Thank your own personal deity -- possibly Black Doom -- it's Friday! Let's round out your week with two free games worth adding to your pile of shame (NiGHTS and Moving Out). Also, I have the best prices for the behemoth in the room, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and an absolute ton of Yakuza titles. Whatever you choose, have a great weekend!

In retro news, I'm baking a citrus-based cake for The Orange Box, one of the most value-filled compilations ever devised. We met when I was just a junior freelancer who'd drawn the short straw (because that particular magazine's stable of veteran reviewers looked at the slim deadline, then the five game to-do list, and went, "Nope"). Four sleepless nights later, I recall deliriously trying to tell anybody who'd listen that somehow an unassuming title named Portal was the best thing in this box of venerable Valve baddies. They thought me mad, right up until GLaDOS (and lies about cake) took over the world.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

Aussie birthdays for notable games and hardware