What are we all playing this weekend?
WELL?
We're entering another stretch of summer games busyness, following NotE3. This month we have events including German game bonanza Gamescom, Bethesda's QuakeCon, the indie horror showcase EEK3, and, starting today, Japanese indie fest BitSummit. But those are futuregames. For now, what are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!
Alice Bee
We have been playing Escape Academy (it is a game for two people, one of whom should be operating a pen and paper) and we have one level left. It's actually been really fun, although this Academy does not appear to give its students any skills that would apply to real life. Also so far we have been nearly drowned, set on fire, and deliberately poisoned by one of the faculty.
Alice0
I've finished the final stage of my Tour De Jeux, with a roundup post to follow on Monday, so I'm not sure what to play now. The Edinburgh Festival has just started and I do love weird performance art in basements but even before Covid I wanted to hurl oblivious clumped tourists into the road. Maybe not. Ah, who knows!
CJ
I'm off all next week so there should be plenty of time for picking up some old favourites in the evenings, and maybe starting something new. Grindstone's Cosmic Darkside free update just dropped so that's on my holiday radar – holdar? – along with some things I've missed out on such as Citizen Sleeper, which just saw its first free DLC released too. Age Of Empires IV still beckons, but I do fancy trying out university management when Two Point Campus matriculates onto Game Pass on Tuesday.
Ed
I finished Judgment the other day and I'm of the opinion that it's a certified banger. The end credits are adorable too - RGG Studio don't miss on this front. As for what I'm playing this weekend? Errr, maybe some Elden Ring? I feel like I've regained enough energy to finally motor through the finish line. Otherwise, I'm finally watching Making A Murderer and it's good stuff.
Hayden
I don't want to keep playing Elden Ring. I'd love to start a new save on Project Zomboid and actually go the distance. Maybe even start something entirely new. That'd be fun. I'll probably just end up playing Elden Ring again though. Please remind me not to start yet another playthrough in a couple of weeks.
James
I suspect this will be a gameless weekend, as I'm spending most of it at a wedding deep in the south England sticks. Very, very deep - I'm not sure if the locals will have even played a PC game, let alone made sick plays for that battle pass drip.
Katharine
is away!
Liam
I'm currently playing [REDACTED] and if I talk about [REDACTED] I'll get punched in the neck so I want to talk to you about Forbidden Corner instead. Forbidden Corner is a sort of lo-fi theme park in Yorkshire that my parents used to take me to semi-frequently as a kid. I'm going with some pals this weekend and I've found trying to explain to them what it actually is to be extremely difficult. It's technically a "Folly", a garden owned by a rich eccentric that would traditionally be filled with mazes and statues of goblins. You know, stuff that would have been considered so controversial 100 years ago it would have killed a Victorian prince. Forbidden Corner began life as a modern interpretation of that concept, but as it was built in the 90s the owner stuffed it full of hidden water fountains that spray you as you walk past, enormous animatronic cats that leap out from behind a wall and an entire underground labyrinth that depicts actual hell. The best part is that it hasn't really been improved or even maintained since it first opened, giving the whole thing a slightly run-down vibe that makes it properly cursed. If you're ever in the area, I'd really recommend you check it out. It's rad.
Ollie
I played a couple games of Hunt: Showdown recently. It's been a while, and I wanted to get back into the grim, sneaky world of hanging chains, growling dogs, and giant spider bosses. Unfortunately, it completely skipped my mind that last time I played Hunt, my friends and I deliberately bankrupted ourselves as a challenge, so we'd have to start by going into matches with basically no gear and scavenging what we could from occasional weapon loot and slain enemies. We didn't get very far into that challenge, so it looks like I have rather a steep hill to climb to get back into playing this already devilishly challenging game. Curse you, former self!
Rachel
I've been getting stuck into Bear And Breakfast this week, so I'll continue to expand my hotel empire into the weekend. Ollie didn't care much for it in his review, and although I know where he's coming from, my tolerance for hand-holding task-ticking is seemingly much higher! I also want to have a look at Frogun which looks to be a throwback to PS1 era platformers about a girl and her frog-shaped grappling hook - which sounds adorable.
Rebecca
is away!
But you, reader dear, what are you playing this weekend?