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Actress Gabrielle Ruiz, aka T'Lyn on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Photo via imdb. The first panel we got to sit in on during ST: Chi was focused on Gabrielle Ruiz, best known to Star Trek Lower Decks fans as T’Lyn. You might not know it, but T’Lyn was always a special character because when she became a series regular in Lower Decks season 4, she was the first novel Vulcan main character in 23 years. She also filled in as more of a “straight man” to the other Lower Decks characters and their antics. So it was definitely a thrill to get a chance to see the actor who brought T’Lyn to life at this year’s con.  You might know Gabrielle Ruiz as Valencia Perez from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but she’s been everywhere from Broadway to film. A talented singer, Ruiz was asked by a fan whether she would participate in next year’s “Broadway to the Stars 3.” Ruiz said, “I would love to be a part of that, is what I can say.” She was a part of this year’s event, so I anticipate an announcement in the future adding Ruiz to next year’s ST: Vegas.  With Lower Decks ending with Season 5, it’s too bad we didn’t get more T’Lyn. Ruiz had the perfect stoic delivery. But it was probably harder to get into character as T’Lyn than most might expect, since Ruiz recorded her voice lines without interacting with her fellow castmasts, or even really having a chance to meet them in person. Ruiz said “Luckily I knew Eugene (Cordero, Rutherford on Lower Decks) before Lower Decks. He guested on a show I was a series regular for–a live action TV show called Crazy Ex- Girlfriend .” she went on to say that she also met Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner   on Lower Decks) on Zoom, and series creator Mike McMahan. Since voice over work is done in solitude Ruiz says “It’s a lot of imagination.” she went on to say that “I, personally, as an actor take those little chunks of lines and offer it four kind of different ways for them–the directors, the producers–-to later match up with (the rest of the cast.” One fan question asked whether T’Lyn found her way out in Ruiz’s everyday life. Ruiz said, “I do now have ‘I concur’ in my vocabulary I use in everyday life. Oh, well, also ‘curious.’ I do say ‘curious’ in (my own) voice. Or like a text, ‘Curious, do you think we could move this date to this day?’”  Another fan asked Ruiz if T’Lyn sang, and Ruiz confirmed that T’Lyn does indeed sing. And she even demonstrated what that might sound like when she sang Happy Birthday in Vulcan to a young lucky audience member. You really can’t appreciate Happy Birthday until you hear it sung in Vulcan.

Christina Chong at ST-CHI Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor The last panel we saw at ST-CHI was with the lovely Christina Chong. Last but definitely not least. As the only panelist that is on a currently running Star Trek , Chong plays La’an Noonien-Singh on Star Trek Strange New Worlds . Not only is Chong a talented actress and a great dancer, she’s also a talented singer with a few albums under her belt–the latest even featuring Ethan Peck.  Chong came onto the ST: CHI stage beaming, and said, “Wow, I get William Shatner’s audience members! Brilliant! I see a few of you leaving, but I won’t take that personally.” And while Shatner is a hard act to follow, Chong was up to the task, which turned out to be a quick draw question and answer session from the audience. She was straight to the point, and there’s something I really have to admire about that. Christina Chong at ST-CHI Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor With Chong’s music and dance background, you think she’d be thrilled to do a musical episode on Strange New Worlds . And, she was, telling the audience: “It was my dream like, literally. My dream as an actor to be able to do a musical film. Uh, and you know, a musical TV show, sure? " "So, when they told me that it was a yes, it was like, my career had come 360 because I started in musical theater, and that was always what I wanted to do. Then, I injured myself. And thought, I, I can't do this forever. Let me change career. Let me try acting, with the dream that I would one day come back to it. So I could never have known that Star Trek would make my dreams come true." In Chong's response to a different audience member’s question, the actress revealed that her dream musical gig would be to play Roxie Hart in Chicago –a role that Nana Visitor filled at one point. I had to wonder if Chong and Visitor had a chance to talk about it back stage. Christina also revealed that her desire was always to incorporate her dancing background into her Star Trek work, and that she actually requested her dancing be incorporated into Strange New Worlds, where she teaches Spock some dance moves and more.  Christina Chong at ST-CHI Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor Chong also casually mentioned at one point that she pitched the musical episode, and didn’t expect it to come to be. An audience question followed up on this asking Chong who gets credit for the upcoming Strange New Worlds muppet episode, and she had a very interesting answer: “The Muppet episode. I think that came from the creators of the show. But I have always pitched the idea of Federation Olympics. Right, and we end up. Facing the Klingons at the last hurdle. Uh, and we have to find a way to beat them, you know, and maybe we have to find a way to cheat. Or, you know, to beat them? " "Uh, and then there was also an underwater episode that I pitched. Which would have to be shot in Mexico City. Uh, just because of the cenotes and things. And you know, and? Uh, yeah, we'd have to learn to scuba dive. And then that would probably only be fun for a few hours, and then we'd be just cold and wet.Yeah, those were my two other ideas that may or may not have happened.” Okay, I’m sorry, but the underwater pitch was way too specific not to be a thing. Or maybe she was using that to distract from her Federation Olympics idea. Either way, we might see one of those concepts in the upcoming final seasons of Strange New Worlds . Chong also fielded a question about a potential Strange New Worlds spin-off. She had this to say: “Will there'll be a spin-off? We don't know yet. And. If there is, we're not all going to be in it. So, it's going to be a very different show. It's not going to be Strange New Worlds. It's going to be something different, So, yeah. It's kind of sad. But, with anything, I think, [it's about] trying to appreciate the the last few moments, and then also looking forward to what is to come. And, kind of, the world’s the oyster right now, for all of us.” We're going to hope that means more fantastic Trek for all of us fans, and great success for Christina.

You wouldn't think that the holidays and conventions go together. I mean, there's con traffic, some of which kept us from The Breakfast Club even hours before the floor opened, then there's "late November weekend holiday shopping/events" traffic, and never shall the two converge. Not to mention, conventions are a big spend (especially in the merch halls) and we've all got LOTS of shopping to do for the holidays in our very near future. BUT. Sometimes, these things do collide. And in fact, one of our favorite things happens to be small winter conventions. Hear us out : a break from family stress and tensions (unless you bring the fam, and even still - a little staycation!) with events contained indoors, unique gifts you can't get anywhere else, and the stars of some of your favorite things from...well, ever. Trekkies are the lucky fandom this weekend, with ST-CHI: Trek to Chicago officially kicking off tomorrow. This is a small but mighty event held at the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont. If you're someone who's never attended a hotel size convention and always opts for the four-day six-mile walk type, treat yourself to something different. Star Trek conventions and conventions in general got their start on a much smaller scale where it was easier to make friends, meet celebs, and geek out about one specific thing instead of a million different things. Creation Entertainment does a great job of keeping it community focused with plenty of guests and special events that can be unforgettable to fans. Some of those are organized, ticketed events like dinner with Cirroc Lofton or Todd Stashwick or a PJ Party with Chase Masterson, but some of our favorite memories are of bumping into Klingons in the elevator, casual conversations with Trek celebs out at the merch tables, or simply having a real shot at asking them questions in the panels. Not to mention, narrowed down conventions like ST-CHI let you really fly your fandom flag - and give you an instant conversation starter. This weekend's event features a hugely impressive lineup of guests that any Trekkie can appreciate - from Shatner himself, to some favorites we've previously seen like Todd Stashwick, the self proclaimed 'dipshit from Chicago' who makes us damn proud to share a hometown, Anthony Rapp, which...start with RENT and then go on ahead and don't love him in Discovery, Bonnie Gordon of Prodigy notoriety, who is every bit as wonderful as you'd hope she was,, and reps Prodigy in the best way, Chase Masterson, a charitable, funny and absolutely indomitable presence, Gates McFadden, a dancing, directing, hilarious, warmhearted wonder, and Doug Jones, who will teach you how to move like an alien and then give you a hug. There's also Nana Visitor, who we saw at another small convention in Chicago years ago with the late great Rene Auberjonois , and who is funny, witty, energetic and every bit as fierce as Kira Nerys, and Jeri Ryan, who's another icon in the world of Trek women, possessing amazing strength and perseverance in and out of her role that make her top of our "to see list." Then there's Cirroc Lofton, who we've not been privileged to see at any convention in Chicago just yet, and are so psyched for, the amazing, funny and trailblazing Data (Brent Spiner) and even some Lower Decks reppin' with Gabrielle Ruiz who played T'Lyn, making an appearance, and all of whom are making our must list for this con. Tim Russ, an incredible person whose wisdom and wit can't be denied, will be making an appearance, and Sandy Gimpel, a star from the original series who played the iconic Talosian from 'The Cage" will also be on site. That means everyone in the fandom from TOS to Starfleet: Academy has someone to go see, and this is where you do it. We'd love to do a choose your own adventure, but at a convention like this....If you like Star Trek, dive in. Meet other Trekkies. Go to panels you don't know anything about. Go see The Lower Decks anniversary at 11 am on Saturday and stick around for Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp. Get your phasers set to sign. Beam into special events if you've got the latinum. Conventions like this are where you'll find that feeling you belong, that bat'leth for your anniversary, that skant for your next away mission, and hopefully, a lot of friends who want to share it all with you. We'll beam down tomorrow and be on the floor for both days with plenty of updates from the Westin for you. LLAP. The Culture Combine Crew

“You know, they’re dad rock now,” my brother joked to me as we walked down Clark Street on Saturday, November 15 th . The air was brisk but I still had a little bit of sweat dripping down my face after spending the last few hours crammed shoulder to shoulder inside the Metro for Minus the Bear’s first of two sold out shows that weekend. I felt old  – my nephew was turning 13 later in the week – and a little cold, but light, the way you feel after spending a long night reminiscing with friends you’ve known for a few decades. Minus the Bear at the Metro in Chicago on November 15th. Photo by Aaron Cynic. After a seven-year retirement, Minus the Bear hit the road again to celebrate the 20 th  anniversary of the release of their seminal album Menos el Oso . While the last two decades have felt like a dozen or more lifetimes, they took the stage with the joy and energy as if they were still touring as 20somethings. There are little moments over the years, core memories, as my brother reminded me on Saturday night after the show, that Minus the Bear has sprinkled throughout almost the last half of my life: A mutual friend in college made a mix tape for us that had a few tracks from Highly Refined Pirates and various EPs that we dubbed again so we each had a copy and managed to wear out both over the years. Listening to the warm waves of Pachuca Sunrise wash over me with little slivers of sunlight peeking through the curtains while nursing a hangover. Dancing in a shower that fit half a dozen people to My Time . Singing Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse at the top of my lungs while driving through endless rural roads on a tour. Minus the Bear at the Metro in Chicago on November 15th. Photo by Aaron Cynic. Since they said farewell in 2018, I didn’t know when or even if I’d get the chance to unlock any of those core memories again, but I got most and more from the moment Minus the Bear hit the stage. The crowd beamed smiles at the band that were beamed right back as they launched into a full, flawless and heartfelt playthrough of Menos el Oso . This wasn’t simply a reunion tour or anniversary celebration, but a reunion of chosen family celebrating songs interwoven through their lives like perfectly played notes tapped into a guitar neck. All photos by Aaron Cynic While full album playthroughs are pretty common these days, the band wasn’t content with just giving us that record and maybe an encore or two. We were treated to a menagerie of tracks from the length of the band’s storied carrier for almost as long as their playthrough of Menos , including some deeper cuts like Lemurs, Man, and Lemurs and Spritz!!! Spritz!!!. We’ve all aged quite a bit in the last couple decades, but both Menos el Oso and Minus the Bear have aged like a very fine wine. One I hope we’ll get to drink more of again eventually. Minus the Bear at Metro Chicago on November 15th. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 I can’t believe it’s been seven years since the release of Moonligher , but here we are, right on the cusp of Moonligher 2 ’s Early Access release. There have been a few games that have used a Moonligher -ish game loop, with Dredge and Dave the Diver being the first to come to mind. But questing in a fantasy world and bringing back loot to sell has been a dream of mine since I first heard of MMOs with player-run economies–back when I couldn't find the time to undertake such an endeavor.  And while the first Moonlighter looked like it would be my perfect game in theory, it never really hooked me. But Moonlighter 2 might finally be the game I’ve been dreaming about for all of these years. Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 Moonlighter 2 is a an action roleplaying game with roguelike elements, a shopkeeping system, and a world bubbling over with charm. Moonlighter 2 has made a lot of changes and updates to the formula from the first game. The scope is certainly a lot bigger, with Moonlighter 2 looking to be a more ambitious game than the first in nearly every way.  One of the first noticeable changes is the change to the game’s art style between the first and second. Gone is the gorgeous pixel-art imagery, instead replaced with a charming 3D isometric perspective full of lovingly rendered characters. I can’t say the visual style is an upgrade–I’m a sucker for good pixel art–but it’s definitely bright and charming.  Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 I wish I knew what happened at the end of Moonlighter because by Moonlighter 2 you’re in a new town with a new shop, starting all over again. Apparently there’s a dude named Moloch who took over your previous town, and he seems like a real piece of work, that guy. So he’ll need an ousting. But to do that you’ll need to go through the old loop of fight, collect loot, and then sell it at your shop. Add to that an ancient artifact called the “Endless Vault” to challenge your mettle as a shopkeeper, and there’s a whole lot of potential progression. I mean, you can’t really call something an “Endless Vault” and not deliver on content.  New everything means new town, a new shop, and a lot of new faces. While combat takes up a huge portion of most roguelike games, talking to townspeople and shopkeeping takes up almost as much time in Moonlighter 2 . And if you’re a fan of the shopkeeping mechanics from the first game, they’re improved and expanded for the sequel.  Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 Opening up the shop for customers is its own type of action, as you have to gauge customers’ responses to your prices and make changes–but there’s also bonuses that pop up during the shopping day that can make your customer’s purchases put more money and other goodies into your pocket. Valued customers with specific demands might come in, and if you appease them they can grant you some fun bonuses, too.  I’m not a huge fan of the shopkeeping portion for a few reasons. I don’t usually like to lay heavy criticism on an early access title, but since the shop system as it is seems like an integral part of the developer’s vision for the game I thought I’d chime in about it because it’s mostly a “me” problem.  See, when I had my fantasy shopkeeping video game in my head, I would be selling items that I could also use–not relics that aren’t worth much to me. Instead, I would set prices based on how well that piece of gear performs and sell it to other would-be adventurer types. Alas, that is not the case here. But if you don’t care about that, don’t let that dampen your mood. Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 Combat in Moonlighter 2 is more robust than its predecessor. I sunk a few hours into Moonlighter 2  just unlocking the four weapon types and testing them out. Each weapon type has its own strengths, weaknesses, special attacks and quirks with enough variety there should be a weapon type for everyone to enjoy. Enemies are also challenging and diverse, with an appropriate array of ranged and melee enemies to keep you on your toes. There are three biomes available for Early Access launch but I only found my way into two of them, and what I’ve seen I really like.  Each biome has a new set of enemies, bosses, and each even sports a unique way to travel between “rooms” as you choose your branching path through Moonlighter 2’s  randomly generated dungeons.  Screenshot: Moonlighter 2 Since Moonligher 2 is releasing into Early Access, that means it’s not a finished game. Even though it’s launching in a very polished state, Moonlighter 2 will spend a leisurely jaunt in Early Access as developer Digital Sun makes it the best game it can be. According to the Early Access section on its Steam store page, the developer has no end date in mind for Moonlighter 2’s Early Access period. And hopefully that means better game when it hits 1.0.  Moonlighter 2 is definitely an ambitious follow-up to the original 2018 game. And it has high bar to pass, because its gameplay loop involves so many parts that if even one of them doesn’t feel fun it might sour the whole experience. I have high expectations for Moonlighter 2 ’s progress based on its weighty Early Access release, and I can’t wait to see developer Digital Sun pull it off.

Photo via Status. I’m not usually an earbuds guy, especially when it comes to active noise cancellation. Sometimes, it barely works, and with others, earbud noise cancellation can be so aggressive and tinny. And why would you want something in your ears when you can have pillowy soft over-ear headphone cups? The Pro X ear buds by Status have actually changed my view on earbuds in a few drastic ways. In fact, I’ve been using the Pro X earbuds as my main audio device over the last few weeks, and I don’t see that changing. Photo via Status. To start with, the Pro X earbuds have a premium look and feel, and the case really sets the tone. The Status Pro X’s case feels premium quality–just as you’d expect. It has a bright LED status light strip that you can see when the case is opened and closed. The case can charge wirelessly or wired, and while it's not perfect on my fast charger, it’s not as compact as other earbud cases. Photo via Status. My only other gripe with the case comes with stowing the earbuds. Inserting the earbuds into the case to charge can be a bit annoying, as they have to fit in a particular way. Even after I’ve become familiar with them, I sometimes still momentarily struggle to get them into the case.  The earbuds themselves look and feel very premium. They can be a bit boxy looking, which isn’t my favorite–and that boxiness is what makes them persnickety to put into their case. Wearing them in your ear, though, the charge points face forward and it almost looks like they should be sporting little LED lights. I’m only mentioning this because it’s quite prominent when the earbuds are worn a certain way. But they are extremely comfortable, and I can wear them in my ears for hours without thinking about them being there. That's because, these are some comfortable earbuds. Included with the Pro X kit are three different size ear cups. My ear canal is towards the smaller size, and as others with that problem may know, it’s hard to find an earbud I can wear for any extended amount of time. The smallest size on the Status Pro X does the trick, and I can wear them for hours without any physical discomfort. That’s something very few ear buds can boast. And the sound quality–which is the most important part–is fantastic.  Photo via Status. Let’s look at the advertised features: (These are coming straight from the manufacturer) Hybrid Triple Driver Acoustic System 12mm Dynamic Driver Dual Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation Adjustable Transparency (“ambient-aware”) Mode AI-Powered Voiceloom Speech Enhancement for Clear Phone Calls Bluetooth 5.3 with Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast Support SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 codec support High Res Wireless Audio Certified by the Japan Audio Society Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair Support  Multipoint Connectivity IP55 Water and Dust Resistance 8 hours of continuous playback + 24 additional hours with the charging case Photo via Status. The Pro X earbuds sound fantastic , overall, though I still have to caveat that by saying “for being earbuds.” I would love to hear a pair of earbuds that will replace my over ear headphones, but I don’t think the technology is here yet. Still, Status' Pro X comes pretty damn close. They have a rich sound with great bass. The high end is clear and rich, and combined with the bass excels in that natural listening feel. I swear I can almost feel the bass in my chest. The midrange gets lost in all of this, however. It’s not great, it’s not bad, it’s… fine. With the right equalizer tweaks you can get some really great sounds out of these bad boys.  And even so, I found myself using the factory premade EQ settings. I usually just ignore the factory defaults after I do a little bit of testing and tweaking, but I actually ended up settling on one of the premade settings. I didn’t just use the earbuds to listen to music: Their podcast EQ setting eliminated some annoying mouth sounds and breathing noises from my audiobooks. It’s meant to  make listening to lower quality audio podcasts easier, but it surprisingly does a ton to spruce up even my Audible listening experience.  Taking and receiving calls on the earbuds is easy, with voice clarity never a concern on either side of the conversation.  I’ve been using the earbuds extensively, and with all the prolonged use I'm happy to say they live up to their advertised battery life. Photo via Status. I was never the biggest fan of active noise canceling in earbuds, but the Pro X earbuds are starting to change my mind. When I first got them, the noise cancellation was aggressive, but there was a software update that tweaked the ANC to the perfect range to drown out unwanted outside noise while not making it feel like I had white noise being shoved through my skull.  While the earbuds themselves are fantastic, the app experience is a bit of a mixed bag. The app can be frustratingly slow to update sometimes. When it works well, it’s great. But often my phone will know my earbuds are paired and the app will have trouble finding them. I’ve also had instances of active noise cancellation just turning off on its own. However, Status' app is easy to use, and the latest updates have made it somewhat faster–and it's definitely behaved better with my phone.  As for customization of your listening experience, there are also plenty of optionswith the Pro X earbuds. You can turn on and off touch controls, enable different forms of audio feedback when manipulating earbud settings, and more. You can use the app to customize how the touch controls, work, too, assigning actions like Volume Up and Volume Down to single tap, double taps, triple taps, and a tap and hold. There are also physical buttons on the earbuds that are mapped to commands like noise canceling on and off, enabling voice assistant, and manual power off. Sadly, you can’t customize the physical buttons. Status an its products were not really on my radar before the Pro X earbuds, but I’ll definitely be checking out more of their products in the future. I went from feeling like earbuds were an occasional necessary inconvenience to an alternative that I eagerly use.  For more information on the Status Pro X earbuds, visit the manufacturer's site here.

You may have your costume covered, and your pumpkins carved. You may have both trick or treated and eaten all your candy. After all, there's one day left 'til Halloween and in a lot of places, they just don't respect that you should be on the street asking for candy ON THE DAY! All that aside, you probably have a little bit of party monster in you still, and here from the banks of Lake Michigan in beautiful and not actually a warzone Chicago comes a Halloween playlist put together with care by several of our staff members. It's rowdy, it's loud, and it's awesome. Just like our hometown. Stream you some great Halloween music, and really rock out with it. Our treat.

Screenshot: Escape Simulator 2 I have to admit that I’m hooked on Escape Simulator. So, obviously, I jumped at the chance to play a sequel. And if you’re asking, “Did Escape Simulator really need a sequel?” The answer is: the developers certainly thought so. In fact, their Steam store page lays out their reasons, among them “a fresh start” and an inspiration to “explore darker escape room themes and experiment with new gameplay and puzzle ideas.”  That sounds great to me. While Escape Simulator 2 definitely looks prettier, and has a more “realistic” and darker atmospheric tone, it’s not full of gore or scary things. Not the base game, anyway. That’s for the community to add in later. Screenshot: Escape Simulator 2 Escape Simulator 2 is a puzzle game you can play solo, or with up to eight people total–though I’d say the multiplayer sweet spot is around 2-3 people. It features a variety of ways to interact with its environment, and therefore solve a variety of puzzles. And really, there doesn’t seem to be a limit to the type of puzzle you can find in Escape Simulator 2 . Puzzles vary from logic puzzles, to finding keys to unlock a lock–though it’s rarely as easy as just finding a key. The varied ways you can interact with objects and puzzles is what makes Escape Simulator and now its sequel stand out. You can inspect objects for clues, and in some cases objects themselves can be small puzzle boxes that require manipulation or a special key to open. There is a tactile element to the way objects are handled in Escape Simulator 2 that immerses you in these escape rooms in an impressive way.. The puzzle design in Escape Simulator 2 is great, for the most part. The puzzles are divided between three major themes, with four puzzle rooms for each theme. Puzzles seem a little harder than the first Escape Simulator , but my group was up for the challenge. The developers have obviously taken a lot of inspiration from the community with the fresh and fun ideas they’ve added into the Escape Simulator 2 ’s puzzles. There are some fun surprises and some real head scratchers here.  Screenshot: Escape Simulator 2 Some of the puzzles were a bit weird. Anything released by developer Pine either in the base game of the original Escape Simulator or in its DLCs were top-notch, well thought-out puzzles. But some of the puzzles in Escape Simulator 2 feel like they could have baked a bit longer, with confusing solutions or even some puzzles that seemed outright buggy. This is extra bad in a puzzle game, because our group started to wonder if the puzzle was broken or if we were missing something. 99 percent of the time it was an oversight by us, but the fear of running up against a puzzle that was outright broken was real. And that brings me to some of the biggest issues I had, and that was in multiplayer. Desyncs were frequent, with us having to restart some levels just to unfreeze certain players at times. I’m hoping for a day one (or close to it) patch to address these issues and squash any bugs that might hinder players’ enjoyment. Screenshot: Escape Simulator 2 Newly added for Escape Simulator 2 are harder “dark” versions of certain puzzles from the game’s puzzle rooms. I was hoping these dark versions would include more difficult puzzle rooms, but alas, it’s much more limited in scope than I initially thought. It’s cool. I guess, to have this as an inclusion. But I wasn’t as excited once I found out these weren’t harder versions of existing rooms.  And finally, that leads me to the thing I’m most excited for and I haven’t had a chance to test: community content. Escape Simulator had a robust community of room creators making some fantastic content. Escape Simulator 2 , in the right hands, is a puzzle game engine. And I personally can’t wait to see what the community comes up with armed with Escape Simulator 2 ’s built-in room maker.  Screenshot: Escape Simulator 2 Escape Simulator 2 is a great escape room game–it’s probably the best out there–and it’s the standard to which all other escape room games should be held. Its predecessor’s community content was top notch, and if those same creators come over to Escape Simulator 2’s more robust level editor I can only imagine the crazy stuff I can expect to be seeing when they start putting out content.  Escape Simulator 2 is out today on Steam.

Screenshot: Concierge It’s spooky season, and I’m always looking for scary new games to play. Concierge , however, turned out to be a little less scary than I thought going in. It’s certainly spooky, surreal–definitely atmospheric–but it’s not an outright horror game. Concierge is more of a cerebral point and click adventure that rewards its players with minigames if they’re able to wade through its cryptic set of puzzles.  First, I want to talk about what I really think works with Concierge. I absolutely love the entire presentation, from its music to its hand painted art style.The art has certain details that are left just vague enough that my brain is never at ease. The visual style is easily the best thing about Concierge , and it blends imagery in a way only new media can. I also really appreciate the apparent love that went into the creation of Concierge . It's art in a pure form that isn’t concerned with commercialization, and it's better for it.  The puzzles in Concierge are challenging and varied, but sometimes half the battle is finding them. That means lots of wandering around the old hotel in which Concierge takes place trying to figure out what the next thing to do. And that’s where my complaints begin.. Screenshot: Concierge I would love to say that I played through Concierge from start to finish and there was never a dull moment. Unfortunately, this was not so. While I can appreciate the art that Concierge is, and the love that went into its development, it gives me no joy to report that it was boring as hell. And I’m not someone who requires action. I grew up playing point and click adventure games. I just couldn’t get into Concierge the way it deserves.  Concierge is set in a decrepit old hotel where the only other person around is an enigmatic caretaker. It had the potential to be poignant, or scary, or—anything, really. But it instead ends up being cryptic (which is good), strange (also good) but it leaned a little too hard into those two things making Concierge a chore to play. This makes for long stretches of nothing between small moments of forward progress–even for those who are moving forward at a good clip.  Screenshot: Concierge Concierge is a hard game to talk about in regards to pacing. Everything feels so esoteric, and what clues are given are so cryptic that I feel like I stumbled upon puzzles, and sometimes their solutions, merely by chance. This adds to Concierge’s  dream-like atmosphere, but it doesn't make for a very fun or engaging game. But “fun!” isn’t always the point when you play games, and what Concierge lacks in thrills it makes up for in melancholic strangeness.  Nothing in Concierge is clearly defined. That can actually be one of its draws. The idea that there are no tutorials, and that Concierge drops you in blind is mentioned on its Steam store page as a sort of retro homage. But those older games came with (sometimes) giant instruction manuals so there was rarely a question of objective. Concierge is all about unfolding its mysteries without the luxury of hand holding or pesky tutorials. Screenshot: Concierge I’m not one who usually uses in-game hint systems, but Concierge ’s tip line found prodigious use by me, and I still couldn’t get into it. Despite my admonitions, Concierge might be worth checking out if it ticks your boxes. It’s definitely a unique game, and for the gamer that’s seen everything, Concierge might just have something new for you.

We're a little over a month away from the Black Friday edition of the vinyl community's most divisive day of the year: Record Store Day . Introduced only two years after the first Record Store Day (which is usually in April), the Black Friday variant is much smaller and attempts to cash in on the shopping season with quiet honestly a very niche lineup of releases. So before you head out next month to pick up some releases, here are my thoughts on the good, the bad, and the completely unneeded. Detron 3030 - Deltron 3030 This a bit of a weird one. There are many variants out in the wild already and I don't necessarily think it needs another pressing in a new color. But since it is the 25th anniversary, I guess that is a good enough reason... right? One disc is pressed on clear with yellow and black splatter which seems very apropos for the record but the other disc is clear with mint green and blue jay splatter which is....yeah. There will be a commemorative OBI so those of us who appreciate that extra bit of paper that is often on Japanese pressings. And if you were hoping for maybe some outtakes or additional tracks on this copy, I'm sorry to say it's just the same record as previous editions. This one is basically for those who don't already have this incredible hip hop collaboration between Dan The Automator and Del The Funky Homosapien. Ween - Shinola, Vol. 1 Ween has been on a tear re-releasing some of their admittedly hard to find records. Shinola Vol 1 will be the next and I'm incredibly excited. It's a it's a compilation of remastered demos, besides, an alternate versions of tracks from the '90s to 2003. Despite seeing a repress in 2017 (holy crap that was 8 years ago), the cheapest copy currently available on Discogs is in the mid hundreds and it's double that on eBay. Records like this is why Record Store Day releases exist: to get rare and hard to find vinyl to the masses. Given how rabid their fan base is, I expect this one to sell out pretty quickly even with 6000 pressed. Especially since it's pressed on a very gross Brown vinyl, which just seems completely up Ween's alley (pun intended). Doug Katsaros - The Tick OST I have a soft spot for oddity records and the Tick OST from the fantastic people over at Terror Vision certainly fits the bill. The label is known for tackling lesser known or just outright strange soundtracks, predominantly in the horror genre, so this is almost a double oddity. However, I suggest you take a listen to it. It's a really fun jazzy time. Love - The Complete Elektra Albums Love is a fantastic psychedelic band from the '70s and this is a boxset that is certainly deserved. Anyone who hasn't discovered amazing rockers through a Wes Anderson soundtrack like I did many many years ago has a chance to get Love's entire Electra releases in one fell swoop. For me. It's a bit of a toss-up since I already have three of the five records and boxsets tend to carry a hefty price tag. Alan Silvestri - The Back To The Future Trilogy I think this one is for for the Back to the Future diehards and completionists. From the outside, this is a bit of a random release for the 40th anniversary of the the first film. Pressed on Doc Brown Vinyl (whats with all the brown vinyl?) the single disc release from Varese Sarabande contains tracks from all three BTTF movies and a variant cover utilizing unused art from the late and undeniable great Drew Struzman. But as an aforementioned diehard of the time traveling franchise, it's on my to buy list. Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation This year has been chock full of Thievery Corporation ready issues with their fantastic The Cosmic Game getting a proper RSD release back in April. Now the even more sought after Radio Retaliation is getting a nice green pressing to compliment the cover and an additional track! This will be a great addition to any electronic music fan's collection. Sleigh Bells - Treats 1500 copies is an insanely low run or this fantastic Sleigh Bells release. The band recently made their comeback and this debut still holds up with its manic production melding Derek Edward Miller's distorted guitar with Alexis Krauss' glimmering voice that rallies on the tracks like a cheerleader chant at times. "Rill Rill" alone is worth the cost of admission to this fantastic album. This is the first non-picture disc reissue since its initial release, which is criminal, and the blue/white vinyl color certainly fits Treats ' cover. The release also comes with a 16 page booklet which if it's anything like the initial pressing's booklet, is a wonderful synthesis of the album's ethos. Now some rapid fire thoughts! The Rolling Stones Their Satanic Majesties Request - Zoetropes are cool but may not sound the best Danny Elfman Big Top Pee-Wee (The Original Soundtrack Album) - Wish this wasn't on picture disc (see above) Billie Eilish Live - Billie Eilish releases are always big and tend to sell out quickly Various Artists Jazz Dispensary: Green Bullets - This compilations are always a fun trip! Wicked Crosley Turntable - But why?

Growing up I was a huge fan of trivia board games that featured huge stacks of question cards like Mindtrap or my favorite: Trivial Pursuit . But it’s been a while since I sat down and played a trivia game. I’m not sure why that is, honestly. Maybe I was too drawn away by the allure of murder mysteries in a box or board games that had complicated character stats and many-sided dice rolls. League of the Lexicon taught me how much fun trivia can be all over again. To be fair: I’m biased. Words are fun. Not only have I been a writer my whole life, I have a lot of fun butchering the English language with my wife. I’m not above terrible puns or doubling an entendre or two. So here’s me thinking that League of the Lexicon will be a breeze, and I’ll crush my foes, see them driven before me and all that. But League of the Lexicon is fun not only because it has a fun mixture of categories with clever questions, but also because it's challenging even for those who have spent a lifetime playing with the English language.  League of the Lexicon via Facebook Let’s get right to the most important thing: the questions. What separates good trivia games from bad trivia games are the questions. Questions have to be fair–or unfair in a fun, clever way. They have to be difficult–but not too obscure or nitpicky. And they have to be fun while also giving explanations that might teach the player something they might not have known. Questions in League of the Lexicon run the gamut from etymology and spelling to pure trivia and grammar, and even when you've answered, are full of interesting tidbits that just enhance the experience. League of the Lexicon does all of these things. But unlike games like Mind Trap , where I’ll eschew the entire game aspect just to read off trivia to my unsuspecting friends and family (sorry!) League of the Lexicon has compelling gameplay, and reminds me of the collecting aspect of Trivial Pursuit  while removing the need for a board, and thus eliminating one of the aspects of that game I found tedious. League of the Lexicon can be played between 2-6 players, or between teams of players. But if Jackbox Games taught me anything, it’s that any game can be turned into a large scale party game if you’re clever enough. However, I digress. The object of the game is for one player (or team) to collect 5 Artefacts and then answer one additional question to win the game. The rules are pretty much that simple. The artefacts’ symbols must match the symbols on your character card. Doubles don’t count, though they can be exchanged for a chance at a new artefact OR you can put together three unmatched artefacts to create one artefact that can match any symbol.   The simplicity of League of the Lexicon makes it super easy to pick up even for board game novices, making it an ideal party game. There are even two difficulties: “Ticklish” and “Tricksy.” While you might think that an easier difficulty level would make League of the Lexicon too easy, you’d be wrong. These are definitely not so easy as to make the game unplayable. And you could even play against someone playing with the easier deck without feeling like they were at a huge advantage.  League of the Lexicon via Facebook. The rules also have a few official variations, though I’m sure clever players can come up with their own house rules. Even though I’m usually a person with a co-op oriented mind, I found myself actually having more fun with the player-versus-player version. Winning feels great, but there’s just enough of an element of chance involved that it doesn’t sting to lose. However, you can up the ante with a variation of the rules that allows you to take other players’ artefacts–so if you have a gaming group that’s a little bit more player-versus-player oriented, you might find this great. The artefact cards themselves are fun. Despite really only being as important as the artefact symbol, they're filled with beautiful illustrations of cheeky artifacts like Charlotte Bronte’s pet dodo (deceased) and Charles Dickens’ brain in a jar.  https://www.leagueofthelexicon.com/ League of the Lexicon deserves the hype that preceded it. It’s easily my favorite trivia game this decade. If you play it obsessively like we do, you’ll be happy to know that there are three expansion sets that released this week along with the base game, extending your word trivia possibilities substantially.

Cake. Wikimedia Commons Welcome to Blind Spot, where we take time to dig into something big in the cultural zeitgeist we might have missed. A retrospective that’s also a first time perspective. What’s old to you, is new to someone else and in the spirit of that I present to you my Cake Retrospective. My history with Cake came during my high school days, when I was deep into my music discovery era, and at the time, my then-girlfriend and I would split the music. She would pick one band and I’d pick a similar band, and we’d listen to them separately and then discuss. In this instance, she chose Cake and I chose Beck. I still love the entire Beck catalog but I never took the time to dig into what made Cake such a mainstream success until now. Here are my thoughts and favorites  as I’ve gone through the entire Cake discography. Motorcade of Generosity (1993) Comanche- is such a good drunken sing along song that I can imagine an entire bar slurring along to every lyric.  Pentagram- is a fascinating dip into blue grass that kind of tells me what I need to know about Cake. They really can do it all.  You Part the Waters- devolves into some weird places, starting with a piano intro then flipping to some Primus styled guitar and of course the horns, then an orchestral interlude? This one's a journey.  Rock N Roll Lifestyle- finally feels like the band has something to say. I was kind of hoping for something a little more meaningful and I finally got it.  Album Overview: I can see that this was the band really trying to hone their sound while exploring ALL the spaces in between. From bluegrass, to orchestra, they are still in their growth phase here, but the potential is definitely there. This whetted my appetite for more and acted as a great introduction.  Fashion Nugget (1996) Frank Sinatra pairs a slow crooning, smooth style plus a bass and keyboard solo with noir-y horns. This is the first song to really make me a fan. The way each instrument is organized and layered has me hooked.  The Distance is such a hip hop not hip hop song that  might be the best Cake song period  Friend Is A Four Letter Word is hauntingly sad. Melancholic and introspective.  I Will Survive It was awesome to see a cover on an album, let alone an interesting twist on a classic. There was a brief phase when bands would include covers, but that time has long gone, but I Will Survive is such a unique take on the classic Donna Summer song that it stands on its own and separates itself from the original.  Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps sounds like a drunken saloon limerick. I’m starting to see a trend here in what to expect from Cake.  Album Overview: Yeah, at this point the band is officially standing on its feet now declaring exactly who they are. They are shifting from fantastic covers, haunting introspection, genre bending pop and songs sung at closing time at your local dive bar. They are a very specific vibe but kind of a lot of different, very specific vibes all at once and I am loving all of them.  Prolonging the Magic (1998) Is there a more wholesome song than Satan is My Motor ? A feel good little ditty that just puts me in a good mood Never There is obviously a peak single with that funky bass line, vocals with attitude and slow build horns. There’s a reason they are one of the best bands of the 90’s.   Walk On By is a fantastic twangy dip into a southern country style. It amazes me how Cake flows between genres so fluidly.  Sheep Go to Heaven melds right from Walk On By almost like a part 2 of a 3 part saga and I love it.  When You Sleep feels like a twangy mellow epic, and if you told me they were the three acts of a single story, I’d believe it. Rising and falling as the story unfolds.  Cool Blue Reason plays as a melancholy walk through a dusty desolate town with a bit of a hip hop vibe.  Album Overview: A largely melancholy low energy album that is all about the vibes. It's reflective, it’s isolating but also rarely negative. Just sitting on a bus reflecting on your life as a whole. This album gave me a lot of room to think and I love it for that. It may not have the energetic bangers of the previous album but I felt a warm calming feeling the more I spent time with it.  Comfort Eagle (2001) Shadow Stabbing and Short Skirt/Long Jacket are the radio hits I’ve been most aware of, and for good reason. These songs both just hit the right spots in my ear holes. Commissioning A Symphony in C seems like a deeper story I’d love to learn more about. It drops breadcrumbs of details to the point that it seems super specific but I was unable to get the full picture and I love it.  Comfort Eagle is a perfect anti-establishment rebellious song. This made me want to protest anything, and in the current political climate, we need it more than ever.  Love You Madly is one I’ve absorbed through cultural osmosis but mostly for that infectious guitar rift and those love stricken lyrics. This song lives rent free in my head.  Album Overview: Ah, the Cake I’m familiar with now. Cake continues to impress me with how they are able to create vivid musical landscapes that tell a deep and compelling story, even if it’s unclear what the full story is. It’s nothing if not incredibly compelling.  Pressure Chief (2004) The bass line and guitar riffs of Wheels are how you start an album! A slow build to more Cake greatness. What more can you ask for?  Carbon Monoxide : do I sense a little DVO mixed with Green Day? A bouncy tune that encourages a chanting crowd then shifts to a high amount of synth keys.  She’ll Hang the Baskets is more of that crooning country twang. At this point I’d welcome a full Cake Country album, they do it so well.  End Of The Movie : what a little sad personal song about not wanting to say goodbye, . This fits right in with any emotional death or breakup scene in a movie or TV show. Then it ends abruptly, kind of like life. I don’t know, but this one got me.  Tougher Than It Is is a perfect encapsulation of overthinking or overcomplicating life that really speaks to me on a personal level. I think it’s a pretty universal statement that we could all take to heart.   Album Overview: This album proved the emotional range that Cake can achieve when given the opportunity. I loved the ups and downs, twists and turns of what proves to be, some ongoing fantastic storytelling.  Showroom of Compassion (2010) Federal Funding is another anti-corpo song that would be welcome at any protest or march. I love it.  Long Time is an obvious dedication to the fans that missed them within their 6 year gap between albums. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to wait that long for more Cake greatness, but it still stands out as a return to form for the band.  Teenage Pregnancy is an instrumental spiral into the despair and uncertainty of what can come with an unwanted pregnancy. It’s an instrumental journey with plenty of twists and turns, and every instrument is used with clear purpose. I felt this deep in my bones, despite never experiencing this myself.  Bound Away is the token country bar anthem that we’ve come to expect from Cake and the album is better for it.  Italian Guy comes straight out of a Wes Anderson film. It 's so wild how Cake can pin down a single style and hit it so perfectly.  Album Overview: The weakest of the Cake offerings in my opinion, yet still impresses from beginning to end. Moving from protest songs, spiraling disparity, country to pop elegance.  Other Notes No one works a tambourine, vibraslap, cowbell or egg shaker like this band. It really amazed me how much of a visual tapestry and layered orchestration Cake presents in each individual album. They weave back and forth effortlessly and span all genres at breakneck speeds. I found myself continuing to come back to Cake after writing this article, if only to reflect on the songs that punched me in the gut with regrets, emotional spiraling and introspection. Cake became my thoughtful band, but also my drinking band, my anthem band, my rebellion protest band, my quick little jaunty tune band. That’s the thing about Cake. I’ve discovered they are sort of all encompassing. They hit all points, and can be for anyone in any mood. I’m kind of surprised by how universal they are. They aren’t my favorite band, but I’ve discovered how comprehensive their sound can be. Cake is a band for everyone and it’s really cool to be able to achieve that in such a divisive world.