dystopian Archives

AppWizard

August 11, 2026

Brand new PC bundle gives you 14 games with a short playtime for just $12

PC gamers can purchase the Short Games Showcase Bundle curated by Humble Bundle until August 28, 2026. The bundle includes a standard 14-item collection priced at .00 and a 7-item selection available for .00. Notable games in the bundle include: - Fill Up The Hole: Released on July 17, 2025, with a Steam rating of 90% positive. - Old Man's Journey: Released on May 18, 2017, with a Steam rating of 87% positive. - Teacup: Released on September 23, 2021, with a Steam rating of 96% positive. - A Juggler's Tale: Released on September 29, 2021, with a Steam rating of 93% positive. - Scanner Sombre: Released on April 26, 2017, with a Steam rating of 91% positive. - Astro Prospector: Released on July 14, 2025, with a Steam rating of 92% positive. - A Tiny Sticker Tale: Released on October 4, 2023, with a Steam rating of 97% positive. - Botany Manor: Released on April 9, 2024, with a Steam rating of 94% positive. - Biped: Released on March 26, 2020, with a Steam rating of 85% positive. - Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp: Released on October 23, 2020, with a Steam rating of 97% positive. - Anomaly Agent: Released on January 24, 2024, with a Steam rating of 94% positive. - NanoApostle: Released on September 12, 2024, with a Steam rating of 95% positive. - Knightica: Released on August 21, 2025, with a Steam rating of 74% positive. - The Dark Queen of Mortholme: Released on August 15, 2025, with a Steam rating of 83% positive.

AppWizard

August 5, 2026

Statistically, your PC probably doesn’t come close to the recommended RAM requirement for this third-person shooter’s upcoming playtest

Cinder City is an open-world cinematic third-person shooter set in a dystopian near-future Seoul. The game's Steam page initially listed a requirement of 64GB of RAM, which was later corrected to a minimum of 32GB. A pre-alpha playtest is scheduled for August 14-16, available only to participants in the United States who are at least 16 years old and agree to a non-disclosure agreement. The publisher, NC, has indicated that final system requirements may be adjusted as optimization progresses. Additional playtests will be available in the future for a broader audience.

AppWizard

August 4, 2026

Steam’s Cyberpunk Fest is live with huge discounts on futuristic PC games

Steam has launched Cyberpunk Fest, a themed event lasting seven days, featuring discounts on various cyberpunk games, free demos, and previews of upcoming titles. Key highlights include Cyberpunk 2077, now priced at .99/€17.99/£14.99 with a 70% discount, and the Ultimate Edition at .10/€33.10/£27.58 with a 60% discount. Indie game Katanaut is available for .63/€5.42/£4.63 at a 69% discount, while Peripeteia is priced at .38/€17.93/£15.38 with a 25% discount. Other notable discounts include RoboCop: Rogue City at 90% off, and both Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director's Cut and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided at 85% off. The event runs until August 10.

AppWizard

July 30, 2026

The latest ugly-cool immersive sim is scratching my itch for new Deus Ex

Parkside: Decayed Soul Manipulation, developed by Banana Hardsoft, is set to launch on July 31, with a demo currently available. The game features a raw visual style reminiscent of the PlayStation 1 era and emphasizes gameplay mechanics over graphics. Players assume the role of Alexander, a hacker in a dystopian setting, who becomes entangled with a gang resembling a modern-day Illuminati. The narrative involves eliminating a target as part of a larger scheme, conveyed through symbols and cryptic messages. Players can customize their combat body with various augmentations and earn experience points through exploration and objectives. The game lacks traditional save points, offering Divine Elixirs as one-time-use checkpoints instead. Players can navigate maps with multiple pathways, encouraging exploration. An unexpected encounter with a fallen soldier simplifies a mission, leading to an exhilarating escape in a car.

AppWizard

July 27, 2026

This week in PC games: a battle royale detective game, a broken Y2K metaverse, a laptop tycoon sim, and a new Company of Heroes RTS

- Endacopia: A point-and-click horror game inspired by 90s edutainment software. - Broken Reality 2000: A first-person puzzle-platforming adventure set in a Y2K-themed metaverse. - Plum Road Tea Dream: A semi-autobiographical journey of a queer POC developer through seven distinct graphical worlds. - Moon Crashers: A game where players gather resources to build an escape rocket after crash-landing on the moon. - Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call: A third-person fantasy adventure set in a beleaguered city. - Kinny and the Cosmic Cauldron: A roguelike deckbuilder where players create soups for eldritch clientele. - Dissolution of the Silent Union: A narrative with gloomy anime aesthetics and themes of decay. - Orbital Hell: A hallucinatory score-attacker game battling geometric boglins. - Désorienté: A narrative-driven experience set in a violent world with intestines as currency. - CipherMind: A battle royale detective game for eight players in a concrete labyrinth. - Lunarium: An action-RPG featuring a knight and a floating sorceress. - Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand: A strategic spin-off involving tactical gameplay against waves of enemies. - Joy Malignant: A dice-based RPG set in a city filled with despair. - Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!: A humorous isekai game featuring a truck driver. - Outfield: An exploration of agricultural growth and its implications. - Olga: A cozy adventure game without combat. - Legacy of Sail: A nostalgic real-time naval tactics game. - Culdcept The First: A modern adaptation of a board/card game fusion. - Mistfall Hunter: A PvPvE extraction RPG. - Turnip Mountain: A 2D climbing simulator in a whimsical world. - Signy & Mino: Against All Gods: A side-scrolling RPG featuring a girl and her dog. - Devil's Hand: A card game where players form poker hands on a grid. - Parkside: Decayed Soul Manipulation: A sim shooter set in a dystopian California. - Cloud Sculptor: A 3D puzzle-platformer where players create sculptures for ghosts.

AppWizard

July 12, 2026

Tempest Rising’s elusive third faction will get its own singleplayer campaign as a paid expansion, and you can play the demo right now

Tempest Rising, a successor to the Command & Conquer series, features three factions: the Global Defense Force (GDF), the Tempest Dynasty, and the Veti. The Veti faction, previously AI-controlled, will receive its own campaign in a paid expansion titled The Veti's Wrath, which includes 11 new campaign missions. The Veti are inspired by Ancient Egyptian aesthetics and have unique gameplay mechanics focused on conversion and sacrifice, allowing players to resurrect fallen enemy soldiers as "enlightened" units. A demo is currently available, featuring the first two missions of the Veti campaign. The Veti will be a free multiplayer faction, while single-player gameplay will require a purchase. Tempest Rising is currently available at a 30% discount, retailing for £21, with the promotion ending tomorrow.

AppWizard

July 7, 2026

How do you reconcile your lore-heavy, dark sci-fi MMO with mod tools that might let people get way too goofy? ‘Everything’s canon,’ say the developers of EVE Frontier

EVE Frontier is an early access space survival MMO that features a contrast between its dystopian narrative and a vibrant modding ecosystem. Players inhabit cloned bodies known as "shells," which can be traded, upgraded, or sacrificed, adding strategic layers to gameplay. The origins of these consciousnesses are mysterious, possibly containing remnants of human culture. The game embraces player creativity, with everything created by players considered canon within the universe. The latest cycle of EVE Frontier launched on June 25, introducing fully modular ship building, an enhanced new player experience, a five-day free trial, and innovative gamepad controls.

AppWizard

June 29, 2026

After a 4-year wait, Netflix announces Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is coming this fall

The second season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is set to premiere this fall. The upcoming season will adopt an anthology format, introducing a new ensemble of characters in the world of Night City. The creators plan to explore themes and stories within the Cyberpunk genre.

AppWizard

May 23, 2026

14 years ago we published our Elder Scrolls 6 wishlist, and honestly? It still holds up

The February 2012 "Armchair Designer" column in PC Gamer highlighted ten desired features for Elder Scrolls VI, shortly after Skyrim's release. The game is now projected for a 2026 release. Bethesda has since developed Fallout 4 and Starfield, incorporating new systems like settlement management. Fans hope for a return to Morrowind's flexibility and improved stealth mechanics, influenced by design director Emil Pagliarulo's background. The column proposed exploring Akavir, introducing colonial themes and diverse factions, with a narrative that allows for complex interactions between Tamriel and Akavir's cultures. The vision for TES 6 aims to blend nostalgia with innovative storytelling, enhancing player choices and consequences.

AppWizard

May 18, 2026

The time to replace your current Xbox / PC game with ‘REPLACED’ is now | All sci-fi fans get on deck for this stunning experience.

REPLACED is a 2.5D platformer and side-scroller developed by Sad Cat Studios, set to be released on April 14, 2026. It will be available on Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Game Pass for a price of .99. The game features an AI named R.E.A.C.H. that leaves its host, Warren, trapped in his body, leading to a quest for assistance while evading the Phoenix Corporation in a dystopian setting. The game is noted for its vibrant pixel art, dynamic gameplay mechanics, and a rhythm-based combat system. Players will experience Warren's memories through R.E.A.C.H.'s connection to his body as they uncover secrets of the Phoenix Corporation.