Years ago, a video game like Solasta II might’ve been a niche product. Old-school computer RPGs, bound by dice rolls and Dungeons & Dragons rulesets, tend to be popular within exactly one demographic of the gaming populace; the same one that possesses fond memories of a long suspended campaign in Neverwinter Nights. Conventional thinking stated that the quirks of the genre—the punishing difficulty, the baroque questlines, the constant threat of permadeath—sealed off mainstream avenues. Or, so we thought. Because in 2025, we live in a post-Baldur’s Gate III world, which proved without a shadow of a doubt that society at large could absolutely fall in love with a quirky traipse through all of these quirky systems. Solasta II is hoping that lightning can strike twice.
The first Solasta arrived in 2021, and by and large both games are bringing the same formula to the table. Like its predecessor, Solasta II is a turn-based tactical RPG undergirded by D&D structures, and in the two-hour demo I had access to, many of the rudiments were immediately legible. My party of adventurers had arrived at a rocky cliffside village, and I point-and-clicked my way through town to learn, exactly, what was ailing the citizens. A tribe of marauding kobolds were causing some problems on the border and unexplained tremors were destroying buildings, all while a crew of lost fishermen had been pinned down by flesh-eating giant crabs. The core plot points forked off in subtle ways, providing a variety of methods to approach the crises. Do you want to slaughter the kobolds in their camp? Or, perhaps, sneak off and nab one of the dragon scales they cherish, convincing them that you belong to the same cult? So, off you go to solve these problems, hoping for a bounty of loot—or at least a few gold pieces—in return.
All of these decisions are meted out in garden-variety skill checks, auditing your capacity for persuasion, perception, historical fluency, and so on. One crucial change Solasta II has made is that, from what I can tell, it doesn’t matter which party member you are currently controlling when you navigate those dice rolls. The party is treated like an all-encompassing unit, which cuts down on the annoyance that comes when you accidentally wind-up in a high-stakes parlay with your low-charisma barbarian. I also appreciated how, with the stroke of a button, players can control their group using their WASD keys—ditching the traditional top-down view entirely. It makes navigating some of the tighter corridors around the map much easier.
As someone who occasionally gets lost in the morass of D&D iconography, the UI in Solasta 2 is highly accommodating.
The combat, too, is retrofitted in some smart, modern ways. Nothing major has changed—you will still roll for initiative, and expense spell slots to cast Magic Missiles. But as someone who occasionally gets lost in the morass of D&D iconography, the UI in Solasta II is highly accommodating. For instance, some of the high-level techniques available to my sorcerer were presented to me right on my action bar, in plain English. Same with my rogue’s economy of bonus actions. The learning curve in Baldur’s Gate is considerably steeper and rife with early-game mistakes as you’re still getting used to the cadence. Solasta II, meanwhile, got me up to speed much quicker.
And frankly, I think that’s my only concern going forward. All of the nice things I can say about Solasta II are cordoned off to smart, assiduous quality-of-life improvements. The demo itself didn’t do much to distinguish itself from other RPGs on the market. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was noticeable—especially when it looks unfavorable in comparison. One of the calling cards of Baldur’s Gate III is just how pervasively interactive it is. Every NPC can be interfaced, unfurling more intrigue in seemingly limitless dialogue trees. But the portion of Solasta I saw was much more cloistered. Doors wouldn’t open, townsfolk didn’t speak to me, and my party was funneled down the narrow streets. The splendor of a tabletop campaign—how all options are on the table to the player, whether they want to raze the world or save it—didn’t quite present itself. Solasta II has the basics down, but I hope when I play the retail version, it has the capacity to strike that erstwhile sense of wonder within us.
Grand Theft Auto 5 players on PC are in for a treat, as Rockstar has just announced they’ll be getting a free update March 4 that brings their version of the game up to speed with the PS5 and Xbox Series versions of GTA Online.
In a blog post from Rockstar today, the studio revealed that the update would include “all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, and access to purchase a GTA+ Membership — along with improved graphics options, faster loading times, and more.”
The update will also allow players to migrate their Story Mode and Online progress to the new version, and will include kernal-based anti-cheat protection and proactive voice chat moderation, again bringing the PC version to parity with console.
Those who want to remain on the previous version of GTA 5 need not worry, as Rockstar says it will continue to support the old version for those whose hardware does not meet the minimum requirements. First-time purchasers will also have the option to choose between versions. Support for mod platform FiveM will also continue on the old version while Rockstar works to upgrade it to the new PC version as well. However, players on the old version of GTA 5 will not be able to play online with those who upgrade – the two instances will be separated.
This update comes as Rockstar prepares for the imminent planned release of GTA 6 this fall. Though we don’t have details yet on what online component, if any, GTA 6 will include, most are speculating it will have a similar online component either at launch or shortly after.
However, GTA 6 is thus far only announced for consoles and has yet to receive a PC announcement (though it probably will eventually), making this update an appealing one for PC players feeling left out. Recently, publisher Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick affirmed support for “legacy titles” as long as a community wants to remain engaged with them, further suggesting that GTA Online via GTA 5 will be around for a long time to come.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Developer Blast Zero and publisher Red Dunes Games are celebrating this month’s 35th anniversary of the classic anime Samurai Pizza Cats by announcing a new video game based on the popular 1990s cartoon, called Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast From the Past. It’s in development for “all major platforms.”
The trailer reassembles some of the original voice cast – the English cast includes Rick Jones (Cerviche), Sonja Ball (Polly Esther), Terrence Scammell (Guido Anchovy, Narrator) and Dean Hagopian returning as Seymour “The Big” Cheese – while the game is described as a 2D action-RPG (you can see some gameplay footage in the announcement trailer above) in which you’ll be able to switch back and forth between members of the Samurai Pizza Cats and utilize each one’s unique abilities in combat and to solve puzzles – all within Little Tokyo.
Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast From the Past is described as being “early in development.” Track its progress and wishlist it on Steam if you’re interested.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
If you’re searching for Volleyball Legends codes (previously Haikyuu Legends), IGN has you covered! In this article, you’ll find the latest active and working Volleyball Legends codes in February 2025 that can be redeemed for free rewards in Roblox, including Spins and Yen.
Active Volleyball Legends Codes (February 2025)
Below, you’ll find all of the currently active and working Volleyball Legends codes in February 2025:
NEW_NAME – 1x Lucky Style Spin (NEW!)
80M_VISITS – 10x Style Spins
BIGGESTEVER – 5x Ability Spins
RANKED – 2x Lucky Ability Spins
NOTONTIME – 2x Lucky Spins
UPDATE6 – 1x Lucky Spin
PROTORIONTWITTER – 100x Yen
All Expired Volleyball Legends Codes
The following Volleyball Legends codes are expired and can’t be redeemed anymore as of February 2025:
MADNESS
40M_VISITS
250K_MEMBERS
50M_VISITS
UPDATE5
UPDATE4
LAUNCH
200K_LIKES
180K_FAVS
15M_PLAYS
100KMEMBERS
UPDATE1
UPDATE2
UPDATE3
How to Redeem Volleyball Legends Codes
Follow the steps below to redeem Volleyball Legends codes and claim your free rewards:
Open the Volleyball Legends Roblox experience.
In the Lobby, click on the Shop icon in the bottom toolbar to open the Shop.
Click on Codes on the bottom left of the Shop menu.
Input your Volleyball Legends code into the “Type code here” box.
Click “USE CODE.” If successful, green text will appear informing you what your free reward is.
Why Isn’t My Volleyball Legends Code Working?
If your Volleyball Legends code isn’t working when you’re trying to redeem it in Roblox, it’s likely down to one of these two reasons:
The Volleyball Legends code is expired and no longer able to be redeemed.
The code is spelled wrong.
When inputting an Volleyball Legends code into Roblox, ensure it’s spelled correctly, there are no accidental spaces either before or after the code, and that it’s in the correct case (some codes are case sensitive). If a code is spelled wrong, you’ll get a red message that says “Invalid Code.”
All the codes on this page have been tested by IGN and work at the time of submission, so we’d recommend copying and pasting any codes directly from this article to avoid any errors. If the code still doesn’t work, it’s expired and can no longer be redeemed.
How to Get More Volleyball Legends Codes
Outside of checking this article, the best way to get more Volleyball Legends codes is to join the official Volleyball Legends Discord server. That way, you can be notified as soon as new codes drop.
What is Volleyball Legends in Roblox?
Volleyball Legends (previously called Haikyuu Legends) is a Roblox Experience inspired by the popular Shonen Jump series, Haikyu!!. In it, you compete in volleyball matches with teammates with the aim of becoming the best volleyball player and getting MVP.
Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she’s not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.
Despite my avid love for all things sports, I’ve given up on the idea that I’ll ever be good at golf. Something about the way the body must contort to successfully crank a ball down the fairway just doesn’t compute in my mind. But like few other games can, PGA Tour 2K25 takes everything I visualize myself doing in real life and executes it virtually, thanks to its in-depth simulation gameplay that lets my thumbs and brain do what my actual body simply refuses to do.
To be honest, I went into PGA Tour 2K25 a bit hesitant. While 2K23 wasn’t the worst golf game I’ve ever played, it lacked any shine in its personality or gameplay, which came as a surprise considering HB Studios has been dutifully working on successful golf sims like The Golf Club for well over a decade. Couple this with the fact that, unlike most sports games, PGA Tour 2K took two full years to put out a new iteration, and it was safe to say my expectations were in check.
To my surprise and relief, that extra time paid off: it didn’t take long for PGA Tour 2K25 to impress me with its improvements, especially in terms of appearance. While it still can’t quite match EA Sports’ rival PGA Tour game head to head in their respective visual recreations of golf, the difference is nowhere near as stark as it had been. Player models look much closer to their real-life counterparts, courses are more detailed, and animations are crisper. I found myself pausing while playing multiple times to take in the water crashing against the rocks or comparing the cut of the fairway, fringe, and rough areas for each course. The putting and driving animations are also fluid, no longer stopping abruptly after contact or feeling too weighty. Performance is smoothed out as well, and the only time I ever ran into issues with dropped frames on my PlayStation 5 was due to internet connectivity issues. Even the single-player Career Mode is always online, so there were a few instances where my shot would stutter and even a couple of times where my round didn’t save.
I found myself pausing while playing multiple times to take in the sights.
My biggest gripe with the look and feel of PGA Tour 2K25 is the low-energy commentary team of Luke Elvy and Rich Beem. While they are both very knowledgeable, describing approaches and conditions beautifully, their lines could not be more flatly delivered. I know golf isn’t the most exciting sport, but there is no need to sound like a robot when discussing it.
They also seem to have a vendetta against me. If I do any worse than getting on the green in two or birdie putting, Rich Beem will berate me like Bob Barker going at Happy Gilmore—the price is wrong, Richie! At least thanks to my experience dealing with FIFA commentary for years, tuning them out wasn’t very difficult.
Other than that, it’s pretty much all good news. For example, it’s clear that HB Studios prioritized features that the community has been begging for. The most notable additions revolve around approaches, with the ability to change tee position and choose your hazard drop spot. It might seem like a small detail, but not being able to adjust position after a water hazard or move the ball at the tee for a better angle made for some of my most frustrating shots in PGA Tour 2K23. I love the amount of control that 2K25 gives me.
Another big change is that MyPlayer development has become an RPG system that allows you to unlock specific shots as you go, making your growth in the MyCareer campaign customizable to your specific strengths. Skills in the six trees vary from advanced shot types like the Stinger, which is ideal for dealing with high-wind situations, to proficiency boosts, which help buff each shot. I chose to build a Powerhouse archetype who focuses on driving down the fairway, getting my feet wet against other newbies in the Q-School.
It was here that I got comfortable with the new EvoSwing mechanics. The new-and-improved golf swing technique focuses on proper posture, torque, and arc size, and after each swing it even breaks down how good your contact, rhythm, transition, and swing path are so you have detailed information on how to improve. You can even customize how it controls by choosing the classic Swing Stick or the 3-Click Swing, depending on your skill level.
As a veteran golf (gamer) I love 3-Click Swing for the control it gives you over your shot.
The Swing Stick simply requires you to pull the right stick back and release to swing, which is easy to get the hang of but it still has to be lined up well to get a good shot. The 3-Click Swing is certainly harder to master, since you have to press, hold, and release before clicking to push or pull the shot and finally click again to hook or slice, but it is something I love as a veteran golf (game) for the control it gives you over your shot. After using it to blow my competition out of the water, shooting 30 under par across four days, I moved on to the PGA Tour.
Like the real deal, the goal here is to compete for points in tournaments, finishing in the Top 70 to earn a spot competing for the FedExCup. But instead of thrusting you into each event blindly, PGA Tour 2K25 features training and scouting scenarios before each event as a way to earn stat buffs and get the lay of the land. Training scenarios are bite-sized minigames, such as target challenges or competing to land on the green quickest or to sink the most long putts. Completing these gives your character a temporary boost in specific attributes, which is applied to the coming tournament. At first, I shrugged these off as ways to pad playtime, but once I played on harder difficulties I realized how what seemed like a minor buff to my drive power could mean the difference between hitting the fair way instead of a bunker. Practice Rounds also give you an edge for the coming tournament in exactly the way you’d expect: being able to play and feel out the specific run and shape of every course just before competing there is a real difference-maker. It is so satisfying to strategize for a course just like the pros would.
Not every new feature in MyCareer lands on the fairway, though – especially the new personality and popularity mechanics. We’ve seen all this before in other games like Madden and EA Sports FC: Your pro spends time off the course gaining influence with fans, developing a following, and forming a personality based on the answers they choose in conversations and interviews. While this is a well-meaning effort to give MyCareer a bit more flair and make you feel like the belle of the ball, the system feels just as pointless as it does in other games. All conversations are done through text and don’t have an effect on the actual gameplay, so it feels unpolished and isn’t a good use of time.
The actual way to get sponsorships and unlock questlines for XP is simply by doing well at playing golf. This was pretty easy to do at first because the default settings PGA Tour 2K25 feel like child’s play: I was easily winning each tournament, destroying the likes of Viktor Hovland by -13 strokes a round.
The Dynamic option is my favorite addition to MyCareer since 2K23.
At this point, I decided to experiment with the customizable sliders, which let you tune everything from CPU difficulty to green conditions to weather. The difficulty took the most time to experiment with, as it was hard to find the right percentages to match my own skills, and seemed uneven. In some games, one golfer would score 10 under the second-closest AI rival. However, once I adjusted weather and course conditions to random the playing field started to feel much more level, and scores were closer. Either everyone benefited from the smooth greens and shining sun, or everyone suffered the whipping winds and slick surfaces where the ball glides way too fast across them.
The Dynamic option, though, is my favorite addition to MyCareer since 2K23: With this, you can choose the number of holes you want to play within a course, and which specific ones, and any skipped holes will be simulated. I don’t mind playing a full 18 most of the time, but having the option to shorten the time commitment for some rounds by simming dynamically is a nice touch.
Microtransactions are, unfortunately, still present in PGA Tour 2K25, but mercifully they are mostly cosmetic-based. Yes, you can dump real money into making your player a superstar stat-wise and decked out with flashy clothes right off the bat, but you’ll also earn upgrade points and different outfits at a decent clip by completing tournaments, so they aren’t entirely necessary and are less objectionable than what 2K has been doing in its casino-like approach to NBA 2K in recent years. So playing online with others is still enjoyable, since this isn’t a sport where you’re being dunked on by someone who can run faster and jump higher because they paid extra.
The same seven online modes from 2K23 return, including my favorite: four-ball. I loved competing against my partner and the other team, as it simply felt more competitive, fast-paced, and interactive than going against AI. For my money, this mode is the next best thing to being out on the course with your buddies competing in real life. Ranked and Casual games also let you choose between Swing Stick and 3-Click lobbies and select which gameplay features and aides you want off and on to make sure everybody’s on the same page. It’s also notable that Societies mode now offers crossplay features, letting you and your friends schedule asynchronous events regardless of platform differences.
NetEase Games has promised to release at least one new Marvel Rivals hero every half-season, but that didn’t stop one creative player from bringing his idea for a playable Doctor Octopus to life.
Reddit user WickedCube surprised r/MarvelRivals followers earlier this week with a 30-second video showing what looks like rough gameplay from NetEase’s smash-hit hero shooter. At a glance, the footage seems to focus on a pre-Hulk Bruce Banner suspended in midair in what appears to be a testing room – but it’s more than that. Marvel fans will recognize this eight-armed version of the gamma-infused doctor as an unpolished, Marvel Rivals-inspired take on classic Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus.
It’s stiff and a touch goofy, but the likeness is unmistakable. Squint and you’ll see a well-thought-out concept of what Doc Ock could potentially look and move like should NetEase ever decide to send Otto Octavius crawling into Marvel Rivals. With his arms able to magnetize the player up and around obstacles, WickedCube’s idea come-to-life essentially allows the character to fly so long as he’s close enough to a stable structure – an important note in a game with destructible environments. This rough Doc Ock concept even comes with named abilities, including Havoc Claw for the standard melee attack and a ranged move called Wrecking Grip. At 16,000 upvotes at the time of publication, it’s impressive, playable, and made entirely by one person.
“Doc Ock has always been one of the coolest villains in Spider-Man, and his tentacles would be a challenge to implement,” WickedCube tell us, describing where his inspiration stemmed from. “As far as I know, they haven’t been fully implemented with playable 3D movement in a game before.”
I thought, ‘Since I can’t play right now, why not make it myself?’
The India-based indie game developer previously worked with Space Engineers studio Keen Software House before resigning to focus on his own project in January 2024. He’s been looking for contract positions and prototyping mechanics since then, so character work usually isn’t a priority. Creating a controllable version of Doctor Octopus in Unity required clearing a few hurdles, but it’s this exact challenge that helped WickedCube pursue the idea. The rest of the push came from an unlikely source: the recent PSN outage.
“It all started when PSN was down and I couldn’t play Marvel Rivals,” WickedCube explains. “While browsing Twitter, I came across some really cool Doc Ock fan art. I thought, ‘Since I can’t play right now, why not make it myself?’”
The result has seen thousands of players appreciating his ideas for Doc Ock, with some calling for NetEase to bring him onto the team. WickedCube calls the reception “incredibly rewarding,” adding that he’d be more than happy to see the Marvel Rivals studio lift some of his ideas should Doc Ock officially make his way into the game. Although he has no plans to polish the design further, the goal is to release a playable version of the character in the near future.
“After seeing the response on Reddit, I want to share this and future concepts as a YouTube tutorial series,” WickedCube added. “I also plan to open-source the code on GitHub and make the playable versions available on Itch.”
NetEase will charge forward with its Marvel Rivals post-launch plans with two new official characters this Friday: the Human Torch and The Thing. Both heroes follow their Fantastic Four teammates, Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, who launched early last month. It’s a shockingly strong start that outpaces competitors in its field, but comic book fans can’t help but look to Marvel’s catalog of heroes and villains as a universe with limitless potential.
WickedCube’s post says his viral project was born out of the community’s desire to see more Vanguard, or tank-like characters, added to its roster. Not even the strongest rumor has suggested we’ll see Otto show up in-game any time soon, but the Doc Ock designer says he’s already cooking up more ideas for other potential heroes. Two names on his mind are X-Men mainstays Nightcrawler and Professor Xavier.
“The character roster at launch is large enough to keep the game enjoyable for a long time, and the rate at which they’ve promised to release new characters is mind-blowing,” he added. “The designers clearly understand how to make a fun game, which, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to get right.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Duet Night Abyss is a fantasy multiplayer game that’s hotly anticipated in the gacha gaming community. It’s all about cool-looking combat, grinding, and oh yeah – boobs. And based on what I’ve played so far, the busty barmaids and endless slog for incrementally better gear aren’t likely to capture your attention for very long.
I played an early PC build of Duet Night Abyss ahead of its closed beta test, with the caveat that I wasn’t able to experience multiplayer functionality, so consider this preview to be more about Duet Night’s mechanics, world, and the grand narrative that underpins it all.
Your player character, a beautiful waif in bandages, awakens in a swirling snowfield. Mysterious voices speak to you. You are helpless and breathy. But out of the snow, someone reaches for you.
It’s Berry, a major character who’ll see you through the basics of movement in this world: most notably, the Helix Jump – a slick way of vaulting yourself through the air. There’s no cooldown on that jump, and you’ll find quickly that it’s a fun and efficient way of getting around – and powerful in combat.
Once separated from Berry, you’ll really begin to come into your own – both gameplay-wise and narratively speaking. Broke in a strange new city run by the ominously named Empire, you must become a “Phoxhunter,” picking up “commissions” at a rough-and-tumble tavern owned by the world’s least believable barmaaid.
But wait. That’s only half the story.
Double Take
There’s a second protagonist, a male version who looks strikingly similar to the girl you just met. The idea is that these two show different sides of the same narrative. In the city, the girl sees townsfolk experiencing discrimination, violence, and cruelty at the hands of the Empire. Meanwhile, the boy is a part of the Empire, commanding the same brutish soldiers who are now wounded and pitiful after battle.
Much has been made of these dual protagonists and plotlines, but frankly, I don’t think they’re as revolutionary as the developer seems to think they are. There were no surprises, no events in one character’s story that might make the other’s revelatory. Of course, this is early on, and I hope to be proven wrong as more story content becomes available.
Anyway, solid story or not, this game’s art is beautiful. I loved the linework, the colours, the fluid animation. I tend to approach the anime aesthetic with skepticism, so trust that my praise says something about how polished and breathtaking the aesthetic was. Unfortunately, I began to feel less enthusiastic the boobier Duet Night became (more on that later).
The English voiceover is absolutely fantastic, one of Duet Night’s highlights. As I progressed and met more characters, I found each one’s voice and dialogue distinct and full of individual personality.
Once you’re through the initial story quests, you’ll be participating in a lot of combat. It’ll be familiar to anyone who has ever played any kind of hack-and-slash, but it’s fun for a while. All the shiny sword slashes and oversized guns look epic, especially paired with the Helix Jump ability.
Switching between melee and ranged weapons is seamless. And to really hone your killing skills, you can equip the ridiculously named Demon Wedges: equippable supplements to your weapons that bump up various stats. You can mix-and-match a few of these at any time, playing around with combinations to find synergies that could take your combat to the next level.
The Daily Grind
I still have an unclear sense of Duet Night’s intended monetization model. There are hints, of course, such as multiple currencies – I was overwhelmed trying to understand where to obtain each one, and what each one could buy. Though there didn’t yet appear to be an interface to spend IRL money, you can bet that’s coming.
I’m not going to mince words: Duet Night Abyss is a grindfest. Take the “Retrace” system, which is a dice roll to win a bunch of random new weapons to pick from. It’s literally “click a button and see what you get.” Your rewards may be epic, but are mostly not. Provided you have enough of the “Hourglass” currency, you can just hammer that Retrace button like a slot machine. It’s one of the least engaging things I have ever seen in my time as a gamer.
I’m not going to mince words: Duet Night Abyss is a grindfest.
You can also pick up “commissions” from the aforementioned tavern, which are instances where you’ll do most of your flashy combat. They may have different themes (a church overgrown with grass, for example, or a mine), but they all follow the same formula: a bunch of rooms that look exactly the same, where you can defeat increasingly difficult – and boring – waves of monsters.
You can grind for weapons to craft into better weapons. Grind for coins to buy cosmetic items, like a chicken for your head. Grind to obtain new playable avatars (most of them busty women). Or you can enter “Sandrealm Meditation,” which is a euphemism for practicing your combat skills via – you guessed it – grinding.
But all the flashy abilities, gear, and flower hats you’re grinding for mean nothing without an audience to impress.
Unfortunately, I did not experience any of Duet Night’s social aspects. The instances can match you up with three other players – friends or randoms – but given that I was playing before the closed beta began, there was no one for me to match up with.
Perhaps Duet Night will feel like less of a grind as it opens up to players and a community grows, though I’m not sure at this stage what that would look like.
Alone in a Crowd
I recognize that grindy games do have an audience, but as a game reviewer, I feel icky recommending them when there are so many more engaging, delightful, and dare I say interactive games out there.
In the beginning, I thought I might like Duet Night Abyss. In those first moments I felt like I was watching a beautifully animated film, and intrigued where the waif’s story might lead me – even if I did have to grind my way there.
But then the, uh, curvaceous women began appearing. This isn’t uncommon in anime – but it immediately narrows the audience down to one of… specific tastes. I personally felt isolated: as slick as Duet Night Abyss was, I could never fully appreciate the better parts of it, such as the art or cute side quests, knowing that this game wasn’t looking for players like me.
There’s an audience out there for Duet Night Abyss. But it isn’t me. Maybe it’ll be you.
Dungeon crawler board games are easily one of the deepest genres in the hobby – both in terms of gameplay as well as the sheer amount of fantastic options. Because there are so many great board games to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Dungeon crawlers can run the gamut from horror to fantasy and just about everything in between. Even franchises from Marvel to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have tried their hand in the space and have been met with great success.
TL;DR: The Best Dungeon Crawler Board Games
Defining the dungeon crawler genre can be a contentious topic among tabletop enthusiasts, but these games typically include tactical combat, character progression, loot, and, of course, dungeons. These dungeons don’t have to be literal, however. In fact, some of the best board games in the category aren’t stereotypical monster-battling RPGs set in a fantasy world. One other thing these titles do generally have in common, though, is that they are rich in lore and mechanics. For those looking for lengthy cooperative campaigns, you have come to the right place.
Frosthaven / Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Age: 14+
Players: 1-4
Play Time: 60-120 mins
Gloomhaven arguably set the standard for deep dungeon crawler board games, but the original is currently out of print. Fortunately, its follow-up, Frosthaven offers an equally engrossing campaign set in the same universe. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, on the other hand, gives gamers a streamlined option that requires far less prep time – addressing one of the original’s few critiques. The two games themselves are interconnected; even the characters created in one can transfer over to the other. Jaws of the Lion is arguably a better starting point for newer players due to its decreased setup time, but fans of fantasy epics can’t go wrong with either.
Both titles serve as a sort of choose-your-own-adventure novel meets tabletop game. The respective campaigns are long and rich with both lore and adventure. Characters within the game will even depart after completing their primary objectives, serving as a bittersweet moment where players say goodbye to old familiar faces but excitedly welcome in new ones. Both options are great cooperative multiplayer titles, serving as some of the best board games for two players and the best board games for four players.
While lots of dungeon board games feature plenty of plastic eye candy in the form of plastic figures, seasoned gamers will be aware that’s only half the story. This third, fully cooperative iteration of the Descent dungeon-crawling franchise fills the gap with a jaw-dropping lineup of 3d cardboard scenery to furnish its dungeons, and a cavernous box to store it all in. Of course that’d all be just window dressing if the base game were no good, but it’s a clever mashup of tabletop tactics, dice rolling, and app-based resource management, allowing you to easily implement crafting, levelling up and all the other fun stuff for your characters while also enjoying randomized dungeon layouts in an engrossing narrative campaign. Its a great RPG board game as well as an amazing dungeon crawler.
Not all dungeons have to be fantasy labyrinths deep underground: the maze-like maintenance corridors of an Imperial base serve just as well. That’s the setup for this Star Wars dungeon crawler, in which a plucky band of rebel operatives work together against another player controlling the Empire’s forces across a scenario-based campaign. You might be swapping swords and bows for lightsabers and blasters, but the feels are very much the same as you loot crates, explore secrets and level up as you attempt to take down the bad guys in tactical melee combat. But as a bonus, you’re likely to run into a whole range of your favorite characters from the Star Wars universe to fight alongside you. This is just one of many Star Wars board games out there, but it’s a great one.
Slay the Spire: The Board Game
Veterans of this hugely popular video game will be well aware of its deck-building roots so it’s only a tiny hop to turn it into a tabletop experience. The advantage of going so, aside from a bit of new content and mechanical streamlining, is that you can now climb the spire – a dungeon you ascend rather than crawl – alongside your friends, working together to defeat whatever of the spire’s many potential monstrous denizens and bosses the game chooses to send your way, making the experience social as well as strategic. And all the addictive magic of carefully curating your cards and slinging them into tactical action against all manner of foes is very much still intact.
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is an engaging cooperative mystery horror game. Each player selects one of eight investigators to solve puzzles and collect weapons while attempting to fight off both monsters and insanity. Meanwhile, an intricate set of mysteries begins to unfold. The box contains four different scenarios that range from 60-360 minutes with the latter boasting quite a deep and engrossing campaign. Aiding in the immersive storytelling is an app that narrates the story and keeps track of various player actions. Apps in board games are either a pro or a con depending on who you ask, but it is widely agreed that Mansions of Madness: Second Edition got it right with this one. Not only does the app add to the tension with its eerie music and excellent voiceovers, but it also helps streamline the game, making it easier to start and teach.
Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape
Don’t let the “2” in the title fool you; this follow-up is quite the departure from its predecessor. Sequels can often be offputting for those unfamiliar with the original, but just about any tabletop fan can pick up Massive Darkness 2: Hellscape, throw some dice, slay some monsters, and have a great time, regardless of their familiarity level with the series. Massive Darkness 2 follows many of the classic dungeon crawler tropes, but it sets itself apart with six unique character classes that play differently from one another while still feeling cohesive. Beating down monsters, looting dungeons, leveling up, and upgrading gear is a satisfying loop that can be played across a wide variety of scenarios. Not to mention, the various classes included in the box change up the game so much that replaying as a different character feels like a wholly unique experience.
Nemesis
While the Alien franchise does have several licensed board games, arguably none of them embody the spirit of the series quite like Nemesis. No, Nemesis doesn’t have any official ties to the film saga, but the creeping terror that accompanies sneaking through corridors while attempting to avoid dangerous aliens will likely be a familiar feeling to fans. To further ramp up the tension, Nemesis gives players objective cards that affect their approach to the game – several of these cards require players to go against the best interests of other players. Because these cards are kept hidden until the end of the game, it’s difficult to know who to trust. Still, as survival is the main objective, teamwork is generally required. On the surface, everyone is striving toward the same goal, but you never know whether a traitor is secretly operating amongst the crew.
Alongside the base game, there are quite a few Nemesis expansions you can purchase separately as well as additional miniatures.
Cthulhu: Death May Die
Cthulhu: Death May Die is a cooperative horror game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. There are various standalone scenarios packed in, but the story generally involves stopping a dangerous ritual meant to summon powerful beings. Interestingly, the characters in Cthulhu: Death May Die gain strength as their remaining sanity dwindles throughout the game. This is a sort of risk, reward mechanic, however, as losing track of your character’s sanity entirely could spell disaster. Unlike some other popular dungeon crawlers, Cthulhu: Death May Die is rather easy to pick up – even if it can be difficult to beat. Seeing as the different scenarios don’t have to be played with the same group of players, this dice chucker is even more accessible.
Clank! Catacombs
Clank! Catacombs asks players to do it all; fight monsters, free prisoners, collect gold, and beware the dragon. There are several great iterations in the Clank series, but Clank! Catacombs dives most into the dungeon crawler genre, and it’s arguably the best entry in the franchise to date. What makes this installation great are various tiles that expand the map as you play, essentially turning Clank! Catacombs into a tabletop roguelike. As these tiles are shuffled before each game, no two playthroughs of Clank! Catacombs are the same.
While fans of the dungeon crawler genre generally appreciate massive boxes with dozens of detailed miniatures, Clank! Catacombs opts for a smaller footprint thanks to most of the game playing out through various cards and tiles. So, if your board game closet or bookshelf is starting to get a bit overstuffed, Clank! Catacombs might just be the dungeon crawler to grab.
Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game
The Zombicide titles are an incredibly popular series of cooperative survival board games, but Marvel Zombies is arguably one of the best entries to date. Taking inspiration from the What If comic series, Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game takes the outbreak to the heroes of the Marvel universe. Marvel Zombies isn’t just a reskin of the popular series, either. For one thing, Marvel Zombies lets players play as the zombies. Additionally, new mechanics change up the formula and streamline the classic experience, so even experienced Zombicide players might want to check out this iteration. Not to mention, the various miniatures are fantastic for fans of the comic book characters. Not unlike the more traditional Zombicide titles, there are plenty of expansions to the Marvel Zombies line. Additionally, there are plenty of great Marvel board games for those looking for even more fun in the comic book universe.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant is arguably one of the most underrated dungeon crawlers in the medium. Perhaps the biggest knock against TMNT: Change Is Constant is that those who aren’t fans of the franchise won’t likely find much of interest here. That said, fans of TMNT will likely love the various miniatures, character cards, the scenario booklet, and even the lovely box itself. Aside from the fanfare, Change is Constant introduces a unique mechanic where part of the player’s dice roll impacts their adjacent teammates. This makes TMNT really feel like a cooperative game true to its theme. Change is Constant can be played as a fully cooperative game or as a one-versus-many experience with one player operating as the villain. Either option offers an excellent experience, making TMNT: Change is Constant ideal for four or five players.
Resident Evil: The Board Game
There are already great horror recommendations on this list, but fans of the historic video game franchise may want to check out Resident Evil: The Board Game. The cooperative survival horror game is set in the iconic Spencer Mansion and features recognizable characters from the series. Like the video games, Resident Evil: The Board Game features puzzles that unlock new areas of the map, limited resources, and, of course, plenty of zombies.
Unlike the Resident Evil video game series, however, the board game versions of Resident Evil 2 and 3 both came out before the original. Also unlike the video game series, the original is arguably the best. That being said, all three titles are worth checking out for fans of the franchise, with Resident Evil: The Board Game serving as an ideal starting point.
Arcadia Quest
In a genre full of gruesome monsters and darker themes, Arcadia Quest opts for a different approach with a chibi art style. This welcoming aesthetic is matched by its easy-to-pick-up gameplay. However, Arcadia Quest adds a slight competitive twist with PvP quests that ask players to face off against each other during a scenario. While dungeon crawlers can often be entirely cooperative, Arcadia Quest plays against type and appearance a bit through these mandatory face-offs. Unfortunately, this means Arcadia Quest cannot be played solo. Seeing as how the game is built around a campaign, it means you’ll probably want the same group of players at the table each time as well. That might be a bit of a barrier to entry for some, but those who can manage to wrangle up some friends or family members to play through an entire campaign are in for a fantastic dungeon crawler loaded with personality.
Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGOs. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter.
A new Street Fighter movie has selected its challenger, I mean, director.
The Hollywood Reporter says Kitao Sakurai, writer, director, and executive producer on the absurd comedy show The Eric Andre Show, will direct a new film adaptation of Street Fighter for Legendary Entertainment.
Capcom is said to be “deeply involved” with the adaptation with the movie already given a March 20, 2026 release date.
This will be the latest attempt at bringing Street Fighter to the big screen, though who can ever forget the 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, Ming-Na Wen as Chun-Li, and the late Raul Julia as M. Bison. A masterpiece, even if critics at the time didn’t think so.
No word yet on casting, but you can probably expect to see some of your favorite Street Fighter characters appear in this one.
In the meantime, you can play the most recent Street Fighter game, Street Fighter 6 which recently released its newest fighter, Mai Shiranui. Check out our full Street Fighter 6 review here.
After roughly a decade in development, Lost Soul Aside is finally scheduled for a launch. Originally the passion project of solo developer Yang Bing, Lost Soul Aside has grown to become a major Sony-published title under the company’s ‘China Hero Project,’ with Bing now the founder and CEO of Shanghai-based studio Ultizero Games.
With a release date of May 30 on PlayStation 5 and PC closing in, IGN had the opportunity to sit down with Yang Bing to discuss the long road to launch. So many years of development went into this single-player action game, escalating from a solo creator’s vision to a trailer reveal at Sony’s State of Play. Through it all the hype has grown, with some calling Lost Soul Aside an exciting mix of Final Fantasy characters and Devil May Cry combat — even from the moment Yang Bing’s initial reveal video went viral in 2016.
With the help of a translator, IGN asked Yang Bing about the early origins of Lost Soul Aside, its inspirations, what challenges the team has faced over the years, and much more.
It’s been almost nine years since the first glimpse of Lost Soul Aside, on your YouTube channel. How did you get started on this project, and how old were you at the time?
Yang Bing: So I remember our first promotional video was released in 2016. I was born in 1990, so when the video was released, I was about 26 years old, so that was actually when the project started. I remember [Lost Soul Aside] probably started around, at the end of 2014, the beginning of 2015.
What were the original inspirations behind Lost Soul Aside? Has that ever shifted over the course of development?
Yang Bing: So personally, I have loved playing games since I was young. And of course, back at that time, I had some personal favorite genres. Later on, [my] passion towards games wasn’t changed, didn’t change a lot. So I wanted to develop something that I really like. And then the tools and game engines were relatively mature. So that was the beginning of [Lost Soul Aside].
The overall style and then, the inspiration, has not changed that much. From the beginning, the beginning of 2016 until now, about like nine years or 10 years, it continues to feature a blend of fantasy elements with some realistic visuals, characterized by this real-life aesthetic. So this style has not changed. The combat style has also consistently leaned towards high speed and flashy action. So this is something that we have been sticking to for all these years. During this development process, we, of course, continued to see some new and excellent works, which maybe we got some influence through, [on] our thought along the way. So from the beginning, this personal trailer gradually evolved into a more mature and well-run version, I should say.
How did the Sony collaboration come around? Can you describe what that first meeting was like, and how the partnership has been since?
Yang Bing: Well, actually, back to 2016, I had some contact [with a] PlayStation colleague. That was, for me, a turning point, which I think is quite remarkable. So when I released this promotional video, I got a message from a colleague at PlayStation, who said that they wanted to discuss the project in detail and explore a potential collaboration. Back at that time, I was still in South Korea, and I felt really grateful for this opportunity. At the end of 2016, I went back to China and then immediately, I went to PlayStation, Sony in Shanghai, visited them, and met with them in person. And so from that time, we kind of started our collaboration.
In recent years, the collaboration has been continuously deepening. Initially, it started with the Sony China Hero Project. And then, later on, we kind of joined this collaboration with Sony, and then Sony officially announced that it’s going to be published by PlayStation.
What would you say makes Lost Soul Aside stand out from other games in its genre?
Yang Bing: So the play will be very smooth, because we think that when the players play, they will likely be impressed by the overall operability of the game, including the combat experience and the interaction with the environment. It will be very smooth. And in order to achieve this kind of smooth feeling, we actually try our best, utmost, to ensure that the player’s input receives immediate feedback. For example, all the weapons can be switched seamlessly.
Additionally, the combat for this kind of skill combination can be combined seamlessly as well. All the skills can be canceled as well. We have spent a significant amount of time ensuring that everything flows as smoothly as possible. So, this is something that I think will impress players the most. And then, furthermore, the intent, our intention, is to shape the two main characters, the combination, Kaser and Arena. So we can provide players with the option like turning Arena into a weapon and other elements, to help Kaser fight in battle. [He] can provide some help during his journey. So I think that all these elements combining together can become a very outstanding and recognizable aspect for our game.
Where did the concept for Arena, the transforming dragon companion Kazer has, come from?
Yang Bing: So that kind of idea and thought actually started at a very, very, very early stage, even before this project started back to 2016. So, I remember I watched some YouTube video… there’s a special effects creator who makes a segment featuring a crystal that can [transform] into various weapons, a shade, and many other things. Combined with my idea, I always thought about this idea, about a dragon [that] can transform, all kinds of shapes. Even before this game project has started, I had the idea about something like this.
Other than this dragon, I was thinking that the protagonist has a companion, which at that time is somewhat similar to a dragon-like creature that can transform into a weapon, [to help] the character, assisting in the battle. So I always had this kind of idea from the beginning, I had the idea to incorporate [it] into this project. This idea that the protagonist has a dragon partner that can become a weapon, this idea actually, I had it since 2014.
What ideas and themes does Lost Soul Aside center on, that you want players to take away from this game?
Yang Bing: So, the core theme primarily just revolves around Kaser, the protagonist, and his companion Arena, and they embark on various adventures together. And of course, during that process they face numerous challenges, including traps and a variety of formidable enemies. So the focus is on Kaser, who starts off as an ordinary individual, an ordinary person. And then after he meets Arena, and then later, they continuously establish some kind of relationship with other characters. So in this adventure, we want the players to experience the growth of the characters, transforming from ordinary people, or him from an ordinary person at the beginning, to a hero who can save the world by the end. Of course, saving the world was not his initial intention, but players can gradually and consciously embrace the idea of saving the world and defeating villains throughout the process.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, working on this one game for so long?
Yang Bing: So, well, it started from the idea, [my] personal idea, and then it’s a promotion video, it’s a conceptual idea. And then we have to accumulate experience and to enhance the development experience during all this process and all these years. So, I think this is very essential, for developing this kind of skill and type of project, this is one thing. And then the other challenge for me, I should say this because for me, I started from my personal ideas. I work. I used to work just by myself. And later on, I continuously [accumulated] knowledge on how to collaborate with other members as a team, with the help of Sony PlayStation, and now because we have established a team. So it requires everyone to come together to make the idea happen. So for me, this is constantly a learning process, and I need to overcome this challenge to make the project a successful one.
You’re planning to launch day one for both PC and PS5? What was the reasoning behind targeting both for the launch, over just PlayStation?
Yang Bing: So, launch for PC as well. I think it’s a very new experience for players and it would be quite intriguing for them, I think. So this is the final stage, and the final decision was made during the communication process between me and Sony. So I feel that everyone cooperated in a very good manner and harmoniously throughout all the process.
After working on Lost Soul Aside for so long, are you excited for whatever comes next for yourself and Ultizero Games?
Yang Bing: Well, so at this stage, and then both my team, and myself, and the PlayStation team, we’re continuously communicating with each other about the follow-up plans. I’m sorry, I cannot provide a very clear answer at this moment.
But you’re excited to get Lost Soul Aside out there?
Yang Bing: Yes.
Lost Soul Aside launches on PS5 and PC on May 30, 2025.
