Features

13Oct

By Jose2 Comments

The State of Magic: The Gathering

Wizards of the Coast may finally have found out when it is just too much. Overwhelmed fans and viewers were left mouth-opened when Blake Rasmussen, Mark Rosewater, Gavin Verhey, and company took the stage at MagicCon in Atlanta and shared a series of new products and announcements. The Magic: The Gathering community has now had some days to digest the information, and many content creators have come out with statements of their own. Let's dig in, shall we? Good News First What were the announcements made during MagicCon Atlanta? Let's start from the top, in January 2026, Magic players will at long last revisit the enchanting plane of Lorwyn. A beautiful, lush, and vibrant world full of Magic's very own IP. Kithkins, hybrid mana, the evoke mechanic, and many other things that made this fa...

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – Retrospective

7Oct

By KieranNo Comments

Features

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – Retrospective

Straightforward narrative driven adventure games come very few and far between these days. We live in a time when most AA or AAA games on the market try to be wallet pinching live services, or bloated open worlds that require as much commitment as your full-time job. If Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune were to release today, it would easily be seen as an outsider among the crowd. With that in mind, it’s funny to think that not so long ago, Uncharted was the golden example that many AAA game studios tried to follow. That is what I want to explore with this retrospective: how developer Naughty Dog, with their first PlayStation 3 title, laid the foundation for Uncharted to become PlayStation’s poster child for nearly a decade. Not only that, but how they also changed how the industry approach...

11Sep

By CharlotteNo Comments

Features, LEGO

LEGO Italian Riviera Review

As I look out into another September rainy day I long to be somewhere else. Like a Mediterranean coastline town. Where I could watch life bustle by as I sit in a café admiring the pastel buildings and the turquoise blue of the sea. Unfortunately, I am not lucky enough to be there. Fortunately, I am lucky enough that there is a LEGO set of this exact scene though, the LEGO Italian Riviera. And I got one to review. La vita è bella The LEGO Italian Riviera was a LEGO Ideas set submitted by Fan Designer, Alex Sahli. And it wowed voters along with the committee enough to be made into a fully fledged set, much like the LEGO Ideas Minifigure Vending Machine! Talking about his design Alex said, “I've always been passionate about travel, and Italy stands out as my favourite destination. Its blen...

LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review

8Sep

By JoseNo Comments

Features

LotR Over Hill And Under Hill Roleplaying Game – Review

The Lord of the Rings role-playing game Over Hill and Under Hill, created by the Swedish tabletop gaming company Free League, is a story-driven cooperative game inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's world. The game is a fun mix of role-playing, narrative choices, and dice mechanics. The starter set, Over Hill and Under Hill, which we played, was released in July 2025. An Unexpected Journey into Middle-earth's Roleplay The starter set contains everything a group of new players needs to kick things off, from a rule book to cards of preset characters, a map, different types of dice, and a story book for the Game Master. The game is designed to help players new to the genre get started without requiring extensive prior preparation. Nonetheless, as a casual player myself, I must say that without the h...

30Jul

By Iain culverhouseNo Comments

Features

Playstation Plus August

The PS Plus October August Games have been announced today for all PlayStation subscribers. Remember that even if you don’t plan to play these games now you should still add them to your library so you can check them out at any time (as long as you have an active sub). Lies Of P | PS4, PS5 Genre: Action Adventure Longevity: 29hrs+ | Trophies: 43 (incl Platinum) Metacritic: 80 | OpenCritic: 82 Release: 18th September 2023 This dark Soulslike game draws inspiration from an unexpected source: The Adventures of Pinocchio. In this grim reimagining of Carlo Collodi’s beloved tale, Pinocchio is on a quest to find the mysterious Mr. Geppetto. His journey leads him to Krat, a city reminiscent of the Belle Époque, where madness and killer puppets have stripped humanity from its i...

Paul’s 10 Most Anticipated Late-2025 Games

11Jul

By PaulNo Comments

Features

Paul’s 10 Most Anticipated Late-2025 Games

The first half of 2025 gave us some huge contenders for Game of the Year; Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Split Fiction, to cherry-pick a few. Thankfully, the back end of the year also looks stacked with quality. Among them are a new Pokémon game, a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, a new Silent Hill entry, and the long awaited Metroid Prime 4. It's also alleged that a sequel to Hollow Knight is due to release before Christmas this year, but I wouldn't know anything about that. Ignoring all those games, though, here are 10 games set to release in the rest of 2025 that I can't wait to get my hands on. I've listed them alphabetically for fairness — I love all my children equally. Cairn | PlayStation, PC Genre: Simulation, Survival Developer: The Game Bakers | Publisher...

Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends

8Jul

By JoseNo Comments

Features

Magic: The Gathering Spoiler Season Never Ends

Magic: The Gathering will start the official spoiler season for Edge of Eternities on July 8th, according to Mark Rosewater's Tumblr account, Blogatog. Barely three weeks apart from the release of the Standard legal Final Fantasy set. Oh, and just last week, they also announced another Secret Lair, this time casting Sonic the Hedgehog and friends. It almost feels like there is no time for fans, players, and collectors to just breathe and enjoy a new product before a new one is already announced, and another is close to launching. Back To Canon Lore Three weeks after its release, it is safe to say Final Fantasy was a tremendous success for Wizards of the Coast. Even among the most sceptical fans, such as myself, it is undeniable that this Universes Beyond crossover was a total hit. The em...

McDonald’s Squishmallow Avery Happy Meal Toy Review

2Jul

By CharlotteNo Comments

Features

McDonald’s Squishmallow Avery Happy Meal Toy Review

Regular readers of Thumb Culture will know about the TC Mini Crew, our affectionate name for the kids of the editorial team here! Middle of the TC Crew has been asking to write a review for a while, and the release of new Happy Meal McDonald's Squishmallow toys seemed the perfect opportunity. And so without further ado, enjoy this review written and product photos by Middle of the TC Mini Crew. Bring On The Squishes McDonald's have got new Happy Meal Toys finally, and they are Squishmallows, which I love. There are fifteen to collect and all of them are 3 inches big. You can read more about them on this website. So why not pop down to your local McDonald's and order a happy meal to earn yourself one of these soft, cosy snuggle buddies!!! Open Up Once you open the cute happy meal bo...

Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer

2Jul

By JoseNo Comments

Features

Wizards of the Coast Bring Out The Ban Hammer

On June 30th, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) announced its updated ban list for all formats of Magic: The Gathering. Interestingly, only the Standard format was struck by the ban hammer. Seven times! Seven cards currently legal in Standard have been banned, effective immediately. While bans in Standard aren't unusual, seven at once is a rather rare occurrence. WotC is sending a clear message that what happened at Pro Tour Las Vegas can't happen again. Furthermore, no updates were made to Modern, Legacy, Pauper, Brawl, Vintage, or Pioneer. Further, giving the impression that Wizards is laser-focused on fixing and balancing Standard. What Went Wrong at Pro Tour Final Fantasy? Izzet Prowress took the Pro Tour by storm, pun intended. In the words of Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famer Reid Du...

Building My First Gunpla: HG 1/144 GN-002 Gundam Dynames

1Jul

By MikeNo Comments

Features

Building My First Gunpla: HG 1/144 GN-002 Gundam Dynames

I've been a pretty casual fan of the Gundam franchise since childhood. Upon discovering Mobile Suit Gundam Wing one night on Toonami, it's been something I've enjoyed on and off for more than two decades. Recently, I've started watching Gundam 00 and decided it was finally time to get my first Gunpla! As someone who's been building and collecting various LEGO kits over the years (much to my wife's dismay), and finding constructing them gives my mental health a big old boost, it was time to give Gunpla a go. Short for Gundam Plastic models, these require a bit more care and attention than LEGO sets. Unfortunately, I'm pretty clumsy with fiddly things. Which likely meant I would probably end up getting frustrated and scrapping the kit halfway through. So, join me in my very first Gunpla k...