The best puzzles to gift in 2023, from space themes to robots and science

2023 has been one of the best years for video game releases in recent memory. While coming into the year we knew we’d be getting highly-anticipated sequels with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, something that defined this year was the blistering pace of great game releases, seemingly every month.

10 best games of 2023: It's been a terrific year for video games. Developers hit their stride on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S consoles, unleashing massive adventures big enough to satisfy gamers for weeks. The Switch is at the end of its lifespan, but Nintendo debuted two spectacular games on its way out. And indie studios held up their end, delivering distinctive takes on classic genres.

Donald Glover is back on TV, but he’s not in Atlanta this time. Instead, he’s teaming up with Maya Erskine to play a pair of spies who are faking a marriage in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The first trailer for the Prime Video reboot arrived on Thursday, and gave us our first look at the show, and the very different tone it takes from the movie it’s inspired by.

The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI is here, finally taking the covers off of Rockstar Games' ambitious open world title. After years of leaks, rumours and speculation, we now finally have concrete official details about GTA 6, its world, characters, and tone. The trailer itself was published hastily ahead of schedule after it was leaked on X on Tuesday. Instead of waiting and putting out the reveal Wednesday at 9am ET (7:30pm IST) — as Rockstar initially planned, the studio released the trailer early Wednesday morning. “Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing on YouTube,” the publisher said in its post on X.

is Bethesda Softworks’ biggest game yet in almost every respect, featuring an unprecedented amount of playable space, an inventive New Game Plus feature, and a record-breaking launch. The game took roughly seven years to complete—typical Bethesda games take around four—and is considered a true passion project on behalf of Bethesda director Todd Howard and the rest of the developers. In December 2023, was reported to see 1.2 million daily players, and had amassed somewhere around 12,000,000 players in total.

Video games, like other art forms, allow you to revel in escapism. But only video games can give you the keys to your dream ride without making you sign for it, then let you tear it around the world’s most scenic raceways. Heck, you can mercilessly cake your ride in mud on challenging rally courses, too.

Penny’s Big Breakaway, an upcoming 3D platformer from several developers behind 2017’s well-received Sonic Mania, is set to release in early 2024. We got another glimpse of the game in action, as well as several of its main characters, in a new trailer shown during the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted.

Pokemon come in all shapes and sizes, some of which resemble the pets we know and love in real life. In fact, we’ve gotten several dog-like Pokemon over the years, which leads Pokemon players to the question… which Pokemon dog is the best dog?

Cyber Monday is here for another round of deals as we close out the Black Friday weekend. Our post is full of all the great deals you can get at various retailers (including the Polygon merch store), along with some new discounts worth checking out. Whether you’re still shopping for toys, board games, or gaming accessories, you’re sure to find something in our roundup of the best Cyber Monday deals.

By Antonio G. Di Benedetto, a writer covering tech deals and The Verge’s Deals newsletter, buying guides, and gift guides. Previously, he spent 15 years in the photography industry.

Black Friday is here, and we’re back with an updated post containing the best, most recent Black Friday deals to launch, as well as plenty of favorites we’ve spotted during the past week and change. There’s a little something for everyone below, whether you’re after toys, hoping to find your next board game obsession, or diving deeper into Magic: The Gathering and D&D. Of course, we’ve got plenty of deals on video games, as well as the latest (or just beloved) films on 4K Blu-ray.

Ridley Scott’s $200 million historical epic Napoleon is the stuff prestige-movie dreams are made of. Spanning 32 years in the French emperor’s life, the 158-minute film blitzes through multiple massive, expensively staged battles, all in order to consider how Napoleon’s marital struggles with his wife Josephine may have shaped French history. But does all this pricey prestige drama live up to the other great Napoleons of media? The Polygon staff takes this kind of question very seriously, so we sat down to consider which media Napoleons matter most.