Instead of getting caught up in this never-ending debate, I suggest we look at the issue of difficulty from a different angle and figure out why games from the ’80s and ’90s were so difficult, why their creators opted for a hardcore approach, and how the “economics” of the gaming industry influenced game design. Simply put, why is it that, because of capitalism, Mario has only three lives, and in Castlevania, every hit threatens to send Belmont tumbling into the nearest abyss?

This top list gathers the best visual novels: genre classics, mobile romance stories, otome games, horror titles, experimental projects, and free games for those new to the genre. A visual novel is a narrative genre that combines elements of literature, illustrated cinema, and interactive gameplay. As with reading a book, the focus is on text, supplemented by static background images and music. As a rule, there are no battles, jumping, or other dynamic gameplay elements. But unlike books, visual novels are interactive: the player makes choices that determine how the story unfolds and which ending is reached. The player does not simply read a story — they influence it. That is what sets visual novels apart from an ordinary book. Today, visual novels are no longer just anime and light dating simulators. In our selection you will find dark detective stories, psychological horror games, and romantic comedies — playable on PC from the comfort of your armchair, or on a smartphone to unwind or pass the time.

In 1983, the console video game market suffered the most catastrophic collapse in its history — revenue fell nearly 97%, from $3.2 billion to $100 million a year. Dozens of companies closed, thousands of people were laid off, and millions of unsold cartridges ended up in landfills (the most famous one near the city of Alamogordo, where over 700,000 cartridges were secretly buried).

A massive archive of documents from Universal’s famous lawsuit against Nintendo was recently uploaded online, revealing new and unexpected details about the creation of the original Donkey Kong.

On March 22, 1996, the first Resident Evil was released in Japan, where it was known as Biohazard. This experimental title by designer Shinji Mikami immediately became one of the biggest hits on the original PlayStation and, within a couple of years, grew into a beloved trilogy that laid the foundation for one of the most important media franchises — with dozens of games, films, and a level of popularity that remains out of reach for most other horror series. To mark the anniversary of Resident Evil, let’s break down what makes the franchise so special.

The founder of Vicarious Visions has revealed how the studio escaped $1 million in debt thanks to a wild gamble. The team showed Activision fake screenshots of a 3D version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for the Game Boy Advance — a handheld that was only capable of 2D graphics. Once the contract was secured, they had no choice but to turn the promise into reality.

Water mob cubs and a golden dandelion will be added to Minecraft, which will make the animals forever young. This was told by the developers of the game.

The next update will add baby animals to Minecraft. This will affect eight mobs, and we are talking about unique models and textures, and not just smaller copies of adults.

Composer Koji Kondo has explained why The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time does not feature a continuous musical theme for its open world, despite the Hyrule Field melody being one of the most iconic pieces in the entire series.

The head of Minecraft Vanilla, a pure version of the game without mods and monetization, will be Katie Scott, who previously worked at EA and Ubisoft. She has already promised to "capture the potential" of the sandbox.