16th December 2018 Win Alan Wake's American Nightmare on PC! [Advent Calendar 2018]

Following our Alan Wake giveaway, it felt right to only follow that with an American Nightmare giveaway!

As initial work began on Quantum Break, a team at Remedy went ahead and within eight months made Alan Wake's American Nightmare. American Nightmare was a bite-size AW title, comprised of three acts and focusing on cyclical time as Wake finds himself caught in a temporal trap set by his evil double, Mr Scratch. In addition to the game's story mode, the title also featured Fight Til Dawn, a horde mode which tested the player's skill against waves of Taken. The game was launched 22nd February 2012 for the XBOX LIVE Arcade House Party. 

The Prize

The prize today is a copy of Alan Wake's American Nightmare (retail price €9.99) on Steam.

Official Synopsis for Alan Wake's American Nightmare:

In this brand new standalone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch! A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode make this a must for Alan Wake veterans, and the perfect jumping on point for new players!

For this competition there will be one (1) winner. (Don't worry we'll be offering more prizes in future competitions and giveaways. So if you don't win in this competition, there will be more chances!) The winning entry will be chosen at random by Random.org. The winner will be contacted within one week of the competition finishing.

The competition will end Friday 21st December 2018 at 18:00GMT, so the winner can enjoy the game over the weekend.

How To Enter:

For this giveaway there is a maximum of two entries per person (one entry per social media channel). 

With Christmas so close, stress tends to be at an all-time high this time of year, so to enter I'm asking participants to share adorable animal gifs. Send me adorable puppies, kittens, baby chicks!

1. FACEBOOK
   Respond through THIS post or as a Private Message.
2. TWITTER
   Respond through THIS tweet or as a Direct Message.

Boring (but important!) Fine Print:

1. Please note that this is an unofficial competition and is not connected to Remedy, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Steam or XBOX. (I bought the games a few months ago.)
2. Maximum of two entries per person.
3. Entrants must be over 18.
4. This is open worldwide, but restrictions may apply on countries with limits on internet competitions.
5. Entry is free. 
6. No cash prize alternative will be available.
7. You must have a Steam account to enter so that the prize can be sent to you. (Setting up an account is free, and you don't need to have one at the time of entry, but you will need it to play the game.)
8. A new winner may be picked if the first does not respond to the email after two weeks. Although this is only a last resort after three weeks with reminders and alternative methods of communication e.g. through social media posts.
9. Competition begins on 16th December 2016 at 14:00 GMT and will end on 21st December 2018 at 18:00 GMT.
10. Entries collected through Facebook following the rules stated on 23rd August 2013, HERE.
11. Entries collected through Twitter following the rules stated in their Guidelines, HERE. 

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15th December 2018 Last Minute Gifts for Remedy Fans [Advent Calendar 2018]

Despite the vast number of local and online stores available, it can still be overwhelming to find that gift that is just right, especially as Christmas edges closer.

Earlier in a month we posted a list a Christmas gift ideas for Remedy fans, which included items ranging from t-shirts to Collector's Editions, but if time is getting away from you, today we've put together a list of last minute gift ideas perfect for a Remedy fanatic. Everything listed below should arrive in time for the holidays, but... just double check those shipping dates if you're buying a physical item, just to be on the safe side.

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Remedy Fans:

	Last Minute Amazon Deliveries If you have Amazon Prime you still have a few days to get your order in. There are some wonderful potential presents including the Alan Wake Collector's Edition for PC, the Alan Wake novelisation, and Quantum Break: Zero State.
	Digital Steam Gift If the person you're buying for is PC Gamer you might want to look out getting them a Steam gift. All of Remedy's AAA titles are available on Steam, from Death Rally to Quantum Break. Or you can also buy them a recommended game from the list of similar titles.
	Humble Store Game Gift If you're looking at getting a digital PC game, you might also want to consider buying something through The Humble Store. If you purchase through the Humble Store the game can still be redeemed on Steam but a portion of proceeds will be donated to a charity of your choice.
	Kindle Book Gift If you live in the US and you would like to give a book this Christmas, Amazon US has a system which allows you to purchase and gift an eBook to give to a friend. If your friend has yet to read the Alan Wake novelization or Quantum Break: Zero State, it's the perfect opportunity to give them that chance.
	Art Commission Why not work with a talented artist to create something special for someone?! The artwork doesn't have to be ready for the date, as the person in question can also help design the piece, but that collaboration might be a nice way to start the new year. Artists in the Remedy Community available for commission: CMDonovann, SeaCat2401, AceDhampir. (Artwork to the left by CMDonovann)

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14th December 2018 Community Creations: 03roku's Festive Artwork [Advent Calendar 2018]

In the lead up to Christmas, I wanted to spotlight some amazing artists in the community who have created some gorgeous and festive Remedy artwork over the years. For our third feature, we have the very talented 03roku, an artist based in Japan whose iconic artwork has been a fan favourite.

With more than 100 pieces of Alan Wake artwork in their portfolio, 03roku is one of the Remedy community's most productive artists. Their work is iconic and beautifully minimalistic making for some memorable and incredibly sweet artwork.

In their first festive piece, posted in 2013, they took inspiration from Barry's protective measures against the Taken, turning his "garlic against vampires" fairy lights into a full-blown Christmas tree outfit. Barry's face in this piece never fails to cheer me up as he looks so content in the puffy outfit. Possibly slightly impractical for hiking across Bright Falls but perfect as a defence against the Taken.

While 03roku primarily focuses on Alan as the subject in the artwork, it's not uncommon to see a cast of furry animals standing in for the supporting cast. Barry occasionally makes an appearance as an adorable beaver adorned with a tiny headlamp and Christmas lights, and Scratch turns up in several pieces as a sneaky cat. (03roku's Scratch is what actually led me to naming my cat, Mr Scratch!)

I messaged 03roku a few days ago to ask if it was okay to post some of their festive artwork on the site as part of the advent calendar, and not only did they agree but they also created an extra Christmas piece. It was a wonderful surprise to wake up to it in my inbox! They always have perfect complementary colours and seriously sweet designs for all of the characters but this piece is just... GAAHHHH I LOVE IT! Thank you, 03roku! You rock!

This post has just a small selection of the amazing work they do, to see their full portfolio, follow their adventures on Tumblr and Twitter!

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13th December 2018 Highlights From Our First Advent Calendar [Advent Calendar 2018]

Today we have a little bit of a retrospective. Back in 2012, we held our first advent calendar and so much has happened since then. We had the development and launch of Quantum Break in 2016, and the announcement of CROSSFIRE 2 and Control later in the year with a full reveal of the latter game a few months ago at E3. We also have a lot more faces in the community since, so for today, I wanted to revisit some of those earlier adventures.

It was five years ago so a lot has also changed with the site too; the cat mentioned in the article is a different cat, the writing style has changed, and I've gotten a lot better at cooking... which wouldn't have taken much to be honest.

So when you read these imagine a tinier Jaden with a different cat, and a cold kitchen (because we can't do insulation in the UK), winging it like crazy.

Highlights from our Advent Calendar 2012:

	Exclusive Interview with Fred Berman To celebrate the festive season, the wonderful Fred Berman, voice of Barry Wheeler (Alan Wake) and Vinnie Gognitti (Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne) kindly agreed to do an interview with us for our 2012 advent calendar. During our conversation, he spoke about voice acting, how different it is to acting on stage, portraying emotional depth, and who would win in a fight between Barry and Vinnie.
	Bird Leg Cabin Gingerbread House Taking a twist on the traditional gingerbread house design, we made a house in the shape of Bird Leg Cabin from Alan Wake. Less darkness and evil and more tasty. Although it did collaspe into a surprisingly convenient flat pack for storage suddenly and without warning soooooo... maybe a slightly possessed gingerbread?
	Remedy-Themed Cupcakes Following the Bird Leg Cabin gingerbread house, I decided that there wasn't enough sugar in the house, so I made some cupcakes, decorated with designs inspired by Remedy's titles.
	Alan Wake Gingerbread Characters You have your Bird Leg Cabin gingerbread house and themed cupcakes but what you're really missing is some gingerbread men. There's still a possibility that you could run out of sugar and that would be dreadful! So I made some Alan Wake-inspired gingerbread men.
	Barry Wheeler Munny Back in 2012, KidRobot had a store in London, they have since sadly closed down, those traitorous fools. While they were open I picked up a Munny to create an action figure that Funko Pop needs to get to work on, Alan Wake's Barry Wheeler.

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