Lauren Morton
Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.
Latest articles by Lauren Morton
![Creatures of Ava - a human player hugs an alien deer creature in a forest](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/F6AdS8HRi7Tb3JXGxcxzMn-320-80.jpg)
Creatures of Ava is the cozier version of Palworld: A 'creature saver' co-written by Rhianna Pratchett
By Lauren Morton published
News Creature collecting is cozy again.
![The Sims 4 - a sim looks sadly upwards](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wwYMJbcTeCSmdSzVXRbLPh-320-80.jpg)
Sims 4 players hate its obtrusive new store button so much that a modder has already removed it
By Lauren Morton published
News The DLC purchase tooltips are getting a bit incessant.
![The Sims 4 Crystal Creations](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4y68iD9AbhAHPiPpRzXJ3D-320-80.jpg)
The Sims 4's new Crystal Creations DLC basically gave me craftable cheat codes for boosting my mood, love life, and defying death
By Lauren Morton published
Gem Goddess Is this what we mean by toxic positivity?
![Palworld - a pink cat pal Cattiva holds its arms out harvesting a farm](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4thtSQAMAwZZNYF24VjUiE-320-80.jpg)
The Palworld breeding bug that was causing all Cattivas to be born cowards, and other species trait dominance, has been fixed in a new patch
By Lauren Morton published
News Let the coward Pals breed in peace.
![In a side-on underwater setting, a giant crab looks out over small crabs worshipping it](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Tto7YsQpHwZqwLu4M2nfu8-320-80.jpg)
Side-scuttling strategy game Crab God will let you amass a crustacean congregation
By Lauren Morton published
News This enormous crab also has aspirations for real world activism.
![Tales of Seikyu - a woman with dark hair holds the face of a player with red hair](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7ZjGUd8NF2jr69Ao8eBAzm-320-80.jpg)
Finally, a farm sim that will let me date hot demons and also collect capybaras
By Lauren Morton published
News Tales of Seikyu is a yokai shapeshifting farm sim planning to launch this year.
![Palia - four frog plushies of increasing size, nearly as tall as a house](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D4bumQLyAsFPWgSGUKoo2n-320-80.jpg)
Cozy MMO Palia is threatening players with an increasingly enormous stuffed frog if they keep wishlisting it on Steam
By Lauren Morton published
News To celebrate Palia's launch on Steam next month, Palia is rewarding players with "Giga Frogbert."
![An image of a knight with horrible rot growths spiking out of their back in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yLGZAhYvcdtmdPEau7AD4i-320-80.png)
6 reveals from the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer that had us shaking in our greaves with excitement
By Harvey Randall published
SHADOWS LIFTED It's finally here, weary tarnished.
![Minecraft cheats - Herobrine stands in a pool of lava on fire holding an enchanted diamond sword in front of a ruined portal.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iAoePxG4EMKijbLmBqSJP5-320-80.jpg)
Minecraft just launched add-ons, which are mods, not to be confused with the previous add-ons that were also mods, and won't replace mods for Minecraft Java
By Lauren Morton published
News Minecraft Bedrock now has community-made mods to download in the Minecraft Marketplace.
![Nightingale - A character in a white and gold mask with an elaborate collar .](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YJHB4vxAQHPVux9x3bRfFG-320-80.jpg)
Survival games are having another viral moment, making PC players the tastemakers once again
By Lauren Morton published
Survivor Bias The genre that just can't stop producing hits is still entirely the territory of PC gaming.
![Palworld - A Sweepa and Gumoss stand together in a breeding ranch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jrsca3q3Ki7T8iJMUfuwvP-320-80.jpg)
Palworld breeding guide and the best breeding combos
By Sean Martin last updated
Matchmaking Learn how to combine your most powerful Pals.
![Islands of Insight - a player looks at an interactable logic grid puzzle while in an open world](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vUaUMZREir2teAsbn5nWeS-320-80.jpg)
Islands of Insight has a great gauntlet of logic puzzles that overshadows its beautiful but aimless world
By Lauren Morton published
This shared world puzzle game is a little too open-ended to feel compelling.
![Minecraft commands - Herobrine stands in a pool of lava on fire holding an enchanted diamond sword in front of a ruined portal.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iAoePxG4EMKijbLmBqSJP5-320-80.jpg)
Minecraft commands list: all the best cheats
By Lauren Morton last updated
Give Diamonds Tailor the sandbox to your liking with this list of the must useful Minecraft commands you should know.
![The Sims 4 - A Sim with vitiligo inspired by Winnie Harlow wears a romper and smiles inside a modern, white decor room](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ydFp64vapbF4zAy9V8nX6n-320-80.jpg)
The Sims 4 free update adds vitiligo skin details in continued effort for more inclusive character creation
By Lauren Morton published
News Maxis has invited fashion model and vitiligo activist Winnie Harlow to share her decor inspo and a Sim inspired by her.
![Cryptmaster - a wrinkled alien creature wearing a crown in all black and white](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RiWACYiNoMBB4UwG2XsXXZ-320-80.jpg)
We're in a golden era of game demos
By Lauren Morton published
Sea of free We're spoiled for choice in an unending tide of free game trials.
![Lightyear Frontier - a players stands in a farm plot of berries near a red mech](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PqrrhAeqnRQkgyppBf9HzR-320-80.jpg)
Lightyear Frontier makes mechs cozy with its low-stress approach to alien planet environmentalism
By Lauren Morton published
Final Frontier This colorful open world makes farming a well-oiled endeavor.
![Paralives - Two characters laugh together in a garden of roses](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Fi7NFSzwx7pRDMaJorjHmT-320-80.jpg)
Paralives will enter early access in 2025 and will never have paid DLCs, only free expansions
By Lauren Morton published
News Paralives shows off its live mode features with group activities and "together cards."
![A cyberpunk city skyline](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AWqk4nG9WD9KsebhhKW35d-320-80.jpg)
This Townscaper-like building game on 'the dark side of cozy' is the perfect lock screen photo designer
By Lauren Morton published
News Dystopika's new demo in the Steam Next Fest is photo mode gold.
![A person cooking in a kitchen](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9Wr2wafYu9MMNMjZUBen8N-320-80.jpg)
This cozy cooking platformer is so sweet that I went back for seconds of the demo
By Lauren Morton published
News After snacking on this cooking game I'm totally hungry for a full plate.
![Life By You - A a character with dreadlocks wearing a yellow shirt in a conversation](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eRFJVEXmcELnxFVwi5oAiR-320-80.jpg)
Sims competitor Life By You delayed to June to refine gameplay and 'add more life' to character faces
By Lauren Morton published
News Paradox Tectonic outlines a list of improvements and player feedback it wants to spend time addressing.
![Willem, a Nosferatu vampire in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UVXWDDMKazsYdM8a6bupuK-320-80.jpg)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2: Everything we know
By Lincoln Carpenter, Lauren Morton last updated
Smile, Jack Everything about Bloodlines 2's development, setting, clans, dancing, and more.
![Palworld - a player kneels, peting a Kitsun with a flaming blue mane](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cJuryae3xjmgqtxCvmza2n-320-80.jpg)
I accidentally bred one of the rarest Palworld pals, but they have the most ridiculous stats
By Lauren Morton published
News I found a shockingly easy way to breed a Kitsun, but now he's just stuck manning my kitchen.
![Immortal Life - Several characters sit around a stone table outdoors in a lush forest](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EDZX3Q7kxPqHesjaBAvppN-320-80.jpg)
I wish I could stomach Immortal Life's clunky controls long enough to fall in love with a cultivation fantasy farm sim
By Lauren Morton published
Spiritual Struggles After almost two years in early access, Immortal Life still isn't sleek enough to set the standard for cultivation farm sims.
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