art style Archives

AppWizard

July 22, 2026

The best farm sims and games like Stardew Valley

Curated by Lauren Morton, the exploration of games reminiscent of Stardew Valley highlights several titles. Fields of Mistria, after two years in early access, is set to launch with exceptional character dialogue and storytelling, featuring a '90s anime aesthetic and quality-of-life enhancements. Roots of Pacha offers a stone-age setting with unique features like a musical minigame for taming animals and a tech tree for community innovation, fostering cooperative gameplay. Kynseed blends elements from Fable, Stardew Valley, and Crusader Kings, featuring a dark fairy tale-inspired world and generational gameplay, with ongoing updates enhancing character development and customization. The future of farm simulation games looks promising, with a lineup of upcoming titles inviting players to engage in new experiences.

BetaBeacon

July 21, 2026

DCKO is a New Fighting Game Coming to Android and iOS in 2027

Developer Drop Fake has announced their latest project, DCKO, a free fighting game featuring characters from the DC universe. The game will launch on Android and iOS platforms in 2027 and will include beloved characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. DCKO will offer both PvE missions and real-time PvP matches, as well as online gameplay with leaderboards and ranked ladders. The game aims to provide an accessible experience for all players, with the option to call in a second character for assist moves.

AppWizard

July 20, 2026

New Steam Game is Minecraft Meets Stardew Valley

Glintseeker Island is an upcoming game from Half Soup Labs that combines exploration mechanics similar to Minecraft with pixelated aesthetics inspired by Stardew Valley. The game features relaxed exploration, charming visuals, and engaging gameplay mechanics. It aims to create a captivating world filled with charming characters and activities for players.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

This week’s Epic Games Store free games go spooky with mystery and psychological horror

This week, the Epic Games Store is offering two games for free: Luto, a first-person psychological horror game that explores themes of dreams, secrets, love, loss, and regret, and Echo Generation, a nostalgic adventure game inspired by pop culture references. Luto features a haunting narrative and an unsettling environment, while Echo Generation includes a vibrant voxel art style and engaging combat with button-mashing mini-games. Both games are available from July 16 to July 23 and will remain in players' libraries indefinitely once claimed.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse isn’t technically connected to the Netflix anime, but its cinematography was inspired by the show

Konami has confirmed that its upcoming Castlevania game will not have a direct continuity with the Netflix anime series, but the artistic choices are designed to resonate with fans of the show. Series producer Tsutomu Taniguchi stated that they want to welcome anime fans who have never played the games. Creative director Emmanuel Nouaille mentioned that while there are no specific references to the anime in the game, Belmont's Curse, the art style of the Netflix series served as inspiration. He emphasized the importance of cinematography over specific references. There is uncertainty about the future of the Castlevania series on Netflix, with speculation about a new season based on Symphony of the Night. Taniguchi noted that there is no barrier between the game and the anime, hoping that anime viewers will enjoy the game.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

Two utterly unique and long lost ’90s PC horror classics have been exhumed, and they’re coming to Steam soon

Ecstatica is a series of medieval-themed survival horror games developed by Andrew Spencer and published by Psygnosis, with the first installment released in 1994 and a sequel in 1997. The series is known for its distinctive art style, utilizing an innovative engine that employs ellipsoids instead of traditional polygonal models, creating a soft, rounded appearance. Both games feature tank controls, fixed camera perspectives, and puzzle-solving elements. They are set to be re-released on Steam and GOG later this year.

AppWizard

July 11, 2026

Epic Games Store Makes $50 Worth of PC Games Free

The Epic Games Store is offering two free games from July 9th to July 16th: Tattoo Tycoon and Nova Lands. Tattoo Tycoon, developed by CrazyBunch and released in October 2025, allows players to manage a tattoo parlor, featuring isometric management mechanics and a mini-game for tattoo application, though it has received criticism for clunky controls. It holds a “Mixed” rating on Steam. Nova Lands, developed by Behemutt and launched in June 2023, is a base-building simulation with a retro 2D art style, averaging a score of 79 on Metacritic and also holding a “Mixed” rating on Steam. Players gather resources to automate processes and expand their bases, with simplistic combat mechanics. The next free titles will be Echo Generation: Midnight Edition and Luto, available from July 16th to July 23rd.

AppWizard

July 9, 2026

Help, I can’t decide if Stardew Valley in 3D is amazing or horrifying

A new mod for Stardew Valley, created by kittycatcasey (spacechase0), titled "The Third Dimension," presents a 3D version of the game. The mod showcases a 3D landscape where the modder interacts with characters and the environment, though many entities remain 2D, creating an unsettling atmosphere. The goal is to replace 2D sprites with 3D models to enhance immersion. The mod also explores virtual reality compatibility, which presents challenges. Currently, the mod is not available for public testing.

BetaBeacon

July 8, 2026

‘DAVE THE DIVER’ iOS & Android Pre-registrations Live

Pre-registrations for the mobile port of 'DAVE THE DIVER' are now live on iOS and Android. The game is a casual, single-player adventure RPG that combines deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day with sushi restaurant management at night.

AppWizard

July 6, 2026

What is Paralives? The creative life simulator game that could rival The Sims

Paralives, created by indie designer Alex Massé, launched on Steam in May 2026 as an early access title and sold 250,000 copies within eight hours, achieving a peak concurrent player count of 78,603. The game allows players to create and customize characters called Parafolk, featuring extensive representation and body inclusivity. It offers user-friendly building and decorating tools, enabling flexible item placement and personalization. The art style is a comic-book aesthetic reminiscent of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Paralives was developed independently with community feedback, contrasting with EA's acquisition of The Sims, which raised concerns among players regarding corporate influence and representation. The game is priced at £33.50, with plans for free downloadable content updates.