Disc vs digital games
The real trade-offs between buying games on disc and buying digital — price, resale, storage and what you actually own.
Games & content
Picking games, understanding genres and the terms you meet along the way.
Choosing games
Games with Arabic language
How to check whether a game supports Arabic before you buy, what the different levels of support mean, and where the gaps are.
Video game genres explained
A guide to the main video game genres, what each one actually asks of you, and how to find the type that suits you.
How to choose a game that suits you
How to work out what kind of game you will actually enjoy, and where to check before buying.
The best co-op and couch games
What to look for in games you play with someone in the same room, and how local co-op differs from online.
Game age ratings explained (PEGI)
What PEGI ratings and content icons mean, how they differ from ESRB, and why they are worth reading.
Games you can play offline
Which games work without an internet connection, and what to check before buying.
Learn moreGaming terms
DLC
What DLC is, the different kinds, and whether it is included when you buy the game.
Game editions: Standard, Deluxe, Ultimate
What separates Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate editions, and which one is actually worth buying.
Cross-play
What cross-play means, whether PS5 and Xbox players can play together, and how it differs from cross-progression.
Season pass
What a season pass buys you, how it differs from a battle pass, and when it is worth the money.
GOTY edition
What a Game of the Year edition contains, and why it is often the smartest way to buy an older game.
Remaster vs remake
The difference between a remaster and a remake, and what each one is worth paying for.
Microtransactions
What microtransactions are, the different kinds, and how to stop unwanted in-game purchases.
Learn moreBattle pass
How a battle pass works, what happens when a season ends, and whether it is worth buying.
Learn moreFree-to-play and pay-to-win
What free-to-play means, how these games make money, and where the line into pay-to-win sits.
Learn moreEarly access
What early access means, the risks of buying an unfinished game, and how to judge one.
Learn moreCross-save and cross-progression
What cross-save and cross-progression mean, how they differ from cross-play, and their limits.
Learn moreCross-gen and free upgrades
What cross-gen games are, how free upgrades work, and the traps that stop an upgrade working.
Learn morePing, latency and servers
What ping measures, what counts as good, and the things that actually reduce it.
Learn moreAAA vs indie games
What the labels mean, what each kind does well, and why the middle ground is shrinking.
Learn moreEsports
Competitive gaming as an organised sport, and what it takes to take part.
Learn moreTrophies and achievements
What trophies and achievements are, how the systems differ, and why people chase them.
Learn moreGame genres
Action games
What defines an action game, and the kinds of skill they ask for.
Action-adventure games
What action-adventure games combine, and how they differ from pure action and from RPGs.
RPG (role-playing games)
What makes a game an RPG, the main sub-types, and how long they usually take.
Soulslike games
What makes a game a soulslike, why the difficulty is deliberate, and whether beginners should try one.
FPS (first-person shooters)
What a first-person shooter is, the main styles, and what equipment actually helps.
Battle royale
How battle royale works, why it became so popular, and which of the big ones are free.
Sports games
What sports games offer beyond the sport itself, and which football games people actually play.
Learn moreRacing games
The difference between arcade and simulation racing, and which suits you.
Learn moreFighting games
What fighting games ask of you, and which are the friendliest for beginners.
Learn morePlatformers
What a platformer is, why precision matters, and the classics of the genre.
Learn moreOpen-world games
What open world actually means, why it is a structure rather than a genre, and its trade-offs.
Learn moreSimulation games
What simulation games recreate, the range from serious to relaxing, and who they suit.
Learn moreStrategy games
What strategy games ask of you, and the difference between real-time and turn-based.
Learn moreSurvival horror
What survival horror is, how scarcity creates fear, and what to expect from the genre.
Learn moreParty games
What makes a good party game, and what to look for when buying one for a group.
Learn more