New York Times Connections Hints and Answers for #493 Jul 17, 2025

Connectionsis back with another mind-bending puzzle. You will get several words, and you have to put them into groups without any clues or knowing what the categories might be. And you get very few mistakes you can make. But today’s puzzle is even more challenging than therules ofConnectionsmake it sound; this puzzle has some difficult words and even more difficult groups. If you are stuck, you can find all sorts of helpful tips for this one in the sections below....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 480 words · Matthew Riley

Nintendo Switch Gets New System Update

Summary Nintendo has released a new system update for theNintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and OLED consoles, prioritizing improved system stability. The last patch for theNintendo Switchfamily arrived back in June 2024 with Version 18.1.0, which added the ability to post screenshots on Twitter and Smash World through Nintendo Switch Home. In total, four updates have been released for the consoles this year. The Switch consoles are still going strong with new releases, likeThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the upcomingStrayport, and the imminent debut of indie gamesNevaandEuropa....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 466 words · Jennifer Wagner

One of 2023’s Best Games is Coming to Mobile Devices

Summary A Black Salt Games developer announced upcoming Android and iOS ports forDredge, the critically acclaimed eldritch horror fishing game from 2023. Since its release,Dredgehas steadily cultivated a sizable following with its atmospheric gameplay and thalassophobia-inducing world design. Now, fans of the game will soon be able to take the horror RPG adventure title with them wherever they go. Widely credited as one of thebest horror games to come out of 2023,Dredgeis a single-player horror fishing game, where players take control of a lone fisherman and his trusty trawler....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 552 words · James Lara

One Piece: Sun God Loki Vs Sun God Nika, Explained

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc. Summary One Piecechapter 1130 proved to be absolutely stunning from start to finish and it is safe to say that this chapter shocked the fans to quite an extent withthe reveal of Loki so early into the arc. Truly, few were expecting Loki to be revealed in such fashion inOne Piecechapter 1130, and at the same time, even fewer individuals were expecting him to be as important as he has proven to be....

July 20, 2025 · 6 min · 1205 words · Kayla Lam

Open-World Games That Were Ahead Of Their Time

Summary Open-world games are everywhere today, but it wasn’t always like this. There was a time when the very concept of an open-world game was revolutionary, and a sandbox was just a wooden box filled with sand in a kindergarten. But someopen-world games were pioneerson their own terms and brought life to many of the mechanics we are used to nowadays, which also inspired many great titles loved by fans of this genre....

July 20, 2025 · 5 min · 1025 words · Sharon Baker

Overwatch 2 Clarifies Circuit Royal Map Change

Summary Overwatch 2has clarified the upcoming changes to the Circuit Royal map after a video clip of the new season’s trailer made it seem as though the duck floaty from the pool was removed. Thankfully, the little duck floaty will still remain inOverwatch 2and continue to delight players. Despite being an action-packed FPS,Overwatch 2can lean into its less serious side and often includes a ton of secrets or hidden places within the game for its players to scout out....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 492 words · Jesse Robinson

Overwatch 2 Season 13: Junkenstein's Laboratory Game Mode, Explained

Quick Links Overwatch 2has a number of recurring events that take place in-game each year, usually to celebrate various seasons or anniversaries. These events are rather popular among fans of the game, as they tend to come paired with a new Battle Pass theme, seasonal hero skins and collectibles, profile decorations, and even limited-time game modes that can only be played during these timeframes. Halloween Terror is the annual HalloweenOverwatchevent, and it made a return in mid-October, 2024, with the launch ofSeason 13: Spellbinder....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 478 words · Gregory Ramirez

Overwatch 2: How to Link Xbox Gamepass Account & All Rewards

One of the largest appeals ofOverwatch 2is the huge number of different skins to collect for your favorite heroes and villains. As the game follows a live-service format, the start of each new Competitive Season often brings a new wave of these cosmetics, which can be acquired through the seasonal Battle Pass, Overwatch Shop, event Challenges, Twitch drops, and more. In September 2024,Overwatch 2landed onXbox Game Pass. To celebrate this arrival, all players have been given a limited-time opportunity to earn a series of in-game rewards by linking theirOverwatchaccount to an Xbox account with an active Game Pass subscription....

July 20, 2025 · 2 min · 419 words · Kim Lowe

Pokemon GO Player Beats Giratina Solo

Summary APokemon GOplayer has achieved the incredible feat of beating Giratina solo, a Pokemon that players have historically struggled to counter. Since its release inPokemon GO, Girtina has been one of the most popular Pokemon out there because of its stature and its effectiveness in the GO Battle League. October has been an action-packed month forPokemon GOfans, with tons of new events taking place in the game. Recently, the developers also announced therelease of the Gigantamax mechanic inPokemon GO, something players have been eagerly waiting for quite a while now....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 559 words · Kimberly Rojas

Pokemon GO: How To Get Shiny Mega Sableye?

Quick Links Pokemon GOplayers can get a Shiny Mega Sableye by winning Mega Sableye Raids. However, first, you must catch a Shiny Sableye and then proceed to get a Shiny Mega Sableye. You must secure numerous Mega Raid wins for a Shiny encounter chance. Pokemon GOMega Sableye is a powerful monster and its prowess boosts even more as a Mega Raid Boss. The winning strategy is to study the monster’s in-game meta and devise powerful raid counters....

July 20, 2025 · 2 min · 329 words · Lisa Nunez

PUBG Mobile x Tekken Crossover Explained

PUBG Mobile, the smartphone adaptation of the massively popularPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds(PUBG)on Steam, has recently collaborated with one of the most iconic fighting game franchises developed by Bandai Namco for their 8th installment,Tekken 8. The collaboration comes in the form of an event that runs through May 22, 2025, and creates traction between the fan bases of the two franchises. It does so by incorporating characters, skins, and weapons themed aroundTekken’s well-known fighters into PUBG’s battle royale setting....

July 20, 2025 · 4 min · 713 words · Kimberly White

Silent Hill 2 Remake: How to Turn off the Radio

If players want to get one step closer to acquiring the platinum trophy in theSilent Hill 2remake, then they are going to want to start their progress early, beginning with the radio. The Radio Silence trophy might make things a tad harder, but it’s extremely missable if players aren’t paying attention to the trophy requirements during their first playthrough. Those who want the Radio Silence trophy inSilent Hill 2just have to commit to one small change, but the repercussions of this specification action might torment them in the future, as they will have no way of knowing what monsters lurk in the dark until they pop out and scare James....

July 20, 2025 · 2 min · 295 words · Raymond Sanchez

Space Marine 2 Player Designs Optimus Prime Armor

Summary A cleverWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2player has recreatedTransformers' Optimus Prime using the game’s customization system.Space Marine 2offers a solid amount of customization for players to put their creative stamp on their characters, and this Optimus Prime recreation shows the system’s potential. Saber Interactive’sSpace Marine 2is a massive hit, with many who had previously never played aWarhammer 40,000title jumping in for the first time for some action-packed chaos. Every timeSpace Marine 2gets a sales update, it shows how popular the game has been, with Saber Interactive CEO Tim Willits already pointing out that the game’s sales were the fastest of any title the studio has previously worked on....

July 20, 2025 · 3 min · 556 words · Jason Olson