voxel Archives

AppWizard

April 11, 2025

Enshrouded’s next update promises a ‘rebirth of the shroud,’ with new monsters, resources, and a whole new weapon customization system

The upcoming update for the open-world survival RPG, Enshrouded, is titled "Rebirth of the Shroud" and is scheduled for next month. It will introduce new monsters, locations, and a system for crafting customizable weapons. The creative director, Antony Christoulakis, mentioned that the update aims to enhance combat and the terrain, as well as increase points of interest in the shrouded areas. Players will discover special gems that can be embedded into weapons, which will have gem slots that can be unlocked at special forges. The rarity of a weapon affects its likelihood of having a gem slot. The shrouded areas will be improved for greater engagement, and nighttime gameplay will see new elements introduced. Water features will not be included in this update, but the development team is working on them for future updates. Enshrouded has surpassed four million players since its early access launch in January 2024, and the "Thralls of Twilight" update will be the sixth significant enhancement to the game.

AppWizard

March 16, 2025

Developer Releases Template That Lets You Create Procedurally Generated Minecraft World in Unreal Engine 5

Developer Greg Coulthard has introduced UnrealCraft, a template for creating Voxel Worlds in Unreal Engine 5.5, featuring an Infinite World map for procedurally generated environments similar to Minecraft. Key features include a block building system, NPC support with NavMesh, item drop mechanics, biome diversity, liquid propagation, a rigged main character, a dynamic weather system, and game save functionality. Users need a powerful machine with an RTX-capable GPU and 16GB of RAM to utilize UnrealCraft, which is currently available for purchase. The project also includes maps for procedural worlds using various data sources.

AppWizard

March 16, 2025

Unrealcraft Is Minecraft in Unreal Engine 5, Free Demo Released

Greg Coulthard has introduced UnrealCraft, a template for Unreal Engine 5.5 that allows users to create Voxel Worlds using blueprints. Key features include a procedural map generator, a block building system, NPC support with NavMesh, biome support, a liquid propagation system, and combinable noise functions. UnrealCraft features The Infinite World map, which offers a procedurally generated landscape similar to Minecraft. A demo version is available for free download, requiring an RTX-capable GPU and 16GB of RAM. A video showcasing UnrealCraft is also available. Greg Coulthard is known for his ports of Skyrim and Oblivion into Unreal Engine 5. Other free fan-made demos for Unreal Engine 5 include projects based on Superman, Halo 3: ODST, Spider-Man, STALKER, Blood, Halo: Combat Evolved, Attack on Titan, and a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. Additional tech demos for high-end GPUs include a Witcher-like environment, a recreation of an Italian town, a demo of King’s Field 2, and various remakes of popular games.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

This 93% positive Steam Next Fest survival game demo wants to combine Minecraft and No Man’s Sky with “RPG-style depth,” and so far it’s actually pulling it off

Cubic Odyssey is a game developed by Atypical Games, featured in the Steam Next Fest, where players explore vibrant planets, craft tools, construct vehicles, and face the Red Darkness. The gameplay emphasizes an extensive tech tree and a sub-crafting system that enhances the crafting experience. Players gather resources to upgrade facilities and fortify their base against threats. The game showcases sharp graphics and a freeform voxel aesthetic. It is scheduled for release later this year.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

Steam gamers urged to check out gorgeous free download: ‘I really like it’

Voxile, developed by VoxRay Games, Inc., is a new voxel game on Steam that is being compared to Minecraft due to its stunning visuals and innovative technology. Players have praised its aesthetic appeal, particularly its ray tracing capabilities, with one user noting the game's gorgeous world and another highlighting its performance on modest hardware. The game's visual rendering style, including global illumination and detailed shadows, has also garnered attention. The developers are actively engaging with the community, indicating that the art style and ray tracing focus are significant draws. A demo is available on Steam, but a release date has not been announced, with expectations of a wait of one to two years for full release.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Minecraft creator Notch and his next move

Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft and founder of Mojang Studios, has been largely absent from game development since selling Mojang to Microsoft for .5 billion in 2014. Recently, he launched a social media poll to gauge interest in his next project, considering either a new game or a sequel to Minecraft. He expressed interest in developing a roguelike game but acknowledged the legal challenges of creating a Minecraft sequel without Microsoft's approval. Following the poll, he decided to develop a roguelike dungeon crawler titled "Levers and Chests," despite some fans' disappointment over the lack of a Minecraft sequel. Microsoft has distanced itself from Persson since the acquisition, removing references to him from Minecraft and excluding him from the game's tenth-anniversary celebration. Persson's new project will retain a voxel/pixelated art style reminiscent of Minecraft, and he aims to create a game that honors Minecraft's legacy while respecting Mojang's intellectual property.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Minecraft Engine Ported To GameCube & Dreamcast

The Flock of Meese's engine is designed to revitalize older gaming consoles like the Dreamcast, GameCube, and Wii by replicating the mechanics of Minecraft Beta 1.7.3 and evolving into a unique block-based game. The Dreamcast version operates at 30 FPS, while the GameCube version achieves 60 FPS, demonstrating performance optimization despite hardware limitations. The project aims to push programming boundaries and explore classic gaming systems, with plans for a distinct PC version that utilizes modern technology. Key features include optimized performance for older hardware, faithful replication of Minecraft mechanics, unique gameplay experiences, and enhanced graphics for the PC version.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

A developer porting Minecraft to the Dreamcast is now able to “Blast through an existing world file at 2,800 km/h”

A developer named Meesedev is remaking Minecraft for older consoles like the Wii, GameCube, and Dreamcast through a project called the Meese Engine, which uses Minecraft beta 1.7.3 as a reference. The engine can manage 25 million blocks with only 24 MB of RAM and achieves a render distance greater than the Nintendo Switch version of Minecraft. It can load approximately 14,000 chunks (around 500 million blocks) in seconds and maintains a 64-chunk render distance while running at 60 FPS. Meesedev works on the project one day a week and has stated that the project will not be fully open source due to concerns about exploitation by larger companies, although some components may be released as open source in the future.

AppWizard

February 12, 2025

Designed in just a few weeks, this $5 indie game about digging a hole has journeyed to the centre of Steam’s top sellers chart

The game development timeline for new titles typically spans four to six years for big-budget projects, while indie developers usually take at least two years. German studio Cyberwave released "A Game About Digging a Hole," which received a "Very Positive" rating on Steam with over 3,000 reviews and became a top seller, surpassing titles like Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The game was created by artist Ben in just 14 days during his holiday, utilizing existing voxel terrain technology from another project, Solarpunk. The game features randomly spawning ores and upgradeable shovels, and was formally announced in December, quickly garnering over 100,000 wishlists. It was released on February 12 after three weeks of work. Cyberwave has not disclosed sales figures, but the game's popularity is reflected in its reviews and Steam chart position. The success is attributed to the use of pre-existing technology and an established fanbase from Solarpunk, which had over 400,000 wishlists by April of the previous year.

AppWizard

December 11, 2024

A blocky blank canvas: how Minecraft is inspiring a new wave of art and design

Afrah's artwork, Where Do The Ants Go?, features a cuboid exterior inspired by Minecraft's voxel graphics and adapts its appearance based on the exhibition location. In Dhaka, India, it showcased a deep red surface made from local clay, while in Germany, architecture students contributed a sleek grey render. The project emphasizes collaboration and community engagement, inviting visitors to interact with a simulation of an ant colony that blends digital technology with elements of multiplayer gaming and the natural environment. Afrah is also influenced by the BuildTheEarth project, which aims to create a 1:1 replica of every building in Minecraft, reflecting a human desire to escape and recreate the world.