visually stunning Archives

AppWizard

February 25, 2026

Minecraft enjoyers, this spectacular-looking voxel game from a solo dev should probably be on your radar

Lay of the Land is set to be released on April 8 on Steam. The game features vibrant visuals created through procedural techniques, a Creative Mode for unrestricted building, and a survival mode that requires resource gathering. Players can manipulate terrain with various tools and engage in combat using magical abilities. The game is developed by a single developer known as 'Tooley1998' or Southern Cross Interactive. Pricing details have not been announced, but players can wishlist the game for updates.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

13-year-old Decima engine allows Death Stranding team to ‘accomplish many things that would be difficult to achieve elsewhere’

Horizon Zero Dawn and Death Stranding were developed using Guerrilla Games' Decima engine, which has been in development for over 13 years. Akio Sakamoto, CTO of Kojima Productions, noted that the Decima engine offers many capabilities for building open-world games, despite some features being less user-friendly than those in commercial engines. The collaboration between Kojima Productions and Guerrilla Games, particularly for Horizon Forbidden West, has demonstrated the benefits of custom software in an industry leaning towards widely adopted engines like Unreal. Sakamoto mentioned that they have been using the Decima engine for nearly ten years, highlighting its effectiveness in achieving goals that would be challenging with other engines.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Why Final Fantasy is now targeting PC as its “lead platform”

Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, has announced that the PC is now considered the "lead platform" for the series' development. The team creates high-quality visual assets for PC first, then scales down for less powerful systems. This approach has already been evident in the PC version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Despite the gradual expansion of PC gaming in Japan, the international market for PC gamers is growing, influencing the development team's asset creation. The PC versions of previous titles, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, and Final Fantasy XV, were released significantly later than their console counterparts, with notable delays of 19 months and over a year for various titles.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Kick off the year of the horse with a stableful of discounted horse games in Steam Horse Fest

Steam Horse Fest features a variety of horse-themed games available at discounts until February 23. Notable titles include My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery, discounted by 55%, and Petz Horsez 2, priced at 85p in the UK. Red Dead Redemption 2 remains at full price, offering immersive gameplay with horses in a Wild West setting. Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available as a free-to-play game. The event also announces the early access launch of The Legend of Khiimori on March 3, set in the 13th century.

AppWizard

February 17, 2026

I’m sad Deadlock is ‘just’ a MOBA—not because I don’t like them, but because I’m in love with Valve’s lore and characters enough to want any other game instead

The author is currently engaged with the game Deadlock, which has rekindled their interest in MOBAs after a significant time spent on Dota 2. They have logged 183 hours in Deadlock and are captivated by its gameplay, voice lines, lore, and worldbuilding. Deadlock is still in development, featuring an incomplete roster and some subpar character models, but it also showcases impressive designs and evolving visuals. The game is structured around three lanes and a single map, leading the author to express a desire for a standalone single-player experience or expanded universe content. They believe Deadlock has the potential for a deeper exploration, including possibilities for an MMO or tabletop RPG.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

This week’s new PC games are a treasure trove of the scary, eerie and occult, plus a charming Star Trek game

A diverse array of new PC game releases includes: - Book Smugglers: A point-and-click adventure set in 19th century Tsarist Lithuania focused on forbidden literature. - Stormbridge: A combination of tower defense and city-building elements. - Dobbel Dungeon: A turn-based tactics game using dice rolls in an ogre-battling setting. - Astrobotanica: An early access puzzle and survival game featuring an extraterrestrial botanist on prehistoric Earth. - Alien Morgue: A game where players conduct autopsies on extraterrestrial beings. - Under The Island: A top-down dungeon puzzler with six distinct biomes. - Ritual Party: A multiplayer experience blending humor and horror. - Placid Plastic Deck: A Quiet Quest: A card-battler with a suspicious premise. - Beyond The Doors: A surveillance simulation involving mysterious requests. - Roach Post: A roguelite puzzler using cockroaches to assemble postage stamps. - Forgotlings: An action-adventure game set in a world of sentient objects. - Blank: A platforming experience in a cavernous origami world. - Kill The Witch: An early access 2D action platformer featuring a witch with a baseball bat. - The Killing Stone: A cursed board game set in the Arctic. - Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown: A strategy management game based on the TV series. - FUR Squadron Phoenix: A space simulation game with vibrant gameplay mechanics. - PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse: A mystery horror novel about ghastly fishwomen. - Demon Tides: A platformer inspired by the N64-to-Gamecube era. - Styx: Blades Of Greed: An open-world goblin stealth game. - Love Eternal: An introspective horror platformer. - Key Fairy: A hand-drawn, pacifist bullet-hell game. - Nightsoil: A game exploring turd collection in an emotive context. - Ys X: Proud Nordics: An updated entry in the Ys series with bumpslash combat mechanics. - Horripilant: An incremental dungeon clicker with grotesque creatures.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

Five new Steam games you probably missed (February 16, 2026)

Steam releases around a dozen new games daily, making it challenging for players to find hidden gems. A curated selection of engaging PC games includes: - Polyarmory: Release Date: February 13, Developer: Cybernetic Walrus. A free dating simulation featuring conspiracy theorist themes and stylized firearms. - The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest: Release Date: February 11, Developer: Elden Pixels. A short Metroidvania game with randomly generated maps, set in the mind of a game developer experiencing burnout. - BrebeMan: Release Date: February 13, Developers: MetaFormingPro. A rhythm-action game where players control a superhero DJ, combining rail shooter mechanics with rhythmic gameplay. - Shadows of the Afterland: Release Date: February 10, Developer: Aruma Studios. A point-and-click adventure set in 1960s Madrid, involving a mysterious death and a mix of puzzles and humor.

AppWizard

February 12, 2026

Reanimal review

Tarsier Studios is set to release a survival horror game titled Reanimal on February 13, 2026, published by THQ Nordic. The game features a brother-sister duo navigating a fog-laden ocean to rescue three friends from a war-torn island. Players can control either character in single-player or cooperative mode. Reanimal employs a fixed 3D camera perspective and includes stealth gameplay reminiscent of Little Nightmares, focusing on atmospheric tension and simple puzzles. The game explores themes of trauma and survival, with sparse dialogue emphasizing despair. It is designed to be compatible with Steam Deck, although confirmation is pending.

AppWizard

February 11, 2026

The old Little Nightmares team is back with Reanimal, but it isn’t the game I wanted

Reanimal is a visually stunning game with a two-player co-op experience that feels cumbersome and punishing. The game features vibrant aesthetics and intriguing boss designs but suffers from narrative confusion. Players embark on a journey to rescue a sibling from an island, navigating through various chapters that include sewers, a train graveyard, a surreal forest, and a city. The game’s tone is bleak, often evoking sorrow rather than fear, and the gameplay includes straightforward puzzles and inconsistent mechanics. While it attempts to create a sense of scale, the abundance of weapons diminishes the sense of danger. Despite its artistic qualities, Reanimal struggles with narrative clarity compared to Tarsier's previous title, Little Nightmares.

AppWizard

February 1, 2026

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Got a Remastered Mod

Ubisoft announced the cancellation of the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which was initially unveiled in September 2020 and faced multiple delays. The project was ultimately halted due to not meeting quality standards. In response to this cancellation, a mod called Sands of Time Remastered Mod has been released for PC gamers, enhancing the original game with high-quality textures and improved HD cutscenes. The mod also revamps the Dagger of Time's appearance and allows for additional visual enhancements using Reshade. The mod is available for download, but installation instructions can be found on the NexusMods page. Screenshots of the mod have been shared, showcasing the improvements.