walls Archives

AppWizard

August 10, 2025

Minecraft Nerds Unite!

On August 6, 2025, the Shirley Burden Public Library in Hanceville hosted an open house meeting for the Minecraft Nerds Unite! club, which is aimed at homeschool students aged 6 to 12. The club provides a technology-free environment for hands-on, educational activities related to Minecraft. Monthly meetings feature a unique theme, show-and-tell sessions, snacks, and both individual and group activities that promote teamwork and creativity. Each child receives a Minecraft-themed take-home challenge. The club, founded by Amber Dover, encourages minimal parental involvement and celebrates special occasions with themed parties. Interested individuals can find the club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/minecraftnerdsunitehomeschoolclub.

AppWizard

August 9, 2025

We might actually have a tenuous Silksong release date, absolutely nobody on my team believes me, and I think I can hear Hornet in my walls

Silksong's potential release date is hinted to be October 16, coinciding with the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally and its availability on Game Pass. The game is expected to arrive before Christmas, as confirmed by Team Cherry's head of marketing at Gamescom in August. The leaker billbil_kun, known for reliable information, has contributed to the excitement, although past announcements have led to disappointment. A demo is anticipated, and there is cautious optimism among fans regarding the game's release.

AppWizard

August 6, 2025

Dark isometric survival management game Peregrino announced for PC

Inverge Studios has announced its new project, Peregrino, a dark isometric survival management game set to launch on PC via Steam, with no specific release date yet. Players will lead a group of pilgrims through a dangerous landscape, facing life-or-death decisions that impact their journey and the fates of their followers. Key features include brutal survival management requiring resource management, a horror journey confronting nightmarish creatures, character-driven gameplay with unique pilgrim stories, a customizable caravan serving as a home and defense, careful inventory management, and a gothic horror-inspired 19th-century aesthetic. An announcement trailer is available for viewing.

AppWizard

August 5, 2025

System Shock 2’s alien ‘sphincter doors’ were made with photos from a dev’s colonoscopy

Nate Wells, an artist known for his work on System Shock 2, discussed the artistic choices that contributed to the game's unsettling atmosphere, particularly the design of the alien entity The Many. The Many is characterized by a grotesque, biological aesthetic, contrasting with the sterile corridors of the game. An unexpected source of inspiration for the textures of The Many came from colonoscopy imagery, which influenced the design of the sphincter doors. Wells noted the glistening, veiny appearance of these elements and acknowledged the remastered version's distinct puckered quality. His creative process aimed to balance fear with a sense of playfulness, contributing to the game's lasting appeal.

AppWizard

August 4, 2025

This week in PC Games: a new Mafia, a bustling Homeworld homage, a cosmic lighthouse and some strange jigsaws

In the first week of RPS Post-Graham, the office atmosphere is chaotic, with a resident Viking serpent named Horace and a demanding news hub called the Maw. The wifi network frequently changes its name to "Execute Order 66." The staff is engaging in morale-boosting activities, including reminiscing about video game intros. New PC games introduced this week include: - Texnoplazm: A gun-fu brawl-o-shooter set in an urban landscape with sorcerous technology. - Tall Trails: An exploratron featuring a golem with a rocket-powered boot. - Static Dread: A game where players manage a lighthouse during a cosmic apocalypse. - Era One: A real-time space strategy simulation for fans of Homeworld. - Mafia: The Old Country: A game set in pre-WWI Sicily with car chases and shoot-outs. - The Royal Writ: A card game roguelite inspired by Inscryption and Monster Train. - Wildwood Down: A point-and-click comedy mystery featuring a protagonist with Down Syndrome. - Artis Impact: A pixel-art RPG with a unique aesthetic. - The Lilliput Workshop: An automation game inspired by Brio toy train sets. - Cleanfall: A game featuring a mining robot in a world of insects and airships. Staff activities include James creating buzzwords for graphics cards, Ollie working on a guide to Life, Jeremy lost in literary thoughts, and Mark battling his neighbors, the Ice Giants.

AppWizard

August 2, 2025

Google Merely Stalls Epic-Ordered Play Store Overhaul With Emergency Stay, Delaying Inevitable Crack In Its Tight Control Over Android Apps And Billing

Google is required to change its app distribution model following a U.S. appeal court ruling that upheld a December 2023 verdict deeming its Play Store an illegal monopoly. The ruling mandates that Google allow third-party billing systems and alternative app stores, with a compliance deadline of fourteen days. Google is seeking an emergency stay to delay the implementation of these changes, arguing that they could disrupt operations and affect revenue, as well as compromise security and user experience. Critics believe Google's actions are aimed at maintaining its market dominance rather than ensuring user safety. An emergency stay has been granted, providing temporary relief but delaying inevitable changes.

Winsage

August 1, 2025

The Microsoft Store on Windows 11 is actually great now — here’s why you should be using it in 2025

The Microsoft Store was launched as the "Windows Store" with Windows 8 in 2012, initially struggling to gain traction. It was rebranded as the "Microsoft Store" during the Windows 10 era and saw significant improvements with the launch of Windows 11 in 2021. The store now features a user-friendly interface, a diverse selection of applications, and allows legacy and desktop-class Windows applications without strict compliance requirements for developers. The app listings are responsive, and the homepage suggests apps based on user preferences. Popular applications available include Opera, Firefox, Adobe Creative Cloud, OBS Studio, and Paint.NET, although Google Chrome is not available. The Microsoft Store provides a safer environment for app discovery compared to web search engines and does not require a Microsoft Account for many downloads. Enhancements have also been made for Windows 10 users.

AppWizard

July 30, 2025

Ukraine’s Youth Robbed of Childhood Innocence

The conflict in Ukraine has led to dire conditions, particularly for children in frontline villages. Russian forces are advancing, and the landscape is marked by trenches and minefields. Schools are closed, and children participate in online arts and crafts programs supported by UNICEF. The nonprofit Common Man for Ukraine, co-founded by Susan Mathison, has delivered over 4 million pounds of food and essential supplies to those in need, covering over 20,000 miles across the country. Their mission includes providing trauma counseling retreats for children who have lost their fathers. A recent humanitarian convoy faced air raid sirens while delivering supplies to mothers and children in a frontline village. A comic book found in an abandoned school illustrated the dangers children face, highlighting their resilience amidst the conflict. The organization plans to continue its efforts with a thirteenth convoy scheduled for August.

AppWizard

July 26, 2025

Total War: Warhammer 3’s siege rework beta is live now and runs into August, letting you have your say on pocket ladder prohibition, battle AI improvements, and more

Creative Assembly has launched the beta phase of the Siege Rework for Total War: Warhammer 3, named the Proving Grounds Siege Beta, available for download on Steam. Key changes include the removal of "pocket ladders," a siege equipment rebalance allowing for more siege towers and battering rams, enhanced wall towers with increased lethality but reduced firing range, improved Battle AI addressing over 50 issues, and refined siege maps for better gameplay. The beta will last for two weeks, ending on August 7, and players can activate it through the Steam library. The focus on the siege overhaul has delayed the release of the Tides of Torment DLC to later this year.

AppWizard

July 16, 2025

A Minecraft Movie’s most famous song is now available in Minecraft

The song "Lava Chicken," known for being the shortest to enter the Billboard Top 100, is now part of the 1.21.94 update for Minecraft. Players can access it through the Lava Chicken music disk, crafted by Hyper Potions, which features a remixed version of Jack Black's lyrics. To obtain the disk, players must defeat a baby zombie riding a chicken, called a Chicken Jockey. The music disk also incorporates memorable moments from "A Minecraft Movie."