VIDEO GAMES

4. MultiVersus A Smash Bros-like fighting game using memorable Warner Bros characters and IPs? Yes please. MultiVersus is for casuals looking to indulge in wacky 2v2 scraps with everyone from Game of Thrones’ Arya Stark and Space Jam’s LeBron James to Batman and Gizmo from Gremlins.

3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II The much anticipated sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare serves up an action-packed campaign with an unmissable end credits scene for all you MW OGs. The multiplayer also pushes the standard with a less linear battle pass, beefier gunsmith, better camo challenges and more rush-friendly maps.

2. Midnight Fight Express Stylish indies like Hotline Miami, My Friend Pedro and Superhot come to mind when we play this adrenaline-pumping 3D beat ’em up, and that’s a huge compliment. Midnight boasts a ton of replayability and one of the best synthwave video game soundtracks around.

1. God of War Ragnarök The realm-spanning sequel to 2018’s God of War reboot improves upon its predecessor in every way, driving gameplay forward with some of the most exciting boss fights I’ve seen (no shade Elden Ring, but this has Thor), enticing new environments to explore with the arrival of Fimbulwinter and a water-tight script that dives deep beneath the surface of what we think we know about Norse mythology. –Amber Sampson

BOOKS

(Presented alphabetically)

The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li Li spins a beguiling tale of two teenage girls, living in post-World War II France, who conduct a literary scheme to publish a book of macabre vignettes based on their experiences. At its core, the novel deals with friendship, grief and the purpose of storytelling.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh This charming reimagining of a classic Korean folktale (“The Tale of Shim Cheong”) has been favorably compared to Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. Oh, a Las Vegan, tells the story of Mina, who sacrifices herself to the Sea God to help her village and finds herself in the Spirit Realm, “a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts.”

Happy at Any Cost by Kristen Grind & Katherine Sayre Two Wall Street Journal reporters team up to deliver a portrait of Vegas-based tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Tony Hsieh. The chapters weave between his greatest accomplishments and his struggles with mental health and addiction.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The former Nickelodeon star delves into her eating disorder and difficult relationship with her overbearing mother. Tear-jerking at times, amusing at others, it’s a distinctive perspective on what we usually view as glamorous.

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora The poet and activist recounts his harrowing journey as a young boy from his small town in El Salvador to “La USA” to reunite with his parents who left following the Salvadoran Civil War. Narrated by his nine-year-old self, the writing is vivid, endearing and revealing of the realities of migration. –Evelyn Mateos

PODCASTS

5. LA Made Season 1 of this series about “bold Californian innovators” tells the story of Frank Malina, Jack Parsons and their crew, the Caltech-sponsored “Suicide Squad” that pretty much invented the modern aerospace industry. If that sounds dull to you, know that there’s some mind-bendingly weird sex cult stuff involved.

4. Not Lost Brendan Francis Newnam lands in cities unfamiliar to him, such as Montreal, Mexico City and, yes, even Las Vegas, and tries to wander beyond tourist corridors and make new friends. It’s a surprisingly fresh take on travel journalism, and the sound design creates real atmosphere and vibe. It’s not the same as being there, but it’s close.

3. What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law The host of the (still terrific) design podcast 99% Invisible branched out into an exploration of constitutional law shortly after our 45th president began nakedly flouting it. With the invaluable help of his neighbor Elizabeth Joh—the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at the UC Davis School of Law—Mars plots a strong course through America’s ever-thickening legal wilderness.

2. Twenty Thousand Hertz Dallas Taylor’s explorations of “the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds” are always fascinating, even when the sounds in question are anything but. This year the show did a two-parter on the Windows startup noise, and every second of was compelling.

1. City Cast Las Vegas Quick disclosure: One of the hosts of this local news and entertainment podcast, Dayvid Figler, has been a friend and neighbor of mine for years. But that doesn’t change the fact that City Cast Las Vegas, co-hosted by Vogue Robinson, provides an interesting deep dive into Vegas-related topics with every episode, from housing inequality to the city’s favorite sandwich. –Geoff Carter

AMBER SAMPSON (One podcast I loved!)

Spectacle: Las Vegas Local historian and artist Brent Holmes hosts this fascinating deep dive into Las Vegas’ lifestyle and history through the lens of pop culture and America’s ravenous obsession with it. From the Moulin Rouge and Showgirls to the first big Strip residency and the hypermasculinity of The Hangover, this is Vegas like you’ve never heard it before.

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