puzzler Archives

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April 14, 2025

You can now claim two free mobile game drops from Epic’s store

Epic Games Store is offering two free mobile games this week: Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead and Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms loot pack. The downloads are available on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union until April 17.

BetaBeacon

April 11, 2025

You can now claim two free mobile game drops on Epic’s store

Epic Games Store is offering two free mobile giveaways this week: Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead and Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms loot pack. The downloads are available on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union until April 17.

AppWizard

April 2, 2025

The PC game releases we’re most excited about in April

The PC gaming landscape remains active in April, with notable releases scheduled. Key titles include: - April 1: Koira - Cute puppy adventure - April 2: Bugaboo Pocket - Entomology life-sim - April 3: Sand - Extraction shooter with giant walkers - April 8: South of Midnight - Action-adventure southern folktale - April 8: Burden of Command - Tactical leadership RPG - April 9: Descenders Next - Downhill snowboarding - April 9: Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days (early access) - April 10: Crashlands 2 - Open world crafting RPG - April 10: Hollywood Animal - Hollywood studio management - April 10: Steel Seed - Sci-fi stealth action adventure - April 10: The Talos Principle: Reawakened - Unreal 5 remake - April 10: Monaco 2 - Co-op heist sequel - April 14: Repose - Black and white adventure - April 14: Stygian: Outer Gods - Survival horror RPG - April 17: Mandragora - Side-scrolling, dark fantasy RPG - April 17: Phantom Breaker - Pixel art beat'em up - April 17: Tempopo - Rhythmic garden puzzler - April 18: Lunar Remastered Collection - '90s RPG classics - April 22: War Rats: The Rat em Up - April 23: Sunderfolk - Couch co-op RPG - April 23: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy - April 24: Detective Dotson - Crime-solving as a Bollywood hopeful - April 24: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves - April 24: Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero - April 28: Badlands Crew - Offroad battles Additionally, various gaming events are scheduled throughout the month.

BetaBeacon

March 23, 2025

Goodbye, Ridiculous Fishing: How Android’s 32-bit purge erased my favorite classic games

Google and high-end chipmakers decided to kill 32-bit support entirely in Android 14, leading to benefits such as freeing up system resources, better security, and improved performance. This change means that many 32-bit-only games, including classics like the Metal Slug series and King of Fighters franchise, can no longer be played on newer devices. Options to continue playing these games include using a phone with Android 13 or Xiaomi's flagship phones with a framework to run 32-bit apps, although the latter is limited to the Chinese market. Other suggestions include using a virtual machine running an older version of Android, but this may not work due to hardware limitations.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

After launching as an Epic Store exclusive, World of Goo 2 dribbles onto Steam this spring: ‘We’re grateful to Epic for funding development of the game’

World of Goo 2 is set to launch on Steam in Spring 2025 after a year of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. Developers 2DBoy and Tomorrow Corporation confirmed the release date on their website. Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, discussed the mixed results of exclusivity deals in the gaming industry and noted the success of their strategy to offer free games weekly. PC Gamer's reviewer, Kerry Brunskill, praised World of Goo 2 for its engaging puzzles and humor, despite some concerns about the novelty of in-game physics.

AppWizard

March 17, 2025

Five new Steam games you probably missed (March 17, 2025)

Steam releases approximately a dozen new games daily, making it challenging for gamers to find hidden gems. A selection of engaging PC games currently available includes: - Midnight Murder Club: A job simulator where players act as a doorman in a 1950s dystopia, distinguishing real residents from their doppelgangers. - Outlawed: An urban extraction shooter where three teams of three players dismantle gangs in a crime-ridden city, featuring vehicles, zip lines, and weapon customization. - Aneurism IV: A multiplayer FPS set in a gritty urban dystopia, allowing players to engage in shooting or alternative activities, influencing the city as a Spirit. - Lingo 2: A first-person puzzler focused on geometrical trickery and spatial reasoning, featuring new puzzle mechanics and enhanced exploration through jumping.

AppWizard

March 2, 2025

I wrote one-sentence reviews of over 70 Steam demos to help you decide which to try before Next Fest ends

During the recent Steam Next Fest, 83 game demos were explored, with impressions shared on 72 titles. Highlights include: - Monster Train 2: A more intricate version of the original. - Sandustry: A blend of Noita and Factorio with unique mechanics. - Nomad Idle: An action RPG mixed with idle game elements. - Deliver At All Costs: Early GTA-inspired package delivery game. - Machine Mind: Resource gathering and base defense in a Borderlands-inspired setting. - Mech Havoc: A top-down shooter combining Brigador and MechWarrior elements. - Solarpunk: A survival game lacking depth. - Tempest Rising: A revival of Command & Conquer. - Mecha Break: Overwhelmed by free-to-play design choices. - Void War: Combines FTL and Warhammer 40k. - Wizdom Academy: Falls short as a wizard school management sim. - Settler's Domain: A minimalist colony-builder that encourages rapid gameplay. - Behind the Sword: An indie grand strategy 4X game with a unique spherical grid. Additional notable titles include: - RoadCraft: Relaxed truck logistics game. - Grit and Valor - 1949: Dieselpunk mech micro-RTS. - Drop Duchy: City builder with randomization issues. - He is Coming: Lo-fi roguelike RPG. - Desperate Place: Sci-fi iteration of Thronefall. - Roman Triumph: Survival City Builder: Interesting city builder with subpar AI art. - Icaria: Worker-programming factory game. - Rise of Industry 2: Lacking gameplay mechanics despite appealing aesthetic. - Windward Horizon: Complicated crafting and RPG mechanics. - Guntouchables: Co-op action roguelike with potential. - Game of Thrones: Kingsroad: Brief and unengaging demo. - Darkwater: Potential premise hindered by discomforting field of view. - War Rats: The Rat em Up: Chaotic experience added to wishlist. Other games mentioned include Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, Outworld Station, As We Descend, Railgods of Hysterra, City Tales: Medieval Era, Task Force Admiral, Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, Dark Moon, Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, The Horror at Highrook, Radiolight, Is This Seat Taken?, God Forsaken, Total Chaos, Nordhold, Missing Banban, Wheel World, I Am Legion: Stand Survivors, Labyrinth of the Demon King, Unyielder, Reignbreaker, Urban Jungle, Dagger Directive, Star Crafter, Blightstone, Redemption of Liuyin, Cybertaxi: Lunatic Nights, MechaKnights Legends, Jitter, Rock Crusher, Chaos Front, Savara, Pochemeow, Death Ring: Second Impact, Mystical Tactics, Uber Urban, Sweep, Anoxia Station, Starless Abyss, Scarecrow, Wanderstop, and Conquest Dark.

BetaBeacon

February 22, 2025

The best Wear OS games your can play on your smartwatch

Cosmo Run is a game where you guide a comet across changing tiles.

AppWizard

February 8, 2025

Get 2024’s Funniest Game (And 26 Others) For Just $15

The Safe In Our World PC game bundle has launched, featuring over two dozen games for a modest price. This initiative supports a charity focused on enhancing mental health awareness in the gaming community. Founded in 2019, Safe In Our World aims to improve mental health resources for individuals in the gaming sector. The bundle includes notable titles such as Mini Metro, Moonlighter, and Thank Goodness You’re Here! All proceeds from the bundle will benefit Safe In Our World, which raises awareness about mental health challenges in the gaming industry and provides resources for developers, publishers, content creators, and players. The bundle is available through Fanatical and offers a value exceeding 0.

BetaBeacon

February 4, 2025

Lok Digital is a surreal puzzle game full of made-up words

- Lok Digital is a word game with a surreal setup where players create words with special powers to progress through levels in a black-and-white fantasy realm. - The game features a dictionary of gibberish words that players must use creatively to solve puzzles. - Lok is a puzzle game that challenges players to use existing words in clever ways to clear out every square on the board. - The game offers a helpful hint system and a list of uncovered words to assist players in progressing through the levels. - Lok Digital is available on iOS, Android, and PC platforms.