Entertainment
Lesbian Medieval Game Not On Anyone’s Modern Agenda
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
1348: Ex Voto will be a lesson in humility for years to come. For those not yet aware of this game, consider yourself fortunate. In the lead-up to the game’s launch, the social media page for 1348 Ex Voto was active on X, claiming that there were now 250,000 wish lists on Steam. It was released digitally on March 12, 2026, on Steam and PS5, with a scheduled physical release for later this year. Those numbers ultimately did not pan out, with the game peaking at around 420 players on launch day.
Immediate Gameplay Issues
The most recent update from Sedleo Games, producers of the game, was on March 18, 2026, with a public announcement that they have heard feedback from those who played the game and were working towards numerous fixes to solve some of the game’s many problems. For a company that was so vocal about its game, the silence that has followed in the wake of the game’s lack of success or acclaim is a fitting and karmic ending.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. Two weeks before the game’s launch, the demo was released, and it did not go well. At that time, the wish list total was roughly 100,000, with only a few hundred playing it. Criticisms include clunky combat, poor animation and shading, stuck NPCs during combat, and multiple button presses for the character to perform an action. Commentators began to question if the game was ready for release at this point, floating the idea that the digital release should be delayed until the release of the physical edition.
Many felt that they had backed themselves into a corner after their social media picked a fight with another upcoming title, A Knight’s Path. This game, from another independent studio, said they would have pretty characters, players could only play males, and would not include any “modern agenda.” To a company like Sedleo Games, this had crossed an intolerable line, and the infamous social media dispute between the two companies unfolded in front of the entire audience for both games.
Needless to say, it was divisive in splitting fans into two very distinct groups. The 1348: Ex Voto social media account asked its audience to put the game’s launch date “on their modern agenda”. It seems that their target audience misplaced their agendas as they did not show up at all for the game’s launch, evidenced by such poor launch numbers and ratings. Its social media activity has dropped to zero, other than the post that they were working to fix the game.
A Massive Disconnect
The game’s poor showing has led to a wider conversation about the use of Steam charts and other public-facing metrics to critique game performance. There were several high-profile cases of journalists and developers calling gamers “chuds” and other less flattering terms for disapproving of the slop put in front of players, who are just expected to mindlessly consume it and then gratuitously praise it.
This argument has also been made for the recently released Marathon, from Bungie Studios, the creator of Halo. Gaming journalists are getting mad that Steam charts have been used to critique the game to support commentary that the game is not as good as they claim it is. They do not tolerate differences of opinion; only toxic positivity, with no room to critique each other, as the norm.
It’s not just in gaming but the wider entertainment industry as well. With how badly Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is performing, journalists and reviewers keep telling us it’s awesome and everybody loves it. And in both gaming and TV, we’re being told that negative critique is “being mean on social media” and would get those games, movies, or shows canceled.
Toxic Positivity (noun) — the compulsive insistence on optimism at the expense of reality, in which negative emotions are dismissed, suppressed, or reframed into forced positivity, often invalidating genuine human experience.
If that is what it takes for these companies to take the gripes of their fans seriously, then more companies need to lose more money than they already have before this lesson is apparently learned. The makers of 1348: Ex Voto just found out the hard way.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if have a good ear.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A sharp sound.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter C.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
CLANG
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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 yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 29, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re an animal lover.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: E-I-E-I-O
The words are related to animals.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe barnyard animals.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Farm Animals.
NYT Strands word list for May 29
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Cows
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Farm Animals
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Goats
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Chickens
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Sheep
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Horses
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Ducks
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Pigs
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and 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 yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sensitive nose.
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.
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.
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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.
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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:
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Yellow: Seas
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Green: Bad odors
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Blue: Found in an estate
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Purple: Acronym
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Oceans
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Green: Sources of distinctive smells
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Blue: Kinds of rooms in a mansion
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Purple: What “PA” might refer to
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 #1083 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Oceans: ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
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Sources of distinctive smells: AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
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Kinds of rooms in a mansion: BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
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What “PA” might refer to: FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
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 yesterday’s Connections.
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