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On Thursday, Grand Theft Auto fans finally got to see real, official gameplay of GTA VI on Netflix. As far as most are concerned, it lived up to the hype. But there's still the matter of all those leaks.

For about a week leading up to the Netflix trailer, a person or group of people called Cyberleek seemingly had access to a working build of GTA VI and leaked roughly 15 clips and screenshots of the game to the wider internet. The entire time, Cyberleek was letting users vote on what would be leaked next, with votes coming in the form of a cryptocurrency meme coin called $CYBERLEEK.

Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

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Cyberleek has gone quiet since about a day before the Netflix video, and all evidence points to a cash-out. A GTAForums user called Vice Cit (via Kotaku) documented the entire saga, and the latest developments indicate that Cyberleek cashed out to the tune of about $250,000 in crypto earnings, leading $CYBERLEEK to crash. At its zenith, the coin was valued at $0.034, but now it's all the way down at $0.005, a fall of 86 percent.

There are still plenty of unanswered questions here, with the most prominent being how, exactly, Cyberleek got all of that footage to begin with. Based on the gameplay clips, Cyberleek seemed to have a playable version of the game, if only an incomplete one.

But hey, now that we've gotten an official extended look at the game, we can say that at least the game looks good.

SAVE $1,200: As of Aug. 28, the LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV is down to a new best-ever price of $1,499.99 at Amazon. That's 44% in savings. Not to mention, you'll get a free $150 Amazon credit with your purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,499.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,200.00 + get a free $150 Amazon credit Get Deal

Our favorite OLED TV for most people just keeps getting cheaper. We're inching closer to Labor Day, so it makes sense that TV prices are plummeting, but I wasn't expecting this LG TV to drop even further.

As of Aug. 28, the LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV is down to just $1,499.99 at Amazon. That's 44% off its list price of $2,699.99, and another $200 price drop since last week, when it hit an all-time low. But in case that's not enough of a reason to grab it, you'll also get a free $150 Amazon credit with your purchase to sweeten the deal.

SEE ALSO: Home Depot's huge Labor Day sale is now live: Shop the best deals on grills, power tools, and outdoor gear

OLED TVs are notoriously expensive, but the C6 is already what we'd call the "best affordable OLED TV," compared to competitors' prices. With this price drop, it's an outstanding value. Mashable's TV expert raved about its inky black levels, stark contrast, and "generally impeccable image quality" in our roundup of the best TVs of 2026. It also improves on its predecessor in ways that count: higher peak brightness, more vibrant colors, better audio, and a higher refresh rate (165Hz vs. 144Hz).

In a time when everything else is getting more expensive, it's a breath of fresh air to see the LG C6 TV keep dropping in price. If you need a TV upgrade ahead of the new NFL season or want to watch the slate of new TV coming this fall in the best possible quality, it doesn't get much better than this $1,200 discount.

If you love Home Assistant and you love music, then you will almost certainly have tried out Music Assistant. Music Assistant is an open-source music server that lets you play music from a wide range of sources over your different speakers and audio systems and is designed to integrate perfectly with Home Assistant. Music Assistant continues to develop, and there are some awesome things you can do with it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insta360 Insta360 Link 2C Pro $159.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Insta360 Insta360 Link 2 Pro $199.99 at Amazon
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If you’re looking to upgrade your workstation with a new look while also getting the best possible performance from your tech, check out the new-look models from Insta360’s flagship AI 4K webcam series. 

The Insta360 Link 2 Pro and Link 2C Pro are now available in arctic white, designed specifically for modern-looking workspaces and creator setups. The Insta360 Link 2 Pro is now available at Amazon for $199.99, and the Link 2C Pro is priced at $159.99.

These cameras may have a new look, but Insta360, which is the world’s best-selling 360 camera brand, has approached the camera technology with a “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kinda attitude, meaning the Link 2 Pro and Link 2C Pro have retained all the features and specs while offering upgrades via the software ecosystem.

Both versions of the Link 2 Pro are built around a large 1/1.3-inch sensor that’s built to capture natural, highly-detailed, professional-level 4K video wherever you are — it’s particularly good if you create content or take video meetings on-the-go, and you can’t always be sure of the lighting. These cameras are built to deliver strong low-light performance.

They also boast AI-assisted features, including AI-powered noise reduction. The Link 2 Pro also has AI tracking that follows you as you move, always keeping you framed to maintain a balanced, professional perspective as you talk or present. The Link 2C Pro, meanwhile, has a fixed-body design but also features Auto Framing for both solo and group presentations.

You can also access various creative tools through Insta360’s software ecosystem, which continues to evolve. Available tools include virtual backgrounds, a smart whiteboard, an all-new teleprompter for notes and talking points, and custom overlays that can add text, images, and video to your presentations and meetings. And the Insta360 InSight tool uses AI to transcribe and write-up summaries of meetings.

Get the Insta360 Link 2 Pro for $199.99 and Insta360 Link 2C Pro for $159.99 at Amazon now.

Google and Amazon are particularly good at selling the smart home vision, but these platforms have some big drawbacks, too. Consider switching to or starting out with a more capable and reliable alternative, which will save you money and frustration in the long run.

Long gone are the days when learning Linux meant coping with the steepest of learning curves. Today, a distro like Ubuntu or Mint makes picking up Linux just as easy as Windows or macOS.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Fenix 9 $999.99 at Garmin
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Fenix 9 Pro $1,099.99 at Garmin
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Garmin's lineup of fitness trackers just got bigger and more impressive. The Garmin Fenix 9 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro are the brand's latest offerings, designed to help us "play harder." Launched via an in-depth YouTube video, the new lineup features a thinner design, better durability, a built-in flashlight, and a few new features that'll appeal to fitness fanatics.

The Garmin Fenix 9 and both the standard and solar versions of the Fenix 9 Pro are available to buy from Aug. 28. Here's a breakdown of features and details to consider before you buy.

Key features of the Garmin Fenix 9

With each new model, we're always looking for the key differences compared to the previous model. In this case, Garmin made the Fenix 9 slimmer and more durable, without adding much weight at all. Garmin Epic is new to the upgraded Fenix 9 family. The feature allows you to group activities into a single story rather than as individual activities. Consider a multi-day hike or a 100-mile bike ride split into two days. Garmin can now group these activities to give you a broader overview of the adventure, including sleep data, mileage, and the event's impact on endurance and stamina.

The Fenix 9 lineup features better mapping and navigational tools. Credit: Garmin

Garmin also noted that many of us have developed a special liking for rowing, especially those training for Hyrox. To meet this demand, Garmin incorporated improved performance data for rowing. For those heading out on the trail, Garmin added more intuitive routable maps.

The standard Garmin Fenix 9 can get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and will launch with a list price of $999.99 on Aug. 28.

Key features of the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar

To clear things up right away, both the Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar are identical in specs except for the solar recharging. One of the coolest things about this is that Garmin isn't charging us more for the solar-powered Pro option. Both the Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar will cost $1,099.99 in the 47mm sizes and $1,199.99 in the larger 51mm size.

Compared to the standard Garmin Fenix 9, the Pro and Pro Solar have a brighter screen and an LED flashlight onboard that can illuminate in dimmable white, green, or red. The Fenix 9 can only display in dimmable white. The Pro and Pro Solar are also one gram lighter than the Fenix 9, and slightly thinner.

The latest models in Garmin's product offerings: The Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro Credit: Garmin

The Pro also has a larger battery, and Garmin says it can last up to 18 days in smartwatch mode. Of course, the Fenix 9 Pro Solar has a solar-charging lens that can earn you up to 34 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

In addition to these physical features, the Pro and Pro Solar also come with the tech and fitness-tracking upgrades mentioned above for the Garmin Fenix 9, such as more advanced rowing performance data, the ability to group activities with Garmin Epic, an endurance score, and better stamina tracking.

How to buy the Garmin Fenix 9 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro

Garmin officially announced this new lineup on Aug. 25, but shoppers had to wait a few days before they could place orders.

The Garmin website now lists these models as available to buy. We'll keep an eye on availability at Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. We have a feeling we'll see more retailers add these new Garmin models now that they're available for purchase.

Buddy might feature a bright orange unicorn on educational TV, but it's the furthest thing from a kid's movie. Imagine if Barney snapped on the set of his show and went full Ghostface from Scream. That's essentially what happens in Buddy, Casper Kelly's new horror comedy about the dark side of children's television.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're Gen Z.

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.

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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.

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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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 August 28, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: "Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

• Green: Front to back

• Blue: Gen Z slang

• Purple: At the peak

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Bedtime parting words

• Green: Palindromes

• Blue: Modern add-ons/combining forms

• Purple: Top of the ___

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 #1174 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Bedtime parting words: NIGHT, REST EASY, SLEEP TIGHT, SWEET DREAMS

• Palindromes: MOM, NOON, SIS, TOP SPOT

• Modern add-ons/combining forms: BRO, CODED, ERA, MAXXING

• Top of the ___: HOUR, LINE, MORNING, POPS

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 today's Connections.

As one of the true OGs of online dating, AdultFriendFinder has a sizeable community of singles and non-monogamous users looking for steamy fun. But that doesn’t mean using the site is necessarily straightforward. In fact, AFF, as its users call it, has been online for so long that its web interface can feel dated and counterintuitive, with key features requiring you to navigate a whole manner of menus and sub-menus. 

Making the most of AFF means a certain amount of trial and error, or at least some guidance from someone with an intimate knowledge of the spicy hookup platform.

That's why we've outlined four essential tips below to get you up and running on AFF and help connect with more people for more kink-filled fun. That said, it also helps to keep an open mind about it all. If you enter AFF with a narrow idea of exactly what you want, you'll likely be disappointed. But if you start your search with an open-minded curiosity and just go along for the ride (pun very much intended), you can discover new things about yourself — and maybe even your pleasure points — in the process.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More

Here are four essential steps for getting the most out of your AdultFriendFinder experience:

Fill out your full AFF profile 

Sure, this is an obvious step with any and every online dating service, but it’s even more important on AFF because the site doesn’t entirely rely on a carousel-style presentation of dating profiles like other apps. Everything from your age to your gender to your sexuality to your list of personal kinks can help make you more discoverable to other AFF members, so the less you fill out, the harder it is for the site to make your profile discoverable. 

This is true even if your personal kink list is short or leans towards the conventional, or if it’s long and girthy and leans towards the exotic; trust us when we say there are people out there who are looking for the very same quirks and kinks and sexuality specifics, so it's worth taking your time to be specific and details. It will pay off in the long run.

SEE ALSO: Is Hinge really 'designed to be deleted'? I tested it to find out.

Also, don’t sleep on videos. Unlike many dating sites that allow only profile pictures, AFF permits its members to upload short videos to their profiles. This is a fantastic way of showing others that you’re a real person — as opposed to a bot, which you'll find plenty of on AFF — and also helps you show off some personality. Just be wary of putting nude content upfront in your profile. You can do this if you wish, of course — AFF is all about the NSFW content — but putting that kind of content out there does raise privacy issues.

Verify your AFF account as soon as possible

AdultFriendFinder throws up very few barriers when you're creating your account. That makes it very easy for anyone to join, but it also means there is a huge amount of spam and bots clogging up the platform. To combat this, they’ve also created a profile verification system using the Confirm ID service. 

It requires you to share government ID for cast-iron verification, but the benefits to your profile will give you major peace of mind. It means photo authentication, age confirmation, and location verification, all of which help others trust that your profile is authentic. When the process is complete, you'll see a blue checkmark beneath your profile photo, just to the right of your username, which helps people identify your profile at a glance and boosts your visibility in search results, as search results prioritize verified users.

Be selective with your search criteria

If you use the site’s search function, you’ll find that you can be extremely specific and selective. And if you know exactly who and what you want, by all means, narrow your search, but if you’re on AFF to be surprised, it’s also worth being less selective from time to time.

For example, if you know you want an in-person date for next week, it obviously makes sense to narrow your location search to people who live near you. But what if you don’t know exactly what you want, or if you’re open to a sultry chat with a stranger half a world away? In that case, distance is irrelevant, and you should consider turning that filter off.

SEE ALSO: All your Tinder questions, answered

On the other hand, there are quite a few filters that are turned off by default that we actually recommend you turn on. For example, the default profile filter shows you all people who have bothered to upload photos, but while that’s a good start, it’s not enough to help you wade through the huge number of users. We strongly recommend narrowing it down to Verified/Confirmed users, since those people all proved their identity the same way you did (see above). That way, you can trust that your search results and potential connections are 100 percent legit. It's another means of filtering out the spam.

Another useful filter is the Last Visit, which by default is set to "All." We recommend specifying accounts that have been active within the last month. That's because lots of people sign up to AFF then never bother checking back in. Other users go inactive for weeks or even months at a time. If you stick with the default "All" setting, you risk messaging accounts that you might never get a reply from.

Explore the live-chat communities

AdultFriendFinder isn’t a traditional dating website, so don't use it like one. The search-and-swipe dating app method is tried and true, but it’s also a bit played out, and one of AFF’s biggest strengths is its larger community offerings. There's more to it than swiping — or should we say swinging? — left or right.

There are lots of forums to explore, all based around common interests (though you should know that some of these interests — or kinks — are not so common), or you can venture into a user’s livestream and interact with them and others there. AFF even has a dedicated Stories section, where users can share their memories or try their hand at writing erotica. That's all well and good for anyone with a knack for the written word, but if you're more visual, you can set up a webcam stream and invite others to tune in. 

For all of the above, AFF tracks not only which stories/streams/group chats are new but also which are trending, making it very easy to jump into a popular discussion or keep up with the latest site news.

Upgrade your AFF membership tier

As with other dating sites and apps, you only get the most out of AFF when you sign up for a paid membership. It is entirely possible to use AFF and interact without handing over your credit card information, but the site’s best features and functions are paywalled. And it has to be said that the advantages — visibility, communication options, and site functionality are all just too good to ignore.

Gold and VIP members receive special icons on their profiles, and these profiles are given priority in every search, regardless of the criteria. Because there are thousands of potential profile options for almost every search criterion that isn’t location-based, it’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd on AFF as a free user.

Additionally, if you fork out for the upgraded VIP membership, you’ll unlock an entire section dedicated exclusively to VIPs. It's the dating site equivalent of entering the velvet-roped area of a night club; you'll find the most glamorous people hiding there. VIP members even get additional points to spend on digital gifts or lavish on live streamers who catch your eye. This is another great way of standing out from the crowd. 

The learning curve on AdultFriendFinder is steeper than most other dating sites, and much steeper than most dating apps, but if you follow the above tips and you're willing to experiment, you’ll encounter more than a few fun and sexy surprises along the way. 

One of the things I appreciate about Samsung is that it’s stuck with the same charging puck for several generations of Galaxy Watch. That being said, the charger itself isn’t my favorite. My watch tends to easily slide off, but I found a very simple fix.

SAVE $250: As of Aug. 28, Roborock's new Qrevo 2 Pro robot vacuum and mop is available for $549.99, down from $799.99 — a 68% discount that runs through Sept. 6.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop $549.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $250   Get Deal

Roborock's newest robot vacuum is already discounted at launch. The Qrevo 2 Pro is arriving in the U.S. on Aug. 28. For a limited window (through Sept. 6), it's priced at $549.99. That's a $250 cut off its $799.99 list price.

Roborock is promising "flagship-level performance" without the flagship price tag. The Qrevo 2 Pro runs at 25,000 Pa of suction, strong enough to lift dust, pet hair, and ground-in dirt from both hardwood and carpet. It automatically increases suction power when it detects carpet.

For pet hair, Roborock built in two brushes that work together: a side brush that guides hair inward, and a hybrid rubber-and-bristle main brush designed to resist wrapping hair around itself. That means less time spent manually clearing hair out of the brush roll. It also covers edges and corners better than most robot vacuums. An arm extends out to clean within about 2mm of walls, and the side brush reverses direction in corners to sweep deeper.

For homes with mixed flooring, it handles vacuum-to-mop transitions automatically. Before vacuuming carpet, it detaches and lifts its mop pad out of the way to avoid getting carpet wet, then reattaches once it's back on hard floors. The dock handles maintenance on its own — emptying the dustbin, refilling the water tank, washing the mop pad in 149°F water, and drying it with warm air. A soaking mode in the tray tackles tougher grime.

Grab the Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro at Amazon before the discount ends.

Your bookmarks say a lot about you—mostly that you're optimistic enough to believe you'll revisit that article from 2021. I was the same, hoarding a pile of "I'll read this later" links that never saw daylight. Then I finally organized them, and it was surprisingly freeing. A few simple habits turned that cluttered list into something I actually enjoy using.

The Mashable Big Guessing Game is back again for our third and final round. In the first round, we tried to guess the new name of macOS (only one person correctly predicted "Golden Gate"), and in the second round, we tried to predict whether a foldable iPhone or touchscreen Mac is coming this year (we still don't know!)

Credit: Mashable

In our last round of the contest, we're focusing on the expected Apple event in September, where we expect to see a full new lineup of iPhone models, including the highly anticipated foldable iPhone. Will new CEO John Ternus appear on the roof of Apple Park? How much will the latest and greatest version of the iPhone Pro Max cost? If there is a foldable iPhone, what will Apple name it?

Make your predictions for September with five quick guesses, then sit back and watch the event to see how many you get right. Each correct guess earns you an additional chance of winning the grand prize, the latest edition of the new Apple Watch.

This final round of contest questions will run until 11:59 p.m. PT on Sept. 1.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 pm ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://www.mashable.com/article/mashable-big-guessing-game-apple-edition-official-contest-rules/. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc.

If you’re building a homelab, the price can quickly add up. Though there are bargains to be had in the form of second-hand mini PCs and salvaged drives, if you have a 3D printer you can save even more money by making your own components where possible.

The only thing more explosive than a Looney Tunes movie, is when the cast plays Choose Your Squad. The stars of Coyote vs. Acme, Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor, joined Mashable Executive Producer, Mark Stetson to compete in a game of ultimate Looney Tunes domination.

Mimicking the plot of the film, the three hilarious actors compete to create the best crew of classic Looney Tunes characters to take down a corporate 'big bad' like Acme.

Who will have the best squad? How many times are Will and Lana going to steal John Cena's next pick? And will any of them survive the madness that is Choose Your Squad?

Coyote vs. Acme is now in theaters.

My home server runs more than a dozen services I use regularly for work and for my personal life. Wake-on-LAN is great when it works, but it isn't foolproof. Sometimes a BIOS update breaks your settings, the network card gets put to sleep, or the PC is completely offline. When WOL fails, someone has to physically push the power button on the PC. If I'm away from home, that can be a problem.

Windows 11 is rife with features enabled by default that you'd be better off disabling. While some degrade the experience of using the most popular desktop operating system in the world, and others take up precious resources and can have a negative effect on performance, there are a few that simply have no place in Windows anymore and that no one should have enabled in this day and age.

Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

Apple has news to “surprise” us on Sept 9, but what do you mean there’s a new Mac Mini with M6 chip suddenly on sale? Don’t count on a typical September from Apple. Bridget Carey explains why Apple couldn’t wait on new Macs, but we keep waiting for the big iPhone event. Tim Cook’s final week as Apple CEO is full of unexpected news: Walmart is finally accepting Apple Pay.

Need a new mystery series? South Korean thriller Mousetrap has landed on Netflix, an unsettling, high-octane careen into the world of "identity laundering."

Based on the 2017 Kakao Webtoon Field Mouse by Ludovico, the series sees incognito novelist Je Moon-jae (Reply 1988's Ryu Jun-yeol) finding his identity completely stolen. The understandably panicked writer must figure out why a mysterious figure known as "The Rat" has done such a thing, and how he can possibly get his life back.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg for this mind-bending thriller, directed by Kim Hong-sun (Project Wolf Hunting) and written by Lee Jae-gon (A Model Family), which twists and turns through the streets of Seoul and into the past.

SEE ALSO: 26 of the best mystery movies on Netflix for you to solve What is Mousetrap about? Ryu Jun-yeol as Je Moon-jae in "Mousetrap." Credit: Yoo Eun-mi / Netflix

Identity theft is a real nightmare, and in Mousetrap, it's on a whole new level.

Imagine waking up one day and someone has stolen your identity. You can't open your phone or bank account with your own fingerprint. People are in your apartment, having bought it from someone posing as you. You have no medical records, no ID, nothing left to prove you're you — because they're all assigned to someone else. 

That's the plight of Moon-jae, a popular, enigmatic author who keeps his identity secret, which backfires on him in the most life-altering way possible. Following his parents' tragic death, Moon-jae has become a recluse, with his literary success seeing him holed up in his high-tech, luxurious apartment for years. Every day, he follows the same routine, suppresses the same panic attack, experiences the same nightmare. Through his floor-to-ceiling glass walls, he watches people go through their daily motions on the street — the postal deliveries, the food vendors — with his only real connection to the outside world his friend, accountant Son Su-hyeon (The Tyrant's Moo Jin-sung).

In one day, it's all taken from him, as his identity is hijacked. His high school friends don't recognise him, and he's got no ID in the world. And for reasons that will become clear, he finds himself on the run from loan shark Kim Yeong-geun aka No-ja (Peppermint Candy star Sul Kyung-gu) and searching for a cryptic figure known as The Rat who holds all the answers.

Featured Video For You 'No Other Choice' skewers the job market. Here's why Park Chan-wook made it. Mousetrap weaves its mystery through multiple storylines Sul Kyung-gu as No-ja in "Mousetrap." Credit: Yoo Eun-mi / Netflix

Where Moon-jae begins his quest for the truth is only the jumping off point, as the series pulls multiple threads into a compelling mystery about the seriousness of identity fraud.

Investigating a separate crime of suspected murder, we meet hardened detective Park Sun-yong (All of Us Are Dead's Lee Kyu-hyung), who receives an anonymous tip that leads him into the paths of Moon-jae, No-ja, and Su-hyeon. Bodies keep turning up without ID, no fingerprint matches, no way to identify them, and Sun-yong wants to crack this case wide open. Meanwhile, a trio of hit men watches it all play out. And behind it all, the Rat stays one step ahead, watching from the shadows and tracking their every move.

Ryu's performance in Mousetrap sees him pushed to the limit, playing two sides of the same coin. As Moon-jae, his increasing anxiety and helplessness are rendered with raw authenticity. Brilliant special effects and surreal production design bolster Moon-jae's sense of agoraphobia, his suppressed trauma realised in his tempestuous connection to public space. As the series moves back and forth through time to build out character perspectives, we get the sense that Moon-jae might actually have all the answers he needs. Meanwhile, Sul makes for a show highlight as the no-nonsense loan shark, who expertly finds this dark show's moments of levity.

Mousetrap's one fault? Its lack of female characters, with women essentially limited to one-line scenes, some even remaining off-screen for them, with the exception being publishing house editor-in-chief Han Ji-hye (The Call's Lee El) who arrives halfway through the series.

Mousetrap is a triumph of action and thumping techno Moon-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol) wants answers. Credit: Yoo Eun-mi / Netflix

If you've come for the mystery, stay for the action — and the outlandish amount of techno fuelling the score. With Moon-jae, No-ja, and Sun-young on the road looking for their own truths, Mousetrap executes some serious action sequences, from high-speed chases across Seoul's Han River to police hunts through suburbia brilliantly filmed overhead, to a brutal hand-to-hand fight scene in a makeshift operating theatre. With a slick, illustrated opening credit sequence, the series honours its Webtoon basis, while pushing the action further than the page.

Over 10 episodes, Mousetrap is technically a limited series — most Korean series can range up to 20+ episodes. However, the series doesn't feel rushed, instead taking its time to build a chilling picture of identity theft through well-crafted mystery, high octane action, and solid twists.

Mousetrap is now streaming on Netflix.