islands Archives

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Almost all the cozy games of March have demos to try and I’ve been snapping up as many as I can

Cozy games often shift their release dates shortly before launch, which has been particularly noticeable in March. The anticipated titles include: - The Legend of Khiimori: An open-world game set in 13th century Mongolia focused on horse taming and breeding, developed with input from horse game critic Alice Ruppert. - Cupiclaw: A vibrant pixel art adventure that simplifies the claw machine experience, where players aim to scoop high-value prizes like a lost engagement ring. - The Abbess Garden: A gardening fantasy set in 1643 France, where players restore a neglected abbey garden, emphasizing ecosystem care and creativity. - Bubblegum Galaxy: A tile-based building game featuring a cat with a house-shaped hat, tasked with rebuilding a galaxy in a corporate setting. - Collector's Cove: A farming simulator where players start their farming life on the back of a large aquatic dinosaur, exploring various islands without enemies.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Free PC Game Offering Is a Cozy Animal Crossing Competitor

The ongoing Steam Next Fest runs until 2 March and features a variety of game demos. One highlighted game is Collector’s Cove, a free demo developed by VoodooDuck, where players manage a floating farm aboard a ship, exploring islands and gathering crops and fish. The demo allows players to grow crops, fish, craft items, and personalize their ship, with the goal of becoming a Named-Collector. Progress made in the demo will carry over to the full game, which includes access to the first seven in-game days. Collector’s Cove is compatible with the Steam Deck. Other demos featured in the event include Romestead, The Witch’s Bakery, and Witchspire.

AppWizard

February 20, 2026

Minecraft Meets Stardew Valley In 94% Rated PS5 Release, Out Today

Outpath, a clicker base-building adventure game, was launched on October 16, 2023, by solo developer David Moralejo Sánchez and published by GrabTheGames and UpgradePoint. It has a 94% positive rating on Steam and will be released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 19, 2026. The game features tranquil exploration, cozy crafting, and idle progression, drawing inspiration from Minecraft, Forager, Satisfactory, and Stardew Valley. Players can gather resources, craft items, build bases, buy islands, fish, level up skills, and engage in parkour movements. A free demo is available on PC, offering about 10 hours of content, while the full game is priced at £12.79 on the Nintendo eShop and Steam. Pricing for PlayStation and Microsoft stores is not yet announced.

AppWizard

February 19, 2026

Fill out our quick questionnaire about your gaming habits and you could nab a $300 Amazon voucher

The ongoing survey aims to gather insights into gaming habits for the year 2026 and will remain open until March 8, 2026. Participants could win an Amazon voucher valued at £250. Key stipulations for the prize draw include: participants must be 18 years or older, only residents of the US or UK are eligible (with certain exceptions), each household is allowed one entry, and automated entries are not permitted. The prize draw will start at 12:00 (BST) on February 16, 2026, and end at 12:00 (BST) on March 8, 2026. Late or incomplete submissions will be disqualified.

AppWizard

February 19, 2026

Windrose addresses my personal crafting annoyances and also gives me a big boat

Windrose is a survival crafting game with a pirate theme that offers a unique twist on the genre. Players begin the game after being shot and saved by magical elements, leading to a quest involving foraging, crafting, and revenge. The crafting loop includes gathering resources like wood and rocks to build crafting stations. A notable feature allows players to access stored resources from their base without carrying them in their inventory, enhancing gameplay efficiency. Players can sail to other islands, although the initial vessel provided is modest. A mechanic allows players to restore their boat easily, improving the sailing experience. Windrose aims to provide a balanced mix of gathering, building, and combat, and offers a demo for players to try the game without commitment.

AppWizard

February 19, 2026

Skyrim Meets No Man’s Sky in Jaw-Dropping 8 Hour PC Game Freebie

Guardians of the Wild Sky is a new role-playing game that combines exploration similar to No Man’s Sky with storytelling akin to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Players can interact with mystical beings called Guardians and build settlements while navigating customizable airships across a landscape of floating biomes. A demo for the game is currently available for PC users, featuring a curated portion of the game that emphasizes exploration, building, and progression. The full game will have a map of approximately 800 square kilometers, while the demo allows players to create custom worlds, playable solo or cooperatively with up to 10 players. Players have eight hours to explore the demo before starting anew in a fresh world. Early feedback has been positive, highlighting the game's aesthetics and mechanics. The game does not have a confirmed release date yet, but the demo can be downloaded from Steam.

AppWizard

January 30, 2026

Building Blocks: Abyssal Monument

The Abyssal Monument is a sunken temple located beneath the ocean in Minecraft Dungeons, part of the Hidden Depths DLC. It becomes available after completing the Squid Coast and Coral Rise missions. Players must manage oxygen while exploring, utilizing bubble columns, conduits, and water breathing potions. Challenges include strong water currents, poisonous pufferfish, and obstructed pathways that create a complex environment. Players need to balance exploration with survival to uncover the monument's secrets.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Everwind devs are testing their ambitious Minecraft-like RPG on Steam Deck as it “makes sense for everyone to be this available”

Everwind is set to launch in late 2026 as an alternative to Minecraft and alongside Hytale. Players will explore floating islands and navigate the skies in airships. The development team is testing the game on Valve’s Steam Deck and other handheld devices, with early builds showing promising performance. They aim to support both handhelds and desktops, emphasizing the importance of PC handhelds in gaming. The team is also testing on the MSI Claw. The Steam Deck is becoming a benchmark for performance standards in the industry, with developers recognizing the benefits of optimizing for it.

AppWizard

January 2, 2026

Steam’s most popular survival game is now bigger than ever, and its developer has major plans for the year ahead

In 2025, Rust reached a peak player count of over 250,000 active users on Steam and logged 700 million hours by 5.8 million players in the past year. Facepunch Studios plans to introduce new features in 2026, including an expanded ecosystem, enhanced load times, and a potential battle pass system. The Naval update, set to launch on February 5, will introduce player-crafted boats for navigation and exploration. Other planned content includes new monuments, updates to player models and animations, and the introduction of new animals like cows and sheep with a breeding system. Facepunch aims to combat cheating, enhance performance, and explore DLC options, with a new anti-cheat layer in development. Performance improvements have reduced load and server connection times by approximately 65%. The team plans to continue releasing new DLC items monthly and is considering a battle pass system that aligns with the game's ethos. Test servers for upcoming features are available on the Rust staging branch.

AppWizard

January 1, 2026

Designing a more magical survival game: a first look at Witchspire

Witchspire is a co-op open-world survival game developed by the Swedish team Envar, targeting Early Access in 2026. Players assume the roles of witches or wizards who reactivate an ancient monument, the Witchspire, and embark on a quest to return home. The game features an expansive environment with floating islands and diverse biomes, utilizing witchcraft as a gameplay mechanic. Players can build structures through astral projection, gather resources with magical tools, and use collectible familiars for combat and crafting. The game emphasizes a non-punitive progression system, allowing players to explore various biomes and engage in combat with spells and upgradeable gear. The world includes "corruption events" with darker elements, and the narrative unfolds through exploration of ruins and dungeons. Witchspire marks Envar's shift from outsourcing to developing original IPs, with plans to self-publish the game.