I’ve always been a big fan of “Sudoku.” Puzzle games in general, really. That said, just sitting there completing Sudoku puzzles one after another eventually leaves something more to be desired. So when I saw a new interesting take on my beloved distraction, I figured I had to give it a try.

“Woodoku” is a free to play wood block puzzle game that somewhat mirrors the challenge of “Sudoku.” “Woodoku” gives you a 9x9 board that needs to be filled with pieces that you are given. You drag the pieces onto the board and need to fill all the spaces completely. It’s not that easy, however: the pieces that look like they can fill a certain space might not always be put in the correct space they’re supposed to occupy. You need to fill an entire row, column or square to clear blocks from the board and you earn combo points if you clear multiple ones at once.

I would argue the game gives off some “Tetris” vibes as well, so listen: if you like “Sudoku” and “Tetris,” then “Woodoku” is definitely the game for you. The fun doesn’t just come from completing levels, but also from beating your own score to see if you can find ways to improve it.

With multiple levels to complete (and a very chill environment in which to complete those levels), “Woodoku” is a pretty solid time waster – one that I certainly enjoyed.

“Woodoku” is free to download on the Android and IOS stores.

Nostalgia is big business when it comes to entertainment. And perhaps nowhere is that nostalgia as keenly felt as it is within the movie industry. Now more than ever, studios are seeking to cash in on our feelings about what has come before, monetizing our memories and generally profiting on the past.

That’s not to say that it’s always a bad thing. Some perfectly enjoyable works have sprung from that desire, even if those works themselves sprung from the pursuit of profit. It’s not ideal, perhaps, but there’s still joy to be found.

Take “8-Bit Christmas,” a new film currently streaming on HBO Max. Directed by Michael Dowse from a screenplay by Kevin Jakubowski (who adapted his own novel of the same name), it’s the story of a young man in Chicago in the late 1980s and his all-consuming Christmastime quest to get his hands on the one thing that will make his life truly complete:

A Nintendo Entertainment System.

It’s a film that will undeniably ring familiar – you’ve seen just about all of this before, in some way, shape or form – but when you’re talking about this kind of holiday fare, the familiarity is the point. There’s something warm and comforting about these readily recognizable beats – sure, you won’t be surprised, but you’ll probably be charmed.