Top 10 Best PS4 Games of 2016 So Far

2015 was an absolute beastly year for great new PS4 games to play, and now that we’ve almost completed the first quarter of 2016, we’re blown away by the quality games that have already been released this year. Superhero romps, the best fighting game ever made, mind-boggling puzzlers and fantastic indie games have already filled up the first quarter’s release calendar, and our backlog is as thick as it has ever been.
With GDC this week, PAX East soon and E3 2016 right around the corner, the earlier games of the year might get lost in the hustle and bustle. But, believe it or not, there have been over 30 new games released on the PlayStation 4 so far this year, and we combed through them all to pick out our favorites. Here are the top 10 best PS4 games of 2016 so far (you can also check out the best new video games to play of April 2016 here).

1. Far Cry Primal

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Ubisoft is known for rushing out incomplete games that upset the gaming community, but Far Cry Primal isn’t one of those games. Although it feels like it was a short time from its announcement to its actual release, the game is as solid as any of the Far Cry games of the past. We were admittedly worried when Ubisoft said that they were stripping away guns and vehicles for an experience set in 10,000 B.C., but to our delightful surprise, Far Cry Primal exceeded our expectations. Taking down mammoths with spears is as satisfying as anything offered in the previous games, and hunting and scavenging for crafting mats is an all-around great experience. The story is also unique, as there isn’t a single bit of English spoken in the game. The game is a well-thought out experience, and if it weren’t for another game on this list (The Division), we’d still be playing it. But we’ll get back to the stone age for more eventually, and we highly recommend that you jump into the game as well.

2. The Division

Developer: Ubisoft Massive
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Now that The Division has been released, it’s hard to imagine our lives without it — seriously, it’s THAT good. And, surprisingly so, being that Ubisoft has a track record of letting us down in the past. But it feels like a much better version of Destiny, minus the space sci-fi setting. Sure, it too has its problems, but they’re all minor. At its core, The Division‘s gameplay is incredible. It truly has an MMO feel, thanks to the upgrade mechanics, and its skill and ability trees. There’s virtually no loading, and you don’t have to venture to space on a spaceship, choose a planet to go to, fly to that planet, wait for it to load, etc etc etc like you do with Destiny. The game’s PvP zone, named The Dark Zone, is also unique and provides for incredibly fun and challenging gameplay. You’re going to want to play this one with a headset on so that you can communicate with your squad, so you might want to check out our list of the best PS4 gaming headsets. If you own a PS4 and you’re not currently playing The Division, you’re simply not doing the whole gaming thing right. You can check out The Division screenshots here, and know that in our opinion, The Division is THE best PS4 game 2016 has to offer.

3. The Witness

Developer: Jonathan Blow, Thekla
Publisher: Thekla
Release Date: January 26, 2016
We were all waiting for Jonathan Blow’s follow-up to Braid, and now that The Witness is finally out on the PS4, we’ve been enjoying it for numerous reasons. It’s set in a gorgeous, stylized world, and it’s a puzzle game that will definitely have you scratching your head. Some of the puzzles contained within are truly frustrating, and we’ve spent more than an hour on a single puzzle in the game, trying different ideas and combinations until we finally struck the right solution. Is The Witness the most challenging puzzle game out there? We’re not quite sure, but it’s certainly a rewarding experience, and one that every puzzle game-lover should partake in.

4. Not a Hero

Developer: Rollingmedia Limited
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Devolver Digital already has tons of great games under their umbrella, including OlliOlli, Broforce, Titan Souls, and more. Now, they also have Not a Hero, which is not only on the PC, but it’s now on PS4 as well. It’s developed by Roll7 (OlliOlli). It follows an anthropomorphic purple rabbit BunnyLord as he travels back in time from the 2048 to become mayor in an effort to save the world. It’s a 2D, cover-based shooter with the player fighting his/her way through buildings, killing criminals along the way. It’s simple, high-octane fun that’s well deserving of your time, and it’s one of our favorite PS4 games of 2016 so far.

5. Gravity Rush Remastered

Developer: Project Siren, Bluepoint
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Every PlayStation console gamer was disappointed when the original Gravity Rush wasn’t published on the PS3, as it was a PS Vita exclusive. Earlier this year, Sony blessed gamers with a Gravity Rush Remastered, a remastered version of the game that is absolutely unmissable. It quickly became one of Sony’s best offerings for the PS4, and it’s now the quintessential version of Gravity Rush. In the game, players take control of Kat, a strong female character who has gravity-altering abilities that will help her protect her future. The gravity-controlling mechanics are incredibly cool, as you’ll use them to walk on walls, fly through the air, and devastate your foes with a gravity-powered kick. The Gravity Rush world is beautifully-designed, and we can’t wait for a sequel. It’s the second best PS4 games 2016 has to offer.

6. Dying Light: The Following Expansion

Developer: Techland
Publisher: WB Entertainment
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Dying Light flipped the zombie game genre upside-down, quickly becoming one of the top 5 zombie games of all-time. The game was great already, but its DLC titled The Following made it even better by adding new game mechanics, environments and challenges. Now, players are able to drive a buggy, smashing through zombies in their path from mission to mission. The car is fully upgradeable, which adds another element to the game. Although it takes damage quickly, it’s still incredibly fun to drive. The map is now huge, and there are tons of new areas for players to explore. So far, it’s the best zombie game of 2016.

7. Firewatch

Developer: Campo Santo.
Publisher: Panic Inc
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Firewatch sort of sneaked under the radar. Aside from its reveal in 2015, it didn’t get many updates in the time it took to release. But, surprise, it’s now on the PS4 (and PC). The game places you in the role of Henry, a man who leaves his life behind to work as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Your job is to look for signs of fire, and keep the wilderness safe. Now, your only contact is a woman named Delilah, your supervisor whom which you’re only able to contact through a handheld radio. But it’s not as cut and dry as it sounds, as you’re quickly removed from your tower to explore a largely unknown environment. It’s landscape is beautiful, as you’re set in an 80s Yellowstone filled with gorgeous canyons and beautiful meadows. The story is what’s most interesting here, and it’ll keep you intrigued throughout.

8. Unravel

Developer: ColdWood Interactive
Publisher: EA
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Unravel is another surprise hit of 2016, and despite the middling reviews, it’s one of the best games on PS4 so far in 2016. You’ll take on the role of Yarny, a cutesy doll created with yarn, and you’re tasked with playing through a hyper realistic world, solving puzzles along the way using unique mechanics only made possible by the fact that you’re made of yarn. It’s not the same mechanics you find in Yoshi’s Woolly World, as it has its own type of unique gameplay. The soundtrack is beautiful, the world is beautiful, and it’s an experience worthy of your time. You can read my Unravel review here for more information.

9. Street Fighter V

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: February 16, 2016
PS4 and PC exclusive Street Fighter V is what I call a slow-burner. The game is just mediocre when you first play it, but somehow, you find yourself wanting to go back to playing it more and more. Why? Because the fighting is so fantastic and balanced. Even though it’s missing an arcade mode and it’s currently a barebones experience, it’s still well-worth the buy-in, especially when we know so much more content is on the way. I’ve already put well over 40 hours into the game, and the online matchmaking now works flawlessly. It brings new characters into the Street Fighter franchise, each of which has their own unique style of fighting. It’s easy to pick up and play, but tough to master, and there’s a huge difference in the challenge of playing a casual match and a ranked match online. Although it has its issues (mostly along the lines of over sexualization), the gameplay, at its core, is what makes it one of the top PS4 games of 2016 so far.
Buy Street Fighter 5 here.

10. Lego Marvel’s Avengers

Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Publisher: WB Interactive
Release Date: January 26, 2016
For a mindless romp set in a LEGO world, you won’t find any better than Lego Marvel’s Avengers. Easy puzzles and some minor glitches aside, you’ll never want to stop smashing everything into tiny Lego pieces. The game contains a massive roster filled with Marvel superheroes, and some areas in the game require two specific characters to progress any further. Despite the fact that it’s a Marvel game, it takes the Lego route of being child-friendly. However, adults will find plenty of joy in it as well (especially if they enjoy smashing things).

Honorable Mention:

The Banner Saga

Developer: Stoic Studio
Publisher: Versus Evil
Release Date: January 12, 2016
If you love a good viking story — and who doesn’t — The Banner Saga is an absolute gem. It’s a well-designed viking-themed RTS that has a well-written story, a beautiful soundtrack, and stunning visuals. Players take control of their own narrative, weighing the risks and rewards along the way. If you love story-driven games, The Banner Saga is a great choice.

Real life look alike cartoon characters!!! Wow

10 Insane Architectural Crimes You Won’t Believe Nearly Happened

History is filled with weird and wonderful structures that were sadly never built. But not every unrealized architectural dream would have made our world a better place. For every breathtaking cenotaph for Isaac Newton, there are at least a dozen plans that would have destroyed natural wonders, leveled historic city blocks, and generally made reality a crappier place to be.

10Demolishing The Whole Of Glasgow

The largest city in Scotland, Glasgow is one of the best places on Earth to experience both Victorian architecture and public drunkenness. Had 20th-century planning officials gotten their way, only one of those would now be true. In 1945, city officials published a report suggesting they demolish the whole of Glasgow.
Had they just left it at that, the plan might at least have elicited some support from Glasgow’s Edinburgh rivals. But the Bruce Report didn’t want to get rid of Glasgow so much as render it completely unrecognizable. All the old buildings of the city center would be swept away, along with countless Victorian houses, a handful of slums, and the Glasgow School of Art. In their place would be erected a swath of communist-style concrete blocks circled by an endless motorway. This wasn’t just a harebrained scheme that nobody took seriously. In 1947, the plan was given the official go-ahead.
So how come we’re not now living in a world where “Glasgow” is a byword for concrete? For that you can thank Adolf Hitler. With Britain utterly broke after over half a decade of fighting in World War II, the proposal was simply too expensive to be feasible. Two years later, the city quietly ditched the plans, but not before several old sections of Glasgow could be destroyed and replaced with concrete monstrosities.

9Carving Two Highways Through The Heart Of Manhattan

Photo via Library Of Congress

A world of artist’s lofts and rapid gentrification, SoHo in Manhattan is one of New York City’s most renowned districts. The whole area was even declared a protected National Historic Landmark in 1978. Yet it’s only by a miracle there was anything left to protect. In the 1950s, New York came close to bulldozing the whole district and building two expressways over it.
Proposed in 1946 and known as LOMEX, the Lower Manhattan Expressway would have connected the Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan Bridge over the East River, as well as the Holland Tunnel into New Jersey. This coiling tangle of roads would have bulldozed right through the heart of Manhattan before converging above SoHo. If you’re thinking that sounds hideously impractical, you’re right. Construction would have destroyed 14 blocks, wiped out Little Italy and most of SoHo, and involved the forced eviction of nearly 2,000 families and over 800 businesses. Those that were left would have to put up with the constant roar of traffic, not to mention the grim reality of living under a concrete overpass.
Like the absurd Glasgow plan above, LOMEX officially got the go-ahead. In 1968, the project was approved by the Federal Bureau of Public Roads. Thankfully, by this point, public support for the project had ebbed. In 1971, Governor Nelson Rockefeller shelved the project indefinitely.

8Filling In Santa Monica Bay

One of California’s most popular stretches of coast, Santa Monica Bay is basically nature’s silver lining to the cloudy fact that you’re living in downtown Los Angeles. The beaches are cool, the surf good, and the marine ecosystem wonderfully diverse. In the 1960s, it was decided the most intelligent thing to do with this little slice of heaven was to fill it with rubble.
At the time, the Pacific Coast Highway in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains was constantly clogged with traffic. This was affecting downtown LA’s streets and causing gridlock in Santa Monica itself. Fed up with waiting in traffic, city officials decided to build a new freeway connecting Santa Monica with distant Malibu. With no space to build it on the land, they turned to the ocean.
Stretching 10 kilometers (6 mi) and requiring the creation of dozens of artificial islands, the Santa Monica Bay Causeway would cost half of what the entire city was worth. It would also have required leveling a good deal of the nearby mountains and pouring the rubble into the bay, filling it up. The result would have been the destruction of ecosystems, beaches, and one of California’s most beloved views. Thankfully, it also would have been very expensive and perhaps even impossible to maintain. Faced with a multitude of technical challenges, the city eventually abandoned the project.

7Thomas Willson’s Pyramid Of Death

It sounds like something from a creepy sci-fi film. A vast, forbidding pyramid looming 94 floors over a storm-lashed metropolis. Inside, winding catacombs lead through endless chambers of the dead. Bodies upon bodies, stacked high into the heavens. Five million dead, all crammed into this one spooky space. In 19th-century London, this morbid vision nearly became a reality.
Proposed by Thomas Willson, the Pyramid of Death would have been 7 square kilometers (2.7 mi²), sitting on top of Primrose Hill as a repository for all of London’s dead. If you’ve ever been to London, you’ll know what a fundamentally insane idea this was. Primrose Hill is one of the most beloved viewing points in the British capital, a stretch of awesome parkland enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Placing such a megastructure on it would not only have destroyed all that, it’s likely its weight would have literally flattened the hill. Even creepier were Willson’s intentions for the monument. Rather than designing it as a noble work for public good, he hoped to make £10 million in profit from selling spaces for storing London’s deceased.
Eventually, the project was nixed because of the damage it would cause to Primrose Hill. Remarkably, taste didn’t come into it, despite the proposed structure later being likened to a “giant car park of the dead.”

6Demolishing Manhattan’s Entire West Side

New York’s a real love-it-or-hate-it city. For every person raving about its vibrant arts scene or gritty street life, there’s another secretly wishing the whole place could just be chucked in the Hudson River. If you’re the latter type, the Hudson River Terminal might sound like a dream come true. In 1946, it was proposed that the whole West Side of Manhattan be demolished and replaced with an impossibly large airport.
The project was the brainchild of William Zeckendorf, a real estate mogul responsible for a significant chunk of modern NYC’s urban landscape. In other words, he wasn’t just a nut with an impossible dream. He was a nut with an impossible dream and the means to possibly achieve it. When Life covered his plans in a 1946 issue, it assured readers that increasing air traffic meant the design would eventually become a necessity. If it had been given the go-ahead, the airport would have covered 144 blocks, been roughly the size of Central Park, and handled as many planes an hour in the 1950s as JFK Airport manages today.
For reasons of cost and obvious insanity, the Hudson River Terminal was shelved before it ever got off the ground. That wasn’t the end of Zeckendorf’s dreams, though. Around the same time, he tried to build his own private city-within-a-city on the land now occupied by the UN Headquarters.

5Turning London Into One Giant Motorway

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

For millions of people, the idea of living next to a busy motorway is like a dream come true. If your reaction to reading that sentence was to immediately think, “no, it isn’t,” then congratulations: You’re smarter than London’s city council. In the 1960s, a plan was quietly authorized that would have seen a network of wide, concrete roads bring waves of cars zipping into every corner of the British capital.
Known as the London Ringways project, it was almost scary in its cavalier attitude to preservation. Consisting of four concentric loops heading deep into the city’s heart, it would have put London into a kind of concrete chokehold. Gone would be the outer parks and green spaces, replaced with something from J.G. Ballard’s nightmares. Worst of all was Ringway One. The central loop in this spiral of madness, it would have smashed through some of London’s greatest districts, suffocating them under concrete and motorway noise. Camden Town, Hackney, Hampstead, and Islington would all have been plowed under, along with Brixton and Clapham Junction. In 1973, the Conservative government officially gave the project the green light.
Thankfully, Britain in the latter half of the 20th century apparently had no money to do anything, because the project was once again halted for being too expensive. Turns out being utterly broke isn’t always a bad thing.

4John Stuart McCaig’s Scottish Colosseum

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

In 1896, Scottish businessman John Stuart McCaig decided to give something to his hometown of Oban. A tiny bay community on Scotland’s west coast, Oban was a town in need of many things. The one thing it didn’t need, however, was a gigantic, life-size replica of the Colosseum in Rome. Yet that’s exactly what McCaig decided to build.
Known as McCaig’s Tower, everything about the project was both impractical and crazy. McCaig designed the building himself and picked its site on a hill, looming over the little bay. But while it would have been visible to everyone in town, its purpose wasn’t exactly to promote the public good. A monstrous egotist, McCaig intended to fill the finished Colosseum with numerous statues of himself and members of his family, then keep the whole thing off-limits to members of the public. It was one of the biggest vanity projects the world had ever seen—like a Victorian Trump Tower, if Donald Trump was even more of a narcissist than he already is.
When McCaig died in 1902, he left behind the equivalent of £6 million in today’s money to finish the tower. His sister begged a judge to throw his will out, and the judge complied. Today, the unfinished shell is considered a local landmark.

3Demolishing Grand Central Station

We recently told you about the architectural crime that was the demolition of NYC’s Penn Station. Little did we realize that that was almost a footnote in an even more barbaric act. Between 1954 and the mid-1970s, New York Central Railroad did everything in its power to have the Grand Central Terminal pulled to the ground.
If you’ve ever even set foot in there, you’ll know what a terrible idea this was. Grand Central is like something from a magical past, when catching trains was something you put a suit on to do. Yet the extent to which the station’s owners attacked it over the decades bordered on the pathological. In 1963, New York Central tried to destroy the terminal’s upper levels by building a bowling alley over them. Just weeks after it was declared a historic landmark in 1967, its new owner Stuart Saunders—the same guy who tore down the beautiful Penn Station—opened bids to raze the terminal and build a big, boxy tower in its place. When the Landmarks Commission protested, Saunders sued it.
By the early 1970s, a judge had even ruled that Grand Central should be demolished, potentially invalidating the entire concept of protecting historic landmarks. It was only because Jackie Onassis wrote a very public, very eloquent letter to the mayor pleading the city to reconsider that the ruling was voted down in an appellate court by a 3-2 vote. The same lunatics who wanted to tear the place down then went on to nearly bankrupt NYC when their company suddenly went bust, requiring what was at that point the biggest bailout in history.

2Tearing Down Central London

If there’s one thing we can conclude from this article, it’s that London’s council hates everything about the city. Before the government was planning to drive motorways through the middle of the city, it was seriously considering multiple proposals to knock down just about every historic building in the center.
One of the main targets was Piccadilly Circus. One of the most famous destinations in the British capital, Piccadilly Circus is a glorious ensemble of grand 19th-century architecture. Yet in the 1960s, London County Council’s Sir William Holford set out a plan calling for the demolition of three quarters of its buildings. The aim was to solve the problem of traffic congestion, which is kind of like chopping your leg off to solve the problem of an itchy foot. Tottenham Court Road was also earmarked for hideous redevelopment.
Craziest of all were the plans for London’s notorious Soho district. A maze of winding streets, historic pubs, and seedy red-light clubs, Soho is today a world-class attraction. Yet in 1954, a plan was put forward to demolish the entire district and concrete the remains. In its place would be built a series of forbidding office towers and a network of sunken motorways.

1Driving A Railway Through The Middle Of Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the greatest monuments on Earth. A collection of ancient stones raised thousands of years ago in a corner of England, it’s as mysterious and awe-inspiring as the Pyramids or Machu Picchu. It’s also an area of great scientific value, with the entire Stonehenge site covering many kilometers and including the equally mysterious nearby stone circle of Avebury. In the 19th century, the Victorians went seemingly out of their way to destroy the whole lot.
The worst attempt came in 1886, when the London South West Railway company tried to drive a railway right through the middle of the site. Aside from coming right near to Stonehenge itself, the line would have cut across the Stonehenge Cursus, a kind of ancient ditch that scientists believe predates the henge. The motion was defeated, but 10 years later, another railway line was proposed that brushed right up against the standing stones.
Even this has nothing on Avebury. A vast henge that’s in some ways even grander than its more popular sibling, Avebury was sold off for housing in 1872 and nearly demolished. It’s only because a British MP named John Lubbock hastily brought up all the building sites in a desperate bid to save it that Avebury still exists today. Had the Victorians gotten their way, this famed corner of England would currently be a much culturally poorer place.

Top 10 “You Had One Job” Moments in Life

Love your job or hate it, but the chances are the more you hate it the more you will f#ck up. And there are 100 other people wanting you to mess up so they can claim your job. So think of this post as educational of what not to do.
I guess this is the part where we say “everyone makes mistakes” or “you’re only human”. But screw that! If you mess up as bad as any of these people below then you’re either having a very bad day (a FML moment) or you simply just suck at life. As when you only have one job and you mess that up it’s kind of bad times. And remember, Jesus ain’t going to let you in his pearly white gates if you’re a screw up, so expect a pad lock on that b#tch.
The most funny part is the fact that some of you have probably done something similar to the following, but you are keeping it a secret as you know how dumb you were and to be quite frank you would prefer to keep your job. And too-f#cking-right, you should keep schtum.

10. You Had One Job, Josh

Guess who is the only person who can stop forest fires? That’s right, Josh of course! But it seems that either Josh is one busy man or he just gets lazy at time. Nevertheless an awesome combination of graffiti and memes to create an awesome you only had one job moment.

9. Phil the Dinosaur Supervisor

For the peeps who are wondering who Phil Tippett is, he is a movie director, visual effects supervisor and producer. He was hired to create the dinosaur effects for the movie “Jurassic Park” and is why the above is funny and a fail at the same time. He was credited in the movie credits as “Dinosaur Supervisor” and as the movie is about dinosaurs who escape and terrorize, Phil didn’t do a great job. And it wasn’t going to be long until memes popped up online with the caption “You had one job, Phil. One job!”

8. Superman Backpack or Batman Backpack?

We feel sorry for the kids whose moms bought these and sent their kids to school as this is asking to get bullied. Even if you don’t know who Batman and Superman are, the name “Batman” kind of gives it away that the character may incorporate a “Bat” somehow. Now add the fact that Superman’s logo is a giant “S”. If all else fails just blame the machines, they have to take over somehow, right?

7. Lord of the Harry Potter

So, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are not like two of the biggest franchises ever or anything. If you have not seen any of them then you really need to ask yourself why you are alive at this very moment, as life isn’t worth contemplating unless you have seen Voldemort lusting over Harry’s ring, or seen Sam wanting to tickle Frodo’s. Anyway, the fact that the front covers kind of give you a hint on what films they are, and seeing as the stand says “Own Lord Of The Rings”, we have no idea what this employee was thinking.

6. Car Cup Holder Fail

When you think of “you had one job” moments you initially think of humans messing up, but this image proves that even simple things such as a car cup holder can fail. We mean the only job the cup holder has and the reason he is alive is to hold beverages in the car and keep them upright. We guess this was too much for the little fella. If he failed when we were driving and he was holding a hot beverage we would marched over to the garage for the hammer and gone “The Rock” on his candy ass.

5. Toilet Seat on the Wrong Way

You just know that the handyman who gets employed to fix things like this toilet seat accidentally put the toilet seat back on the wrong way, released his mistake, but walked off with a FML attitude while he pretended he didn’t notice. We just feel sorry for the people who want to snap off a Gorillas finger. But saying that, you know when someone is drunk they won’t notice at first until it’s too late and they have created a pancake.

4. Dentist Assault Suspect

First of all, there is a guy that is going around assaulting dentists? I know we don’t particularly like dentists (like most people) but this guy must have had a very bad experience when he was younger. Anyway, “Firstname Lastname” is definitely a unique name; a gag name that the new Austin Powers movie should jump on. Looks like an anchorman is out of a job.

3. Nike Adidas Shoes

What, you haven’t got yourself a pair of Adidas Nike shoes? Playa please! Bi#ch must be trippin’. The last time we looked Adidas and Nike seemed to be rivals and we cannot imagine they are going to team up anytime soon. Which begs the questions: How the hell did this happen? Do the shoes get made at the same factory? Are the shoes knock-offs? Maybe it was an employee doing it for the LOLs.

2. Coca Cola Sprite Fail

Imagine this: You are thirsty and then you realize that you bought a create of Coca Cola. Your sandpaper=like throat is as dry as Gandhi’s flip flops and your thirst needs quenching asap. But when you open what you thought was Coca Cola you find f#cking Sprite. One Job! You know what? We would rather die of dehydration than drink that crap.

1. Perfect Road Lines

By no means are we a road maintenance critic, but these lines sure look like they have been laid down by Stevie Wonder. Ever thought what would happen if you gave someone with ADHD a tin of gloss and a road to paint on? Well now you do. If you gave a tin of gloss to someone with OCD and a road to paint on the road lines would be perfect. Either way you have to admit it’s not too shabby of a job.

Just remember: Even though you may only have a fairly simple task at hand, it can be easy to still fail at it and “facepalm” the floor. Oh, and the next time you do, just remember, you had one job!

10 Amazing Mythological Objects

Perhaps as a child you worshiped Indiana Jones, bought yourself a fedora, and hoped to search for supernatural treasures long lost to mankind. Mythology has been rife with mysterious objects of power that imbue the user with unique abilities. So, fedora in hand, let’s venture into the world of mysterious and fantastic powers.

10 The Cintamani Stone

Most people are familiar with the concept of the Philosopher’s Stone, but few have heard of the Cintamani Stone. Said to be lost somewhere in Southeast Asia, the stone is the Oriental equivalent of the Philosopher’s Stone. The stone is thought to be a relic of Buddha, and is able to grant wishes. Supernatural powers aside, the stone represents Buddhist values and teachings. It has never been found (of course), and there has never been any solid evidence of its existence.

9 The Seven-League Boots

The Seven-League Boots are a recurring artifact in numerous European fairy tales, and the boots themselves allowed one to travel seven leagues (roughly five kilometers or three miles) per step. The boots aren’t very well known, and they are featured primarily in the French fairytale Hop-o’-My-Thumb.
In the story, Hop-o’-My-Thumb is a small boy who is extremely intelligent. When his parents abandon him and his brothers, he becomes the (very tiny) man of the house. When an ogre decides to make a meal of the brothers, Hop-o’-My-Thumb steals their magical boots to escape and make his fortune for his family.

8 The Ring Of Gyges

Plenty of us have seen the Lord of the Rings movies and are familiar with the One Ring, the cursed ring that grants invisibility but eventually corrupts the souls of those who wear it. Luckily, mythology has a ring that grants invisibility without the nasty side effects. The Ring of Gyges was a ring from a story told by the famous philosopher Plato. In the story, Gyges is a shepherd who finds the ring after an earthquake reveals a cave near where he herds his flock.
Upon entering the cave, Gyges finds the ring on the finger of a corpse that doesn’t seem human. When he places it upon his finger, he discovers he can become invisible by adjusting it. Gyges then goes to the palace of his local kingdom, woos the wife of the king, then kills him and becomes King of Lydia. So . . . maybe we were wrong about the soul-blackening part.

7 The Hand Of Glory

This is an item you better hope a burglar never gets his hands on. The Hand of Glory was fashioned from a condemned murderer’s hands. A wax candle was affixed to one of the fingers, and the dead man’s hair was used as a wick. It had the power to unlock doors and freeze people in place. Its flame could only be extinguished by the thief who wielded it, and it would have been a vital tool to the criminal trade if it ever existed. In its day, the Hand of Glory was considered to be the product of extremely black magic.

6 Skatert-Samobranka

Let’s say you’re out for a picnic, and you’ve forgotten the food. That’s not an issue, you just need to whip out your Skatert-Samobranka. The Skatert-Samobranka was a magic tablecloth that could produce food when unfurled and cleaned itself up when it was folded again. As with most supernatural items, there were rules. The Skatert-Samobranka was sentient, so it needed to be respected and cared for. If angered, it might have ruined the food, and any rips or holes would cause it to slowly lose its magical properties. That’s one temperamental tablecloth.

5 The Book Of Thoth

The Book of Thoth was a book of ancient magic used by the Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, Thoth. The Book of Thoth was said to contain two spells—one to understand animals and one to understand the mind of the gods. In an ancient Egyptian story, a prince of Egypt found the book after avoiding a series of traps. As punishment for finding the book, the prince’s family was killed, and the prince committed suicide.
Years later, a new prince found the book but was warned by the old prince’s ghost not to take it. He didn’t listen and was promptly convinced by a beautiful woman to humiliate himself and kill his children. However, he discovered that the whole thing was an illusion created by the old prince’s ghost as a warning. He placed the book back into the old prince’s tomb and left.

4 Helmet Of Invisibility

Another Greek legend, the Helmet of Invisibility was a helmet once owned by the hero Perseus that could grant—you guessed it—invisibility. Perseus wore the helmet in his quest to slay Medusa. It prevented her petrifying gaze from affecting him when he went into battle. Perseus returned with Medusa’s head, so his quest went quite well.

3 The Spear Of Destiny

The Spear of Destiny is a sacred relic in the Christian faith. It is said that the spear that pierced Christ’s side was imbued with unique powers. Supposedly, only the owner of the Spear of Destiny could control the world. Many a conspiracy nut will tell you that Hitler, while dabbling in the occult, took the spear for himself and went on to conquer most of Europe. Later, when General Patton arrived in Nuremburg, he took the spear from the city, and Hitler’s reign of terror soon ended.

2 The Argo

Anyone familiar with classical mythology is probably familiar with The Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, the tale of Jason and his team of heroes (the Argonauts), who quested to gain the Golden Fleece in Colchis—so that Jason could claim his throne. The ship itself was said to be under the protection of the goddess Hera and was made from the timber of the forests of Dodona, which held the power of prophecy. When the quest for the Golden Fleece was done, the Argo was placed into the heavens as a constellation.

1 Dragon’s Teeth

Dragons are the quintessential monster of European folklore: giant, fire-breathing lizards that may have been the medieval explanation for dinosaur bones. The Greek legend of Cadmus states that, in the days of yore, Cadmus killed the sacred dragon of the god of war—Ares. Athena, Ares’s sister, told Cadmus to plant the teeth, which grew into a fresh crop of soldiers. He then threw a precious gem in amid the soldiers, who fought each other for it until there were five survivors. These five later went on to found the city of Thebes. To this day, to “sow dragon’s teeth” means to cause something that breeds dispute.

Vlad Vekshtein is an eccentric writer and mythology buff desperately trying to churn out his first novel. He’s quite sure the closest he’ll ever get to a mythological artifact is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He’s always on the lookout for new list ideas, so sound off in the comments!