childhood Archives

AppWizard

April 16, 2026

This week’s Epic Games freebie comes from the Blasphemous team, and it’s an underrated strategy gem

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a game known for its chilling narrative and insanity mechanic. The Epic Games Store has introduced a new title called The Stone of Madness, developed by The Game Kitchen, set in an 18th-century Spanish monastery. Players control five distinct prisoners trying to escape while managing stealth and sanity. The game features real-time tactical gameplay, requiring players to navigate two escape plans with continuous time flow. Each character has unique skills, and maintaining sanity is crucial to avoid traumatic outbursts. The Stone of Madness is currently available for free on the Epic Games Store until April 23 at 8 am PST / 11 am EST / 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST.

Winsage

April 15, 2026

Windows Vista: A Beautiful Disaster that Stole My FPS 💻🔥

Windows Vista was released in January 2007 after five years of development, following the long tenure of Windows XP since 2001. Initially, it promised a revolutionary file system, enhanced security, and improved graphics. However, a significant "Development Reset" in 2004 led to a rushed launch with many issues. Vista required a minimum of 2 GB of RAM, significantly more than Windows XP's 512 MB, causing performance problems on older computers. Many games that ran well on XP became unplayable on Vista, and users faced frequent crashes due to driver issues. The User Account Control feature was seen as intrusive and annoying. Ultimately, many users, including the author, reverted to Windows XP due to dissatisfaction with Vista, which was later followed by the more successful Windows 7 in 2009. Despite some relevant features introduced by Vista, it is often viewed as a failure compared to its predecessor.

AppWizard

April 15, 2026

Last Flag, The Capture The Flag Multiplayer Shooter By Night Street Games, Is Now Live On PC

Indie developer Night Street Games has launched its first title, Last Flag, on PC, available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game is a 5v5 capture-the-flag shooter inspired by the 1970s and features gameplay set in an alternate reality with intricately designed maps. Players must capture and hold radar towers to reveal the enemy flag's location. Last Flag is priced at .99, transitioning to this regular price after April 21st, with a support edition available for .99.

AppWizard

April 14, 2026

If you ever need truly private photos on Android, this is the camera app to use

Smartphone manufacturers have focused on improving megapixels and zoom capabilities in camera technology while neglecting user security features. Major camera apps from companies like Google and Samsung lack immediate methods to protect sensitive information at the point of capture. A recent poll indicated that 71% of respondents believe privacy-focused features are necessary in camera apps. SnapSafe is an application designed to enhance privacy by operating without internet permissions, allowing for encrypted image capture, editing, and storage. Users must set a PIN to secure the app, and it includes features like a "Poison Pill" for deleting images with a secondary PIN, decoy photographs for security, and automatic face obfuscation. Despite some shortcomings, such as delays in image capture and limited image management features, SnapSafe is recognized as a leading private camera app for Android, highlighting the demand for privacy-centric technology in photography.

AppWizard

April 14, 2026

Warhammer Classics brings dozens of lost games to Steam, including my blursed childhood favorite

Warhammer 40,000 Fire Warrior is being released on Steam as part of the Warhammer Classics collection, which includes seven new titles: Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat, Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40,000, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate, Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War, Warhammer: Dark Omen, and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Gold Edition. Additionally, 17 re-releases are coming to the platform, including the first two Dawn of War games and Battlefleet Gothic. The developer and publisher, SNEG, has updated these classic games for compatibility with modern systems. The complete roster of returning titles includes Space Hulk, Space Hulk: Ascension, Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach, Talisman: Horus Heresy, Talisman: Origins, Man O' War: Corsair - Warhammer Naval Battles, Warhammer Quest, Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times, Legacy of Dorn: Herald of Oblivion, Warhammer Underworlds - Shadespire Edition, Dawn of War, Dawn of War 2, Chainsaw Warrior, Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of Night, Dark Future: Blood Red States, Space Hulk: Tactics, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition, and Blood Bowl 2: Legendary Edition. The collection is available on Steam with a launch discount until April 20.

AppWizard

April 9, 2026

Viral pirate survival game Windrose has a release date, and it’s very, very soon

Windrose is a "PvE survival adventure" game set in the Age of Piracy, allowing players to embark on solo or cooperative journeys with up to four friends. Players can build bases, recruit NPCs, trade with factions, and engage in challenging combat reminiscent of souls-lite mechanics. The game has gained significant attention, with over 1.5 million wishlists and 850,000 demo players during Steam Next Fest, ranking eighth on Steam's Most Wishlisted chart. Windrose is set to enter early access on April 14. The development team has made improvements based on feedback from over 12,000 surveys and 7,500 reviews, including enhanced multiplayer capabilities and changes to naval combat.

AppWizard

April 5, 2026

Tarn Adams, co-creator of Dwarf Fortress, has over 1,400 hours in Factorio and is currently obsessed with terraforming games: ‘Dwarf Fortress just doesn’t accommodate a full-on sci-fi thing’

Tarn Adams is the co-founder of Bay 12 Games and is best known for co-creating Dwarf Fortress, which was released in 2006 and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. He has recently been playing The Planet Crafter, a terraforming game, and has logged 1,454.5 hours in Factorio, a factory-building simulation. Adams does not have a single game he would never uninstall but frequently plays Caves of Qud. He uses Ableton, a music sequencer, as essential non-gaming software. His desktop is about half full with various folders and .txt files, including a nostalgic folder for BASIC games from the '80s.

AppWizard

March 30, 2026

Xalavier Nelson Jr, director of Space Baby Warlord Trading Simulator, will never uninstall Warframe and would love to see an Outriders 2: ‘I think that game would have been really special’

Xalavier Nelson Jr., founder and creative director of Strange Scaffold, began his gaming journey on consoles and was influenced by watching his father play PC games like Battlefield 2 and Age of Empires. He considers Sid Meier's Pirates! a pivotal game that shaped his perspective on gaming. Currently, he is revisiting Outriders with friends, appreciating its unique storytelling and lamenting the cancellation of its sequel. He has logged the most hours in Worms: Crazy Golf, a childhood favorite shared with his sister. Nelson Jr. vows never to uninstall Warframe due to its continuous evolution and engaging experience. He relies on Audacity for audio editing as a voice actor. His desktop is organized with only essential icons and a few critical text files, and he has a completed game project waiting for release.

AppWizard

March 29, 2026

Street Fighter 6’s new DLC character is into incest, and somehow Capcom is making the whole thing even weirder

Alex, a character from Street Fighter 3: New Generation, returned as the latest DLC fighter for Street Fighter 6 on March 17, introducing a storyline involving an incestuous relationship with his second cousin and adoptive sister, Patricia. Capcom's director, Takayuki Nakayama, acknowledged the controversy on social media, stating that while character backstories remain unchanged, certain text passages will be revised for clarity. Despite efforts to clarify the relationship through a narrative titled A Toast Between Fathers, concerns about the portrayal of Alex and Patricia's bond as romantic have intensified among players. Capcom has faced scrutiny regarding the normalization of this relationship given their familial ties.

AppWizard

March 28, 2026

5 Games To Play This Weekend: PC Stealth Game, Train Sim & More

The gaming community is buzzing with excitement due to a free PC port announcement for Animal Crossing and a deadline for Nintendo gamers to access a new feature on the Switch 2 before it becomes paid. Kate is playing Pokémon Pokopia, investing nearly 50 hours into the game, which she finds meditative. Olly is revisiting Thief: The Dark Project, a classic stealth game from 1998, expressing a desire for a remaster. Sam is enjoying Thomas and Friends: Wonders of Sodor, a nostalgic train simulation game. Rich's weekend gaming includes WWE 2K26 and EA Sports FC 26, with spontaneous choices for other games. Sara is looking forward to Life is Strange: Reunion, which concludes Max and Chloe's story.