The five best ongoing games of 2021

While 2021 has brought us a number of memorable new titles, there are still those online games that we can’t seem to stop playing. These ongoing games, games-as-a-service, or whatever you may want to call them entrenched themselves into our daily routines. Whether it’s due to a thriving userbase, compelling daily, weekly, or seasonal challenges, or significant content drops, these are the games that kept players engaged throughout the entire calendar year.

The 10 best Twin Peaks episodes, including Season 3

The wonderful and strange world of "Twin Peaks" has captivated television and cinema audiences for decades, leaving a lasting impact on serialized storytelling in television long after its original run. Co-created by film director David Lynch and novelist Mark Frost, "Twin Peaks" was led by Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper, who investigated the murder of a teenage girl named Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). As Cooper soon discovered, Laura lived a double life, and the investigation was rife with secrets and dramatic developments. The town of Twin Peaks itself was full of quirky and memorable characters, and the show blended soap drama, comedy, and the surreal, as supernatural forces were in full effect in this twisty, oddball world.

50 great albums by queer artists of color

Mainstream music is often a good indicator for the cultural zeitgeist of the era in which it was released, and the trajectory of queer musicians of color in music history tells a story of the growing acceptance and success of marginalized artists. Queer artists of color experience systemic racism and bigotry, whether it be through studios or consumers. Civil rights and gay rights movements have pushed back and helped to change these issues, while also putting marginalized artists at the forefront.

The best horror maps in Rec Room

Rec Room is primarily known as a VR game with a number of opportunities for wholesome social interaction and play, but every once in a while, you need a good scare. The creation tools in Rec Room allow players to create rooms and games of their own, and creators have made a good number of spooky games for others to explore. Some are just haunted house-like showcases, and others require players to be more active. These are just ten Rec Room horror maps, presented in alphabetical order and recommended by ourselves and community members.

The 10 best free Nintendo Switch games (2021)

Nintendo Switch owners have a wide catalog of software to take advantage of, ranging from triple-A hits and indie darlings. The accessibility of the Switch is bolstered by a strong selection of games that are free to download — this may include games that are free-to-play and include microtransactions, games included for free with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and games that are free-to-start. We have a list of 10 excellent games on Nintendo Switch that you can play for free, presented in alphabetical order.

The 10 best puzzle games on Nintendo Switch

With the essential feature of handheld gameplay, the Nintendo Switch is a fitting platform to casually play puzzle games on. And the Switch has plenty to offer across a number of different puzzle subgenres, from falling block puzzle games, mysteries to solve, cooperative problem solving, and other general brainteasers. There are some obvious Nintendo-published standouts in the larger genre, including Snipperclips and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, but there are plenty of third-party gems to explore as well. These are 10 of just some of the best puzzle games for Nintendo Switch, in alphabetical order.

25 transgender celebrities who broke barriers

Stacker has compiled a list of 25 of these prolific transgender celebrities. These individuals have been featured in recent news stories for their activist efforts, have received publicity for their media appearances, or have simply made their place in history. The following list is in alphabetical order by first name. This list covers their backgrounds and summarizes their bodies of work, along with detailing any famous firsts they accomplished and their activist work, if applicable. There are no politicians on this list. Read on to see which of these celebrities you recognize and whose work you have followed.

What to Know Before Playing Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Developer Insomniac Games revitalized Spider-Man with their 2018 PlayStation 4 game, and the studio will continue the story with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The character of Miles Morales has had some greater mainstream exposure in recent years, especially with the Oscar-winning animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. After gaining his spider abilities during the 2018 game, this new title for PS4 and PS5 will have Miles headline his own story. There are new characters and new concepts that this new game will have, so let's go over ten key facts to know before starting the game.

Top Ten Best Battle Royale Video Games to Play Online

Battle royale video games carry this "last person standing" trait to their core, and many of these titles have some shared elements. Some other popular battle royales have their own take in the genre, with some combining with other genres such as the platformer or a puzzle game, and others involving absolutely no gunplay. Whatever the gameplay style may be, we've gathered the top battle royale games for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile.

The 10 best dating sims on Nintendo Switch

Whether you’re lovesick or not, dating simulators can provide an entertaining vicarious experience. Romance in games can lead to complicated mechanics, branching paths, and meters to keep track of — you might argue that the complexity of these games is true to life. But it’s a bit of fantasy fulfillment as well, with dating sims presenting fantastical and silly scenarios for you to figure out how to navigate through. The Nintendo Switch is primed for visual novels, so we gathered ten standout dating sims (in alphabetical order) to cozy up with in handheld mode.

The 10 best Picross games on Nintendo Switch

Puzzle games are a perfect fit for any portable console, and the Picross subgenre in particular has always had a home with Nintendo platforms. Also known as a nonogram, Picross puzzles are games of logic, where players fill out a grid to form a picture, using numbers as hints. The term Picross comes from “picture crossword,” and Nintendo devices from the Game Boy to the Switch have housed these games. We found ten of the best Picross games on Switch, many featuring other gameplay elements and concepts to shake up the formula. The list below is in alphabetical order.

The 10 best Mario Kart music tracks to study to

One fun life hack that you may have seen making the rounds on TikTok is the use of Mario Kart music during intense study sessions. The vast catalog of music from the racing series contains mentally stimulating or relaxing songs, with the most popular one being the fun chaotic theme of Coconut Mall from Mario Kart Wii. Here are 10 frantic or chill Mario Kart track songs in alphabetical order, besides the aforementioned one, that you can cram in last-minute work to. We also have a similar recommendation with each song to cover more ground.

The best couch co-op games for Switch

Everyone remembers how they found the initial reveal video for the Nintendo Switch to be just a little silly — were we really expected to carry this device everywhere we went and pass these detachable controllers around to “spread the joy?” We may not all hold bougie rooftop parties like in that trailer, but for the most part, the Switch has proven to be a formidable couch co-op machine, thanks to every switch coming with two Joy-Con controllers. We’ve taken stock of some of the best couch co-op games for Nintendo Switch, most of them coming from Nintendo themselves — here are the ten best of these games, in alphabetical order.

50 celebrities with a history of protest

Stacker looked back in history for other similar moments in time: the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, governmental action against communism, Proposition 8, and several environmental incidents are included. Through news articles, listicles, and retrospectives, Stacker has compiled a list of 50 celebrities of different races fighting for different causes who have a history of participating in protests or have made significant news through their participation. Click on to see which causes your favorite stars may have supported.
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