Automotive

Wednesday’s Best Deals: Instant Pot, Standing Desk Riser, Reader-Favorite Router, and More


Fill your basket with a new Instant Pot Ultra, a standing desk riser, our readers’ favorite router, and many more of today’s best deals.

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BEST TECH DEALS


SanDisk 200GB MicroSD Card | $63 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

If you need a lot of extra space for your Nintendo Switch, GoPro, or smartphone, SanDisk’s massive 200GB microSD card is back down to $63 on Amazon today. It’s been cheaper a few times in the past, including during a Gold Box deal last week, but this deal is still a few bucks less than usual, if you’re in the market.



Refurb T-Mobile AC1900 Router | $48 | Amazon

While supplies last on Amazon (which probably won’t be long), $48 gets you a refurbished T-Mobile AC1900 router, which is actually just a rebranded version of the $136 ASUS RT-AC68U, which is our readers’ favorite router.

The T-Mobile version has some T-Mobile branding, and uses custom firmware that claims to be optimized for Wi-Fi calling, but under the hood, it’s just a standard (and very popular) Wi-Fi router. You can even flash the firmware and install the original ASUS version, or a third party solution, if you wanted to put in the work. Just check out the customer reviews for ideas.



BeatsX Wireless Headphones | $90 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

While AirPods offer the most seamless headphone experience for iPhone owners, BeatsX are probably a close second, and you can get a pair for an all-time low $90 today on Amazon.

From Gizmodo:

“The Beats X are the third product from Beats (and the fourth from all of Apple) to use the new W1 Bluetooth chipset. This Apple-designed chipset should allow for better battery life. It also makes pairing with an Apple device a total snap—as long as your iPhone runs iOS 10.1 or higher. All I had to do to pair was turn the Beats X and bring them near my phone. A ‘Connect’ button instantly popped up and I was off—music ready to be heard wirelessly.”



2-Pack iClever 4.2A USB Power Receptacle | $16 | Amazon | Promo code WALLPLATE
Photo: Amazon

We’ve seen our fair share of USB power receptacle deals, but this $16 2-pack from iClever is the most affordable deal yet. Half the things you plug in these days probably plug into USB, so it just makes a ton of sense to install these around your house. Just make sure you know what you’re doing. Just use promo code WALLPLATE at checkout to save a few bucks.



Aukey Power Strip | $35 | Amazon | Promo code AUKEYPS5

What dummy created this thing and didn’t name it the Power Tower?

This Aukey charger includes 12 AC outlets and six USB ports, so you can plug in all of the things. Just use code AUKEYPS5 at checkout to get it for $35.



Phone Stand | $6 | Amazon | Promo code 7LM3H6FB
Photo: Amazon

There’s not a whole lot to say here: This phone stand has a nearly perfect review average form almost 7,000 customers, looks great, and is only $6 today with code 7LM3H6FB. Why wouldn’t you put one on your desk?



Anker Soundcore Mini 2 | $30 | Amazon | Promo code SDCORE66
Graphic: Shep McAllister

Anker’s latest Bluetooth speaker is only about half the size of a soda can, but it’s totally submersible, runs for 15 hours on a charge, and can even form a wireless stereo pair if you buy two of them. Not bad for $30 (with promo code SDCORE66).

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I own the original Soundcore Mini, and it’s surprisingly loud for its size. I’ve also found its battery life really is as good as advertised. With its added water resistance though, the Soundcore Mini 2 would make for an ideal shower speaker, or I could see bringing it out to the pool.


Want to stream the NBA playoffs, or the reboot of Trading Spaces? They’re both included in the $35 base package of DIRECTV Now, and so is a free Roku Streaming Stick when you prepay for a month.

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This is similar to the Apple TV promotion (which is still active), except instead of paying for three months in advance, you’ll only have to pay for one. That’s like getting a $15 discount on the normally-$50 Roku Streaming Stick, plus a month of over-the-top cable access.



Crucial MX500 SSD | $115 | Amazon
Photo: Amazon

If you’re still using a computer that doesn’t run off an SSD, fix that today with an all-time low price on this 500GB drive from Crucial. It carries a stellar 4.6 star rating, and you could even turn it into a DIY portable SSD, if you felt so inclined.


Anker Roav Viva | $38 | Amazon | Promo code AKAMVIVA
GIF: Shep McAllister

Love Alexa, and wish you could take her with you on your commute? Anker’s running a $12 discount on their hands-free, Alexa-enabled car charger today with promo code AKAMVIVA.

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You can check out my full impressions here, bu the Roav VIVA from Anker does an admirable job of providing hands-free Alexa access while you’re driving, including turn-by-turn directions, your daily briefing, and even third party Alexa apps like Jeopardy. As befitting an Anker product, it’s also a dual port car charger, albeit an awkwardly designed one.



Anker PowerLine+ Lightning Cable | $10 | Amazon | Promo code ANKERA82

These Anker PowerLine+ Lightning cables are wrapped in nylon, include a pouch to keep them from tangling, and come with an 18 month warranty, all of which are improvements over Apple’s own Lightning cable, and that’s not even accounting for how much nicer they feel to use.

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Oh yeah, and at $10 each, they cost half as much as what you’d pay at the Apple Store for an inferior product. Get them for $10 each with promo code ANKERA82, in the color of your choice.



Anker SoundBuds Slim+ Bluetooth Headphones | $22 | Amazon | Promo code ANKER411
Graphic: Shep McAllister

Our readers voted Anker’s SoundBuds Slims as their favorite affordable Bluetooth headphones, but we may need a recount, as Anker recently released the upgraded SoundBuds Slim+, on sale for just $22 today with promo code ANKER411.

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The biggest change from the original model is the inclusion of AptX encoding, which should improve sound quality with compatible devices. Anker also claims that waterproofing has been improved, though they’re both still rated as IPX5, so any change on that front is likely modest. One thing that hasn’t changed: the seven hour battery, which is excellent for earbuds of this size.


DirecTV Now is one of the better over-the-top cable replacements out there, and with this deal, there’s very little reason not to give it a try.

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For a limited time, if you prepay for three months of the service at $35 per month, you’ll get a 4K Apple TV included for free. That Apple TV costs $179 normally, so you’re basically getting a $74 discount on the box, plus three months of live TV. No brainer.


VPNs have been in the news, and whether you want to get around video geoblocks, circumvent proxy filters, or just keep prying eyes out of your browsing data while using sketchy public Wi-Fi, reader-favorite Private Internet Access has a deal to fit your needs.

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Last month, they offered our readers $10 off two year memberships, but this time around, you get a few more choices, ranging from a quick taste of the service to an extended commitment with additional savings:

These deals are only for our readers, but we aren’t sure how long they’ll be available, so go ahead and sign up while you can.

BEST HOME DEALS


Instant Pot Ultra 6 qt. | $110 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

<Blows into bugle> Attention, everyone. The best Instant Pots you can buy are on sale, if you hurry. You should buy one.

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The Instant Pot Ultra features a completely revamped, dial-based UI that makes fine-tuned adjustments faster and easier than the older models. A new processor allows it to compensate for altitude and carry out completely custom programs, and it also has a few modes you won’t find on the standard Instant Pots, like cake, eggs, and sterilize. For a limited time (probably very limited), the 6 qt. version is on sale for $40 off, bringing it to within $10 of the price of the regular model.

We saw a similar deal on the 3 qt. model yesterday, and it was gone within hours.

If you’re worried that you won’t get a ton of use out of this thing, note that in addition to speedy pressure cooking, this is also our readers’ favorite slow cooker, and one of their favorite rice cookers too. Basically, it’s one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets you can own.


If you aren’t familiar with the concept of a wake-up light, the gist is that the light turns on and gradually brightens for 30 minutes prior to your alarm going off. This sunrise simulation usually won’t wake you up, but it will jog you out of deep sleep and get you ready to wake up, so you don’t feel like garbage for half the morning. I’ve owned one for years now, and I swear by it.

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In addition to the cool, donut-like design, the high end Philips Somneo includes tons of lighting options, built-in white noise, a breathing relaxation mode that you can use when going to sleep at night, a USB charging port for your phone, and a bunch of wake-up sounds. The best feature though? <Music from a heavenly choir rains down from the sky> An eight hour battery backup so a power outage won’t mess up your alarm! Finally! Its price has been falling precipitously over the last few weeks, and it’s now down to $119. Prior to this month, it rarely dropped below $160.



Dr. Meter DM50 Laser Distance Measure | $20 | Amazon | Promo code UJKCMIUZ
Image: Amazon

Update:This deal is back, if you missed it last week. Use promo code UJKCMIUZ

Only luddites use tape measures anymore. This laser distance measurer takes instant distance readings of up to 164′, and includes several built-in area calculation functions, in case you’re a little rusty on your middle school geometry. Use promo code UJKCMIUZ and see the discount at checkout.



4-Pack Philips LED Light Bulbs | $9 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

If you still have any incandescent bulbs in your home that you haven’t already replaced, it’s time to upgrade them to LED. Amazon’s selling a four-pack of frosted 60W equivalents from Philips today for just $9, so stock up, because they’ll pay for themselves.

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If you want to go all out, Philips’ full color Hue smart bulbs are also on sale for $41 each, or about $9 less than usual.


Typically selling for around $45 on Amazon, you can snuggle up with one of these all-season down alternative comforters for $27 or less today, thanks to this Woot sale. The comforters have a solid 4.3 star rating on Amazon and over 1,300 reviews. Plus, you’ll have six color options and sizes ranging from twin to king. This sale will only last through the end of the day or until the products sell out, so if you’re in need of a new comforter, don’t sleep on it.



iMovr 35″ Standing Desk Riser | $236 | Amazon

iMovr 42″ Standing Desk Riser | $300 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

If you want to try a standing desk, but you’re not ready to commit to it for eight hours per day (editor’s note: don’t stand at your desk for eight hours per day), today’s Amazon Gold Box has a couple of deals just for you.

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These 35″ and 42″ risers from iMovr aren’t the cheapest we’ve seen, but they do have a few features that you won’t find on most competing products, including compatibility with monitor arms, a tilting keyboard tray that encourages better wrist positioning, and even an included standing desk mat. Trust me, you’re going to want the standing desk mat.

Today’s prices are both all-time lows, but they’re only available today, and could sell out early.



20-Pack STK Thick Melamine Sponges | $9 | Amazon
Photo: Amazon

You know those “Magic Erasers” that can wipe stains off seemingly any surface? They’re really just melamine sponges with a marketing budget, and you can get 20 off-brand equivalents for just $9 on Amazon. I used these after moving into a new apartment last year, and they made quick work of all of the scuffs I made on the walls.

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We’ve seen packs with more sponges for about the same price, but they usually ship from China, whereas these have Prime shipping, and are even eligible for Subscribe & Save. They’re also twice as thick as most of the inexpensive competitors on Amazon, so they should last longer and be easier to use.



Chocolate Gold Box | Amazon
Graphic: Erica Offutt

Mother’s Day is 11 days away, so if you’re on the hunt for a gift, you’re sure to find your mom’s favorite chocolate in this Amazon sale. They have the fancy Ferrero Rocher,Lindt, and Godiva boxes, the more classic favorites like Reese’s and Hershey’s, and more.

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This deal will only last until the end of the day or until the chocolate sells out, so don’t wait too long.



CamelBak Chute Water Bottle, 1.5 L, Sky Blue | $6 | Amazon
Graphic: Erica Offutt

Gulp down savings on this Camelbak chute water bottle today. It’s just $6, the lowest price ever, and a significant discount from the usual $16. Just note, this is an Add-on item so it’ll only ship for free with a larger order.



This microfiber towel is considered by many detailing aficionados to be the best for drying off your car after you wash it. In fact, I can personally confirm that it’s less a towel and more a towel-shaped sponge. It’s also down to one of the lowest prices Amazon’s ever listed.


Update: Back in stock for $255, if you missed it last week.

If you want a Big Green Egg charcoal grill, but don’t want to cash in your 401(k) to buy one, this Char-Griller alternative is down to $255 on Amazon today, the best price in months.

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The Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker features a 306 square inch cast iron cooking surface (which is most similar to the $829 large Big Green Egg), and traps heat inside a heavily-insulated stainless steel body. For those of you that follow Drew Magary’s culinary adventures, this is the grill he used to become a big bad smokeboy.

Obviously, this isn’t the “real thing,” but the consensus among Amazon reviewers is that it’s at least nearly as good, which sounds like a decent compromise considering it’s less than 1/4 of the price, and comes with a stable cart and folding shelves, both of which you’d need to buy separately with the Egg.



20% off Soylent | Amazon | Must use Subscribe & Save

Grabbing breakfast or lunch with coworkers can be a great way to break up the day, but more often than not you’ll just wallow in your own indecision before ordering a bad $12 sandwich.

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Break the cycle with Soylent, a nutritionally complete meal replacement shake that now comes in a variety of flavors (no, green is not one of them). The 20% discount will apply to your first Subscribe & Save shipment, which you can always cancel after you get your first box.

Prices vary by flavor, but you can get 12 bottles of Vanilla for $26 with this deal, or a 2.3 pound tub of powdered Soylent for the same price.


Magno Ti Mechanical Pencil | $35 | Indiegogo
GIF: Indiegogo

Clicking the button on a mechanical pencil was a fidget toy before fidget toys were even a thing, but it was just made obsolete by the power of magnets.

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The Magno Ti mechanical pencil uses an intuitive magnetic ring to raise and lower the 2mm lead. It’s also constructed from polished or brushed aluminum, and the simplicity of its magnetic mechanism means that it should enjoy a much longer lifespan than the cheap pencils you’d buy at the store.

The Magno Ti already wrapped up an incredibly popular crowdfunding campaign, but you can still order yours from Indiegogo On Demand for $35, compared to £30 (roughly $41) on the company’s website.



20% off Chemical Guys | Amazon
Graphic: Erica Offutt

Chemical Guys make some of the most popular car detailing products on the market, and Amazon’s currently taking 20% off several soaps, waxes, tire and glass cleaners, and more today. They’ve been running coupons on their cleaning products pretty often recently, but today’s sale also includes some of their popular brushes, towels, and sponges.

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Just note that the prices listed on this page don’t include the discount, so you won’t see the deal until checkout.


Bask in the nice spring weather with one of these discounted waterproof blankets. You can take your pick between the pineapple (with code FRLHLDL4), navy plaid (with code J4692ZE4), or green leaves (with code NADVT266), all for $19 or less.



Char-Broil Potato Screws (6-Pack) | $9 | Amazon
Photo: Amazon

It’s almost barbecue season, and you can be ready with a set of Char-Broil potato screws, now marked down $9 for six, within $1 of an all-time low. As you might have guessed from the name, you screw these stainless steel corkscrews into potatoes, and throw them on the grill. The screws make them easier to grab with tongs or gloves, and help transfer grill heat to the inside of the potato, which makes them cook faster.



Heat Resistant Gloves | $8 | Amazon | Promo code DR5MYTKE
Graphic: Shep McAllister

These $8 gloves (with promo code DR5MYTKE) let you grab a hot pan out of the oven, pull meat right off a grill, or even turn logs in an active campfire without getting burned, like some kind of kitchen superhero. We’ve seen silicone barbecue gloves for less than this in the past, but these are rated for much higher temperatures, and should be more flexible as well.



25% off $39+ Orders | ProFlowers | Discount shown at checkout
Graphic: Shep McAllister

Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away, and if you haven’t already ordered flowers, you can save 25% on any $39+ order from ProFlowers today by using our exclusive link.

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This deal should work sitewide, but you can find the most popular Mother’s Day bouquets here. Any bouquets that starts at over $39 shows the discounted price by default, but you can also pick a cheaper option and add a premium vase to get over the $39 threshold, but you won’t see the discounted price until you get to checkout.



2-Pack ReNu Contact Solution | $9 | Amazon | Clip the $5 coupon and use Subscribe & Save

2-Pack Biotrue Contact Solution | $11 | Amazon | Clip the $5 coupon and use Subscribe & Save
Graphic: Shep McAllister

Of all the things you can run out of in your bathroom, contact solution might be the most annoying. You can always squeeze a little more toothpaste out of the tube, but once you find an empty bottle of contact solution, you’re either making a late night run to the pharmacy, or sacrificing a pair of perfectly good contacts.

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Today on Amazon, you can save $5 on a 2-pack of ReNu lens solution, bringing the pack down to $10, or $9 if you use Subscribe & Save. If you prefer Biotrue, that also has a $5 coupon that brings it down to $11, but you’ll have to use Subscribe & Save in that case.



93 Loads Tide Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent | $14 | Amazon | Use Subscribe & Save and $3 coupon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

For a limited time, Amazon will sell you three pouches of Tide HE-compatible Free & Gentle laundry detergent (totaling 144 ounces or 93 loads) for just $14. These pouches are designed basically as refills for plastic Tide bottles, but as long as that doesn’t bother you, this is a fantastic price-per-ounce for any detergent, let alone name brand. Just be sure to clip the $3 coupon on the page and use Amazon Subscribe & Save.

BEST LIFESTYLE DEALS


20% off socks | Backcountry
Graphic: Jillian Lucas

Okay, so socks aren’t the most fun thing to buy, but when it comes to technical materials and form factors, it can be a jungle out there. What style is best for hiking compared to rock climbing? Do you even need socks if you’re fishing? Backcountry’s 20% off sale lets you decide what kinds of socks you need from brands like Smartwool, Darn Tough, Pendleton and more.


Save up to 30% on UV Nail Curing Lamps | Amazon
Graphic: Jillian Lucas

Gel manicures are A Thing right now, but paying for one (especially if you’ve already mastered the art of painting your nails) seems redundant. Amazon is having a one-day sale on a bunch of different nail dryers. And with a 4.3 average rating with over 1,200 reviews on a few of them, this may be your best time-and-money-saving investment yet.


If you want to take better care of your teeth, buying a Philips Sonicare 2 Series toothbrush for $30 would be a great start.

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We sometimes see the Sonicare Essence available for $20 (in fact, it is right now), but for $10 more, the 2 Series includes a slimmer design, compatibility with multiple brush head styles, and a smaller charger that’s easier to pack in a suitcase.



May the Fourth Sale | ThinkGeek
Graphic: Jillian Lucas

May the Fourth isn’t actually here for another couple of days, but ThinkGeek is cashing in on the impending Star Wars frenzy. They’re taking up to 80% off four pages worth of merchandise. Everything from t-shirts and socks to animatronic Porgs. There’s even a freakin’ R2-D2 french press.


BEST MEDIA DEALS


Amazon Prime Gift Membership | $99 | Amazon
Graphic: Shep McAllister

Try not to panic, but Amazon is raising the price of Prime for the first time in four years, from $99 per year to $119. The change goes into effect on May 11 for new members, and June 16 for renewing members. This is obviously disappointing, if not surprising given all the benefits Amazon’s added since 2014. But if your renewal date is after June 16, there is (probably) a way to get another year at the old price.

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The trick is to buy an Amazon Prime gift subscription now, and then redeem it on your account once it comes time to renew. The fine print on gift memberships says that redeeming them with an existing Prime account will net a gift card for the amount you paid, rather than an additional year of Prime, so you’ll need to remember to cancel your membership before you redeem the gift. Luckily, if you go into your account settings, there’s an option to receive a reminder three days before your account is set to auto-renew.


Let me be clear, while this trick worked the last time Amazon raised the price of Prime, it’s entirely possible it won’t this time. Amazon would be in its rights to not allow people to redeem $99 Prime gift memberships after the price goes up. But I feel pretty confident that, in the worst case scenario, they’d at least give you a gift card for whatever you paid, so you wouldn’t really be out any money. It’s a small risk, but could be worth it to save $20.



HBO Add-On Access | $5/month for six months | Hulu
Graphic: Hulu

With exclusive shows like Westworld and access tons of movies, including several recent hits, $15 per month is honestly not a lot to ask for HBO, which is what you normally pay when subscribing to HBO Now. But for a limited time, you can add the same library of HBO content to your Hulu membership for just $5 per month for the first six months.

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Note: To find the deal, just click the Add-Ons button on the top of the page once you sign into your account.

To get the deal, you’ll need to be a paid Hulu subscriber (plans start at just $8 per month), and it’s not valid for anyone that added HBO to their membership in the past. It’ll also automatically renew at the standard $15 rate after six months, so keep that in mind. But otherwise, there really aren’t a ton of strings attached here: six months of HBO for $30 is a crazy-good deal.

BEST GAMING DEALS


Forza Horizon 2 | $25 | Amazon
Screenshot: Jalopnik

With over 200 cars and a wide open Italian countryside to explore, Forza Horizon 2 lets you live out your wildest car fantasies, and it’s down to just $25 on Amazon today.



Sea of Thieves | $44 | Amazon
Screenshot: Amazon

If the pirate’s life is for you, Sea of Thieves is down to $44 on Amazon, the lowest price we’ve seen so far. Just make sure you have some other sailors in your squad, because it’s not much fun playing by yourself.



$100 Xbox Live Gift Card | $85 | Rakuten | Promo code SAVE15

Whether you prefer to buy your Xbox games digitally, or just occasionally need to buy DLC, it’s worth adding $100 to your Xbox Live wallet for just $85. Just be sure to log in to Rakuten account and use promo code SAVE15 at checkout to get the deal.



Humble May the Fourth Sale | Humble
Screenshot: Humble

May the 4th is upon us, and Humble’s celebrating with a galaxy-sized sale on Star Wars PC games. Save big on the likes of KOTOR, LEGO Star Wars, and The Force Unleashed, with an extra 10% off at checkout for Humble Monthly subscribers.

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Have any favorites included in (or missing from) the sale? Drop them in the comments.



Preorder Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | $48 | Amazon
Screenshot: Amazon

The brutal and beautiful Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is out on Switch this Friday, which means Prime members only have a few days left to preorder and save 20%. That’s still too costly for a port of a four year old game, but hey, it’s Nintendo, we’ll take the discounts when we can get them.



Humble CRYENGINE Bundle | Humble
Screenshot: Humble

Humble’s run bundles in the past with tools for game developers, but the new CRYENGINE bundle is worth checking out, even if you’ve never seen a line of code in your life.

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In addition to training videos and CRYENGINE assets, the bundle includes a bunch of games that were made with the engine, including a couple of games from the Sniper series, and Homefront: The Revolution. As always, you can name your own price, but you’ll need to pledge $15 to get access to everything.

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