Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Are In for a Scary Fun October With These Great Games

All subscribers can play Alan Wake 2, while Extra and Premium subscribers can play The Last of Us Part 2.

There’s a chill in the air, the days are getting shorter and Halloween is only a few weeks away. Sony announced at its PlayStation State of Play event on Wednesday that it was treating PlayStation Plus subscribers to Alan Wake 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 this October.

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass and it offers subscribers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, which each have unique perks and benefits. The plans start at $10 a month, and each tier gives subscribers access to monthly games and rewards.

Here are the games PS Plus subscribers can play in October for spooky season. You can also check out the games Sony added to the PS Plus Game Catalog in September, including WWE 2K25.

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The Last of Us Part 2

This award-winning action adventure game drops you right back into an apocalyptic world filled with cordyceps-infected zombies, violence and a whole lot of pain — so much pain. You play as both Ellie from the original game, as well as the person she’s hunting, Abby. You’ll see grief and trauma from both of their perspectives and how those things can heighten our emotions like a funhouse mirror. It’s a heavy game that forces the air from your lungs and won’t let you breathe until the credits roll.

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game starting Sept. 26.

Alan Wake 2

This sequel picks up years after the first game but Alan Wake 2 drops us back into the haunted world of the original. An FBI agent has been murdered by a cult in the town of Bright Falls, the town from the original Alan Wake game. Agents Saga Anderson and Alex Casey are sent to investigate. As you help these characters in their investigation, you’ll also assist the titular Alan Wake as he tries to write his way out of an alternate dimension. You’ll have to explore your environments, solve puzzles and keep enemies at bay in this mind-bending survival horror game.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

Goat Simulator 3

Despite what Game of Thrones might have you think, chaos is not a ladder. Chaos is a goat and your goal in this game is to cause as much havoc as you can while on four hooves. For the first time in the series, this game features a story mode where you attempt to rise through the ranks of the Illuminati. Otherwise, this entry maintains the goofy and absurd humor as well as the sandbox setting of past games, giving you free rein to do whatever you want.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

Cocoon

Get ready to go on an adventure across worlds within worlds in this puzzle game. You play as an insect-like creature who wakes up in a barren wasteland. You soon find an orb that contains an entire world within it that you can dive into, explore and solve puzzles in. As you progress, you’ll find more orbs, and each one will help you unravel a cosmic mystery.

All PS Plus subscribers can access this game in October starting Oct. 7.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service and a rundown of PS Plus Extra and Premium games added in September. You can also check out the latest and upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade.

Technologies

How Verum Ecosystem Is Rethinking Communication

David Rotman — Founder of the Verum Ecosystem

For David Rotman, communication is not a feature — it is a dependency that should never rely on a single point of failure.

As the founder of the Verum Ecosystem, Rotman developed a communication platform designed to function when internet access becomes unreliable or unavailable.

Verum Messenger addresses real-world challenges such as network outages, censorship, and infrastructure failures. Its 2025 update introduced a unified offline-capable messaging system, moving beyond Bluetooth-based or temporary peer-to-peer solutions.

Verum’s mission is simple: to ensure communication continuity under any conditions.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Feb. 1

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 1

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Some of the clues are kind of tricky, but I was able to fill in enough of the others to get them all answered. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Spot to shop
Answer: MART

5A clue: Pounded sticky rice sometimes filled with ice cream
Answer: MOCHI

6A clue: ___ Chekhov, «Three Sisters» playwright
Answer: ANTON

7A clue: Like many dive bars and bird feeds
Answer: SEEDY

8A clue: Jekyll’s evil counterpart
Answer: HYDE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: What makes the world go ’round, per «Cabaret»
Answer: MONEY

2D clue: Performed in a play
Answer: ACTED

3D clue: __ Island (U.S. state)
Answer: RHODE

4D clue: Itty-bitty
Answer: TINY

5D clue: Squish to a pulp, as potatoes
Answer: MASH

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 1, #496

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 1, No. 496.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. The blue group made me think of dusty gum sticks, and the purple one requires you to look for hidden names in the clues. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Splish-splash.

Green group hint: Vroom!

Blue group hint: Cards and gum.

Purple group hint: Racket stars.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Aquatic sports verbs.

Green group: Speed.

Blue group: Sports card brands.

Purple group: Tennis Grand Slam winners, minus a letter.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is aquatic sports verbs. The four answers are kayak, row, sail and swim.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is speed. The four answers are mustard, pop, velocity and zip.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports card brands. The four answers are Leaf, Panini, Topps and Upper Deck.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is tennis Grand Slam winners, minus a letter. The four answers are ash (Arthur Ashe), kin (Billie Jean King), nada (Rafael Nadal) and William (Serena and Venus Williams)

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