Portal 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Portal 2 across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Board Games vs. Video Games for Game Night: How to Pick the Right One | TAG
This guide helps determine whether board games or video games are better suited for a game night based on group size, player experience, available time, and desired vibe. It highlights the strengths of each format, from instant setup and couch co-op for video games to equal footing and tactile experiences for board games. The Jackbox Party Packs are presented as a hybrid solution with broad appeal, especially for mixed groups.
The Age-by-Age Guide to Gaming With Your Kids (Ages 4 to 14) | TAG
This guide provides age-appropriate video game recommendations for children aged 4 to 14, focusing on games that foster shared experiences between parents and kids. It highlights games with features like simplified controls, invincibility options, and clear feedback loops, emphasizing the importance of adjusting difficulty and letting children lead the gameplay.
Erik Wolpaw, co-writer of Portal and Portal 2 adores Burnout Paradise and has 1,500 hours in Slay the Spire: 'This…
Writer Erik Wolpaw, known for his work on Portal and Portal 2, discusses his extensive gaming history and current preferences. He expresses a deep affection for Slay the Spire, having accumulated over 1,500 hours, and also highlights Burnout Paradise as a game he will never uninstall. Wolpaw also touches on his experiences with Soulslike games like Nioh and Dark Souls 3, and his appreciation for the strategic depth of Slay the Spire.
The Ultimate Couch Co-Op Guide: Best Local Multiplayer Games in 2026 | TAG
Couch co-op gaming is experiencing a significant resurgence, with local multiplayer games generating billions in revenue and seeing increased player engagement. This guide categorizes the best local multiplayer titles for various player groups, including couples, families, and friends, highlighting games like It Takes Two, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and the Jackbox Party Pack series. The article also discusses the historical decline and recent comeback of couch co-op, emphasizing its unique social and bonding benefits.
Gamers obsess over Valve boss Gabe Newell telling critically ill Half-Life and Portal writer Erik Wolpaw to "get better" instead of resigning, but the full story is even better
A story about Valve founder Gabe Newell encouraging writer Erik Wolpaw to focus on recovering from severe ulcerative colitis rather than resigning has gained traction online. The incident, originally documented in Geoff Keighley's digital book 'The Final Hours of Portal 2', highlights Newell's supportive approach to employee well-being during a critical health crisis.
Portal 2: Community Edition Beta is out now as a playground for modding
Portal 2: Community Edition Beta has been released, offering enhanced modding tools and capabilities for players. This community-maintained version utilizes a modified version of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive engine, Strata Source, to introduce features like DirectX 11 support, improved lighting, and increased engine limits. The beta is available for users who own the original Portal 2 and supports native Linux.
Portal 2: Community Edition promises to take the game's modding potential to new heights, and it's out in open…
Portal 2: Community Edition, a community-maintained build of the game, has been released into open beta. It introduces new lighting technology, volumetrics, support for higher-resolution textures, custom campaign functionality, and expanded scripting capabilities, built on a fork of the CS:GO engine. This edition aims to enhance the game's extensive modding potential beyond its original limitations.
Portal 2: Community Edition Beta
Valve has released the open beta for Portal 2: Community Edition, a free modification for the original game. This enhanced version is available for PC on Windows and Linux.
15 years on, Portal 2 Community Edition just breathed new life into Valve's classic
Portal 2: Community Edition, a fan-made project by 29 developers, has been released, breathing new life into Valve's 2011 puzzle game. This enhanced version utilizes the Strata Source engine, a modified branch of the CS:GO engine, to introduce significant technical and visual upgrades, including physically based rendering, improved lighting, and dynamic shadows. While not a remake of the original campaign, it offers vastly improved tools for custom content creation and is available for free on Steam for owners of Portal 2.
Long Before Friendslop, Portal 2 Made Co-Op Cool
Portal 2's 15th anniversary is being celebrated by reminiscing about its innovative cooperative mode, which predated many modern social gaming trends. The game's dual-protagonist co-op campaign, featuring unique puzzle mechanics and charming characters, is highlighted as a precursor to current "friendslop" and co-op-focused titles. The article also notes its early cross-platform play between PC and PlayStation 3 as a remarkable feat for its time.
15 Years Later, Games Still Can't Nail What Portal 2 Perfected
Fifteen years after its release, Portal 2 is still considered a benchmark for successful comedy in video games. The article analyzes how Valve's approach to humor, characterized by brevity, character-driven jokes, and thoughtful design, contrasts with many modern games that struggle to integrate comedy effectively. Portal 2's shorter playtime and its characters' genuine motivations contribute to its lasting comedic impact.
Portal 2: Community Edition Beta Drops on Steam — Fan Project Finally Goes Public
Portal 2: Community Edition, a fan-driven overhaul of Valve's puzzle game, has launched its open beta on Steam. This project rebuilds core systems of the game, offering a full Steam integration with Workshop support. The beta aims to stress-test the complex puzzle mechanics and gather community feedback for further iteration.
25 Best Puzzle Games To Solve In 2026
This guide highlights 25 of the best puzzle games available, ranging from recent indie hits like Animal Well to enduring classics such as Portal 2. The list features a variety of brain-teasing experiences across multiple platforms, emphasizing critical thinking and engaging gameplay.
The MacBook Neo is moonlighting as a Windows gaming machine, and it’s doing it well
The MacBook Neo, powered by Apple's A18 Pro chip, has demonstrated surprising Windows gaming capabilities when run through Parallels Desktop. Despite its budget positioning and 8GB of RAM, it achieved playable frame rates in titles like Dirt 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, though Grand Theft Auto V struggled. This suggests that Apple's more affordable hardware can serve as a viable platform for casual Windows gaming through virtualization.
Paradox Codes (April 2026)
This guide provides a list of active and expired codes for the Roblox game Paradox, which is inspired by Doors, Undertale Yellow, and Portal 2. Redeeming these codes can grant players free ability rerolls, stat resets, weapon skin rerolls, and shards. The article also explains how to redeem codes within the game and where to find new codes upon release.
A Love Letter To Gaming's Many Weird Moons
This article explores the recurring presence and diverse interpretations of the Moon in video games, from its use as a setting for combat and puzzles in titles like Portal 2 and Super Mario Odyssey to its symbolic significance in Bloodborne and The Legend of Zelda series. It highlights how games like Destiny and Outer Wilds leverage the Moon's mystique to create unique player experiences, reflecting humanity's fascination with space and celestial bodies.
Decades ago, Gabe Newell revealed that Super Mario 64 influenced Half-Life, and it seems future Steam god GabeN was a lot better at Nintendo's platformer than Valve's FPS classic
Gabe Newell revealed in a 1998 interview that Super Mario 64, along with Ultima Underworld and Resident Evil 2, were significant influences on the development of Half-Life. Newell also admitted he was not particularly skilled at Half-Life's multiplayer, contrasting it with his perceived proficiency in Super Mario 64, which he later called his favorite game of all time.
"SteamGPT" mentions in Valve's code flagged by online sleuth, sparking fears of an AI Steam chatbot that will screw up your support requests and hallucinate anti-cheat
Code strings mentioning "SteamGPT" have been discovered in Valve's backend, leading to speculation about an AI-powered chatbot for Steam. This has sparked concerns among PC gamers about potential issues with customer support and anti-cheat systems, drawing comparisons to the AI character Wheatley from Portal 2.
Portal 2 devs went through "nasty crunch" to get Valve's all-time classic out the door, partly because they kept "adding stuff" despite deadlines: "My wife was getting really tired"
Portal 2 lead designer Josh Weier revealed that the development team experienced "nasty crunch" due to continuously adding features despite looming deadlines. Weier mentioned that the intense work environment strained his personal life, leading to a temporary step back from the project near its completion.
Warren Spector’s Thick as Thieves Drops PvPvE for Co-op Focus
Warren Spector's upcoming stealth game, Thick as Thieves, has shifted its development focus from PvPvE multiplayer to a co-op and singleplayer experience. This pivot aims to recapture the essence of classic stealth games like Thief, with the development team at OtherSide Entertainment believing this direction better suits the genre and player expectations. While the original PvPvE concept was intriguing, the team is now prioritizing a more traditional stealth experience that can be enjoyed with a friend or alone.
