aesthetic Archives

Winsage

June 13, 2026

On this day: Microsoft’s unreleased Moonraker smartwatch still feels ahead of its time

Microsoft developed an unreleased smartwatch called Moonraker, codenamed LS-50, designed to run on Windows OS with a Modern UI. It was intended to launch alongside the Lumia 930 but was canceled after Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's devices and services division. Prototypes were showcased at Mobile World Congress, but the device never reached consumers. Recent images of the Moonraker were shared by Microsoft design employee Pei-Chi Hsie on Tumblr before being removed.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

PC Game with ‘Papers, Please’ Vibes Is Free for a Limited Time

Not a Customer is an indie game available for free on Itch.io until June 15. It features gameplay similar to Papers, Please, set in a nightmarish retail environment where players act as a cashier facing unsettling NPCs. The game includes survival horror elements, allowing players to use tools like a shotgun for self-defense. Developed by Opv Game Studio, it has low-poly graphics reminiscent of PlayStation games.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

Witchspire is a charming Palworld-esque survival crafting game that replaces the unpaid monster labour with magic and whimsy

Witchspire is a survival crafting game released into early access, where players take on the role of a witch in a whimsical world filled with magical tools and familiars. Players can track down fellow witches, build a base, and engage in tree chopping using wands and spells. Familiars can be captured and serve as combat companions or enhance productivity at the player's base. The game features a fluid combat system with a dodge mechanic and multiple double-jumps, as well as gridless building mechanics. Exploration rewards players with chests, mini-puzzles, and experience points for a skill tree. Some quality-of-life features are still in development, such as viewing crafting recipes and switching consumables during combat. The game is developed by Envar Games.

AppWizard

June 11, 2026

EVE Online’s survival spinoff Frontier is a hardcore space sim you can play on a gamepad that’s unlike anything else out there

EVE Frontier is gaining acceptance from the EVE Online community despite skepticism regarding its relevance amidst the crypto gaming trend. It features an innovative server-side modding system and showcased a combat arena experience at EVE Fanfest, where participants had ten minutes to compete. The gameplay is designed with a slower pace, reminiscent of survival horror games, and takes place in a moody nebula with immersive audio. The game's aesthetic combines cyberpunk elements with ancient motifs, and it introduces both manual aiming and auto-targeting weapon systems, allowing players to choose their combat style. This marks a departure from EVE Online's mechanics, which relied heavily on auto-targeting. A major update, Cycle 6: Sanctuary, is set to launch on June 25.

AppWizard

June 11, 2026

Once again players are right to suspect AI was used in a game, once again a dev apologizes for using AI in their game

1666: Amsterdam, a game led by Patrice Desilets, generated excitement during the Summer Game Fest with a narrative teaser featuring themes of witches and the supernatural. However, it was revealed that some visuals were created using artificial intelligence, leading to scrutiny from the gaming community. The studio, Panache, acknowledged this in a Reddit statement, confirming that some marketing and game assets utilized generative AI and that they are reviewing these assets. They assured players that the Early Access and full game will not include AI-generated assets. This incident highlights a trend in the gaming industry regarding the use of AI in development.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

18 embargoes from Summer Game Fest just lifted, so let’s rank everything I saw in LA

Morgan Park attended a recent gaming showcase featuring various titles with mixed reactions from attendees. Grave Seasons had a demo focused on introducing townsfolk and watering seeds, with a plot twist involving a murderer left unexplored. Resident Evil: Veronica was presented in a Capcom theater segment that included a Q&A with producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, but offered little new information. Join Us combined management sim and third-person shooter mechanics, allowing players to expand a cult's influence while fending off a gang. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 aimed for a Left 4 Dead-style co-op experience, but early impressions noted a lack of excitement in shooting mechanics. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game impressed with its faithful recreation of the Nickelodeon show's aesthetic and attention to detail in character movesets. Gears of War: E-Day showcased visual engagement but revealed little about gameplay evolution, confirming a shift to 4v4 PvP modes. Bad Magpie featured whimsical chaos-driven gameplay, allowing players to disrupt a soccer match among mice. The Wolf Among Us 2 demonstrated smoother animations and an immersive experience through Unreal 5 and motion capture. Spyro: A Realm Beyond hinted at new gameplay mechanics, including an innovative flight system. Blood Message offered a grounded action gameplay experience set in the late Tang dynasty, blending stealth and combat. Stupid Never Dies featured a zombie protagonist who absorbs enemy powers in a roguelite format. Fable highlighted an intricate social sandbox system with various activities, though some interactions felt mechanical. Onimusha: Way of the Sword showcased exceptional combat mechanics, while N+ Infinity Times Two provided an exciting multiplayer platforming experience, particularly in its Tag mode.

BetaBeacon

June 10, 2026

The 19 best games on the Nintendo Switch 2

- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Remastered have Metacritic scores of 95 and 94 respectively. - Hades II has a Metacritic score of 95 and has been praised for exceeding expectations with its gameplay loop and captivating storytelling. - Mina the Hollower, developed by Yacht Club Games, has a Metacritic score of 91 and is a top-down action adventure game inspired by Game Boy Colour classics.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Minecraft Dungeons 2: Expanding Exploration and Co-op Action

Minecraft Dungeons 2 was showcased at a private Xbox event in Los Angeles. The game features an interconnected world for exploration, allowing players to pursue objectives in larger environments. It introduces verticality, enabling players to jump and execute jump attacks. The art style has been refined, with concept art used during loading screens. Multiplayer gameplay supports solo play or teaming up with up to three others, both online and locally. The combat system retains exhilarating action while introducing new items and effects, with no distinct character classes. Players can equip four armor slots and utilize new equipment types like artifacts and talismans. A mini-inventory system has been implemented for quick equipment management. The demo took place in the Deep Dark biome, featuring familiar and new mobs, and included a challenging boss fight that emphasized teamwork. Minecraft Dungeons 2 is set to launch on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Gemini Canvas helped Paris Hilton turn an idea into an app, and she didn’t write a line of code

Paris Hilton has created a custom productivity app named Iconic Ideas using Google’s Gemini Canvas, a platform that enables app creation without traditional coding skills. The app is designed to help manage thoughts associated with her ADHD and features a playful aesthetic with pink hues and sparkly elements. Users can earn "sparkle points" for completing tasks and can generate visual mood boards for various projects. This project highlights the decreasing barriers to app development, emphasizing that effective communication of ideas is becoming more important than coding skills in the creation of personalized applications.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

New HD-2D Final Fantasy Announced For Consoles And PC

Final Fantasy Resonance is the first game in the Final Fantasy series to adopt the HD-2D style. It is a new addition inspired by the story arc of the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, not a direct port. The game features turn-based combat, airships, chocobos, and characters like Cloud Strife and Tidus. It showcases HD pixel art and is set to launch on October 22, 2026, for PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S.