Our top pick of the week: Baldur's Gate 3

We've been so focused on Starfield that Baldur's Gate 3 caught some of us by surprise. It is, in a word, astonishing. Developer Larian Studios has captured so much of what we love about Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop games, without sacrificing the magic of video games in the process.

Whether you're new to the series or a longtime fan of Baldur's Gate or Divinity: Original Sin, we have stories and guides to help you make the most of your adventure!

Here are all of our Baldur's Gate 3 guides in on place!

And of course: Here's where to buy Baldur's Gate 3.

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This week on TikTok | Barbie's proportions were problematic, but not for the reason you think.

7 stories to read

That time Batman told Raphael the Ninja Turtle, 'This is where I watched my parents die' | You're laughing. Batman is trying to earn Raphael's trust and you're laughing.

The NHL's Seattle Kraken embraced horny BookTok and found controversy | This is what happens when real people are treated like fictional characters.

One Piece's remarkable twist | Every moment in its 25-year run is paying off.

An interview with Steven Soderbergh on his two new experiments | The renowned director gets in the weeds on Full Circle and Command Z.

Gen Con 2023 | All the best board games, RPGs, and card games from Indianapolis.

Paul Reubens challenged TV to be weird with Pee-wee's Playhouse | The campy counterculture of the show is so much of what's missing from today's pop culture.

Anita Sarkeesian is shutting down Feminist Frequency after 15 years | "We were talking about representation very early on in a mainstream way."

11 things to watch

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in theaters | The new TMNT movie rules! (Shredder isn't the big bad because he can't relate to teens.)

How To with John Wilson on Max | The host of one of TV's best shows tells us why he gets weird with a camera.

Taskmaster on YouTube | 5 reasons (and the 5 best seasons) to love the wickedly hilarious U.K. panel show Taskmaster.

The best movies of 2023 so far | Don't miss They Cloned Tyrone!

Every movie and show coming to Netflix in August | Live-action One Piece is nearly here.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie on Peacock | Nintendo and Illumination's mega-hit is now streaming for free for anyone with a Peacock subscription.

Good Omens season 2 on Amazon Prime Video | The ending felt a lot like fanfic. Is that a bad thing?

The best horror movies you can watch right now | Plus, the best horror movies of 2023, ranked by scariness.

Manhattan on Tubi | The perfect Oppenheimer follow-up (and best show you've never watched) is free on Tubi.

Meg 2: The Trench in theaters | The sequel drowns in oversized shark-movie silliness. Plus, 9 true facts about the original The Meg, a movie where Jason Statham punches a giant shark in the face.

Heartstopper season 2 on Netflix | Polygon Recommends | The gut punches push it way beyond romantic "fluff."

Plus, everything new to streaming! Guardians 3 is on Disney Plus!

4 games to play

Venba | Polygon Recommends | One of the most touching cooking games in years. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Baldur's Gate 3 | The colossal RPG arrives after years of early access development. Available on Windows PC.

Diablo 4 | The Aug. 8 patch fixes the game's two worst classes . Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Pokémon Sleep | "I have a love-hate relationship with Pokémon Sleep." Available on Android and iOS.

Free game of the week

Backpack Battles | We haven't had a chance to try this "inventory management auto battler," but it's climbing up Steam's list of most-played demos. It looks adorable! Available on Windows PC and Mac.

Plus: What's free on the Epic Games Store this week?

The best of the rest

Black hole fun: Mortal Kombat 1's black hole Fatality is already one of the series' best.
Hell or high water: A Hades player defies the gods and completes an "impossible" run.
Not just BG3: All the big new games coming out in August.
Ken you dig it?: Even the wildest Barbie fan theories are automatically true.
Recording: Looking for a capture card? Our guide has the top picks.
MMOhhh this sounds nice: Palia is the perfect game for chill vibes, either alone or co-op.
Better be nice: Betrayal at House on the Hill's next expansion sets Santa loose with horrid holiday haunts.
Battle bots: Bungie is relentless in its legal battles against Destiny 2 cheat makers.
What's better than $1 million?: Post Malone has bought Magic's $2 million One Ring card.
Off the top ropes: We didn't get Batgirl, but at least you can watch a luchadores-inspired Batwoman instead.
Woof: Call of Duty will let you equip a dog.
Sing-along: Star Trek's first-ever musical episode divided the Strange New Worlds cast.