darkness Archives

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

4 idle games I play while working on my PC

Idle games are designed for those working from home, allowing for minimal interaction and automated progress. They provide engaging yet low-maintenance entertainment, often developed by indie creators. Examples include: - Rusty's Retirement: A farm simulation where players set up their farm while automated assistants manage daily tasks. - Cauldron: An idle game featuring turn-based battles and resource gathering from five mini-games for upgrades. - Cast n Chill: A fishing game that allows players to actively fish or switch to an idle mode for automated fishing. - Bao Bao's Cozy Laundromat: Players manage a laundromat for pandas, with a focus timer to maintain productivity while engaging in gameplay. These games offer non-intrusive experiences, allowing players to check in at their convenience without the pressure of failure.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Minecraft Update Adds New Painting and Lava Chicken Music

Minecraft: Java Edition has released update version 1.21.7, introducing a painting titled "Good Boy" by Sarah Boeving and a music disc called "Lava Chicken" obtained by defeating a Baby Zombie riding a Chicken. The Data Pack is upgraded to version 81 and the Resource Pack to version 64. Bug fixes include corrections for rendering errors on Qualcomm graphics devices, such as an incorrect moon display (MC-297748) and map rendering faults (MC-298448). Other fixes address z-plane conflicts for text elements (MC-298681), glyph placement for TrueType Font (MC-298710), graphical glitches in droppers and dispensers (MC-298832), and underwater fog effects (MC-298856). A memory leak in ItemStackRenderState (MC-299071) and startup crashes on AMD graphics setups (MC-298879) have also been resolved. Server stability improvements include preventing crashes when specific mobs ride turtles (MC-299126) and ensuring accurate recording of new DataVersion entries (MC-299110). Texture management during resource reloads has been optimized (MC-298898).

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.7

Minecraft version 1.21.7 has been released, featuring a new 3x3 painting by artist Sarah Boeving and the "Lava Chicken" music disc by Hyper Potions, which drops from defeating a Baby Zombie riding a Chicken (Chicken Jockey). The Data Pack version is now 81, and the Resource Pack version is now 64. Bug fixes include: - MC-280354: Resource pack loading issues - MC-297748: Incorrect moon rendering on Qualcomm graphics - MC-298448: Incorrect filled map rendering on Qualcomm graphics - MC-298681: Text display issues with shadow and see_through tags - MC-298710: Incorrect TTF glyph rendering - MC-298818: Missing good boy in Java Edition - MC-298832: Incorrect breaking particles for droppers and dispensers on Qualcomm graphics - MC-298856: Underwater blindness and darkness fog effects not working - MC-298879: Game crashes on startup with some AMD graphics - MC-298898: TextureAtlas leaks after resource reload - MC-298919: Passing through happy ghast when dismounting - MC-298986: Graphics corruption from reloading a 512x512 resource pack - MC-299017: Invisible text on glowing signs on some graphics - MC-299071: Memory leak in ItemStackRenderState - MC-299110: Force upgrading issues with DataVersion - MC-299126: Server crashes when certain mobs ride a turtle.

AppWizard

June 30, 2025

Xbox confirms brand new games releasing this week – and there’s 18 of them

Xbox is set to release 18 new games from June 30 to July 4 across its consoles and platforms. Game Releases: - 30 June - Mystic Pathways: Crystal Quest (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) - 1 July - Irem Collection Vol. 3 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - No Heroes Here 2 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) - 2 July - Mecha BREAK (Xbox Series X/S, PC) - Arena Renovation (Xbox Series X/S) - Dead of Darkness (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) - Mystic Thief - Elemental Conquest (Xbox Series X/S) - Rally Arcade Classics (Xbox Series X/S) - SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off Extra Krusty Edition (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - 3 July - Music Drive: Chase the Beat (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - 4 July - Aery: Titans of the Future (Xbox Series X/S) - All the Words She Wrote (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - Beat of Life (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - Farm Together 2 (Xbox Series X/S) - Frozen Axe (Xbox Series X/S) - Golf Guys (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) - Hexa Road (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) - Novel Rogue (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)

AppWizard

June 30, 2025

The dev behind one of my favorite recent FPSes is making a ‘horror game about a trainee metro driver trapped in the dampest subway east of anything that matters’ set in a real city that doesn’t actually have a subway

Spytihněv, the creator of the 2023 boomer shooter HROT, has announced a new horror game titled Brno Transit, set in a surreal subway system in Brno, Czechia, which does not have a traditional subway system but introduced an underground rail line in 2022. The game is part of the indie horror trend focusing on mundane and workplace-oriented themes, featuring a narrative-driven psychological horror experience about a trainee metro driver. It includes dark humor elements, such as humorous employee benefits and a mature content warning stating it is "not suitable for youth under the age of 30." Brno Transit is set to launch toward the end of this year and is available for wishlisting on Steam.

AppWizard

June 29, 2025

Xbox Game Pass Just Quietly Added The Most Influential Strategy Series Ever On PC

The divide between console and PC gaming has blurred, with genres crossing platforms. Classic computer games, like those in the Warcraft series, still benefit from mouse and keyboard precision. The Warcraft franchise has significantly influenced the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, with a remastered collection of the trilogy now available for PC players through Game Pass. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans set a new standard for RTS games, introducing intricate missions and online multiplayer. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness solidified the series' status with enhanced AI and user-friendly controls, while also being ported to PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Warcraft III redefined the series by emphasizing hero units and intertwining narratives, leading to the events of World of Warcraft. The remastered versions, including Warcraft III: Reforged, have improved significantly and are accessible through Game Pass, providing a convenient way to experience these influential titles. The Warcraft trilogy is available on PC and included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

Gloomy Eyes, a Tim Burton-esque Cozy Horror Adventure Game, Announced for PC and Consoles

Gloomy Eyes is a cozy horror game developed by Fishing Cactus, featuring two main characters: Gloomy, a gentle zombie boy, and Nena, a playful human girl. The game is set in a dark world where the living and undead are in conflict, and the characters embark on a quest to restore daylight. Players alternate between controlling Gloomy and Nena, solving puzzles that test creativity and problem-solving skills. The game features intricately designed diorama levels and a unique soundtrack. Gloomy Eyes will be released on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch later this year, and is available for wishlisting on Steam.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

Final Destination: Bloodlines, A Minecraft Movie, Love Me, and every new movie to watch this weekend

Polygon has curated a selection of new streaming and video-on-demand releases. - Final Destination: Bloodlines marks the return of the horror franchise after nearly 15 years, directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, and is now available for rent. - A Minecraft Movie, a fantasy comedy directed by Jared Hess, features Jason Momoa and is available on Max. - KPop Demon Hunters, a family musical directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, introduces a K-pop trio as demon hunters and is available on Netflix. - Out Come the Wolves, a horror thriller directed by Adam MacDonald, involves a couples hunting trip gone wrong and is available on Hulu. - The Quiet Ones, an action thriller directed by Frederik Louis Hviid, is based on Denmark's largest heist. - Love Me, a post-apocalyptic romance directed by Sam Zuchero and Andy Zuchero, features Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun and is available on Paramount Plus. - Monty Python and the Holy Grail celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special event, featuring a 24-hour stream on Shout TV and Shout Movies. - Ash, a science fiction horror film directed by Flying Lotus, stars Eiza González and Aaron Paul and is available on Shudder. - Eye for an Eye, a horror film directed by Colin Tilley, follows a teenager facing a vengeful spirit. - Friendship, a black comedy directed by Andrew DeYoung, explores adult relationships through the experiences of two neighbors. - A psychological thriller featuring Willem Dafoe as an art thief trapped in a penthouse unfolds as a darkly humorous reflection on survival.

BetaBeacon

June 19, 2025

Grab these retro classics on Android / iOS for free before Sega takes them down

Sega Forever program, which ported classic console titles to Android and iOS, was shut down in 2023. Sega is removing the last remaining games from the web, but they are currently free with all optional in-app purchases removed. It is recommended to download any games of interest sooner rather than later.

Winsage

June 17, 2025

Microsoft has broken Windows Hello facial recognition — it no longer works in the dark

Windows Hello now requires a color camera in addition to infrared sensors for user sign-ins, which reduces its effectiveness in low-light conditions. This change was made to address a spoofing vulnerability and was implemented after an initial announcement in April. The updated system struggles in dark environments, raising concerns for users with darker skin tones, as low-light conditions can hinder facial recognition. Users can disable the color webcam to revert to using only IR sensors, but this disables video capabilities. Alternatives for sign-in include PIN, password, or fingerprint authentication.