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TL;DR: As of Sept. 23, the LifeStraw personal water filter is available for $14.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 16% on the list price of $17.95.
Opens in a new window Credit: LifeStraw LifeStraw Personal Water Filter $14.99 at AmazonIt's almost time for Amazon's October Prime Day, which runs for two days over Oct. 6-7, and that start means deals are popping up already — deals on TVs, tech, and all kinds of other goodies.
One discount that caught our attention is 16% off the LifeStraw personal water filter, a must-have accessory for anyone who loves the outdoors — whether you're into hiking, camping, or survivalist activities deep in the wilderness.
SEE ALSO: Prime Day deals on power stations are already live: Shop the best deals on Jackery, Anker, Bluetti, and moreAs of Sept. 23, the LifeStraw personal water filter is available for $14.99 at Amazon. Usually priced at $17.95, that's a neat saving of $2.96.
The LifeStraw personal water filter is a survival kit essential. It uses a microfiltration membrane that removes 99.99% of waterborne bacteria and parasites, so you can drink water directly from streams and lakes. The water purification system lasts for up to 4,000 liters.
Pick up the LifeStraw personal water filter for just $14.99 at Amazon.
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If your GPU pumps out 144 frames per second but your monitor tops out at 60Hz, you are throwing away performance you paid for. Slow refresh rates and high response times mean motion blur, screen tearing, and delayed inputs in fast shooters like Valorant, Apex, or Call of Duty.
Upgrading your panel gets your display speeds back in sync with your PC. Whether you need a 280Hz eSports display for frame-rate gains, a 1440p workhorse for sharper visual detail, or a curved screen for immersive single-player games, early Prime Day deals have slashed prices across Samsung, Alienware, MSI, and Acer.
We rounded up the best early monitor deals live right now so you can upgrade your setup for less.
Best high-refresh 1440p monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Alienware Alienware AW2726DL (27-inch) $199.99 at AmazonSub-$200 gaming monitors usually top out around 165Hz or 180Hz, but the Alienware AW2726DL pushes speed even further without sacrificing resolution. Delivering a blistering 280Hz refresh rate alongside sharp 1440p visuals, this 27-inch IPS panel eliminates motion blur and input lag in fast-paced competitive shooters like Valorant and Apex Legends. Combined with 1ms response times, vibrant colors, and a fully adjustable stand that tilts, swivels, and pivots, you get top-tier eSports frame rates from a premium brand at a budget price.
Best immersive gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 32-Inch Odyssey G5 G50F $199.99 at AmazonFinding a massive 32-inch 1440p panel from a top-tier brand under $200 is already a steal, but Samsung loaded the Odyssey G5 G50F with solid performance hardware. The Fast IPS display gives you razor-sharp 1440p image detail with wide viewing angles, while its 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time keep fast motion smooth and tear-free. You also get an adjustable stand that tilts, swivels, and changes height out of the box — a luxury most budget displays leave out.
Best curved gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 32-Inch Odyssey G55C $234.67 at AmazonMost curved monitors use a subtle bend, but the Samsung Odyssey G55C packs an aggressive 1000R curve that matches the natural field of view of the human eye, pulling your peripheral vision directly into single-player RPGs, flight sims, and racing games. Bumping the screen size up to 32 inches can sometimes stretch out 1080p graphics, but its sharp 1440p QHD resolution keeps textures crisp and detailed across the entire display. Pair that panoramic curve with a fast 165Hz refresh rate, FreeSync screen-tearing protection, and built-in eye saver settings to cut blue light during late-night raids, and you get pure immersion that is worth spending on.
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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who know Raiders history.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Around the New England
Green: Raiders
Blue: Golfers
Purple: Movies
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Teams/Schools in Massachusetts
Green: Raiders QBs, Past and Present
Blue: Women's Golf Major Winners
Purple: Last Words in Football Movie Titles
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #730 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?Teams/Schools in Massachusetts: BRUINS, CELTICS, HARVARD, UMASS
Raiders QBs, Past and Present: CARR, COUSINS, GANNON, STABLER
Women's Golf Major Winners: INKSTER, KO, KORDA, PARK
Last Words in Football Movie Titles: BLUES, LIGHTS, TITANS, YARD
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 23, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 23, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 23 PipsNumber (0): Everything in this purple space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this red space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this green space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this purple space must add up to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 23 PipsEqual (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 6-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally.
Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 23 PipsNumber (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.
Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 5-2 placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Earlier this year, Apple settled a class-action lawsuit by agreeing to pay $250 million divided among U.S. iPhone owners. Here's how to claim your share.
SEE ALSO: Apple reaches $250 million settlement over exaggerating Apple Intelligence's capabilitiesApple launched its iPhone 16 series in 2024, marketing it as introducing an enhanced, next-generation Siri as well as AI tool suite Apple Intelligence. The tech giant further stated at the time that such features would be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.
However, a class-action lawsuit claimed not only that these features failed to materialise when promised, but also that Apple knew it was incapable of delivering them on its advertised timeline.
An updated Siri recently launched in beta, two years after customers were told to expect it. As such, the class-action lawsuit alleged that Apple's marketing breached consumer protection laws, enticing people to buy new iPhones on the basis of features that didn't exist.
Apple hasn't admitted any fault, but has agreed to pay a $250 million settlement to impacted parties. If you bought an iPhone within the past few years, you may be one of them.
Are you eligible for Apple's $250 million class-action lawsuit payout?However, not all iPhone owners in the U.S. will have a claim to a piece of the pie. In order to get a share of the $250 million settlement, you must first meet a few requirements:
You must live and have purchased an iPhone in the U.S. (and not just to onsell it);
You must have purchased the iPhone between Jun. 10, 2024 and Mar. 29, 2025; and
The iPhone must be one of the eligible devices, namely the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. That is, the iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max.
You also can't be an Apple representative or employee, though that isn't a criterion that the vast majority of iPhone owners will have to worry about.
If you fulfill these requirements, you may be entitled to a payout of approximately $25. This payout may change depending upon how much is deducted for legal fees, as well as how many people submit claims. (The class action complaint claims that there were approximately 37 million pre-orders for iPhone 16 series devices within the first weekend they opened, with that number subsequently continuing to grow.) However, while your individual payout could decrease, it could also increase to a maximum of $95.
How to claim a payout from Apple's $250 million class-action settlementTo claim your settlement from Apple, you can submit a claim via the dedicated website Smartphone AI Settlement. Simply click on the "Submit Claim" button and fill out the form, including selecting the method by which you'd prefer to be paid.
You'll also have to have your iPhone's serial number on hand so it can be verified as part of the relevant class. In order to find it, simply open your iPhone's settings, tap "General," tap "About," then locate your serial number. You can also press and hold on the number to copy it, so you don't have to try to type it out manually.
The deadline for submitting a claim is Dec. 21, 2026, though it's best to do it sooner if you're interested so you don't forget. Making a claim binds you to the settlement, meaning you won't be able to bring any future case against Apple regarding the specific issues in this case.
Dec. 21 is also the deadline for excluding yourself from the settlement. Doing so means that you'll get no money, but you keep the right to bring your own lawsuit against Apple about the delivery of Siri and Apple Intelligence features to the impacted iPhones. If you do nothing, you won't get a payout but will still be bound by the settlement, so it's best to decide which route you'd prefer now.
When will you receive Apple's settlement payout?Once all claims have been received, the Court will have a final hearing on Feb. 24, 2027 to determine if Apple's settlement is fair, with payments expected to be made at some time after that. Unfortunately, you may have to wait a while, as such payments typically take several months. As such, while you won't have the cash for Christmas, you may have better luck by Memorial Day.
Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.
Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.
While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 23, 2026 Age verification meaningA technical process that determines a person's age before granting them access to view content or a website.
Captcha meaningA security test used on websites to verify that a user is a real human, not an automated computer program or bot.
Cookie consent meaningThe permission a website obtains from the visitor before placing tracking cookies on their device.
Paywall meaningA digital security or software system that blocks internet users from viewing website content unless they pay.
Keys meaningSmall metal items that unlock doors and other locked items.
Phone meaningA device used to call or text someone.
Sunglasses meaningAn accessory that protects the eyes from the sun.
Wallet meaningA small case that holds money, credit cards, identification, and other small personal items.
Bitcoin meaningThe first digital currency that allows transactions without a bank or government.
Record label meaningA company that finances and distributes recorded music.
Rub-a-dub meaningA saying used to describe getting clean while bathing.
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Suriname meaningA small, diverse country on the Northeastern coast of South America.
Condensed milk meaningA thick, sweet cow's milk made by removing most of its water.
Paint meaningA thick colored liquid used to coat something, typically a wall or building.
Shaving cream meaningA soft foam applied to the skin before removing hair with a razor..
Spam meaningA canned assortment of meat.
Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
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If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're always prepared.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 23, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: What's in my bag
Green: Pop-ups
Blue: Canned goods
Purple: It has a name
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Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Things you grab before leaving the house
Green: Website hurdles
Blue: Things that come in cans
Purple: Ending in synonyms for "term"
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1199 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayThings you grab before leaving the house: KEYS, PHONE, SUNGLASSES, WALLET
Website hurdles: AGE VERIFICATION, CAPTCHA, COOKIE CONSENT, PAYWALL
Things that come in cans: CONDENSED MILK, SHAVING CREAM, SPAM
Ending in synonyms for "term": BITCOIN, RECORD LABEL, RUB-A-DUB, SURINAME
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're a historian.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Practically paleolithicThe words are related to time.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe things in the past.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
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NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Thats Old News.
NYT Strands word list for September 23Ancient
Archaic
Bygone
Thats Old News
Primeval
Timeworn
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always ahead.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 23, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 23, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Onward.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?No, there are no recurring letters.
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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.
The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
FORTH
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Los Santos has a new way to get you in trouble, and you don’t even have to commit a crime.
A new Grand Theft Auto V mod from artist Morry Kolman, who goes by WTTDOTM online, installs 235 virtual Flock license plate reader cameras around the game’s fictional city. Called Grand Theft Automated License Plate Reader, or GTALPR, it brings an extra layer of surveillance to your next drive. And because this is GTA, you can destroy the cameras and collect in-game cash from their wreckage.
But the opportunity to blow them up is only part of the point. Kolman wants players to feel what happens when a familiar environment becomes a place where they’re constantly being watched.
"I’m an artist, and much of my practice is based around giving people interesting and engaging ways to learn about the technological and political world around them," Kolman told Mashable. "GTALPR is very much in that vein." For Kolman, a game modeled on an American city, and familiar to millions of players, offered a way to make surveillance tangible.
"Suddenly, you're always watched," he added. "With the simple addition of some cameras, the entire environment gains a new passive layer of hostility."
Bringing Flock’s camera network to Los SantosIn the real world, Flock’s automated license plate readers capture vehicle images and enable police to search for vehicles and receive alerts about those on watchlists. Flock pitches the technology as a way to help law enforcement locate wanted vehicles. Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, argue that these networks enable mass surveillance of people going about their everyday lives.
Kolman’s virtual version draws directly from the geography of the real network. "I chose 235 for the number of cameras to use in GTALPR because it is 1/10th the amount of Flock cameras currently in LA County, and Los Santos is about 1/10th its real counterparts size," he told Mashable.
His project page identifies the community mapping project DeFlock as the source for the camera count. The placements aren’t random, either. Kolman built himself a tool to compare the real and fictional maps, then used it to place cameras in corresponding locations. "The closest comparison is probably the area around Santa Monica Pier vs. Del Perro Pier," he said.
Credit: Morry KolmanThe result brings a real-world surveillance footprint into a place players may already know street by street.
One of the mod’s most pointed feature kicks in when players haven’t committed a crime. Each time a player passes through a camera’s field of view, there’s a 1-in-20 chance it will trigger an unprovoked police chase to "represent this pattern of false reports, and show that living with this surveillance is not a matter of 'having nothing to hide'... it is simply a matter of 'when will it happen to you,'" Kolman described.
Why bring the surveillance state to GTA?His broader argument is that avoiding wrongdoing doesn’t eliminate the risks of being surveilled. He described the mechanic as a challenge to the familiar reassurance that people with "nothing to hide" have nothing to worry about.
Players can also dismantle the virtual network. Destroy a camera and collect its remains, and the mod awards $600 in game currency. The reward price is based on the estimated value of the parts inside a real Flock camera, after the group Eyes Off Cedar Rapids took one apart to examine its hardware.
There’s also built-in speedrun tracking for destroying the cameras, plus an option to render and save the images they capture — including pictures of players destroying them.
It’s an absurd addition to a game already full of opportunities for mayhem, but a fitting one in a country where Flock cameras have made everyday drives part of a searchable surveillance network.
As Kolman puts it, "I put Flock cameras in GTA V as a way to highlight and make tangible the pervasive intrusion of Flock and other ALPR cameras into daily American life via a game that is based on an American city and that millions of my fellow citizens are intimately familiar with."
The mod and its installation instructions are available through Kolman’s website.
No pressure, Amazon, but I have high hopes for Prime Big Deal Days. The retailer's upcoming "October Prime Day" sale (set for Oct. 6 and 7) will be an opportunity to get the ball rolling on holiday tech deals that erase the steep price hikes we've seen so far this year amid the ongoing memory crisis. Laptops have been hit especially hard: Many of the models I've tested in the past nine months have gotten anywhere from $100 to $950 more expensive due to increased component costs.
In the weeks leading up to the sale, I'm not seeing a ton of noteworthy laptop deals on Amazon just yet (aside from some so-so MacBook discounts). Most of them involve no-name brands and third-party sellers that you should avoid. Fortunately, other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are picking up the slack with savings of up to $900 on top Windows laptops and gaming PCs.
Below, I'm keeping a running list of the best early October Prime Day laptop deals I can find across the web. They'll probably get even better once the sale actually starts, but if you need to upgrade sooner rather than later, you've got a bunch of options already.
Best MacBook deal (for now) Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 at AmazonThe M5 MacBook Air is a fabulous all-rounder with incredibly fast performance, a premium haptic touchpad, a vibrant display, and a polished design. I like the 13-inch size for college students, in particular, because it's slightly cheaper and more portable than its 15-inch sibling. This upgraded model with 1TB of storage is $150 off on Amazon ahead of Prime Day. I think it could see a $200 discount once Prime Big Deal Days starts, based on its predecessor's pricing history, but this is still a solid deal in the age of RAMageddon. (If you need more memory, a 24GB RAM/1TB model is also $150 off right now.)
Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M5).
More MacBook dealsApple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689 $699 (save $10)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,727 $1,799 (save $72)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,759 $2,999 (save $240)
Truth be told, this 16-inch MSI laptop is a great deal even at full price. It has a super sharp (2.8K) OLED touchscreen, a healthy 32GB of RAM, and a beefy Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor with Intel Arc B390 graphics. The latter is an iGPU that performs on par with an entry-level dedicated GPU, meaning you can play AAA games on this thing. It's of average weight for a 16-inch PC, but it's exceptionally sleek for its size (more than a 10th of an inch thinner than a 16-inch MacBook Pro). Costco's $400 discount on it brings it to the lowest price I've ever seen, and better yet, it's not restricted to Costco members.
More Windows laptop dealsHP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699.99 $1,149.99 (save $450)
HP OmniBook X 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799.99 $1,099.99 (save $300)
Acer Swift 16 AI (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99 $1,549.99 (save $550)
LG gram Max 17 (Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99 $1,749.99 (save $750)
Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099.99 $1,649.99 (save $550)
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro (Intel Core Ultra 7 365H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199.99 $1,799.99 (save $600)
Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13.8-inch (Snapdragon X2 Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399.99 $1,599.99 (save $200)
Asus Zenbook A16 (Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, 48GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,499.99 $1,899.99 (save $400)
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is renowned for its sleek, portable design and pretty, bright 2.8K OLED display. Our former tech editor called it "the MacBook Pro of gaming laptops." (It weighs slightly less than a 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro and is only 0.02 inches thicker.) This configuration with a high-end AMD CPU from early 2025 and RTX 5060 graphics is $650 off at Best Buy right now. It's the cheapest OLED gaming I could find ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.
More gaming laptop dealsAlienware 15 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99 $1,599.99 (save $600)
Alienware Aurora 16 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099 $1,639.99 (save $540.99)
Acer Nitro V 16 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,629.99 (save $480)
HyperX Omen 15 (AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,249 $1,899 (save $650)
Asus ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,599 $1,999.99 (save $400.99)
Asus ROG Strix G18 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $2,699.99 (save $850.99)
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,999.99 $2,649.99 (save $550)
Alienware 16X Aurora (Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,999.99 $2,899.99 (save $900)
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,299.99 $2,999.99 (save $700)
Asus ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,499 $2,999.99 (save $500.99)
Acer Predator Neo 16 (Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,599.99 $3,199.99 (save $600)
Lenovo Legion 7a 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,749.99 $3,549.99 (save $800)
SAVE $60: As of Sept. 22, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station is down to $499 at Amazon. That's an 11% discount, bringing this upgraded 1070Wh generator under the $500 mark.
Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station $499 at AmazonWhen it comes to portable power stations, Jackery is pretty much the brand everyone recognizes. Their bright orange-and-black boxes are practically mandatory gear at campsites, but their original mid-tier models used to take hours to recharge and lacked the punch needed for bigger gear. The upgraded Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 solves most of those old pain points, and as of Sept. 22, it's on sale on Amazon for $499 (down from $559).
The biggest upgrade in the v2 is how quickly it returns to full strength. Using the companion app, you can toggle on an emergency fast-charge mode that juices the entire 1,070Wh battery from dead to 100% in just one hour. By default, it charges in a slightly slower 1.7 hours to protect the battery over time, but having an ultra-fast option when you need to pack up in a hurry is a huge win.
SEE ALSO: Prime Day deals on power stations are already live: Shop the best deals on Jackery, Anker, Bluetti, and moreThe unit delivers 1,500W of continuous output with a 3,000W peak surge. That means it can comfortably handle power-hungry gear like portable AC units, tailgating fridges, microwave ovens, or power tools without tripping a fuse. At 23.8 pounds with a foldable handle, it remains surprisingly easy to lug around compared to chunkier 1kWh competitors.
It also upgrades to long-lasting LiFePO4 battery cells, which last over 4,000 charge cycles — giving it a solid decade of regular use before losing noticeable capacity. Rounding out the setup are six outlets in total, including a fast 100W USB-C port for laptops, three standard AC wall plugs, and a quiet 30dB overnight mode so the fan won't keep you awake in a tent.
If you've been waiting to grab a reliable Jackery setup, snag the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 while it’s sitting under $500.
The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping expertsApple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile
Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem
Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)
Apple iPad 11-inch — $399 $449 (save $50)
TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
Back in May, the FBI warned the public about a "cyber criminal group" that steals sensitive data and uses it to extort victims. It appears the FBI is its latest target.
The group, known as ShinyHunters, claims it has stolen personal information on FBI employees and job applicants, according to multiple reports published Sept. 22. The alleged stolen data includes names, home addresses, phone numbers, and details about some employees’ spouses, 404 Media reported. ShinyHunters' stated demand to the FBI? Take back the warning. The group also reportedly defaced an FBI recruitment website with a message mimicking a law enforcement seizure notice.
The FBI Jobs website Credit: Screenshot/Chance TownsendShinyHunters also supplied 404 Media with a sample purportedly containing personal information on 5,000 FBI employees, including home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and, in some cases, details about their spouses. Using OSINT Industries, an open-source intelligence tool, the outlet found that some phone numbers corresponded to the names listed alongside them. A separate check using Darkside, a tool for searching previously compromised data, linked some numbers to Department of Justice personnel.
"The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating," the agency told PCMag.
While the scope remains unclear, the group has been explicit about what it says it wants.
"This is NOT financially motivated," a spokesperson told The Register. "We want the FBI to correct or retract their statements they made, which included substantial false allegations."
The grievance dates back to a May 15 FBI advisory, published after an attack on a learning management platform disrupted educational institutions. The bureau warned that attackers use "real or exaggerated claims of access to sensitive or personal information" to pressure victims into paying. It also said ShinyHunters uses "harassment strategies," including threatening calls and messages to victims and their families, and, in some cases, swatting — or making false emergency reports to send armed police to a victim's home.
FBI public service announcement Credit: ScreenshotShinyHunters disputes that description. "We are willing to allow you a time of 1 week to correct or simply REMOVE the 2026 Quarter 2 FLASH report on us that includes several FALSE allegations," the group wrote in a message to FBI Director Kash Patel and the agency’s assistant director for the cyber division, Brett Leatherman (as per quoted by PCMag). "We wish to state unequivocally [that] our threats and claims are very real. Not exaggerated and never a bluff. This PSA today is living evidence of that."
As for how it supposedly got in, ShinyHunters points to the FBI’s job application website. The group told The Register that it exploited a zero-day vulnerability — a previously unknown security flaw — in Oracle PeopleSoft software. It claims the flaw allowed it to run commands on the servers without first logging in.
From there, the group says it reached FBI-managed servers hosted on AWS GovCloud and downloaded between two and three terabytes of data. It also named human resources, MedLink, and Criminal Justice Information Services among the allegedly compromised services.
Those technical claims remain unverified, though. In an analysis of The Register’s reporting, cybersecurity firm CyPro noted that the account lacked details needed to assess the alleged vulnerability. "ShinyHunters did not publicly identify a vulnerability reference, PeopleSoft component, exploit request, affected configuration or product version," the firm wrote. The reporting also did not establish how the attackers allegedly moved from the recruitment website into other systems.
Still, this wouldn’t be the group’s first attack involving PeopleSoft. In June, Google’s threat intelligence researchers documented a ShinyHunters campaign exploiting a vulnerability in the software, with educational institutions among its targets. And on Sept. 18, ShinyHunters hijacked the Cl0p ransomware gang’s leak website and demanded an eight-figure payment. That incident also featured a similar mock seizure notice.
ShinyHunters' data leak site Credit: BleepingComputerFor anyone whose information is in the alleged haul, the stakes go well beyond the group’s feud with the FBI. Home addresses, phone numbers, and family details could give scammers, harassers, or foreign intelligence services a way to reach not only employees, but the people closest to them. Even applicants who never got the job could be exposed.
The bureau has already faced a separate, highly personal breach this year. In March, Iran-linked hackers accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email and published photographs and documents. The FBI said the material was historical and contained no government information.
For now, ShinyHunters has made its demand clear. But for anyone caught up in the alleged breach, the more pressing questions are personal: Does the group have my information, and what will it do with it? Time will tell.
While AI true believers worry about doom-and-gloom scenarios of AI destroying the world, some major financial institutions are sounding the alarm over a more grounded AI-related concern: scams.
On Tuesday, a consortium of big global banks put out a "principles paper" detailing their apprehensions regarding AI assistants as it relates to commerce. It also details principles that they would like to see followed as AI companies develop and continue to work on the technology.
Namely, the banks are concerned that AI agents empowered to act on behalf of customers will lose money to scams and fraud and, in turn, hurt merchants.
"As highly regulated financial entities, we are focused on managing risk effectively as emerging technologies arise," reads the opening of the paper. "Consumers are unclear if AI agents will act in their interests."
"They are concerned that AI agents may buy the wrong thing or spend too much – or even worse, lose their money to scams and fraud," the paper continues. "They are not sure whether they will be protected or who they will need to go to if things go wrong."
The paper, called Building Trust in Agentic Commerce, was published by Bank of America, Capital One, ASB Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ING Group, and NatWest Group.
Agentic commerce introduces new safety risks, with potential for higher rates of scams, fraud and disputes. There may be mismatched expectations between consumers, AI agents and merchants on what product or service should be provided, or when and how, or who would be liable if an AI agent exceeds its authority. Some providers may engage in unsafe practices, including requesting consumer card details and entering them directly into websites, prioritizing payment methods with lower protections, and not complying with payment processing standards and payment scheme rules. Malicious actors may attempt new attack vectors for scams and fraud, including compromising or impersonating AI agents and merchants, and engaging in new forms of social engineering.
The groups also voiced their concern for merchants and business owners, as the rise of AI shopping chatbots can likely lead to an uptick in credit card disputes and chargebacks due to the actions of the AI agent.
The paper outlines five principles — Transparency, Safety, Privacy & Data, Choice, and Interoperability — which the banks would like to see the AI industry follow.
For example, the financial institutions believe that the AI companies should prioritize consumer and merchant safety and consent when it comes to users' data and privacy. The banks would also like the AI companies to respect consumers' choices in the market without locking them in with restrictions.
The paper's release date certainly had interesting timing. It was released within 24 hours of the reported discovery of a serious zero-day vulnerability within Meta's Muse agentic AI assistant. The paper was also dropped within hours of Amazon's announcement that the e-commerce giant would be blocking Muse from making purchases on its platform.
Not to be outdone by Anthropic, OpenAI is launching a couple of new ChatGPT models on Tuesday.
Mere hours after the launch of Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6 Sol and Luna became available to users, per an OpenAI blog post. These new models are said to provide better accuracy at a more cost-efficient value than prior models. They can also be thought of as less-intensive versions of GPT-6 Astra, which launched earlier in September. OpenAI says Sol and Luna are better for work at different scales than what you might use Astra for.
"We trained GPT‑6 Sol and Luna with similar methods as GPT‑6 Astra, bringing the advances behind Astra’s state-of-the-art performance in professional work, factuality, coding, computer use, and alignment to faster, more affordable models," OpenAI's blog post said.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.If you want to try these new models right now, they're available in Work and Codex for Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Edu customers. Go and Free users can access Luna in the ChatGPT desktop app, but be warned: neither model is available in basic Chat just yet. Here are the prices for the new models, per 1 million tokens:
GPT-6 Sol: $2 input, $10 output
GPT-6 Luna: $0.10 input, $0.50 output
Those prices represent a 50 percent decrease in cost compared to GPT 5.6 Sol and Luna. Meanwhile, OpenAI says GPT-6 Sol and Luna outperform those older models to the tune of making half as many factual errors as before. It's worth noting that the 5.6 variants launched just a few months ago, so that means (if OpenAI is telling the truth) the company was able to cut down on errors by half in just one financial quarter.
If you want hard numbers to back that up, OpenAI says GPT-6 Luna beat the 5.6. release by 5.4 percent, using AutomationBench as a measuring stick, and it did so while costing 58 percent less per task. There are a handful of other benchmarks used in the blog post, and the new GPT-6 models come away looking better than their predecessors in all of them, naturally.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Waymo just announced a new transit rewards program that incentivizes pairing robotaxi rides with public transit.
The transit rewards program is now available to Waymo employees in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it will open to the Bay Area public in a few weeks, according to the Google-owned autonomous rideshare company.
The program requires a Visa credit or debit tap-to-pay card (rival credit card Mastercard already offers transit incentives on most major U.S. systems, many of which already offer tap-to-pay in lieu of transit cards or tokens).
"To participate, riders will link their Visa card in the Waymo app," according to a statement from Waymo. "When riders in the SF Bay Area use their Visa card to take a Waymo trip and public transit within 2 hours of each other, we will automatically issue $2.85 in Waymo Cash, which is the cost of a bus fare in San Francisco." The Waymo Cash is loaded into the app and can be used for future robotaxi rides.
Over two dozen San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies are participating in Waymo's rewards program, according to the company.
In announcing the rewards, Waymo also stated the company is leasing 40 parking spots at stations within the Caltrain commuter system, which covers a wide swath of the Bay Area. Waymo vehicles will occupy the parking spots and be available to take riders from train stations to their destinations.
SEE ALSO: How California's high-speed rail is already helping the planetWaymo says that half of its riders in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix already use transit, and the program will encourage more ridership on buses and trains.
The new rewards program received the blessing of state transportation officials and San José Mayor Matt Mahan.
"San José has always believed innovation should make everyday life work better," Mahan said in a statement. "This partnership does exactly that by using new technology to strengthen public transit, not replace it, making regional travel more seamless and giving people more ways to get where they need to go."
X has introduced a new way for users to be contacted on its messaging service without sharing a phone number or following each other. The company launched X Numbers on Tuesday, giving XChat users a private code they can share with people who need to message or call them without a mutual follow.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.According to X's Help Center, anyone who enters a user's enabled X Number can message them even if the user doesn't follow them or has a closed inbox. Those conversations go straight to the inbox instead of message requests, and the sender can also place calls, depending on the recipient's call settings.
Despite its name, X says an X Number isn't a phone number. It's also separate from the safety numbers Chat uses to verify identities in encrypted conversations.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's SpacexAI faces another lawsuit from child sexual abuse survivorThe feature is optional, and X says users can turn it off or refresh it at any time. Refreshing generates a new code, cutting off new contacts who only have the old one. X notes that people a user has already messaged can see their X Number and may share it with others, though a "Hide from others" setting can prevent that. The company also says users will be notified when someone contacts them through the code.
To set one up, X says users can open Chat, enter their Chat PIN if prompted, open the inbox dropdown menu, and tap "Number."
The launch is the latest step in Elon Musk's long-stated goal of turning X into an "everything app," a vision often compared to China's WeChat, which combines messaging, payments, and other services.
X launched its standalone XChat app on the App Store on April 24, positioning it as a WhatsApp competitor. The app has been pitched on the idea that users already have an X account and a network of contacts, so they don't need to exchange phone numbers. X Numbers extends that approach to people outside a user's existing network.
The company has also moved into payments. X Money went live on July 27, but only for premium subscribers. On Aug. 31, X announced that X Money was available to all Premium and Premium+ subscribers with U.S. accounts. The service isn't yet available to free users.
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It'd be presumptuous to say, but the Silent Hill franchise might be back.
That is to say, if you consider Silent Hill 2 Remake to be a fluke, and Silent Hill f's critical success to be an aberration, then you'd hate to hear that Silent Hill: Townfall — the newest game from Konami and developers Screen Burn Interactive — is also a very good game.
If you're a diehard about the canon of Silent Hill, you're not going to like this. Townfall is the latest installment in the psychological survival horror franchise, and it's the first full game to shift to first-person instead of over-the-shoulder. More importantly, it continues Konami's direction of turning Silent Hill, the franchise, into an anthology series, focused on the vibes of its predecessors rather than continuing to create stories set within the namesake town.
SEE ALSO: The 'Resident Evil: Code Veronica' remake is officially a goThe trend started with the short, not-that-good free-to-play game, The Short Message, which came out in 2024 and was set in a German apartment complex. With the success of Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake, Konami went full gear, making Silent Hill a yearly release with Silent Hill f, which was set in 1960's rural Japan. That brings us to Townfall, set in 1990's Scotland and featuring, to date, Silent Hill's first Black protagonist.
Having played through the game fully twice on PlayStation 5, thanks to an early access code from Konami, I can safely say that Townfall is not only a beautiful game, but it's also in general a good game. Though it may be lacking in enemy variety and is also a victim of third-act padding, Townfall's foray into first-person horror was dreamy, tense, and at times, annoyingly predictable.
Welcome to St. Amelia Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiFor starters, St. Amelia is no Silent Hill. Like f, the next stop in Silent Hill's international tour is the coast of Scotland, in the fictional town of St. Amelia. Set in 1996, you play as Simon Ordell, a Black American who's found himself washed up on the shore of this quaint fishing village, trapped in fog, despite having no connections to the town in the first place.
I'll try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, but Simon is not the only other playable character. For a couple of chapters, you'll also play as Zoe Ellis, a nurse from the local clinic who's harboring severe guilt over not being able to save lives after a mass casualty event rocked the town.
As far as the plot goes, the central mystery of the story, "what happened to the town," dangles enough carrots to keep me interested. Context clues and just using your brain will quickly piece together what did happen, as the game trusts the player to understand without being spoon-fed.
If anything, my biggest gripe is a lack of character development for our main protagonist. Simon's connection and importance to the town is an interesting thread to follow, but Simon himself is as charismatic as a block of wood. Most of Simon's dialogue is him trying to get someone, anyone, to tell him what's going on. His interactions with Zoe also offer nothing, as Zoe is a very muted and introverted person, so she's not much help in Simon's quest.
There's also Richard, a mysterious figure who reaches out to Simon, guiding him to where he needs to be.
Who dressed this man? Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiIt, at times, feels so one-dimensional, and not to rant, I hate the way Simon is designed. For a game set in 1996, Simon is dressed like a 2010s-era hipster. The beanie, sleeveless puffer jacket, and flannel with rolled-up sleeves are the wardrobe of a Funko Pop-collecting IPA enthusiast. Even knowing why he's dressed like that, I hate that of the few Black protagonists in horror gaming, Simon has absolutely no drip.
SEE ALSO: 'Marathon' game hands-on: Bungie builds a rewarding slow burnWhat does have drip (i.e., a better design), is St. Amelia itself. Based on the fishing villages along the coast of Fife in Scotland, the true terror of St. Amelia is not the monsters themselves but the existential crisis that befalls the community at the hands of oil barons. The empty brick-laid stores and abandoned townhouses and duplexes reveal a dying town, and at the center, a mural for those lost by disaster. Townfall is very much about the many, many, many consequences of Thatcherism.
It truly captures the spirit of Silent Hill, even though it's not set in the town or shares any canon with it whatsoever. While the literal "whys" of the Silent Hill franchise have never really made much sense, the "vibes" of Silent Hill are present. It's a daunting task for Screen Burn, but they did a wonderful job in my opinion.
Can Simon "set things right"?Despite my complaints about the plot of Town Hall, the gameplay itself is pretty good. Smooth, performs well, and does a lot of things right in this modern era of Unreal Engine survival horror games.
It seems Screen Burn's first focus was cinematic immersion. Townfall strives to be as diegetic as possible while navigating St. Amelia. Like the Silent Hill 2 remake, opening the map doesn't pause the game, and exploration will translate on the map in terms of locked doors/gates and points of interest.
Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiIn addition, saving your progress requires a visit to the phone, either in a booth or on a landline you find throughout the map. Unlike, say, Resident Evil's typewriter, you have to physically put in the 1-0-0 number on the phone to access the save menu. At first, I was worried this would be tedious, but I got used to it quickly and found it effective at aiding the immersion Screen Burn was looking to achieve.
The star of the show is Simon's CRT monitor. Like the radio, this is how the game alerts you to nearby enemies. The big gameplay change here is that the monitor enables you to see enemies through the screen. This allows you to see enemies through walls, which is helpful; it comes with several caveats. The first is that the screen itself, when locked onto enemies, is visually similar to a Nintendo Virtual Boy. So, while you can see enemies behind objects, as they appear as black figures contrasting against the red screen, it's not helpful in figuring out their actual, physical proximity to you. The second caveat is that you can only lock onto one enemy at a time. In practice, when new enemies appear on screen, you have to manually change the CRT's frequency to lock onto them. However, once you do, you can use L1/R1 buttons to quick switch between them.
It makes the gameplay loop all the more tense, since stealth is crucial. Entering new areas can quickly put you in a panic, as you have to stop to manually find each new enemy's signal while having to mentally keep track of who belongs to what signal, and where, as you explore. And sometimes, they're not that close to you, and other times, an enemy could be moving around, but it turns out they're stuck in a locked room.
Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiZoe functions similarly to Simon, except instead of a portable CRT, she has her pager. It doesn't alert you the same way the monitor does with static clicks, and it can only show the general direction of an enemy, rather than fully see them. Honestly, I think the pager is one, make it fit with Zoe being a nurse, and two, randomly scare the player because the pager makes a loud buzzing sound when it receives a message.
The enemies themselves are fine. There are only two main enemy types, plus a stalker enemy that pursues Simon in certain Otherworld sections. They're well-designed — shambling corpses that seem to suffer from severe burn scarring all across their bodies. One variation has an axe protruding out of its face and runs really fast, and the other one shoots an IV needle at you from range if you try to run away. Engaging with enemies should be your last resort cause they hit hard, and melee combat just kind of sucks in general.
For melee, there's the classic 2x4 plank or the lead pipe, both of which break if used too much. While nothing new, I did appreciate that finding supplies is very location-dependent. When you're rummaging through apartments and homes, you'll generally find health supplies rather than ammo. Planks can be found in the gardens and backyards of said homes, while the lead pipe is generally found within the rusted, industrial iron hell of the Otherworld. It's rare to find ammo anywhere except in little wood boxes left by Richard that you can find through your journey. It's not a big thing, but I did appreciate how the level design was crafted to fit the artificial scarcity inherent to survival horror games.
Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiFor most of the game, you'll only have the revolver, but near the latter parts, you can find the flare gun, which is one shot and highly inaccurate, and the double-barreled shotgun, which you don't get to use until really late in the game.
Shooting your weapon is a bad idea because it will attract every nearby enemy to your location. Plus, even though the creatures don't have eyes, they can still see you, on top of being able to hear you. At extreme difficulty, they'll aggro at the sight of your flashlight as well, which is annoying cause the game is dark as hell. It's a minor nitpick of mine, but having blind enemies being capable of seeing you is dumb.
All in all, the tools present in Townfall are great ideas that elevate what is, for the most part, a standard modern survival horror game.
And, like any survival horror game, it has puzzles. To be quite honest, I found them lacking. Zoe's big puzzle in the hospital was a lot of fun; Simon's puzzles are not. Like its contemporaries, Townfall also suffers from the illness of item-retrieval puzzles set in large areas split into two halves. The first third of the game with Simon and Zoe in the Shorefront of St. Amelia, I think, was the best part of the game, puzzle and exploration-wise. There's so much environmental storytelling in the town that I missed severely when I was stuck in the Otherworld.
Depending on your tolerance and patience towards stealth-focused survival horror, I'd say you're in for a good time. My first playthrough took about 15-16 hours, and that's cause some of the puzzles required some close reading that I am not capable of at times. My second playthrough took 6 hours. I imagine if I played it again, I could finish it in four. Annoyingly, like its predecessors, you're going to have to play the game a second or third time to unlock the "true" ending. It wasn't a feat I could achieve because the requirements are arcane and esoteric. (The behavioral factors needed for SH2's good ending make me want to go insane)
Performance/Presentation Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiIn the 20+ hours I spent with Townfall, I was delighted with how well it performed on PlayStation 5. With games of this standard, I immediately switched to Performance Mode, and the graphical fidelity was still pretty good in my eyes. Townfall can be a pretty game at times, and I'd say the lighting is one of its greatest strengths in terms of presentation.
You should also turn off the black bars as well. Screen Burn really wants to make Townfall a cinematic experience, but it's just kind of jarring. Like, yeah, it makes certain scenes stand out, but I couldn't imagine playing this full 15-hour game in 4:3 aspect ratio.
Another plus is the sound. Produced by acclaimed musician Pilotpriest, the soundtrack is an amalgamation of atmospheric electronic synth that at times feels eerily similar to Stranger Things. It sets a moody, uneasy tone perfect for an environment that feels dreamy and out of time. It's unlike the series' usual industrial grind and heavy guitar tracks, and I imagine the aim is to highlight the contrast between the town's old-English architectural design and the creeping technology being introduced into it.
As stated earlier, almost everything you interact with is diegetic in some way. From entering numbers into the phone to using computers, printers, and even a tape recorder. It's purposeful but subtle in a way that doesn't remove the tension or immersion, and the ambient synth soundtrack brings it all together.
Should you buy Silent Hill: Townfall Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / KonamiIf you're a fan of the current era of survival horror, yes. Townfall is smooth, tense, and pretty, and it performs great on PlayStation 5. St. Amelia is also a wonderful place to get lost in, especially during that first stretch of the game.
Just know what you're getting into. Townfall introduces some new elements, but beneath them lies the standard formula. Personally, that formula can wear on me fast, especially near the end, but that's very plot-dependent. The central mystery of Townfall is engaging and was a driver for me to finish the game (other than having to review it for work), but I found the characters flat and the dialogue to be annoyingly allusive.
Lore and canon truthers should also temper expectations. This is a separate spin-off with nothing to do with the town, the previous games, or their characters, and if that's a dealbreaker, you'll be disappointed. Fans can be tough on anything that strays from the source. Resident Evil diehards already don't like the new movie, even though it was a critical success.
Overall, in terms of good games in 2026, Townfall is one of them. It's not in my top 10 list, but for the genre and series it's a part of, Screen Burn did an excellent job. I expect it to fade from my memory sooner than most. But if someone brings it up in conversation, my first reaction will be "oh, I really liked that game."
Silent Hill: Townfall is available for pre-order now for PS5; it will be available starting Sept. 24.
Opens in a new window Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami 'Silent Hill: Townfall' for PS5 $49.94 at Amazon
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