encounters Archives

AppWizard

March 3, 2026

It’s only March, but I’m calling it: Esoteric Ebb is 2026’s best RPG and the first worthy successor to Disco Elysium

A goblin tea shop in Esoteric Ebb was bombed, prompting an investigation into whether it was caused by magic or an explosive device. The investigation coincided with the upcoming inaugural democratic election. The investigator engaged in various activities, including attempting to eat a large amount of apples, persuading a zombie to harm itself, robbing a zombie and others, campaigning for a position as "Wizard-God," resolving a permit dispute, failing at flirting with an angel, befriending a sphinx, discovering a conspiracy through breaking and entering, experiencing an out-of-body moment while climbing a ladder, and facing a harsh critic that led to their demise.

AppWizard

March 3, 2026

Pokémon Pokopia Review: Minecraft and Animal Crossing combine in Pokémon’s best spin-off

Pokémon Pokopia features a storyline centered around Ditto, a Pokémon searching for its lost trainer in a desolate Kanto landscape. The game involves constructing habitats to attract various Pokémon, with gameplay lasting approximately 40 to 50 hours. Players engage in farming, mining, and running shops while interacting with Pokémon. The writing is sharp and filled with references to previous Pokémon games, appealing to both younger and nostalgic players. Technically, it runs at 60 frames per second on the Nintendo Switch 2, with a vibrant pop-art style and a nostalgic soundtrack featuring remixes of classic Kanto themes. The game includes major requests to guide players and introduces time-gated activities to encourage return play. It offers a multiplayer feature for up to four players, fostering community interaction.

AppWizard

March 3, 2026

The Marathon server slam consumed my weekend: 21 hours later, I’ve gone from ‘meh’ to believer

Last year, Embark and Bungie conducted playtests for their extraction shooters, with Bungie's Marathon being their first project outside the Destiny universe in over 15 years. Arc Raiders, developed by Embark, launched as the first mainstream title in the genre, while Marathon faced delays. The author initially felt indifferent towards Marathon but grew enthusiastic after playing for over four days. The game features a PvP experience with looting mechanics, weapon upgrades, and unique gun modifications. Critics compare Marathon to Call of Duty and Apex Legends, but the author finds its pacing more similar to Halo, emphasizing positioning and timing. The game includes movement shooter elements, allowing creative navigation techniques. Weapon designs are visually appealing and feature a variety of modifications. The game's progression system encourages experimentation with builds, and the vendor system aids in resource management. The upcoming full version will include a third map, Outpost, and additional content like the Cryo Archive.

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Why I love Diablo 2, Act 1

Diablo 2's Act 1 features haunting landscapes that evoke nostalgia and adventure, connecting players to the original Diablo through familiar settings like Blood Moor, graveyards, and the monastery. The environments draw inspiration from classic horror films, offering a cinematic quality. Players can explore various points of interest or venture into hidden dungeons. Combat includes diverse enemies such as corrupted rogues and goatmen, with an engaging soundtrack enhancing the experience. Returning to Tristram reveals its destruction, with the blacksmith Griswold transformed into an undead figure. The Catacombs serve as a nod to the first game, filled with rat men and gargoyles, creating an atmosphere of mystery and danger.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

Cara Ellison, senior narrative designer on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 before Paradox switched developers, discusses her love of Troika’s original RPG: ‘Everyone on the team helped really make that maximum goth’

Cara Ellison is a narrative designer whose journey in gaming began with a BBC Micro and the 1987 game Acheton. She has worked as a games journalist for publications like PC Gamer and transitioned into game design, contributing narratives to titles such as Dishonored 2, Void Bastards, God of War: Ragnarok, and Ghost Town. Her latest project is Sleight of Hand, a deckbuilding stealth game inspired by Metal Gear Solid and Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines. She has a fondness for the original Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines, despite its technical challenges, and has logged 103 hours in Kentucky Route Zero. Ellison keeps Sunless Sea installed on both her work and personal computers, appreciating its narrative depth. For her writing, she uses Scrivener, which she utilized for Void Bastards. Her desktop is relatively tidy, featuring a mix of business and leisure icons, with a wallpaper from Vertigo.

AppWizard

February 28, 2026

Is Marathon’s time-to-kill too fast, or am I too Arc Raiders-pilled?

The author completed the original Mass Effect and shifted focus to extraction shooters, particularly Marathon, influenced by experiences in Arc Raiders. During the first 24 hours with Marathon, the author compared it to Arc Raiders, noting the challenging gameplay dynamics, including a fast time-to-kill (TTK) and the importance of teamwork. Initial frustrations with Marathon's pace shifted to appreciation as the author adapted strategies with friends. The game emphasizes sound and teamwork, with a TTK that feels punishing but manageable with squad support. The author reflected on the need for better resource management, expressing concerns about inventory issues and the early loss of loadouts. They suggested that Bungie should streamline gameplay to enhance the PvP experience.

AppWizard

February 28, 2026

Pokémon Pokopia reveals DJ Rotom, cooking mechanic, and Minecraft-like structures

The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon Pokopia, a life simulation game set to launch on March 5, 2026, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game features gameplay elements similar to Minecraft and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including survival mechanics, a hunger system, and cooking with the Greedent Chef Dente. Players will encounter new Pokémon, including Raikou, and can participate in online multiplayer sessions with teams of four, engaging in base-building and exploring dungeons. The game also introduces a new Rotom form that plays music and includes Prop Hunt-like modes.

Winsage

February 26, 2026

PoC Published for Microsoft Windows Flaw That Allows Low-Privileged Users to Force Irrecoverable BSODs

Security researchers have developed a working Proof of Concept (PoC) exploit for a vulnerability in the Windows kernel, identified as CVE-2026-2636, which allows low-privileged users to induce a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), resulting in a Denial of Service. This vulnerability is linked to the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver, specifically the CLFS.sys component, and arises from improper handling of invalid or special elements within CLFS (CWE-159). The PoC demonstrates that a non-administrative user can trigger the bug by executing a crafted ReadFile operation on a handle linked to an opened .blf log file without the expected I/O Request Packet (IRP) flags set. This leads to a critical inconsistency in the driver, causing Windows to invoke the kernel routine KeBugCheckEx, which results in a BSoD. The CVE-2026-2636 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium) and poses a high impact on availability, allowing any authenticated user to crash the host reliably. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability in the September 2025 cumulative update, protecting systems running Windows 11 2024 LTSC and Windows Server 2025 by default. However, older or unpatched builds remain vulnerable. Organizations are advised to verify the deployment of the September 2025 updates, prioritize patching multi-user systems, and monitor for unusual spikes in BSoD events.

AppWizard

February 25, 2026

Hide from Meta’s spyglasses with this new Android app

An innovative Android application called Nearby Glasses, developed by Yves Jeanrenaud from Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, alerts users about nearby smart glasses using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. The app detects manufacturer identifiers associated with smart eyewear, including Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, and notifies users when such glasses are in proximity. However, it may produce false positives due to other Bluetooth devices from the same manufacturer. The app's launch coincides with growing concerns about non-consensual recording, highlighted by incidents like a viral altercation on a New York subway involving smart glasses. Meta has stated that their glasses have an LED light that indicates when recording is occurring, but this indicator can be disabled. Legal experts warn that while video recording in public is generally allowed, collecting biometric data raises privacy concerns, and various state laws may require consent for audio recordings. Recent courtroom incidents have also underscored the contentious nature of wearable technology.

AppWizard

February 25, 2026

This Guy Built One Piece’s Marineford In Minecraft…In Hardcore

A YouTuber named stan616 spent nearly 80 days recreating Marineford from One Piece in Minecraft's Hardcore mode, using over 1,187,773 blocks. Unlike Creative mode, Hardcore mode requires players to mine, harvest, and craft every block, facing threats from aggressive mobs that can lead to complete loss of progress upon death. To aid his project, stan616 used schematics to design blueprints in Creative mode, which were then exported into Hardcore mode. He documented his journey in a 90-minute video, highlighting the risks and challenges he encountered. The completed build is available for purchase on his Patreon for .00.