building Archives

AppWizard

June 13, 2026

Over the Hill’s Next Fest demo promises a stylized off-roading game for people who actually like to drive

Funselektor's game, Over the Hill, offers a contemplative off-roading experience, differing from its previous titles, Art of Rally and Absolute Drift, which focused on speed and a top-down perspective. The game features a stylized world that emphasizes exploration over speed, allowing players to strategize their routes in a tranquil environment. The demo, available during the Steam Next Fest until June 22, showcases this approach, with an option to accelerate that may lead to unexpected tumbles. A specific release date for the full game has not been announced, but it is anticipated to launch later this year.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

Tracing blueprints in Paralives is so easy it freed me from 25 years of The Sims’ grid-based tyranny

Players of life simulation games have traditionally recreated their real-life homes in virtual worlds, often facing frustration with grid-based building systems. The launch of Paralives offers a gridless design and real-world measurements, allowing for a more authentic building experience. Players can import real-life blueprints and trace them in the game, with a mod that enables uploading a blueprint image onto a customizable rug to guide wall construction. To use this feature, players must download Bunny's Customizable Rug, save a floor plan image, and adjust the rug in Build Mode to match the blueprint's scale. While Paralives allows for accurate translations of blueprints, some scaling issues exist, such as showers being inaccurately represented as occupying 4 square feet, which complicates creating realistic bathroom layouts.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

Xbox Game Pass Updated With 3 New Day One Games

Xbox Game Pass has added three new titles for PC and Xbox Series X as part of its day-one game initiative in 2026. The new games are: 1. Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions - A sci-fi multiplayer adventure developed by System Era Softworks and Devolver Digital, currently in early access. It has a 40% approval rating on Steam but lacks a Metacritic score. 2. Beastro - A cozy adventure game from Timberline Studio where players engage in culinary creativity. It has a 92% approval rating on Steam and no Metacritic score. 3. Frog Sqwad - A multiplayer extraction puzzle platformer developed by Panic Stations, supporting up to eight players. It has a 90% approval rating on Steam and no Metacritic score. Subscribers can enjoy these games at no additional cost and receive a 20% discount on each title. The duration of these games' availability on Xbox Game Pass has not been disclosed.

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

Minecraft Horror Mods That Turn Simple Nights Into Nightmares

In Minecraft, horror mods enhance the gameplay experience by introducing unsettling elements that create tension and fear. Notable horror mods include: - Cave Dweller: Features a creature that breathes heavily as it approaches, causing dread. - The Man From The Fog: A figure that silently observes players, creating suspense. - Weeping Angels: Statues that move only when players are not looking, increasing stress. - Creepypasta Mod: Incorporates characters from Minecraft creepypasta tales, offering unpredictable encounters. - Silent Hill Fog Mod: Reduces visibility with dense fog, enhancing atmospheric horror. These mods are primarily compatible with Forge, and players should check compatibility before installation. Combining multiple horror mods may lead to performance issues. Playing with friends can amplify the experience, but all participants must have the same mods installed. Players should be aware of their comfort levels, as some mods can induce jump scares or prolonged psychological tension.

AppWizard

June 11, 2026

Wash and Polish Rides! Car Wash Simulator Gets a PC Demo

A free demo of Car Wash Simulator is now available on PC, with the full version set to launch in 2026 for PC and later for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is developed by Majestic Twelve and published by Wildlands Interactive and Ultimate Games S.A. It features intricate car-cleaning mechanics, business management, and reputation-building strategies. Players can wash cars, upgrade equipment, and make strategic decisions that affect their reputation. The demo, available on Steam starting June 10, showcases key gameplay mechanics. The game supports multiple languages and is designed for a single player. Minimum system requirements for the demo include Windows 10 64-bit, Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 CPU, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU, and 10 GB of available SSD space.

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.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Choose your chaos

On June 16, the Chaos Cubed game will be released in Minecraft, introducing a new mob and various new blocks for players. A quiz is available for players to explore their potential roles in the upcoming chaos, allowing them to reflect on their building style and how they might use the new blocks.

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.

Winsage

June 10, 2026

Proton releases Proton Drive CLI for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Proton has released a new command-line interface (CLI) for Proton Drive, allowing users to manage encrypted files from a terminal on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The CLI includes features such as authentication via browser, uploading files while skipping existing ones, checking sharing status, and inviting collaborators to shared folders. Future updates will add capabilities for managing photos, sharing files through public links, creating custom albums, and switching between accounts. Installation on macOS and Linux involves downloading a pre-built binary or building from source. The release follows a significant performance upgrade of Proton Drive, which is now three times faster due to a unified Drive SDK that enhances cryptographic task execution and reduces battery drain on mobile devices.