The crypto and NFT gaming space is busier than ever lately, what with prominent games starting to release, token airdrops piling up, and a seemingly constant array of other things happening at all times. It’s a lot to take in!
Luckily, Decrypt’s GG is all over it. And if you need a quick way to get caught up on the latest moves around crypto video games, we’re happy to present This Week in Crypto Games.
Our weekend roundup serves up the biggest news from the past week, along with a few other tidbits you might have missed. We also showcase a few of our original stories from the week.
Biggest news
Token launch frenzy: It was the week for Ethereum gaming token launches. The token generation event for Ethereum gaming platform Nifty Island took place on Wednesday, with ISLAND’s market cap landing around $15 million as of this writing.
Kaidro, a franchise with a webcomic, crypto game, and upcoming animated series, also launched its KDR token on Ethereum on Wednesday. Since its launch it has settled at a market cap of just above $10 million. Also on Wednesday, arena battler Moonray launched its MNRY token, again on Ethereum. What a week!
Also, the Tomarket (TOMA) token finally launched on Aptos, with players of the Telegram game finally able to withdraw and trade their airdropped tokens. It apparently hasn’t gone well, however, with the price falling 50% since launch and the developers attempting to calm the community.
“We understand the frustration around token prices and airdrops, and we’re taking steps to address these challenges,” the Tomarket team wrote in a Telegram post.
Santa brings Bitcoin: Mobile crypto game Bitcoin Miner, which lets you earn real Bitcoin by mining fake coins on iOS and Android, launched a holiday event over the weekend that lets you earn hundreds of bonus satoshis (aka 1/100,000,000 BTC).
Running into the early hours of Monday, Santa’s Moonshot puts a Christmas-themed spin on the game’s normal weekend event, letting you build a rocket while unlocking bonus BTC and in-game boosts. You’ll mine fake coins like Snowlana and Elfereum, racking up more and more real Bitcoin along the way.
Santa and the elves need your help!
We have 2 DAYS to blast Santa to the moon! Can you get the FREE bitcoin and help SAVE CHRISTMAS!?
Play now! pic.twitter.com/CQVpQw8C0H
— Bitcoin Miner ⛏ (@BTCMinerApp) December 21, 2024
CyberKongz SEC: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a Wells notice to NFT gaming project CyberKongz, the developers said last week, marking the latest regulatory probe into an entity of its type. A Wells notice informs recipients that the regulator is planning on undertaking enforcement actions based on what it discovers from preliminary investigations.
“The SEC’s Division of Enforcement have approached us with very concerning rhetoric that you can not have a token (ERC-20) in tandem with a blockchain game without registering it as a security,” CyberKongz said in a statement Monday. The team added that it would “defend against this stance for the wider space.”
Philadelphia 76ers game: NBA team Philadelphia 76ers have launched “Spectrum Sprint,” a free-to-play mobile game with Web3 elements, in collaboration with Crypto.com—a team sponsor since 2021.
The game uses a pixel art style, with side-scrolling gameplay that asks players to traverse iconic Philadelphia landmarks and dash down Broad Street towards the team’s former Spectrum arena. Gamers can unlock digital collectibles and compete for exclusive prizes across four tiers: Rookie, Pro, All-Star, and Legend.
ICYMI
UPDATE ON CRASH THE RUNIVERSE EVENT
The Crash the Runiverse event will unfortunately not go live tomorrow as planned. We’ve discovered critical issues during testing that will need more time to resolve. More details below:
What to know:
– Testing revealed issues with server…
— The Forgotten Runiverse (@RuniverseGame) December 18, 2024
GG spotlight
Here are a few of our original stories from this past week that we think are well worth a weekend read:
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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We’re four years into the current Xbox Series X|S generation, and in 2024, it was business mostly as usual for Microsoft’s console brand. While the biggest news this year related to Xbox was a new focus on bringing several of its first-party games to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Xbox also saw an evolution of its Game Pass subscription service and an option for users of the Ultimate tier to stream select games they own. On top of a marketing push designed to remind people that they technically don’t need the console to play Xbox games, 2024 shaped up to be a year of diversification for Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem.
What of the games then? This was a pretty strong year overall, as the Xbox library was bolstered with first-party games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Third-party games like Neon White and Final Fantasy 14 only added to the appeal of sitting down for a night of gaming on an Xbox console, and with Game Pass having numerous day-one releases, you’d find yourself spoiled for choice on what you could download and play, especially when one of those options was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
GameSpot sister Metacritic has crunched the numbers on the best-reviewed Xbox games of the year–as of December 5–and if you’re interested, you can check them all out in the list below. There were a few obvious winners here, as well as several surprises that you can read about. Be sure to also check out our running lists of the best Xbox Series X|S games and best Xbox Game Pass games to play right now.
Netflix is notorious for canceling shows early on in their runs. Sometimes that means a show might not make it past a few seasons. Truth be told, a lot of the streamer’s originals are lucky to get to three seasons. Unfortunately, not infrequently, these shows become one-and-dones. Such was the case with “Dead Boy Detectives,” a TV show set within one of the weirder corners of the DC Universe. Despite those DC ties, it lasted just a single season. But why?
“Dead Boy Detectives” was a spin-off from the “Doom Patrol” universe, yet it was also part of “The Sandman” universe on Netflix. “Doom Patrol” always had a weird place in the DC Universe, and it ultimately birthed a spin-off that took place in a different universe. In any event, the series came at a time when DC was in flux, trying to get its ducks in a row both on the big and small screens.
Originally, “Dead Boy Detectives” was in development at HBO Max before it rebranded as just Max. As things began to shift behind the scenes, the show ended up getting sold to Netflix, as part of a growing universe of shows based on the works of writer Neil Gaiman. It made sense on paper. Sadly, once the show arrived, it didn’t exactly pan out.
Variety reported in August of this year that “Dead Boy Detectives” had been canceled after just one season by Netflix. It didn’t take long for the powers that be to make the decision either, as the show premiered in April. As the outlet noted at the time, the show peaked at number two on Netflix’s most-watched TV charts, logging 3.1 million views in its first three days. Sadly, it fell out of the top ten charts entirely by the end of its third week. That was undoubtedly the biggest factor at play in its early demise.
Dead Boy Detectives faced an uphill battle the whole way
Netflix
“Dead Boy Detectives” centers on Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), “the brains” and “the brawn” of the Dead Boy Detectives agency. The teens were born decades apart and found each other in death, becoming best friends who happen to be ghosts. They now solve mysteries with the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and her friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura).
The series was developed for television by Steve Yockey, who serves as co-showrunner alongside Beth Schwartz. TV mega-producer Greg Berlanti, one of the chief architects of The CW’s Arrowverse, was also on board. Unfortunately for Yockey and the team, “Dead Boy Detectives” had a rough path through development, starting off as a backdoor pilot in “Doom Patrol” before being put together for HBO Max, and ultimately being sold to Netflix.
Another issue is that the show likely wasn’t cheap. Gaiman previously explained that “The Sandman” season 2 might not happen because the show was so expensive. That show did get renewed, but it also had a great deal more viewership. For Netflix, it’s all about how much of their subscriber base’s attention a show gets, while weighing that against the cost to produce said show. “Dead Boy Detectives” apparently didn’t clear that bar.
The other thing to consider is that Gaiman was accused of sexual misconduct earlier this year in July. Various productions based on the author’s works were later halted, per The Guardian. That may well have factored into Netflix’s decision as well. Even though critics largely liked the show, that wasn’t nearly enough to overcome everything else at play.
“Dead Boy Detectives” is streaming now on Netflix.
Fans of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” know that one particular star has been absent from posting on social media the past few weeks. Jen Affleck broke her silence in early December with an Instagram Story that shared why she’s been M.I.A. on all social media platforms, but then went silent again.
Now weeks later, Affleck shared another Instagram Story so fans know she’s still out there despite the lack of social media action.
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Fans Are Missing Jen Affleck On Social Media Lately
Instagram | Jen Affleck
One of MomTok’s own hasn’t been active on any social media platform for months. This worries some fans who think maybe Affleck is not going to be part of season 2 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and others are worried that she’s dealing with divorce or other relationship issues with her husband Zac Affleck.
While she’s never come right out to say what’s going on with her and the show, she has shared a little reassurance that she’s doing well via Instagram Stories.
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The first time she broke her silence was in early December when she posted, “Hey guys. It’s been a while. I’ve been focusing on my physical and mental wellbeing, which is why I stepped back from social media. Thank you to everyone who has shown me so much love and support this year. Whether through a message or a simple hug in person, it has truly helped me heal in so many ways.”
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Jen Affleck Recently Shared More Reassurance She’s Doing Okay
Instagram Story | Jen Affleck
Affleck disappeared from social media immediately following her last Instagram Story, but now weeks later, she shared another glimpse into what’s going on with her.
“Choosing to step away from social media has been one of the best things I’ve done for my mental health,” she wrote in an Instagram Story shared on Saturday evening. “I can’t lie – these months have been some of the toughest I’ve faced, but they’ve also helped me gain clarity about myself, my relationships, and the mother and friend I aspire to be.”
Other than the IG Story shared in early December, the last time Affleck took to social media was October 31 on TikTok and November 6 on Instagram.
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‘Is Jen Possibly Still Filming S2???’
Many fans of the show are curious to know if Affleck is filming episodes for season 2 that will be released in spring 2025 on Hulu.
TikTok content creator, Stephanie Tleiji, who goes by @stephwithdadeets on the app, shared some insight into that burning question.
“Is Jen Affleck still part of ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’?” Tleiji started her video. “Let me explain why I am questioning this right now. Earlier this week, we know that Taylor and Layla had gone to New York City. We now know that they went to New York City for 24 hours to do a shoot with MCoBeauty, and they were not alone. They were with the film crew for ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.'”
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Tleiji said that many people have commented on her posts about seeing Affleck in New York City recently. Around that time was when Affleck broke her silence on social media in early December. She said that people were saying they’ve seen Affleck in NYC and that seems “true” now because of her Stories.
“Jen made several posts on her Story today for the first time in a while, and while she did say ‘even though life has been challenging, it has made me appreciate many blessings God has given me,'” Tleiji said. “She went on to say, ‘it’s been a struggle to get out of bed most days, but this week was the first time in a while that I felt like myself again.'”
Jen Affleck Also Worked With MCoBeauty
TikTok | Stephanie Tleiji
Tleiji continued to share more about what Affleck has been up to.
“And here it is! She says, ‘I had the opportunity to work with MCoBeauty this week, and I can’t express how grateful I am. They made me feel absolutely beautiful,'” Tleiji shared. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that she was doing the same campaign as Layla and Taylor Frankie Paul.”
On November 12, Layla unfollowed Affleck, as did Jessi and Demi.
“I checked today, I literally just took this screenshot, Layla’s back to following Jen, but Demi and Jessi are not,” Tleiji continued. “It would make sense if they were all working on this project together for MCoBeauty, they followed each other again.”
Tleiji then posed the question about Affleck still filming season 2 of the hit reality show. The answer still remains to be seen.
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Season 2 Of ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Is Currently Filming
TikTok | Mayci Neeley
Season 1 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” was released on Hulu in early September. It didn’t take long for it to gain massive popularity and have fans wanting a second season.
The show is currently filming season 2, but there’s been a lot of confusion about what MomTok moms are coming back for the second season. Looks like we’ll all have to wait until the new episodes are released on Hulu in spring 2025 to find out just what’s going on and who signed on for the second season.
Season 1 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is currently streaming on Hulu and will be part of ABC’s Winter Programming Line-Up on Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET beginning on January 27.
Death in Paradise newbie Don Gilet is reportedly in a relationship with a rather famous TV star, Siobhan Finneran.
The actor makes his debut on the BBC One show this month as its newest detective, Inspector Mervin Wilson, taking over from Ralf Little, who played DI Neville Parker for four and half years.
Don is no stranger to a TV show, having appeared in the likes of EastEnders and Casualty.
What’s more, in the past few years, Don Gilet has been linked to a rather famous face: Siobhan Finneran.
The actor makes his Death in Paradise debut this weekend (Credit: BBC)
Don Gilet on Death in Paradise
Don Gilet is best known for playing bad guy Lucas Johnson on BBC’s EastEnders, on-and-off from 2008 to more recently 2024. He has also starred in Holby City and Netflix’s The Stranger.
Away from the cameras and TV shows though, Don usually keeps his personal life low-key. He was previously married to fellow actress Tracy Whitwell. Don is also a father to one, a 17-year-old son called Flynn.
In more recent times, he has been linked to Siobhan Finneran.
The pair have been snapped several times together (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Don Gilet and Siobhan Finneran
Siobhan Finneran is a hugely successful actress, who has appeared on everything from Benidorm to Downtown Abbey. She also played Clare Cartwright in the smash hit show Happy Valley.
Both Don and Siobhan appeared in the Scottish thriller The Loch in 2017. She played DCI Lauren Quigley, while Don starred as Blake Albrighton.
Since then, the pair appear to be inseparable….
Siobhan appeared in Happy Valley (Credit: BBC)
Are Don and Siobhan dating?
In 2017, Siobhan and Don attended the MVISA Awards together. In 2022, they attended the TV Choice Awards together. They were then photographed leaving in a black taxi together.
Fast forward to 2023, and the duo were spotted holding hands at The Cure Usher Ball at Hilton, Manchester.
The pair have never discussed or confirmed being in a relationship, however – and their reps have remained tight-lipped.
Don’s son keeps him busy when he’s not working
In 2014, Death in Paradise star Don spoke about his son with The Sunday Post. He said at the time: “Flynn’s eight and he’s pretty rambunctious.
“I think he’s got some of my playful genes… I have fun at work but when I get home I have to become a father and keep an eye on him not getting too wild.
“He’s a lovely kid but he’s very active and loves to run about the place. If you wind him up to play you have to allow the time to calm him before he beds down at night.”
Read more: Death in Paradise series 14: Don Warrington shares first glimpse
Death in Paradise is on Sunday December 22 at 8.30pm on BBC One.
Are you excited to see Don on Death in Paradise? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.
A former Death in Paradise star previously issued a stern warning that newbie Don Gilet might need to heed.
The actor makes his debut on the show on Sunday (December 22) as its newest detective, Inspector Mervin Wilson. Don is taking over from Ralf Little – who played DI Neville Parker for four and a half years.
And earlier this month, a previous star of Death in Paradise, Ardal O’Hanlon, spoke out about the “tough” show.
Ardal was a hit with fans during his Death in Paradise stint (Credit: BBC)
Former Death in Paradise star on ‘tough’ show
Ardal O’Hanlon played DI Jack Mooney from 2017 to 2020 on Death in Paradise.
In an interview with The Mirror, the actor opened up about his time on the show, recalling how he worked 12 hours a day in the challenging Caribbean conditions, for six days a week.
People don’t believe you when you tell them how tough it was.
“God, that was tough. Like, people don’t believe you when you tell them how tough it was. I was so grateful for that part and everything else. And I look back on it now as a really great experience, kind of life-changing experience, I would say, because it’s not just that you’re playing a lead in a popular BBC primetime drama. It’s more of a lifestyle thing,” the comedian warned.
Death in Paradise star was told he ‘won’t last’
Ardal went on to reveal his envy towards guest actors on Death in Paradise.
He said: “I’m not complaining about the work, but you have so much to prepare every day, so you don’t have much downtime at all, you don’t have the chance to enjoy the attractions out there. I used to be so jealous of the guest actors! The suspects and the victim. You know, there’d be five or six guest actors every couple of weeks, and they would come over and they’d have such an amazing time.”
He added they’d fly out for “a week or two, maybe in for two or three days, the rest of the time they’re sitting by the pool, drinking cocktails “.
What’s more, Ardal also claimed that producers gave him a talk before he started filming, warning him about what lay ahead.
“They kind of tell you that at the beginning, like they said: ‘You know, you might last two years or three years, but you know, you probably won’t last four!’ You know, there’s hurricanes to deal with. There’s people going crazy because, like, people go stir crazy in that environment, you know, you’re always dealing with something, like there’s creatures that want to kill you.”
Don makes his debut this weekend (Credit: BBC)
Don Gilet on ‘intense’ Death in Paradise filming
Meanwhile, new star Don recently spoke about his experience filming on the island in the Guadeloupe heat. And it seems he concur with Ardal when it comes to shooting the series.
“It’s intense because you’ve got that heat from the start to the end of the day,” he said. “It does get to a point where you are used to it, but it takes that extra layer of concentration. You can’t turn the temperature down, but it’s a beautiful backdrop to shoot against.
“Sometimes you have to pinch yourself and go look at where you are and what you’re doing. It’s a beautiful place.”
Watch Death in Paradise on Sunday (December 22) at 8:30pm on BBC One.
Read more: Death in Paradise guest star Marcus Brigstocke reveals he’s being killed off in Christmas special
Are you excited to see Don on Death in Paradise? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.
Bitcoin Miner is one of the most compelling mobile games we’ve played that pays out actual Bitcoin along the way. Unlike BTC-infused riffs on solitaire, sudoku, and other classic games, it does so in a colorful, recursive game about mining fake cryptocurrency.
It’s a slam dunk for crypto enthusiasts, even though—as with all of these games—the actual amount of Bitcoin you’ll earn for casual play comes out to pennies per hour. But as we’ve logged hours into the game, we’ve discovered strategies and techniques that can easily boost your stack of satoshis (aka 1/100,000,000 BTC)—without spending a penny to buy in-game advantages.
If you want to make the most of your Bitcoin Miner experience on iOS and Android and earn as much BTC as you can without paying for perks, here are seven tips to help you do so. Some might seem obvious once you’ve played the game, while others might come as a surprise. But they’re all worth keeping in mind while you play.
Complete the missions
When we first posted this guide, completing missions would earn you a single satoshi. There’s always a mission at the top of the screen, and they’re simple tasks—things like unlocking a new coin, tapping a certain number of power-ups, or earning a set amount of crypto by tapping the mining button.
After an update, however, now you’ll instead earn one of the red nodes, which can be used to purchase things like in-game boosts and chests. It’s now one less way to directly earn Bitcoin, but the nodes can be very useful as you’re playing and help you progress faster—so it’s still worth focusing on the missions as you play.
Hunt for satoshis
Even if you don’t plan on spending real cash in Bitcoin Miner, you should pop into the in-game store on a regular basis. Why? Because every four hours, a new “satoshi hunt” begins in the store. It’s simple: There are five orange satoshi icons hidden around the menus, and each one you tap earns you 3 real satoshis that you can cash out to your ZBD wallet. That’s 15 satoshis each round and potentially 90 free satoshis each day if you’re vigilant. Free Bitcoin!
Screenshots from Bitcoin Miner. Image: Decrypt
Play daily
Want to stack a steady amount of sats? Play Bitcoin Miner daily. There’s a daily login reward for keeping up a streak of subsequent days, including bundles of free satoshis that you can cash out to your ZBD wallet. This one’s easy—just pop in daily to at least claim your prize, as they get better and better with each additional day.
Fumb Games has also since added a daily satoshi login bonus that grows daily, giving you a small bonus of actual Bitcoin that you can withdraw and keep.
Tap the sats
If you’re playing Bitcoin Miner, you should tap the various power-ups that appear above coins anyway, as they’ll help juice your in-game earnings. But the orange satoshi icon—the very same one you’ll see in the store—sometimes shows up above the fake crypto coins, too. Tap one of those, and you’ll bank a real satoshi to withdraw later.
Play the events
In addition to the main game, Bitcoin Miner holds a regular weekend event that sees you mining coins to build a rocket ship. Why? That’s not entirely clear—though if we had to hazard a guess, we suspect it has something to do with blasting off to the moon. In any case, these bonus weekend challenges include unlocking bounties of satoshis for hitting certain mining benchmarks, so they’re worth hitting up.
Bitcoin Miner has also launched a mid-week event on Wednesdays that finds you digging into the earth. It’s another side diversion from the main experience that can not only break up the monotony a bit, but also provides a fresh avenue to stack satoshis while playing.
Sell and start over
At any point in the game, you can sell off your mining operation and get a massive earnings boost in exchange for starting over—except you’re not starting entirely from scratch. You’ll keep all of the earnings-boosting managers and coin parts you’ve unlocked, along with accumulated chests and node upgrades.
In return for starting your mine over again, you’ll get a heap of GPUs (aka fake graphics cards), which can vastly boost your earnings potential. It might seem counterintuitive to repeatedly start over, but we found that we were able to rebuild back to our previous level in about 15 minutes—and then earn way more coins going forward.
Screenshots from Bitcoin Miner. Image: Decrypt
It’s a worthwhile and temporary setback that’s usually worth doing if progress starts to feel slow and grindy. And there’s a Bitcoin-earning bonus: Doing so refreshes your list of missions, so if you got stuck on something that would’ve taken ages to complete, then you’ll instead have a string of really basic missions to complete after selling.
Cash out regularly
Serious players can stack hundreds of satoshis each day, but Bitcoin Miner puts a daily withdrawal limit on each player—so if you’re racking up big totals, then you should get in the habit of withdrawing regularly so you don’t get backed up.
The daily limit used to be a firm 500 satoshis, but with Bitcoin’s price surging, Fumb has switched to a dynamic limit based on market conditions. As of this writing, for example, it’s 350 satoshis per day—but it could be different by the time you read this.
It’s free to withdraw via the Lightning Network to your ZBD wallet, and then you can always move your Bitcoin from the ZBD wallet to a self-custody one afterward if you please.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on April 3, 2024 and last updated with new details on December 22.
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Countryfile host Matt Baker previously opened up about his brush with death.
The TV favourite shot to fame back in the late 1990s. Since then, he’s not slowed down: from stints on The One Show to Countryfile – which is on today (December 22).
A keen traveller, Matt’s headed all over the world thanks to his telly work. But one trip to Egypt nearly ended in death…
Countryfile star Matt Baker revealed he almost died on set (Credit: BBC iPlayer)
Matt Baker on ‘close call’ with death
In an interview from 2013, Matt recalled his fondest memories on the water. But according to Matt, things took a dramatic turn one time when he was scuba diving near Egypt.
“My closest call was scuba diving and filming off the coast of Egypt, when my equipment malfunctioned and I inhaled a large quantity of the Red Sea,” Matt told Countryfile.
He added: “Thankfully, my dive buddy saw exactly what was going on and saved my life. But please don’t let me put you off – after all, I’m still here to tell my tales.”
Matt was saved by his ‘buddy’ (Credit: Channel 4)
Matt Baker on water disasters
Presenter Matt also recounted his “first vivid memory of water” – revealing it was “being engulfed by the wave machine at the local leisure centre”.
He said: “It’s not that I’m not a confident swimmer, it’s just that I often end up having to get myself out of a watery situation.”
The TV star went on to recall how as a 10-year-old marine explorer he “was mesmerised by a squid that enticed me into a whirlpool”.
Matt added: “From the centre of the vortex I was screaming for my dad, who heroically came to rescue me. Our legs were cut to shreds by the jagged rocks but we both managed to escape.”
Matt on TV show future
Recently, Matt spoke out about the future of Our Farm in the Dales, revealing the real reason he “won’t be doing any more”.
In 2021, the Channel 4 show made its debut on screens. The series followed the TV favourite, his wife and his children heading up North to help run his beloved family farm. And it didn’t take long for the show to become a hit with viewers.
However, fans hoping for a new series might be a tad disappointed. According to Matt the show has “come to a natural end”.
Countryfile: Christmas at Highgrove airs on Sunday (December 22) at 5:30pm on BBC One.
Read more: Matt Baker inundated with requests for a nude photoshoot with This Morning star
So what do you think of Matt on Countryfile? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.
One of 2024’s biggest success stories has been Marvel Rivals, a third-person PVP shooter starring Marvel heroes and baddies. The game has already picked up over 20 million players and shows no signs of stopping. Which is cool but also very surprising!
I think I speak for many of us when I ask: Weren’t we done with hero shooters? After the market was saturated with them and Overwatch 2 turned out to be a slow-moving train wreck, it felt like the trend of having a colorful roster of heroes shoot each other over moving a payload was done. Concord, Sony’s failed hero shooter, seemed to really cement that when it launched and died in just about 4 weeks earlier this year. And yet, here we all are playing and loving Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play hero shooter with a big roster and plenty of payloads to move. Life is funny sometimes, huh?
Because Marvel Rivals is such a big hit, with many of us at Kotaku playing it, we’ve also been thinking about it a lot and writing up guides, stories, and other posts about it. So here’s everything we’ve written about Marvel Rivals in 2024 in one handy-dandy location.
When I started writing up my shortlist of 2024 GOTY candidates earlier this autumn – in an attempt to sort through a messy mixture of widely-agreed-upon hits I still needed to play and total heart picks I intended to go to bat for – The Casting of Frank Stone easily cleared my personal top 10, quite clearly in the latter category.
Admittedly, this game was never going to be a hard sell in my case. As far as I’m concerned, the horror output of Supermassive Games only comes in three flavours: “good”, “great”, and “amazing”. Literally the only truly bad time I’ve ever had with one of their games was during the denouement of Little Hope, and even then, I got over it pretty quickly.
And, while my actual playtime in Dead by Daylight is definitely eclipsed by the hours I’ve spent obsessively digging into the lore surrounding it, I think that’s still sufficient to call myself a fan. So a Dead by Daylight story mode-style spin-off developed by Supermassive was, for me, the definition of a no-brainer.
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I didn’t go in expecting anything earth-shattering – just the promise of a Dead by Daylight story in the style of The Dark Pictures Anthology was already more than enough to win me over. But while Frank Stone somewhat predictably failed to set the world on fire when it released on September 3rd (meaning that we share a birthday, coincidentally, although I promise that’s only made me a little biased in its favour), I was still pleasantly surprised by how much I rated it. It might be in my all-time Supermassive top three, honestly.
Two of the protagonists, Linda and Chris, are basically gender-flipped expies of David Lynch and Sam Raimi, which is a fun touch. Here, we see what happens when not-Sam Raimi gets sucked into a portal. | Image credit: Behaviour Interactive
The Casting of Frank Stone is both intriguing and grim. Charting the intertwined fates of five playable protagonists across three different time periods – all connected by a historic series of killings in the town of Cedar Hills, Oregon, and the subsequent release of a no-budget student film inspired by the case – just theorising as to what’s really going on is enough to keep you on your toes for much of the game. It’s got atmosphere in spades, and a decent amount of variety in its choose-your-own-adventure gameplay, but at its heart this is 100% one for the lore nerds, alright.
Probably to its biggest detriment is the fact that The Casting of Frank Stone ends on a brutal narrative gut-punch that will only land if you’re at least passingly familiar with the wider worldbuilding of Dead by Daylight. I don’t think that this is a failure of the game, which I believe achieved exactly what it set out to do, and delivered a story that would hook fans of its parent series (pun absolutely intended). But when I think about how it came out and then went away again with relatively little fanfare, I suspect that this might be a big part as to why.
Even a DbD novice can tell that this thing is bad news, but its full significance might not be clear unless you’ve at least read a few wiki pages on The Entity. | Image credit: Behaviour Interactive
Nevertheless, in an entertainment industry increasingly dominated by cynical brand tie-ins between the biggest wallets on the one hand, and brutal copyright takedowns smothering small artists in petty disputes on the other, I don’t mind telling you that I for one want to see more collaborations like The Casting of Frank Stone: just a couple of studios taking an opportunity to meet organically at the intersection of their specialities, to see what shenanigans result from the mashup. That sort of co-operation coming out of artistic compatibility ahead of financial incentive feels so rare that it’s practically retro in and of itself.
So, even if The Casting of Frank Stone wasn’t for everyone, I’d love to see more games adopt its pattern going forward. And if your two favourite games just happen to be, say, Dead by Daylight and Until Dawn, then there’s a good chance that it actually could be your tailor-made GOTY after all – truthfully, it came rather close to being mine.
.png?width=1200&height=630&fit=crop&enable=upscale&auto=webp&w=640&resize=640,0&ssl=1 "The Casting of Frank Stone was never meant to be GOTY material, but its underrated formula for crowd-pleasing collaborations is one I wish we saw more often")
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