power-ups Archives

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

I tried gaming on Android Auto and found 4 apps that made car downtime less boring

Some popular mobile games have been optimized for Android Auto, allowing users to play them on their vehicle's screen while parked. The Gamesnacks app features light games similar to early internet flash games, designed for quick play sessions. To use this feature, compatible games must be installed on a smartphone, and the vehicle should be parked. Notable games available include: - Angry Birds Friends - Beach Buggy Racing (1 and 2) - Candy Crush Soda Saga - Farm Heroes Saga These games provide a simple and enjoyable way to pass the time during brief waits.

AppWizard

May 29, 2026

31 hours with the spit-shined Mina the Hollower (and 34 with the four games that came before it)

Mina The Hollower is a game developed by Yacht Club Games over six years for PC and consoles. The protagonist, Mina, has a unique move called "hollowing," which allows her to dive into the ground to find treasures and navigate through walls, contrasting with the jumping mechanic of Super Mario. The co-founder of Yacht Club Games, David D’Angelo, recommended starting with Shovel Knight to prepare for Mina The Hollower, noting that Specter of Torment is the least difficult and quickest to finish, while King of Cards offers a polished experience similar to Mina. Engaging with Yacht Club's previous titles enhances understanding of their game design evolution.

AppWizard

May 28, 2026

31 hours with the spit-shined Mina the Hollower (and 34 with the four games that came before it)

Mina The Hollower is a new game developed by Yacht Club Games, which has been in development for six years for PC and consoles. The protagonist, Mina, has a unique ability called "hollowing," allowing her to dig into the earth to find treasures and navigate through walls. The co-founder of Yacht Club Games, David D’Angelo, recommended playing their previous titles, starting with Shovel Knight, to better understand the design philosophy behind Mina The Hollower. He noted that Specter of Torment is the least difficult and quickest to finish, while King of Cards celebrates their work in the Treasure Trove compilation. Engaging with these games provides insights into the studio's evolution as a game developer.

BetaBeacon

May 26, 2026

5 Best Controller Games for Android – You Can Play Right Now

Dead Cells has full native controller support on Android.

AppWizard

May 21, 2026

Realm of Ink is a beautiful Hades-style roguelike with action-packed gameplay to boot

Realm of Ink is a roguelike game currently in early access, featuring a stunning art style inspired by Chinese ink-wash painting and fast-paced action reminiscent of Hades and Dead Cells. Players control Red, a swordswoman on a quest to defeat a Fox Demon, navigating arenas filled with enemies and utilizing randomized power-ups to enhance gameplay. The game includes a unique 'pet' system with a companion named Momo that can change forms based on the player's Ink Gem loadout. It is available for purchase on Steam for PC and Steam Deck, as well as on console, with a full 1.0 release scheduled for May 26.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core is a good roguelite shooter, but a little less special than the game that spawned it

The Reclaimers in Deep Rock Galactic represent the highest level of expertise, focusing on skills beyond basic mining tasks. Despite their elite status, they engage in mining activities while battling monsters in the spin-off Rogue Core. The game emphasizes exploration and teamwork over simple enemy elimination, with each dwarf class offering unique utilities. Deep Rock Galactic has established itself as a co-op FPS that prioritizes strategic gameplay, contrasting with Rogue Core, which is seen as repetitive and lacking the dynamic excitement of other roguelikes. The gameplay in Deep Rock Galactic centers on succinct missions and defined roles, with survival being more important than destruction. Rogue Core, in its early access, does not match the clarity and purpose of its predecessor.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

Torchlight Infinite’s new season is the high-speed ARPG’s most popular yet

A new season of Torchlight Infinite, titled 'Lunaria,' has launched, achieving its most successful debut on Steam with a peak of 26,618 players. The update introduces new features such as an endgame farming system, a character focused on potion mechanics, and temporary alliances with bosses. Key gameplay mechanics include awakening statues in the Netherrealm to spawn monsters and collect rewards, alongside random events that enhance loot opportunities. The update also adds Rhapsodies for variability in farming, a Creation Engine for converting Creation Crystals into loot, and a new character, the Scent Weaver Sage, who uses elixirs in combat. Quality-of-life improvements include visual upgrades for characters and monsters, enhanced user interface, and a re-arranged main theme for the game's third anniversary. The 'Lunaria' season is available for free on Steam, along with a 'Midas Touch' event for additional rewards.

AppWizard

April 17, 2026

Death By Scrolling Out Now on Consoles and PC

April 16, 2026 marks the launch of Death By Scrolling, an action roguelite game set in Purgatory™, available on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. The release includes a significant update featuring a new playable character, a new biome, and various gameplay improvements. Players navigate a vertically scrolling world filled with monsters and hazards, avoiding the Reaper while collecting gold and unlocking upgrades. Key features include a varied cast of characters, relentless pursuit by the Reaper, loot and progression mechanics, optional challenges, diverse monsters, quirky lore, and leaderboards for competition.

AppWizard

April 7, 2026

I watched the first TV show ever based on a game and it made me realize: we’ve really got it good these days

The animated series Pac-Man, produced by Hanna-Barbera from 1982 to 1983, features characters such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man (Pepper), and Pac-Baby living in Pac-Village, which is governed by the Pac-President and protected by Super-Pac. The series includes antagonists like Mezmaron and a group of ghost monsters: Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Clyde, and Sue. Mezmaron seeks to capture Pac-Man for his knowledge of Power Pellets, which grow on Power Pellet Trees in the Power Pellet Forest. The show consists of 44 episodes over two seasons and often concludes with Pac-Man consuming the ghosts, who then return to Mezmaron in new ghost suits. The humor is aimed at children but lacks cleverness, and notable voice actors include Peter Cullen and Alan Lurie. The second season introduced a younger version of Pac-Man named PJ and increasingly bizarre plots.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Ambitious developer showcases slick triple-level Quake-like game stored in tiny 64KB executable — every game asset tucked inside what could be a ‘rounding error’ in modern app payload terms

Developer Daivuk has released QUOD, a 64KB 'boomer shooter' similar to Quake, featuring 3 levels, 1 boss fight, 4 unique enemies, 4 weapons, and power-ups. The entire game, including textures, sounds, music, and animations, is compressed into the 64KB file. Daivuk demonstrates the game's development in a video, discussing optimizations that reduced the file size by an additional 2KB. The game requires modern hardware, with minimum specs of an Intel i5 or equivalent, GTX 770 or equivalent, and 8GB RAM. QUOD can be downloaded and launched quickly. Today marks the 30th anniversary of id Software's Qtest demo of Quake, which was released on June 22, 1996.