simulation Archives

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Heartopia (PC) Review

Heartopia is a life-simulation game that blends cozy simulation elements with MMO features, allowing players to cultivate a town and interact with locals. However, the MMO aspects dilute the individuality typically found in cozy games, as multiple players receive the same accolades for completing quests. Gameplay involves repetitive fetch quests to unlock activities like home decoration and fishing, which can feel tedious. The game features a community aspect, but players may find their neighbors' homes replaced or their own home relocated between sessions, undermining familiarity. Character design is uninspired, and the user interface resembles a mobile game, lacking polish. As a free-to-play title, it includes multiple currencies that create confusion, with microtransactions for premium items. Despite these issues, the game offers engaging home-building mechanics and unique hobbies like Birdwatching and Pet Care. Overall, Heartopia struggles to effectively merge MMO elements with cozy simulation, making it a less appealing option compared to established titles like Animal Crossing.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Running Factorio from over 1,000 floppy disks is a masochistically manual process that surely sets a new record for game load times

YouTuber DocJade is running the game Factorio on 1,000 3.5-inch floppy disks instead of a conventional hard drive. He developed a custom file system called Fluster using the RUST programming language, which divides each floppy disk into 512-byte blocks, allowing for a total of 2,880 blocks per disk and approximately 90 GB of storage. Fluster is open-sourced and available on DocJade's GitHub. Factorio's design allows it to load most content before the title screen, making it suitable for this unconventional method.

AppWizard

January 13, 2026

My Winter Car is a ‘dangerous, depressing and tiring’ life sim, and the developer doesn’t want you to play it unless you’ve mastered the infamously tricky My Summer Car

Amistech has launched My Winter Car in early access, a sequel to My Summer Car, just a year after the original game's 1.0 release in January 2025. The game requires prior experience with its predecessor, as it features intricate mechanics and a demanding gameplay style. My Winter Car focuses on restoring an old project car while navigating a survival scenario set in the harsh Finnish winter, where players face permadeath, inclement weather, and law enforcement. The game has received nearly 5,000 reviews and holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam since its early access debut on December 29.

AppWizard

January 13, 2026

TikTok hit Quarantine Zone finally launched today and made the mistake of giving me a large medical hammer

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is a newly launched first-person medical simulation game available on Steam. Players take on the role of a doctor using a hammer as a tool, blending humor and challenge in various medical scenarios. The game has gained popularity on TikTok and features absurd gameplay, including unconventional treatments. It is currently offered at a 10% discount for a limited time.

AppWizard

January 11, 2026

Manor Lords’ dev is experimenting with a new trading system that allows for ‘deliberate economic strategies’, including establishing monopolies on resources

Manor Lords, developed by Slavic Magic, had a quiet 2025 as the team recalibrated after its successful early access launch in 2024. Activity increased in December with a significant patch that reworked core systems and castle construction mechanics. Tim Bender, CEO of publisher Hooded Horse, announced a new trade route system that connects locations to the import and export of items, allowing up to three merchants per route. Players must hire at least one merchant to engage in trade, and can attempt to buy out merchants on a route, creating contested economic territory. This system enables players to develop economic strategies, such as monopolizing Iron Slabs. Hooded Horse and Slavic Magic are seeking feedback from the Manor Lords community on these features. Additionally, Hooded Horse launched the 1.0 version of Terra Invicta, a sci-fi grand strategy game, and Bender opposed the use of AI-generated assets in their games.

AppWizard

January 11, 2026

One of the Most Popular PC Games of All Time Just Got Steam Deck Verified 7 Years After Release

Satisfactory has achieved Steam Deck Verified status after being categorized as “Playable” for a period. The game has sold 5.5 million copies as of 2024 and reached a peak of 184,171 concurrent users on Steam. It holds a score of 91 on Metacritic and a 97% approval rating on Steam, earning the “Overwhelmingly Positive” designation. Players take on the role of a pioneer on an alien planet, tasked with constructing factories to utilize natural resources, and the game is available for .99 on Steam.

AppWizard

January 10, 2026

If you’ve got a spare 200 hours, the massively ambitious sci-fi grand strategy from the creators of X-COM: The Long War just launched out of early access

Video games, particularly Terra Invicta, are proposed as simulations to prepare humanity for potential extraterrestrial threats. Terra Invicta combines elements of X-COM and grand strategy games, challenging players to prepare Earth for an alien invasion while managing global politics. Players can adopt various strategies, including resisting or submitting to the aliens. The recent 1.0 update introduces a new starting condition set in 2026, text localization in five languages, and significant content additions such as new regions and a realistic combat mode. The game’s developers, Pavonis Interactive, indicate ongoing development with plans for new scenarios and mechanics. Terra Invicta is currently available at a 35% discount, reducing its price from £35 to £23.

AppWizard

January 10, 2026

Over half of The Sims development team is working on The Sims 4 and ‘the next evolution’ so I guess it’s time to start speculating again

EA's "next generation Sims game," codenamed Project Rene, will be a mobile game rather than the anticipated Sims 5. EA has reaffirmed its commitment to singleplayer life simulation experiences and is focusing on updates for The Sims 4. There are no plans for a Sims 4 remaster, according to modder SimMattically. EA introduced a platform called The Sims Hub to unify The Sims 4 with Project Rene and other titles, and plans to update the core technology foundation of The Sims 4. However, there is skepticism about the viability of previously announced plans for Project Rene.

AppWizard

January 10, 2026

It’s not the news we wanted but it’s what we expected: EA has finally admitted Project Rene is a ‘mobile-first’ game

Electronic Arts (EA) has confirmed that Project Rene is a mobile game focused on social multiplayer experiences, not the next installment of The Sims series. EA aimed to set realistic expectations amid concerns about the company's buyout. A leaked image showed custom characters in a vibrant outdoor plaza engaging in activities together. Many fans expressed disappointment at the mobile-only experience, especially after speculation about The Sims 5. EA noted that Project Rene has "evolved" from an earlier vision that may have included The Sims 5. More than half of the Sims development team is focused on enhancing The Sims 4 and exploring its next evolution, with more details to be shared in the coming months. EA plans to provide more information in 2026 as they continue to playtest new ideas for the franchise.

AppWizard

January 9, 2026

Life sims are in a slump and the only way out is becoming strategy games again

The life simulation genre is experiencing stagnation, with fans disappointed by the cancellation of Life By You in 2024, the postponement of Paralives, and the lackluster impact of Inzoi. The Sims 4 is facing persistent save corruption issues, leading to uncertainty about Project Rene, and many players are expressing boredom and a desire for more challenging gameplay. The shift in gameplay focus from unpredictability and drama in earlier games like The Sims 2 to a more accommodating approach in The Sims 4 has resulted in a less engaging experience. Players are seeking a return to strategic gameplay that includes meaningful consequences and unexpected events. The current state of The Sims 4 resembles a Creative Mode with low stakes, which does not align with the desires of the community for deeper, more challenging life simulations.