eerie atmosphere Archives

AppWizard

September 28, 2026

This week in PC games: new Ace Combat, Transport Fever 3, and a System Shock-alike set on a disco space station

The world of video game journalism is thriving, with a variety of new PC game releases showcasing creativity and innovation. Notable new titles include: - Camp Whittlewood: A pixel-art horror RPG featuring cub scouts on a camping adventure without typical horror tropes. - HR: Human Remains: Players navigate Hell as an office clerk managing a to-do list amidst a war between humans and demons. - Yots: A co-op extraction game set in a procedurally generated city reminiscent of the PS1 era and Silent Hill. - Drop Command: Combines cockpit combat with 90s Mechwarrior and 4X gameplay elements. - Nivalis Nights: A cyberpunk restaurant management simulation with lush visuals. - Toem 2: A sequel featuring gentle platforming and photography puzzles. - Transport Fever 3: A detailed simulation game focused on trains. - Tiny Flock: A VR shepherding simulation with whimsical elements. - Radiosol: Players control a mechanical spider in a world of dusty megastructures, utilizing generative AI for multilingual support. - Okko The Exiled: A 2D visual game featuring a small protagonist with a large club. - Songs of Glimmerwick: A witch school RPG combining magic and music. - By God Alone: An expansion for Crusader Kings 3 allowing players to control the Vatican. - Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered: Revives the classic musou experience with enhanced graphics. - RetroSpace: A survival game set aboard a space station drawn into a black hole. - Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve: The latest installment in the aerial combat franchise.

BetaBeacon

August 31, 2026

Bloodborne meets The Legend of Zelda: pixel adventure Tearscape released on Android and iOS

NERDS TAKE OVER studio has recently launched Tearscape, a gothic action RPG, on Android and iOS platforms. The game features pixel graphics reminiscent of classic Game Boy Color games and offers players a two-dimensional top-down adventure in a world inspired by The Legend of Zelda and Metroidvanias, with a dark and eerie atmosphere similar to Bloodborne.

AppWizard

August 20, 2026

Cursed Doll Horror Game Baptiste Hits Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, and PC This Fall

Spanish publisher Firenut Games and co-developer Digital Dreams™ announced the psychological horror game Baptiste, set to launch in fall 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. The announcement was made on August 19, 2026, alongside a gameplay trailer and a free demo available on Steam. The game follows Tom, a teenager dealing with his father's death, who discovers a cursed doll in a mansion that leads to supernatural events. Baptiste features a darkness mechanic that intensifies horror elements based on the protagonist's exposure to darkness. The game requires high-performance hardware, with recommended specs including an Intel i9 processor, 32 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. Baptiste successfully raised €6,118 through a Kickstarter campaign in October 2025. It will support audio in English and Spanish, with interface and subtitle options in 11 languages. A free demo is currently available on Steam, covering the first 30 minutes of gameplay.

AppWizard

August 15, 2026

WoW’s haunted: Players report that their disconnected friends’ characters are starting to play the game on their own

Players of World of Warcraft (WoW) have reported that since the release of the Midnight's 12.1 patch, disconnected characters are exhibiting unexpected behavior by moving and engaging in combat autonomously. A YouTube video shared on the WoW subreddit shows an Evoker character continuing to fight after the player disconnected. Longtime players have expressed discomfort at seeing characters perform actions that contradict typical disconnection cues. Other players have shared similar experiences, leading to speculation that this may be an early version of a disconnect protection feature. WoW has previously used NPC dungeon follower technology, suggesting that Blizzard might have adapted this technology to allow disconnected characters to continue participating in combat. As of now, Blizzard has not commented on this phenomenon.

AppWizard

August 3, 2026

This week in PC games: Beast of Reincarnation, Big Walk, and Marvel Tōkon, plus a round table RPG, some flammable robots, and a flock of lovestruck pigeons

This week features a variety of new PC game releases: 1. Flow of War: A real-time strategy game with an automated economic system focused on defense. 2. Beast of Reincarnation: A post-apocalyptic action RPG where players embody a samurai version of Poison Ivy with a canine companion. 3. Anomaly President: A 2D roguelite combining political strategy with chaotic adventure. 4. Cielle is Not Happy: A turn-based RPG set across dimensions, balancing order and intuition in a magical world. 5. Big Walk: A multiplayer puzzle adventure from the creators of Untitled Goose Game, set in an Australian park. 6. My Fav Chill Streamer Dies a Million Times: A time-rewinding mystery involving a beloved streamer and chatbox comments. 7. Montabi: A creature-collecting roguelike deckbuilder that questions the use of the term "synergy." 8. Pigeon: A Love Story: A game where players can pursue love or engage in pigeon-related humor. 9. Echobreaker: A cyborg speedrunner with a retro aesthetic. 10. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls: A dynamic tag-team fighting game from Arc Systems. 11. Sovereign Tower: An Arthurian management RPG focused on recruiting knights and kingdom prosperity. 12. Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator: A tactics game featuring a walking gun for strategic warfare. 13. Grim Axiom: A top-down adventure-horror game exploring eerie environments. 14. Rogue Eclipse: A visually stunning dogfighter inspired by Arabesque Futurism. 15. Grain Rot: An apocalyptic game where players navigate dungeons filled with robots and flammable companions. In the RPS Treehouse, Mark is interviewing modders and discussing the EA acquisition, James is editing features, and the team is contemplating the potential of Beast of Reincarnation. Julian is on holiday, and there are personal musings about gaming possibilities.

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 15, 2026

Verity Minecraft mod surpasses 4.9 million downloads in under a month as viral horror sensation continues

Verity, a character in Minecraft, gained popularity after a viral video amassed over 20 million views since its release in May 2026. On June 16, PnTMC released the Verity - Bedrock Edition mod on CurseForge, which received 4.9 million downloads in 28 days, allowing players to interact with Verity. The Undertalelover mod, also for Bedrock Edition, has 2.8 million downloads, while VarmiteYT's Java Edition mod has over 800,000 downloads in under two weeks.

AppWizard

July 12, 2026

Console-exclusive Silent Hill game finally gets PC release 14 years later

Aleksey Shevchenko, a Russian developer, has announced an unofficial PC port of Silent Hill Downpour, originally released in 2012 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This port will feature enhanced graphics with resolutions up to 1440p and support for 60 frames per second, along with improved lighting and shadow effects. It will include both controller and keyboard/mouse support, quick-save and quick-load options, and the ability to skip cutscenes. The port will also restore previously cut content, including deleted cutscenes, dialogues, notes, quests, 3D models, weapons, and a teased deleted boss fight. A specific release date has not been provided, but it is expected to launch in autumn. Players will need to own the original game to access the port. The original Silent Hill Downpour received mixed reviews, with criticism of its combat mechanics and technical issues but praise for its character depth and storytelling.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

I’ve played countless Doom engine games, so believe me when I say this one that combines the FPS with JRPG combat might be the coolest one in 30 years

End of Starchild is a free standalone game developed by Em Essex, notable for its unique levels and aesthetic diversity. It features beautifully animated title cards, impactful weaponry, and an exploration-focused gameplay experience with hidden secrets and a challenging super-boss. The game takes approximately 15 hours to complete and is recommended for both Doom fans and newcomers, with adjustable difficulty settings available. Some virus scanners may mistakenly flag the game as containing a trojan, but this has been identified as a false positive.

AppWizard

June 17, 2026

Thanks for the Soup is the most fun I’ve had in a horror game in a long time, and that’s owing to the broccoli

The game "Thanks for the Soup" involves delivering soup from 5 PM to 1 AM to patrons during a lockdown. Players earn money from completed orders, which can be invested in various activities, including farming. The narrator decides to start an organic broccoli farm to support their soup delivery business. The town has an eerie atmosphere, with strange resident behaviors and environmental effects like darkness and fog. During their exploration, the narrator discovers five types of mushrooms, each with unique effects: the Zuzu mushroom affects depth perception, the Tolid mushroom increases speed, and the Folor mushroom distorts surroundings. The effects of the Ulod and Cranim mushrooms are unknown. The narrator's manager warns against entering the kitchen, hinting at a potential secret involving the chefs.