Lauren Morton

Lauren Morton

Associate Editor

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 and Chief Minecraft Liker in 2021. 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, multiplayer cryptids, and can't stop playing co-op crafting games.

Articles by: Lauren Morton

Townscaper - a seaside collection of stone houses and towers at sunset

Townscaper's developer on how its 'radically casual' design is inspiring a new wave of low-stress builders to adapt the blueprint

By Lauren Morton published

New landscape Oskar Stålberg contemplates Townscaper's surprise success and the proliferation of other low stress building games.

Avowed game wizard

How to watch the Xbox Direct livestream for January 2024

By Lauren Morton published

Direct X The first Xbox showcase of the year is set to share gameplay for Indiana Jones, Avowed, and Hellblade 2.

The Sims 4 - Three sims in black clothes and leather stand together chatting

The Sims 4 is granting my castle build wishes, and goths to live in them, with 2 new DLC kits this week

By Lauren Morton published

news The castles are rad but goths may be going home sad.

The Sims 4 - a man Sim in a blue suit walks fearfully through an underground city

Unhinged Sims 4 player keeps building hidden village bunkers 'for capturing and storing men'

By Lauren Morton published

News Live Mode players scare me.

Unnamed life sim working title "Apollo City" - a character on the roof of an apartment building in a pixellated city waters vegetables in garden boxes and jars pickles

Former Stardew Valley contributor is making a new life sim set in a city, and it's already packed with little features new to the genre

By Lauren Morton published

News Any life sim where sleeping and recycling are levelable skills has my attention.

Image for 11 upcoming RPGs that might finally pull me away from Baldur's Gate 3

11 upcoming RPGs that might finally pull me away from Baldur's Gate 3

By Tyler Wilde published

New Rolls There are tons of exciting, ambitious RPGs in development, and lots of them are releasing this year.

Bugaboo Pocket - a virtual pet showing a purple and yellow rubber ducky isopod wearing a blue flower hat

Thanks to this Tamagotchi-like critter care game I now believe that bugs can be cute too

By Lauren Morton published

Bug features All it took was bug fashion, den decor, and minigames to win my heart.

Lightyear Frontier

One of my most anticipated games of 2024 is the one where mechs do farming

By Lauren Morton published

Crop Bots I'm a sucker for farming and crafting, especially if I get to be an interstellar mech pilot.

Fields of Mistria animated trailer - a blonde girl in anime style wearing a cloak looks to the camera surprised in front of an idyllic meadow and mountain landscape

The 10 cozy games I'm most excited for in 2024

By Lauren Morton published

Getting Cozy Cuddle up with this list of the coziest games scheduled to launch this year.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Ichiban surfs in Honolulu with a smile

Playing Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth feels like walking into a restaurant where the staff already knows my order

By Lauren Morton published

New View After spending just a couple hours in Honolulu City, I already feel at home in the series again.

A stylised image of the year 2024.

What are your 2024 gaming resolutions?

By Robin Valentine published

HI RES Maybe this is the year you clear that backlog...

Mei, Torbjorn in Christmas outfits.

What games did everyone play over the holidays?

By Mollie Taylor published

happy new year 'Tis the season to be gaming.

A wizard stares at an orb through a telescope

Our boldest predictions for PC gaming in 2024

By Jody Macgregor published

Divination We're pondering our orbs again.

Sky Children of the Light - three characters in bright capes walk together pointing towards a mountain with light shining into the sky

Hang on, because the cozy games trend hasn't even peaked yet

By Lauren Morton published

Cozy overload It felt like cozy games exploded in 2023, but next year is definitely going to be bigger.

Arc Raiders

6 game genre trends that we think are going to define 2024

By Lauren Morton published

Genre Defining The landscapes of FPSes and RPGs and city builders are all right at the edge of some big changes.

Palia - a player claps their hands while standing in front of a stack of winterlights chests

Where to find all 7 presents in Palia's Winterlights event

By Lauren Morton published

Winterlights List Here's how to track down all seven presents that Zeki has hidden around the village.

Baldur's Gate 3 - Astarion wearing an admiral's hate in camp, shirtless

This year Baldur's Gate 3 finally reawakened the RPG fandom freaks I'd dearly missed

By Lauren Morton published

Baldur's Fate I'm glad to see all my favorite weirdos (affectionate) enjoying the same thing again.

Remnant 2 art

The best deals in the 2023 Steam Winter Sale

By Wes Fenlon published

Deals We've combed the last big sale of the year for 2023's best games and older favorites, including a bunch under $10.

Palia - Hodari, a pan with purple skin and short hair wearing goggles and a work jacket stands on a paved path through a green meadow

Where the heck is Hodari in Palia?

By Lauren Morton published

Mine Times Here's where to track down Palia's miner Hodari.

Chants of Sennaar - A large tower with a terrace where a character stands looking out over a desert landscape. A PC Gamer banner saying "Personal Pick" in the top left corner.

Chants of Sennaar made me feel like a child in a school computer lab again in the best way

By Lauren Morton published

I may not have learned a real language, but this was still the best learning-adjacent game I've played in years.

Palia - Jina the researcher holds up one finger as if she's had an idea

Here are 6 Palia tips for getting started in the life sim MMO

By Lauren Morton published

Friend Code If this is your first crack at either an MMO or a cozy sim game, I'm here to hold your hand.

Best stealth game of the year 2023 banner

Best Stealth 2023: Shadow Gambit – The Cursed Crew

By Phil Savage published

The Gotys Set sail for the final time with the stealth tactics masters.

Jusant - a young person with short brown hair and a blue face marking looks upwards while wearing a cloak and a small blue creature companion on their shoulder

I played over 30 new cozy games this year and these are the 4 must plays

By Lauren Morton published

Get Cozy Cozy games flooded the PC this year. Don't drown in the choices.

Big Walk scene with four colorful round characters waving in a yellow room

The 7 most exciting PC games revealed at The Game Awards

By Tyler Wilde published

Hyped Another ultra-ambitious project from the No Man's Sky studio, an Arkane Blade game, and five other Game Awards trailers you should watch.

Disney Dreamlight Valley - a player wearing cat ears and a sweater takes a selfie pointing nervously to a rainbow Valley Visits teleporter while MIckey and Goofy pose nearby

Disney Dreamlight multiplayer: how to unlock valley visits

By Lauren Morton published

Valley Visits Here's how to get started visiting friends in Dreamlight Valley and what you can (and can't) do together.