friendship Archives

AppWizard

April 15, 2026

Dwarf Fortress is coming to Magic: The Gathering and I’m beginning to suspect Wizards of the Coast is targeting me, specifically

Wizards of the Coast announced a collaboration between Magic: The Gathering and Dwarf Fortress as part of the Secret Lair's Back to School superdrop. The Dwarf Fortress x Magic: The Gathering set features unique illustrations, including a trapped dwarf facing a vampiric Ñ and a capital D unleashing dragonfire. One illustration, titled Communal Brewing, depicts dwarves gathering in a dining hall. The card designs utilize ASCII art, reflecting the game's origins. The Secret Lair x Dwarf Fortress: Create New World set will be available for order starting April 27 on the Secret Lair website.

AppWizard

April 14, 2026

How to prepare for Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s City Town DLC

The City Town DLC for Hello Kitty Island Adventure introduces a new character, Usahana, and features familiar characters like Badtz Maru, Tuxedo Sam, Kuromi, Keroppi, and Chococat. Players should aim for at least level 7 friendships with these characters and stock up on Friendship Blossoms and Friendship Bouquets, which are available on specific days of the week. Friendship Blossoms reset the gifting limit for one character, while Bouquets refresh the entire roster of Sanrio friends. Crafting will be important, so players should prepare by gathering materials like Sparks, Mechanisms, rubber, sticks, Cinnabloom, and Pineapple. Gifting Chococat can help acquire Gizmos for crafting and boost friendship levels.

AppWizard

April 1, 2026

Our cozy games of April list is looking so chilled out that there isn’t even a single farm sim on it

The cozy gaming landscape for April features a variety of titles that encourage leisurely gameplay, including hidden object adventures, diorama builders, and emotionally resonant journeys. This month lacks traditional farm and life simulation games, inviting players to unwind without the pressure of deadlines. Notable game releases include: - Hello Kitty Island Adventure: City Town - The second DLC introduces the USAHA*NA character. - Castle Idler - An idle game where players strategize defenses against enemies, allowing for experimentation and idle gameplay. - ShantyTown - A city-building game with a Tetris-like approach, set in a whimsical world. - Outbound - A crafting simulation focused on building an off-the-grid base atop a camper van, emphasizing renewable energy.

AppWizard

March 19, 2026

Crimson Desert is “too much in the best and worst ways,” and that’s exactly why it’s unforgettable

Crimson Desert, developed by Pearl Abyss, is set to release on March 19, 2026, priced at .99, and will be available on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The game offers nearly 100 hours of gameplay and features a vast world with diverse activities, including competitive archery, outlaw tracking, investment banking, and brawling. Players can encounter nearly 100 different creatures, 34 crafting manuals, and 28 factions. Traveling the map can take about four hours on foot, but there are 28 different mounts to enhance exploration. The combat system includes around 30 attack combinations across melee, ranged, and magical options. Performance on Windows PCs is commendable, running smoothly on mid-range and high-end graphics cards, though some features may challenge lower-end systems. The character-swapping mechanic allows players to switch between characters for different missions, but it may feel underdeveloped. The narrative evolves from a tale of vengeance into a more intricate story with engaging set pieces and well-crafted dialogue.

AppWizard

March 15, 2026

2026’s “lesbian knight game,” 1348 Ex Voto, is short on lesbians

Developer Sedleo's game, 1348 Ex Voto, features Aeta, a female knight-errant, and her relationship with Bianca, a castle servant. The game explores themes of grief and loyalty rather than romantic longing, with their bond remaining largely platonic despite discussions about its implications for LGBTQIA+ representation. Aeta's quest involves rescuing Bianca after their home is attacked, set against a historical backdrop where records of female relationships are limited. The gameplay follows a hero's journey format, but the emotional connection between Aeta and Bianca is minimal, with only about 15 minutes of shared screen time over six hours. While the game offers a medieval adventure with rich visuals and commentary, it struggles to compete with other titles in narrative depth. The game has sparked debate about representation and narrative choices in the gaming industry, particularly regarding its portrayal of sapphic relationships.

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 2, 2026

Meta makes changes following a Solon man’s $1 million loss in scheme police say started on Facebook Messenger

A 63-year-old resident in Solon, Ohio, lost over a million dollars to a scammer posing as a cryptocurrency investment guru. The scam began with a friendly outreach on Facebook, which transitioned to WhatsApp for private conversations. Over several months, the victim was convinced to invest in what he thought was a legitimate opportunity. This incident reflects a broader trend, as the FBI reported that Ohioans aged 60 and older lost over a million to fraud in 2024. Meta Platforms is enhancing tools to detect and disrupt fraudulent activities on its platforms, including new warnings for screen sharing requests on WhatsApp. In the first half of 2025, Meta removed eight million accounts suspected of scams and shut down 21,000 pages impersonating legitimate businesses. Warning signs in the Solon case included initial contact from a stranger, a quick shift to cryptocurrency discussions, and unusually high promised returns.

AppWizard

February 11, 2026

The 10 Best Funny Games

Games often feature unintentional humor, such as NPCs delivering lines amidst chaos or characters in absurd costumes. Some games intentionally embrace humor, effectively combining player agency and comedic timing. Promise Mascot Agency is a mascot management simulator with a narrative filled with quirky characters and absurd situations, where players manage a mascot business while navigating organized crime. Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery involves players solving lighthearted mysteries in Cowboy County, featuring humorous scenarios like a haunting sloth and a vandalized sign for an invisible wizard. South Park: The Stick of Truth is an RPG where players engage in LARPing, featuring juvenile humor and absurd combat mechanics, with contributions from creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Octodad: Dadliest Catch allows players to control an octopus pretending to be a human, with humor stemming from its physics-based gameplay and emotional stakes. The Stanley Parable is a meta-narrative game where players make choices in an empty office, exploring themes of choice and consequence through clever writing and humor. West of Loathing is a 2D side-scrolling adventure set in the wild West, filled with jokes and witty dialogue that reward player exploration. Portal 2 features witty dialogue and absurd scenarios, with the character Wheatley providing comedic relief as players solve puzzles. Time Gentlemen, Please! is a point-and-click adventure where players seek to watch a Magnum PI marathon, leading to absurd plot developments. The Secret of Monkey Island follows Guybrush Threepwood, a bumbling pirate, and features humor through insult sword-fighting and pop culture references. Disco Elysium presents a hungover protagonist navigating a chaotic world, blending humor with deeper themes of pathos and tragedy.

AppWizard

January 30, 2026

The magic and majesty of British Minecraft YouTubers

In the early 2010s, British YouTuber Stampylonghead gained popularity among young gamers for his Minecraft series "Stampy’s Lovely World." His videos featured imaginative adventures, whimsical constructions, and a positive atmosphere, fostering a sense of community and creativity. Viewers, including the author, found joy and inspiration in his content, which included interactions with characters like his dog Barnaby and friends IBallisticSquid and Sqaishey Quack. As the author grew older, they drifted away from Stampy's world but recognized the lasting impact of his optimism and creativity on their life. Andy Robinson is a member of the Class of 2027.

AppWizard

January 28, 2026

Minecraft Club builds strong communities-in-common

At Oakestown Intermediate School, the Minecraft Club, led by sixth-grader Nicholas Voiles as mayor, promotes collaborative creativity and community building among students. The club operates under a social behavior contract signed by all members, emphasizing shared responsibility and democratic principles. Teacher Chelsy Darby facilitates the program, which has gained popularity since its establishment last year through Grandville Community Education. Club members meet weekly to construct a virtual city, engage in battles, and participate in challenge builds, each taking on specific roles like banker or sheriff. The club fosters friendship opportunities and enhances problem-solving, strategizing, and coding skills among participants. Members vote on decisions, reinforcing the democratic aspect of the club. Darby highlights the development of interpersonal skills as students collaborate and communicate during gameplay.