026.

In other news, Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to announce a Halo: Combat Evolved remake, and it might be in the works for PS5.

Microsoft was also in the news recently regarding Bond’s comments about the next Xbox console, labeling it “high-end” and prompting fears from fans that it will be very expensive.

Electronic Arts and the NFL have announced an “expanded, multi-year exclusive agreement” that will see EA continue to make new Madden games for the foreseeable future. EA said this is the “most comprehensive partnership” to date between the two parties.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but EA said the Madden NFL series will continue and that EA will remain the exclusive developer of “simulation” NFL games. The deal also covers “new content and experiences” for EA’s College Football series, along with “new, large-scale interactive experiences for football fans…”

EA and the NFL are staying in business together.

EA and the NFL aren’t giving much away about future projects, but the companies teased a “reimagining” of “interactive football experiences.” The aim here is to give players the ability to “play, watch, create, and connect.”

EA and the NFL had already expanded their partnership somewhat, as EA was the presenting sponsor for the recent NFL game in Dublin.

EA announced this deal with the NFL not long after it confirmed it was selling itself to an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s PIF for $55 billion.

While EA’s Madden NFL series is continuing, the company’s efforts to revive its college basketball game series are apparently not coming to fruition.

The Madden series is an annual juggernaut, regularly ranking as one of the best-selling games each year in the US. So far in 2025, Madden NFL 26 is the No. 7 best-selling game of the year in the US.

Nintendo is bringing another beloved GameCube title to the Switch Online + Expansion Pack service next week. The original Luigi’s Mansion is joining the classic games lineup on October 30.

Originally released alongside the GameCube in November 2001, Luigi’s Mansion sees Mario’s cowardly brother exploring a haunted mansion he won in a contest he never entered. With the help of Professor E. Gadd and his vacuum-like Poltergust 3000, Luigi must work his way through the mansion’s many rooms and capture all the ghosts that lurk within.

Luigi’s Mansion marks the sixth title to arrive on Switch Online’s GameCube collection. The library launched alongside the Switch 2 with three games–The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur II–while Super Mario Strikers and Chibi-Robo were added to the lineup in July and August, respectively.

Nintendo will be bringing more GameCube games to the service in the future. The company has already confirmed that additional classics like Super Mario Sunshine, Pokemon Colosseum, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance are on the way, although it hasn’t yet announced when those games will be added.

The GameCube collection is one of a few Switch 2-exclusive perks available to Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. Members can also download the Switch 2 upgrade packs for both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for free.

An individual subscription for the base Nintendo Switch Online service runs for $20 a year, while the Expansion Pack plan costs $50 a year. Nintendo also offers an annual family plan for $80 that covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple systems.

Payday 2 may predate Payday 3 by a decade, but the former still remains popular while the latter has struggled. Now, publisher Starbreeze has lined up Sidetrack Games to work on Payday 2 updates on PC and keep those players satisfied.

Sidetrack was previously known as the M.U.G. Team in the Payday modding community, and the studio also worked on updates for RAID: World War 2 after that game’s lifecycle came to an end. According to Starbreeze, Sidetrack’s first Payday 2 update will go live on October 23, with a focus “on the stability of the game and improving the overall player experience.” Future updates are planned for “quality-of-life improvements and general game fixes.”

Starbreeze will host a livestream on October 23 that lays out the details of the patch and invites the player community to “help shape future improvements.” With Payday 2 now in the hands of Sidetrack going forward, Starbreeze will primarily be working on updates for Payday 3. Payday 2 still has has tens of thousands of players at any given time, according to SteamDB. However, Payday 3 has trouble cracking 1,000 concurrent players.

Earlier this month, Starbreeze canceled its Dungeons & Dragons game and laid off workers in a renewed push towards the Payday franchise and other heist games. The company also added a Payday 2 subscription service that gives players access to the DLC for a monthly charge. Starbreeze went on to apologize for raising the Payday 2 DLC bundle to $170 and subsequently reverted the price back to $118.

The latest edition of Steam Next Fest is over, and Steam has shared its list of the 50 most-played demos from the week-long event. This year’s list was pretty heavy with horror, adventure, RPG, and simulation games. And surprisingly, only a few roguelike and racing titles.

One of the most unusual titles was Final Sentence, a battle-royale typing game that has a fatal ending for any player who can’t keep up with the pace.

Another title that caught our eye was The Cube, Save Us: an extraction shooter with a very arresting visual style.

We’ve had our eye on Marvel Cosmic Invasion for a while, so it wasn’t too shocking to see that on the list. However, Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, was unexpected and it offers an intriguing glimpse at a chance to rewrite some of the stories that took place on that series.

Most of the games that made the list either have active demos that can still be downloaded, or they’re already in early access. The next installment of Steam Next Fest is scheduled for February 2026, but the complete list of the 50 most-played demos from this month’s event is reproduced below.

50 Most-Played Steam Next Fest Demos From October 2025

1. Half Sword (medieval swordplay sim)
2. Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (turn-based strategy)
3. YAPYAP (horror comedy co-op)
4. Final Sentence (horror typing battle royle simulation)
5. REANIMAL (adventure horror co-op)
6. Everwind (co-op open-world RPG)
7. The Midnight Walkers (zombie horror extraction-shooter)
8. The Cube, Save Us (extraction-shooter)
9. Misery (survival-horror co-op)
10. Long Drive North: Co-Op RV Simulator (survival-crafting open-world)
11. Car Service Together (racing simulation)
12. Roadside Research (co-op comedy simulation)
13. Crashout Crew (arcade driving)
14. Servant of the Lake (puzzle-adventure)
15. Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown (roguelike space-sim)
16. Tears of Metal (medieval action-roguelike)
17. Painkiller (action-shooter)
18. CarX Drift Racing Online 2 (racing simulation)
19. PowerWash Simulator 2 (sandbox simulation)
20. Ultimate Sheep Raccoon (multiplayer racing)
21. Starsand Island (farming sim)
22. Carnival Hunt (survival-horror co-op)
23. Systemic War (military-RTS)
24. Godbreakers (action-roguelike co-op)
25. Eastern Era (city-builder simulation)
26. Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis (psychological-horror)
27. Road to Vostok (survival-FPS)
28. iRacing Arcade (arcade racing simulation)
29. Marvel Cosmic Invasion (superhero action co-op)
30. Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (post-apocalyptic zombie simulation)
31. Sudden Attack Zero Point (action-FPS)
32. Master of Command (war-RTS)
33. Teamfight Manager 2 (esports simulation)
34. Anno 117: Pax Romana (city builder-RPS)
35. Cloudheim (action-RPG)
36. The Legend of Khiimori (survival exploration)
37. Cairn (action-adventure)
38. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked (strategy co-op)
39. Menace (strategy RPG)
40. The Last Caretaker (survival crafting)
41. Of Ash and Steel (medieval action-RPG)
42. Storebound (horror co-op)
43. Hellmart (first-person horror)
44. LORT (action roguelike)
45. Skate Story (action-adventure RPG)
46. ’83 (action RPG)
47. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II (turn-based strategy)
48. SealChain: Call of Blood (roguelike-deckbuilder)
49. Desktop Defender (tower defense)
50. Motorslice (action-adventure)