simulation game Archives

AppWizard

January 30, 2026

Cairn review

Cairn is a limb-by-limb climbing simulation game set for release on January 30, 2026, developed by The Game Bakers. Players take on the role of Aava, a renowned mountain climber, as she attempts to conquer Mount Kami. The game features a 15-hour journey focused on the careful placement of limbs on rock faces, with mechanics that initially seem unrefined but encourage players to adapt. Aava faces challenges such as narrow ledges and a diegetic stamina system indicated by her physical state. Players can place pitons as temporary safe zones during climbs, which require strategic placement due to their limited availability. The game incorporates survival mechanics, emphasizing Aava's need to eat, drink, and rest. Aava's character is developed through her struggles and interactions with other climbers, with a focus on realism and emotional stakes. The game features stunning art and atmospheric weather dynamics, drawing comparisons to titles like Death Stranding and Baby Steps while establishing its own identity.

AppWizard

January 22, 2026

My 5 favorite ‘cozy’ games that don’t actually look like cozy games

The cozy gaming genre has become an important part of the author's identity, but they sometimes feel overwhelmed by the prevalent pastel color schemes. They aim to introduce cozy games to their friend group that lack these typical aesthetic elements, specifically excluding pastel colors, chibi characters, and pixel art. 1. Promise Mascot Agency: A management and exploration game where players help locals in a quaint town and manage a love hotel in a haunted area, focusing on mundane challenges in a serene atmosphere. 2. Chants of Sennaar: A puzzle adventure game that allows players to learn four fictional languages through engaging challenges, set in a mysterious tower with a non-pastel palette. 3. Project Zomboid: A survival game that can be customized to disable zombies, allowing for a peaceful experience in a post-apocalyptic setting where players can cultivate gardens and craft furniture. 4. Potion Craft: A crafting simulation game focused on potion-making, where players grind herbs and manage resources in a medieval aesthetic without pastel colors. 5. Dystopika: A city-building game that allows players to create a dystopian metropolis with unique visuals and the option to personalize billboards, diverging from traditional cozy aesthetics.

AppWizard

January 19, 2026

One of my most anticipated games for 2026 is a little sandbox puzzle game that plays like the lovechild of Unpacking and PowerWash Simulator

Hozy is a new simulation game that allows players to clean and decorate various rooms in a whimsical sandbox environment. During playtests, players explored a spacious living room and a compact studio apartment, cleaning by gathering clutter into floating orbs and disposing of them in a whimsical wheelie bin. After cleaning, players can freely arrange furniture from moving boxes to create a customized aesthetic. The game encourages thoughtful placement of larger items and offers a relaxing gameplay experience, enhanced by ambient sounds. Some players experienced minor glitches, such as floating fairy lights. Hozy is noted for its engaging experience, particularly for those who enjoy order and organization, but it currently lacks a release date, with fans hoping for more content by 2026.

AppWizard

January 18, 2026

Cutesy Stardew-like life sim with millions of players just hit Steam, but the PC version is a letdown and it’s awful news for Steam Deck

Heartopia, a life simulation game, has gained over five million players on mobile but has struggled to resonate with the Steam audience after its PC release. The game launched on Steam with vague announcements about its availability and received nearly 1,000 reviews shortly after, though feedback has been mixed. Players feel the PC version seems like an afterthought, with issues related to control schemes and the absence of controller support. The development team is engaging with the community but has provided generic responses regarding improvements. Despite these challenges, 69% of Steam reviews are positive, with players appreciating the game's charm, although frustrations about camera controls persist. Heartopia is available for free on Steam.

AppWizard

January 18, 2026

Disney suddenly pulls 14 games from Steam, including a childhood favorite, and the preservationist in me is wincing

More than a dozen Disney-published titles have been removed from sale on Steam, raising concerns about digital preservation. The delisted games include: - Afterlife - Armed and Dangerous - Disney's Cars Radiator Springs Adventures - Disney's Chicken Little Ace in Action - Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell's Adventure - Disney's Hercules - Disney Pixar Finding Nemo - Disney Pixar Toy Story Mania - Disney Planes - Disney The Princess and The Frog - Disney Winnie the Pooh - Lucidity - Phineas and Ferb: New Inventions - Stunt Island The removal affects both lesser-known licensed games and beloved classics from LucasArts, such as Afterlife, which allows players to build infrastructures of heaven and hell, and other notable titles like Armed and Dangerous and Stunt Island. Players were not given prior notice about the delisting.

AppWizard

January 17, 2026

Disney suddenly pulls 14 games from Steam, including a childhood favorite, and the preservationist in me is wincing

Over a dozen Disney-published titles have been removed from Steam, raising concerns about digital preservation in gaming. Notable delisted games include the 1996 simulation game Afterlife, along with Armed and Dangerous, Lucidity, and Stunt Island. The complete list of removed titles is: - Afterlife - Armed and Dangerous - Disney's Cars Radiator Springs Adventures - Disney's Chicken Little Ace in Action - Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell's Adventure - Disney's Hercules - Disney Pixar Finding Nemo - Disney Pixar Toy Story Mania - Disney Planes - Disney The Princess and The Frog - Disney Winnie the Pooh - Lucidity - Phineas and Ferb: New Inventions - Stunt Island The absence of prior notice regarding the delisting has frustrated fans and collectors, highlighting the fragility of digital ownership.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check review

Players assume the role of a zombie plague "doctor" in the first-person simulation game Quarantine Zone: The Last Check, set to release on January 12, 2026, for £17. Developed by Brigada Games and published by Devolver Digital, the game allows players to screen survivors at a military outpost during a zombie apocalypse, ensuring they are free from the zombie virus and other ailments while also checking for hidden explosives. Players examine survivors for signs of infection, using various tools to inspect their bodies, but the repetitive nature of tasks may lead to monotony. Additionally, players manage supplies and upgrade tools, although these tasks lack depth. Occasional minigames provide brief diversions, but the core gameplay focuses on conducting medical exams. The game will be available on platforms like the Steam Deck.

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

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.