spooky Archives

AppWizard

July 22, 2026

Minecraft Summer Sale Features 300+ Marketplace Items at Up to 33% Off

Minecraft is hosting its annual Summer Sale, offering over 300 Marketplace items at discounts of up to 33%, running until July 28 at 10 a.m. PT. The sale features various add-ons and packs, including: - Fainting Goats Add-On: 328 Minecoins (was 490) - HorrorCraft Add-On 1.1: 807 Minecoins (was 1340) - 3D Weapons Texture Pack: 442 Minecoins (was 660) - Dinosaur Biomes: 663 Minecoins (was 990) - Craftable Mob Houses Add-On: 442 Minecoins (was 660) - Black X Shadow Megapack: 207 Minecoins (was 310) - Fur Craft Add-On 3.0: 663 Minecoins (was 990) - Backpack Add-On: 442 Minecoins (was 660) - Ultimate Trading Add-On: 556 Minecoins (was 830) - Planes Pro 2.0 Add-On: 783 Minecoins (was 1170)

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

This week’s Epic Games Store free games go spooky with mystery and psychological horror

This week, the Epic Games Store is offering two games for free: Luto, a first-person psychological horror game that explores themes of dreams, secrets, love, loss, and regret, and Echo Generation, a nostalgic adventure game inspired by pop culture references. Luto features a haunting narrative and an unsettling environment, while Echo Generation includes a vibrant voxel art style and engaging combat with button-mashing mini-games. Both games are available from July 16 to July 23 and will remain in players' libraries indefinitely once claimed.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

Fanatical has a new cozy bundle offering 18 Steam Deck-friendly games worth $192 for just $30

Fanatical has launched the Best of Cozy bundle, featuring a selection of cozy games that are Verified and Playable on the Steam Deck. The bundle allows users to build their own collection with pricing incentives: three to four games cost .85 each, five to six games cost .75 each, and seven or more games cost .65 each. Purchasing all 18 games in the bundle is priced at , representing an 85% discount from the original total of 2. The bundle includes various titles, each with a Steam key for redemption, and their compatibility with the Steam Deck is noted. Prices are accurate as of July 10th, 2026, but may fluctuate.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

This viral Steam PC horror game is coming exclusive to Xbox on consoles next week, with Game Pass and Play Anywhere

Shift At Midnight is an asymmetric co-op horror game developed by Bun Muen, initially set for a PC-only release on Steam. It will also be available on Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Play Anywhere, with the PC launch scheduled for July 22, 2026. The game encourages mobility and strategy, allowing players to defend themselves by running, hiding, or shooting. Early gameplay experiences have been showcased by content creators like Markiplier and MoistCr1TiKaL, generating significant interest in the gaming community. Players have praised the multiplayer demo on Steam for its blend of humor and horror.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

Epic Games drops new free PC line-up with RPG and horror that’ll save you $55

A selection of complimentary games is available at the Epic Games Store for PC users until July 23 at 4 PM BST. The first game, Luto, is a psychological horror title developed by Broken Bird Games, typically priced at .99, with a gameplay duration of three to five hours. It has a Metacritic score of 79 and 85% of Steam reviews categorized as very positive. The second game, Echo Generation: Midnight Edition, is a turn-based RPG developed by Cococucumber, usually priced at .99, with a gameplay duration of approximately 10 to 12 hours. It has a Metacritic score of 75 and a Steam rating of 92%.

BetaBeacon

July 1, 2026

Tiny Bookshop Coming to iOS and Android on July 9th

- Manage a tiny bookshop by the sea in a cozy narrative management game - Decorate your shop with items collected and interact with customers - Recommend books to customers and befriend quirky characters in the town - Stock books of different genres to attract customers - Explore the town of Bookstonbury-by-the-Sea and discover its history and secrets

Winsage

July 1, 2026

Former Microsoft engineer shrinks Notepad down to size

Dave Plummer, a former Microsoft engineer, has created TinyRetroPad, a minimalist text editor that is only 2.5 kilobytes in size. It aims to provide a simple text editing experience, reminiscent of older software like Notepad, which has become bloated over time with unnecessary features. TinyRetroPad includes essential functions such as Open and Save As dialogs, font selection, and printing capabilities, while using assembly language and the RICHEDIT50W from the WinAPI. The application requires more system resources to run effectively but focuses on maintaining lean code and binaries.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

Steam Gets 11 New Free Games You Can Check Out Now

Steam has released a new collection of free games, including: - The Unrealtor: A couch co-op puzzle adventure for two players involving perspective-based puzzles. - Operation P.L.U.S.H: A horde defender game for 1-4 players where dream-powered plushies protect a child's nightlight. - Cave Of Treats: A Halloween-themed arcade game where players control a skeleton disguised as a mummy to battle creatures. - Dragon Kisser: A third-person soulslike game where players charm a dragon to save their village. - Moon River: A short RPG adventure focused on music and exploration. - Tarot Spell: A typing survival game that involves learning about Tarot cards to cast spells. - Once Upon A Card: A card-based game where players help a royal child navigate dreams and face challenges. - Bloxzer: A puzzle game that involves rolling blocks into holes and activating bridges, with the first 15 levels free. - Without Sanctuary: An underground fighting game set in a nightclub, featuring brutal combat. - Tumble Type: A word puzzle game where players spell quickly to rescue keys and climb leaderboards. - eXSert: A Dieselpunk 3D beat 'em up game where players confront a genocidal AI. Players should check their PC hardware specifications for optimal performance.

AppWizard

May 12, 2026

Why Minecraft Texture Packs Still Matter For Modern Players

Minecraft features customizable texture packs that allow players to personalize their gaming experience with various visual styles, ranging from hyper-realistic to cartoon-inspired aesthetics. These packs can transform the atmosphere of the game, enhancing the immersion of player-created worlds. Players have diverse preferences for texture packs, including minimalist designs, ultra-realistic textures, horror themes, and vibrant cartoon styles. Texture packs can improve performance and accessibility, catering to players with different hardware capabilities and visual sensitivities. The Minecraft texture pack community is active, continually releasing new designs inspired by various themes, and social media has helped promote these creations. Seasonal texture packs are popular, allowing players to switch visuals according to the time of year. Modding communities often combine texture packs with shaders, creating unique gameplay experiences.

Winsage

May 1, 2026

Who needs ghost train scares when Windows is such a fright?

Andy Bailey, a reader of Register, describes a ride at Alton Towers, a UK theme park, that was formerly named Duel but has been changed to a ghost train experience. During the ride, he encountered a Windows error message stating "Memory could not be read" in explorer.exe, which he found unsettling. The error could be due to failing hardware, a problematic driver, or a code glitch. He reflects on how a truly frightening experience for IT professionals might include scenarios like encountering Windows' Clippy as an undead AI assistant or facing unexpected Windows Updates that disrupt the ride.