minigame Archives

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

“Rocket League is still a priority” despite Psyonix layoffs

Over 1,000 employees were laid off at Epic Games, with many affected coming from Psyonix, the studio behind Rocket League, which was acquired by Epic in 2019. An Epic Games spokesperson stated that Rocket League remains a priority for the company, and the Psyonix team is still focused on developing the game. Rocket League recently achieved a milestone of 40,000 concurrent players in 2023. Psyonix has been actively providing seasonal content and bug fixes for Rocket League, with a recent update released on March 23, the day before the layoffs were announced. Psyonix has also contributed to other projects, including the Rocket Racing minigame in Fortnite and the mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe, launched in 2021. The studio has a long history of collaboration with Epic, dating back to the early 2000s. The future direction of the Psyonix team regarding Rocket League or Fortnite development remains uncertain.

AppWizard

March 21, 2026

How to win at arm wrestling in Crimson Desert

In Chapter 1 of Crimson Desert, players visit the town of Hernand and participate in an arm wrestling minigame at a local tavern while searching for Greymane comrades. To win at arm wrestling, players should focus on the screen, practice rapid button pressing, read their opponent's movements, and maintain composure under pressure. This minigame serves as a fun diversion and is important for gathering information and reconnecting with allies.

AppWizard

March 11, 2026

‘We are definitely not doing QTEs’, said Dispatch’s creative director before doing QTEs: ‘We just needed it to not suck’

Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart from AdHoc Studio discussed the development of the game Dispatch at GDC, focusing on its innovative gameplay mechanics. The team initially aimed to create engaging gameplay beyond traditional narrative-driven experiences, starting with light puzzle elements related to the protagonist's role. They moved away from a dispatching minigame concept and drew inspiration from the game This is the Police, leading to the creation of the Z Team, a group of ex-villains managed by players. The team considered incorporating quick time events (QTEs) but aimed to improve their execution. They established guiding principles to enhance player experience, such as avoiding jumpscares with prompts, not imposing unfair penalties for missed prompts, and limiting QTEs to two types: a timed prompt and a directional swipe. They found that players felt good about the experience if they hit 80% or more of the prompts and allowed button mashing without penalties for premature presses. To accommodate players who dislike QTEs, they made them optional. Ultimately, the team discovered that well-designed QTEs could be enjoyable, and the overall balance of Dispatch has been positively received by players.

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

12 Free PC Games to Play in March 2026, Thank You Steam

In March 2026, a selection of free PC games includes: - Novel Haven: A management simulation where players transform a lighthouse into a bookshop and engage with villagers. - DJ Bunny: A 2D music-puzzle adventure where players craft tunes to help DJ Bunny perform at a music festival. - Metal Goose: A retro first-person shooter where players battle robotic birds as the MG-1 super soldier. - Vampire’s Fall 2: A 2D RPG where players rise as a vampire amid a civil war between humans and vampires. - Snowbot: A third-person adventure featuring a robot navigating snowy mountains and solving puzzles. - Witch You Want: A game where players create a witch character, engage in potion-making, and explore romance. - Another Day With You: An adventure game filled with mini-games set in a quaint city corner. - Where Winds Meet: A game that launched in November, returning with a free expansion titled Hexi, adding new maps, enemies, and quests. - D1AL-ogue: A cyberpunk game where players repair androids using a circular puzzle mechanic. - Hackinal: A browser-based hacking game with various difficulty levels for cracking passcodes. - Faehnor Online: An MMORPG developed by a solo creator, encouraging exploration with real paper maps. - A Date With Chester 2: A standalone story reflecting on memories while celebrating an anniversary with Chester.

AppWizard

January 31, 2026

After 21 years, GTA: San Andreas speedrunners discover a wild 31-step skip that lets you beat the original PC port in under an hour

A new speedrunning technique for the PC version of GTA: San Andreas allows players to complete the game in under an hour using a method called the Arbitrary Jump in Script (AJS) skip. This technique involves approximately 30 precise steps and was detailed by Reddit user Vitosi4ek. The AJS skip enables speedrunners to execute a JUMP instruction that leads directly to the game's conclusion. The discovery comes 21 years after the game's release, reflecting its lasting popularity and the innovative efforts of the speedrunning community.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

This Awesome New Mario 64 PC Mod Introduces A Series Of WarioWare-Style Mini Games

Super Mario 64, released in 1996, remains popular due to a dedicated fan community that creates unofficial ports and mods. One notable modification is Super Mario 64 Co-op Deluxe, which turns the single-player game into an online multiplayer experience with new game modes. Recent additions include Coopware, inspired by WarioWare, featuring 17 standard microgames, 4 boss microgames, 64 achievements, and various modes like Co-op and Versus. The challenges in Coopware are time-sensitive, and it allows for customization by modders. The mod requires an official copy of Super Mario 64 for installation.

AppWizard

December 2, 2025

You weren’t just incredibly unlucky in Dispatch’s final shift, your high success rate failures were “intentional”

In Dispatch, the gameplay loop intensifies as players progress, introducing new mechanics and a unique instant fail system that penalizes players for sending heroes with stats exceeding certain limits, particularly in Episode 8. The final shift is notably challenging, with players facing unexpected failures even at high success rates, such as 85%. Designers Dennis Lenart and Polly Raguimov emphasize that the game is not scripted and reflects the world's state at that moment, heightening tension during critical moments. The team aimed to enhance the gameplay experience by adding layers and experimenting with powers, while also integrating the Z-Team's banter without overwhelming players. The balance of challenge, humor, and storytelling is a key focus, contributing to player engagement and anticipation for future content.

AppWizard

November 24, 2025

How to win at Gift of the Gab in Where Winds Meet without tearing your hair out

Gift of the Gab is a minigame in Where Winds Meet that requires players to unlock the Scholar profession by completing the Legacy: Scholar's Path quest to succeed. Players must reach level 13 and finish the Gift of the Gab: Silver Tongue exploration quest, initiated by speaking to Song Jiu at Heaven's Pier. The game features two modes: Rhetoric Duel and Free Persuasion. In Rhetoric Duel, players choose from four styles—Bluster, Provocation, Rebuttal, and Filibuster—each with strengths against one another. Players aim to counter opponents' arguments using cards while managing their Inspiration points and depleting the opponent's mental focus bar. Matches end when a player's mental focus is exhausted or the timer runs out. Players can revisit challenges to improve their chances in future encounters.

AppWizard

November 10, 2025

The dispatching minigame in Dispatch is good enough to be a standalone game

The Superhero Dispatch Network receives a variety of calls, ranging from mundane issues like cats in trees to intense situations such as hostage negotiations and supernatural activity. The game "Dispatch," created by former Telltale employees, features interactive storytelling with choices that affect the narrative, including character selection and team management. Each character has unique stats based on their backgrounds as reformed villains, and players must analyze job descriptions to choose heroes with the right attributes for missions. The game includes a percentage chance of success for missions and incorporates a choose-your-own-adventure style for certain scenarios. The narrative unfolds over six episodes, with two remaining, and the player manages the dispatch office while engaging with the story arcs.

AppWizard

November 6, 2025

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted patch brings back the dynamic audio so many players were missing from the original game

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted was released in October as a remastered version of the original game, featuring enhanced visuals but receiving mixed reviews, particularly due to the removal of the dynamic soundtrack. The original game's composer, Laura Shigihara, expressed disappointment over this change. Replanted received a sub-50% rating on Steam, contrasting with the "overwhelmingly positive" feedback for the Game of the Year Edition. A patch (1.3.0) was released to restore the dynamic audio, resulting in a positive community response, although players still raised concerns about achievements, lack of online co-op, and other glitches. EA is preparing a 1.4.0 patch to introduce new features and address ongoing issues. The patch will allow controller users to collect sun by squeezing a trigger and fix various bugs and gameplay problems.