Bones Archives

AppWizard

May 7, 2026

Despite Gothic Remake’s glow-up, it’s still the scrappy eurojank RPG it always was, and that’s fine with me

Gothic Remake revisits the original Gothic game, which established a foundation for future RPGs. Players start as a nameless convict in a penal colony controlled by inmates, facing challenges without weapons or clear direction. The game emphasizes exploration, NPC interaction, and skill development rather than immediate action. The Colony, originally a penal facility, is divided into three factions: the organized Old Camp, the ruthless New Camp, and the eccentric Swamp Camp. Players encounter dangers and must navigate the environment without a minimap, relying on NPC guidance. Combat mechanics reflect the protagonist's initial lack of skill, and the game retains a sense of discovery and immersion characteristic of traditional RPGs.

AppWizard

May 4, 2026

How a ’90s Zelda PC port became a fangame factory, turning one legend into a thousand

Whale falls occur when whales die and their carcasses create nutrient-rich ecosystems that attract various marine life, including the bone-eating snot flower worm. In gaming, ZQuest Classic is a user-friendly game creation tool that allows fans to create their own games, often inspired by the Zelda series. The platform has a supportive community, with a database of custom games categorized by genre. Notable creations include The Deep, a metroidvania quest, and larger projects like Lost Isle and The Hero of Dreams. Developers like Eddy Oliveira have made significant contributions, and the dynamic between lead developers Emily Venezia and Clark is essential for the platform's evolution. They are preparing for the 3.0 release, which will introduce new features to enhance game development.

AppWizard

May 3, 2026

Nearly 40 years after launch, NetHack just got a 5.0.0 release with over 3,000 patch notes

NetHack, an iconic roguelike game first released in 1987, has been added to the Museum of Modern Art alongside other notable titles. As of yesterday, it has been updated to version 5.0.0, which includes 3,100 fixes and changes. The game is still an active open-source project supported by the DevTeam. Players should be aware that old saves and "bones files" will not be compatible with this new version. The main menu of the NetHack website now provides download links for various platforms, including Windows, DOS, and Amiga. The game's GitHub page contains detailed updates, including gameplay notes. Resources like PC Gamer's "NetHack from aaaa to Zruty," a let's play series, are available to assist players in navigating the game.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Denuvo has been cracked in all single-player games it previously protected — 2K Games and Denuvo reportedly retaliate with mandatory 14-day online checks

The skull-and-bones community has declared that there are no games utilizing Denuvo that remain uncracked or bypassed. The MKDev collective and DenuvOwO developed a hypervisor-based bypass (HVB) in late 2025, which intercepts Denuvo's verification checks. The cracker voices38 successfully removed Denuvo from several titles, including Resident Evil: Requiem. Denuvo has since implemented a 14-day mandatory online check for certain games, complicating the HVB method. The latest version of HVB requires users to disable Core Isolation and Driver Signature Enforcement to run games. The community includes notable figures like repacker FitGirl, who has acknowledged the collaborative efforts of DenuvOwO and voices38.

AppWizard

April 25, 2026

I can’t stop winning with this Vampire Crawlers build that basically plays itself

Mortaccio is a skeletal Crawler character in Vampire Crawlers that becomes available after defeating 444 skeletons. He starts with Bone cards and an armor card, which increases the Amount stat when blue cards are played. The strategy involves using armor cards and the Your Shield My Liege Arcana to make Mortaccio invincible. Securing a Spellbinder card at the start of each run is crucial, as it extends Mortaccio's Duration. Playing armor increases Bones, which are free to play, and combining them with Golden Armor enhances defenses. Duplicator cards amplify offensive capabilities, while gems that boost Might, Area, and Amount are essential for upgrading the strategy. The Reverse Combo gem is valuable with Golden Armor for additional damage. For single-target encounters, a card costing two Mana, such as the Holy Wand, is recommended. Accumulating gems like Echo or Copy allows for more Bones each turn, and a Clover card can help find powerful gems. Enhancing hand size with a Bracer and including more blue Armor or Pummarola cards triggers Mortaccio's skill.