game design Archives

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Nintendo reportedly gets even more obnoxious about patent law by taking a ‘mods aren’t real games’ stance against a Dark Souls 3 mod that could invalidate its Palworld lawsuit

Nintendo initiated a patent lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, and has intensified its focus on intellectual property enforcement. Pocketpair's defense strategy involves challenging Nintendo's patent claims by referencing prior art found in mods, which could potentially invalidate Nintendo's patent. However, Nintendo argues that mods do not qualify as prior art because they are not considered "real games." Under Japanese patent law, prior art includes inventions that are publicly known or worked prior to the patent application. Nintendo has a history of legal actions against modders, including issuing DMCA notices that resulted in the removal of content and the shutdown of multiplayer modding projects.

AppWizard

September 18, 2025

Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford continues to crash out over Borderlands 4 as fans compare the new game’s PC performance to Battlefield 6 and Cyberpunk 2077: “Would you like help tuning?”

Gearbox Software's Borderlands 4 broke series records within 24 hours of its launch but faced performance issues reported by PC players. Co-founder Randy Pitchford stated that "less than one percent of one percent" of PC users reported valid performance issues and suggested dissatisfied players seek refunds. He dismissed comparisons with other titles like Battlefield 6 and Cyberpunk 2077, emphasizing different design priorities and inviting players to seek help in optimizing their gaming experience. Despite mixed community reactions to his responses, early reviews praised Borderlands 4 as an excellent looter shooter.

AppWizard

September 16, 2025

Palworld will offer a sneak peek at “massive” v1.0 update in the “very near future”

Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, has over two million players and is transitioning out of early access with version 1.0 set to release in 2026. The developers plan to roll out updates leading up to the official release and are committed to addressing the game's imperfections. A winter update in 2025 will be less extensive than the previous year, but fans can expect surprises and sneak peeks at version 1.0. Early access is currently available for purchase, and discussions about desired changes for the full release are ongoing in the official Discord server.

AppWizard

September 13, 2025

The only good Postal game is a spinoff expressionist boomer shooter that takes place entirely in the protagonist’s depraved mind

Postal: Brain Damaged, a spinoff of the Postal series released in 2022, was developed by the Polish indie team Hyperstrange instead of the original creators, Running with Scissors. The game features a vibrant art style and allows players to explore the chaotic mind of the Postal Dude through imaginative levels. The opening level is set in a twisted version of suburbia, populated by eccentric NPCs and introducing innovative combat mechanics. As players progress, they encounter a variety of weapons, including a lightning gun and a nailgun that creates time-freezing bubbles. The game maintains the series' signature crude humor, which may not appeal to all players, and features the Postal Dude, whose quips are often uninspired. Despite its controversial heritage, Postal: Brain Damaged is recognized for its unique gameplay and design.

AppWizard

September 13, 2025

A Silksong gumshoe meticulously pixel counted both games to directly compare the size of their worlds, and Pharloom looks twice as big as Hallownest

Reddit user Karmyuh is conducting a study on the size comparison between the worlds of Pharloom and Hallownest in the game Silksong, focusing on the character Hornet. Karmyuh found that Hornet occupies the same amount of screen space in both games, allowing for a one-to-one comparison of corridor heights. Additionally, dataminer Zullie the Witch discovered that Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring share a similar scale, despite differences in detail, which has inspired fan discussions about potential scenarios involving characters from both games.

AppWizard

September 9, 2025

I spent all weekend playing Hollow Knight Silksong and I’m totally enthralled, but nothing could completely live up to the hype after so many years

The author has played Silksong for about 15 hours over four days and has observed that many players have advanced further in the game. They appreciate the faster pace and aggressive combat of Silksong compared to Hollow Knight, noting that it features a larger world with distinct themes and multiple exploration paths. The game rewards creative problem-solving, and players encounter various unexpected interactions. Boss battles require observation and learning of attack patterns, with some moments of intense challenge. The game is praised for its attention to detail, including sound design and environmental elements. However, there are minor grievances, such as tedious sidequests and repetitive enemy encounters that disrupt exploration. The author acknowledges that Silksong meets high expectations but is more of an evolution than a revolution in the genre.

AppWizard

September 8, 2025

How Diablo’s “visceral combat” inspired Monkey Island creator to go darker with new roguelike RPG

Ron Gilbert, known for the Monkey Island series, has announced a new project titled Death by Scrolling, which is a roguelike RPG set in a purgatory environment. Players navigate a vertically scrolling landscape, battling enemies like skeletons and snowmen while avoiding the Grim Reaper and collecting gold. Gilbert aims to combine exploration and storytelling with fast-paced combat in this new genre, expressing excitement about the creative challenges it presents. He also continues to consider new ideas for adventure games, including a design for Thimbleweed Park 2. Death by Scrolling does not have an official release date yet.

AppWizard

September 3, 2025

Planetary Minecraft-inspired demo uses a spherical planet — game has the same blocky mechanics, but converts flat earth surface into a sphere

Bowerbyte has introduced Blocky Planet, a tech demo that transforms the flat worlds of Minecraft into a spherical experience. This project is available for download on PC or can be played in a web browser. Adapting the flat terrain into a spherical model involves filtering blocks based on their proximity to a central point, which presents challenges related to gravity. Players may face difficulties with upward building or downward digging due to the absence of proper gravitational mechanics. A demonstration video of Blocky Planet is available on YouTube.

AppWizard

August 30, 2025

The 10 best games of all time on PC

Video games have evolved significantly, with the personal computer playing a crucial role in the industry's growth. PC gaming is appreciated for its flexibility, diverse hardware configurations, extensive modability, and nearly 40 years of backwards compatibility. A selection of the best PC games based on Metacritic scores includes: - Disco Elysium: Score 97/100, known for its narrative design and player choices. - Half-Life 2: Score 96/100, celebrated for its innovative physics and storytelling. - Grand Theft Auto 5: Score 96/100, features a compelling single-player narrative and a vast online world. - Baldur's Gate 3: Score 96/100, recognized as a masterclass in role-playing games with community-driven updates. - BioShock: Score 96/100, blends first-person shooting with action-adventure elements and a strong morality system. - Persona 5 Royal: Score 95/100, balances dungeon exploration with a social life in a turn-based RPG format. - Portal 2: Score 95/100, known for its innovative puzzle design and engaging narrative. - The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim: Score 94/100, offers vast replayability and extensive modding options. - Mass Effect 2: Score 94/100, noted for its impactful storytelling and memorable ending. - Sid Meier's Civilization 2: Score 94/100, a classic strategy game that remains popular despite its limited availability on modern platforms.

AppWizard

August 20, 2025

After the series riffed on Pokemon Go and Minecraft, former Dragon Quest producer says he left Square Enix after growing frustrated with “safe” spinoff proposals that were “copying others”

Ichimura, a former producer of the Dragon Quest series, has left Square Enix due to frustrations with the company's direction, particularly its focus on creating "copycat" games. He proposed innovative ideas, such as a "Dragon Quest Maker," which were dismissed, leading to his departure. Ichimura has since founded a new studio, PinCool, under NetEase Games, where he is developing an asymmetrical multiplayer game called Pritto Prisoner. The Dragon Quest franchise continues to thrive, with the Switch version of the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake achieving significant sales success in Japan. Anticipation for Dragon Quest 12 remains high, despite a lack of updates over the past four years.