dystopian Archives

AppWizard

May 7, 2025

I pride myself on keeping up with Steam’s under-the-radar gems, but April was packed with enough new games to keep me busy for the rest of 2025

In April 2025, over 100 games launched, with notable titles including Blue Prince and Clair Obscur, the latter receiving significant attention. Clair Obscur was released on April 22nd and has a 94% rating from 39 reviews. Maliki: Poison Of The Past, inspired by a French comic, was released on April 20th. Mythical Concept Starnaut, a narrative-driven game, was released on April 28th with a 97% rating from 45 reviews. Bionic Bay, a stylish platformer, was released on April 17th and has a 90% rating from 264 reviews. Asura The Striker, released on April 23rd, has a 93% rating from 49 reviews. Traveler's Refrain, an action RPG, was released on April 11th with a 92% rating from 26 reviews. Voidborn, a low-fi shooter, was released on April 7th with a 90% rating from 262 reviews. I, Robot, a reimagining of an arcade classic, was released on April 17th and has a 95% rating from 20 reviews. Lab Rat, a dystopian comedy, was released on April 15th with a 97% rating from 188 reviews. Peppered: An Existential Platformer, released on April 7th, has a 95% rating from 266 reviews. Repose, a workplace horror game, was released on April 14th and has a 90% rating from 74 reviews.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

The RoboCop: Rogue City expansion that looks like Dredd will bring more trouble to your PC in July

RoboCop: Rogue City was released in 2023 and is set in a dystopian Detroit. An expansion titled RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is scheduled to launch on July 17, 2024. This expansion is inspired by the 2012 film Dredd and features a narrative where players guide Murphy through an OmniCorp skyscraper controlled by mercenaries. It includes flashback missions to Murphy's earlier days as a cop. New characters, including a scientist named Miranda, will assist Murphy, and the mercenary leader may have connections to Murphy's past. The expansion aims to capture more of the style and satire of the original RoboCop film.

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

Horizon Forbidden West gets rare, hefty discount

The price of Horizon Forbidden West has dropped from £49.99 to £25.99 on CD Keys, marking the lowest price observed in some time. The game is set six months after Horizon Zero Dawn and follows the protagonist, Aloy, as she uncovers the origins of a mysterious plague in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The Complete Edition includes additional content such as the Burning Shores story expansion. This offer is available for players in the UK and is expected to sell out quickly.

AppWizard

March 30, 2025

Get up to 85% off some of the PCs weirdest adventure games, all to benefit ‘humanitarian relief in Ukraine’

Amanita Design is hosting a sale from March 26 to April 2, offering discounts of up to 85% on its entire game catalog, with all proceeds going to humanitarian aid in Ukraine through the organization People in Need. The original Samorost is free, Samorost 2 is priced at £1.28, Samorost 3 at £2.54, and Machinarium at £5. Botanicula, released in 2012, and Creaks, released in 2020, are both available for £5. Amanita's upcoming project, Phonopolis, features a narrative inspired by Karel Čapek and George Orwell. A complete bundle of all games and soundtracks is available for just over £25.

AppWizard

March 17, 2025

Five new Steam games you probably missed (March 17, 2025)

Steam releases approximately a dozen new games daily, making it challenging for gamers to find hidden gems. A selection of engaging PC games currently available includes: - Midnight Murder Club: A job simulator where players act as a doorman in a 1950s dystopia, distinguishing real residents from their doppelgangers. - Outlawed: An urban extraction shooter where three teams of three players dismantle gangs in a crime-ridden city, featuring vehicles, zip lines, and weapon customization. - Aneurism IV: A multiplayer FPS set in a gritty urban dystopia, allowing players to engage in shooting or alternative activities, influencing the city as a Spirit. - Lingo 2: A first-person puzzler focused on geometrical trickery and spatial reasoning, featuring new puzzle mechanics and enhanced exploration through jumping.

AppWizard

March 9, 2025

From Minecraft to Superman and 28 Years Later: 20 movies we can’t wait to see

- Disney's live-action musical fantasy "Snow White," featuring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, is set to release on March 20. - The Latvian animated film "Flow," which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, will also be released on March 20. - A CGI-heavy "Minecraft Movie," featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, is scheduled for April 3. - "Death of a Unicorn," a black comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, will be released on April 10. - "The Correspondent," based on the true story of journalist Peter Greste, will premiere on April 17. - Ryan Coogler's horror film "Sinners," set in the 1930s segregated South, will also be released on April 17. - Marvel's "Thunderbolts," the 36th installment in the franchise, is set for May 1. - The musical biopic "Monsieur Aznavour," featuring Tahar Rahim, will be released on May 8. - "Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning," rumored to be one of the most expensive films ever made, will premiere on May 22. - Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme," featuring a star-studded cast, is set for June 5. - The live-action adaptation of "How To Train Your Dragon" will be released on June 12. - "28 Years Later," a sequel to "28 Days Later," will premiere on June 19. - Pixar's "Elio," about an 11-year-old boy mistaken for Earth's leader, is set for June 19. - "Jurassic World Rebirth," starring Scarlett Johansson, will be released on July 3. - James Gunn's new Superman film, featuring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, is set for July 10. - "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," a retro-futuristic origin story, will premiere on July 24. - Paul Thomas Anderson's untitled project, rumored to be based on a Thomas Pynchon novel, is set for August 7. - "The Bride!" directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, featuring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley, will be released on September 25. - Edgar Wright's remake of "The Running Man" is scheduled for November 6. - The conclusion of "Wicked," titled "Wicked: For Good," featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, will premiere on November 20.

AppWizard

March 7, 2025

Robocop: Rogue City is getting a ‘standalone expansion’ that sounds an awful lot like The Raid

RoboCop: Rogue City was released in 2023 and received a "very positive" rating from over 11,000 user reviews on Steam. A standalone expansion titled RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is set to be released in the summer. The expansion will take place in Old Detroit, featuring the OmniTower and themes of gentrification. It will include new weapons, finishing moves, special missions related to Alex Murphy's past, and intense flashbacks of his life before becoming RoboCop.

AppWizard

March 6, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Little Nightmares, Crying Suns, The Last Game, more

The Discover Samsung sale is currently on its fourth day, featuring notable discounts including over ,500 off the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo washer and dryer. The Galaxy S25 Ultra smartphone has a price reduction of 0, while the Galaxy Z Flip 6 also has ongoing discounts of 0. Additionally, Google Play is offering reduced prices on popular apps such as Little Nightmares, Crying Suns, The Last Game, and Charterstone.

AppWizard

March 6, 2025

A demo for a lost videogame based on George Orwell’s 1984 has emerged from the memory hole

In the mid-1990s, MediaX, a US-based studio, conceptualized a video game titled Big Brother, inspired by George Orwell's 1984. Players would assume the role of Eric Blair, navigating a dystopian landscape with government installations to sabotage, across twelve levels filled with puzzles and challenges. The game was initially unveiled at E3 in 1998, with a planned release in September of that year, but faced delays and was ultimately canceled by 1999 or 2000 due to licensing issues. Despite its cancellation, a video showcasing its gameplay has been preserved by the Internet Archive. The game resembled a first-person adventure similar to Myst, with a graphical style like Quake, and included tasks such as locating tools and manipulating environmental elements. Another adaptation of 1984 is currently in development by the Narrative Designer behind games like Subnautica and Talos Principle.

AppWizard

March 4, 2025

George Orwell’s 1984 as a ‘90s PC game has to be seen to be believed

The 1998 video game project Big Brother, based on George Orwell's 1984, was announced at E3 1998 and aimed to extend the narrative of Orwell's universe. It featured a new protagonist, Eric Blair, who was on a quest to find his missing fiancée, Emma, and was involved in a resistance movement against the Thought Police. Despite initial excitement and a demo, the game never reached full release and fell into obscurity. Recently, a demo of Big Brother has been recovered and made available on the Internet Archive. The game's last preview appeared in the December 1998 issue of Next Generation magazine, and the demo's narrative shifted focus from the missing fiancée to Eric's role in creating a diversion against the Thought Police.