whimsical Archives

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 16, 2026

Megabonk review

Megabonk is a 3D auto-attacker game set to be released on September 18, 2025, priced at £8.50. It is developed and published by vedinand and will be available on platforms like the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck. The game features a skateboarding skeleton named Calcium who battles monsters while performing kickflips. Players explore procedurally generated maps filled with treasures and enemies, with a ten-minute time limit to locate and defeat a boss. The gameplay includes auto-attacking, collecting experience gems, and enhancing skills. Megabonk has a lo-fi aesthetic that allows for many enemies on screen without performance issues and offers achievements and unlocks for players. The game encourages exploration and experimentation, with challenges that provide speedrunning opportunities.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Best of Indie Legends BYO bundle from Fanatical brings top Steam PC games

Fanatical has launched the Best of Indie Legends Build Your Own Bundle for New Year 2026, allowing customers to select from 22 Steam PC games across various genres. The pricing tiers are as follows: 2 or more games for .50 each, 4 or more games for .25 each, and 7 or more games for each. Notable games include PlateUp!, a cooperative cooking game for up to four players, Pathologic 2, a survival game focused on stopping a plague, and the AMID EVIL & DUSK Double Pack for first-person shooter fans. Each bundle purchase includes a 5% discount code for future orders. The promotion runs until February 19, 2026, and game keys are limited.

AppWizard

January 15, 2026

The best parody account in gaming hangs up its hat after 17 years: Peter Molydeux is retiring

Peter Molyneux has announced that his final project, Masters of Albion, will be released in April, marking the end of his career. The Peter Molydeux Twitter account, which parodied Molyneux's game concepts for 17 years, is also concluding. Launched in 2009 by Adam Capone, the account inspired two MolyJam events where developers created games based on Molydeux's whimsical tweets. Capone noted that Molyneux's once outrageous ideas have become more commonplace in the gaming industry.

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

Fable creator Peter Molyneux’s new strategy game is set to fill the Black and White void, and you can play it surprisingly soon

Masters of Albion is an upcoming game set to be released on April 22, 2026. It features a unique universe inspired by the ancient name for Great Britain and combines city-building with combat gameplay. Players will manage resources and construct a town during the day, while at night, they take on the role of a hero to fend off enemies in third-person combat. The game includes extensive customization options for warriors, the ability to recruit allies, and a god game mechanic that allows players to craft weapons and interact with townsfolk. A trailer has been released showcasing dynamic battles, and players can wishlist the game and join its official Discord community. Peter Molyneux has described it as a "reinvention of the god game."

Winsage

January 14, 2026

An absolute madman has recreated the Windows 8 UI—for Linux

In 2012, many Windows users began seeking alternatives to the operating system following the release of Windows 8, which introduced a controversial desktop interface designed for touchscreen devices and deviated from traditional mouse and keyboard navigation. This change led to criticism from industry figures, including Gabe Newell of Valve, who labeled Windows 8 a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space," prompting a shift towards Linux development. The project Win8DE has emerged on GitHub, appealing to former Windows 8 users who miss its fluid animations. Win8DE offers a visually reminiscent interface with vibrant squares, a horizontally scrolling desktop, and a mobile-style app drawer, although it is not as polished as established Linux environments like KDE Plasma or Gnome. The developer, er-bharat, acknowledges limitations, including the absence of the "charms menu." Installation instructions for Win8DE are available on its GitHub page.

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

Dwarf Fortress issues a ‘naked dwarf fix’ after accidentally turning players’ pride-and-joy into bearded nudist colonies

Dwarf Fortress, released in 2026, features a six-word story: "Mothers no longer seek ghostly babies." The latest update addresses an issue where some dwarves appeared unclothed on the units screen and citizens list despite continuing their daily activities. A hotfix was released to resolve this and a freeze issue. Additionally, the update mentioned "made female peachick visible again." The game is known for its quirky updates, including instances of undead cats adopting dwarves and vampires accusing infants.

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

Lead dev of one of 2025’s best games goes on a wild ramble about pricing, but hold up, let him cook — it actually makes perfect sense, and he’s right

Publishers in the gaming industry face challenges in pricing games, balancing profitability with fair deals for players. Kaman, a lead developer of Another Crab's Treasure, discussed the psychological perception of pricing, noting that consumers often round prices to more appealing figures. He highlighted that pricing their previous game, PEAK, at .99 instead of .00 was a strategic choice, as it aligns with consumer perception of value. PEAK sold over 10 million copies in its first year, with significant sales during promotional periods when it was discounted to .95, demonstrating the impact of pricing strategies on consumer behavior.

AppWizard

January 12, 2026

Peak dev solves game pricing and possibly all economics: ‘4 bucks is also kind of 5 bucks, 3 bucks is 2 bucks. And 2 bucks is basically free’

Peak is a new co-op indie game that has gained popularity among gamers for its engaging gameplay and humorous approach to pricing. Co-creator Nick Kaman discusses the perception of value in gaming, noting that players often view small price differences as negligible. The game offers a mix of chaos and camaraderie, leading to memorable experiences and laughter among friends. Peak is priced affordably, appealing to players who value shared adventures.

AppWizard

January 12, 2026

This week in PC games: Hytale, Quarantine Zone, a weird Batman sim, and a fresh batch of RPGs and shooters

The Maw can manifest in various forms, including a blinking cursor or unreturned messages. New PC game releases include: - Big Hops: A 3D platformer featuring a frog with jumping and tongue skills. - Confidential Killings: A detective game that could use a more imaginative name. - Quarantine Zone: The Last Check: Players act as a border guard during a zombie apocalypse, exploring moral dilemmas. - Hytale: A sandbox building RPG now in early access, developed by Hypixel Studios. - Hank: Drowning on Dry Land: A whimsical narrative game featuring a drunken, time-traveling character. - Cassette Boy: An action RPG puzzler with retro visuals and themes of object permanence. - Streetdog BMX: A game with children performing stunts on bicycles across colorful maps. - The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon: The thirteenth installment in an RPG series. - Tabulo: A roguelite chess game. - Craftlings: A blend of Lemmings and colony-building elements. - The Fortress: A first-person turn-based dungeon-crawling RPG. - NEUROXUS: A fast-paced mech shooter with a neon aesthetic. - Moving Simulator: A game reflecting the moving experience. - Lunar Ascendant: Players become the first mayor of the Moon, navigating social media and factions. James and Julian will attend preview events, while Mark and Ollie are excited about Hytale's launch. A review for Pathologic 3 is being crafted.