Semblance resembles a platforming game until you start deforming the world

It can be difficult to find time to finish a video game, especially if you only have a few hours a week to play. In our biweekly column Short Play we suggest video games that can be started and finished in a weekend.

Sometimes you just need to play a game that’s relaxing and comfortable. For me, that’s usually 2D platformer games, a byproduct of spending untold numbers of hours playing Super Mario World when I was younger. Even when I’m playing a new platforming game, it still manages to tap into the muscle memory I’ve built up over time; a new experience can still feel very familiar. Semblance is a bit like looking at something familiar upside down.

In Semblance, you control an unnamed little blob creature who is trying to fight off a…

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Streaming services have spoken with IMAX about screening their original films

Streaming services and theatrical chains have a contentious relationship, as one is seen as an existential threat by the other. But according to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfo (via The Hollywood Reporter), all of the major streaming services have been chatting with his theater chain about screening their original content.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference on Wednesday, Gelfond explained that “we’re in active discussions with all of the streaming [services] about an IMAX release,” and that said streaming services understand the potential in serving up screenings in the chain’s theaters, noting that there’s a lot of money that goes into most of these films. “It’s inevitable that these big blockbusters that people are spending…

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You’ll never have an ID photo cooler than these high schoolers

Every year, the senior students of North Farmington High School dress up in elaborate costumes for their photo IDs, which they then post online. The identification cards are social media catnip: memes and references to pop culture abound, with some teens going to elaborate lengths to nail the look and expression of the character in question.

This isn’t a one-off stunt; it’s an ongoing tradition for the Detroit high schoolers who reportedly sometimes spend weeks, if not months, preparing for the big day. Many students become aware of the stunt as soon as freshman year, meaning that some teens have years to think about what they’ll do when their turn comes around. Every time, the school tries to get as much of the senior class involved in…

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