how To: earN 5,000 gamersCore iN a Day

how to... amass a huge gameRsCoRe

Impress your friends by accumulating an incredible 5,000 gamerscore stockpile in just one day. We show you how James nouch

You will need: An XboX one / An insAtiAble lust for gAmerscore optional: An ArrAy of snAcks (we recommend innovAtive british cheeses)

What is it that you seek in life? Perhaps you desire recognition for a job well done. Maybe you crave honour and prestige above all else. You might be desperate to increase your standing among friends, peers and the global academic community. Or perhaps you really want definitive proof that you’re better than all your friends at FIFA. In all such cases, gamerscore is the path to lasting happiness and fulfilment.

The hunt for Achievements can be tricky, though, and it’s this fact that often tempts players to plunder sub-par products for those easy Gs. We all know someone who’s done it (really, Gareth? You’re telling me you’re really keen on that Avatar: The Last Airbender game, eh? Big fan of the anime are we? Pathetic.)

That’s why we’ve rounded up a selection of games that not only offer easy gamerscore, but a fantastic gaming experience to boot. So why not settle in for a day of top-tier gaming while racking up those points?

Although the concept has been plundered by a number of other formats, it was Microsoft that invented Achievements as we know them for the Xbox 360.

01

PrePare yourself

A whole day spent hustling for gamerscore is not a feat to be taken lightly – we recommend a hearty breakfast of poached egg over smashed avocado to set you up for the challenge. Then, you can don your luckiest underwear and prepare to hunt some ‘cheevos. And remember to make use of your Xbox One’s new Achievement Tracker – added in the recent Creators Update – to help you keep track!

02

abzû

Let’s start with the soothing subaquatic sojourn that is Abzû. Developer Giant Squid created a breathtaking underwater world of shimmering shoals and sumptuous seascapes, but fortunately for us, the game’s Achievement list isn’t nearly so expansive. You might need to Google the location of some secret shells, but otherwise you’ll be able to enjoy your dip while racking up gamerscore.

03

InsIde

Now that you’ve had a chance to unwind and de-stress, fire up Inside to top off your stores of existential dread. Playdead’s eerie platformer was Official Xbox Magazine’s Game of the Year for 2016, and the developer somehow even managed to surpass its downbeat debut, Limbo. What’s more, you’ll unlock all of Inside’s Achievements just by experiencing its superb central storyline.

04

fIbbage

Okay, Inside is a little downbeat for a day-long gaming binge. We understand. So grab some friends and clamber out of the abyss with an uproarious game of creative falsehoods and chucklesome deceit. Gather enough players and you’ll be able to unlock the lion’s share of Fibbage’s gamerscore in no time, and you’re sure to be chortling and tittering with delight as you do so.

Why bother?

your gamerscore isn’t just a measure of the time you’ve spent in Prey or your headshotting proficiency in Halo 5 – it’s an objective measure of your worth as a human being! here at oXm towers, we don’t let anyone in the front door unless they’ve racked up at least 10,000g. the policy may have its critics (the un and our hr department, for instance), but we will never be deterred.

05

fIrewatcH

By this point in your day-long quest for Gamerscore, you’ll probably be yearning for a little sunshine and fresh air. Suppress that desire – bury it deep – and play some Firewatch instead. Campo Santo’s debut is breathtakingly beautiful, deftly written and generous with the old Achievements, too. Take some photos, befriend a turtle and finish the game, and you’ll be well on your way to 1,000G.

How to...

06

gone Home

Now that your long day of wilderness exploration, deep-sea diving and dystopian dread is coming to a close, you’ll no doubt want to get indoors and close the curtains. Gone Home is just the ticket, casting you as Kaitlin Greenbriar, a 21-year-old who returns from a spell overseas to find her family home deserted. It’s spooky, nostalgic and an easypeasy source of gamerscore.

Earn £5,000 in an aftErnoon

step 1

sell all your possessions. A life without worldly goods may sound tough, but you could get £75 for all the yoyos and aquarium equipment you have lying around. step 2

invest your savings in the stock market. buy low, sell high! if the intricacies of wall street life confuse you, rewatch the 1983 eddie murphy classic Trading Places. step 3

Purchase hundreds of lottery scratchcards. sure, the odds of winning on an individual card are slim, but how could you lose when you have so many? step 4

your newfound wealth is sure to attract scoundrels and ne’er do wells. deter these unsavoury sorts by burying your money and dressing in shabby rags.