One Sentence Summary

Become the best hacker possible through the power of zines!

Official Summary

The year is 1997. You used to be a hacker, but now you have the phage. You made a deal: one hack, one dose. There’s nothing left to lose… except your life.

EXAPUNKS is the latest open-ended puzzle game from Zachtronics, the creators of Opus Magnum, SHENZHEN I/O, TIS-100, and more.

Developer

Zachtronics

Publisher

Zachtronics

Playable On

PC

Genre

Single player, Puzzle, Simulation

One Sentence Summary

Fight your way through an open word filled with enemies.

Official Summary

In a near future, Bolivia has fallen into the hands of Santa Blanca, a merciless drug cartel who spread injustice and violence. Their objective: to create the biggest Narco-State in history.

Create and fully customize your Ghost, weapons, and gear. Enjoy a total freedom of playstyle. Lead your team and take down the cartel, either solo or with up to three friends.

Developer

Ubisoft Paris

Publisher

Ubisoft

Playable On

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Single player, Multiplayer, Shooter

One Sentence Summary

Creepy, but in an award-winning kind of way.

Official Summary

Discover Playdead’s unique indie adventure game Inside, a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has received critical acclaim for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.

Developer

Playdead

Publisher

Playdead

Playable On

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Single player, Action-adventure, Platformer

One Sentence Summary

Become more academic than you’ve ever been before.

Official Summary

Build your university, your way! It’s time to spin academia on its head! Got a yearning for learning? Or just keen to build an educational masterpiece? Two Point Campus is jam-packed with new creative tools to help you build the university of your dreams. For the first time, build on the outside as you develop a blank canvas of greenery into your own delightfully educational campus environment, housing the top teaching facilities in the land. Lay down pathways with new easy-to-use tools. Plant glorious collections of outdoor flora. Place benches and tennis courts. Build a Cheeseball arena, complete with stands. The only limit is your imagination (and your in-game bank balance).

Developer

Two Point Studios

Publisher

SEGA Europe Ltd

Playable On

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Single player, Simulation, Strategy

One Sentence Summary

Walking simulator 5000.

Official Summary

From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes an all-new, genre-defying experience. Stay connected with the “Social Strand System™”.

Sam Bridges must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding. Carrying the disconnected remnants of our future in his hands, he embarks on a journey to reconnect the shattered world one step at a time.

Developer

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS

Publisher

505 Games

Playable On

PC

Genre

Single player, Action-Adventure, RPG

One Sentence Summary

Siblings bond during tragedy.

Official Summary

Follow the critically acclaimed tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history. Hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by unstoppable swarms of rats, Amicia and Hugo will come to know and trust each other. As they struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, they will fight to find purpose in this brutal, unforgiving world.

Read about the sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, coming soon!

Developer

Asobo Studio

Publisher

Focus Entertainment

Playable on

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Single player, Action-Adventure, RPG

One Sentence Summary

Another apocalyptic crafting game.

Official Summary

Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world game that is a unique combination of first person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth, in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide.

Developer

The Fun Pimps / Iron Galaxy

Publisher

The Fun Pimps

Playable on

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Multiplayer, Action-Adventure, Survival

One Sentence Summary

A truly groundbreaking and terrifying game.

Official Summary

Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.

Developer

The Creative Assembly

Publisher

SEGA Europe Ltd

Playable on

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Singleplayer, Action-Adventure, RPG

One Sentence Summary

For those craving a game like Life is Strange.

Official Summary

As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong in small town Arizona, the choices you make have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives in this uncompromising story of betrayal, sacrifice and resilience.

Replay the story again and again to uncover vastly different outcomes for the characters and explore hidden nuances behind every decision. Will your characters survive unscathed? What kind of people will they ultimately become?

Discover more about As Dusk Falls from the Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase!

Developer

INTERIOR NIGHT

Publisher

Xbox Game Studios

Playable on

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Singleplayer, Action-Adventure, RPG

One Sentence Summary

Hack and slash your way through a cooperative campaign!

Official Summary

Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. These once-human hosts of a deadly parasite have turned into terrifying creatures bent on devouring what remains of civilization. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden, and reclaim the world.

Developer

Turtle Rock Studios

Publisher

Warner Bros. Games

Playable on

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Genre

Singleplayer, Multiplayer, Action-Adventure, FPS

These have quickly become my go-to headphones, and I wear them almost cybernetically at this point, even using them to play audiobooks at night as I go to sleep. They’re sleek, don’t cause me any difficulties even after 8+ hours of use, and allow me unparalleled function when I’m out and about.

Pros

Great battery life, very comfortable, reasonable IP rating.

Cons

Pricey, non-ideal IP rating, and higher volumes will leak sound.

A little cheaper than the Pro, these also come with much better water resistance. It’s still not recommended to swim with them, but just about anything else is fair game. They’re a slight degree more compact, and feature a sort of matte coating that I like the feel of. I wore these through the second year of the pandemic non-stop, to avoid getting ear infections due to the need to be at my desk working for extremely prolonged periods of time, and I found them very comfortable.

Pros

Fully enclosed, this model offers a great IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. It’s definitely not rated for swimming, but it can handle running in the rain (and probably something like a shower).

Cons

The IP rating comes at the cost of slightly more dulled audio, and a bit more buzzing against the skin at higher volumes.

I’m always skeptical of new Kickstarter projects because I’ve seen so many fails to come through, but these are already on the open market despite their campaigns just ending at the beginning of 2022. That is highly impressive, as are their claims regarding the sound quality, fit, and battery length.

I have yet to use these myself, but I’ll be reaching out to the company to see if they can supply me with a copy for testing purposes. If it lives up to everything it claims, this is likely to be the hot contender for the Shokz throne. You, dear reader, will be the first to know when I get my hands on them.

Pros

Quick charge, reasonable (if basic), IP rating, multipoint Bluetooth, and a 1-year warranty.

Cons

Very new product that’s Kickstarter-based.

These got on the list solely because of their claim to a novel technological principle: all the other bone-conduction headphones I’ve seen have been limited to internal storage only, which is a huge limitation. I was unable to find specific details regarding their true IP rating, however, so I’d suggest testing them heavily in the initial period of use.

Shokz has its own pair of waterproof headphones for swimming, though, so if you’re okay with just having preloaded content, those are probably the better option.

Pros

Can actually stream content from a nearby phone! Reasonable return period and warranty.

Cons

A little bulky, and requires that you’re comfortable leaving your phone someplace near the pool. **The biggest con is that I couldn’t find an actual IP rating from the company. They claim “waterproof” but that’s not the same thing.

These are the only true alternative to Shokz on the market (as far as I’ve encountered, and I’m always on the lookout for new bone-conduction breakthroughs). They offer a product very comparable to the non-Pro version of the Shokz OpenRun. There’s a little doubt whether the audio quality is quite as good as the OpenRun as well, suggesting that Mojawa still needs to fine-tune their transducer system. One thing I have noted: these can be found on much steeper sales than the Shokz products, so if you want a compariable Shokz experience for as much as $30-$50 less, keep an eye out for one of those sales.

Pros

Good IP rating, comfortable, great battery life.

Cons

Can cause some buzzing at higher volumes.

These are true entry-level bone-conduction headphones, but I see people constantly reviewing them and offering relatively high praise. Given my experience, I’d say that if you cannot afford anything else, and you need bone conduction headphones right away, these are a good option. But be aware of the limitations, the lack of waterproofing, and the muffled audio quality you’ll get in comparison to higher-quality products.

Pros

Great price.

Cons

Pretty poor IP rating, but not the worst. Leaks sound.

Pyle came out of the gate with an interesting alternative that’s founded a bit in some important areas, most notably in its battery life and IP rating. The sound quality is not as good as Shokz, though it’s reasonable for the price, but I’ve seen complaints about the longevity of the headphones as well. Personally, I like a company with a really strong return warranty, and while Pyle does offer a 1-year limited warranty, I’m not sure if I’d want to go through the process of dealing with it for these. At the end of the day, though, the short battery life is a dealbreaker.

Pros

Reasonable price. Leaks less sound than other lower-cost models.

Cons

Lower build quality, poor IP rating compared to slightly more expensive options. Slow charging time compared to other designs. Really poor battery life compared to slightly more expensive models.

Another extremely cheap option, these might be worthwhile if you can’t afford a more expensive model. Given that the battery is solid, it has an in-built mic, and generally provides good longevity (as reported by a fair sample of reviewers) these would be a good bet if you need bone conduction headphones without any glitzy features.

Pros

Reasonable warranty, relatively low cost.

Cons

Poor IP rating, bulky. Basically, a clone of the Taygoo model—possibly even the same company in the background.

In terms of audio quality, these totally rate higher than other budget options in the bone-conduction field, but the lack of multipoint pairing is a real shame. You do get a real IP rating, though, which is extremely nice. If you don’t need to connect your headphones to more than one device at a time, these are an obvious choice.

Pros

Better total IP rating than others in this price range.

Cons

Lower moisture IP rating than more expensive models. They released a firmware update that turned off their buggy multipoint pairing, and that’s a really poor move. Hopefully, they find a way to rectify that in the future, but I’m leery of any company that chooses to remove a feature rather than improve their product.

If you’re not convinced by the lure of the bone conduction headphones, but you know you need (or want) some headphones that offer a different listening style, these are a great alternative option. They offer solid sound, a good mic, and the freedom of your ear canal. However, they don’t conduct sound in the same way as bone-conduction headphones, so they may be less useful for those with hearing impairments.

Pros

A great 90-day trial period, a price match promise, and free 2-day shipping. A well-known company, and an innovative design.

Cons

Comes in two pieces, which leads us back to one of the major issues of earbuds: how easily lost one can become. Reviewers cite the lack of stability, especially while running or doing intensive sports, as a problem. The design of bone-conduction headphones on the market means they will stay on your head even if you’re doing sparring practice, while these definitely won’t. The absence of a good IP rating is also a fundamental flaw.

Right now, the field is skewed heavily in the favor of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz). They have a peak design, a corner on the market through a recognized brand, and consistently good products. I’m also a fan of their customer support: my first pair of headphones displayed some bluetooth issues towards the end of my first year of ownership, and the process of getting them replaced, free of charge, was easy as pie. I wish the warranty period were longer, of course, but I’m pleased with what they do offer. And, in terms of my needs for audio quality, multipoint functionality, all-day battery life, and reasonable IP ratings, Shokz is constantly a winner.

If you need to go low-budget, you might do best by buying a copy of each and trying them out during Amazon’s 3-day return window. See which offers you the better experience. My recommendation is the YouthWhisper headphones: their lack of multipoint is distressing, but otherwise they seem reasonable.

I’m very curious, bordering on excited, about the new Kaibo Flex. For a Kicklstarter-led campaign, they delivered on their product with blazing speed, and I love the idea of having a dock that comes with them for easy charging (as well as the 5-minute fast charge feature). Other cool elements are the smart play feature (put on and the audio starts, take off, and it stops), and the claims regarding overall sound quality. If you’re adventurous and have the dough to throw around, try them out, and check back here at Howchoo for updates and a more detailed review soon!

Brand: Samsung

Sizes: 128 GB – 256 GB

Speed: 100 MB/s

Price: $23.99 per 32GB

The Samsung Evo Select microSD card is another popular option, with a good number of positive reviews online. It’s the least cost-effective card on this list, but it comes with a couple of high capacity options between 128 GB and 256 GB with speeds as high as 100 MB/s.

Brand: PNY

Sizes: 32 GB – 256 GB

Speed: 100 MB/s

Price: $19.99 per 32GB

PNY’s Elite X microSD card comes in a 32 GB capacity and can reach as high as 256 GB. The speed for every capacity in this MicroSD card line is 100 MB/s. Price-wise, this isn’t the most cost effective microSD card, but the brand is fairly recognizable, and the card is popular with decent reviews.

Brand: Amazon

Sizes: 64 GB – 1 TB

Speed: 100 MB/s

Price: $18.44 per 128GB

The Amazon Basics MicroSD card has a speed of 100 MB/s for all of their SD cards, but the smallest size offered is 64 GB, so users will need to partition the card to use it with a Pi. The largest size available is 1 TB. As far as brand recognition goes, Amazon products are known as a decent quality store brand option for the online retailer.

Brand: PNY

Sizes: 16 GB – 128 GB

Speed: 85 MB/s – 100 MB/s

Price: $5.99 per 32GB

The PNY Elite MicroSD card has a 16 GB option as its smallest capacity, and can get as large as 128 GB. The speed for the 16 GB model caps out at 85 MB/s while the largest reaches up to 100 MB/s. It’s cost per GB is notable compared to the Samsung Evo Plus microSD card which offers similar speeds.

Brand: Samsung

Sizes: 32 GB – 512 GB

Speed: 100 MB/s

Price: $9.25 per 32GB

The Samsung Evo Plus microSD card is offered in a 32 GB capacity, with the largest option reaching 512 GB. All of the cards in this line have a speed of 100 MB/s making it a middle of the line option for users who may be on a budget but looking for something higher quality.

Brand: Gigastone

Sizes: 8GB – 1TB

Speed: 80 MB/s – 100 MB/s

Price: $7.98 per 32GB

Gigastone is a lesser known brand, but their Gaming Plus microSD card is regarded as a top seller with a fair amount of positive reviews. This microSD card is available in sizes as small as 8 GB and can reach up to 1 TB. The maximum speed for the largest size is 100 MB/s.

Brand: SanDisk / Western Digital

Sizes: 16 GB – 1TB

Speed: 98 MB/s – 120 MB/s

Price: $9.44 per 32GB

The SanDisk Ultra microSD comes in a wide range of capacities and is backed up with the quality and support you can expect from Western Digital. It has capacities ranging between 16GB and 1TB. The speeds cap out at 120 MB/s and start at 98 MB/s for the 32GB model. At 30 cents per GB, this is one of the more affordable options.

Brand: Samsung

Sizes: 128 GB – 512 GB

Speed: 160 MB/s

Price: $19.99 per 128GB

The Samsung Pro Plus microSD cards are available in capacities larger than the Raspberry Pi’s file system size requirement, but this can easily be fixed by formatting them to exFAT. The Samsung Pro Plus can reach speeds as high as 160 MB/s making it a notable option for high performance.

Brand: SanDisk / Western Digital

Sizes: 32 GB – 1 TB

Speed: 100 MB/s – 160 MB/s

Price: $10.99 per 32GB

The SanDisk Extreme microSD card is a great option for users looking for a 32GB model as it has a higher speed than the Extreme Pro while also running a tad cheaper. What it lacks most in comparison is the higher capacities which have a slightly lower speed of 160 MB/s. Again, SanDisk is a reputable brand owned by Western Digital which is well established in the storage industry.

Brand: SanDisk / Western Digital

Sizes: 32 GB – 1 TB

Speed: 90 MB/s – 200 MB/s

Price: $13.25 per 32GB

The SanDisk Extreme Pro microSD card is one of the best bargains you can find with speed taken into consideration. It starts out at $13.25 per 32GB with speeds of 90 MB/s while the higher capacity cards can reach up to 200 MB/s. The SanDisk name, owned by Western Digital, is fairly reputable, while the reviews for this card are overwhelmingly positive. As far as compatibility with the Pi goes, it’s available in a 32GB capacity but you can go as big as 1TB.