Lauren Morton
Lauren started writing for PC Gamer as a freelancer in 2017 while chasing the Dark Souls fashion police and accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as the self-appointed chief cozy games enjoyer. She originally started her career in game development and is still fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long books, longer RPGs, has strong feelings about farmlife sims, and can't stop playing co-op crafting games.
Latest articles by Lauren Morton
![Sky: Children of the Light](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Gy52vdwFvSUWBfPzrZH4fH-320-80.jpg)
How to collect ascended candles in Sky: Children of the Light
By Lauren Morton published
Waxing Endgame Here's how to collect Sky's endgame currency.
![Sky: Children of the Light - a player kneels on the ground wearing a pair of trendy star-shaped sunglasses and a sasonal pendant](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EEfspQPnJWs7tfbSsSLvLK-320-80.jpg)
How to earn seasonal candles in Sky: Children of the Light
By Lauren Morton published
Light Sight Here's where to find and spend orange seasonal candles in Thatgamecompany's MMO.
![Sky: Children of the Light - two players stand together uner an umbrella at a little lake party in a forest](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TTxRwATjGv8GhYEYyPqaBK-320-80.jpg)
Somehow Dark Souls was the inspiration for player messages in the kindest MMO around
By Lauren Morton published
News Sky: Children of the Light's creative director says that its minimal text chat was inspired by Dark Souls.
![Eternal Strands - a large metallic monster holds a hammer while a player climbs its face](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/edhPZpYAhaFYgy5GgCQ2NG-320-80.jpg)
Former Dragon Age creative director says 'I just desperately don't want to overhype anything' in his new studio's first game
By Lauren Morton published
News At GDC, Mike Laidlaw talked around the imminent Eternal Strands announcement and plans for Yellow Brick Games' future.
![Stardew Valley - a farmer holds a modded "everything bagel" over their head.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2YDY4EDumSgQUWzF8HnbEG-320-80.jpg)
Stardew Valley modder challenges players with an 'everything bagel' recipe that requires 134 ingredients
By Lauren Morton published
News It does actually take everything.
![Talion thrusting a blade through the face of an orc](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Lem2BdbxSHs4HANLQ8b65c-320-80.jpg)
Shadow of Mordor is worth revisiting for the nemesis system alone
By Lauren Morton published
RINGS TRUE These vendettas still feels fresh 10 years later.
![Sky: Children of the Light - a player gestures for you to follow as three others frolick in a grassy meadow](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xgXYNxsQc8Uox4kQ4CGFAP-320-80.jpg)
'Nobody is born toxic' says Journey's creative director while preparing to launch the kindest MMO on PC
By Lauren Morton published
news Jenova Chen says the modern internet is basically like handing shotguns to babies but toxicity can be prevented by good design.
![Palia - Jina the researcher holds up one finger as if she's had an idea](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EAj4JkJtQixkfwMYEy5pVG-320-80.jpg)
Here are 6 Palia tips for getting started in the life sim MMO
By Lauren Morton last updated
Friend Code If this is your first crack at either an MMO or a cozy sim game, I'm here to hold your hand.
![Sky: Children of the Light - a player holds a butterfly on their hand while standing in front of a temple floating in the clouds at sunset](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vqscHWFU9fBQnNgkE9dq4Z-320-80.jpg)
I've been waiting 5 years for the MMO by Journey's developers to launch on PC, and it's finally happening in April
By Lauren Morton published
News The kindest MMO imaginable finally has a PC release date.
![Palia - a giant frog plush looms over a player looking up at it](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xi3PPrHmBKg63YTQwRRGPg-320-80.jpg)
Palia welcomes new players with a startlingly large stuffed frog for its Steam launch
By Lauren Morton published
News Palia has launched on Steam today with a game update that makes good on that giga Frogbert plush promise.
![An image of Astarion watching the player sleep, while wearing a grinch-like smile that hides his top lip.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5qSWUtKGfpPa3S8zCtL7j7-320-80.png)
Larian originally wanted Baldur's Gate 3 to have multiple narrators, also Astarion was a tiefling
By Jonathan Bolding published
News Which perhaps would have made him too devilish a rascal.
![The main character, Grace, of musical RPG Stray Gods.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4btbDF8826hNz3Qw7Ye5WV-320-80.jpg)
If working overtime on AAA games with giant budgets is the only way to succeed, 'then maybe the industry deserves to die,' says RPG veteran David Gaider: 'There is another way to be'
By Lauren Morton published
News Summerfall Studios co-founder David Gaider speaks in favor of industry unionization and his studio's four day work week.
![Swen Vincke](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NCHqKsgM3CPm3EhF2iwrAB-320-80.jpg)
Larian is finished with Baldur's Gate: 'We're going to move away from D&D and we're going to start making a new thing'
By Andy Chalk published
news Larian boss Swen Vincke said the studio's ambitions are too big, and life is too short, to be making Baldur's Gate 3 expansions.
![Images of developers at the GDScream event at GDC 2024](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RzJeMUSBVAeQxbEZpXcTZ-320-80.jpg)
Watch a bunch of game developers screaming in a public park to protest the state of the industry: 'It feels hard to be here and pretend like everything is fine'
By Andy Chalk published
news Amidst the excitement of GDC, dozens of developers shared a moment of pure catharsis.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WSyif2jjMkfpFTnegZW7xe-320-80.jpg)
The best deals in the 2024 Steam Spring Sale
By Tyler Wilde published
Deals We've combed the first big Steam sale of the year for the best deals on new games and older favorites.
![Reka - A young witch in a twilight woods pets a deer](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7RSGXMaENkaSjLatxD2gMf-320-80.jpg)
Even 'cozy' gaming's biggest fans can't decide on its definition, but they aren't worried: 'There's a whole lot of grey area, and that's what makes it interesting'
By Lauren Morton published
Cozy Consensus As the cozy game genre grows, it remains one of the most challenging to define.
![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.
![Sims 5 - Everything we know](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3oEPBGatmjRwWnnnkbTWNj-320-80.jpg)
The Sims 5—Everything we know about Project Rene so far
By Lauren Morton last updated
Next Generation The Sims 5 is still years away, but Electronic Arts has committed to showing off features as it develops.
![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.