character-driven Archives

BetaBeacon

April 9, 2026

Animal Busters: Idle RPG Now Available on iOS and Android

Super Awesome is bringing Animal Busters, an idle RPG game featuring cute animals, monster-bashing, and rewards that accumulate even when not actively playing. The game follows the genre blueprint closely but offers clean art direction and a faster progression system. Animal Busters is free to download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

AppWizard

April 8, 2026

Xbox Game Pass additions for April include Hades 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Xbox is adding several titles to its Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass offerings in April. Key dates and titles include: - April 7: Final Fantasy IV - April 8: DayZ, Endless Legend 2, FBC: Firebreak, Warhammer Vermintide 2 - April 9: Planet Coaster 2 - April 10: Tiny Bookshop - April 13: Football Manager 26, Football Manager 26 Console - April 14: Hades 2, Replaced, The Thaumaturge - April 16: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, EA Sports NHL 26 - April 17: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - April 21: Little Rocket Lab, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato, Vampire Crawlers - April 23: Kiln On April 15, the following titles will be removed from Game Pass: Grand Theft Auto V, Ashen, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery, and Terra Invicta.

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

This week in PC games: a new Hooded Horse city-builder, some PS2-style horror, a school-day RPG and an absolutely tremendous catfish

The atmosphere in gaming is currently lacking excitement due to a lull with no major releases. Notable upcoming games include: - Journey of the Garden Rose: An adventure game featuring a princess battling insects in a low-poly palace. - Frog Holm: A bar-running game that combines cocktail mixing with Tetris mechanics. - No Vacation for an Executioner: An action-horror game with a PS2 style and intricately designed monsters. - Come Again, Chachii?: A game where players help quirky aliens find jobs by deciphering their speech. - Roombattle: A top-down multiplayer game featuring competing vacuums. - Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy: A dungeon-crawling RPG with cheerful characters and perilous elements. - Beast Breaker: A tactical pinball game where players launch a mouse at kaiju. - Nova Roma: An early access city-builder focusing on water management. - Damon and Baby: An action-adventure game featuring a baby and a demon king. - Screamer: A cyberpunk racing game known for its colorful mechanics. - Project Songbird: A game about overcoming writer's block while battling tree monsters. - EverSiege: Untold Ages: An action-strategy game from the creators of Aliens: Dark Descent. Additional activities include capturing images of mushrooms in Rova, constructing a mycelial web in ChloroLink, battling vintage supervillains in Marvel Maximum Collection, searching for a sister in Too Well Hidden, harvesting fuel in Venus in Transit, and transforming clouds into sea creatures in The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish. The Treehouse is working on guides for Crimson Desert, evaluating Slay The Spire 2, assessing hardware, and participating in a preview event.

AppWizard

February 14, 2026

I can’t recognize my favorite League of Legends champions anymore, and I’m sick of it

The author discusses the lack of clarity in champion skins in League of Legends, particularly highlighting the recent Love Confession skin for Riven, which deviates significantly from her established identity. The skin's design lacks the defining features of Riven, such as her rugged femininity and signature markings, leading to community backlash and comparisons to unrelated aesthetics. The author notes a broader trend of champions becoming unrecognizable, raising concerns about Riot's understanding of its characters. This shift reflects a larger identity crisis within the game, as it attempts to attract new fans while straying from its original character-driven appeal. The author expresses disappointment in their changing gaming habits and the game's current direction.

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

Ultrakill is one of Steam’s highest-rated indies, and it’s 93% off in this bundle

Ultrakill is a first-person shooter (FPS) game that combines stylish combat mechanics similar to Devil May Cry with retro aesthetics reminiscent of classic Doom. Players control V1, a machine navigating a post-apocalyptic world where they battle demons for survival. The game features a variety of mechanics, including parrying and executing precise shots, and encourages players to achieve high ranks for replayability. Ultrakill is currently available for under , with a 93% discount, as part of the Decked Out Collection on Humble Bundle, which includes seven games for £10.71. The collection offers each title for less than £2, and all games come as Steam keys.

AppWizard

January 1, 2026

20 Best PC Games of 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, the PC gaming landscape has flourished with a diverse array of titles. Notable games include: 1. INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road - A football RPG with a vibrant anime aesthetic and extensive replayability. 2. Dispatch - A humorous superhero adventure featuring a charming cast and an engaging narrative. 3. Hades 2 - A roguelike action-RPG sequel known for its captivating story and unique art style. 4. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered - An enhanced version of the original game, offering an unforgettable narrative experience. 5. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter - An action-packed JRPG with compelling characters and intricate combat. 6. Absolum - A roguelike game featuring thrilling combat against the Crimson Order. 7. Clair Obscur Expedition - An award-winning game with a beautifully crafted world and character-driven narratives. 8. Hollow Knight: Silksong - A sequel where players explore an expansive world with fresh combat mechanics. 9. Blue Prince - A puzzle game that challenges players with mental puzzles to secure an inheritance. 10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - An RPG sequel with a vast map and engaging quests. 11. ARC Raiders - An extraction shooter known for its community-driven experience. 12. Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Set in feudal Japan, featuring unique characters and stunning environments. 13. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth - An enhanced PC version of the classic narrative with improved gameplay mechanics. 14. Monster Hunter Wilds - An RPG with beautifully designed biomes and thrilling hunts. 15. Lumines Arise - A puzzle game that combines simple mechanics with complex gameplay loops. 16. Battlefield 6 - A visually impressive shooter with refined multiplayer mechanics. 17. The Alters - A creative title allowing players to create alternate versions of themselves. 18. The First Berserker: Khazan - A revenge-driven narrative complemented by stylish combat. 19. Bionic Bay - An atmospheric game that rewards creativity and patience. 20. Jurassic World Evolution 3 - A management game featuring dinosaurs and the return of Jeff Goldblum. The winner of the best PC game in 2025 is Clair Obscur: Expedition, praised for its blend of realism and artistic expression, compelling characters, and immersive soundtrack.

AppWizard

December 26, 2025

Minecraft releases Stranger Things DLC

Minecraft has introduced new downloadable content (DLC) that allows players to explore the world of Hawkins, Indiana, from Stranger Things, featuring characters like Will, Dustin, Mike, and Eleven, each with unique abilities. The DLC includes a Dressing Room feature offering a complimentary Hellfire Club T-shirt. This content is available on the Nintendo Switch worldwide.

AppWizard

December 25, 2025

From sprawling open-world RPGs to ingenious roguelikes, here are the ten best PC games of 2025

In 2025, indie and double-A titles gained prominence in the gaming landscape, overshadowing high-budget blockbusters. Notable games included Clair Obscur, Dispatch, Blue Prince, and Schedule 1. PCGamesN's top ten PC games of 2025 are as follows: 10. Hades 2 - Early access game with extensive content, new bosses, and an expanded narrative. 9. Split Fiction - Co-op game emphasizing friendship and sisterhood with vibrant visuals and clever puzzles. 8. Arc Raiders - Unique extraction shooter with a community-focused gameplay experience. 7. Routine - Single-player survival horror set on a deserted moon station, offering a concise and chilling experience. 6. Battlefield 6 - Multiplayer-focused game known for dynamic gameplay and large-scale battles. 5. Dispatch - Episodic narrative game featuring character-driven storytelling and humor. 4. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 - Open-world game set in 15th-century Bohemia with a focus on realism and exploration. 3. Hollow Knight Silksong - Sequel with refined gameplay and a beautifully crafted world. 2. Blue Prince - Roguelike puzzle game that encourages exploration and problem-solving. 1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Game of the Year with a profound narrative, innovative combat system, and artistic presentation.

AppWizard

December 25, 2025

Twisted Voxel Presents Best Of 2025 PC Games

The team at Twisted Voxel has highlighted five remarkable PC titles of 2025: 5. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Remake - A remake of a classic RPG that enhances visuals and mechanics while maintaining the original's narrative depth. 4. Hades II - A sequel that builds on its predecessor with new combat styles and a darker narrative, featuring the character Melinoe. 3. Silent Hill f - Set in 1960s Japan, this installment evolves the franchise with a focus on psychological trauma and environmental storytelling, along with a modernized combat system. 2. Split Fiction - A cooperative game that features imaginative realms and inventive puzzles, emphasizing teamwork and heartfelt storytelling. 1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The top game of 2025, known for its painterly art style, intricate worldbuilding, and a dynamic turn-based combat system, exploring themes of mortality and purpose.

AppWizard

December 24, 2025

Uh-oh, I think I’m finally all gacha’d out

The author has been involved in gacha games and RNG mechanics for over a decade, starting with mobile games like Love Live! School Idol Festival. They transitioned to various titles, including Genshin Impact, which launched in 2020 and expanded the gacha genre's audience. The author notes the overwhelming number of games from HoYoverse, such as Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, and expresses concern about the sustainability of the market due to the rapid release of new titles and the fear of missing out. They highlight the transient nature of live service games, with many shutting down within a year, leading to doubts about investing time and money in them. Despite these concerns, the author still feels a desire for the excitement of gacha games and their character-driven narratives, suggesting that a reduction in the number of available titles could enhance the gaming experience.