gameplay experiences Archives

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

‘You’ll now be at the mercy of what loot you can find’: Rust’s latest update brings back hardcore mode tougher than ever, removing the ability to craft guns entirely

The "Hardcore update" for the survival game Rust reintroduces elements that increase gameplay intensity, including the fog of war on the map, requiring players to explore without a detailed layout. Players must craft a compass to mark their location, which only shows their position. Respawn cooldowns have increased to 15 minutes for sleeping bags and 10 minutes for beds, while base upkeep costs have doubled. Firearm crafting is completely banned in hardcore mode, with ammunition crafting costs significantly higher. The update also includes a redesigned game menu, optimized loading times (up to 65% faster), improved metal detector functionality, and visual upgrades. Additionally, the price of Rust has been halved from £35 to £17.50 to attract new players.

AppWizard

August 4, 2025

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Reveals Visual, Cast for New Smartphone, PC Game

TOHO Games has announced a new mobile and PC game titled Tensui no Sakuna Hime: Hinuka Junreitan, which combines rice cultivation simulation with exploration and battle RPG elements. The game will be released as a free-to-play title with optional in-game purchases and features characters Sakuna and Hinuka, voiced by Naomi Ōzora and Machico, respectively. It is developed by Edelweiss and TOHO Games, with G2 Studios leading the development and Ryōta Murayama overseeing character design. The Sakuna franchise is expanding with an anime adaptation that premiered in July 2024 and a sequel in production. The original game was released in November 2020. Additionally, a spinoff game titled Sakuna Chronicles: Kokorowa and the Gears of Creation will be published in the West by XSEED and Marvelous Europe, and a manga adaptation ran from November 2021 to November 2022.

AppWizard

July 31, 2025

This sci-fi horror racer is one of my favorite PC games, and it’s currently going for less than a fiver during the Steam racing fest

Distance debuted in 2018, featuring a blend of grimy sci-fi aesthetics and arcade racing gameplay. It includes an extensive campaign with psychedelic visuals and precision racing mechanics, offering a variety of tracks and Steam Workshop support for user-generated content. The game has both online and splitscreen multiplayer options but is noted for its captivating single-player experience. Recently, Distance's price dropped to .49 on Steam. The Steam Racing Fest has introduced various racing games on sale, including Distance, Redout, and Trackmania, encouraging players to explore beyond mainstream titles.

AppWizard

July 26, 2025

New Minecraft Server âDay and Nightâ to Launch Open Beta on July 26th, Introducing a Revolutionary Survival PvP Cycle

The "Day and Night" open beta for a new Minecraft server will launch on July 26th. This server features a survival PvP game mode with a day/night cycle, allowing cross-play for Java and Bedrock Editions. The gameplay is divided into a 1-hour Day phase, where PvP and griefing are disabled, and a 1-hour Night phase, where PvP and griefing are enabled. Griefing and environmental damage from the night are reset at dawn. The server includes an emerald-based economy, player-run shops, claimable land plots, killstreak tracking, custom dungeons, and a no pay-to-win policy. Players can connect to the open beta starting July 26th.

AppWizard

July 25, 2025

If you loved Baldur’s Gate 3 then you probably shouldn’t pick up this $10 bundle of incredibly crusty D&D games, but if you’re cool you should

Humble has released the Dungeons and Dragons: Classic Collection, featuring a selection of early '90s RPGs for £7.40, which includes around 30 titles. The collection consists of games such as Forgotten Realms: The Archives, Dungeons & Dragons: Krynn Series, and DragonStrike. A £3.70 option is available for access to select titles. The games may feel outdated and differ from modern RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3, leaning more towards dungeon crawler elements and kingdom management.

AppWizard

July 25, 2025

‘I can’t believe I beat Minecraft in an Overwatch queue!’: Twitch streamer turns interminable queue times into her advantage, completing Minecraft over 9 total hours of waiting for matches to pop

Twitch streamer Aspen has been using long queue times in Overwatch to play Minecraft, during which she defeated the Ender Dragon after a wait of over two and a half hours. This experience has sparked the idea of a "queue%" speedrun category for games with lengthy wait times. In Overwatch's Stadium mode, players, especially in support roles, often face wait times exceeding 15 minutes, providing opportunities for similar gameplay experiences.

AppWizard

July 20, 2025

Epic Games Store Users Can Now Get Viral Horror Game for Free

Prime Gaming is offering a bonus free game for subscribers of Amazon Prime, which is Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a classic horror title released in 2010. To redeem the free Epic Games Store code, users must have an Amazon Prime subscription, and the redemption window is open until August 11. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the first entry in a series by Frictional Games and has received an 85 score on Metacritic and an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam. The game offers an immersive first-person survival horror experience, with gameplay lasting around 8 to 12 hours.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast RTX Remix Demo Released

A new Path Tracing Mod for Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, originally released in 2002, has been developed by modder ArjaanAuinger using the QindieGL wrapper, marking the first RTX Remix Mod for an OpenGL-based game. Currently a tech demo, it enhances one level of the game with Path Tracing capabilities, but is not fully polished and has visual issues, performing around 50 FPS at 1080p on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070. The mod is available for download, and videos showcasing its capabilities have been released. In 2024, several RTX Remix Mods have been announced for various titles, including Tomb Raider 2 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The modding community has also released Path Tracing Mods for older games like Deus Ex and Call of Duty 4, with ongoing innovations in RTX Remix Mods for other titles.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Shark Dentist Announced for PC

Alice Games has released a PC game called Shark Dentist, where players act as dentists performing dental procedures on anaesthetized sharks. Players must manage anesthesia doses, monitor the shark's pulse, administer medications, and use various dental instruments while avoiding awakening the sharks. The game features randomized events that introduce challenges such as sudden pain spikes, tool malfunctions, and debuffs, ensuring varied gameplay experiences. A game trailer is available, and players can wishlist Shark Dentist on Steam.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Meteorfall Journeys, Towaga, Lumino City, more

A new wave of Android game and app deals has emerged, including savings on Samsung Galaxy Book laptops and Lenovo’s Legion Go PC gaming handheld. Discounts are available on the 512GB Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Google Pixel Watch 3. Notable Android app and game price drops include titles such as Towaga, Lumino City, Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom, and Meteorfall: Journeys. Meteorfall is a deck-building roguelike adventure where players choose from four adventurers and enhance their decks with new cards. Combat involves drawing cards to either unleash their power or conserve stamina, adding strategic depth to encounters.