free-to-play Archives

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

New Steam Game Just Released Has a 99% Rating and Is Free

Poco is a point-and-click adventure game released on May 20, developed by Whalefall and Micah Boursier. It has received an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, with 99 percent of 774 user reviews being favorable. The game is free to play and contains no microtransactions or hidden costs. Poco features a whimsical narrative where players help a clown named Poco navigate the Below World and construct a rocket. The gameplay lasts around two hours, and its compatibility with the Steam Deck is currently listed as “Unknown.”

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

What’s driving growth in the Chinese video game industry?

The Chinese game industry has experienced significant growth, with popular titles like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong driving global interest. Black Myth: Wukong sold 10 million copies within a week of its August 2024 launch and won Game of the Year at the 2024 Steam Awards. The single-player game market in China is becoming more sustainable, with a shift in focus due to the success of titles like Black Myth: Wukong. Developers are adapting their strategies, although challenges such as high production costs, competition, and issues related to work culture persist. Local governments are actively supporting game development through licensing, tax breaks, and grants, with initiatives aimed at integrating cultural themes into games. Despite layoffs in the industry, a robust social safety net exists to support affected employees.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Otome Games Celebration PC Sale Starts on Steam

Valve has launched the Otome Games Celebration on Steam, running until May 26, 2025, featuring a selection of paid and free-to-play visual novels from the otome genre. The event includes significant discounts on titles from various publishers, such as Alaris, Bustafellows Season 2, Diffraction, Fate’s Masquerade, and Talents, as well as numerous indie otome games. It also highlights upcoming releases and demos, providing players with a preview of future titles in the genre.

BetaBeacon

May 17, 2025

Tribe Nine service will end on November 27 for iOS, Android, and PC

Tribe Nine, a free-to-play extreme action RPG, will be shut down on November 27 by Akatsuki Games. The game's Chapter 4 will not be released, all scheduled updates and content releases have been canceled, and unreleased characters will not be added. Refunds for purchases made within the app or web store will be issued after the service ends.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Brightika charts $3M expansion into PC and console space

Mobile game publisher Brightika is expanding into PC and console gaming with a commitment of one million dollars to develop new titles. The funding will be allocated over the next 12 to 24 months, focusing on marketing, user acquisition, localization, and community support for indie developers. Brightika plans to offer financial backing, marketing strategies, and operational assistance, including creating demos and trailers for its partners' games. The first PC title from this initiative is Bullet Yeeters, a PvP third-person shooter set to launch in the spring. Brightika will announce the first recipients of its funding during the upcoming Steam Next Fest. Founder Alexander Rodichev highlighted the company's goal to apply its marketing expertise to support developers in the PC and console space.

AppWizard

May 13, 2025

CHARTS: New content brings Destiny 2 back to Steam No.2

Destiny 2 has re-entered the Steam Top Ten, ranking second, following the announcement of new content including two expansions: Edge of Fate in July and Renegades in December. The game surged 83 places in rankings after the launch of the Rite of the Nine on May 6th. Counter-Strike 2 remains the highest-grossing title on Steam. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is in third place, while The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has dropped to seventh. Valve's Steam Deck is fourth, and Doom: The Dark Ages is fifth in pre-orders. Apex Legends climbed to sixth, and Stellaris returned to the Top Ten at eighth due to a sales event. Schedule 1 fell to ninth, and War Thunder is tenth. The Steam Top Ten for the week ending May 13th is as follows: Counter-Strike 2, Destiny 2, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Steam Deck, Doom: The Dark Ages, Apex Legends, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, Stellaris, Schedule 1, War Thunder.

AppWizard

May 13, 2025

Stellar Blade for PC launches June 11 alongside Complete Edition

The PC version of Stellar Blade will be released on Steam on June 11, as announced by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer SHIFT UP. A "Complete Edition" will also be launched on the same date, which includes the base game and additional downloadable content for PlayStation 5 and PC users. The game was originally released for PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024. The PC version will feature enhancements such as AI upscaling, an unlocked frame rate, support for Japanese and Chinese voice-overs, ultrawide display compatibility, DualSense controller integration, a new boss battle, 25 additional costumes, and higher resolution environment textures. The Complete Edition will include the base game, pre-order bonuses (Classic Round Glasses, Ear Armor Earrings, Planet Diving Suit), Complete Edition bonuses (Fluffy Bear Pack drone cosmetics, Planet Diving Suit), and downloadable content (Twin Expansion Pack). Additionally, a CD-key for an outfit in the mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will be included.

AppWizard

May 12, 2025

How to get free games on PlayStation, PC and Xbox

The Epic Games Store offers a free game every week, featuring indie titles and blockbuster games like GTA 5 and Death Stranding. Amazon Prime Gaming provides free games for subscribers, including titles like the Mafia trilogy and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Xbox users can access free games through Amazon Prime Gaming and occasional offers on the Xbox Store, with current availability of Minecraft Legends. Microsoft also provides older titles for free sporadically, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers a vast library of games for a monthly fee. On PlayStation, free games are primarily found through free-to-play titles like Fortnite, with PlayStation Plus offering access to a catalog of games, including The Last of Us Part I and Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

AppWizard

May 10, 2025

Steam Users Can Get 3 Games for Free for a Limited Time

Three Steam titles are being offered for free for a limited time. 1. Asterix & Obelix XXL: Romastered - A remastered action-adventure game from 2003, typically priced at .99, is available for free through Fanatical with a newsletter subscription until May 15 or while supplies last. It has a 78% approval rating from 581 user reviews. 2. Furi Demake – The Chain - This game has been free since November 30, 2023, but will require a purchase starting June 23, with pricing yet to be determined. It has a 92% approval rating from 331 user reviews. 3. The Flayed Man - This narrative-driven horror game has been free since its release on April 17, but will change to a paid model on May 17, with future pricing uncertain. It holds a 90% approval rating from 128 user reviews. Furi Demake – The Chain is verified for play on Steam Deck, while Asterix & Obelix XXL: Romastered is marked as playable. The status of The Flayed Man on the Steam Deck is uncertain.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Mojang’s big Minecraft VR mistake

Mojang has officially discontinued VR support for the Bedrock version of Minecraft on PCs, ending a VR initiative that began in April 2016. The Gear VR version was initially available on devices like the Oculus Go and original Oculus Quest, but support for older games on the Oculus Quest 2 rendered these experiences obsolete. Modders, particularly through the Vivecraft mod, have filled the gap left by Mojang, with QuestCraft being a notable port for Meta Quest headsets. Despite Mojang's claims of lacking resources for VR, the company has over 55 million daily active players and a workforce of more than 600 employees, indicating financial stability. The demographics of the Meta Quest user base suggest a strong potential interest in Minecraft if officially supported. Recent collaborations between Meta and Microsoft hint at potential opportunities for an official Minecraft VR port, yet progress remains stagnant. The QuestCraft Discord server has 80,000 members, indicating significant interest in a VR version of Minecraft, which could attract hundreds of thousands of active users.