1. Netflix brings a classic mobile game back to life.

A decade ago, Monument Valley revolutionized mobile gaming by proving that phones could deliver experiences as artful as they were addictive. The game's genius lay in its impossible architecture puzzles inspired by M.C. Escher – where you guide a tiny princess through structures that only make sense if you're willing to completely abandon your relationship with gravity and perspective. It became the iPhone's killer app, the rare mobile game that made you feel smarter, not poorer, and spawned countless imitators but few true rivals.

Now, as part of Netflix's growing gaming empire (yes, Netflix makes games now — your subscription includes access to a surprisingly solid library of mobile titles), Monument Valley 3 is here to mess with its own perfect formula. The team at Ustwo Games has traded in their minimalist roots for something wilder and messier – imagine those iconic geometric towers submerged as water rises through impossible staircases, or sailing across tessellated, mathematically perfect waves. In an era where most mobile games are designed to empty your wallet, Monument Valley remains what it's always been: a sanctuary in your pocket, only now with even more breathtaking water features.

2. When spandex costs $300 million to shine.

Remember when video game marketing was just "look how real this puddle looks"? Well, that puddle now costs $300 million to render. Spider-Man 2's development budget tripled from its predecessor, just so Peter Parker's spandex could have the perfect sheen – and even after selling 11 million copies, developer Insomniac still faced layoffs. Plot twist: the next generation of gamers couldn’t care less about photorealistic graphics.

While the industry's old guard obsessed over making individual raindrops look cinema-worthy, kids were happily building blocky empires in Minecraft and hanging out in Roblox's deliberately lo-fi worlds. The math is getting awkward: studios are spending Hollywood budgets to chase visuals that mostly impress Millennial gamers with $700 PS5 Pros, while the most profitable games literally "run on toasters" (as analyst Matthew Ball puts it).

It's like the industry finally realized they've been making the gaming equivalent of Avatar: stunning to look at, but maybe missing the point of why people play games in the first place – to have fun with friends, not count the individual pebbles in hyperrealistic gravel. Nintendo, meanwhile, is sitting in the corner with their cartoony graphics and billion-dollar smile, wondering what took everyone so long to figure it out.

3. Wahoo! Nintendo gamifies your groggy mornings.

Nintendo, the company that turned plumbers into heroes and mushrooms into power-ups, has now decided to reinvent… the alarm clock. The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo (yes, that's the actual name) is what happens when Nintendo's hardware wizards get bored and start tinkering with bedroom tech. For $99.99, you can now wake up to Mario getting progressively more annoyed at your snoozing habits, or have Link from Breath of the Wild presumably shout "HYAH!" until you finally roll out of bed.

The device uses motion sensors to track your morning reluctance. Swipe to snooze, but be warned: the longer you stay in bed, the "intensity" of your chosen character ramps up. Imagine Bowser's frustration growing as you hit that fifth snooze of the morning. It even tracks your sleep quality, though Nintendo politely notes this feature won't work if you share your bed with anyone (or anything) else—a very Nintendo way of saying "this is for single players only." Coming exclusively to Switch Online subscribers, it's either the most Nintendo thing ever or proof that they've finally run out of things to put Mario's face on. Though let’s be honest—waking up to a "victory fanfare" for getting out of bed might be exactly what we all need in 2025.

Side Note: Speaking of Mario, this whole thing reminded me of a book recommended to me (thanks Josh!) by Simon Rich called Glory Days, narrated by John Mulaney. There’s a hilarious story in there about Mario that’s an absolute must-listen.