“I was inspired to create the Hackberry Pi Zero about three years ago when I found a project about reverse-engineering on Hackaday,” Zitao says. “I thought it would be really cool to have a device with a thumb keyboard, so I began reverse-engineering old BlackBerry keyboards and made it technically work. I then saw a project called Beepberry and thought it would be super-cool to create a similar device with a different BlackBerry keyboard. I basically looked to use the same design but mount a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W instead.”
Well-connected
Beepberry – or Beepy as it’s now known – is a versatile device designed primarily to run various messaging services via the chat app Beeper. Created by Eric Migicovsky, who founded the Pebble smartwatch, Beepy uses the keyboard of a BlackBerry Classic and a Raspberry Pi Zero W. It allows access to Linux, which can be viewed on a 2.7-inch black and white LCD display.
“My start point was to design a learning tool for Linux beginners like me, but also address the pain points from the Beepberry such as using a display with a backlight and adding external USB ports,” Zitao says. It’s why the Hackberry Pi Zero has three USB 2.0 ports, made possible thanks to the use of an internal hub. “As the project progressed, I found it would also be cool to add a STEMMA-style I2C port for communicating with sensors. In this way, beginners can learn to code with Python.”
The device also has an external TF card slot so that the operating system image can be replaced very easily. Flip the device onto its back and you’ll find Zitao has added three compartments as well. One of these can be opened to reveal Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, giving users easy access. The other two house a pair of swappable batteries and, in keeping with the mobile phone theme, these take Nokia BL-5C rechargeable lithium-ion packs. You’re able to replace them within ten seconds without killing the power.
Key to success
Of all of the components, the keyboard is arguably the most eye-catching and Zitao says the choice of BlackBerry keys was rather straightforward. “The BlackBerry keyboards are known to be good quality and they offer a great typing experience,” he notes. “The optical trackpad from a BlackBerry keyboard can work as a mouse too and this also offers a very good user experience. The choice of keyboard influenced the size of the screen because I needed them to fit alongside each other.” As it happens, it’s a perfect fit.
Zitao hasn’t stuck to using just one BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard. Although he initially chose to incorporate one from the BlackBerry Classic (or Q20), a smartphone that was unveiled in 2014, he has also created another device that makes use of the keyboard from a Q10 (unveiled the previous year). He has also developed a third variant – one that uses a keyboard from the BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983. And there has been scope for a bit of fun.
One of the devices Zitao has made features a set of colourful buttons showing a circle, triangle, cross, and square, which gamers will instantly spot as having been inspired by Sony’s PlayStation controller. “I actually started making a Bluetooth keyboard variant of the BlackBerry keyboards about six months ago and at that time the top row of keys were the original BlackBerry-style keys,” he says. “Then a customer suggested I try PlayStation-like buttons. I found they fitted very well and were easy to print.”
Mapping the way
The keyboards needed a bit of work in order to get them to operate with Raspberry Pi – notably, hooking them up to a keyboard controller which uses a RP2040 chip. There’s an analogue button which needs to be switched on so that the keyboard controller communicates with Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. If it is turned off, another device can be connected to the USB-C port – a PC keyboard, perhaps – and that will be used to communicate with Raspberry Pi instead.
It’s also possible to customise the keymap. “I chose the open-sourced firmware QMK to power the keyboard through the USB interface and one benefit for that is the user can remap the keyboard layout if they want by using the Vial app,” Zitao explains. “The BlackBerry keyboard only has about 40 keys so I designed three layers for the keyboard, which means each key can be mapped into three symbols or letters.”
The remapping tool vial is basically a web app and Zitao says Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W doesn’t have enough power to open it due to its limited RAM. “I designed a USB-KVM on board to make the keyboard controller chip able to communicate with the external computer so the customer can edit the keymap on their computer,” he adds. “At the same time, the hardware can make the Hackberry Pi Zero work as an emergency keyboard.”
It certainly works well. Hackers are likely to use Kali Linux – an advanced penetration testing distro for ethical hacking and network security assessments – but Zitao just likes to play around. “I’ve used the devices to learn coding with Python, learn the Linux command-line terminal, and to play some retro games. It really is a lot of fun.”
Say hello to our newest Agent, Tejo, who’s joining our roster from Colombia.
As part of the Initiator class, Tejo specializes in flushing out enemies with a unique kit consisting of information gathering, explosions, and a concuss.
Those who have strategic game sense and understand how the enemy plays will be able to thrive on this Agent.
“This should be simple enough. I flush them out. You finish them.” This statement from Tejo perfectly encompasses our newest Initiator-class Agent, the well-dressed man of action.
Hailing from Colombia, Tejo will undoubtedly shake up the gameplay with his unique kit that flushes out enemies using a top-down approach. Tejo will require you to think proactively and strategically–analyzing the situation mid-round and using his abilities to help clear the way for your team.
Tejo’s abilities, which revolve around flushing out enemies, consist of 3 outputs: information gathering, damage, and concuss effects:
Stealth Drone: Throw and possess a stealthed drone that, upon activation, creates a small sonar pulse at its location.
Guided Salvo: Pull up a map to target one or more missiles towards a location. Upon reaching their location, the missiles explode twice, pushing enemies off of angles.
Special Delivery: Toss a grenade that bounces once (sticks to players immediately), sticks, then winds up and explodes. Explosion concusses.
Armageddon: Cast a wave of explosions, forcing enemies to move in the direction of your choosing.
The perfect teammates for Tejo will be those who can quickly follow up on the space he creates. Let’s take a closer look at how that’s done.
Stealth Drone
Whether your team is attacking and attempting to take a site or defending and playing retake, having a drone can be extremely impactful. Especially on maps where there are a lot of corners to clear, it allows your team to take space safely or be prepared to fight for that space. Since drones are great pieces of utility, the enemy team is often prepared to shoot down whatever you’re using to take space. Tejo’s Stealth Drone is unique in that it’s invisible at long range, giving you more time to grab information about where the enemy team could be.
“Drones typically give a lot of baseline value of information gathering, but we wanted to give this drone a little spin where the information is secondary, and the effect of suppressing an enemy is why you take this drone over others,” Game Designer Ryan Cousart tells us.
Guided Salvo
When we asked the devs, “Why rockets?”, Cousart smiles and says, “Because rockets are sweet.”
In addition to rockets being sweet, they made sense thematically for what the devs were trying to accomplish.
“When you start putting things like a map targeter or world placements on Agents, you force people to think about the game more proactively and more strategically. We wanted something to lead your team in and show you the effect of telling your team, ‘Hey something is going to happen.’ We could’ve used anything but we landed on rockets for these reasons,” Cousart adds.
Tejo’s abilities, which revolve around flushing out enemies, consist of 3 outputs: information gathering, damage, and concuss effects. “There’s a lot to consider and be careful about when deciding the output of an ability. Damage as an output is a lot more permanent than a concuss or a flash. It’s worthwhile to explore though and I think we’ve landed in a pretty good spot but that’s one we’ll need to keep a really sharp eye,” states Cousart.
Special Delivery
“With how naturally ‘guns down’ his other abilities are, Tejo really needed something that was just simple to understand and simple to cast but still captured that feeling of being explosive but directed. I wanted Special Delivery to be a quick, like, ‘Let’s fight’ button”, states Cousart.
Unlike the other abilities where Tejo needs time to set up the play, Special Delivery allows him to initiate a fight quickly in the moment. Whether or not an enemy is there for the concuss, using the ability there will give them the confidence they need to take that space. One thing is for certain – even if players can use the ability quickly, we won’t be surprised when players are making fancy lineups to get that perfect angle to land on that perfect circle.
Armageddon
“Tejo’s rockets are really only valuable if you’re following up on the pressure that’s created. But the sweet spot is when you fire your rockets and you force people to move and then while they’re moving, you’re able to capitalize on them having to reposition. Tejo would be great with another Agent that can go in very fast, like Neon, who can capitalize on the distance he casts his abilities from,” notes Character Producer, John Goscicki.
Tejo’s ult, Armageddon, is something enemies will need to be aware of round-to-round. Watch that scoreboard and check how many ult points he’s away from being able to use it, since it can heavily impact the flow of a round. The wave of explosions will force enemies to move in a direction of Tejo’s choosing or at least have players moving further back, since the site will be difficult to hold. This will give his team the perfect opportunity to follow up and take control of the space he just created.
Everyone can play Tejo but those with strategic game sense can make this new Agent really shine. All of Valorant’s Agents are unlocked for Game Pass members, so step up to the challenge and learn to use him to your advantage before everyone else.
In the words of Tejo, “We can stand around all day talking about killing them… or we just do it.” So what are you waiting for?
VALORANT
Riot Games
☆☆☆☆☆783
★★★★★
Xbox Game Pass
VALORANT is a character-based 5v5 tactical shooter set on the global stage. Outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition with tactical abilities, precise gunplay, and adaptive teamwork. DEFY THE LIMITS
Blend your style and experience on a global, competitive stage. You have 13 rounds to attack and defend your side using sharp gunplay and tactical abilities. And, with one life per-round, you’ll need to think faster than your opponent if you want to survive. Take on foes across Competitive and Unranked modes as well as Deathmatch and Spike Rush. CREATIVITY IS YOUR GREATEST WEAPON
More than guns and bullets, you’ll choose an Agent armed with adaptive, swift, and lethal abilities that create opportunities to let your gunplay shine. No two Agents play alike, just as no two highlight reels will look the same. FIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
Each map is a playground to showcase your creative thinking. Purpose-built for team strategies, spectacular plays, and clutch moments. Make the play others will imitate for years to come.
The latest edition of The MagPi covers all the new products in depth, with detailed specifications, documentation, and interviews with the CM5 engineer. We’ve also got information on the new Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, Raspberry Pi Hub, and Raspberry Pi Connect service.
There’s a lot of new products this month and we haven’t forgotten about the makers. This month’s mag is also packed with projects, from a Hackberry Pi to an Adventure Time electric guitar.
Priority Boarding is back!
Raspberry Pi 500 is in high demand. Subscribers to The MagPi can buy a Raspberry Pi 500 first with our Priority Boarding scheme. Take out a subscription to The MagPi and you’ll get a code via email to skip the line and get your Raspberry Pi 500 computer.
Introducing Compute Module 5
Compute Modules make it easier for embedded customers to build custom products using Raspberry Pi hardware. Compute Module 5 puts all the power of Raspberry Pi 5 into an embeddable, programmable board that can be placed inside a development product.
Hackberry Pi Zero
This project takes an original keyboard from a BlackBerry phone and combines it with an ultra-modern Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and 4-inch display.
Adventure Time Guitar
Raspberry Pi 5 is “the beating heart” of this impressive Adventure Time Self-Playing Guitar which features programmable buttons, custom speakers, and a touchscreen.
Get started with Raspberry Pi
It’s that time of the year when we welcome a new generation of makers to Raspberry Pi. Find out how to connect everything up, run an OS, and start using your Raspberry Pi with our guide to desktop computing and digital making.
Build your own streaming server
This month KG builds a specialised LibreELEC-based Kodi box so our TV can talk to a server we build in issue 148. We look at receiving those streams beyond the web interface by building a streaming media receiver box for your TV
Micro Journal
This Raspberry Pi Zero 2-based computer offers distraction-free writing Micro Journal is a modern solution with a nostalgic twist with all the charm of a vintage typewriter and delicious clicky Cherry MX keys.
We’ve been looking forward to the new Raspberry Pi Monitor for ages now – the inexpensive and lightweight display is perfect for so many uses, whether you’re in a classroom, at your desk, or on the go. We have five to giveaway, and you can enter the competition below…
Wax differs from most existing music managers in three ways. Instead of individual tracks, music is catalogued as ‘works’ – such as an album, a symphony, an opera, etc. Secondly, works are categorised by genre, but it also allows you to tag works in a way that is relevant to the genre too; symphonic works can include composer and conductor, while pop music comes with the group and title.
The final feature is that it will start playing music as soon as you’ve given it enough requirements (in the form of metadata), which you can then change on the fly.
Multi-core wonder
Wax is specifically designed for Raspberry Pi 4 because of its quad-core processor. “Wax uses one core to run the user interface, one for playing, one for ripping, and the fourth for time-consuming tasks like fetching metadata from the cloud, like MusicBrainz and Cover Art Archive,” Jeffrey says. “Many audiophiles worry needlessly that burdening a processor involved in playing a sound file can impair the quality of the sound it produces. The multi-processing architecture of Wax obviates this concern as the core responsible for playing the music is not simultaneously performing any other tasks.”
From the app you can select music starting by genre. “Works by the same composer are listed together,” Jeffrey tells us. “Likewise, multiple versions of each work are listed together. This hierarchical sorting makes it easy to survey the collection for the desired recording – possibly one that you forgot you had. Wax also provides incremental search if you already have a specific work in mind.”
Individual tracks or even the entire work can be added to the queue. You can also group tracks within a work – perhaps to represent the acts of an opera. “The other interesting feature is that the values in any column can alternatively be represented as a filter button,” Jeffrey continues. “[I can convert] the ‘subgenre’ field to a filter button by dragging the column header to the filter button area. Selecting a value with the filter button removes works from the list that do not match that value.”
Dive deeper
While the ‘gears and levers’ are usually hidden, you can enter a robust edit mode that lets you customise metadata, as well as creating new metadata for works. You can use the metadata downloaded from the online sources when creating and editing too.
Specific data is used to filter inside genres – the categories of data can be edited too. “WaxConfig is a separate program used for configuring Wax,” Jeffrey says. “Most importantly, this is where you specify genres, including their name and the primary and secondary keys. The Info page provides information about your collection, including the number of works in each genre.”
You can see an example of this in the image to the left. Jeffrey has put together a very in-depth guide on how to install and setup Wax, as well as going into more depth on how to use it. Performance on Raspberry Pi 4 is good too, especially on Jeffrey’s setup.
“I run Wax on a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4 GB of RAM,” Jeffrey tells us. “I use the NanoSound One DAC with the Argon One M.2 case. The NanoSound One DAC uses the TI PCM5122 DAC for high-quality audio output – 112 dB SNR. The Argon case makes it possible to integrate a 2TB SSD which I use for storing my sound archive.”
Even with the high-power audio hardware and no active cooling, the CPU temperature only reached 45C, with a CPU load of 2.4 (of a theoretical maximum of 4.0 due to the quad-core architecture). He even reckons a 2GB Raspberry Pi would do the job just fine.
“Wax makes it easy to find and appreciate the music I want to hear,” Jeffrey says. “Finding a recording of a specific work was often hard and always inconvenient when I had to sort through thousands of LPs and CDs. With Wax, I can make a selection from the comfort of my listening position. I sacrifice nothing for this convenience because Wax presents all the information I need to appreciate the recording — artist names, for example — and I am able to explore further, as I used to do by reading record jackets or CD liner notes, by accessing Wikipedia and liner notes in Wax from the comfort of my listening position. Instead of a wall full of recordings, my entire collection now fits in a tiny box powered by a Raspberry Pi.”
“I love the idea of using bumper stickers as a form of self-expression, but I got to thinking about how ‘permanent’ they are, and how my own style, mood and taste tends to change relatively quickly,” he says. “I wanted to see how I could resolve those things – could I make a bumper sticker that was always up to date? Would it still be interesting if it wasn’t permanent?”
On track
Figuring a changeable bumper sticker would be both practical and fun, he initially decided to experiment by connecting a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W computer to a 5-volt HDMI display before working out a way to gather and share information about the song he was currently listening to in near real-time. He figured the best method would be to connect the Raspberry Pi device to the internet and make use of the online music service Last.fm. “It’s a ‘scrobbling’ tool that you can use to keep track of everything you listen to, regardless of where you’re listening from,” Guy explains.
By connecting Spotify to his Last.fm account, Guy had a way of grabbing details about his most recently played tune. Raspberry Pi could then pull that information and send it to the display for others to view. Since he wanted his project to look like a bumper sticker, this entailed creating an easily updated graphic – one with black text on a yellow background – that could be easily updated with new details – and Guy came up with the idea of using an image file that could be produced and rendered just before it was shown.
To enable this, Guy turned to a social website called Val Town which allows developers to code in the cloud. He wrote a small chunk of code – referred to as a val – that would access and fetch his Last.fm profile to gather details of the last song he was listening to. He then, with the assistance of Val Town’s AI, wrote another val to use a Javascript HTML5 canvas library to lay out the bumper sticker using the information gathered. This involved a lot of trial and error to make the text fit correctly, but he was able to successfully create, export and display a PNG image without any manual intervention.
Driving forward
With the nuts and bolts of the project in place, it was time to start refining. “I always start with components I already have or already know how to use,” Guy says. “I then quickly get as close as I can to a finished version, and then I see if there are any deal-breakers or cheap and obvious ways to improve the design. I find that momentum, as well as the ability to see and feel a project early on, really helps me stay on track, even if I know I’m going to have to revise things.
Given the idea was to create a device that looked as much like a real bumper sticker as possible, Dupont swapped out the display for an 11.3-inch strip LCD. “Size, shape, and readability came before anything else,” he explained. Figuring he’d be drawing power from a 12-volt car battery, he also grabbed a couple of breakout connectors and a buck converter to knock the power down to five volts.
Initial plans to connect the Raspberry Pi computer to the internet using a hotspot on his phone were revised as well. Dupont realised that he’d need to manually connect Raspberry Pi to the hotspot every time he got into his car and he knew, in his heart of hearts, that he would eventually tire of doing this, causing him to eventually consign the project to a drawer. To avoid this situation, he utilised a Particle Baron IoT development board which he also happened to have lying around.
“The main advantage of the board versus using the phone as a hotspot is that I never have to touch it or remember to turn it on,” he says. The board connects to Raspberry Pi and uses cellular data, the bonus being there are no monthly fees. The data is limited in quantity, but there’s more than enough for Guy’s intended use which makes for a perfect fit. With everything working, it was then a case of installing it, which required a spot of in-car wiring – and some dismantling of the vehicle’s interior panels.
The right path
The Raspberry Pi and other components were affixed to the back of the display panel which was also fitted with magnets to allow the device to be easily secured to the back of the car. For a neat finish, the device was placed in a heat-shrink sleeve that happened to be the perfect size. A bit of cutting was then required to allow the screen to show through, and Guy used some glue around the cuts for weatherproofing.
It works well. Powered by the car battery as soon as the vehicle is turned on, it immediately connects to the internet, grabs the required information and displays it. “Honestly, everything went pretty smoothly with this build,” Guy said. “It’s funny, but the thing that held me up the most was trying to figure out which HDMI settings would make this oddball display show what I wanted it to!”
Guy particularly likes the fact that it’s entirely automated so he always knows that it’ll be displaying his songs when he tootling down the road. “It lives with the car, which also means the sticker continues to work even if my wife is driving,” he laughs. “I’m afraid to ask whether she thinks that’s a bug or feature!”
“Using a Raspberry Pi Pico, a light dependent resistor (LDR), a breadboard, some DuPont cables, and tape, I automated the famous Google T-Rex game,” Bas explains. “The LDR detects differences in analogue measurements whenever it senses cacti, which are always dark-coloured and appear on the same plane. The analogue-digital converter [ADC] port of the Pico measures each passing cactus ten times per second. After a 0.2-second delay, the Human Interface Device [HID] library simulates pressing the ‘up’ button on the keyboard, making the T-Rex jump at the right time.”
For Bas it was a fun way to show people he teaches and trains how the HID libraries work in code: “I’ve found that simulating single or multiple key presses with embedded processors stimulates the creativity and inventiveness of training participants,” he tells us.
See the light
Raspberry Pi Pico was the obvious choice for Bas. “[It’s] easy to obtain, very cost-effective, and supports MicroPython, CircuitPython, and Arduino C++,” Bas says. “It has a small form factor, can be easily soldered onto a prototyping board using castellated connections, or placed into a breadboard using headers. Personally, I like the Pimoroni Pico Explorer Base for prototyping, as it includes a breadboard, LCD screen, buttons, and breakout connectors. I especially appreciate the MicroPython and CircuitPython capabilities – they’re easy to explain to students, powerful, [and have a] wide range of libraries.”
The build itself is fairly simple – an LDR is placed in front of the screen, with tape acting as ‘blinders’ to stop other light interference. A pull-up resistor was used to stabilise the measurements too.
“The program displayed the measured [light] values in real time, making it easy to define and adjust the threshold values to trigger the T-Rex’s jump,” Bas further explains. “I stored the delay time for simulating the ‘up’ button press in a Python variable, allowing for easy adjustments through Thonny.”
Jumping ahead
What’s next for the T-Rex Jumper? “I have various future plans for these types of educational setups,” Bas says. “I’m always excited when participants in my trainings come up with creative ideas for using HID functions in combination with sensors and actuators, as it means I’ve succeeded in educating them about computer science and improving their digital literacy. Personally, I find it very rewarding to develop and create accessibility tools for people with disabilities, as they can greatly improve quality of life and make a meaningful difference.
Speaking of the creative ideas they came up, here’s just a few: automatic typing poem generators, pedal-based keyboards, automated testing tools for user interfaces, automatic swiping of dating apps… the list goes on.
The Poly+ 5 is a Raspberry Pi 5 case in two flavours and colours. The case itself is moulded plastic with none of the aluminium work we’ve come to expect. The slightly transparent slidable top cover is available in red or black with a black base in both cases. The standard model comes with a 30mm PWM fan and an array of heatsinks. For a few more pounds you can opt for the mightier THRML-30 unit if you’re going to be running things hot. This is a similar unit to the official cooler with a fan and a large heatsink in one. If you forgo the fan you can fit a standard HAT in the case too (albeit one without any protrusions).
Assembling the case is straightforward. Attach the fan to the cover, pop on the heatsinks and clip everything together. It took no more than a few minutes. This is a clip-together screwless case (with the exception of the fan). The fan connects to the new fan header, so you get active, responsive cooling, just like the official equivalent.
In that case
In terms of usage: well, it’s a case and it does that job well. At no point did the Raspberry Pi leap out and do a runner, so we’ll call that a win. The fan was whisper-quiet throughout. There are no impediments to port access with the exception of the GPIO, which is fully covered. A thoughtful touch is the addition of a power button in a striking orange on the exterior, and next to that, unusually for a budget case, is a cover for the SD card (although this cannot be secured as with the NEO case). The base features ventilation slats to ensure good air movement from the fan. It stands on four rubber feet (also supplied).
Argon is trying to bring its design ethos to the budget market, and does it succeed? It’s certainly pleasing to look at, although lacking the sleek lines of the ONE or the elegant curvature of the official cases. What it does have in spades is value for money. At just £6 this is a great choice if you just need a protective, cooling.
Verdict
8/10
It’s a case. No fancy features, no extravagant design, no fancy lights. It is something that will protect and cool your Raspberry Pi well and at a fantastic price. If that’s what you need, look no further.
“I used Raspberry Pi because I was recently working with Raspberry Pi and cameras for another project, a digital sensor for a film camera,” says Michael. “Although there are definitely simpler solutions with cheaper microcontrollers, I find it valuable to start with techniques I know rather than going down rabbit holes of learning new tools. I used two separate boards because Raspberry Pi 5 is my home server and NAS, which I did not want to mount on the kitchen window.”
But there’s a catch: the food that Michael was leaving out for the cats was also attracting birds, for which cat food is potentially unhealthy, so he needed to find a way of identifying birds and scaring them away. He eventually settled on a minimal solution that just – only just – qualifies for the label of ‘robot’: an actuator (a Tower Pro micro servo) connected to a chopstick that taps on the window to scare the birds away. If Raspberry Pi 5 detects a bird, it sends a request to Raspberry Pi Zero to activate the servo.
“Defining ‘robot’ is hard to pin down and frequently leads to disagreement among roboticists,” says Michael. “I believe that a robot is any physical thing with sensors and actuators. While some definitions require autonomy, that excludes arguably robotic things like human-piloted mecha or heavy industrial equipment. Relaxing the requirement of autonomy frames robots as tools that complement rather than supplant our abilities, which I find valuable in the current hype wave of AI and ML.
“There are commercial products that do similar things, like the Bird Buddy or pet-oriented indoor security cameras. By the time that I could hack those to get the functionality I wanted, I might as well have started with open-source tools.”
“My favorite projects include Blossom, an open-source robot platform that I developed during my PhD, and the Leica MPi, a swappable digital sensor for a Leica film camera. I’m currently taking a sabbatical at the Recurse Center, a programming retreat in New York, where I am exploring alternative HCI hardware and brushing up on AIML for robotics.”
Another key element for The Great Circle’s take on the character was in having him change over time – MachineGames isn’t looking to create a static icon of who Indiana Jones is, but offer a meaningful exploration of how he grows after ‘Raiders’ and before ‘The Last Crusade’. That comes down not just to the story, but the game itself – MachineGames has found ways of hinting at Indy’s personal growth through mechanics.
“There are several ways we have worked with this,” begins Torvenius. “Throughout the game we reward the player with Adventure Points. These points can be spent to unlock skills that you find in ability books. These are basically new skills you learn throughout the adventure – and all these skills and moves you unlock have been carefully crafted to fit the character of Indy. Some of these are things like more health or stamina and others are related to handling the whip – all features intimately tied to Indiana Jones. This gives a sense of experience building up.
“We also have a visual progression with his hat and jacket becoming a tad more beaten up throughout the experience, and the same goes for the journal. Indy’s journal becomes more and more built out, and shows stains and scribbles on the pages to emphasize the player’s journey. All of these things combine to work together very nicely – the player will never be left feeling that the character of Indy is not evolving throughout the game.”
And, of course, playing the majority of the game in first-person plays a major part here too. While it may seem a challenge to set the game within a character so defined by his look, it gave MachineGames a chance to use their experience within this area – particularly in the recent Wolfenstein games.
“We knew this was super important challenge from the get-go,” says Andersson. “Luckily, this is not our first rodeo. Big parts of the team have worked together on story-driven first-person games all the way back to The Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness. Also, I think the Wolfenstein series surprised the world by having a very interesting and relatable character with B.J. Blazkowicz, so we have had a lot of experience with this.”
“One important thing that has been part of our DNA for a very long time – and is definitely something that helps create great characters – is that we put story front and centre,” adds Torvenius. “We always start with a strong narrative, and we always end with a narratively strong ending. And our experience is weaving those stories tightly with solid gameplay.
“Having the perfect mix of strong cutscenes and interesting gameplay, driven by an interesting character that is complex with many nuances, that continues to evolve throughout the game, is crucial. A good story survives everything and that’s why we’re always so very focused on getting the story just right.”
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
This story is a metaphor for climbing the corporate ladder. Get To Work is a punishing, yet satisfying experience about a young man on a mission to conquer the corporate world… on rollerblades. Maneuver a slippery character with rollerblades on both his arms and feet, who only knows how to move fast.
A hand-animated JRPG adventure that draws from genre classics. Join Jae as he goes on a journey with his best friends to try and fix the past in a story full of laughs, tears, and Elemelons. Engage in silly battles that involve timed hits, meter, and teamwork.
An isometric, story-rich RPG with a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, facing you with morally ambiguous choices – set in a world teeming with mysterious powers and strange ethereal beings called salutors.
Prepare to descend into the depths of the Underworld in Godsvivors! As a powerful god of Olympus, your mission is to challenge the ruler of the Underworld, Hades, and restore the balance of power. Battle through waves of demonic foes in this roguelite bullet-hell adventure, where every second counts. Godsvivors offers an action-packed journey through hell, blending fast-paced combat with a satisfying bullet-storm experience. Will you conquer the Underworld and emerge victorious?
After getting their home planet destroyed by a meteor, the cats’ only option was to flee on a spaceship and embark on a journey to find a new suitable planet to colonize and live. Super Astro Cat is a 2D pixel art shoot ‘n run with a jetpack mechanic. Choose wisely, as all their 9 lives are in your hands!
Lara found a magical backpack that gives her the power to fly through the skies and collect Light stars scattered across an enchanted kingdom. Embark on this journey filled with exciting challenges, helping Lara overcome obstacles, capture each star, and advance through the levels.
The Father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu return to deliver an original RPG story. Mechteria—a deathly mechanical infection that robs humans of their emotions and lives—is slowly engulfing the world. The protagonist Leo awakens with only one memory left to him in a strange land abundant with machines. Using the Warp Device that was left behind, Leo must now embark on an interdimensional journey to reclaim his lost memories and save the world from the mechteria infection.
The 2002 third-person survival horror shooter that serves as a sequel to the genre-defining 1982 film is back, remastered by Nightdive Studios to bring this innovative blend of fast paced squad action meets survival horror to the modern era. Where the movie ended, the true terror begins.
Where most of his customers find meaning in pastimes like worshipping deranged space gods, feeding random crap to a sentient black hole, endlessly digging for The Treasure, or mentally enslaving donut shop workers, Wilbur lives a more humble life, fixing the galaxy’s ills one broken ship module at a time. Fix stuff, read stuff, upgrade stuff, talk about stuff, discover stuff, and do all that stuff again, but better.
In the realm of Symphonia, music acts as a source of life and energy. Embody a mysterious violinist, brought back to life in a declining world. Your violin and bow are both your instrument and a means of transport. Catapult yourself through the world, and complete levels by solving exciting platforming challenges while re-activating the machinery that brings life and energy back to this world.
Grab a pencil and paper to write down what you need because no one is going to help you. You play the role of a detective who has been assigned a case. When you arrive at the crime scene, you find a hotel with several rooms. At that moment you will have to discover what has happened, but it will not be easy. You will have to be very attentive to your surroundings to find all the possible evidence. If you are a good detective you will find the truth that is hidden behind the walls of each of the rooms in “The Motel”.
Set in a huge open world reminiscent of the Americas during the golden age of steam trains, Railroads Online puts you in the role of a pioneer helping to shape the future of America. Build tracks, traverse vast landscapes in various steam locomotives, transport goods to earn money, and customize and buy new locomotives and equipment as you grow to become a railroad tycoon.
A free-to-play football game that features real footballers with a rich metagame. UFL offers tons of unique content like various club kits, boots, gloves, balls, and stadiums. In UFL, you create your club from the ground up, assembling a team of real-world footballers customized to your liking. Compete with players worldwide, climb the ranks, and win championships!
Dive into the action of American patrolling duty! Put on your uniform and step into the shoes of an American police officer with Highway Police Simulator. This game brings the heart-pounding action of the American Highway Patrol right to your fingertips. Immerse yourself in the unique challenges and serious police duties that officers face on a daily basis and truly feel what it’s like to patrol the highways while maintaining law and order.
A memory of a sweet kiss from last night. A lost cell phone. Three suspects. Become the main character’s helper, make story choices, collect hints, and clear mini-games. A full-scale mystery romantic comedy interactive movie.
Xbox Play Anywhere / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
You’re Alex, a rookie backpacker taking a much needed break from modern life. Your trip is interrupted when you are suddenly shipwrecked on Ambrosia Island; a beautiful long-forgotten place of myth and sunshine. It’s home to the gods of Greek mythology. They’re real after all, even if they are having an identity crisis. Can you discover the secrets of Ambrosia Island in this sun-drenched ‘Friend Em Up’ adventure?
You play as a Monarch in possession of an ancient soul-stealing crown with magical abilities. With its power, establish a kingdom in a perilous wilderness and defend it from mutants and bandits roaming the land. Build, gather resources, farm the land and more to turn your fledgling realm into a commanding, self-sustaining kingdom. As your fame grows, more will flock to your banner – but so will those who have come to overthrow you, including your friends in up to six-player co-op.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™: Digital Premium Edition
Purchase the Premium or Collector’s Edition to secure up to three days of early access ahead of the game’s December 9 release date. Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The Last Crusade’. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones.
A superhero team-based PvP shooter. Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG created by Grinding Gear Games. Journey across the deadly continent of Wraeclast, meeting multiple immersive cultures while facing off against evil in many forms. Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Set in Japan around the early Edo period, Aiko’s Choice is a stealth strategy game that takes place within the story of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. This standalone expansion focuses on one of the main game’s protagonists: the kunoichi adept Aiko. She is a master of camouflage and distracts enemies disguised as a Geisha. Although Aiko was certain that she left her old life behind her, Aiko’s former sensei, the cunning spymaster Lady Chiyo, reappears from the shadows to challenge her. Together with her deadly companions she sets out to hunt down the ghosts of her past…
Find incredible new challenges, amazing graphics and improved mechanics. As a great monarch, you will fight many new and dangerous enemies using your clicker skills. Every click on your screen summons powerful warriors, deals crushing blows to enemies and directs the magic of nature into battle. Get ready for exciting battles, strategic decisions and unforgettable adventures! The future of the kingdom depends only on your skill and determination. Are you ready to become a real hero and save the world?
An exciting combat game that breaks with traditional schemes. Instead of the typical punches and combos, strategy boils down to three buttons: rock, paper, and scissors. Get ready for a cerebral challenge where your quick thinking and mental agility are key! Hop on the elevator of fun and prepare to act swiftly! Face all kinds of rivals and prove that you can outshine everyone in the arena. Become the undisputed champion!
Westild’s Law offers dynamic shootouts where you must cleverly use every element of your arsenal to achieve victory. Throw dynamite to clear your path or send enemies flying, you can throw your weapon at your enemies to stun them when ammo runs low and then take their weapons. Also when the situation gets critical, activate “ultra-sense”, slow-down time and enhance your abilities to showcase the true power of the hero.
Beat the Machine: Rebooted is a top down retro roguelike arcade shooter where you must defeat the virus T.O.M (Totally Overpowered Machine) that is invading Sector VIII. Play as Damon, the cocky cadet, willing to aid Sector VIII from total destruction. Guided by Logan, Syncopia and Pete, natives of Sector VIII, traverse across 25 levels corrupted by T.O.M’s virus brigade.
An intense top-down twin-stick shooter rogue-like game that plunges players into the heart of a zombie apocalypse. As a lone survivor, your mission is to navigate through procedurally generated levels filled with relentless zombie hordes, utilizing a diverse arsenal of weapons and character abilities to stay alive.
In this 3D roguelike action game, you are a Valkyrie, choosing blessings from the Nordic gods to build your unique combat style. Go to complete the Taboo Trial guided by Loki. Unlock different Valkyries in Valhalla, each playable with distinct styles. Take up the weapons of the gods to challenge the “giants”, each weapon having a distinct combat style.
Choose your ingredients, slice, prepare, plate and serve delicious dishes with style in fun mini-games! The MasterChef judges will evaluate your dish based on your performance and speed. Complete and unlock new recipes, challenges, and mini-games along your cooking journey!
Bringing the beloved book series to life, dive into this action-packed, humor-filled adventure. The key to the city has fallen into the hands of a supa bad guy, unlocking all the prison doors and releasing many evildoers. Help Dog Man and his friends chase down the supa bad guys in their most impawsible mission yet!
The holiday season is upon us, and the ID@Xbox team is thrilled to showcase this month’s picks for Indie Selects. But first, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone for supporting independent games on Xbox over the past year. Indie Selects is our special platform to celebrate the incredibly weird and unique. Someone’s perfect game isn’t necessarily a massive blockbuster IP, but may be a polished and emotionally resonant story, a brand new spin on an existing idea, or just something truly unusual. Thank you for checking out our recommendations and supporting amazing game creators on our platform.
Secondly, instead of giving you a one-week December Selects collection, we decided to build out 3 weeks’ worth of 2024 Indie Select Highlights. Each week, starting December 11, we’ll be highlighting and promoting 18 of our favorite titles that launched this last year. Be sure to check out the Indie Selects section in the Xbox Store (head to the Games Home tab and a few rows down) every Wednesday for more must-have indies.
Finally, on January 28, 2025, we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of this program with a 2024 Anniversary Collection. Our team will pick six top Indie Selects from the previous year that we believe are absolute must-haves and place them in this prestigious shrine for all to witness. We have more surprises, new sales, and new collections planned for 2025, but for now, let’s focus on the present.
This month is stuffed. There were so many titles to choose from that truly pushed the envelope in terms of unique design, mysterious mechanics, dramatic storytelling, and the art of fun. We all made some strong cases for what we wanted to champion. Some of us were still in our October bag and needed something terrifying to get the heart pumping. A lot of us, understandably, wanted to build a bond with a giant wolf that we could ride on to our next adventure. Several of us wanted to get lost in something: a mysterious world, impossible choices, or maybe just our own creativity. We ended up with a list that thankfully kept everyone happy here and we’re sure that there’s something here that you won’t soon forget. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order):
I don’t know if any of you are looking for more reasons to get emotional, but Neva will hit you right in the feels. I played through last weekend and found myself in awe of its beautiful presentation, visual splendor, and haunting soundtrack. I was also reduced to tears on occasion. It’s an incredibly moving piece of software that also happens to be quite fun and compelling to play.
This follow-up to the gorgeous and emotionally charged Gris from Nomada Studio shows a studio honing in on their craft. Gris was an impactful work of art; Neva takes that core formula and adds satisfying yet simple platforming and combat to the mix. The game is only about 5 hours from start to finish but those hours will make you reflect inwardly and touch your heart in ways that are rare for games. If the combat scenarios get a bit tricky for you, the game offers a “Story Mode” difficulty that removes the health bar entirely and allows you to play without the fear of dying.
Neva
Devolver Digital
☆☆☆☆☆104
★★★★★
$19.99
Neva is an emotionally-charged action adventure from the visionary team behind the critically acclaimed GRIS. Neva chronicles the story of Alba, a young woman bound to a curious wolf cub following a traumatic encounter with dark forces. Together they embark on a perilous journey through a once-beautiful world as it slowly decays around them. Over time, their relationship will evolve as they learn to work together, helping one another to brave increasingly dangerous situations. The wolf will grow from a rebellious cub to an imposing adult seeking to forge his own identity, testing Alba’s love and their commitment to one another. As the cursed world threatens to overwhelm them, Alba and her courageous companion will do whatever it takes to survive and make a new home, together.
Animal Well is an illusive, beautiful, 2D pixel art Metroidvania full of abstract puzzles in haunting, living environments. You play as a squishy little blob in a dark and wet world that offers up its own interpretive language on how to proceed beyond to the next area. As you progress through new areas, you’ll gain access to more routes as you find mysterious tools and understand their mechanics. The creatures populating the well create an interesting dynamic as you discover their purpose. Some animals are essential to solving complex problems and because there’s no real combat, other animals often must be cleverly avoided which in-and-of-itself can be its own puzzle. Even as you traverse area after area, the game is packed with so much to do and so many more secrets to find – well after the “ending”.
This is one of those special games that leaves an imprint. It took me some time to nail down what exactly it was that gave me goosebumps during each minute of my playthrough. Finally, it hit me. Your tiny, bright little blob, though very alive and cute, isn’t really the main character: The environment is! There are so many small moments and interactions with the environment that are so wonderfully satisfying, and they just keep happening one after the other. Delving into the deepest mysteries of the environment felt like I was asking the developer directly, “What were you trying to do here?” At some point, my goals for what I wanted to get out of the game shifted as I uncovered more and more secrets and felt rewarded for examining every pixel shift. If you relish finding everything in a game without looking for help online, prepare to put your skills to the test and enjoy the ride.
ANIMAL WELL
Bigmode
☆☆☆☆☆99
★★★★★
$24.99
Hatch from your flower and spelunk through the beautiful and sometimes haunting world of Animal Well, a pixelated wonder rendered in intricate audio and visual detail. Encounter lively creatures small and large, helpful and ominous as you discover unconventional upgrades and unravel the well’s secrets. This is a truly unique experience that can make you laugh in fear, surprise, or delight.
Planet Coaster 2 is gratifying for anyone who loves theme park and strategy simulations. As someone who loves both strategy and creativity, this game hits me in all the right ways. From the beginning, you enter a very vibrant world with spectacular visuals. The in-game characters are great at guiding you through the UI, tasks, and management of the park. There are so many possibilities on how you can design and build your dream theme park –and I can spend hours doing this! The coaster builder is very intuitive and allows for lots of creativity, letting you craft rides that are as crazy and wild as your heart desires. The management aspect pulls you right back to reality as a park owner, as you need to balance staff, finances, and guest satisfaction to keep everything running smoothly.
Being able to share your creation with other players – and being able to download theirs – adds another level of collaboration and fun to the community. It’s astonishing to see just how creative others can be! And even better than that, you can incorporate their vision into your own park. Whether you’ve spent endless hours managing parks before or new to the genre, Planet Coaster 2 provides the perfect mix of community, strategy, and creativity!
Planet Coaster 2
Frontier Developments
☆☆☆☆☆192
★★★★★
$49.99
Create a splash with Planet Coaster 2 – sequel to the world’s best coaster park simulator! Reach new heights of creativity, management, and sharing as you construct the theme parks of your dreams combining epic water rides and coasters to delight and thrill your park guests. Dive in now! EMBRACE CREATIVITY Expand your imagination: Enhanced and improved building and pathing tools let you create spectacular, true-to-life theme parks, complete with sprawling plazas. Make your mark on the world as you shape terrain and populate your park with stunning swimming pools and thrilling rides. It’s never been easier to bring your dream park to life. Next-level customisation: Embark on the coaster park experience of a lifetime as you push the boundaries of creativity like never before! Unleash your imagination as you build the most awe-inspiring themed creations with unparalleled customisation tools! For the first time, intuitively add scalable scenery and objects to every ride to elevate your park and give your guests a day to remember. Combine epic water and coaster rides: Create the ultimate experience for your thrill-seeking guests using piece-by-piece construction. Build a vibrant array of exhilarating rollercoasters and jaw-dropping thrill rides. Design a seamlessly interconnected park paradise with glistening swimming pools and twisting water flumes. Create unforgettable experiences: Surprise and amaze as you bring the dramatic flair of real-world theme parks to your guests with the brand-new event sequencer tool, while sophisticated global illumination lighting brings the theme park experience to your home with stunning visuals and striking authenticity. MASTER MANAGEMENT Find the secret to success: Balance thrilling your guests with managing your budget – populate your park with amazing efficiently powered attractions and the right amenities to boost your rating and become a theme park master. Take care: Provide for your guests’ health, well-being, and happiness so your park can thrive. With all-new waterparks comes the need for shade, sunscreen, lifeguards, changing rooms, and more to ensure everyone has their best day both in and out of the pool. Satisfaction guaranteed: Understanding the wants and needs of your guests has never been easier! The new ‘heat maps’ feature lets you understand the wider park’s needs at a glance before diving deeper into the details -simply select any guest to see how they and their immediate group are enjoying your theme park. SHARE THE RIDE Create together: Unleash your collective creativity in Sandbox Mode. Take turns to work on building a park with players around the world using a shared cross-platform save! Play together: For the first time ever, collaborate with friends in Franchise Mode to create the best theme park empire and compete with others to reach the top of worldwide leaderboards! Visit together: Soak up the fun and get up close and personal, as you experience other players theme park creations first hand – explore their worlds in first person as a park guest! Share creations: Share anything and everything! Upload coasters, rides, or even full theme parks for other players, and download and delight in other’s creations. All are easily accessible from the cross-platform Frontier Workshop both in-game and online.
Phasmophobia is a truly engaging horror experience in which you need to figure out what kind of ghost is haunting the locations you are investigating by using various ghost detecting tools. Each type of ghost creates specific supernatural phenomena that you need to identify and to puzzle out in your journal. If you get the correct ghost type, you win.
The secret sauce is in the experience you have while searching for the clues. The game masterfully uses classical horror cues like sound or light to create the feeling of a haunted house, reacting to your actions and making you always fear for your life. As you cannot really fight back, your only option is to get things done as quickly as possible while avoiding the danger.
Finally, the game is a great one to play with a few friends. Nothing beats hearing your friends screaming in your voice chat that they are about to die and the silence afterwards. That’s both the funniest part of the game – as well as the scariest.
Phasmophobia (Game Preview)
Kinetic Games
☆☆☆☆☆568
★★★★★
$19.99
Free Trial
This game is a work in progress. It may or may not change over time or release as a final product. Purchase only if you are comfortable with the current state of the unfinished game. INVESTIGATE
Immersive Experience: Realistic graphics and sounds as well as a minimal user interface ensure a totally immersive experience that will keep you on your toes.
Unique Ghosts: Identify over 20 different ghost types, each with unique traits, personalities, and abilities to make each investigation feel different from the last.
Equipment: Use well-known ghost-hunting equipment such as EMF Readers, Spirit Boxes, Thermometers, and Night Vision Cameras to find clues and gather as much paranormal evidence as you can. Find Cursed Possessions that grant information or abilities in exchange for your sanity. PLAY YOUR WAY
Locations: Choose from over 10 different haunted locations, each with unique twists, hiding spots, and layouts.
Game Modes: With 5 default difficulties and daily and weekly challenges, there are plenty of ways to test your skills.
Teamwork: Dive in head first, get your hands dirty searching for evidence while fighting for your life. If you’re not feeling up to the task, play it safe and support your team from the truck by monitoring the investigation with CCTV and motion sensors.
Custom Difficulty: Create your own games to tailor the difficulty to your or your group’s needs, with proportional rewards and come up with crazy game modes of your own! MULTIPLAYER
Co-operate: Play alongside your friends with up to 4 players in this co-op horror where teamwork is key to your success.
Play together: Phasmophobia supports all players together, play with your friends with any combination of input types.
Cross-play: Play alongside your friends on other platforms. Full details on the latest status of the game, how you can give feedback and report issues can be found at https://kineticgames.co.uk/.
Fear the Spotlight is a retro, ’90s-inspired horror game focused on puzzle solving, gripping story, and avoiding detection. Vivian and Amy sneak into their school at night for a séance which, of course, goes horribly wrong and Amy disappears. Now Vivian must search the school for her friend and uncover the mystery of the school’s past.
During the search you’ll be stalked by a monster – more specifically, a man with a spotlight for a head. There’s no combat, so you’ll need to avoid detection at all costs while you explore and solve puzzles which allow you acquire key items to progress further. This isn’t the type of horror game that is full of heart-pounding jump scares, but a slow build of creeping, uneasy, tension that adds to a great narrative experience.
Fear the Spotlight
Blumhouse Games
☆☆☆☆☆39
★★★★★
$19.99
Fear the Spotlight is an atmospheric third-person horror adventure with a disturbing mystery to unravel. Sneak into school after hours with Vivian and Amy, survive a séance gone wrong, solve tactile puzzles, and, whatever you do, stay out of the spotlight… Sunnyside High has a dark history. When Vivian enters the deserted corridors for a seance with the rebellious Amy, she suddenly ends up alone, and at the mercy of the monster who wanders the halls. Vivian must avoid its gaze, find her friend, and uncover the disturbing, murderous truth of a decades old tragedy. Fear the Spotlight is a creepy love letter to classic 90s horror experiences with a focus of rich storytelling, puzzle solving, and a tense atmosphere. This is a perfect narrative horror game for those new to the genre. ESCAPE THE NIGHTMARE The séance went terribly wrong. Amy has disappeared, and the school has transformed into a nightmarish version of its former self. Play as Vivian to uncover a dark hidden past while attempting to save both you and your friend DELIGHTFULLY HORRIFYING GAMEPLAY * Sneak to avoid detection from an unknown entity in tense hand-crafted stealth moments as Vivian explores the ominous darkness of the school corridors * Solve highly tactile puzzles that pay homage to classic genre favorites while evolving gameplay to satisfy modern horror fans * Explore the eerie setting of a derelict Sunnyside High with a flashlight, screwdriver, wrench, and more to uncover a web of mysteries 1990s ATMOSPHERIC DREAD Explore the hellish version of Sunnyside High as Vivian in this ode to classic 90’s teen horror. A retro art style, tense audio design, and a nostalgic setting will delight both veteran fans and those new to the horror genre AN EXPANDED STORY Dive even deeper into the dark world of Fear the Spotlight with an extensive additional storyline Fear the Spotlight is the first title to be published by Blumhouse Games, a video games label within Blumhouse Productions focused on championing the most creative and unique takes on the horror genre.
This is a love story. Right? Slay the Princess is a visual novel… but more like a choose your own adventure with the goal to slay the princess. But why? That’s what you need to find out by exploring several dozen prompts from the voice of a “narrator”, who sheds more light on the situation. The genius here is that your approach will determine your path, invite more voices to join the narrator, and alter the perception of each situation.
As your behavior becomes more defined, the princess’s physical form will manifest accordingly. This all culminates in the ending of one story and the beginning of another – again and again – as you progress through the hidden story beneath it all. The black and white pencil art is fantastic, the musical score is intense, and the voice acting is top of its class. It’s dark, creepy, charming and incredibly intriguing. Oh, and you’ll die a lot. Don’t worry about that. Just keep going. It’s worth it.
Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut
Serenity Forge
☆☆☆☆☆204
★★★★★
$17.99
You’re on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Princess. You’re here to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world. She will do everything in her power to stop you. She’ll charm, and she’ll lie, and she’ll promise you the world, and if you let her, she’ll kill you a dozen times over. You can’t let that happen. You do care about the fate of the world, right? Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut is a fully voice-acted horror tragicomedy featuring the impeccable talents of Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight, with lovingly hand-penciled frames by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard. This game features a princess. She’s very bad and you have to get rid of her for all our sakes. She’s just an ordinary human Princess, and you can definitely slay her as long as you put your mind to it. Hopefully you won’t die. But if you do, you’ll die a lot. Be careful and stay focused on the task at hand! What you say and what you believe will shift the story in dramatic ways. Ah, but what’s in the Pristine Cut? Are you sure you want to find out? If you do, you’re likely to discover things that are best left experienced directly. Seriously, turn back. … Oh, you’re still reading? Very well, I shall tell you. The Pristine Cut contains, precisely: – 3 brand new chapters replete with mysteries—and consequences.
– Never before seen Princesses who will all murder you without a second thought.
– Expansions to familiar routes: The Den, The Apotheosis and The Fury each have more than doubled in length.
– Over 35% more content overall—and all of it filled with great opportunities to listen to me and do your job.
– A new ending. And hopefully one that saves the world rather than damns it. – Gallery to Track Your Progress: Cherish your memories, relive your exploits, and uncover deeply hidden secrets with the new gallery feature.
– Over 1,200 New Hand-Penciled Frames hand-illustrated by Abby Howard.
– Over 2,500 New Lines of Dialogue fully voiced dialogue by the impeccable Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight. Yes, prepare yourself for an expanded journey filled with new perils, difficult choices, and unforgettable encounters. Will you stay on the path to slay the Princess, or will the new chapters alter your fate? (That said, while I wish free-will weren’t a thing here, I cannot emphasize this enough: you have to slay her. Please.)
The first thing to decide is which Raspberry Pi model to use before assembling the kit. PiDog will work with Raspberry Pi 4, 3B+, 3B, and Zero 2 W. Using a Raspberry Pi 5 is not recommended since its extra power requirements put too much of a strain on the battery power – PiDog uses a lot of current when standing or moving – so it’s likely to suffer from under-voltage. We opted for a Raspberry Pi 4, although even then we did have a few issues with crashes when the battery level was low.
Canine construction
With a kit comprising a huge array of parts, building a PiDog is no mean feat. We reckon it took us around five to six hours, although we were taking our time to get it right. The printed diagram-based instructions are easy to follow, however, and there are online videos if you get stuck. Apart from a few fiddly bits, including manipulating some tiny screws and nuts, it’s an enjoyable process. Helpfully, the fixtures and fittings – including numerous sizes of screws and plastic rivets – come in labelled bags. The kit includes a couple of screwdrivers too.
The main chassis is built from aluminium alloy panels, giving this dog a shiny and robust ‘coat’. There are also several acrylic pieces, including some to build a stand to place PiDog on when calibrating its leg servos. A nice touch.
Raspberry Pi sits on a sound direction sensor module and is then mounted with a Robot HAT which handles all the servos (via PWM pins), sensor inputs, and battery management. Portable power is supplied by a custom battery pack comprising two 18650 batteries with a capacity of 2000mAh, which takes a couple of hours to charge fully.
Doggy-do code
Once you’ve assembled the kit, it’s time to fine-tune the calibration of the servos with a script. You’ll have used a zeroing script during assembly to get the rough positions right, so will have already installed the PiDog libraries and software in Raspberry Pi OS.
Detailed online documentation guides you through everything, including running a script to enable I2S sound from the robot’s speaker. It also covers a good range of Python example programs that showcase what PiDog can do.
In patrol mode, for instance, PiDog walks forward and stops to bark when it detects something ahead. The react demo sees it rear up and bark when approached from the front, but roll its head and wag its tail when you pet the touch sensor on its neck. There’s also a balance demo to showcase its 6DOF IMU module that enables PiDog to self-balance when walking on a tilting tabletop.
There are a few examples using the camera module with OpenCV computer vision. A face-tracking demo generates a web server, enabling you to see the camera view on a web page. There’s also the option to control PiDog with an iOS or Android app, complete with live camera feed.
You can even communicate with your PiDog via GPT-4o AI, using text or spoken commands – with a USB mic (not supplied) equipped. It takes a bit of setting up, using an API key, but the online guide takes you through the process.
Verdict
9/10
Great fun to play with, this smart canine companion has an impressive feature set and lots of possibilities for further training.
Specs
Features: 12 × metal-gear servos, Robot HAT, camera module, RGB LED strip
Before I played an early version of Crescent County, I didn’t know that an in-game version of a motorized, magical broomstick could feel right. But here I am, drawing wide arcs through the gently swaying grass of the Isle of Morah, identifying the perfect hillock to glide off from, and intuitively following paths of flowers to shortcuts across its open world. You’d think there’d no right way to depict something as bizarre as this, but as I feel a leyline-powered boost ignite the rumble of my controller, I start to think, “well, maybe.”
The debut game from Electric Saint – a two-person development team made up of Anna Hollinrake (Fall Guys) and Pavle Mihajlović (Erica) – Crescent County is part-open world exploration, part-dating game, part-gig economy delivery challenge, part-racer, part-life sim, and all-centered around that motorbroom experience. It’s ambitious, and with so many moving parts, you might expect it to have come together in pieces – but the real origin point was straightforward.
One of the earliest pieces of art that inspired Crescent County. Credit: Anna Hollinrake
Hollinrake has been painting images of what she dubs “witch-tech” for years, building a following as people fall in love with the bright, curious worlds she creates in static form. Choosing to leave the world of AAA development behind, and contacting Mihajlović to create the tech, there was only one setting they wanted to bring to life together.
“The number one piece of feedback I get when I’m at conventions selling art based on this world, or on social media when I post images of it, is that people wish that they could live in the paintings I create,” she tells me. “I’m an art generalist for games and have worked along the whole art pipeline, but my specialty is infusing moreish worldbuilding into my work, from concepts to full 3D environments, that give a sense of place, with little story hints throughout. I really want to give people the opportunity to step into a lovingly crafted, painterly space that feels both joyful and a little melancholy and that, critically, they feel at home within.”
It means that Crescent County wasn’t built out of disparate mechanical ideas that the developers wanted to jam into one playspace – every choice has been made because it fits the theme. Even in the early form of the game I play, that comes across. As main character Lu, your motorbroom is key to everything you do – you arrive on the island and take part in a race, then become the island’s delivery courier. That job allows you to meet characters you can get to know (and romance), afford furniture for your apartment, and to customize your broom and go further, faster. In Crescent County’s world, motorbrooms aren’t a vehicle, they’re a culture.
“Motorbroom racing is an underground sport, practised by a small group of the coolest people you know,” says Hollinrake. “It’s very inspired by roller derby and the roller skating community (I’m an avid quad skater myself!), and we wanted to capture that punk, do-it-yourself attitude within motorbroom subculture.”
“In terms of racing though, it’s more about friends challenging each other in playful ways (like seeing who can get up the mountain first), than it is about big formal races with sponsors and crowds,” adds Mihajlović. “If you win, you can expect to learn some secrets about the island, or maybe get a hot tip on how to get a particular broom part, but you can also choose to lay back and spend some more quality time with a racer you have a crush on.”
That idea, that every activity can affect another, seems key to Crescent County. You’re building a life for Lu on the island – a race can lead to romance, a delivery job could net you new decorations, and even the house creation element (so often a side activity) can have effects on the wider game.
“We’re really interested in how we can take classic, cozy house decoration and make it push our story forward rather than being purely for aesthetics,” explains Hollinrake. “In that classic scouring-Facebook-Marketplace way, you can do jobs around the island for people who’ll pay you back with a couch they have in the shed and aren’t using. Inspired by our own experiences living in crappy house shares in our early twenties, we know how big of a difference each single piece of furniture can have on your social life or sense of place – you can’t have a dinner party without a dinner table, and getting your new friends around it lets you chat late into the night and deepen those relationships. Even if the spaghetti bolognese you made was terrible.”
It leads to what promises a very satisfying loop – the more you play, and the more you engage, the more opportunities await you. Again, building Crescent County as a living world rather than a sandbox, is the key. The game’s organized into days and nights that pass based on what you choose to do (you can deliver by day, and race by night), rather than through a linear cycle, which gives you an incentive to choose the interesting thing rather than the efficient thing.
“Each day brings a host of new opportunities to earn some cash, make your flat less sad, and learn more island drama,” says Mihajlović. “You’ll get to pick who you want to help that day – whether it’s because you want to know a particular bit of gossip, you want to get a specific broom upgrade, or because your friend Rava has promised you she’ll give you her unwanted and admittedly ugly couch if you help round up her wayward sheep. You can either plan out your route carefully, or take it a bit more casually and ride around and see what you get up to. At the end of the day you can take your weird couch home, pick where to place it, and invite your friends over for a movie night – who point out you don’t actually own a TV.”
All of this would be moot if the brooms themselves didn’t feel quite so good, and the Isle of Morah wasn’t quite so fascinating a location. That connection to Hollinrake’s art means that this world is a deeply interesting place – unfamiliar silhouettes clutter the horizon, and the sheer fun meant that I spent as much time simply going places than doing, well, Lu’s job. The final piece in the puzzle, then, is in creating a motorbroom that suits you.
“Broom customization is both about building a motorbroom that looks amazing and feels just like you, but it’s also in how you decide how you’re going to navigate the island,” says Mihajlović. “Whether you want to speed down the straights, cut across a field, or glide over a canyon, different broom setups will open different paths and playstyles. You can also put Sigil Stickers on your broom that give you weird and wonderful powers, like an offensive sideways phase shift that you can use to bump your rivals off the track, or a more forgiving 10 second rewind that lets you retake a corner if you didn’t get it quite right.”
The way the team is winding together mechanical and narrative benefits to the player isn’t just fascinating – it’s unusual. It’s the kind of thing that might have been hard to pitch at their previous studios, meaning self-publishing with ID@Xbox has been a boon:
“We’re huge fans of the ID@Xbox program – and before that Xbox Live Arcade,” says Mihajlović. “It birthed or enabled so many of the games that we love, and in a lot of ways the whole indie wave that got us into the games industry in the first place. I actually remember the first Summer of Arcade, and how exciting and validating it was as a teenager to see indie games on a console, so it’s incredible to now be a part of the program.”
With a two-person team, the game still has a way to go until release – and they’re not set on a release date just yet – but the early version I play makes abundantly clear how wild, weird, and ambitious Electric Saint is getting. Just like its motorbrooms, Crescent County might be unfamiliar, but it’s feeling just right already.
Discover this beautiful open world racing on the back of your very own motorbroom. In Crescent County you play as Lu, as you move to the island under tense pretences, eager to start afresh. It’s a game about finding home in a brand-new witch-tech universe. During the day you’re a motorbroom courier; delivering packages, herding sheep, and setting off fireworks. You find yourself building a life through helping the locals; getting to know their struggles, and their island home. Plan your day every morning by picking your jobs, and then zoom around the island getting things done! The better your broom is the more you can do, and the more of the gossip you uncover. After you’ve made some change, head down to Bo’s workshop to upgrade your motobroom and make it your own! Replace parts to improve your broom’s handling, top speed, or gliding ability, and pop some Sigil Stickers on it to enable special powers such as Phase Shifting and Time Rewind. At night, use your customised motorbroom to defeat your new friends in improvised races around the island. Discover shortcuts on ancient ley lines, and sprint through abandoned power stations in rebellious, secret races to win new broom parts. Start in your cousin’s empty bedsit and collect furniture from the locals to scrap together a cosy new life for yourself on the island. The better your home is, the more activities you can do with your new friends. Can’t have a dinner party with a table, or a date without a couch!
Indiana Jones has a feeling. It’s not just in the more tangible elements – the stories, the hero, or the music – it’s also in the way it was filmed, the minutiae of choreography, and the tone. Those ineffable qualities are what have made this series so beloved, and so lasting. And that’s a very difficult thing to recreate in a video game.
It presented Indiana Jones and the Great Circle developer MachineGames with an extra challenge – not only did the team have to create a fantastic, modern-feeling game, but one that simultaneously captures the magic that swirls around the movies. It comes down to a question of balance: making a compelling game that still looks, feels, acts, and sounds like the movies it’s drawing inspiration from.
In speaking to developers across MachineGames, it’s fascinating to hear how that was achieved, mixing modern game design with traditional filmmaking techniques, all in service of creating something that hits the sweet spot MachineGames has been striving for.
Perhaps one of the best examples of the deep thinking applied comes out of a single scene – one you might even describe as incidental.
‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ contains perhaps one of cinema’s best-known jokes. A crowd parts, and our hero is faced with a menacing swordsman, brandishing a scimitar. He chuckles darkly, passing his sword from hand to hand, before twirling it with expert precision – a show of how tough this fight will be. Indy grimaces, pulls out his revolver, and drops him with a single shot. What we thought was about to be a fight scene becomes a punchline. It’s perfect.
And it’s exactly the kind of scene that shouldn’t work in a video game. This is effectively the intro to a boss battle – this guy should have multiple attack patterns, three different health bars, the works. As it turns out, that very scene may have started as the challenge the team faced – but it became part of the solution:
“That scene is a very good example of type of humor that one can experience in the classic Indy movies – priceless!”, says Creative Director Axel Torvenius. “What we absolutely have been inspired by from that, and similar scenes, is that very humor. To have varied, engaging and rewarding combat encounters has been very important – but to make sure we spice them up with the Indy-humor has been equally important.”
Taken on a wider level, this tells us a lot about MachineGames’ approach – in almost every regard, the team has gone the extra mile to help capture the movies’ magic, even if they’re not an immediately natural fit for gaming, in a new form. And as you’ll see, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Matinée Idol
“Sitting as close as possible to the original look and feel of ’80s cinema was something we wanted to get right from the beginning,” explains Torvenius. “There was never an interest in reinventing the look or feel of Indiana Jones – the core ambition was always to make sure it really hit home in terms of having a style close to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.”
You might be surprised at just how deep that effort goes. The team scrutinized the early films, not just for their tone and writing, but for technical detail. What color palettes and film grading were used? Which kind of film stock was in the cameras? How did the original audio team record sound effects? What kind of stunt work was done? And from there, the hard work began – translating those original techniques into not just a modern context, but an entirely different medium.
Some of the stories here are fascinating. Torvenius explains that the team studied how the original film teams created their sets, and applied those rules to locations in the game:
“Obviously in games, the big challenge is that you can constantly peek behind the curtain and go ‘backstage’ – you can roam freely and break the composition. But there are many locations throughout the game where we know from which direction the player will come, or where they will exit and what type of scenery they will see. So we identified those early and pushed those further so we can set the scene more in certain places.”
For cutscenes, which are naturally more controlled, the team could go further: “Another big thing we did for this project was to have a Director of Photography on set for all the cinematic filming in the motion capture studio,” continues Torvenius. “We had the talented Kyle Klütz helping us and working in the mocap studio with this huge, heavy camera dolly rolling around to make sure we captured the right amount of velocity in pan, angular movement, composition and framing. Once we transfer this data into the cutscene shots in the game engine, it gives us a very solid start in terms of a camera work that feels reminiscent of the early Indiana Jones movies.”
Pitch Perfect
Sound is just as important as look for Indiana Jones, of course. From the iconic John Williams score, to the “feel” of its effects, to the iconic Wilhelm Scream (yes, it’s in the game), the soundscape of the movies is just as nostalgic as the look and story.
“The first thing we did was try to identify the core elements of that Indiana Jones sound,” says Audio Director, Pete Ward. “What did we have to nail to evoke the feeling of playing as Indy, in a cinematic way? We sat down as a team and watched all the Indy movies again, and we realized there were several things we absolutely had to get right – Indy’s voice likeness, the musical score, the whip, the revolver, and the punches. There were other things too, like the sound of the puzzles, and the fantastical elements, where we constantly referenced the original movies and [original Indiana Jones sound designer] Ben Burtt’s sound design.”
It led Ward’s team down some unexpected paths. The aim wasn’t to reuse sound effects directly from the game, but reproduce them as faithfully as possible to serve the game’s needs – which in some cases meant returning to techniques used by the original team more than 40 years ago.
“We did hundreds of hours of original recordings, using props like the whip, the fedora, the leather jacket, and lots of different shoe types on lots of different surfaces,” continues Ward. “For impacts in particular, we also used techniques originally used by Ben Burtt and his team, like beating up leather jackets with baseball bats. We also used practical effects where possible, like plucking metal springs with contact mics attached, to get some of that old-school vibe in our spectacular set pieces.”
The result is a game that sounds reminiscent of an ’80’s movie – it’s still naturalistic, but listen closely and you’ll find it comes across in a different way from most modern games.
The same went for the score – John Williams’ soundtracks are among the most recognizable in cinema history, but the aim was never simply to impersonate them. MachineGames brought in composer Gordy Haab to achieve that – a fitting choice given that he’s won awards for his work on multiple Star Wars games by drawing heavy inspiration from Williams, while making them his own.
“Gordy was such a great composer to work with for this project – he really nailed the style and tone, and was able to emulate and seamlessly extend the original score where needed, while also creating entirely new themes for our story and characters that fit perfectly within the Indiana Jones universe,” enthuses Ward. “We were very careful about where and when we first hear certain themes as well – the Raider’s March is the iconic, instantly recognizable theme for Indiana Jones, and we wanted to incorporate it at the right moments, but also develop our own musical story with our own new themes.”
But the risk of creating new elements amid such an iconic score is that they’ll stick out –and again, MachineGames went the extra mile to ensure that this didn’t happen. Haab and Ward researched how the original soundtracks were recorded, and even recorded in the same studio, Abbey Road. Amazingly, they even found out that they’d created accidental connections to the original along the way:
“We even had a couple of session musicians who played on the original sessions for Raiders,” explains Ward. “It was a lovely moment when they came to the control room after the session was finished and told us that!”
Telling the Tale
But where look and sound allowed the team to look back at what had come before, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s story needed to be something entirely new, yet totally fitting for both the franchise – not to mention the game’s setting between ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The Last Crusade’. For Lead Narrative Designer Tommy Tordsson Björk, it required a different kind of research.
“Indiana Jones has an incredibly rich lore with movies, comic books, games and more that we could dig into and use in different ways, not only for immersing the player in Indy’s world, but also to connect the different stories and characters. In this regard, our great working relationship with Lucasfilm Games helped us enormously.
“From there, a lot of our work when developing the worldbuilding has been devoted to researching the 1930s, and then filtering it through lens of what we call an ’Indy matinée adventure’ to make it feel both authentic and true to the story of this world.”
You’ll see that commitment not just to the Indy series itself, but for the time period in which it’s set, in the ways characters talk, the world around you, and even down to the era-appropriate spelling of Gizeh. MachineGames – and the connection of many of its developers, including Björk, to the acclaimed Starbreeze – means that the team has a lot of experience working with established franchises, from The Chronicles of Riddick to The Darkness, and it’s an experience that guided them in this new endeavour.
“The approach that we’ve had on all of our games is to make them as true to what made the originals so great. We don’t want to retread what has already been told, but instead move into new territory that evokes the same tone and spirit,” says Björk. “I think what the development of Indy has taught us is the importance of letting the character control the path of both the story and the gameplay, because this franchise is so much defined by Indy and who he is to an even greater extent than the previous games we’ve worked on.”
Playing With History
And that leads us to the final piece of the development puzzle – turning the history of a movie series into a playable experience. How do you capture the excitement of a tightly-edited, linear movie in an interactive experience, where every player will choose to do things slightly differently, and take their Indy in different directions?
Part of that is in returning to the movie making of it all, by grounding so much of what we play in real-life performance:
“We have done so much motion capture for this game! I think this is most motion capture and stunts we have ever done,” says Torvenius. “And some of the scenes we have in the game are quite wild from a stunt perspective. We shot a number of scenes at Goodbye Kansas in Stockholm, which has a ceiling height of almost 8 meters, just because some scenes required stunts to be performed from that height.
“We’ve been working with some very talented stuntmen and women throughout the production and together with our talent director Tom Keegan I dare to say we have some of the strongest action scenes from a MachineGames perspective yet. When it comes to capturing the look and feel of the stunts and action sequences in the early Indiana Jones movies, it has been a combined effort from various members within MG; obviously our Animation Director Henrik Håkansson and Cinematic Director Markus Söderqvist has an important part to play here for look and feel of animations. And then the audio work from Audio director Pete Ward and his department also plays an important part in making sure everything sounds true to the movie.”
But even the smallest elements have been scrutinized, like throwing a simple punch, for example:
“It has been very important to make sure the combat feels fun and rewarding and easy enough to get drawn into but then hard to master for the ones that likes to crank up the difficulty settings,” explains Torvenius. “We definitely wanted to capture the cinematic feel of the melee combat! Getting those heavy cinematic impact sounds in, having a good response from the spray of sweat and saliva as you punch someone in the face, interesting animations, and the behaviour of a hulking opponent coming towards you.”
This depth of thought is everywhere in the game. Puzzles have been designed with the spirit of whether they might feel right for the movies; locations given the buzz not just of real-life, but a film set; and even the ability to use almost any disposable item as both a distraction and a weapon is drawn from the comic spirit of the movies.
“One of the core ingredients in Indiana Jones is definitely humour. It is something we have worked hard with across every aspect of the game: environmental storytelling, script and VO, in cutscene and story beats, and it absolutely needs to be conveyed in the minute-to-minute gameplay, such as combat. And it is not only the tools you use but also a lot of hard work from the engineer and animation teams to make sure we have interesting, rewarding and fun take down animations. And on top of all of that you also need the best possible audio! And when that cocktail is shaken just the right amount, voilà – out comes something very delicious and fun!”
Which brings us all the way back round to that iconic scene with the swordsman. In a normal game, no, that scene might not make sense when translated to a video game context. But in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle? Well, MachineGames has put in the research, the work, and the commitment to ensure that, while you’re playing this game – from solving spectacular puzzles to near-slapstick combat – it’ll feel worthy of those classic movies.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (with Game Pass), or Steam on December 9. Premium and Collector’s Editions will offer up to 3 days of early access from December 6.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™: Digital Premium Edition
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$99.99
Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade™ Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade™. *** Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™! INCLUDES: • Base Game (digital code) • Up to 3-Day Early Access** • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC† • Digital Artbook • Temple of Doom™ Outfit ***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard. YOU ARE INDIANA JONES Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time. A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces. WHIP-CRACKING ACTION Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery. THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? *Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active. **Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages. †DLC availability to be provided at a later date.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™ Standard Edition
Bethesda Softworks
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$69.99
Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade™ Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade™.
***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard. YOU ARE INDIANA JONES Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time. A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces. WHIP-CRACKING ACTION Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery. THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? *Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.
Stefano’s first computer, a Commodore Vic20, was something he could program himself and opened up a world of possibilities. Most importantly, this first computer awakened Stefano to the idea of tinkering and eventually led to him pursuing a degree in electronic engineering. Over the past 20 years he has worked with many tech startups and software companies, often with Apache Frontier Foundation, where he became a fellow and met many passionate inventors. Fably, however, was very much inspired by Stefano’s own family, particularly his nine-year-old daughter who kept asking him to invent new stories.
Stefano had encountered LLMs (large language models) while working at Google Research and wondered whether he could use one to create a storytelling machine. Stefano found the command of language impressive but the LLM “felt like talking to a person that spoke like a college professor but had the understanding of the world of a five-year-old. It was a jarring experience especially when they confidently made stuff up.” The phenomenon is often referred to as ‘hallucination’ but Stefano says some colleagues at Google call it ‘fabulism’. He prefers this term and it is the origin of his Raspberry Pi project’s name. Importantly, ‘fably’ is also a word the text to speech synthesis API can pronounce.
As well as making more sense than an overconfident LLM, the smart storyteller needed to come up with compelling stories that engaged the listener and be sufficiently autonomous that it could be used without continuous adult supervision. Being an ambitious, entrepreneurial type, Stefano also wondered about the commercial possibilities and whether Fably could be made at a sufficiently low cost to build a community around it. He notes that children are demanding users being both “impatient and used to interactivity as a foundational aspect of learning”. It would be critical that the “time to first speech” (the time from the last word the child said and the first word coming out of the machine) could not be more than a few seconds.
Every cloud
Since LLMs are very resource-intensive (as he knew from working on machine learning at Google), Stefano chose a cloud API-based approach to address the need for speed, and Raspberry Pi to keep costs down so other technically minded makers could create their own. Raspberry Pi felt like the best choice because of its price, availability, fantastic and very active community, and because it runs Linux directly – a development environment Stefano felt right at home in. Additional hardware such as a microphone could also be added easily. Stefano praised Raspberry Pi’s “relatively stable” I/O pinout across versions in ensuring “a healthy and diverse ecosystem of extension boards”, which could prove important should Fably become a commercial product.
Fably makes full use of OpenAI cloud APIs, alongside a text-to-speech synthesiser with a warm and cosy voice. Stefano’s daughter enjoys the fact that she hears a slightly different story even if she makes the same request. Using a cloud setup means each story costs a few cents, but Fably can be set up to cache stories as well as to cap cloud costs.
Our Gear Guide 2025! has your back. Discover a treasure trove of Raspberry Pi devices and great accessories taking us into a glittering new year.
Gift a project
Sometimes the perfect gift is one you made yourself. Christmas Elf, Rob Zwetsloot has a fantastic feature for constructing your gifts using Raspberry Pi technology. On a budget? These projects break down the pricing so you can decide on what project to put together.
Bumpin Sticker
This issue is packed with amazing projects. Our favourite is this Bumpin Sticker that attaches an 11.3-inch LCD display to the bumper of a car and hooks up to the car radio. It displays the song and artist that you are listening to by scraping data from last.fm. It’s fun, but a serious demonstration of different technologies.
Bluetooth Bakelite phone headset
This Bluetooth headset is built into the body of a Dutch phone from 1950, simply called a ‘type 1950’. It’s powered by an ESP32 development board, and it works well enough that its creator, Jouke Waleson, can use it in a professional setting.
PiDog tested
Featuring 12 servos, PiDog is a metal marvel that can do (almost) anything a real dog can do. Walk, sit, lie down, doze, bark, howl, pant, scratch, shake a paw… Equipped with a bunch of sensors, it can self-balance, discern the direction of sounds, detect obstacles, and see where it’s going. You can even get a dog’s-eye view from its nose-mounted camera via a web page or companion app.
A ton of supporting products launcged with Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and the RP2350, including a lot of items that were powered by RP2350. One of these included the excellent Thumby Color game system, and we finally have a few for a competition – enter below…
It comes fully assembled, which is very nice as putting together the various motors and other components together correctly has been a pain with similar products in the past. All you need to do is turn it on and get it connected to your Wi-Fi network, either via a wireless access point the robot creates, or via a wired connection if you have a USB to Ethernet adapter handy.
The whole thing is powered by a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, so it has plenty of oomph – especially needed for the computer vision and voice recognition tasks.
I have control
The robot itself is made in Korea, and most of the surrounding documentation and such are in Korean as a result. However, the tools and IDE (integrated development environment) can be switched to English just fine, and we didn’t experience any language issues.
The tools allow you to play around with the various functions of the robot. Changing the colours of the eyes (independently if you wish), checking if the motion-sensing and touch inputs are working, recording sounds, playing sounds, moving the various motors – you can get a great feel for what the robot can do. With a solid grasp of this, you can then start programming the robot in the IDE.
There’s a couple of programming methods – one is a block-based flow a little like NODE-Red, which also helps you understand the coding logic and variables of Pibo, and then there’s the Python programming mode which allows for full control.
The functionality is huge, and we were really impressed by the object detection built into the camera. We also like making little messages and images on small LED screens, so having interactive elements that worked with the 128×64 display scratched a specific itch for us.
Learning for all ages
While the whole system may not be useful to teach people on their very first steps into coding, or even maybe robotics, it’s a great next step thanks to its intuitive design that lets you play with its features, and block based programming that can lead into Python. The price is a little hefty, and some English features are still incoming, but we had a great time using Pibo either way – one for the little desk display we think.
Specs
Dimensions: 250(w) × 395(h) × 125(d) mm, 2.2kg
Inputs: Touch sensor, MEMS microphone, PIR sensor, USB 2.0 port
Outputs: 2x speakers, 128×64 OLED display, USB 2.0 port
Verdict
9/10
A cute and very easy to use robot with a ton of functionality that will take some time to fully discover.
Discover a range of practical AI Projects that put Raspberry Pi’s AI smarts to good use. We’ve got people detectors, ANPR trackers, pose detectors, text generators, music generators, and an intelligent pill dispenser.
Handheld gaming
Retro gaming on the move can be fun and
creative. PJ Evans grabs some spare batteries and builds a handheld gaming console.
DIY CNC Lathe
Being able to write G-codes enables all kind of custom machines. In this tutorial Jo Hinchcliffe looks at a simple small CNC lathe conversion.
Buttons and fastenings
Where would we be without buttons and fasteners. Nicola King takes a deep dive into the types of fastenings that you can use in your crafting projects.
DEC Flip-Chip tester
Rebuilding an old PDP-9 computer with a Raspberry Pi-based device that tests hundreds of components.
Pixie clock
This project recreates an old Nixie tube clock, only using ultra-modern (and vastly safer) LED lights.
Save 35% off the cover price with a subscription to The MagPi magazine. UK subscribers get three issues for just £10 and a FREE Raspberry Pi Pico W, then pay £30 every six issues. You’ll save money and get a regular supply of in-depth reviews, features, guides and other Raspberry Pi enthusiast goodness delivered directly to your door every month.
Um dir ein optimales Erlebnis zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn du diesen Technologien zustimmst, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Wenn du deine Einwillligung nicht erteilst oder zurückziehst, können bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigt werden.
Funktional
Immer aktiv
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugang ist unbedingt erforderlich für den rechtmäßigen Zweck, die Nutzung eines bestimmten Dienstes zu ermöglichen, der vom Teilnehmer oder Nutzer ausdrücklich gewünscht wird, oder für den alleinigen Zweck, die Übertragung einer Nachricht über ein elektronisches Kommunikationsnetz durchzuführen.
Vorlieben
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist für den rechtmäßigen Zweck der Speicherung von Präferenzen erforderlich, die nicht vom Abonnenten oder Benutzer angefordert wurden.
Statistiken
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu statistischen Zwecken erfolgt.Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu anonymen statistischen Zwecken verwendet wird. Ohne eine Vorladung, die freiwillige Zustimmung deines Internetdienstanbieters oder zusätzliche Aufzeichnungen von Dritten können die zu diesem Zweck gespeicherten oder abgerufenen Informationen allein in der Regel nicht dazu verwendet werden, dich zu identifizieren.
Marketing
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist erforderlich, um Nutzerprofile zu erstellen, um Werbung zu versenden oder um den Nutzer auf einer Website oder über mehrere Websites hinweg zu ähnlichen Marketingzwecken zu verfolgen.
