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Sam Hill

Sam Hill

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As Digital Trends' Gaming evergreen lead, Sam Hill is here to help you find your new favorite game and dive right in. The team he oversees covers everything from Fortnite skin suggestions and Call of Duty perk tips to complex Baldur's Gate 3 builds and starting a fox farm in Minecraft. You can often find him losing all of his hard-earned loot in Rust or spamming the "Nice shot!" quick chat option in Rocket League (in a toxic way).

Before he came on full-time with Digital Trends, Sam spent a few years as a freelancer, writing tech guides for Input and writing for publications like Outside Magazine, Serious Eats, the Outline, Boston Magazine, and more. He also occasionally writes for The Manual about his outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

He got his start in journalism at the University of Southern Maine where he joined the Free Press, the student newspaper, after figuring out he didn't want to hang out with the serious English majors who genuinely enjoyed reading James Joyce.

Sam currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where he pretends to be a Trailblazers fan until the legendary Boston Celtics come to town.

The Mini open in the NYT Games app on iOS.

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Friday, March 7

The NYT Mini crossword might be a lot smaller than a normal crossword, but it isn't easy. If you're stuck with today's crossword, we've got answers for you.
Gaming News
NYT Strands logo.

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Friday, March 7

Strands is a tricky take on the classic word search from NYT Games. If you're stuck and cannot solve today's puzzle, we've got help and hints for you here.
Gaming Guides
New York Times' Connection puzzle open in the NYT Games app on iOS.

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Friday, March 7

Connections is the new puzzle game from the New York Times, and it can be quite difficult. If you need a hand with solving today's puzzle, we're here to help.
Gaming News
Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for March 7

Trying to solve the Wordle today? If you're stuck, we've got a few hints that will help you keep your Wordle streak alive.
Gaming News
New York Times Crossword logo.

NYT Crossword: answers for Friday, March 7

The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn't the Sunday issue! If you're stuck, we're here to help you out with today's clues and answers.
Gaming News
New York Times Crossword logo.

NYT Crossword: answers for Sunday, February 2

The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn't the Sunday issue! If you're stuck, we're here to help you out with today's clues and answers.
Gaming News
The Switch 2 next to a TV with Mario Kart.

Nintendo Switch 2: everything we know so far

We've been hearing theories about the Nintendo Switch 2 for years now. Here are the improvements we think Nintendo needs to make with its next console.
Gaming Guides
Super Smash Bros Ultimate

The best fighting game on Switch gets a Cyber Week price cut

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a Switch classic and one of the best games on the platform. This is a must-see deal if you're looking to bundle a game with a new Switch.
Gaming News
Cal fights and enemy in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

This Star Wars game is a Cyber Monday must-have

Jedi Cal Kestis might have one of the most interesting journeys in the Star Wars universe — and you can only experience it in this video game series.
Gaming News
Xbox Series X 1TB All-Digital console.

My favorite Xbox Series X model is on sale right now

With one of the newest Xbox Series X models, you'll never have to worry about file sizes or storage issues again.
Gaming News
A red Pikmin looks around in Pikmin 4.

This is my must-buy Nintendo Switch game for Black Friday 2024

Nintendo Switch game deals can be rare — that's why I'm beyond excited for the steep discount Pikmin 4 is getting for Black Friday.
Gaming Deals
A PS5 Pro that's floating in front of a gray background. It's turned to the side.

The best video game consoles for 2024

Choosing the right gaming console can be difficult. We compare the Xbox Series X, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and more in terms of games, power, and versatility.
Gaming Best-Ofs
Nikki in blonde hair sitting in a field of flowers in a wedding dress.

All upcoming mobile games: 2024, 2025, and beyond

There are plenty of upcoming iOS and Android games to look forward to, and here we highlight the platform's most anticipated titles.
Gaming Guides
Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

All upcoming video games (PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC): 2025 and beyond

Want to take a quick glance at what video games are set to be releases soon? Here's our list of video games to watch that are coming out in 2025 and beyond.
Gaming Guides
Joanna Dark posing with a pistol.

All upcoming Xbox Series X games: 2025 and beyond

The Xbox Series X game library is set to grow a lot in 2025 and beyond. Here's every game you have to look forward to.
Gaming Guides
Stardew Valley

Is the Stardew Valley 1.6 update on consoles and mobile? Switch, PS5, Xbox, more

Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has already released for PC, but console players are wondering when they'll get a chance to check out of all of the new changes.
Gaming Guides
Fortnitemares 2024 key art featuring many villains.

How many skins are in Fortnite?

There are way too many Fortnite skins to count — or so we thought. Here's an online tool that can give you a list of every skin in the game.
Gaming Guides
e3 2021 missing games call of duty

All Call of Duty games in order, by release date and chronologically

Call of Duty titles have been releasing annually since 2003 and covered military conflicts from 1940 to 2187. Here's what the titles look like in order.
Gaming Guides
A heard of horses in minecraft.

How to breed horses in Minecraft

Breeding horses is fairly simple in Minecraft. Follow this basic guide and you'll have a full-sized horse ranch in no time.
Gaming Guides
A player sprints away from someone shooting at them in Blindfire.

Pitch-black shooter Blindfire is a bright idea that’s still finding its way

Blindfire is a new multiplayer shooter with a twist — players are fighting in complete darkness. We jumped into early access to put it to the test.
Gaming Features
The cast of Super Mario Party Jamboree.

How to unlock everything in Super Mario Party Jamboree: boards, characters, more

Mario Party Jamboree gives you a lot to start but there are a few characters and boards you'll need to unlock to play with. Here's how to unlock it all.
Gaming Guides
pokemon silver gold 24 years final

24 years later, Pokémon Gold and Silver remain unmatched

Pokémon Silver and Gold released in North America 25 years ago today, and no Pokémon game since has nailed its best feature.
Gaming Features
A person and two pals in Palworld.

Is Palworld cross-platform?

Pokémon with guns? Palworld has been a viral multiplayer hit, but you should know that there are limitations when it comes to cross-platform support.
Gaming Guides
A person holds up a PS5 controller.

How to sync a PS5 controller to your PS5

A PS5 controller is an innovative piece of tech. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to sync a PS5 controller to your PS5 system through a few steps.
Gaming Guides
Three phones running Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Pokémon’s new mobile game will bring out the card collector in you

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is the best way to amass a Pokémon card collection without breaking the bank.
Gaming Features
Character running past a chocolate factory in Haunted Chocolatier.

Haunted Chocolatier: everything we know so far

Want to make chocolate in a haunted castle? The developer of Stardew Valley is working on a new game where you do just that. Here's what we know so far.
Gaming News
Two vault-dwellers and a helmet from a set of power armor.

Fallout 5: everything we know so far

Ready for another Wasteland adventure? Fallout 5 isn't close to release, but we aren't completely in the dark. Here's what we know about the next Fallout game.
Gaming Guides
Cortana, the AI NPC from the Halo series.

What is an NPC?

NPC is a gaming term that means non-playable character, but it has taken on a new meaning in real life recently. Here's why someone called you an NPC.
Gaming Guides
Zelda holding the decayed Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom.

The best Switch games for 2025

Here are the best Nintendo Switch games to play in 2025, from Splatoon 3 and Animal Crossing to Tears of the Kingdom and Pokémon and everything in-between.
Gaming Best-Ofs
halo infinite season delay team

The best Xbox Series X games for 2025

The Xbox Series X has tons of memorable games between third-party offerings and its stable of first-party studios. Here are the best ones to check out for 2025.
Gaming Guides
Profile shot of Samus in the first Metroid Prime 4 Beyond trailer.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: release date window, trailers, gameplay, and more

Remember Metroid Prime 4? It's apparently still in development, though little else is known about the project. Here's everything we know about Metroid Prime 4.
Gaming News
The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls 6: everything we know so far

While The Elder Scrolls 6 is in active development, you won't get to play it for quite some time. Here's everything we know about the follow-up to Skyrim.
Gaming News
Steam library.

How to change your Steam username

Have you outgrown your Steam username? If it's time for a change, you can switch up your username easily in just a few clicks on both desktop and mobile.
Gaming Guides
Trevor, Michael, and Franklin are all holding guns in GTA 5 promotional art.

GTA 5 cheats: codes and phone numbers PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC

Having some trouble with Grand Theft Auto? Maybe a cheat code or two could help. Here’s a list of cheats for every platform.
Gaming Guides
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