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The Hugo Awards: they’re not just for science-fiction novels that make you think “I should read that one day” and never do. Now they’ve got an interactive category, so once a year you can be told how excellent one more videogame is, think “I should play that one day,” and then never get around to that either.

This year the winner of the Best Game or Interactive Work category is Caves of Qud, a game we gave a score of 94% to back in December so you can keep that “if it’s so good how come I’ve never heard of it” comment to yourself.

Caves of Qud, pronounced “cud”, is a roguelike so old-fashioned it’s barely got graphics, which fully simulates every NPC in its baffling world full of weirdos. To quote from our review, “The main quest takes you on a journey well-suited to pit stops, dotted with odd characters like a deaf-mute albino bear-porcupine gunsmith and a very rude talking fungus you have to bring with you by letting it grow on your skin.”

This year’s Hugo Award for Best Novel went to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett and Best Series went to Between Earth and Sky by Rebecca Roanhorse. Dune Part Two picked up Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form while Star Trek: Lower Decks won Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, which is a nice send-off for it. (The tie-in comic Warp Your Own Way picked up best Best Graphic Story or Comic as well.)

The Best Game or Interactive Work category was added to the Hugos back in 2021 as an experiment, when it was won by Hades. The experiment must have worked because it’s since become a permanent addition, with Baldur’s Gate 3 winning it in 2024.

The other nominees this year were 1000xResist, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Tactical Breach Wizards, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which I will go to the grave defending no matter what anyone else thinks about it.

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An Umamusume fan has managed to use his smart fridge to play the game to train Minoho Bourbon, claiming that it boosts his luck.

While Umamusume: Pretty Derby has been around in Japan for some time, the popularity of the game truly went through the roof following the release of its global version.

The premise of the game itself is quite simple. In this gacha game, you can train a plethora of different horse girls in their Careers as well as see them participate and thrive in all sorts of races.

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One of the most common ways to play this game is through mobile, considering it’s available on iOS and Android. However, one fan decided to take it a step further and essentially repurposed his fridge into a device to play this simulator title.

Umamusume fan uses smart fridge to train horse girls

User soultgs on TikTok has gone viral for showcasing his Umamusume: Pretty Derby gameplay on his Samsung refrigerator.

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While a fascinating and unique way to play, at the same time, it also poses the question of whether or not it’s comfortable to play on a fridge for long periods, considering the position you’d have to be in, as well as the lack of an armrest.

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In one of the clips, he was seen training Mihono Bourbon when a family member asked him what he was up to. When asked why he played on the fridge, he jokingly said, “Why wouldn’t I play on the fridge? Come on now, it’s a lot bigger on my phone and on my PC. If I can use a fridge, why can’t I use a fridge?”

Eventually, he was met with a decision of having to gamble on a 24% failure on Guts while training. That’s a risky move at first glance, but it certainly didn’t discourage him at all, as he suggested that playing on the fridge helps him with his luck.

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In his own words, he said: “24% failure, but it’s on the fridge, so I have a boosted luck.” As if predicting his own future, the risky option ended up being a success.

Ultimately, in a separate clip, he showcased the labor of his hard work in training his Umamusume. Although she didn’t end up winning the race in the end, he seemed pretty content, mentioning that she had “tried her hardest” in the comments.

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The deeply simulated roguelike strangeness of Caves of Qud won this year’s Hugo Award for Best Game or Interactive Work

Umamusume player claims to get “boosted luck” by playing the game on a fridge

Umamusume fan uses smart fridge to train horse girls