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Many modern routers give you the option to create more than one Wi-Fi network, such as a main network and a guest network. The most obvious reason to do so is for security, but that's not the only reason why I run two Wi-Fi networks in my home.

SAVE UP TO $25.01: A Parade of Horribles: Dungeon Crawler Carl book 8 by Matt Dinniman is on sale at Amazon for $6.99 in the Kindle version and $23 in the hardback version. The book releases tomorrow, May 12.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ace 'A Parade of Horribles: Dungeon Crawler Carl' book 8 $6.99 at Amazon
$32 Save $25.01   Pre-order Here

We've missed Princess Donut, Mongo, calling for Zev, and reading about Carl's bare feet. But that's all coming back to us tomorrow when A Parade of Horribles, the 8th book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series launches. If you can't wait to dive in, check out these pre-order discounts at Amazon.

As of May 11, the Kindle version of A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman is on sale at Amazon for $6.99, down from the standard price of $32. The hardback version is on sale for $23, also down from $32. The book launches tomorrow, May 12.

In a time when everything seems weird and worrying in the real world, Matt Dinniman is giving us 766 pages of adventure fiction. What snippy things will get Donut say to get in trouble this time? What trickery will Carl come up with just when we think he'll surely die? We cannot wait to find out. A Paraded of Horribles marks the 8th book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.

SEE ALSO: The Kobo Clara Colour is an awesome alternative to Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite

If you're not in a hurry to snag a physical copy of the book, you can order a signed hardback copy from an independent bookstore in Dinniman's home town of Gig Harbor, Wash. Invitation Bookshop notes that signed copies are delayed but will be on their way as soon as Dinniman can sign them. My plan is to read the Kindle version when it releases tomorrow and wait for the signed physical version to arrive for my bookshelf. The signed copy is selling for the standard hardcover retail price of $32.

Get back into the wonderful, deranged, and lovable journey with Carl, Donut, Mongo, and the others when A Parade of Horribles releases on May 12. It's a terrific escape from our current terrors and it's on a major sale at Amazon.

Microsoft is concerned enough about the MacBook Neo that it has commissioned a white paper to put Windows 11 PCs in a better light. While the study does raise some valid points, there are also concerns about its methods — and what it says about Microsoft's fears about Apple.

Save 44%: The Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds are on sale for just $99.99 as a Best Buy deal of the day. That means come May 12, this $80 markdown on the usually $179.99 earbuds is over.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Sleep A20 $99.99 at Best Buy
$179.99 Save $80.00   Get Deal

I do not play about my sleep, which is one of the reasons why as a headphones reviewer, I have put all the most popular sleep earbuds to the test.

After a few rounds of testing, the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds remain some of the best I've tried, and as of May 11, they're on sale for one of their lowest prices ever. Thanks to a Best Buy deal of the day, they dropped down to $99.99, making them $80 cheaper than their usual $179.99. As a deal of the day, however, these savings will be gone come tomorrow, so if you're interested, you'll want to act sooner rather than later.

Though I consider the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds the best option for sleep earbuds overall due to their combination of comfort and active noise cancellation, if you can live without ANC, the Sleep A20 are a much more cost effective option, especially at this sale price. (At the time of writing the Sleep A30 Special earbuds are only available for their full price of $199.99). I trust their efficacy so much that I picked them up on sale last Black Friday as a Christmas present for my dad, who was formerly using his AirPods to help him fall asleep while managing his tinnitus.

SEE ALSO: Ozlo Sleepbuds review: Can earbuds really improve your sleep?

With the Sleep A20 earbuds, you'll get 14 hours of battery life per charge with a case that can hold 80 hours of charge, a robust sleep sound library and the ability to stream your own audio with timers for falling asleep, and sleep tracking data. Even without ANC, they offer an impressively good amount of passive noise cancellation — especially if you're streaming audio. For noisy nights or travel (reminder: Memorial Day Weekend is just two weeks away), these earbuds can change the game in offering you reliably soundproofed sleep.

At some point, every productivity system runs into the same wall—it only works if you remember to check it. Notion doesn’t yell at you, Asana doesn’t follow you around, and your calendar reminders are easy to dismiss.

I have been plotting and planning to adopt a dog for years, and at the end of 2025, it finally happened. Now our sweet pitbull beagle mix, Milly, has come home and joined the family. While I grew up with dogs, this is my first time owning a dog as an adult, which meant starting from scratch and dropping a lot of money on everything I needed — or thought I needed.

The Lesure dog bed, might just be Milly's favorite spot in the house. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Luckily, with six months of dog ownership under my belt, I've figured out the absolute essentials — things we use every day. With Amazon Pet Week running from May 11 through 15, I wanted to share my dog essentials. These are the things I would buy over and over again that both Milly and I love.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Pet Days is live: Everything you need to know about 'Prime Day for pets' Lesure Donut Dog Bed Lesure Donut Dog Bed $45.99 at Amazon
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This wasn't the first dog bed we got for Milly, but the Lesure dog bed is absolutely her favorite — she tried to lie on it before it was even fully put together. The outside of the bed is so soft, but the donut shape makes it extremely cozy. It has a sort of ingenius two part design with two cushions that are inserted into the cover to make that donut shape. That also makes it exceptionally easy to clean. Once it starts to smell a little...doggy, I can just toss it in the wash to get it feeling fresh again.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today!

MidWest Homes 36-inch Double Door Dog Crate MidWest Homes 36-inch Double Door Dog Crate $61.93 at Amazon
$65.99 Save $4.06   Get Deal at Amazon

Luckily, Milly came to us crate-trained. This girl loves her crate and sleeps easily through the night in it. During Black Friday, I picked up the MidWest Homes 36-inch Double Door Dog Crate, and it's great. It was so easy to set up and can fold down easily if we want to travel with it. I love the double doors situation that allows us to angle it however we need.

Max and Neo Dog Collar Max and Neo Martingale Collar $17.99 at Amazon
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As a first-time dog owner, it's safe to say I have a little bit of new parent anxiety. Luckily, Milly's foster sent us home with a Max and Neo Martingale collar, which I would purchase with my own money if I had to do it again. A martingale collar has a special mechanism that tightens it when your dog pulls, so it's less likely that your dog can slip out of the collar. Plus, I love that it has a lock on the buckle for extra security.

AirTag and collar holder Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag $29 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Goody Products Goody Products AirTag Holder $14.96 at Amazon
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If the worst were to happen and we got lost from Milly, we wanted some way to track her. We decided to get an AirTag as it was an affordable, easy-to-use option. Since we live in a city, the AirTag is fairly accurate and reliable, though if we lived in the suburbs or country, we might consider a GPS collar. The AirTag has been great so far, and we keep it attached to Milly's collar with an AirTag holder.

SEE ALSO: Should you get an AirTag or a GPS tracker for your dog? Experts weigh in. The Buddy System Dog Leash The Buddy System Hands Free Dog Leash $24.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

When adopting Milly, we were recommended to get a runner's belt. We tried a few options, but our favorite is from The Buddy System, which has inclusive sizing and easily converts to a handheld leash. My favorite feature is the tab to clip our treat pouch and poop bag holder.

Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags Earth Rated Poop Bags $24.69 at Amazon
$25.99 Save $1.30   Shop Now at Amazon

I know it is not glamorous or the most exciting thing to buy during a sale, but without fail, the thing you will use every day as a dog owner is poop bags. There are a ton out there, but Earth Rated seems to be the most popular (245K+ reviews on Amazon) for good reason. I like them because they come in a pack of 600, so I don't have to think about buying them for months at a time.

Upsky No Spill Water Bowl Upsky No Spill Water Bowl $15.99 at Amazon
$17.99 Save $2.00   Shop Now at Amazon

We bought the Upsky No Spill Water Bowl after dog sitting for our friends who had one. It is awesome for messy drinkers as the disk on top keeps just a little water exposed. The unexpected upside? Our cats love drinking from it, too.

Woof Pupsicle Woof Pupsicle $23.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $6   Shop Now at Amazon

If you have an active dog with high enrichment needs, you need a Woof Pupsicle. The inside frozen treat keeps dogs active for at least 15 minutes, plus, you can make your own treat with the included mold. Milly loves her so much that we give her one at every meal.

Pawz Rubber Boots Pawz Rubber Boots $21.49 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

I never thought I'd be someone who puts little boots on their dog, but then winter came, and Milly was limping from all the salt on her paws. While the Pawz rubber boots aren't the fanciest booties you can find online, they're cheap and easy to put on. Plus, I find they give much better paw mobility. They're not just for winter either, as they can protect paws against hot pavement.

Zuke's Mini Treats Zuke's Mini Treats $13.20 at Amazon
$16.99 Save $3.79   Shop Now at Amazon

My family has been buying Zuke's for almost two decades, so when I got a dog of my own, they were the first treats I bought. They're tiny, so you can fit a lot of them in a treat pouch, low-calorie, and based on my dog's reaction to them, very tasty. The only downside is they do tend to dry out fast.

Whimzees Dental Treats Opens in a new window Credit: Wellness Whimzees Natural Dental Treats $43.80 at Amazon
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After our daily walk, Milly goes straight to the treat cabinet for her dental treat. We get the Whimzees natural dog treats, which she loves. The variety box is the best value, especially since we give them to her daily. Plus, we've genuinely noticed a difference in her breath, which, to put it kindly, was exceptionally stinky.

Earth Rated Dog Shampoo Earth Rated Dog Shampoo $14.53 at Amazon
$16.99 Save $2.46   Shop Now at Amazon

Speaking of stinky, the transition from winter to fall is better known as mud season where I live, and Milly made the most of it. This resulted in her least favorite activity, the bath. Earth Rated 3-in-1 dog shampoo has worked extremely well for us. I love the white tea and basil scent, plus its easy squeeze bottle design is clutch for easy dispensing. It rinses easily and actually deodorizes when Milly starts to smell like dog.

Earth Rated Pet Wipes Earth Rated Pet Wipes $29.92 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $5.07   Shop Now at Amazon

For both mine and Milly's sanity, a bath can't happen every day, so for the in-between days, pet wipes come in handy. They do a great job cleaning paws and eyes, but they even get off mud or slush after a big walk outside.

Vehicle dashboards have changed, moving from basic analog gauges to digital hubs that work much like your smartphone. Android Auto is at the center of this shift, as it's meant to connect your digital life to your driving experience. As the interface gets more features, it gets harder to tell the difference between useful help and dangerous distractions.

The best deals in Saatva's Memorial Day Sale 2026: Best budget pick Saatva Classic Mattress (Queen) $1,529 (save $650) Get Deal Best bundle deal Saatva Classic Bundle (Queen) $2,148 (save $680) Get Deal Best for back pain Saatva Rx Mattress (Queen) $2,799 (save $650) Get Deal

Buying a new mattress is a hassle. There are so many options, and if you're not already in love with your current mattress (and just looking for a replacement), finding one that's just right can feel overwhelming — especially if there isn't a brick-and-mortar store nearby. Plus, mattresses are expensive. I mean, spending thousands on a mattress in this economy? Hard pass.

SEE ALSO: I've sucked at sleeping for a decade. The Hatch Restore 3 makes bedtime feel less chaotic, but it's not a cure-all.

Fortunately, I've already found the perfect mattress brand for you. Enter: Saatva. Yes, I know they're known for luxe mattresses, but don't let that deter you. (I used to exclusively buy from Purple until I tried a Saatva, and now I'm never going back.) The brand's throwing an early Memorial Day Sale, and the deals are unbeatable for what you're getting.

Right now, Saatva is giving customers $650 off any order of $1,500 or more. There aren't any promo codes or hoops to jump through; the discount is just applied at checkout.

If you're ready to replace your old mattress, here are the best deals to shop during Saatva's early Memorial Day Sale:

Best budget pick Opens in a new window Credit: Saatva Saatva Classic Mattress (Queen) $1,529 at Saatva
$2,179 Save $650   Get Deal Why we like it

Saatva isn't a "budget" brand by any means, but the most affordable option in the sale is the Saatva Classic. This mattress is listed on the site as "America's best-selling online luxury innerspring." It's also won countless awards and, according to Saatva, is the "official mattress and restorative sleep provider of Team USA." (If it's good enough for an Olympian to sleep on, it's definitely good enough for me.)

Best bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Saatva Saatva Classic Bundle (Queen) $2,148 at Saatva
$2,828 Save $680   Get Deal Why we like it

If you need a "whole package deal" (e.g., a mattress, mattress pad, and frame), the Classic Bundle is the way to go. It comes with a Saatva Classic Mattress (the pick above), one foundation, one universal frame, and one signature mattress pad — and you can get it all for less than $3,000.

Best for back pain Opens in a new window Credit: Saatva Saatva Rx Mattress (Queen) $2,799 at Saatva
$3,449 Save $650   Get Deal Why we like it

If you suffer from chronic back pain (hi, it's me), then you need the Saatva Rx. As a person with endometriosis, I have severe back pain that keeps me awake throughout the night, so what I sleep on really matters. I recently got this mattress (just this week, actually), and I couldn't be more impressed. It's the first mattress specially designed for people with chronic back pain and joint conditions, and so far, I have zero complaints.

I'm a huge GPU enthusiast, so I may be slightly biased, but I dare say that this is a factual statement regardless of my own bias: You don't need to be a gamer in order to have some uses for a GPU. And I don't just mean all the high-end AI shenanigans that have made the RTX 5090 cost $5,800 just a couple of months ago.

Save up to 36% on the Hisense U6 Pro: 55-inch Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $648.99 (save $201) Get Deal 65-inch Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $748.99 (save $351) Get Deal 75-inch Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $898.99 (save $501) Get Deal 85-inch Hisense U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $1,299.99 (save $700) Get Deal 100-inch Hisense 100-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $2,498.99 (save $1,001) Get Deal

You've got exactly a month to prepare for the 23rd edition of the prestigious FIFA World Cup. So if you need to upgrade your TV, now's a great time. Not only are brand new 2026 TV models officially on shelves, but some are even on sale already — including Hisense's U6 Pro. As of May 11, every size of the U6 Pro is on sale for up to 36% off.

Fittingly, Hisense is the official TV sponsor of the 2026 World Cup, and the U6 Pro is one of the core models surrounding the famous competition. The U6 Pro is "engineered to help fans, families and friends experience every moment together with greater clarity, scale and immersion at a budget that fits their needs," Hisense writes in a press release.

While it is technically one of the brand's mid-range TVs, there's not much that's "mid" about it. It "represents Hisense’s performance-to-value sweet spot," according to the brand. The U6 Pro is illuminated by Mini-LED backlighting and features a native refresh rate of 144Hz, quantum-dot color, AI-driven processing, 2.1-channel Dolby Atmos audio, extensive gaming support including Freesync Premium Pro, and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits.

Screens run from 55 to 100 inches, each of which is on sale, ensuring there's a size that'll fit your space. You'll score the biggest discount on the 65-inch and 75-inch models, which we find are often the sweet spot for most shoppers. But if you choose to go as big as 100 inches, you'll still score some serious savings.

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $648.99 $849.99 (save $201)

• Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $748.99 $1,099.99 (save $351)

• Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $898.99 $1,399.99 (save $501)

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,299.99 $1,999.99 (save $700)

• Hisense 100-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,498.99 $3,499.99 (save $1,001)

Whether you're hosting a World Cup watch party or simply need a new TV to upgrade your own viewing experience, you won't be disappointed in the U6 Pro.

SAVE $100.01: The Bluetti Elite 300 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $1,098.99, down from the list price of $1,199 at Bluetti. This sale price matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 300 $1,098.99 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $100.01   Get Deal

We're in optimal camping weather in much of the country. It's no longer dipping into freezing temps at night, but it's also not reaching scorching temps during the day. If you're taking advantage of the weather and heading out on camping and RV trips, there's a portable power station worth packing along. To make the situation even more appealing, the station is on sale today.

As of May 11, the Bluetti Elite 300 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $1,098.99, marked down from the list price of $1,199 at Bluetti. This sale price matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

In case you haven't experienced the magic of a portable power station, make this the summer of staying powered up while off-grid. The Bluetti Elite 300 is a larger model, coming with about 3,000Wh of capacity and a 2,400W output. But despite its beefy output, it has a relatively small body, measuring about 14 inches wide, 12 inches tall, and 12 inches in depth. Keep in mind it weighs nearly 60 pounds, so it's probably not the right model for camping in remote locations with hike-in access.

SEE ALSO: The EcoFlow Delta 2 power station is back on sale at Amazon — save $250

For RV trips, you can make use of the TT-30 port. The battery capacity will recharge a 60W laptop 33 times or a 10W phone over 90 times. If there's a power outage at home, you can keep the WiFi router going for over 85 hours.

Before another ideal camping weekend slips by, upgrade with the Bluetti Elite 300 portable power station. Since it's back at a record-low price, there's never been a better time to buy.

There's a lot of thought that goes into owning a NAS. Which NAS do you choose? How much storage do you buy? But, there are also quite a few hidden costs to owning a NAS that you might never have considered.

It is very commonplace to hate the ways Microsoft has forced Copilot on its users. Seeing it in Notepad was bad enough, but now that I have to deal with it on my keyboard, I feel fed up. It's as if the company would rename itself to Copilot if it had the chance. If you are like me and have hated the Copilot key the moment you pressed it by accident, then you'll be happy to know it is replaceable.

When a leader is labeled as “too aggressive,” “too controlling,” or “not strategic enough,” the assumption is usually that their behavior needs to change. But a narrow focus on the behavior—without examining the context around it—may mean that you end up trying to fix the wrong problem. Here’s what to do before deciding what needs […]

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Claude has a hidden project management mode most people don’t even know about—I didn’t, either. Once you enable it, it can track your tasks and surface them in a clean, visual dashboard. Here’s how to set it up and start using it.

It’s not just the serial scrollers whose batteries drain daily. With so much of what we do taking place on our phones – communication, music, trail maps, social media, shopping – it’s nearly impossible to reach dinnertime with any battery left. Plus, most of these tasks are juggled on the go, from the city to the great outdoors. So, the need for portable power is no longer a nice-to-have, but an essential part of “everyday carry.”

When Until Dawn was released all the way back in 2015, it was a rather inventive interactive horror drama that propelled itself into mainstream gaming culture on the strength of how gloriously camp it was. With its myriad of choices and gruesome deaths, Until Dawn had a replayability and a level of enjoyment — especially for YouTubers — that made it a standout in a year already dominated by heavyweights like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout 4, Bloodborne, and Undertale.

Supermassive's formula was unique at the time, heavily inspired by the adventure genre and FMV (full-motion video) games of old. But now, a decade and seven games later, that formula is starting to show its age. The latest entry is Directive 8020, the fifth instalment in the Dark Pictures Anthology, set far into the future aboard the starship Cassiopeia.

SEE ALSO: 'Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream' is a hilarious little ant farm for Nintendo Switch. And I need that right now.

Like the other entries in the series, Supermassive knows how to make you feel genuinely terrible about a decision in Directive 8020. Unlike those earlier games, though — Man of Medan, House of Ashes, and the rest — you can now rewind your previous choices, making it easier than ever to get the full scope of the narrative without committing to any one path. Does that meaningfully change how the story is presented? Not really. But it is a significant improvement in quality of life for anyone who wants to see how the story branches without having to restart the whole thing just to make the most myopic dialogue and character decisions possible.

All that to say: from my time with the game — with a code provided by Supermassive — Directive 8020 is both a blast story-wise and an absolute drag gameplay-wise. And in the eight full hours I logged, playing through the main story and messing around with the rewind feature to hunt collectibles and explore extra choices, I can confidently say I still had some fun with Supermassive's latest.

Directive 8020 draws heavily from The Thing and Alien Lashana Lynch plays the 'Directive 8020' protagonist: pilot Brianna Young. Credit: Supermassive Games

Directive 8020 welcomes you aboard the colony ship Cassiopeia. You play as the crew of scientists on an eight-year survey mission to the exoplanet Tau Ceti, tasked with determining whether it's fit for human life. The problem is that an alien organism has found its way onto the ship — one that's not only hunting the crew down but can also mimic them, turning what was supposed to be a routine survey mission into a paranoia-soaked trip into hell.

If that basic plot synopsis sounds like a spoiler, it really isn't in the grand scheme of things. It's the game's central marketing hook, and it carries with it a dramatic irony that will always color your decision-making, especially on a first playthrough. Like other games in the series, the playable cast is filled with up-and-coming and lesser-known actors, this time with Lashana Lynch (The Woman King, The Day of the Jackal) in one of the lead roles. And not to go off on a tangent, but the quietly impressive awards pedigree of this franchise is always worth noting — both Rami Malek and Jesse Buckley landed Best Actor wins in the years following their respective Supermassive appearances in Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. Fingers crossed for Lynch, then.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today.

Without getting too deep into the plot, Lynch's character — Cassiopeia pilot Brianna Young — awakens from a four-year slumber to find one of the sleep technicians missing (they're assigned to stay awake for the full journey to watch over the crew and ship) and the other acting really, really strange. From there, the crew must deal with a series of disturbances that derail the mission, one meant to lay the groundwork for the colonists of Andromeda to eventually arrive on their new home planet.

The story is fairly straightforward, drawing heavily on The Thing and Alien — the sentimental body-snatcher and space-horror classics, respectively. Alongside Young, who is trying to follow in her famous pilot father's footsteps, the other playable characters include Commander Nolan Stafford, ship designer Laure Eisele, engineer Josef Cernan, and Dr. Amanda Cooper. They're fine, which has always been a quiet problem with Supermassive games — the people we're supposed to want to protect until the very end tend to be fairly one-note. Eisele is rational to the point of being robotic; Cernan is grappling with the meaning of life after losing his husband; and Cooper is still processing the trauma of being the sole survivor of a mass casualty event. Bog standard motivations that don't carry much weight in the grand scheme of the plot, at least in my experience.

There are three additional characters aboard the ship who aren't playable; their primary narrative function is as potential mimic targets who may or may not still be themselves by the time the story picks up steam. That setup also doubles as the structural backbone for Directive 8020's five-player co-op movie night mode.

Directive 8020 gives the illusion of choice and consequences Be aware of the illusion of choice. Credit: Supermassive Games

If the story is Directive 8020's strongest hand, the gameplay is where it overplays it. While the interactive QTE (quick time event) drama formula is getting stale, nobody picks up a Supermassive game expecting God of War. But there's a difference between "light on gameplay" and "actively repetitive," and Directive 8020 spends an uncomfortable amount of time on the wrong side of that line.

Supermassive has always built its games around the illusion of meaningful decisions, and Directive 8020 is no different. One of the things the developer gets right is the Turning Points system, which lets you rewind decisions and explore different branches of the story without having to blow up your entire playthrough. That's a genuine quality-of-life win for a game built around consequence. Except some of these choices are so deceptively mundane that the consequences feel less like earned drama and more like gotcha moments.

Featured Video For You 'Alien' was my gateway to horror. Now I'm obsessed with the franchise.

Early on, you're asked to reroute power from either the Cassiopeia's landing gear or fire suppression system. Seems straightforward enough on the surface, except that picking either option comes with fatal consequences. Here's the thing, though: this is a horror game set on a spaceship. Of course, you're keeping the fire suppression on. Something is always going to end up on fire. Calling that a meaningful choice is generous.

And no matter what happens in any given chapter, it's pretty clear that the story is engineered to hit its predetermined endpoints regardless of what you do. The prologue is a good example — it ends with one of the sleep technicians getting mimicked by the alien, which then chases the other to their death. Except you can also accidentally kill that technician yourself earlier in the chapter if you botch a QTE. Doesn't matter. The mimic version of the tech you just killed shows up anyway and the chase plays out exactly the same. The destination was never in question. There are several instances of this across the game's eight chapters, and each one is a small reminder that the illusion of consequence only stretches so far before the seams start to show.

Ugh, a stealth section. Credit: Supermassive Games

Some secondary features are neat, like being able to text the crew during exploratory sections of the game. It serves as light character building and a way to update traits for the playable characters. Upgrading one of two traits for each character will affect their endings, so it is important to stay on top of that or at least be consistent in your dialogue choices. That's all it's really there for.

But nothing — and I mean nothing — Directive 8020 has to offer is worse than its stealth sections. And there are so, so many of them. So many, in fact, that I stopped being scared of this game entirely somewhere around the third or fourth time I was crouching behind a crate looking for a battery to power a door. The score does nothing to conjure dread when you know the only time you'll meaningfully interact with an enemy is during these mandatory gauntlets. They are boring in the most specific way possible — think the stealth sections in Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, except stretched across an entire game. I genuinely do not have the vocabulary to fully articulate all the ways in which these sections do not work. You sneak around an enemy, get to a door, realize the door has no power, find a battery, power the door, go through the door, and then do it again. And again. And again. This looped effect on the story's pacing is catastrophic.

...nothing — and I mean nothing — 'Directive' 8020 has to offer is worse than its stealth sections.

That's probably the harshest I'll be about the game, but with this genre, it's increasingly hard to ignore the law of diminishing returns on the gameplay side. I still remember House of Ashes giving you full camera control and thinking that was a genuinely interesting evolution for the series. Directive 8020 does not feel like an evolution. Its big gameplay change is marketed as "real-time alien threats," and all it is is f***ing stealth sections.

If you don't like these kinds of games, this one will not be the one that converts you.

Directive 8020 runs like a charm Credit: Supermassive Games

What Directive 8020 does have going for it, even without a Sony-sized budget, is that it still looks genuinely good. A little stiff, a little uncanny valley in places, but never enough to actually pull you out of the experience. And in terms of performance, I have almost nothing to complain about — which, in my experience covering games on the PlayStation 5 for Mashable, is not something I take for granted. The most recent reminder of that was Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, and pun very much intended, the performance on that game was abysmal.

Directive 8020 is the opposite. Navigating the game is a breeze, which, frankly, it should be — Supermassive has been doing this exact type of game on a loop since Until Dawn, and anything less would be embarrassing at this point. There is one minor recurring annoyance: the Secrets tab in the menu has a bug where it'll just stop mid-scroll while you're trying to track down undiscovered items. It's a small thing, but the kind that gets irritating fast. Beyond that, the weird eyes and slightly robotic movement have long since stopped bothering me. Considering how much is being rendered at any given moment, I'm willing to extend some grace.

And to Supermassive's credit, when the game wants to look genuinely unsettling, it delivers. The alien-infested sections of the Cassiopeia are a highlight — ship corridors that were once clean and clinical are now swallowed by thick, glistening biological matter, all wet sinew and dark organic sprawl creeping across the walls like the ship itself is being consumed from the inside out.

The contrast between the cold industrial infrastructure of the vessel — the pipes, the paneling, the terminals — and the grotesque living mass overtaking it does exactly what good sci-fi horror set design is supposed to do. It's gross in the right way. Unsettling in the right way. The kind of environmental storytelling that doesn't need a single line of dialogue to tell you that whatever happened here, it was bad, and it happened fast. It's a shame the stealth sections ask you to spend so much time in these corridors, because the repetition eventually dulls what should be a consistently unnerving atmosphere.

Is Directive 8020 worth it?

Directive 8020 is a hard game to give a clean recommendation on, because how much you get out of it depends almost entirely on what you're coming in looking for. If you're a Supermassive faithful who has logged time with Man of Medan, House of Ashes, and the rest of the Dark Pictures catalog, there's enough here to justify the trip — a genuinely compelling mimic-driven paranoia story, a solid central performance from Lynch, and a rewind feature that finally makes exploring the full breadth of the narrative feel less like homework. On that front, it delivers.

But if you were hoping that a decade into this formula, Supermassive might have cracked the code on making the gameplay half of the equation actually interesting, Directive 8020 is not that game. The stealth sections are a slog, the choices occasionally mistake obviousness for subtlety, and the story's habit of hitting its marks regardless of what you do makes the whole thing feel more theme park ride than interactive drama. You're on the track whether you like it or not.

At $49.99, it's not an unreasonable ask, especially if you have four friends willing to do a movie night co-op run — that's genuinely the best way to play something like this and probably the version of the game Supermassive intended. Solo, it's a breezy eight hours that's more fun to think about afterward than it is to actually play through in the moment.

Directive 8020 is not Supermassive's best work, but it's not their worst either. It sits comfortably in the middle of a catalog that has always been more interesting in concept than in execution. Which is worth a play, but maybe wait for a sale.

TikTok users in the UK are getting a way to get rid of ads, but it will cost them.

On Monday, the social media platform introduced TikTok Ad-Free, a subscription-based version of the service that completely banishes ads.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today!

It's a very simple affair: Pay £3.99 per month, and you will see no ads. If you don't want to pay, you can continue to use TikTok with ads. The Ad-Free tier does not come with any additional benefits.

From the company's FAQ on the matter: "Whether someone chooses the ad-free subscription or continues with the free ad-supported version, their core TikTok experience remains the same. All users will continue to have access to the same features, creators, and content."

SEE ALSO: The content creators with the most TikTok followers — see the top 10

There's another benefit to subscribing to TikTok Ad-Free; if you do so, your data will not be used for advertising purposes. Regular users will see ads personalized to their interests, but that means TikTok will collect some of their data to be able to serve those ads.

According to TikTok, the Ad-Free option is rolling out "over the coming months" to UK users aged 18 or over.

TikTok is not the first social media site to offer this option. For example, Meta lets users in the UK and Europe pay for an ad-free experience on Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Video For You Is U.S. TikTok censoring its users?

Trying to decide which device to wear on your wrist? Take it from someone who's worn a Garmin watch for almost 10 years: The incredible battery life makes tracking your health and fitness super easy. However, the Apple Watch is not without serious benefits. Which one is right for you?

I was a lost puppy in my early days on Grindr, especially as I tried to ditch the juvenile online abbreviations I’d been using for years. Gone were the days of “ur”. As a wide-eyed, new college freshman, I was more “literate” than ever. These were the times of spelling the whole word out: “you’re.” 

After my first Grindr download, I realized acronyms like gh, gen, ff, ws, poz, and pnp were being thrown around everywhere, but I didn't think it was necessary to learn them. Let me be clear: it was, and it still is. It took a few weeks until someone asked me if I wanted to “parTy”. A spelling error, I had assumed. My iPhone keyboard sometimes does that, too. But, I was an eighteen-year-old first-year college student living on my own for the first time. What a stupid fucking question. Hell yes, I like to party!

SEE ALSO: All your Grindr questions, answered

It took one Google search to realize that I was right, I do like to party… but I absolutely do not like to parTy (which is a reference to drug use). That’s when it hit me. To stay safe, I actually needed to understand these terms, something I’d been innocently ignoring since I first joined the app. Knowing them is how you avoid ending up in a situation you don’t want to be in.

But, why are people using acronyms and terms on Grindr to begin with? The short answer: speed. Acronyms and terms are quick. They get the point across efficiently, even with the learning curve. It minimizes the need for longer, direct conversations. I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of people using these terms aren’t looking to beat around the bush. They want to meet up right now

Acronyms and terms are also used on Grindr for discretion, which exists for two reasons: safety and plausible deniability. 

Using an acronym for safety might include why a trans person would use a term such as “ftm” (female to male), “mtf” (male to female), or “t4t” (trans for trans). These acronyms enhance safety for trans people meeting strangers online by providing a shorthand for identity and intent.

Plausible deniability, on the other hand, is where things get a little more illicit. Acronyms are often used to bypass moderation for topics that would otherwise result in a ban, including the use of illegal drugs. Codewords allow users to discuss illegal activities with enough ambiguity to claim they were talking about something else entirely. It’s ridiculously problematic, but it is rather foolproof.

Grindr   Learn More at Grindr Grindr’s most-used acronyms and terms in 2026

As language shifts, so does the coded shorthand used on Grindr. Some terminology seen on the app ten years ago might not have much pertinence anymore. Whether you’re new to Grindr in 2026 or just need a little bit of a cheat sheet to hold onto, here are the most common acronyms and terms you'll encounter and what they signify.

SEE ALSO: The best gay dating apps of 2026: Grindr is still king, even if we wish it weren't

• anon: anonymous; interest in anonymous sex

• bb: bareback; raw sex without condom-use

• bear: bear; a subculture of gay men with typically larger, hairier bodies

• bttm: bottom; one who prefers to be on the receiving end of anal sex

• cd: crossdresser; a man who dresses up as a woman during (and occasionally not during) sexual acts

• discreet: discreet; someone not publicly out as gay/trans/etc. looking to partake in sexual acts and conversation on a secretive level

• dl: down low; essentially means the exact same thing as above

• dp: double penetration; exactly what you think it is

• ff: fisting; someone either into fisting/wanting to be fisted (you can ask more about who’s taking which side in the DMs)

• ftm: female to male; a person who was assigned female at birth, who now identifies as male 

• fwb: friends with benefits; a friend you can f*ck

• gen: generous; someone looking a financial arrangement, typically involving payment for a sexual encounter

• gh: gloryhole; a typically anonymous encounter involving oral and/or anal sex through a hole in a wall or sheet

• host: host; A user who has their own place and can accommodate guests for a hookup

• into: into; a quicker way to ask someone, “what are you into sexually?”, meaning the person asking does not care that you like to hike and play ultimate frisbee

• jo: jerking off; someone interest in mutual masturbation with a partner

• jock: jock; a man with a muscular/athletic body who is typically into fitness

• ltr: long-term relationship; someone with interest in pursuing a romantic connection

• mtf: male to female;  assigned male at birth, now identifying as female 

• npnc: no pic, no chat; someone with no interest in chatting with someone who is unable to provide a photo of their face

• nsa: no strings attached; a sexual/physical connection with no romantic connection

• otter: otter; a hairier gay man with a slim, lean, or more athletic build

• parTy: chemsex; refers to sex involving drug use, specifically "tina" (crystal meth), with the capitalized "T" serving as a coded signal for the substance

• pnp: party and play; broader term that can include various substances to enhance sexual experiences

• poz: HIV+; a term to signify an HIV+ person

• rn: right now; interest in meeting up for sex as soon as possible

• side: side; a user with preference to sexual encounters that don't involve penetration

• t4t: trans for trans; a trans person looking for encounters with another trans person

• top: top; one who prefers to be on the giving end of anal sex

• twink: twink; a hairless, leaner, younger gay man

• twunk: twunk; a hairless, more athletically-built gay man

• uc: uncut; someone with an uncircumcised penis

• u=u: undetectable = untransmittable; medically proven status meaning those on sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART) with an undetectable HIV viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus to someone without HIV

• vers: versatile; someone who enjoys being both on the receiving and giving end during anal sex

• ws: watersports; interest in urine-play during sexual experiences

• wya: where you at; used to quickly determine a person’s location before or during a meetup

Should I be using acronyms and terms on Grindr?

Grindr may be built for fast connections, but navigating the app effectively requires understanding the specific acronyms and terms users rely on. So, do you need to use them? Technically, no, you don’t, but you should absolutely be familiar with what most of these mean when using the app. If you ever encounter an unfamiliar term or request, a quick Google search is a perfectly normal way to stay informed. And trust me, knowing the lingo will help you steer clear of some very uncomfortable situations.

Grindr   Learn More at Grindr