crafting mechanics Archives

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

The cozy game launches of June are a really crafty bunch

June features several cozy game launches, including: - Puni the Florist (June 8): A flower shop simulation where players craft bouquets and interact with townsfolk. - Beastro (June 11): An animal-based cooking simulation set in the village of Palo Pori, featuring cooking minigames and a cast of characters. - Witchspire (June 10): A co-op crafting game that allows players to explore a magical open world and engage in resource gathering and base building. - Papa's Mocharia Deluxe (June 2): A strategic barista simulation game. - Solarpunk (June 8): A crafting game focused on renewable energy on a floating sky island. Key events in June include: - Wholesome Direct: A showcase for cozy games on June 6. - Steam Next Fest: Running from June 15 to June 22, featuring demos of various cozy games.

AppWizard

May 30, 2026

Zelda Meets Minecraft Must-Play Cheap RPG Launches Free New Expansion

Fans of The Legend of Zelda can enjoy an open-world sandbox adventure in Everwind, where they build airships and explore the skies. Everwind is currently available on PC, with a future console port anticipated. The game has launched its first major expansion, titled The First Ascent, which is free for existing players. This update includes improved world generation, new treasures, updated locations, additional enemies and bosses, reworked biomes, quality-of-life improvements for crafting, and enhancements to the third-person camera. Bugs have been fixed, and the tutorial has been revamped for new players. Everwind offers a unique RPG and Sandbox Survival experience in first-person perspective, allowing players to build bases on flying islands, gather resources, craft, loot, and battle foes. The game emphasizes exploration, with players ascending into the clouds to discover new islands and face increasingly challenging enemies for valuable treasures.

AppWizard

May 17, 2026

Path of Exile 2 just shattered its biggest barrier to entry, even leapfrogging Diablo 4

Grinding Gear Games is making Path of Exile 2 more accessible with the 0.5 update, titled Return of the Ancients, which introduces significant changes to the game. The update includes enhanced in-game guidance, allowing players to access build guides, prioritize skill gems, and receive tailored tips on item stats directly within the game. This feature aims to reduce the intimidation factor for newcomers and streamline the experience for players creating their own builds. The developers of Path of Building are also planning to update their tool to enhance compatibility with the new in-game integration. Additionally, the update simplifies crafting mechanics by linking specific materials to each mechanic, making planning easier for players. Game Director Jonathan Rogers expressed optimism about the new quests improving endgame accessibility and stated that Grinding Gear Games aims to incorporate functionalities that players need for the 0.5 update, with plans for a 1.0 launch by the end of 2026.

AppWizard

May 2, 2026

Subnautica 2’s early access has chased a campervanning game about starting fires and hacking PCs into an earlier release

Square Glade Games has rescheduled the release of their game Outbound to May 11th, three days earlier than planned, to avoid competition with Subnautica 2, which launches on May 14th. The demo for Outbound will be taken offline on May 8th.

AppWizard

April 12, 2026

This developer squeezed a full Minecraft server onto an ESP32, and it actually works

A developer named angelthebox has created a Minecraft server called Macerun that runs on the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, using Minecraft version 1.16.5 rewritten in C. Key features include the ability for players to join the server, explore the world, place and break blocks, procedural world chunk generation, basic crafting mechanics with 2x2 recipes, in-game chat, and tracking of basic physics, health, and hunger. Changes to blocks are saved to the chip's flash memory. However, the server lacks mobs, 3x3 crafting recipes, and the ability to retain player inventories and positions after exiting. The source code is available on the Macerun GitHub page.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

Minecraft Meets No Man’s Sky In New Sci-Fi RPG You Can Try Free

SpaceCraft is an upcoming space exploration game from Shiro Games, set to launch into Steam Early Access in the second quarter of 2026. The game will allow players to explore a vast galaxy with diverse planets, mine and craft resources, design and build ships, and engage in trade with other factions and players.

AppWizard

February 12, 2026

An hour with Pokopia suggests it’ll might be the best Pokémon spin-off ever – and it’s more Viva Pinata than Minecraft or Animal Crossing

Pokopia is a game that combines elements of Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and Minecraft. Players take on the role of a Ditto transformed into its former owner, focusing on attracting Pokémon by creating suitable environments rather than traditional capture methods. Each Pokémon has specific habitat preferences, and players must cultivate areas like long grass or set up gym-like environments to attract them. As Pokémon join the player's island, they provide abilities that enhance gameplay, such as Bulbasaur teaching Leafage and Squirtle teaching Water Gun. Players also work on revitalizing dilapidated areas of the game world, which may resemble a post-apocalyptic version of the Kanto map. They collect resources to rebuild structures like Pokémon Centers, with each Pokémon's abilities influencing their contributions to the rebuilding process. The gameplay loop encourages players to recruit more Pokémon to unlock skills and items, fostering exploration and discovery. Pokopia includes multiplayer elements, allowing players to collaborate on tasks, such as building bridges to transport Pokémon. The game draws on various influences while maintaining a connection to traditional Pokémon gameplay, promising an innovative experience within the franchise.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

There’s a fantasy swordsmithing sim launching on Steam next week, which is a sentence I’ve been waiting to hear since browsing my dad’s replica sword catalogs in 4th grade

The author grew up in an environment focused on historical reenactment and fantasy lore, influenced by a father who collected period costumes and bladed weaponry. They eagerly anticipate the early access launch of "Bladesong," a fantasy swordsmithing simulator set to debut on Steam on January 22. The game allows players to craft swords with various features, including length, width, thickness, and cross-section, and includes a story mode set in a medieval post-apocalyptic world. The early access version will offer additional engraving options, materials, and blade shaping techniques.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Minecraft Baby Animals Update Details – Minecraft Guide

Minecraft is releasing an update focused on baby farm animals, introducing new baby versions for eight mobs: cows (and mooshrooms), pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ocelots, wolves, and cats. This update includes enhanced graphics and sounds for the baby animals, with all general and biome-specific variants also receiving updates. Players will be able to craft Name Tags using Paper and any Metal Nugget to personalize their animals. Additionally, spawn eggs will now function similarly to the Java Edition, allowing players to generate baby versions of adult mobs.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

The last 5 years have all kicked off with a huge co-op hit on Steam, and this sci-fi survival game from the makers of Green Hell might be 2026’s ticket

StarRupture, developed by Creepy Jar, will enter early access on January 6. It is a sci-fi basebuilder that allows players to create settlements on an alien planet. The game will be priced affordably with a base cost and a 20% launch discount. It features co-op gameplay, base building, and managing supply chains and automated factories. The map includes various exploration opportunities, and a tutorial is provided to help players understand the survival and crafting mechanics.