Escape Archives

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

It’s my duty as a child of the early 2000s to let you know a Beyblade-inspired roguelike was released on Steam last month

From the Top is a top-battling roguelike game that was released on Steam last month. Players select battle tops and navigate a path similar to Slay the Spire, engaging in battles against enemy tops. Each top consists of three components that affect movement, collision force, and spin stamina, and features an active ability for dynamic combat. Players can discover unique combinations, such as a top that generates clones or one that can become intangible. The game includes various enemy types and challenging bosses with unique abilities. It is priced modestly and aims to evoke nostalgia for the Beyblade craze of the early 2000s, offering a safe alternative to physical Beyblade battles.

AppWizard

January 12, 2026

This week in PC games: Hytale, Quarantine Zone, a weird Batman sim, and a fresh batch of RPGs and shooters

The Maw can manifest in various forms, including a blinking cursor or unreturned messages. New PC game releases include: - Big Hops: A 3D platformer featuring a frog with jumping and tongue skills. - Confidential Killings: A detective game that could use a more imaginative name. - Quarantine Zone: The Last Check: Players act as a border guard during a zombie apocalypse, exploring moral dilemmas. - Hytale: A sandbox building RPG now in early access, developed by Hypixel Studios. - Hank: Drowning on Dry Land: A whimsical narrative game featuring a drunken, time-traveling character. - Cassette Boy: An action RPG puzzler with retro visuals and themes of object permanence. - Streetdog BMX: A game with children performing stunts on bicycles across colorful maps. - The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon: The thirteenth installment in an RPG series. - Tabulo: A roguelite chess game. - Craftlings: A blend of Lemmings and colony-building elements. - The Fortress: A first-person turn-based dungeon-crawling RPG. - NEUROXUS: A fast-paced mech shooter with a neon aesthetic. - Moving Simulator: A game reflecting the moving experience. - Lunar Ascendant: Players become the first mayor of the Moon, navigating social media and factions. James and Julian will attend preview events, while Mark and Ollie are excited about Hytale's launch. A review for Pathologic 3 is being crafted.

Winsage

January 12, 2026

2026 Shift: Professionals Ditch Windows 11 for Linux’s Speed and Savings

Professionals are increasingly moving away from Windows 11 to various Linux distributions due to dissatisfaction with performance issues and intrusive features in Windows. A 2025 analysis showed Linux distributions outperforming Windows by an average of 19.5% in everyday tasks. Performance tests indicated that SteamOS, a Linux-based platform, often matched or exceeded Windows 11 in gaming performance. Linux's lightweight nature and superior system administration tools appeal to those managing servers and virtual environments. Security concerns regarding Windows 11, including privacy issues and forced updates, have led users to prefer Linux's open-source model, which allows for greater transparency and customization. Economic factors also play a role, as Linux is free and open-source, eliminating licensing fees associated with Windows 11. User-friendly distributions like Linux Mint facilitate the transition for new users, and community support helps address common challenges. Large organizations are increasingly adopting Linux for its stability and responsiveness, while the Linux community fosters rapid improvements and adaptability. User feedback highlights privacy, performance, and customizability as key benefits of switching to Linux.

AppWizard

January 12, 2026

Is Minecraft colonial?

In a Minecraft world, approximately 50 villagers are confined in a basement, contrasting with the idyllic town above. Players manage villagers by using fishing rods to guide them into trading halls, where they can be traded with for resources. The game, launched in 2009 by Mojang Studios, allows players to explore and build in an open-world environment. The construction of villager trading halls reflects themes of exploitation, likened to chattel slavery, as players seek enchantments through trading. Critics note that the game's mechanics mirror colonial ideologies and contemporary global supply chains. Techniques like update suppression enhance farming efficiency, suggesting a deeper layer of exploitation in gameplay. The villager trading hall serves as a processing puzzle, emphasizing the functional role of villagers rather than their individuality. The game encourages innovation and manipulation of reality within its grid-based structure, reflecting broader societal trends in technology and information.

AppWizard

January 10, 2026

Luto is an underappreciated 2025 horror gem with the perfect mixture of Stanley Parable narration and P.T. ambience

Luto is a first-person psychological horror game that explores grief and existential dread through the character Sam, who is trapped in a cycle of time and memory. The game lasts approximately five to six hours and features unsettling environments that reflect Sam's internal struggles. Unlike other horror games, Luto builds tension through environmental storytelling and an oppressive atmosphere. Players navigate a disorienting loop of time, encountering ghostly mannequins and an omnipresent narrator that challenges their perceptions. The game encourages introspection and blurs the lines between reality and illusion, creating a complex narrative that prompts players to confront uncomfortable truths about grief and memory. Luto is available on Steam.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Minecraft has redesigned its baby mobs to be even cuter, and I need you to stop and look at them because they’re just too precious

Minecraft is introducing a new update that adds eight baby animals to the game, enhancing the farming experience. The new baby animals include rabbits, wolf pups, kittens, calves, piglets, chickens, ocelots, and lambs, each designed to reflect their infancy more accurately than previous scaled-down models. The update features unique sounds for each baby animal to enhance immersion. Players can access these updates through the snapshot functionality and the Bedrock beta/preview. Additionally, Microsoft is planning a Minecraft spinoff in collaboration with Activision Blizzard.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Ubisoft says The Division 3 is “a monster” and believes it can have “as big an impact” as the first game

Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment are developing a third installment in The Division series, referred to as The Division 3, which executive producer Julian Gerighty describes as "shaping up to be a monster." The Division 2 continues to offer a rich looter-shooter experience with extensive PvE content and PvP Dark Zones. An upcoming expansion for The Division 2, titled Survivors, will reintroduce the extraction experience with a new twist, although a release date is not confirmed. Gerighty has indicated that The Division 3 will maintain the series' core elements, including online co-op gameplay and RPG mechanics. The franchise's tenth anniversary next year may provide an opportunity for early reveals of both The Division 3 and the Survivors DLC. An exclusive preview event for community members is scheduled for February at Massive HQ in Sweden. Further insights into The Division franchise are expected in 2026.

AppWizard

January 8, 2026

Game Pass Adds All These Games In January 2026

This month, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can look forward to new games including Brews & Bastards, Mio: Memories in Orbit, and a My Little Pony game. Players can also revisit Resident Evil Village in anticipation of Resident Evil Requiem's release next month, and enjoy Star Wars Outlaws. However, titles such as Neon White, Road 96, and The Ascent will be removed from the Game Pass library on January 15.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

Escape from Tarkov changes its ending after requests to make it easier, but does the exact opposite

Escape From Tarkov 1.0 was launched late last year, introducing multiple endings and allowing players to escape the city of Tarkov after completing missions. The Terminal mission can be played solo or with a squad of up to five players, but only one to three players can extract at the end due to limited seating on the extraction boat. Streamer Velion requested that all squad members be allowed to extract simultaneously, and Battlestate's chief, Nikita Buyanov, initially indicated that this change had been made. However, streamer Pestily noted that the situation had not improved, as only one player could extract even with a full squad. This has led to confusion and frustration among players regarding the developers' communication and adjustments.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

Grab Dead Island 2, this underrated Fear-style FPS, and six other games for under $2 each

The latest Carnage Collection from Humble Bundle features eight titles priced under , including Dead Island 2 and Trepang2, available at lower prices than during recent Steam sales. Dead Island 2 is set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles where players fight zombies, while Trepang2 combines horror elements with first-person shooter gameplay. Other titles in the collection include Hellboy Web of Wyrd, Maneater, Laika: Aged through Blood, Warstride Challenges, Easy Red 2, and Death in the Water 2. The entire collection is valued at 4.73 but is offered for just .50, representing a significant discount.