Disclaimer I want to thank everyone for the gilds, replies and suggestions. I just do not have time to reply to everyone, but I am reading everything. I am not sure how much bigger the thread can be, I already typed this but it vanished so I think I'm at the limit. I will try to keep updating, but I don't expect the thread to be up top for much longer and will likely vanish soon, so if you need anything save it.
Yes, it's hard, it sucks, it's depressing. It is something we all have to do if you want to see this virus go. Everyone knows the deal, too many think they're the exception but no one is. However, staying home is hard so maybe I can help at least one or two people with some incentives. I'll try to give links to some things that can help cure the boredom, and some support if you need it.
Most of this might be obvious to some, some might not even have internet and of course, money is a big issue, so I'll try to give some suggestions:
For streaming and on demand things such as Netflix et al, don't forget you can subscribe for free for your first month. This goes for most things in the list. If you are worried about putting in your payment details and forgetting to cancel a month later, don't worry! You can sign up and immediately cancel and you still get your free month!
For people who don't have a smart TV, you can buy a cheap Amazon Fire TV stick or a Roku box. The Fire stick can go as low as £20 often for 1080p. It will drop to £30 for 4k.
I picked up a 4k Roku device for £18 on Amazon once. It's fast and snappy. currently it's going for £33 for the 4k version. Having both, there is little difference between the devices. NowTV also do their own roku powered device.
Subscription based streaming sites that all offer 2-4 weeks free for first timers

Netflix *According to comments the second month is free.
Amazon Prime You can either get Amazon video on its own, or take prime with other benefits. I strongly urge those who use Amazon for buying off their store front to use [https://smile.amazon.co.uk/] as there is literally no difference except everything you buy amazon donates to a charity of your choice.
Now TV (I believe it's 7 days)
Disney+
Britbox
Amazon channels. I believe you can get all these individually but Amazon offers them as channels bound to your prime account, and they are again either free for a couple weeks (again, take them, cancel instantly) or very cheap. I recently subscribed to Starzplay for £1 for 3 months. It has some good shows on it like Fringe, doom patrol. It also has channels like Curiosity stream and shudder

If you have not subscribed to the any of the above, you can get a few months of free TV by signing up and cancelling instantly. I suggest waiting at least 5 minutes just to let it go through the system.
Some tips for Now TV. IF you already have a subscription, I've noticed you can get it cheaper by cancelling. When you cancel they will beg you to stay. Select "I can not afford it this month" and they should beg again, telling you what shows they have. If you say you still want to cancel, they'll beg one last time and offer you the subscription for cheaper. This won't work every month, but I've noticed they'll always offer it the first time, then again after a couple months. If you're subscribed to both films and entertainment do the most expensive one as it may not work both times (but it might!). You can also pick up passes from storefronts a lot cheaper sometimes, before I could pick one up on Amazon for £3 but, they seem to have cracked down on it. If you shop around (or if anyone knows of a legitimate store please let me know) you might be able to pick it up cheaper. Lastly, check their website and under your account they should have an "offers for you" section.
Completely free TV

If you do have a smart TV and/or device, there are some good free streaming apps. One I really love is called PlutoTV. I know this is on both Roku and the fire stick, as well as Ps4/Ps5 and xbox.
Pluto offers a bunch of live channels and now an on demand section, all for free. It has adverts but they are actually short (shorter than regular TV and fewer of them). Some of the channels are just streaming certain shows like Mythbusters 24/7 or Dog the bounty hunter, but it has a lot of old movie channels as well as 24/7 kickboxing and MMA. It also has a 24/7 poker channel I quite like.
Another one I like is Rakuten Viki however, I haven't watched it for a while as my fire stick is only 1080p and I have too many other devices attached. I believe it is on Roku but you have to jump through some hoops and have an account. The last I checked on the fire stick you did not. Viki offers a metric ton of Asian shows, mainly from Japan and South Korea but it does have chinese, Malaysian etc. It has subtitles. Some Japanese shows are hysterical, albeit weird.
Roku also do their own channels with free shows if you own a device.
For those who don't have a smart TV or a Streaming device, you can set up your own computer as a dedicated streaming device with Plex. It's been a while since I used it but I believe it now also offers free movies and TV.
Anime
If you are into Anime there is

The first 2 are free to watch, or offer premium without ads which you can have a trial with. Crunchyroll is the better of the two with more original choice for Japanese voice and subs, while Funimation has more Dubs. I don't believe HiDive is free to watch but you do get a 2 week trial. These are more exclusives than the previous two.
PC Centric software
If you are a gamer or like Audiobooks or anything that uses computers for things like music making, programming or graphic design

Humble Bundle offers, as per the name, bundles. A long running site that got bought out by IGN. It offers both single items and bundles you can buy individually/as a pack while also offering a separate monthly subscription for around £8-9. The subscription gives you 12 games on average per month. That's the simplest explanation but it changes somewhat as sometimes you get to pick 10 out of 14 games, or get all 12.
Humble bundle offers more than just games though. Every Tuesday they bring a new bundle of games, while Thursday (I "think) a new bundle of books. They very often have books from the Black Library giving you a ton of Warhammer books. Sometimes it's standard E-books, other times it's audiobooks. A few times a year they do bundles for graphic design, a typical bundle would include programs like Paintshop Pro Corel Painter etc, They usually go for £0.76 for tier 1 up to around £18 for tier 3, which would include 4-6 full titles with 10+ addons. They also often have Music making bundles or video editing software as well as Programming or video game development.
The bundles change often, they usually have around 11 bundles at a time that last for 20 days. Sometimes it's trash but they do often have some very good deals.
Fanatical offers the same as humble bundle except usually not as high quality, but sometimes they do have some incredible deals, and they are very very cheap.
Both humble and fanatical are safe, trusted and been around a long time, and they are NOT grey market key sites. They work with the publishers and developers. You can buy games both old and new for a lot cheaper than you would most other places. Unless it states otherwise, keys are usually for steam.
**BOTH HB and Fanatical (HB much more common) offer free games fairly often. The catch is linking your steam account to them (at least HB). It is safe however.
IndieGala is another site like above. Except, these are much much lower quality. However, they offer a metric ton of free games. Quality is low but it is legitimate, and a lot of free stuff.
Game Store Fronts

Steam This one is so obvious I didn't add it, but apparently many want me to. It is the best out there, and you can find almost everything, with fantastic deals.
Greenmangaming offers games cheaply. Again, not a grey market site (which are legal but unethical) and they sometimes do bundles.
GoG (Good old games) is a DRM free site run by CDPR, the makers of the Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk. They offer you games quite cheap and not needing DRM (such as Steam, Uplay etc which is less invasive versions of dodgy DRM from the olden days).
Epic Games Despite the controversy whether you care about their rivalry with valve, they offer free games ever week. Without ever having bought anything I have gained over 170 games. literally. Good games for the most part. They often give you £10 coupons as well.
Twitch Everyone knows twitch, but if you don't, it's a streaming service for watching gamers and girls with low cut tops accidentally bending over in front of the game. However, if you're signed up to prime, you get free games each month (and randomly between the set bunch).
Playstation Store Currently has January sales. Currently the free games for PS+ are for PS4: Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Greedfall. For the Ps5 it is Maneater
Games with Gold Bleed 2 and the King of Fighters XIII is available until Janurary 15th whilst little Nightmares is available until January 31st.

Gaming Subscriptions
Like the TV versions, you can sign up to these for a free trial (or very cheap). If you do sign up to only one at a time, it should keep you busy for a few months

Xbox Game Pass You can do this on both/either an Xbox or PC. If you sign up to the regular one, you can get a month (maybe three!) for £1. After you have done that, you can sign up to the premium version for 3 months at £1 a month. Most people know game pass, but you can download a large selection of games for free. The premium version gives you games with gold, allowing you to keep the games forever (but can only play with a subscription)
Ubisoft+ I'm not 100% sure if you get a trial or not. This allows a large collection of Ubisoft titles to play for £12.99 a month. Quite expensive but good if you like Ubisoft titles I guess.
EA Play EA's version. Goes by a ton of names I think, EA Access, EA Play, Origin Access etc etc. There's a couple of versions of this, and it is across all platforms (PS4/5, Xbox, PC) but not sure about the switch. I "think" the premium allows you to play on all platforms, while the cheaper one on a single platform, but I may be mistaken.
PS Now a once terrible service that is now actually very good. Allows you to download some Ps4 games to your PS4/5 and lets you stream a massive amount of Ps2/3/4 to your PC or playstation.

There's more like nvidia's service but you need the Shield device which is quite expensive. I'll leave it at that.
Audiobooks & Ebooks

Audible Not sure what the current deal is but if you are a prime member you can sign up for a trial and get a free Audiobook each month for 3 months. Some warhammer books are 48 hours long, 3 of those gives you a good 100+ hours of listening!
Comixology Another Amazon company, but lets you download some free comics I believe.
Marvel Unlimited No experience with this. ItFuckingWont wanted me to add it. A subscription service for Marvel.

Education

Sign Language BSL here No experience myself, suggested by n21brown and asked for a few times. Didn't know SL was so popular! Listed as "Pay what you can"
BBC's Bitesize here is apparently good for home learning. Again, no personal experience.

If you need some spare change
Okay, I don't generally bother with it, but maybe some of this could be useful to you. These are NOT a quick way to make a fortune. These are small things you can do over time for a bit of pocket change

If you have prime you can get a FREE FIVE POUND GIFT CARD by literally just streaming a song from Amazon music (which is included in prime) here is the details According to the comments it's only for select people, but it's worth trying If the link doesn't work for you just google "Amazon £5 coupon music"
Now, these sorts of sites have been around for years, I haven't used any other than talkInsights which I must have signed up to 10-15 years ago. Basically they send you surveys and you answer them. They are confidential and don't ask for personal details in the survey. You need 2000 points and you get £20. During the pandemic they've slowed down but I probably get around £40 a year. Not much I know, but it's an email followed by a quick survey ticking boxes. Depending on your answer sometimes you get screened out, I'm not telling you to lie but just be consistent with your answers and you should be able to work out how to not get screened. Some emails are only worth 20 points, others 200. It's slow to get to the 2000 but very quick to just answer a few questions.
Apparently beermoneyuk is a good sub to make some pocket change with.
There is also matched betting. I have never done this, I don't have the patience but from what I've read, it's legitimate, it works and you can make a fair amount of cash from it so long as you do it correctly, and there's a ton of guides. I mention this because people stuck at home could get into it and as long as you're careful (I.E not entering in the wrong numbers) it's risk free AND it pisses off the betting shops. It seems people in comments have had success with it. Disclaimer A couple have complained about gambling. This arguably is not gambling. If you are susceptible to addiction do not do it. However, it's argued that there is no fun or buzz in this, and it's a very tedious and time consuming thing. Others argue you can't make the same money anymore (People were making thousands, now only hundreds if that). It's risk free providing you know what you're doing, the risks are user error, such as entering the wrong numbers. Someone pointed out that due to the lockdown, bets could potentially be cancelled due to sport stopping. So use on a side of caution. We're (mainly) adults so I'll leave it up just because this doesn't have the excitement of regular gambling.
Microsoft Rewards This is an easy way to make pocket change doing very little. Most people have a MS account. The rewards program offers you numerous ways to grab points, by playing free to play games, answering small questions (you don't even need to answer most of the time, just open the link and shut it) and by using bing and searching on it. I've gotten 20k points JUST by answering questions over a couple months. There are many rewards but you can grab a £5 gift card for 6k for example, or a month of game pass (and AFAIK you can make points playing the games)
Google rewards Someone mentioned this in the comments. I have not used it, so can not give any input on it. Sounds similar to TalkInsights which I linked. Google states "Complete short surveys while standing in line, or waiting for a subway. Get rewarded with Google Play or PayPal credit for each one you complete. Topics include everything from opinion polls, to hotel reviews, to merchant satisfaction surveys. We’ll notify you when a survey is waiting."

That's it for now. I will try to update as I go along. A long post but I hope that it can help some of you with finding something good to do that's free, cheap or a bargain. I do suggest getting prime, especially since you get free music, free delivery, free TV and music and free video games each month. In fact, there's a ton of perks and I feel I've gotten way over the cost investment.
Hope it helps someone at least
PartTimeCrazy said if you bought an Apple product you get 3 free months of Apple Arcade and Apple TV free for a year
fakehunted is upset I didn't mention wanking. Tesco have 225 sheets of Tissue for £0.75!
tale_lost suggested Project Gutenberg for a collection of free E-Books
Learning Language
Unfortunately, I don't have time to check every link listed so I will link the comments:
Togtogtog Gives a lot of links for Spanish

Duolingo Numerous people have suggested this So I haven't used myself. Thanks to OhHiGCHQ StephanieMecredy & Allorie_95

Board & Tabletop games
Corporal_Anaesthetic has made a list of Board games
ilyemco suggested these
HEALTH
I'm not a doctor! But if you're a smoker, something I strongly suggest is to quit. I struggled for years but in the first lockdown I quit, technically. I haven't had a cigarette since, however, I do that silly thing millennials do. I vape, but, it made quitting extremely easy. I would not have been able to do it if it wasn't for 88Vape They sell extremely cheap liquids at £1 each. You can find these in B&M but you can pick up 25 for £20 or buy your own mix.
Vitamin D deficiency has been said to be a big problem for the virus. I'd suggest (again, not a doctor!) that you pick some up. Tesco do a 3 for 2 deal. So you can pick up 270 tablets for £7.
If you are vulnerable you MIGHT be able to phone tesco and get put on their delivery saver list (currently it's paused but phoning may help. At the very least they might give you a priority slot. I did this for my mum, we didn't shop at Tesco but I phoned for her, and they put her on with no hassle, so she can always get a delivery.
HELP & ADVICE
The lockdown Rules.
Reasons to leave home include:

Work or volunteering where it is "unreasonable" to work from home. This includes work in someone else's home, such as that carried out by social workers, nannies, cleaners and tradespeople
Education, training, childcare and medical appointments and emergencies
Exercise outdoors (limited to once a day). This includes meeting one other person from another household in an open public space to exercise
Shopping for essentials such as food and medicine
Communal religious worship
Meeting your support or childcare bubble. Children can also move between separated parents Activities related to moving house

I want to add, if you are in danger you are also allowed (and must!) to get away from the situation for some reason, BBC seems to have missed this very important thing (or I am blind)

To flee the threat of harm or violence.*
CoronaVirus Symptoms
CoronaVirus government site You can check your location and how many cases here.
Worldometers Shows cases around the world.
Interactive UK Map Another easy to read map with cases in counties and local area's.
World Health Organisation

Support

FOR THOSE SHIELDING YOU CAN CONTACT THE ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE. These people helped my mother with picking up her medicine from the chemist. They were very helpful and went out their way to keep in touch and do it immediately. (It's the only experience I have with them though)
_riotingpacifist wanted these links added, but I simply just don't have the time to vet and check all the suggestions here, so I will link as is:

Update:
Digital Art
These are Free

Krita Arguably the best in my opinion. It has a load of options, brushes and a decent UI. It works fantastic with a tablet.
Gimp This is a decent program but last I used, the UI was a pain, and it isn't so user friendly while misses features, but it works, and it is possible to do some incredible creations on it.
Medibang Paint This is slightly geared towards Comics and Manga. I really enjoy using this with my drawing Tablet. As far as I know, it also for regular tablets for Android/Ipad and is free.

You can pick up a drawing tablet on Amazon quite cheap these days! Small ones that are just a black slate such as the wacom ones are good but takes some practice to get use to, but very worth it if you can't afford a dedicated drawing tablet with a screen.
Office suit software
A couple of free applications for word processing, spreadsheets etc.

LibreOffice This has most the average user would need to write their own books or to work from home. There's not a huge amount of difference between the two I'm linking (since I last used anyway) so it's more for preference.
Open Office You can pick this up here and again, like above it's just preference.

Music Making
I'm going to direct to matthewharris806 for some links as all the programs I've used like Reason are expensive, or cheaper stuff in bundles such as Magix software.
Games development
D_Dad_Default gives some links for that here

HITMAN 3 PRE-LAUNCH GUIDE (PROGRESSION CARRYOVER)

https://www.ioi.dk/hitman-3-pre-launch-guide/
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Welcome to the HITMAN 3 Pre-launch guide. This blog post will be our place to share in-depth details about HITMAN 3, including how to carryover your progression, our new Access Pass system, what to expect on launch day and more.
We are excited to see all of our players embark on Agent 47’s next journey and experience the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy.
Before you start reading, this is how the game begins.

Release Details

HITMAN 3 will be available on 20 January 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch and PC.
We’re happy to confirm that the Nintendo Switch version of HITMAN 3 will also launch on 20 January. The Switch version of HITMAN 3 is playable via cloud streaming technology. A stable and permanent internet connection is required to play.
Release Time HITMAN 3 will release simultaneously on all platforms at 13:00 UTC on 20 January 2021. To see the exact release time in your timezone, follow this link. This release time will ensure that the IOI teams in Copenhagen and Malmö are best-placed to ensure a smooth launch. At that time, digital copies will be available to play and the games servers will be online.
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Pre-load It will be possible to pre-load HITMAN 3 on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Make sure that you’ve configured your console to do that and the downloads will begin when they have been prepared and certified. On PC, there won’t be a pre-load option for HITMAN 3 and downloads will begin at the above release time.
(For PS4 and PS5 owners in Asia, please note that HITMAN 3 will not be available for pre-order or pre-load. This is due to recent changes in the age ratings systems in those regions. HITMAN 3 will be available for purchase at the above time.)
Day One Patch HITMAN 3 will require a day one patch for all disc users. The day one patch will be automatically applied to digital players. This patch will include access to the VR mode for PlayStation users and will include the remaining locations that are not included on the disc.
Game Size HITMAN 3 will take up approximately 60-70 GB of storage space on all platforms, with the obvious exceptions of Stadia and Switch. The data that you download will also include all the content required to access HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 – but you are still required to own/purchase access to those games. To underline that; purchasing HITMAN 3 does not grant access to the previous two games by default.
Using this method allows us to reduce the file size for all players to 60-70 GB and has the benefit of making the process of redeeming or purchase access to HITMAN 1 and HITMAN 2 as simple as possible. (We talk about that more later). Also, we want to clarify that reducing the file size doesn’t mean that we’ve made any compromises on the visual/audio quality of the game. If you’re curious about the technical aspects that made this possible, we recently talked to PC Gamer about it.

HITMAN 3 - Editions

There are two editions of HITMAN 3; The Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition.
– The Standard Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game. Nice and simple. – The Deluxe Edition includes the HITMAN 3 base game and the Deluxe Pack. Again, nice and simple.
The only difference between the two editions is the Deluxe Pack, which includes 6 Deluxe Escalations, in-game suits, items and weapons, a digital soundtrack for each game in the World of Assassination trilogy, an introduction to each HITMAN 3 campaign mission by the Game Director and a digital artbook that highlights the characters, targets and missions included in the trilogy. A free IOI Account is required to download the digital soundtracks and World of HITMAN Art Book.
Here’s a visual look at everything that’s packed into the HITMAN 3 Deluxe Edition:
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Next-gen Upgrade Console players who pre-order or purchase a physical or digital copy of HITMAN 3 (either Standard or Deluxe) on the current generation of consoles (PS4/Xbox One), will receive a free upgrade to the next-gen version of the game for no additional cost. Note that you won’t be able to receive the next-gen upgrade if you purchase HITMAN 3 on disc and you own a disc-free next gen console.
When making a digital purchase, you will automatically be entitled to download the next-gen version when you access the game on that console.
When making a physical disc purchase, you’ll need to insert the current gen disc into your next gen console and you’ll be able to download the next-gen version for no additional cost. Simply keep the disc in your machine whenever you want to play and you’ll be good to go.
Pre-order Bonus The HITMAN 3 pre-order bonus celebrates all three games in the World of Assassination trilogy. Introducing the Trinity Pack. You’ll get it just by pre-ordering the game, no matter what platform or edition.
The Trinity Pack includes a total of 9 items, with 3 distinct sets that represent a different game from the trilogy. Each set includes a suit, briefcase and weapon. From the White of HITMAN 1, the Red of HITMAN 2 or the Black of HITMAN 3, you’ll have all 9 items in your inventory to mix and match as you like. The classic Hitman insignia is etched onto the items in gold to add an elegant flourish.
Note: The Trinity Pack will not be included with either the Standard Edition or Deluxe Edition after January 20.
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At selected retailers, pre-ordering a physical edition of HITMAN 3 will also include an exclusive physical passport. This unique item is filled with details and references from Agent 47’s career and commemorates 20 years of Hitman. See the list of retailers in our previous pre-order blog post.

Progression Carryover

All current HITMAN 2 players will be able to carryover their hard-earned progression into HITMAN 3.
After completing the carryover process, HITMAN 2 players will be able to start HITMAN 3 with their existing player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. All of those things are what we call ‘progression’. It’s not possible to pick and choose elements to carryover. It’s all or nothing.
The carryover process requires an IOI Account and can only be done through a web browser, it’s not possible to do it in-game. We will have the website ready to go before launch, but it is not live yet. Once it is ready, we will share the news via ioi.dk and update this post.
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Here’s more about how it will work:
– Progression can only be carried over from HITMAN 2, including progression you have from the Legacy Pack (HITMAN 1 locations within HITMAN 2).
– Progression can only be carried over from within the same platform. There are only three options:
HITMAN 2 (PlayStation) → HITMAN 3 (PlayStation) HITMAN 2 (Xbox) → HITMAN 3 (Xbox) HITMAN 2 (PC/Steam) → HITMAN 3 (PC/Epic)
Note: “PlayStation” = PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5. “Xbox” = Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
Essentially, it doesn’t matter what specific console you have earned progression on. It only matters that progression can only move forward and within the same console ‘family’.
– Progression carryover is a one-time process, meaning once you have performed a carryover for a particular platform, you will not be able to do so again at a later time.
– If you have played HITMAN 2 on multiple platforms, you CAN perform a carryover for EACH of those profiles, but only within the same platform, as listed above. For example, if you play H2 on Xbox and PlayStation, you can carryover your H2 Xbox progression into H3 Xbox and independently carryover your H2 PlayStation progress into H3 PlayStation.
– When you complete the carryover process, your existing HITMAN 2 progress will remain as it is (i.e it will not be removed/deleted). However, your progression in H2 and H3 will NOT be synchronised.
– If you have already started playing HITMAN 3 and THEN choose to perform the progression carryover process, you will lose all progression earned within HITMAN 3 up to that point. We recommend you carryover progress before starting HITMAN 3.
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What exactly will be carried over?
When you start the process, you will need to select an account that you have linked to your IOI Account. You will then be able to review the HITMAN 2 progress earned on that account and confirm that you want to perform the carryover process into HITMAN 3.
The following progression will be included in the carryover process: player profile, XP rank, location mastery levels, location mastery unlocks, challenge progress, challenge unlocks and Elusive Target suits/unlocks. Savegame files are not carried over.
Note that there are a small amount of items/unlocks that are not carried over through this process, such as the rewards unlocked through the HITMAN 1 GOTY Escalations, becuase they are linked to a purchase. Those items will be available in HITMAN 3 when you redeem access to the associated content. In addition, the ICA Electrocution Phone has been retired and will not be available in HITMAN 3.
HITMAN 3 on Stadia On Stadia, all progression that players have earned in Hitman: World of Assassination (from both H1 and H2) will automatically ‘carryover’ to HITMAN 3. For additional clarity, Stadia and PC are two different platforms and progress cannot be shared or carried over between them.
HITMAN 3 on Nintendo Switch Progression carryover is not possible on Nintendo Switch because HITMAN 2 is not available on that platform as a standalone game.

Access Pass FAQ

HITMAN 3 allows players to access locations from the previous games in the trilogy (H1 and H2) and play them all under one roof. Essentially, we have setup H1 and H2 as DLC for HITMAN 3. You can buy or redeem/download an Access Pass and get access to its content within H3. For example, if you buy the HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass DLC for HITMAN 3, you’ll get access to the locations and missions included in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition within HITMAN 3.
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In addition to the option of purchasing an Access Pass, it is also possible to redeem/download an Access Pass for no additional cost, if you have already purchased that content from the same store that you have pre-ordered or purchased HITMAN 3.
To make this happen, we detect what you already have installed for HITMAN 2 and can make the corresponding Access Pass available for no additional cost on the same store. Note: If you only own HITMAN 1, you will need to import that content into HITMAN 2 first, via the instructions in our Legacy Pack FAQ.
This process will work between console generations. For example, if you own HITMAN 2 on PS4, you’ll be able to download the HITMAN 2 Access Pass DLC in HITMAN 3 for both PS4 and PS5. The same applies for the Xbox family of consoles as well.
We know that’s a lot of information, but once you’ve seen all of the Access Pass options, and there are five in total, it will make more sense.
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HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 1 GOTY Edition: ICA Facility, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, Hokkaido, 3x GOTY Escalations and rewards and 4x Patient Zero campaign missions
How to get it – Consoles: If you have previously downloaded the HITMAN 1 Legacy Pack, HITMAN 1 GOTY Legacy Pack or HITMAN 1 GOTY Upgrade for HITMAN 2, you will be able to download it for no additional cost. (Yes, that’s a free upgrade to the GOTY Edition if you only own the Standard Edition of H1!). The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a version of H1 on disc, you must follow the process in the Legacy Pack FAQ to access that content in HITMAN 2 – and then redeem this Access Pass.
– PC (Epic): If you pre-purchase or purchase HITMAN 3 on EGS within the first 10 days of launch, you will be granted the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass for no additional charge. In addition, if you own or redeemed a free copy of HITMAN – The Complete First Season on EGS when it was available for free, you will be able to download this Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3.
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HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein
How to get it – Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition or HITMAN 2 SilveGold, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store.
– Disc: [See below]
– PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch.
HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass [DISC] Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Standard Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, plus 1x Sniper Assassin map: Himmelstein
How to get it – Consoles: If you own a physical disc copy of HITMAN 2 Standard Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost through the HITMAN 2 in-game store. (You will see the full listing price if you look for the Access Pass in the PS/Xbox store as a disc owner.) On Xbox, you also need to own a digital copy of either HITMAN 3 or the HITMAN 2 Free Starter Pack before navigating to the in-game store.
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HITMAN 2 Gold Access Pass Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Gold Edition: Hawke’s Bay, Miami, Santa Fortuna, Mumbai, Whittleton Creek, Isle of Sgail, New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments.
How to get it – Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you bought HITMAN 2 Gold Edition on Disc, it will have included a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass; you need to use that to get access to the content from the Gold Edition. See below. – PC (Epic): As HITMAN 2 is not available on EGS, we have set up an 80% discount for this Access Pass for the first 14 days after HITMAN 3’s launch. It will also grant access to the HITMAN 2 Expansion Access Pass.
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HITMAN 2 Expansion Access Pass Includes: Locations and missions currently available in the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass: New York, Haven Island, plus 3x Sniper Assassin maps: Himmelstein, Hantu Port, Siberia and 4x Special Assignments.
How to get it – Consoles: If you own a digital copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost. The price for the Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store. – Disc: If you own a physical copy of HITMAN 2 Gold Edition, you will be able to download this Access Pass for no additional cost because a download code for the HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass was included in the box. If you have redeemed that code, the price for this Access Pass will be listed as ‘free’ when you look for it in the store.
HITMAN 3 Access Pass on PC We’ve done everything possible to make this process smooth and player-friendly. However, due to various circumstances out of our control, we want to acknowledge that the process is different to our initial plans for PC players. We also want to share some of the initiatives we’ve set-up to make sure that PC players the chance to keep enjoying the benefits of the World of Assassination.

The HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass will be available to claim in the first 10 days after launch for anyone who purchases (or has pre-ordered) any edition of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store.
Owners of HITMAN 1 on EGS (including all players who claimed it when it was available for free in August) will get a free upgrade to the HITMAN 1 GOTY Access Pass at any time after purchasing HITMAN 3.
The HITMAN 2 Standard Access Pass and HITMAN 2 Gold Access Pass will be 80% off for 14 days after the launch of HITMAN 3 on Epic Games Store and will continue to be discounted regularly.

Our hope is that these initiatives help to ensure all HITMAN 3 PC players can able to enjoy the new game with full access to HITMAN 1 and their progression carried over as a minimum.
HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Stadia Due to the convenient set-up of HITMAN 1-3 on Stadia, the Access Pass system is not required. Players will continue to have access to the locations they already own through Hitman: World of Assassination, or can purchase the games that they don’t own through the Stadia Store.
HITMAN 3 Access Pass on Switch HITMAN 3 is the first game in the trilogy to be available on Switch. As such, each relevant Access Pass is available for purchase through the HITMAN 3 in-game store.

HITMAN VR

At launch, HITMAN 3 will support PS VR and all locations in the World of Assassination trilogy can be experienced in a new first-person perspective. Yes, that means you can traverse the outside of the tallest building in the (Hitman) world in PS VR! If you own the previous games from the trilogy on PS4, you can also access locations from them within HITMAN 3. That’s more than 20 Hitman locations from the World of Assassination trilogy to enjoy in PS VR.
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You can either play HITMAN 3 in PS VR natively on your PS4 or via backward compatibility on PS5. To make sure all PS VR owners can experience the game in VR, we’re including a free digital copy of the PS4 version of HITMAN 3 with all PS5 copies, whether you choose to buy it via disc or digital.
If you are playing on PS5, your progress between the PS4 (VR) and PS5 (non-VR) versions is shared between the two versions. You’ll be able to play the non-VR version of HITMAN 3 on PS5 with the next-gen improvements that we support (including Dual Sense support!) and then switch to the PS4 version for VR and all of your items and unlocks will be right there waiting for you. You will need to have both versions of the game installed on your PS5 to make that happen.
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Whether you play on PS4 or PS5, a DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller is required to play HITMAN 3 in VR. Playing HITMAN 3 in VR on PS5 also requires a PlayStation Camera adaptor. For full details on the requirements for playing PS VR on your PS5, including how to order a free PlayStation Camera adaptor, see the official PlayStation PS VR site.

More to come

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We have got our sights firmly set on January 20 and our entire team is doing everything in our power to make the launch of HITMAN 3 as successful as possible. It’s an incredibly exciting time for us to be so close to releasing our next game, as well as deliver the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy.
Please keep the conversation going on Twitter, Discord, Reddit and in HitmanForum and be excellent to each other.
The World of Assassination awaits…

For all the 🌈🐻 s saying GameStop (GME) will go bankrupt due to gaming moving away from physical discs to digital sales, Daddy Ryan has already thought of this

I bought a PS4 at the start of 2020 and played video games a bit too much this crazy year! Here are my rankings and brief reviews of the 32 excellent games I finished this year, as well as my thoughts on patient gaming.

Introduction:

It's basically trite at this point to say this year has been challenging, but one positive out of everything is that I've been fortunate enough to have the time and funds to play a huge number of games that I've heard so much about, yet never was able to before now. I grew up on almost exclusively Nintendo games and then branched out to indie games in college I could play on my laptop, so I was more than excited when I bought the base PS4 that came bundled with God of War, Last of Us, and Horizon Zero Dawn for $200 (and I snagged Bloodborne for $15 while I was at it).
What ensued was a year of frenzied gaming-- never in any year of my life have I played games as much as I did this year. I enjoyed it, but there were also some surprising drawbacks to placing such an emphasis on gaming as a primary hobby, and I'll discuss those towards the conclusion. But man, there were some absolutely fantastic games that I played this year and I want to share my thoughts on them! Not every game I played this year was PS4, but most were.
Since literally every game I played this year was a good game, I have stratified my rankings into three overarching tiers: Best, Great, and Good. I was lucky enough to not even need a Meh tier this year. Lots of games within the same tier could probably have their orders switched, but I did my best. And all but two of these games I was patient™ on, which is a fun side note.
Disclaimer*:* These rankings reflect my personal opinions on the experience I had after finishing the game, rather than my thoughts on its overall quality as a product for everyone. There are a few rankings that are sure to ruffle some feathers-- I know that God of War, RDR2, Journey, Undertale, and Nier: Automata for example are great games, but they didn't resonate with me nearly as much as some others. So know that I appreciate them and those who hold these games so dear.
Without further ado, let's get going!

The BEST:

1. Bloodborne (PS4): Quite simply, I'm still chasing the feeling I had after playing this game for the first time. So much so you could say, that I played it 7 times this year. Never has a game enraptured me with its shocking world, brutal combat, and the best DLC I've ever played. I want to talk about Bloodborne (and all the souls games, really) constantly, learn everything about them, and play them forever.

Last of Us Part II (PS4): One of two games I broke being patient™ on, I waited a couple months before diving in just to stop working to avoid spoilers. I enjoyed the first game but this absolutely blew me out of the water. On a gameplay level I couldn't believe how fluid and visceral the combat was, how immense the encounters were with countless approaches to every situation, and how fun it was to play. The narrative was challenging and forced me to grapple with the same emotions as the protagonist initially, then brilliantly the player and character on divergent emotional tracks as you become more shocked and uncomfortable with what happens. I encourage anyone who hasn't yet to play with an open mind and avoid trying to reduce the story to a single theme or message. It may not be your cup of tea, but it was mine.

3. Outer Wilds (PS4): This game feels like it was made just for me. I love space and rocket physics, I love discovery, and I love it when a game makes me feel clever. The level of wonder and curiosity I felt while playing can only be compared to what I experienced with Breath of the Wild. This game is difficult to talk about without spoilers, but if discovery and outer space get you excited, there is nothing like Outer Wilds.

Dark Souls III (PS4): Yeah, I like souls games. While certainly less groundbreaking than DS1 and perhaps less atmospheric than Bloodborne, DS3 is a grand experience with, in my opinion, the best bosses in all the souls games. It's also the best souls game for experimenting with different playstyles without needing to watch 6 hours of VaatiVidya to figure out how to be a pyromancer.
Control (PS4): Objectively speaking, this game might not have the same merits as the others in the "Best" category. But it sucked me in with it's completely unique visual style. It felt like a strange acid trip and I was always excited to see what was next. The powers and combat were fun even if not terribly original (and even though the gunplay wasn't too strong) but I was completely enthralled by the nonchalance of the cast amid mind blowing supernatural activity. Far from a perfect game, but give it a chance if the style seems intriguing to you!

The Great:

The Last of Us Remastered (PS4): One of my most anticipated games when I picked up a PS4, having watched my friends play some of it. Though it didn't blow me away as much in 2020 as it might have in 2013, I thought it had decent gameplay, a great story, and a stunning world. The cities and post-apocalyptic environments were a pleasure to soak in, packed with detail, and well paced. Definitely a deserved classic.
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4): In a lot of ways, this game isn't good as an open world game. It doesn't do a great job of compelling you to explore and engage with all the cool stuff it has. The sidequests are kind of bad, many characters forgettable and oddly animated. But this game is this high on the list because it's just so much fun taking down machine dinosaurs. They nailed gameplay in a technically beautiful world, and actually surprised me with the quality of the main story line. Not groundbreaking, but solid and a joy to play.
Death Stranding (PS4): For being one of the best games I have ever played, Death Stranding kinda sucks. I absolutely adored the premise and the world Kojima crafted, and delivering packages was really enjoyable. I loved figuring out traversal and just soaking in the graphics. I'm not one that normally cares about technical graphical showcases, but this game has made me reconsider how important graphics can be to an experience. Unfortunately, the dreadful gun mechanics, broken driving, constant NPC interjections, and the game's refusal to just end already kinda bogged it down. There's a lot here though that won me over and is an experience unlike anything I've ever played.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch): The other game on this list I was not patient™ for, since I bought it for my wife... and then got sucked in. Truth is, as a non-creative type, I just loved this game as an outlet for my creativity and expression. I loved having projects like my zen garden, my Domino's Pizza restaurant, and then getting to share them with my friends. I've heard it said something along the lines of "It wasn't the best game of 2020, but it was the game for 2020".
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4): Once I adjusted my expectations of what this game was and was not, it was great. While it doesn't reward open exploration as much as BoTW and Skyrim did, it simply has the best quests of any open world game I've played. Very rich environments and stories, and I even thought the gameplay was more than serviceable. It did kind of drag on by the end though. Also, disclaimer, I haven't played the DLC (sorry).
Return of the Obra Dinn (Nintendo Switch): I had hoped it would blow me away in a way similar to Outer Wilds, and while it didn't quite reach the same heights for me it was great nonetheless. I loved the nautical setting, the critical thinking and deduction required, and the way it was balanced perfectly between leaving you totally on your own and confirming bits at a time. My only real complaint is that I felt the true ending didn't really reveal anything about the story I didn't already know, I guess I expected some grand reveal.
Doom Eternal (PS4): White-knuckle, heart pounding, insane. The game forces you to engage with every mechanic it throws at you and is brutally challenging, but all in the best way. Though the gameplay was better than DOOM 2016, I actually preferred the latter since Eternal's levels felt more like a silly mario level than a tense demon-infested place. I get what they were going for and they executed well, I just prefer the more serious tone.
Hades (Nintendo Switch): Biggest surprise of the year for me, I didn't actually expect to like it. Hades is perfectly polished and a big step forward for integrating its excellent narrative with its roguelike structure. It's very easy to play without investing too much, making it great for unwinding. It deserves all the praise it's getting.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Remastered) (PS4): All the mainline Uncharted games are on this list but I enjoyed 2 the most. The set pieces were the most memorable, and I enjoyed almost every second. These games aren't as high on the list because, no matter how you dress it up, it's a pretty simple affair ultimately in terms of gameplay but it nails the style of game that it is.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4): An amazing game in its own right, but was ultimately disappointing for me as a From Software fan. I found that what I appreciated most about Souls games was the tension of not knowing if you could make it to the next checkpoint, the terror of encountering something surprising and having to deal with it. Sekiro litters checkpoints left and right, which is of course great for its more boss-focused design, but left me far less immersed in the environments personally. I also wished I had more options for playing aggressively rather than just memorizing the parry patterns. In any case, these gripes are my personal preferences coming through and any hardcore gamer owes it to themselves to conquer this behemoth of a challenge.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4): Pure, unadulterated fun. I was absolutely addicted to the core gameplay and the levels, especially in the first game, were so cool to explore. For me the core loop started to get stale by the time I finished all the challenges on the levels, but for those that wanted more there is almost an endless amount of bonus challenges to tackle.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4): There's definitely a strong argument that this is the ultimate uncharted game to play-- best gunplay and options in encounters, by far the best puzzles, and the delivery of the story is leagues above the rest of the series. I simply think that Uncharted 2 had the highest highs, so 4 is a tad lower. That, and the beautiful story set up was not brought together in a satisfying way; it in no way felt like Drake had earned Elena's forgiveness, but they kind just glossed over it. Still, a must play and Naughty Dog games at their best.
Subnautica (PS4): I wanted to love it more than I did. I was hooked on exploring and discovering the mysteries of the alien underwater, but I think I do better with games with less of a survival focus. I got really far into the game, but didn't actually finish since eventually the slow drip of clues started to get a bit too slow for my tastes, and the survival and basebuilding began to get tedious. Minor PS4 technical issues aside though, This is a dang good survival game, and immense in a terrifying and wonderful way.
Monster Train (PC): Slay the Spire is one of my all-time favorites, so I was pretty excited to be gifted this. It's a blast as a deckbuilder, and I think it was smartly designed in how it throws significant and strong rewards at you at every phase of a run, whereas StS often forces you to make the best of an iffy situation. Had a great time, but I lost interest after 15 or so hours since most runs tend to feel fairly similar. Still would absolutely recommend for StS and deckbuilding fans.
Spelunky (PC): Not the hardest game I've ever played, but definitely the most unforgiving. The controls took a while to get used to but once I was engaged, the game is a tight, slick, and enthralling adventure and test of skills. Full of secrets (I've only scratched the surface) and deeply satisfying to conquer. But boy, is it unforgiving.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Remastered) (PS4): Another strong entry in the Uncharted series, just a tad weaker than 2 I think. I will credit it though with having the most memorable environments and locales in any Uncharted though!

The Good:

Read Dead Redemption II (PS4): *Full disclosure, I'm still playing through act 5 at the time of this post.* This one is really tough for me to fully form an opinion on. On the one hand, I think this is the most stunning and immersive open world I've ever seen. Deeply authentic towns, regions, unparalleled attention to detail, and great characters and a decent story. But the way the missions force you to do things explicitly one way with terrible hand-holding just isn't fun to me, and makes Uncharted games feel like open-world sandboxes by comparison. There's a lot of quality here and I've enjoyed many elements, but have been disillusioned by others. NakeyJakey explains what I felt far better than I can (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvJPKOLDSos&t=392s). Still a good time though.
God of War (PS4): Like RDR2, an incredible technical achievement, for me hands down the best looking PS4 game, best voice acting, and for most people this should be towards the top of your must-play list. At its best, the characters are great, the combat is crunchy and satisfying, and the world beautiful. I just felt that for far too often the game was far from its best-- too many combat encounters didn't feel like I was a God of War but rather smacking a giant meat sack of health, so many secrets and puzzles that I just stopped caring about because finding treasure chests isn't fun when the rpg/loot elements feel so tacked on and pointless, endlessly recycled bosses... for me it was just pretty good, nothing like the game of the generation in my eyes. That said, most people don't seem too bothered by the things I found mediocre, so the sheer spectacle (looking at you world serpent!) and great moments make this well worth the price of admission!
Undertale (PC): I did not play this game the way it was meant to be played, let's say that up front. It was a gift, and I played about a half an hour every month for a year and just finally finished it. I loved the music, it was charming, and I see why people love this game so much. I think it just didn't hit those highs for me and I was left with a fairly silly little 8-bit game. Which was good. I'm glad I experienced what it had to offer but didn't leave a huge mark on me.
Superhot (Google Stadia): I had wanted to play this game forever but couldn't justify spending $20 on it, so I was pleased when I got a free Google Stadia kit and got to play it free! Really neat blend of stylized retro computer flavor and a fabulous central time-stop mechanic. A great 2 hour experience but tough to recommend as more than a novelty.
NieR: Automata (PS4): I have made it through 1.5 playthroughs so I know I haven't gotten the full experience, but I wasn't enjoying it enough to continue. I think every game developer though should learn from the brilliance of this game-- constantly keeping the player on its toes by not confining itself by a genre and by focusing on what's fun and cool, rather than convention. Excellent music. I get the hype, and the healthy dose of existential musings was interesting... it just didn't ultimately click for me. I can't unequivocally recommend this game to everyone, but if the premise and style stand out to you, this could be your next all-time favorite game.
Star Wars Battlefront II (PS4): Picked this up for free with PS Plus, and while there's not a lot here that's that special it was honestly super nice comfort food gaming. I just enjoyed shooting stuff in really cool Star Wars settings, a franchise I love. For what it was, I had a blast, minus the fact that I personally feel Jedi/heroes really kinda ruin the game for me. Unfortunately, it also is nothing more than a basic mass multiplayer battlefield game, so don't expect anything crazy.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Remastered) (PS4): Definitely weaker than its successors, but still a really fun romp with trope-y but effective narrative and characters, and totally serviceable gunplay. This would be much higher on the list, and I honestly had a great time with it, but man the final third of the game was really painful to play. The switch to zombies was bad, and just wasn't fun to play through.
Until Dawn (PS4): I did not think I would like this game at all, I don't care for cheesy horror and definitely am not interested in interactive movies. But if you have a significant other or group of friends to play this with, it can be a great time! I played with my wife and we were honestly pretty engaged with the characters and the story was well told and had plenty of nice jump scares. There's not much game here, but for what it is it was a neat experience.
Shadow of the Colossus (Remake) (PS4): There were some incredible highlights to this game like the flying colossus and the sand worm, and the scale of the encounters with the epic music has earned this game a place as a masterpiece and classic to so many gamers. The remake looks stunning and it was exciting to see what type of colossus was up next. Unfortunately, every great moment I had was accompanied by an equally frustrating moment with mediocre controls and a couple of colossus that were so bad (looking at you, little bull/lion Celosia) that made me have to put down the game for a few days. A great game let down by some dated and poor elements.
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4): Souls games are my favorites, so it pains me to put this game so low. The best areas in the game (Heide's tower, Drangleic Castle, etc) are up there with the best in the series and most of the excellent combat found in the other games is more or less present here. But I think 2/3 of the game is bogged down by drab areas that feel more like a mario level designed to kill the player more than an area that could really exist. The Iron keep was the worst offender, the area was absolutely nonsensical and like so many other areas, enemies were placed in a way designed to frustrate the player with difficulty rather than engage them with challenge. Bosses were also mostly forgettable, but I did love the Looking Glass knight and the Pursuer!
Journey (PS4): Look, I'm as surprised as you that this game is on the bottom of the list. I honestly expected to love it. An artistic, beautiful marriage of environmental storytelling and unforgettable online interaction? A smooth and cathartic movement system? It has all these things, and no doubt deserves the acclaim and love it has from so many gamers. It just didn't resonate with me. Especially the ending, I felt for sure that there would be some great climax that contrasted with the struggle of the icy segment, but instead it fell a bit flat. Maybe I'll give it another try someday.

Conclusion, Gaming Patiently, and a Warning:

There you have it! I'd love to hear what surprised you in my rankings, where I'm horribly wrong, and what games you recommend I play next! Personally, I'm considering Persona 5 (though I'm not super into JRPGs), Dishonored 2 (am curious about immersive sims), and Jedi Fallen Order.
Gaming patiently is a strategy I absolutely endorse. Not only has it allowed me to form my own opinions of games independent of hype, but has allowed me to play a huge quantity of incredible games for honestly pennies. The average cost per game of everything I played this year was under $20. Now, more than ever, is an amazing time to get a PS4 and be a patient gamer, due to both the relative inexpensiveness and the sheer volume of outstanding games. I still will probably buy the big nintendo titles at launch and occasionally buy into hype, but most of the time it just isn't worth it anymore.
Finally, a friendly warning as a personal story for those of us who deeply love games and devote a lot of time to them. Like many kids, I was pretty limited by my parents growing up on what and how much I was allowed to play. I loved gaming but it was somewhat of a forbidden fruit. In college, I loved gaming and definitely played more, but still was very busy with social activities, studies, and other hobbies. Now, as a working adult with a comfortable job, I suddenly have more time and money than I have ever had in my life, and thus this giant list of games I played was created. For the first few months it was enthralling; all I wanted to do was play. Over the course of the year, however, it has become clear to me that requiring so much of my happiness and fun coming from having a game to be excited about can have some drawbacks. In the middle of a pandemic, if I'm sitting on the couch waiting for video games to make me happy and they just aren't giving me the same enjoyment that Bloodborne did when I played it for the first time, I'm just gonna be stuck there on the couch, slowly getting a bit depressed when my main source of fun isn't cutting it. So what's the point? Well, enjoy your games! Don't let anyone stop you from loving what you love. But if you start to burn out, please take care of yourself and engage in other hobbies, get outside, and keep things balanced. For me, doing so has made gaming all the sweeter.
Thanks for reading and indulging this long post!

Lockdown, things to do, help & advice.

Disclaimer I am posting this here because I got a message from the mods asking me to. I'm not from London so links aren't London centric (but hopefully still of help) and the main post is here so any updates will likely be there (I will try here but it's hard to keep up with the amount of suggestions)
Thanks.
Yes, it's hard, it sucks, it's depressing. It is something we all have to do if you want to see this virus go. Everyone knows the deal, too many think they're the exception but no one is. However, staying home is hard so maybe I can help at least one or two people with some incentives. I'll try to give links to some things that can help cure the boredom, and some support if you need it.
Most of this might be obvious to some, some might not even have internet and of course, money is a big issue, so I'll try to give some suggestions:
For streaming and on demand things such as Netflix et al, don't forget you can subscribe for free for your first month. This goes for most things in the list. If you are worried about putting in your payment details and forgetting to cancel a month later, don't worry! You can sign up and immediately cancel and you still get your free month!
For people who don't have a smart TV, you can buy a cheap Amazon Fire TV stick or a Roku box. The Fire stick can go as low as £20 often for 1080p. It will drop to £30 for 4k.
I picked up a 4k Roku device for £18 on Amazon once. It's fast and snappy. currently it's going for £33 for the 4k version. Having both, there is little difference between the devices. NowTV also do their own roku powered device.
Subscription based streaming sites that all offer 2-4 weeks free for first timers

Netflix *According to comments the second month is free.
Amazon Prime You can either get Amazon video on its own, or take prime with other benefits. I strongly urge those who use Amazon for buying off their store front to use [https://smile.amazon.co.uk/] as there is literally no difference except everything you buy amazon donates to a charity of your choice.
Now TV (I believe it's 7 days)
Disney+
Britbox
Amazon channels. I believe you can get all these individually but Amazon offers them as channels bound to your prime account, and they are again either free for a couple weeks (again, take them, cancel instantly) or very cheap. I recently subscribed to Starzplay for £1 for 3 months. It has some good shows on it like Fringe, doom patrol. It also has channels like Curiosity stream and shudder

Steam This one is so obvious I didn't add it, but apparently many want me to. It is the best out there, and you can find almost everything, with fantastic deals.
Greenmangaming offers games cheaply. Again, not a grey market site (which are legal but unethical) and they sometimes do bundles.
GoG (Good old games) is a DRM free site run by CDPR, the makers of the Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk. They offer you games quite cheap and not needing DRM (such as Steam, Uplay etc which is less invasive versions of dodgy DRM from the olden days).
Epic Games Despite the controversy whether you care about their rivalry with valve, they offer free games ever week. Without ever having bought anything I have gained over 170 games. literally. Good games for the most part. They often give you £10 coupons as well.
Twitch Everyone knows twitch, but if you don't, it's a streaming service for watching gamers and girls with low cut tops accidentally bending over in front of the game. However, if you're signed up to prime, you get free games each month (and randomly between the set bunch).
Playstation Store Currently has January sales. Currently the free games for PS+ are for PS4: Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Greedfall. For the Ps5 it is Maneater
Games with Gold Bleed 2 and the King of Fighters XIII is available until Janurary 15th whilst little Nightmares is available until January 31st.

Gaming Subscriptions
Like the TV versions, you can sign up to these for a free trial (or very cheap). If you do sign up to only one at a time, it should keep you busy for a few months

Xbox Game Pass You can do this on both/either an Xbox or PC. If you sign up to the regular one, you can get a month (maybe three!) for £1. After you have done that, you can sign up to the premium version for 3 months at £1 a month. Most people know game pass, but you can download a large selection of games for free. The premium version gives you games with gold, allowing you to keep the games forever (but can only play with a subscription)
Ubisoft+ I'm not 100% sure if you get a trial or not. This allows a large collection of Ubisoft titles to play for £12.99 a month. Quite expensive but good if you like Ubisoft titles I guess.
EA Play EA's version. Goes by a ton of names I think, EA Access, EA Play, Origin Access etc etc. There's a couple of versions of this, and it is across all platforms (PS4/5, Xbox, PC) but not sure about the switch. I "think" the premium allows you to play on all platforms, while the cheaper one on a single platform, but I may be mistaken.
PS Now a once terrible service that is now actually very good. Allows you to download some Ps4 games to your PS4/5 and lets you stream a massive amount of Ps2/3/4 to your PC or playstation.

There's more like nvidia's service but you need the Shield device which is quite expensive. I'll leave it at that.
Audiobooks & Ebooks

Audible Not sure what the current deal is but if you are a prime member you can sign up for a trial and get a free Audiobook each month for 3 months. Some warhammer books are 48 hours long, 3 of those gives you a good 100+ hours of listening!
Comixology Another Amazon company, but lets you download some free comics I believe.
Marvel Unlimited No experience with this. ItFuckingWont wanted me to add it. A subscription service for Marvel.

Education

Sign Language BSL here No experience myself, suggested by n21brown and asked for a few times. Didn't know SL was so popular! Listed as "Pay what you can"
BBC's Bitesize here is apparently good for home learning. Again, no personal experience.

If you have prime you can get a FREE FIVE POUND GIFT CARD by literally just streaming a song from Amazon music (which is included in prime) here is the details According to the comments it's only for select people, but it's worth trying If the link doesn't work for you just google "Amazon £5 coupon music"
Now, these sorts of sites have been around for years, I haven't used any other than talkInsights which I must have signed up to 10-15 years ago. Basically they send you surveys and you answer them. They are confidential and don't ask for personal details in the survey. You need 2000 points and you get £20. During the pandemic they've slowed down but I probably get around £40 a year. Not much I know, but it's an email followed by a quick survey ticking boxes. Depending on your answer sometimes you get screened out, I'm not telling you to lie but just be consistent with your answers and you should be able to work out how to not get screened. Some emails are only worth 20 points, others 200. It's slow to get to the 2000 but very quick to just answer a few questions.
Apparently beermoneyuk is a good sub to make some pocket change with.
There is also matched betting. I have never done this, I don't have the patience but from what I've read, it's legitimate, it works and you can make a fair amount of cash from it so long as you do it correctly, and there's a ton of guides. I mention this because people stuck at home could get into it and as long as you're careful (I.E not entering in the wrong numbers) it's risk free AND it pisses off the betting shops. It seems people in comments have had success with it. Disclaimer A couple have complained about gambling. This arguably is not gambling. If you are susceptible to addiction do not do it. However, it's argued that there is no fun or buzz in this, and it's a very tedious and time consuming thing. Others argue you can't make the same money anymore (People were making thousands, now only hundreds if that). It's risk free providing you know what you're doing, the risks are user error, such as entering the wrong numbers. Someone pointed out that due to the lockdown, bets could potentially be cancelled due to sport stopping. So use on a side of caution. We're (mainly) adults so I'll leave it up just because this doesn't have the excitement of regular gambling.
Microsoft Rewards This is an easy way to make pocket change doing very little. Most people have a MS account. The rewards program offers you numerous ways to grab points, by playing free to play games, answering small questions (you don't even need to answer most of the time, just open the link and shut it) and by using bing and searching on it. I've gotten 20k points JUST by answering questions over a couple months. There are many rewards but you can grab a £5 gift card for 6k for example, or a month of game pass (and AFAIK you can make points playing the games)
Google rewards Someone mentioned this in the comments. I have not used it, so can not give any input on it. Sounds similar to TalkInsights which I linked. Google states "Complete short surveys while standing in line, or waiting for a subway. Get rewarded with Google Play or PayPal credit for each one you complete. Topics include everything from opinion polls, to hotel reviews, to merchant satisfaction surveys. We’ll notify you when a survey is waiting."

Duolingo Numerous people have suggested this So I haven't used myself. Thanks to OhHiGCHQ StephanieMecredy & Allorie_95

Work or volunteering where it is "unreasonable" to work from home. This includes work in someone else's home, such as that carried out by social workers, nannies, cleaners and tradespeople
Education, training, childcare and medical appointments and emergencies
Exercise outdoors (limited to once a day). This includes meeting one other person from another household in an open public space to exercise
Shopping for essentials such as food and medicine
Communal religious worship
Meeting your support or childcare bubble. Children can also move between separated parents Activities related to moving house

I want to add, if you are in danger you are also allowed (and must!) to get away from the situation for some reason, BBC seems to have missed this very important thing (or I am blind)

To flee the threat of harm or violence.*
CoronaVirus Symptoms
CoronaVirus government site You can check your location and how many cases here.
Worldometers Shows cases around the world.
Interactive UK Map Another easy to read map with cases in counties and local area's.
World Health Organisation

Support

FOR THOSE SHIELDING YOU CAN CONTACT THE ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE. These people helped my mother with picking up her medicine from the chemist. They were very helpful and went out their way to keep in touch and do it immediately. (It's the only experience I have with them though)
_riotingpacifist wanted this links added, but I simply just don't have the time to vet and check all the suggestions here, so I will link as is:

Update:
Digital Art
These are Free

Krita Arguably the best in my opinion. It has a load of options, brushes and a decent UI. It works fantastic with a tablet.
Gimp This is a decent program but last I used, the UI was a pain, and it isn't so user friendly while misses features, but it works, and it is possible to do some incredible creations on it.
Medibang Paint This is slightly geared towards Comics and Manga. I really enjoy using this with my drawing Tablet. As far as I know, it also for regular tablets for Android/Ipad and is free.

LibreOffice This has most the average user would need to write their own books or to work from home. There's not a huge amount of difference between the two I'm linking (since I last used anyway) so it's more for preference.
Open Office You can pick this up here and again, like above it's just preference.

[XBOX][PS][PC] Looking for a friendly group to consistently team up with?

Out of the three major console studios, I find Nintendo to be the least interesting. Their exclusive lineup is incredibly bland, and at this point their outdated hardware is just too much of an issue to look past. (Despite the implication of the title, I am not trying to start a console war.)

Back in 2017, I decided to bite into the hype and buy a Nintendo Switch. At the time, I saw a lot of promise in the Switch, and it really looked like I was going to have a lot of fun with the console. And for a while, I did......but after three years of owning a Switch, I've realized something.....I don't like Nintendo, at all. At some point, I just stopped caring for their exclusives, their policies and systems, and the extremely outdated hardware. And it doesn't help that the release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X has emphasised just how much more interesting the competition is. (Despite what the title and that last statement might imply, I am by no means trying to start some console war. You can hold whatever opinion you want, but lets be calm about this. These are just video games in the end.)
Exclusives and Games: Nintendo is always regarded as one of the best when it comes to exclusive games because of how fun and creative the games are, and how iconic their IPs are. But I just don't see any of that. Nintendo's games are incredibly safe, by-the-books games that offer nothing in creativity. And while not every game needs to reinvent the wheel, Nintendo's games are incredibly bare-bones and basic, and they always feel like gimped versions of other, more interesting games.
Zelda BOTW is regarded as one of the best games of all time, but after playing it, I have no idea what anyone is talking about when they praise this game. The world is incredibly plain and repetitive, with only a few enemy types and barely any interesting locations, barely any enemy variety, and an extremely lackluster attempt at a story. The overall controls are fine, and it isn't an outright bad game, but there is nothing special about this game. And that's just BOTW, the Switch is full of lackluster exclusive titles. Sure, games like Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2 are pretty good, but for every Mario Odyssey, there are two Paper Mario: The Origami Kings, and for every Splatoon 2, there are two Legend Of Zelda: Age Of Calamity. When I can count all of the interesting exclusives on just one hand, I think its fair to say the Switch lineup is lacking.
Plus, simply having some iconic IPs isn't enough to warrant any praise. God Of War 2018 isn't a good game because its part of the God Of War IP, its a good game because it had challenging combat and great story. You need more than just a recognizable IP to make a good game, the game needs to be able to stand on its own merit. Not to mention, while there is nothing wrong with having recognizable or long running franchises, you can't just rely on already existing IPs forever. You need to expand, and create new ideas and worlds. This year, Sony released TLOU2, a great game that was a sequel to an already beloved game from the PS3. But they didn't just rely on a sequel for this year, they also released Ghost Of Tsushima, a new IP with its one story and characters. Back in 2015, Microsoft teamed up with Moon Studios to release Ori And The Blind Forest, a new IP that was wildly different than what Microsoft was typically known for. But taking that risk paid off, as the Ori games are now regarded as one of the best Metroidvanias of all time, right up there with Hollow Knight and Dead Cells.
Nintendo on the other hand relies pretty much entirely on Super Mario, The Legend Of Zelda, and Kirby. These IPs are over three decades old now, and the only new IPs from Nintendo in recent times are Splatoon and Astral Chain. Splatoon was actually really cool, and I thought it would've showed Nintendo the potential in creating new IPs......but nope, Nintendo seems hell-bent on being the Disney of gaming, and only using recognizable IPs that people can feel nostalgia too. And as I said, most of the recent games in these franchises aren't that interesting to begin with.....
Hardware Limitations and Flaws: Nintendo has been behind in hardware ever since.....well, the Nintendo 64 really. The decision to stick with cartridges back then instead of using discs held them back, and ever since then the gap between Nintendo's hardware capabilities and the competition has grown larger every generation. And while the portability of the Switch is a nice concept, I would sacrifice the Switch on an alter if it meant getting a proper home console that ran at 1080p 60fps. And I know some people are going to tell me about how "graphics and performance don't matter", and how all that matters is if the games are fun, but when I can see the polygons and rendering issues from a mile away, and the frame-rate drops below 25fps, the graphics and performance definitely matter.
I don't expect to get full 4k 60fps, but for god's sake we're in 2020 and the Switch still can't perform at a stable 900p 30fps. And in what world is 900p 30fps considered okay? Nintendo's hardware is so abysmally outdated, and their fanbase has such low expectations that they see 900p 30fps as an achievement. And these games aren't even that graphically impressive to begin with. These models have polygon numbers from the Xbox 360 era, and I don't think I'm supposed to see the pixels on your textures. And I know for a fact that your render distance shouldn't be so bad to the point where I can see enemies popping in only 30 meters away.
And those are just the issues by design, I haven't even mentioned the outright broken hardware, namely the controllers. Literally everyone and their mother have experienced Joy-Con drift at this point, and the dumbasses at Nintendo HQ really said that "Drift is not a major issue, and has not affected the ability to enjoy our games". Really, are you sure about that Nintendo?
Lazy Services and Systems: Paying for the ability to play online games sucks, it really does. But realistically, this is how Microsoft and Sony make up for the losses on their console sales, and how they keep servers up. If Nintendo was going to start charging for the online, then fine, I'll deal with it. At least then we'd have proper servers, and maybe they'll add some worthwhile bonuses similar to Sony's PS+ Collection........or so I thought!
Nintendo Switch Online is the shittiest service I've ever used, and I use the Adobe Creative Cloud! You pay $20 a year for this service, and there are no servers, and no proper bonuses. Instead of using proper servers, Switch Online uses Peer To Peer connections, also known as P2P. P2P relies on using the least common denominator for online connections, so if one person is facing online issues, everyone is facing online issues. That means that almost every online game is filled with endless lag and random crashes. Just perfect for a fast-paced combat game like Smash Bros. Ultimate.....
And the "bonuses" you get are just emulation of NES and SNES games. Just what I wanted, thirty year old ROMs that I could play on any online browser. Once again, paying $60 for Xbox Live Gold or PS+ sucks, but at least I know I'll get a working connection when I'm online. Switch Online being cheaper does not excuse it from being incredibly lazy and downright broken.
TLDR: Out of the three major console studios, Nintendo is the one I find the least interesting. They're always praised for their creativity and high quality games, but I don't see any of that. Their games are extremely safe and by-the-books, relying almost entirely on being part of Nintendo's old IPs. And while their hardware might feature creative ideas, it comes at the cost of performance. I don't expect full 4k 60fps, but the Switch is so outdated that when something runs at 900p 30fps on this thing, people consider it an achievement. Nintendo's controllers are downright broken, and their online service doesn't even work most of the time. Nintendo has absolutely nothing going for them, and I really don't see anything interesting in what they have to offer.

I am 30 years old, making $43,110/year in Pittsburgh, PA as a lab technician.

Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: $6215 between a 403b & a 401a. I work for a university, and with this employer was the first time I was financially able to contribute to a retirement account of any kind. I just hit vestment in 2020 and plan to bump up my contribution % slowly throughout 2021 until I hit the maximum I can afford to contribute.
Savings account balance: $3201. Up until 2020, I never had any extra money to put into savings, so I'm not at all upset about this amount! Building up my savings account is my biggest financial priority currently.
Checking account balance: $1706. I keep between $1-2k in checking.
Acorns investment account balance: $74 (just started this in December, only throw in a little bit monthly, not too sure what I'm doing but I'm eager to learn, lol)
FSA account balance: $55. I contribute $5 per paycheck (biweekly), but I will be increasing this when I can make changes to my benefits, at the beginning of the new fiscal year in July.
Credit card debt: $0, but see below regarding a personal loan. I pay off my balance every month.
Student loan debt: $32,417 for a BS. Most of my schooling was covered by scholarships & grants, but I had to take out loans for whatever was left. My parents cosigned my loans, but I am fully responsible for paying them. In 2020, I finished paying off approx $11k in private loans; the remaining amount is all in federal loans.
Personal loan debt: $5532. This had been money owed on my credit card - a few very expensive car repairs years ago, and then compounding interest because I could only make minimum payments for a long time. In 2020, I was able to get a low-interest personal loan through my credit union and plan to pay this off by 10/2022.

Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I have had quite a few jobs, most of them making slightly above minimum wage until just the last few years. In high school & college, I worked at a bowling alley and in retail, making from $7.25/hour to $8/hour, anywhere from 4 hours weekly (high school) to full-time (college during summer break).
After graduating college, I continued to work the 2 part-time retail jobs I'd been working for most of my college career: one position as a sales associate for $7.50/hour and one position as a front-end manager for $10/hour. I worked around 50 hours total each week in order to make ends meet.
After 2 years of this, I went to grad school. I was fully funded by my PhD advisor's grant and did not need to take out any loans. I worked as a research assistant on campus making $1850 per month.
Grad school wasn't for me, so I dropped out after one semester. I returned to one of my previous retail employers, this time as a full-time assistant store manager, making $11/hour.
After about 1 year at this position, I took a job working part-time for a local science museum - I had experience in college volunteering and interning in science education, and at the time I thought it was the direction I wanted to go for a "real" career. This job paid $10/hour. I dropped down to part-time at the retail job but was able to keep my hourly pay.
Then, about 1 year later, I finally fell into the job I have now, and love: I got a job in 2017 working as an assistant lab tech in medical research at a local university. Starting out, my title was Technician 1, and I made $25k. I was promoted to Tech 2 in 2019, making $28k, and then to Senior Tech in 2020 with a salary of $38,493. The large raise between Tech 2 and Senior is partially due to me obtaining some professional certifications in my field; without them, I expect my salary would be closer to $35k. I still work in retail, too: 1 day per week at $11.10/hour. I don't NEED that job now, but the extra money is nice - I make around $4600 yearly from the retail job.
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
$2200 minimum. This is highly variable as I am eligible for OT pay and I do work OT most weeks.
Side Gig Monthly Take Home
About $300 monthly from the retail job. Variable depending on how many hours I work in the month.

Section Three: Expenses
All expenses below are monthly unless otherwise specified.
Rent: $630
Renters insurance: $10
Investment contribution: $20 plus spare change to the Acorns app. I just started using it last month.
Personal loan payment: $273
Student loan payment: $84, but I need to renew my income-based repayment plan and I expect this to increase
Electric: approx $50
Gas: approx $70 during winter; in summer it's around $20
Water: $17
Trash collection: $195 annually
Sewage: $42 quarterly
Wifi: $68
Cellphone: I'm on a family plan with my parents and brother, and my contribution is $25.
Subscriptions: $10 for Spotify & Hulu; $14 for Netflix; $15 for a coffee subscription
Pet expenses: Approx $100 monthly. I have two cats that eat prescription diets ($75 every 6 weeks), plus one axolotl that thankfully just eats worms. The rest of the pet budget is for litter, toys, etc, and I'm including birdseed here for the feeder I have on my balcony for wild birds.
Car payment / insurance: My car is fully paid off, and my parents pay for my insurance which is honestly wild at my age, but I think they like to help out in this way since I'm otherwise pretty independent.
Medications: $68
Other: I budget $200 for groceries monthly, though I'm not upset if I go over that amount.

Diary
Disclaimer: I am an essential employee at both jobs; masks and other appropriate PPE were worn at all times outside of my home.
Saturday 1/2: I wake up at 4:15am to go to my retail job. I don't mind being up so early since it means I don't have to interact with customers for most of my shift. My car has been making some odd noises lately, and they start up again on my drive in to work. I need to get the car inspected this month, so I decide to try to make an appointment for next weekend...the noises are making me nervous. I work an 8 hour shift and buy a few snacks and two sodas from the vending machine ($6.70). After work, I play some video games. A close friend got the new PS5 recently and gave me her old PS4, which is awesome - I've only had an old Xbox until now. I decide to buy Skyrim for the PS since it keeps crashing when I try to play it on the Xbox ($16.95 on a gift card I'd gotten for Christmas). Later this evening, my pharmacy calls to tell me that the manufacturer of one of my medications is no longer offering a discount I'd been using for the last year: my cost will be increasing by $30 per month supply. I check online for any other discounts/coupons/goodRX offers.. no dice. I'm asleep by 10pm.
Total: $6.70 (not counting the gift card purchase, since that was already paid for by someone else)
Sunday 1/3: My day off! I wake at 6:15 and make some coffee. I place an Amazon order for a new shower curtain, rubber beads to tighten face masks, and a supplement ($25.57). Later in the day, I head out to pick up my prescription. I buy 3 months' worth of this particular medication at once, so it's $120; I also buy some coffee creamer and milk ($4.28). I stop for gas on my way home ($25.04). I spend the rest of my day alternately relaxing and getting some things done at home: I do some laundry ($2.25), renew my drivers license online (no need to go to the DMV because of the pandemic, so yay! $30.50 and they'll mail my new card), and I create a group on Goodreads because my friends and I were wanting to start our own book club this year. I make a big pot of pasta with Beyond crumbles and spinach for dinner and a few lunches for the week.
Total: $207.64
Monday 1/4: Wake at 5. Car is still making scary noises, so I drive to work slowly. $5 for parking, but it will be reimbursed by my employer at the end of the month. Drink breakroom coffee since it's free. On lunch, I make the appointment for my car for the weekend: inspection, oil change, tire rotation, and please make sure my car isn't trying to kill me/fix the mystery noise. Yesterday's pasta and a yogurt for lunch. Work is uneventful; at home I eat some soup for dinner and read some of my book for book club until it's time for bed.
Total: $5
Tuesday 1/5: It's my birthday! I'm up at 5. $5 for parking, and free work coffee again. My supervisors and coworkers printed & signed a giant birthday poster for me - it's hanging in our breakroom - and it makes my week! I really, really love my job and the people I work with. At home, I consider buying some perfume for myself - indie fragrances are a hobby of mine - but I get overwhelmed and decision fatigued, and don't end up buying anything. I decide to take another look over the weekend. Make rice & daal for dinner, plus a giant bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Watch some tv (Bones on Hulu) until bed.
Total: $5
Wednesday 1/6: You know the drill: wake up at 5, $5 parking, and free work coffee. Leftover rice & daal for lunch. Received a birthday present from a coworker that I'm good friends with, which is incredibly kind of her. Again, I love, love, love my job and the people I spend time with there. Unfortunately, after work I spend most of my evening doom-scrolling thanks to the attempted coup at the Capitol.
Total: $5
Thursday 1/7: Up at 5; $5 parking; free coffee at work. Today's a super busy day and I spend most of it just running around, feeling like I'm not getting any actual work done. While at work I start listening to a new audiobook from the library (I highly recommend the Libby app, btw). The last of Sunday's pasta for lunch. Soup and crackers for dinner, and then my older cat cuddles up on my lap while I play some Skyrim.
Total: $5
Friday 1/8: I took today as a vacation day for my birthday - had too much to do at work on my actual birthday, so I gave myself a long weekend instead (I also took Saturday 1/9 off from my retail job). I sleep in until 7... super late for me! Make coffee for breakfast, and while it's brewing, I fill up the birdfeeder on my balcony. Perform a feat of gymnastics to keep my cats from running out while I do so. I received my $600 stimulus payment a week ago, and I take the morning to deal with that: $120 is split among 3 charities that are important to me, and the remaining $480 goes to my savings account. After this, I'd love to get up to get my book club book to read, but I've got a cat sleeping on my legs, so obviously I'm stuck sitting. I browse Reddit on my phone for a while. Order food for lunch with contactless dropoff ($17.44 with tip). In the evening, I drop off my car at the auto shop - my appointment is early tomorrow morning, so I just leave the car and keys with them overnight - and I walk home since the shop is in my neighborhood. I've been wanting to try punch needle crafting, so I buy a very basic starter kit on Amazon ($13.99).
Total: $151.43
Week Total = $385.77
Food + Drink $28.42
Fun / Entertainment $13.99
Home + Health $147.82
Transport $45.04
Other Donations: $120; $30.50 for the driver's license renewal
So, this was not a typical week for me: the $120 prescription is a purchase I make once every 90 days, the driver's license renewal is only once every 4 years (lol), and I'm not a regular charitable donor - I donate sporadically throughout the year whenever I have some extra money. However, I'm pretty happy with my spending otherwise! The $20 in parking fees will be reimbursed by my employer at the end of the month, and though I made more Amazon purchases in this week than I would in a normal week, I think I was reasonable with my spending. Pre-covid, my coworkers from my main job and I would go out for drinks on Fridays, so I guess I've been saving an extra $20-30/week since the pandemic started. Also, in case anyone was wondering - the mechanic found nothing wrong with my car, but it's still making a weird noise. They told me that I basically have to wait until it gets worse, and maybe then they can determine what the issue is. Yay.

Popheads Album of the Year 2020 #23: Meghan Trainor - Treat Myself (Deluxe)

Artist: Meghan Trainor
Album: Treat Myself (Deluxe)
Label: Epic Records
Released: Standard edition January 31st, Deluxe edition July 17th
Listen: Apple Music / Spotify

Intro:

Meghan Trainor fans are called Megatronz (with a "z") and I'm proud to call myself one. I've developed a reputation around this sub for being the #1 Meghan Trainor stan and while I may amp it up a bit at times for comedic effect, my love for her is completely genuine. I love her voice and her music, she was one of the artists who helped me really get into pop music and I'll always have a special place in my heart for her because of that.
Unfortunately, not everybody else is as warm and fuzzy towards her. I've spoken at length before about just why exactly I think that people dislike Meghan with such a passion so I won't repeat myself but suffice to say, watching following the release of this album was certainly interesting because people were constantly jumping out of the woodworks to say she was a flop and her music was bad.
Those bitches were wrong. Okay maybe not about the flop thing because this album did (unfortunately) have very poor numbers, but they were wrong about it being bad because Treat Myself is actually a fantastic pop album with a lot of great songs that I think was unfairly ignored by the pop community. I was hoping that in the age of poptimism Meghan and her music would be embraced but that didn't seem to happen, so I guess that means I'm going to have to be the one to offer her the critical reevaluation...
Buckle in kids, I'm going to take you on a guided tour through the past three years of being a Megatron and the genesis/revelations of Treat Myself (Deluxe), one of the most under appreciated pop albums of 2020.

No Excuses:

In March of 2018, after two years without an album, the Megatronz were finally blessed with the lead single of Meghan’s third studio album: “No Excuses”
A bright burst of pop energy with a colorful music video showing off Meghan’s newly slimmed down figure, “No Excuses” (on paper at least) seemed like a smart idea for a lead single because it’s everything people liked about her biggest hits cranked up to 11: the entire song is just a sassy hook and chorus, nonstop catchiness and quotable lines.
It’s actually the shortest original song Meghan has ever released (barring the intro track to Title), there are barely even verses or a bridge because the song has absolutely no time of anything that isn’t an annoyingly catchy melody line. While it’s easy to write this off as her showing a lack of evolution there’s actually something kind of bold about watching an artist release a song that’s just their sound boiled down to its absolute essence; she knew what people were expecting from her and she threw her whole body into it.
On a musical level, the gambit paid off: “No Excuses” is ear candy that’s super fun to listen to and it was decently well received. From a business perspective though it was a bit of a letdown, despite a lot of promotion the song peaked outside of the Top 40 on the BB100 and only hovered around for 12 weeks; the song did decent on streaming and would end up being certified Platinum, but it wasn’t the grand comeback many were hoping for.

Let You Be Right/Can't Dance:

A few months later Meghan follow up with a double single release (remember this being a huge thing four years ago?), the more promoted of the two being a smooth disco song called “Let You Be Right.” Meghan was always known for using throwback sounds but she’d never actually touched disco before, and it was a great fit for her! The bassline groove on this song is really good but I think what really sells it is the vocal arrangement, these harmonies are so pretty and do a lot to elevate the song. The lyrics for the song are nice as well, they show unexpected maturity in how she depicts a couple communicating to peacefully work out conflict in their relationship.

Despite being all around well received the song underperformed even worse than “No Excuses,” failing to chart on the BB100 at all, though it did find some success on the radio.

The other half of this double single release was the intriguing ‘80s number “Can’t Dance,” which in my opinion was done very dirty. First of all, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but the cover art is literally just her in one of the outfits from the “No Excuses” video, and second of all they shot a music video for this that Meghan apparently loved that wasn’t released for some reason.
But the song itself is an absolute banger! Meghan has never sounded this coy or sexy before, and the arrangement of the song is really cool. The trade off between the bassline and the drums is so satisfying and the music responds to her vocals perfectly, it’s almost as if you can hear her showing the music how to dance.
These are two of my favorite Meghan Trainor songs and probably some of her best but they were, to quote Xtina, perhaps a bit too ahead of their time for some people. For perspective this was the Billboard Hot 100 the week these songs were released… you’ll notice that basically none of them sound anything like either of these.
“Let You Be Right” was a nu-disco hit that came out just a bit too early for the “disco revival” and “Can’t Dance,” with its ear-catching unusual vocal delivery and constant references to dancing, feels like it was trying to be a Tik Tok hit before Tik Tok hits had become a “thing;” perhaps if these songs had come out a year later they would have had legs, but back in 2018 they both tragically flopped and neither are present on the album’s final tracklist.

All The Ways/Treat Myself:

“All The Ways” was the next Meghan song we’d get and it’s a frothy pop song with a huge chorus. The unapologetically lovestruck energy of the song is just infectious and I love the lyrics of it, which are apparently based off of a real conversation Meghan had with her husband. Although just a promotional single it got some attention because it was used in a Target commercial, so it probably made Meghan some decent money! Fittingly enough the song would end up being one of the final album’s Target Exclusive tracks, though it would also get some time to shine on The Love Train EP (which we’ll discuss more in just a minute).
The final song we’d hear from this “phase” of Treat Myself was, ironically enough, the title track. A self-care anthem, the song seems to combine everything we’d heard from the album so far: another song with a huge chorus and bright themes, with another funky nu-disco bassline. This one also ended up in a Target commercial and would then also be relegated to Target Exclusive track status, meaning that standard and deluxe editions of the album are hilariously enough missing the title song.
After the release of “Treat Myself” the song, it was announced that Treat Myself the album would be delayed indefinitely, and the version of the album that we’d been building up to was effectively dead.

Features:

Though the official reasoning given for the push back was because Meghan was in such a good, happy place in her life that she couldn’t stop writing songs (and I’m sure this was true to some extent), all of the writing on the wall pointed to her label being unsatisfied with the reception to the project. Both of Meghan’s previous albums had been propped up by a big hit that generated interest in their releases but that didn’t seem to be happening for Treat Myself, leaving the project in a bit of a limbo. The album was quietly pulled from online retailers without any explanation, the January release date approached with no more news, and eventually even Meghan herself expressed frustration with the album’s confusing rollout.
Outside of her solo music though Meghan’s life was going fine. She was preparing for her wedding with her fiancé (more on that in a minute), she had a gig hosting Fox’s singing reality competition The Four (a somewhat messy show that gave us this bizarre moment), and her songs were still getting placements for commercial use. She was also making rounds in the industry doing a number of collaborations, presumably to get her name back out there and build buzz for more solo music, and just as a quick recap of this era I’ll list them out now:

“More Than Friends” with Jason Mraz (a cute little acoustic duet)
“Hey DJ” with CNCO and Sean Paul (a foray into the Latin market that works surprisingly well, her vocals on this song are great)
“Just Got Paid” with Sigala, Ella Eyre, and French Montana (this one was a genuine hit in the UK)
“Sugar Baby” with Macy Gray (this one is just a songwriting credit but you pretty clearly hear her backing vocals)

And while this was fun and all, the Megatronz were still waiting for the album. We wouldn't get it for a while, but we would get a nice little treat to tide us over: The Love Train

The Love Train:

To understand the next step that Meghan would take we need to look to the past: Back in December of 2017 it was announced that after a year of dating Meghan Trainor had become engaged to her then-boyfriend Daryl Sabara, an actor mainly known for playing Juni Cortez in the popular Spy Kids films. Their fairytale romance became the inspiration for The Love Train, an EP released on Valentine's Day of 2019.

If you somehow haven't seen it, check out the now infamous "bizarre, super horny" press release that accompanied it.

While I won’t discuss The Love Train in depth here it’s important to the narrative because Meghan herself described the EP as a “teaser” for what Treat Myself would become. It’s the transitional project that forms the bridge between the “spunky, independent young woman” persona that she had on her first two albums and the more wholesome, family focused branding that she would project going forwards. Her husband and family were heavily involved in the creation of the album, doing some co-writing and backup vocals on all the tracks (which would become standard for Meghan's projects in the future) and even editing some of the music videos together.
The Love Train is a very strong EP, I actually consider it as Meghan's strongest body of work (albeit her shortest). A low-key visual album (every single song got a music video) it has one of Meghan's best songs and perfectly captures the lovestruck euphoria Meghan was swept up in while she was writing it.
However speaking of being swept up...

Wave:

Releasing a few months after The Love Train in the autumn of 2019, “Wave” felt like the true lead single of Treat Myself. After over a year of postponements and loose singles, “Wave” was the song that I heard that made me go “oh so the album is coming out now” because there was no going back after Meghan dropped one of the best songs of her entire career.
Moody and ethereal, built around sparse chords and glitchy strings, “Wave” almost feels like it comes from another planet from the rest of Meghan’s discography. True to its name there’s a rhythm to “Wave,” a push back and forth between Meghan and the choral background singers that creates an almost madrigal feeling to the song (which is intentional, as the song was inspired by visits to Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir) that’s at once epic and strangely gentle.
Mike Sabath, the co-writeproducer, surfaces in the second verse and his frenetic performance would feel out of place on a lot of tracks but fits perfectly into the dreamy atmosphere of “Wave.” The music video, which features Meghan as flesh toned goddess emerging from a roiling sea of bodies, is one of the most unusual and visually striking things that she’s released as well.

It’s tempting to think of “Wave” as something put out by a bold new Meghan but the opposite is actually true: the song was written back in 2016 during the Thank You era (note the red hair) and she’s had it sitting in her back pocket since then, waiting for the perfect moment.

So why did she choose to finally drop it in 2019? Well, while “Wave” is clearly a triumph it’s also (in some ways) a white flag. In interviews Meghan described radio stations as being baffled by the song because it was (once again) so different from everything that was successful at the moment, and the failure of this song was another painful reminder that the whims of the industry are often more important in finding success than having good music. After over a year of rewrites and promotion, her and her team decided that it was time to just get the album out.
This would become the ethos of Treat Myself going forwards: Meghan was going to literally treat herself and just release the songs that she wanted to. A release date was set, a new album cover was unveiled (which I like better than the old one but still don’t love), and a slew of promo singles followed. Each of these songs seemed to show a different side of Meghan, showcased a different aspect of her personality and musical identity, and were absolute bops on top of that!
Then finally, in January of 2020, over a year after the album was initially supposed to be released. Treat Myself finally dropped. Yes I walked seven miles to Target to buy it the day it came out and I listened to the album on Spotify the whole way there.

Nice To Meet Ya/Babygirl/Workin' On It:

Shortly before the release of the album Meghan teased the tracklist on her Instagram with emojis that represented each song and so while we knew the album began with “Wave,” the title of the second track (“🤝”) was kept a secret until the release of the album: “Nice To Meet Ya (feat. Nicki Minaj)”

Dedicated Meghan fans weren’t particularly surprised by his revelation as Meghan had mentioned the song and the Nicki feature in several interviews, but expected or not the song was still a bop and a great way to get eyes on the album on its release. While it’s a running gag that Nicki Minaj features are a dime a dozen in the industry, the collaboration actually came about because Meghan and Nicki became signed to the same management team. For all of her questionable character Nicki is still a delight to listen to on a track and of course her verse steals the show, plus she actually deigned to show up in person for the colorful “executive realness” flavored music video for once.

Nicki has actually been a subtle influence on Meghan’s music career (those of you who haven’t listened to Meghan’s albums might be surprised to learn that she does a decent amount of rapping) so it’s cool to see them on a track together; Meghan literally treated herself with this one. It’s still Meghan’s song though and she doesn’t slack off, the rest of the track is pretty good too. The production is very sparse and electronic but that works for the vibe she’s going for, which is quiet confidence. The whispered post-chorus hook is a bit played out in 2020 but I’ll be damned if I don’t get my life when she sings that pre-chorus!
“Nice To Meet Ya” introduces us to the theme of self-empowerment, something forever associated with Meghan that we’ll be revisiting several times throughout this album. “Babygirl,” which follows shortly after, is one such track. Shifting focus from empowering herself to empowering others, “Babygirl” is her advising someone to push through their doubts and learn to love themselves. The song is… honestly not one of my favorites but it has its fans and I understand why because it definitely sounds interesting. The production has this cavernous feel to it, it’s very like “Wave” in how it leans into glitchy production and choral background vocals, and it’s certainly a track with an air of gravity.
It makes a good companion piece with the following track, “Workin’ On It,” which tackles the same thematic ground from a slightly different angle. Featuring/co-written by fellow singer-songwriters Sasha Sloan and Lennon Stella, the gentle guitar driven song sees the three of them opening up about their insecurities and how hard it actually is to be empowered.
Meghan is a successful, happily married woman working in her dream job, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have internal doubts that she needs to overcome. Self-love is hard for a lot of people, and this moment of honesty is important to the conceptual continuity of the album because it provides some necessary context for her other songs, and to Meghan’s approach to music as a whole.

Evil Twin/Genetics/Another Opinion:

Let’s talk for a moment about camp. I’m not even gonna BEGIN to try to explain what it is because (as we learned during that infamous Met Gala) when you see it, you just know, and I know that Meghan is one of the best pop stars in the game at embodying camp in her music. She’s the perfect storm of camp: she has slightly ostentatious taste, a good sense of humor, and she’s a big sweetheart who’s 100% sincere in everything she does. This is important because camp needs sincerity to thrive. There has to be something real underneath all the cheesiness or else it’s just empty fluff, and Meghan always provides a ton of heart that works well to this end.

The most obvious example of camp on the album is “Evil Twin,” which sees Meghan blaming bad behavior during a night of partying on a Jekyll and Hyde-esque evil twin situation. The idea is wonderfully stupid but it’s not dumb just for dumb’s sake, the concept actually does make sense and she does use it to touch on some genuine insecurities (note that she describes being a little bit jealous of the evil twin for being evil, but freer); how she says it might be a little over the top, but what she’s trying to say is very clear and kind of makes sense. Because her intent shines through it’s fun rather than embarrassing.
Keeping this in mind, let’s examine “Genetics (feat. The Pussycat Dolls),” which I think is camp incarnate. Like, it says “(feat. The Pussycat Dolls)” but it’s literally just Nicole… that’s camp baby. (PS: The reason the song only has Nicole’s vocals is because it was recorded before the group’s reunion was finalized, not because they were trying to be shady) It’s an over-the-top song all about beautiful Meghan and Nicole are and how their bodies are snatched and it’s all 100% natural from their genetics, and they’ll literally spell it out for you.
It’s incredibly vapid and shallow but we also know it’s completely tongue in cheek because Meghan herself told us a few songs back that she’s not really like this. Even the production of the song underscores this: the hyper-polished club sound hearkens back to the trashy pop bops of the ‘10s, which were anything but serious. They take the “empowerment” message to the absolute extreme and in the process makes it nonthreatening, because when you can’t take something seriously then you’re not scared of indulging in it.

I’m not trying to posit that the song is actually Meghan’s way of coping with her deep seated insecurities or anything like that, more just that the song is meant to be, well… fun? Like many of Meghan’s more aggressively boastful tracks you’re meant to be singing along with her, bragging about your superior genetics like you’re one of the fictional members of The Pussycat Dolls singing Nicole’s backup, treating yourself to a moment where you’re the biggest badass in the world.

This is made more clear with “Another Opinion,” one of my favorite songs on the album. To bring up Nicki Minaj again this is her “Stupid Hoe” moment, an intentionally silly song where she fires back at the haters, and it has extra bite coming from an artist who people have had a LOT of opinions on throughout her career. With the singalong moments and built in hand-claps it’s clear that she intended for this to be a song the audience can participate in, inviting her fans to join in and cast off some haters of their own.

Blink/Funk/After You/Ashes/Lie To Me:

“Blink” touches on a similar topic from a more charitable perspective, offering an olive branch to her detractors rather than just the hand; it’s not just her bragging, it’s her extending an invitation to join in with her and who she is. Musically the song is one of my favorites on the album, it’s a tight bubblegum track that’s just galloping energy from start to finish. I’ve heard people describe the lyrics of this song as generic but I think there’s something nice about their simplicity and her confidence is infectious, I love that she owns what a cool experience she is. There’s so much power in just saying “don’t blink, you don’t want to miss even a SECOND of the person that I am!”

This sentiment is interesting when paired with the rest of the album because upon closer inspection there’s actually an undercurrent of this fear of being “missed” running throughout the album. Part of the reason that Meghan released The Love Train is because in her post-marital bliss she was pumping out love songs and didn’t want them to dominate the album, but in the end product the opposite is actually true and we end up with an album preoccupied with broken/dying relationships.

It’s interesting that the one song carried over from the EP (other than “All The Ways,” which got Target Exclusive status) was “After You,” a beautiful, dramatic piano ballad about anticipating the death of a lover. The song is updated to include a feature from up and comer AJ Mitchell (who sounds lovely) and it fits perfectly into the tracklist, more so than any of the cheerier tracks would have.
We should have anticipated this because the moody “Wave” was very clearly concerned with losing a relationship but surprisingly enough the next song on the album to touch on the topic is “Funk.” A super bright, upbeat party song that’s ostensibly a tribute to the bygone era of funk music, funk is more or less a not-so-subtle placeholder for a certain other four letter f-word that she uses while attempting to rekindle a dead flame.
It’s very much the kind of fun throwback song we expect from Meghan with some really great bass work (she is, after all, all about that bass) and a catchy melody. She sounds bold and like she’s having a ton of fun with this guy, even throwing in a campy spoken word section for good measure, and the result is one of the immediate “bops” on the album.
“Ashes” is more straightforwardly a breakup song. You can hear the sorrow and disappointment in her voice as she describes how this guy burned down their relationship, to the point where she has to be the one who ends it for both of them. It’s something of a fan favorite from the album, such a smooth pop song that’s very easy to listen to.
“Lie To Me” is sort of the lynchpin that brings together the album’s themes of relationships and empowerment by describing a situation where Meghan’s insecurities are directly related to the problems in her relationship. In the song she begs her partner to lie and pretend that they love her because even though she feels unworthy of them she can’t imagine life without them… this is like textbook fanfiction shit and I’m completely here for it. The production of the song is very colorful as well, there’s a lot of energy that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a song of this nature but it works well.

Here To Stay/Have You Now:

Nestled snugly in the middle of the album though we have “Here To Stay,” a tender acoustic moment which functions as a necessary counterpoint to the rest of the album. Unlike most of the other songs on the album which are all more or less targeted at abstract individuals, “Here To Stay” is very transparently written about her husband and how happy she is in their relationship.

Although she’s never commented on it the song seems to be the conclusion of a sort of “trilogy” of acoustic songs on her past three releases that have documented their relationship. On Thank You she had a song called “Hopeless Romantic” where she sung about holding out hope for love, and by pure serendipity the lyrics ended up describing how her and her husband would meet. “Marry Me” from The Love Train was a sweet little ukulele song about wanting to get married, which was written in a hotel room with Daryl after one of their first dates and would end up sung at their wedding.

“Here To Stay” is a portrait of her being happy in the relationship that she wanted, with a man who accepts her flaws and all. The insecurities about her relationship and herself are discussed, but she’s not afraid of them anymore because even if she doesn’t always have confidence in herself she knows that she can always have confidence in her husband. The song is very simple musically but that just puts focus on the message and the lyrics, and to that end “we can call a long time forever” is one of my favorite lyrics on the whole project. What a nice idea!
However if “Here To Stay” is cute, then “Have You Now” is gorgeous. The closer to the standard edition of the album, this was my favorite song of 2020 and it has become my favorite Meghan Trainor song in general. I think this song is absolutely perfect. A titanic pop song, it acts as the perfect finale for the album because it sees her both finally finding the love she longs for, and finally overcoming the turmoil of her past. The lyrics of the song are absolutely shameless in a strange sort of way, it takes guts to say that every love other than this one was worthless, that to be without this other person is to be weak, and then to just melt fully into pleas for forever… these are huge emotions, and fortunately the music is able to channel them as well.
Meghan Trainor is a master of making a song build. “Have You Now” starts off gentle and almost pastoral (there’s literally birds chirping in the background), but then that prechorus hits and the clapping starts and the drums begin drumming in a slow build of anticipation that crests in a brief moment of complete a cappella, after which she slams into a stuttering trap drop that lasts just as long as it needs to before giving way to the next verse so we can do it all again.
There’s a darker note of yearning in her voice at times that gives the song some stakes which comes to a head during the bridge, which features an eerie breakdown that adds a note of tension to the song at a critical point, but she persevere through and explodes into the final chorus with a full free voice that’s a joy to listen to. As the background singers begin chanting triumphantly she lets her phrasing become looser as she untethers from the melody slightly and just sings her heart out.

Deluxe Tracks:

The plaintive little “glad I have you now” that the song ends on is a fitting button to close the album on, but the deluxe edition contains a few extra tracks that function well as “end credits.” The three new tracks that the rerelease has are more overtly dance focused than the songs on the standard edition and feel much more in line with what people probably expected from the project after “Wave” dropped. I’ll rapid fire them because I don’t have much to say about them beyond that they sound good:

“Make You Dance” was an obvious ploy for attention from Tik Tok but with its heavy bassline and Meghan’s simmering vocals it’s a fine song in its own right.
“Underwater,” a collaboration with the producer Dillon Francis, is a thumping electropop song with slight tropical influences and a super fun drop.
“You Don’t Know Me” is another empowerment anthem. Cute but a little forgettable.
Not a song but I wanted to point out that the deluxe edition has my favorite of the three covers for the album

And then after acoustic flips on "Ashes" and "Workin' On It," the album is done!

Outro

The original lead single of the project “No Excuses” appears towards the end of the album and despite the album containing a solid diversity of sounds it still feels somewhat out of place in the track list. Treat Myself was reportedly rewritten four times before its release and the disconnect between the short, punchy ambitions of “No Excuses” and the comparatively more mature/ambitious vibe of the rest of the album is very noticeable.
In the years that this album was in development Meghan went from a girl to a woman, and you can hear the growth and maturity in the final project to the final project. For all of the problems that plagued the development of this album, Meghan did end up with a strong collection of songs that she should feel proud of and that her fans loved. Treat Myself is the perfect encapsulation of Meghan’s brand: an explosion of wholesome pop energy that’s a little bit messy, but with charm and catchiness in spades.
The fantastic Christmas album she dropped in the latter half of the year felt like a victory lap, another chance for her to flex the unique artistic voice that she's developed over the years; for all that she's so often decried as "generic" when you listen to her 2020 output, no other artist in the game right now would release some of the things that she did. She might not go down in history as one of the greats of pop music, but she's a treasure nonetheless and I hope we can all treat ourselves to more of her music for years to come. I'll definitely be revisiting this album at least!

Questions:

What are your favorite songs that Meghan has dropped since Thank You (on this album or otherwise)?
Treat Myself was apparently rewritten four times... do you think that the rewrites paid off, or that she should have stuck with the original version that she was building towards?
What do you think Meghan and her team could have done to make the album more successful?
Did this album change your opinions on Meghan at all?

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