Zoë Hannah

New York

Games Editor, Polygon at Vox Media

Articles

A Gentle Rain is a cozy mindfulness board game for one or more players

1 day ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Just out here turning a puzzle piece in my hands, thinkin’ about nothingPhoto: Charlie Hall/PolygonZoë Hannah is the games editor at Polygon, where she covers mobile games, Zelda, and indie games. She has about a decade of experience in journalism. Practicing mindfulness is often an intimidating prospect. You’re tasked with being still, noticing things inside and outside of your body, and most challenging of all, not really thinking about anything.
Switch 2 launch game price unchanged for both physical and digital versions

6 days ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will sell for $79.99 and $69.99 respectivelyZoë Hannah is the games editor at Polygon, where she covers mobile games, Zelda, and indie games. She has about a decade of experience in journalism. Nintendo announced Friday via an update to its website that Nintendo Switch 2 launch games Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will sell for $79.99 and $69.99 respectively, including both the physical and digital versions of the titles.
Assassin’s Creed was my gateway game

1 week ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Video games have always been a part of my life — I was born in 1995, so games were well established as a childhood pastime by the time I was old enough to play them. But as a young teen, I pushed gaming to the side as a hobby, especially single-player games. Playing AAA console games in your free time wasn’t considered girly, which was hugely important in my middle school in 2007. Worse, boys were better at gaming than girls — or at least that’s what they told me.
These 7 video games have amazing ASMR

1 week ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

But recently I’ve found that when I play certain games with my headphones plugged in, my tingles sneak up on me. I’m not the only one, either — there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to ASMR in video games. I’ve gotten ASMR from crouching through the grass in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the scraping sound of carving down a mountain in Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders makes the top of my head tickle. No promises, though — only about 20% of people get ASMR.
Use Switch 2 mouse controls in this upcoming party game

2 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Developer Nitrome jumps onto the mouse Joy-Con trendZoë Hannah is the games editor at Polygon, where she covers mobile games, Zelda, and indie games. She has about a decade of experience in journalism. Nintendo’s Switch 2 has exactly one weird and exciting new feature: The Joy-Con 2 can be used like a mouse. And it works well — even on pants! But only a few titles so far have confirmed support for the new hardware, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and a new game announced Monday: Mouse Work.
Switch 2 pre-orders were delayed. What does it mean for Nintendo?

2 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Nintendo’s Switch 2 ramp-up week started with a cheerful bang (a jingle, really) at Wednesday’s Switch 2 Direct that revealed the sleek new console’s release date, launch games, and features. Donkey Kong hype abounded online, at least until the company’s news releases started trickling out to outlets like Polygon, and sticker shock took over. Nintendo announced it would charge $450 for its console and $80 for its flagship game, Mario Kart World (or $500 for the two bundled together).
Will upset Nintendo fans still pay $450 for Switch 2?

3 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Zoë Hannah is the games editor at Polygon, where she covers mobile games, Zelda, and indie games. She has about a decade of experience in journalism. Nintendo held off announcing the price of the Switch 2 in its big Switch 2 Direct on Wednesday. Instead, perhaps in preparation for the inevitable sticker shock, the $449 price point was slipped into a news release tucked away in a bevy of other facts.
In Kobold’s newest TTRPG, you create your own cozy game

3 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Writer Kij Johnson has always used animals to tell the stories of people. That’s how the writer and designer of Kobold Press’ upcoming tabletop role-playing game RiverBank put it to me in our recent email exchange. Like the novel it’s inspired by — The River Bank, Johnson’s 2017 sequel to Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows — the main characters of this game are not orcs or halflings or even humans, but fuzzy, adorable anthropomorphic critters and creatures in dapper outfits.
New Rhythm Heaven game announced at Nintendo Direct

4 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

You’ll have to wait until 2026, though…Zoë Hannah is the games editor at Polygon, where she covers mobile games, Zelda, and indie games. She has about a decade of experience in journalism. You read that right — there’s a brand-new Rhythm Heaven game, Rhythm Heaven Groove, coming to Nintendo Switch… in 2026. Nonetheless, fans are likely thrilled to have any update on any new game in a series that hasn’t had a new title since 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS.
Elon Musk just got ratioed by the Assassin’s Creed X account

4 weeks ago | polygon.com | Zoë Hannah

Ubisoft’s official X account for the Assassin’s Creed series popped off Tuesday afternoon as the massive franchise responded to offhand criticism from Elon Musk. The reply was a roast for the ages. The interaction happened when Musk responded to a tweet from Mark Kern (@Grummz), a former Blizzard developer who is now more widely known for his support of Gamergate. Kern posted a screenshot of a recent ad post from political commentator and streamer Hasan Piker.