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Unleash Your Potential with Creative Mode in Mini Motorways!

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – June 7, 2025 | Mini Motorways, the award-winning minimalist strategy traffic management sim with over nine million players from developer Dinosaur Polo Club, will debut the highly requested Creative Mode in a free content update coming to Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, and PC and Mac via Steam on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (Pacific Time), as revealed today in Future Games Show Live from Los Angeles 2025.


Creative Mode, Mini Motorways’ most highly requested feature to date, will soon break ground and turn city planning on its head. This new game mode completely refactors the Mini Motorways experience by giving the player newfound freedom to redesign their city in every map. Embrace the ability to recolor, move, and pivot houses and destinations on all existing maps, introducing a new way to play with ultimate creative control.

Customize colors from maps’ bright and lively color palettes, move buildings around trees and mountains, and create ultimate dream cities with more upgrades than ever available to use in Creative Mode. Build your perfect city layout, test creative capabilities, and let innovation stand tall, no matter the path carved!

“After much anticipation from our community, we are ecstatic to bring the update that people have been waiting for since Mini Motorways first launched,” said Casey Lucas-Quaid, Dinosaur Polo Club’s Community Manager. “Buckle your seatbelts, because you’ll finally be able to scratch that creative itch when Creative Mode arrives as a free update this August!”

After six years of ongoing updates and (soon!) four different game modes — Classic, Endless, Expert, and Creative — Mini Motorways caters to a plethora of playstyles, bringing hours upon hours of play. Hop into the driver’s seat, take control with Creative Mode, and set off to destination cities just waiting to be completely transformed and customized!

For more information, please visit the Dinosaur Polo Club website, follow the studio on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or search for #MiniMotorways on social media.



About Dinosaur Polo Club

Dinosaur Polo Club is an independent game development studio based in beautiful Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in 2013 by brothers Peter and Robert Curry, the studio first made waves with their award-winning and BAFTA-nominated debut Mini Metro. Created in collaboration with Disasterpeace and Jamie Churchman, Mini Metro explores relaxed and minimalist subway design. The second game developed by Dinosaur Polo Club introduces a brand new type of city management with colorful road-building and resource management found in Mini Motorways. Combined, Mini Metro and Mini Motorways make up two parts of an expanding Mini Collection. 

With an inclusive and supportive culture that believes in giving back to its creative community, the studio has grown and is now home to nearly 30 Dinos as it works on new titles with relatable simplicity.
Article by: Susan N.
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The USS Ronald Reagan Makes Its Debut in Carrier Deck, Now Available on Consoles!

June 7th, 2025 | Carrier Deck, a unique game about flight deck management on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, debuts on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch consoles. The title combines an aircraft deck management simulator with strategy elements. In Carrier Deck, which was previously very well received on PC, the player takes on the role of an officer serving on an aircraft carrier during active hostilities.


South Africa-based independent studio Every Single Soldier is behind Carrier Deck. The game hit PC first, and currently has 89 percent positive player reviews (out of nearly 1,000 reviews) on Steam. Ultimate Games S.A. is responsible for developing and releasing the title on consoles.

USS Ronald Reagan on the warpath

In Carrier Deck, the player takes on the role of an officer serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), an American nuclear-powered Nimitz-type aircraft carrier.

The gameplay comprehensively focuses on managing all operations involving aircraft. Among other things, the player is responsible for the selection and execution of search, reconnaissance and interception missions. There is also no shortage of operations with ground strikes and close air support.


This is a game aimed at fans of military simulations and time management. The title offers dynamic gameplay in the reality of a war conflict. Carrier Deck includes both a campaign mode and a fast-paced skirmish mode. The campaign allows you to test your skills in a wider spectrum of war operations on the world's oceans.

In Carrier Deck, it is necessary to make quick decisions to avoid collisions and ensure smooth operations on board. In doing so, care must be taken to ensure that individual aircraft units are properly moved, refueled, maintained and armed.

The game manages a variety of aircraft and helicopters. The list of units includes the F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, CH-47 Chinook and S-3 Viking, among others.


Main Features:

  • Flight deck management simulator;
  • Dynamic gameplay in wartime realities;
  • Aircraft and helicopters;
  • Campaign mode and fast-paced skirmishes;
  • USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

Carrier Deck was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on June 5, 2025.
Article by: Susan N.
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Covenant of Solitude - PS5 Review



Covenant of Solitude by developer Magitec and publisher KEMCOPS5 review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.
 
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Covenant of Solitude is an RPG released by Kemco. Originally released in 2013 as an android/iOS title, it is now available on the PS5! While maybe a little graphically aged and somewhat standard JRPG fare compared to some of KEMCO’s other titles, Covenant of Solitude is rather fun and more engaging than you may initially expect.

Covenant of Solitude stars a young man named Fort, who has the power to talk to monsters. Living a rough life in a small village, Fort has his world burnt down when the Empire invades his village and slaughters the inhabitants. Fort must then find his place in the world and what he wants to do with himself and the people in it. Using his power that not only allows him to speak to but also to command monsters in battle, the power of a genie, Fort tries to carve out a place for himself.

By and large the plot of Covenant of Solitude isn’t anything particularly outstanding, nor are the characters really. While there are some interesting dialogue moments between Fort and the demon Wicca who signs a contract with him, most characters are either cartoonishly evil, extremely predictable, or kind of dumb. As an example, Fort seems to have the frustrating disability to be skeptical of anybody. He basically says at one point “why would somebody be nice to me if they weren’t a good person?”, which I almost threw something after reading. That being said, the writing isn’t bad, just pretty cliché or unsurprising.

The gameplay is very traditional JRPG style that is very reminiscent to me of the first Final Fantasy game. You will explore a world map, get into random fights, explore dungeons, find treasure chests, and do the occasional side quest as you go. In Covenant of Solitude there is a bit more to it. You can recruit different species of monsters to your party and give them different jobs. A monster’s species will affect their general stat distribution, for example the beast type characters have higher speed, while the job chosen determines growth path and skills. A fighter class will learn physical attacking skills and have a more attack focused stat distribution.

You will be able to change jobs by using a certain item, although new jobs are set at level 1. You may also be able to find special items that allow you to change to an advanced job class. However, if you do change jobs, you will get to keep previously learned skills.

Once you’re set to go with your party of Fort and up to three monsters, you’re ready to tackle the world. This means a decent amount of fighting, by the way. In combat is very traditional fare: select command, attack in turns until all commands are complete, repeat. You can attack, use a skill, defend, use an item, etc. and certain weapons have different effects, such as hitting back rows for full damage or hitting in a pattern. Spells can also hit rows or columns and there is an elemental alignment chart. Upon victory you are awarded with experience and money to fund your vicarious lifestyle.

Dungeons are an interesting experience. They certainly aren’t the worst designed areas I’ve seen, and the minimap certainly helps you navigate, although they do tend to be either needlessly roundabout or uninspiring. There are a few dungeons with gimmicks or traits that make them interesting, such as a fire and ice dungeon. In here the ice you slide on and the fire you take damage when walking over, yet they are somewhat few and far between.

Sidequests are a little weird as well. While there aren’t many, it would be interesting to note that a fair amount require a certain monster at a certain level, such as a vampire at level 30 in order to complete an objective. A rather unique way of doing things, but since units not in the party don’t directly earn exp, leveling one if you aren’t actively using them could be a hassle.

There is an in-game store where you can buy items basically at any time you have free movement, so running out of healing or revive items isn’t really an issue. There is also a store where you can buy special items for points you earn from killing enemies, which are usually game-breaking items or super good equipment. Interestingly enough, you don’t earn points super fast, so it would still take some work to afford these items.

Graphically and musically Covenant of Solitude isn’t really that great. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it’s definitely not beating the “2013 phone game” allegations even when ported to console. A bit of an update would have done it really well, even if it was just replacing some environment textures to add more variance or giving some better looking character portraits. As I said earlier, not the worst, but certainly could be better.

Overall I don’t really know how to feel about Covenant of Solitude. It isn’t spectacular by any means, but it isn’t bad. I definitely had more fun playing than I expected, but I can’t really say why? Perhaps it just has a sort of nostalgic charm that draws you in. Nothing over the top or super fancy, no gimmicks, just traditional JRPG mechanics and storyline, but that isn’t bad every now and then.

Ultimately, Covenant of Solitude is a perfectly average experience. While it doesn’t do anything new or exciting, or even really put it’s own spin on things, it also doesn’t lack in the backbone that made older JRPGs so entertaining. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. If you’re looking for something to play in the background, or to do while waiting for something else to release, this might be a neat little tide over until something else comes along, but I certainly wouldn’t claim it as a “big name RPG”. Give it a look to see if this is something right for you.


Score: 7 / 10
 
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Roadcraft - PS5 Review

RoadCraft by developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus EntertainmentPlayStation 5 review written by Jim with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time:  4 minutes


I love a good simulation game whether it's building, designing theme parks, being a firefighter or even driving trucks and heavy equipment vehicles. I loved the idea behind the game. You are in charge of a natural disaster recovery company where you must rebuild infrastructure, construct roads and bridges, clear debris, and recycle debris.

There are 8 levels in the game with the first two being in the same area in Africa and almost every level being a different disaster. The first level has you prepare for an upcoming storm and the second level has you cleaning up after it. One of my first big issues with the game is there is not much of a tutorial. It tells you what to do, but without showing you how it's done it sometimes is overwhelming to try to figure it out. The only reason I was able to figure some of it out was because I played Snowrunner. Now anyone who has played Sabers other games Mudrunner or Snowrunner should feel at home with this game as there are a lot of similarities. If you don't know what diff-lock or AWD is then you may want to skip this game.

After getting used to the game and its controls. The crane controls still confuse me from time to time. One of the big pains in the game is plotting routes for transportation and you do this a lot! You have to be exact as the AI who drives the routes doesn't know enough to avoid things in the road and then getting stuck. The game then will tell you it failed and you have to fix the problem. I honestly hated doing this. It really isn't fun having to go and look and or change the route time and time again until you find the right path to make it so the AI won't get stuck on something or in mud. If the game has an objective for some things like making a road all you have to do is bring a dump truck full of sand, a dozer, a paver, and a roller to a designated area. You can also set it to do the work automatically. You can do it manually if you wish and if you want any other spots on the map paved you can do it yourself, but it's a bit hard to do. I wish they made it so you could select a spot and have it do it automatically.


Each map is decent-sized but I don't like how it's all covered at the start with a fog of war if you will. I understand doing it in another type of game where you should explore, but this is a game set in the present day. If you are in a disaster recovery business you should at least have maps or GPS. Because of this, it can take you longer to get to destinations you have never been to before because you can run into dead ends or bridges that are out.

There is a lot of driving in RoadCraft and some of the vehicles are extremely slow, so getting from point A to point B can take a while. The only form of fast travel is to recover your vehicle, but you can only select your garage or a recovery point. Recovery points cost fuel that you get by completing objectives. You can also get places faster if you use the transport vehicle that lets you put your heavy equipment vehicles onto it. And you can drive the truck instead of the slower equipment. Completing objectives give you money and experience. As you level up you can buy better vehicles with the money you earn. You will always start with a rusty version of a vehicle so you may want to buy a newer version sooner rather than later as they work a bit better and faster.

There's a lot to see and do in RoadCraft from surveying the damage to using cranes and even laying down underground electrical wires. I have played a lot and I still haven't seen everything you can do in the game a part of this being how slow-paced the game is. All of the tasks can get overwhelming at times though as the game will tell you to do something before the place you need is even up and running. At one point I needed metal pipes. I haven't gotten the metal pipe plant open yet so I would have to do all that before I could fix the needed infrastructure.


Recycling plays a big part in the game as you will have to start plants that make things like metal pipes and such by recycling old stuff you find lying around on the ground. You can do this with a truck and crane or with your scout truck's winch. Just like Sabers other games your scout vehicle will have a winch you can use to pull things or help if you get stuck.

Graphicly the game looks amazing. The way the mud and dirt move as you drive, the way it sticks to freshly paved roads, the way it kicks up and sticks to your trucks all look pretty well done. The views can be really nice also. The sound is also good in the game, but if you have played Snowrunner then some of the sounds may sound familiar.

I have a love-hate relationship with RoadCraft. On one hand I found parts of it to be relaxing and fun and on the other, I was so frustrated I had to quit and take time away from it. RoadCraft is not a bad game by any means, but it is not for everyone. There is also 4 player coop so if you and some friends want to play together there is that option.


Overall RoadCraft is a decent simulation game that may ask a little too much of a player making it a tad too realistic. Now if you are a fan of Sabers other games you will like RoadCraft. If you didn't like Sabers other games like Mudrunner then you will probably dislike this game too. I however thought it was decent enough with a lot to see and do even with its shortcomings.


Score: 6.75 / 10


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JDM: Japanese Drift Master - PC (Steam) Review


JDM: Japanese Drift Master by developer and publisher Gaming FactoryPC (Steam) review written by Susan N. with a copy provided by the publisher.
 
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Introduction

On May 21st, a niche racing game titled JDM: Japanese Drift Master expertly slid onto Steam with a cool comicbook aesthetic, beautiful scenery, and high stakes. There is surely fun to be had by racing enthusiasts as it also feels like playing in a video game within the Initial D universe. 

Back in 1995 Shuichi Shigeno began writing his 48 Volume Manga called Initial D centered around a student named Takumi Fujiwara who helps his father deliver tofu to clients. Takumi drives a white Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86) to do those deliveries, but he doesn't realize the full potential of the car that his father repeatedly tweaks throughout the series. When he discovers his love of racing, he works hard to best his opponents and quickly becomes famous for his legendary driving and drifting skills.  

Initial D was the inspiration to Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift which was meant as a standalone movie in the racing genre because Vin Diesel was busy with some of his other projects. Thus, Tokyo Drift ended up being released with a whole new cast of characters and it was regarded as the worst in the Fast & Furious series, which I fundamentally disagree with (Fast 9 is the worst. Don't @ me.) Anyways, Initial D went on to inspire a number of other works including one being developed by Sung Kang (who played Han in Tokyo Drift and then was brought into other Fast & Furious movies as they were being made). 

As a fan of both Initial D and the Fast & Furious series, I was excited to give Japanese Drift Master a shot. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations.


Gameplay

Loading up Japanese Drift Master for the first time provoked excitement from me, mostly due to the fact that I love racing games. So much so, that Gran Turismo is my benchmark to judging a new challenger in the genre. Unfortunately, this means that many racing games crash and burn - this one included.

It begins well enough with some beautifully crafted cutscenes and graphics that remind me of the multitudes of anime that I used to watch. As mentioned above, Japanese Drift Master feels very much like Initial D the video game because of the similarities between the Anime/Manga and this title. However, if we separate the game from the anime, it has a great foundation of a game I would play all the time. The problem is that it failed so spectacularly to a point where I threw my controller onto the couch and stopped trying to progress. I'll explain why.

Japanese Drift Master is meant to be a game all about drifting - a method of driving that allows you to do a deliberate and controlled oversteered turn. The trick with drifting is to find that happy middle ground where you oversteer just enough without doing a complete 360 into a wall. This is all well and good because you start by 'learning' how to drift with the tutorial levels and the convenient driving school. Let's talk about that.


Driving School

At first, the game does explain a small section of drifting, but after that is complete, your only way to practice is to keep trying. Even the driving school does a terrible job of helping you learn to drift as it gives you a course that is quite literally a roundabout. You're supposed to do this roundabout strictly through drifting, but it doesn't give you any pointers about what you are doing wrong. The second reason that the driving school is unhelpful is that you have to compete against an AI driver. Not only do you need to complete the course, but you have to beat the opponents score too. 

In the driving school, there are a couple of other practice modes like the grip tracks and drag races. Obviously, I opted to do a bit of drag racing to get a feel for the Nissan Silvia you are given at the start. The first drag race you are to do has no opponents and forces you to heat your tires and then shift properly. The time limit is about 30 seconds to reach the end, which is more than enough time to complete the quick stretch. However, you fail the test if you don't try to slow down at the end. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it'd be nice for the game to give an indication of the requirement before failing horribly. I finished the stretch in 11 seconds flat and didn't understand why I kept failing. I'm sorry, but for a track in the driving school, I expect there to be some clarity.


Missions

Japanese Drift Master has a full story which is told to you in Manga format that comes up on your screen in between races. One of the aspects I like about the game is the need to drive between race locations. It gives you the ability to get used to your car and tweak it as needed. To get to your next mission, you will drive to the location and then press a button to start. While progressing through the story, you will end up racing without knowing what type of race it is. That also means that you might not have the right car for the job nor the right tuning - assuming it is a race that you can use your own car.

Apart from not knowing which type of race you are entering (drag, delivery, or grip), you also have no idea of what your opponents will be driving - meaning that you can get outclassed quickly. If that wasn't enough of a gripe about the missions, the difficulty of each race is a smorgasbord. Even in the beginning stages of the game, some missions require you to be a drift master already! In fact, there were a few of those early races that made me feel like I was trying to get my IA licence in Gran Turismo, and that is not where you want to start. Did I also mention that I was playing on Standard difficulty? I can't even imagine what would have constituted as 'easy' or even 'hard' difficulty based on what the standard benchmark is. 

Also, in terms of the races, drifting itself is actually a moot point. What I mean is, if you give us a drifting game, I expect the focus to be on meaningful drifting, not wiggling your butt down a straightaway just for the points. You're not drifting, you're deliberately fishtailing enough for the point counter to appear. What's worse is that while you lose points for hitting a wall, it is not a fail condition. What this means is there is no real incentive to properly learn how to drift because the point value is the focal point. And if all you have to do is wiggle it, just a little bit, then you're not really becoming a drift master. Honestly, after failing a couple of those missions for incredibly silly reasons, I had little motivation to keep playing. But there are a couple of other reasons I became frustrated with the title, like the story aspect.


Story

Admittedly, I will say that I didn't get very far in the story because I gave up on the game entirely. For a racing game, I do appreciate that there even is story progression and not just a simulation game where you go from race to race earning money to buy better and faster cars. I will even say that I enjoyed the fact that there is a garage and a tuning shop which you can access after you get further into the game. There is a lot of impressive customization that can be done to any car you have in your garage, making it so that your baby can crush even the toughest of opponents. Japanese Drift Master allows you to change not only the exterior, but the interior of your car as well. It's a nice touch to the game. 

Anyways, what I can say about the story is that it is decently told through the manga. Japanese Drift Master allows you to turn on the reading assistant which tells you which panel is next. This is important because the western audience reads from left to right, top to bottom. In Japan, you read right to left, top to bottom. While I appreciate the story telling to be done this way, the dialogue is fairly basic and not great. There's something to be said for localization of a game, particularly when releasing a title for the North American audience.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that the story is good either. On the whole, it is cool to be presented in true anime format, but I read multiple reviews where people mentioned a specific character interaction. I know that in other cultures certain things are 'accepted' or not discussed publicly, but I personally will not stand for assault against women - especially if the protagonist simply watches it happen. Because multiple people mentioned it in their reviews of the game, I immediately put down my controller and walked away. While that may not be a deal breaker for some, it is for me. And I cannot and will not recommend this game to anyone unless that problematic content is removed. 


Graphics and UI

After lambasting the game rather harshly, the game does have some excellent features like the amazing and detailed graphics. I absolutely adored the bright lights that are strong enough to make a statement without being too much of a distraction. It was amazing to drive down the long winding roads surrounded by beautiful cherry trees and well lit tunnel stretches where I found myself saying, 'Secret Tunnel!' even though it wasn't a secret at all. Also, I was taken back to my high school days when looking at the Silvia because it comes with neon lights underneath it - which is sadly illegal to have here. But once upon a time, I had a friend whose job it was to install vertical doors on cars. He also had some of those neon lights and a spectacular surround sound system that we would listen to while driving.

Instead of having a ton of menus to access the garage, missions, or driving school areas, all you have is a cellphone which you use as your GPS navigator as well as checking recent messages, missions, and career statistics. You can also look at that manga again if you feel so inclined. Apart from that, you have your speedometer on the right side of the screen as well as your accumulated wealth and driving level. 

Japanese Drift Master absolutely nails its graphics and UI, where other games may absolutely fail. (We could talk about some of the previous Gran Turismo games where the menu screens were cluttered and difficult to get used to, but that is a separate conversation entirely.) Although, while I adore the graphics style both on the road and with the manga, the UI did have one minor flaw that I hope will be resolved in a future update. To play the game, I was using my 8BitDo controller which has X,Y,A, and B buttons. However, Japanese Drift Master is clearly a PlayStation based game because it doesn't allow you to change the buttons to be the same as your controller. This isn't a fatal flaw, but in a game where you have the option to switch between KPH and MPH, I hoped that I could also change the control scheme. (I'll shoehorn in the idea that I was not expecting the devs to change anything major like which side of the road you drive on, because that's unrealistic. It just took a bit of getting used to.)


Audio and Music

One of Japanese Drift Master's spectacular features is its audio. We can definitely talk about the realistic feel of the game based on the swerving sounds or the wind blazing past you as you put the pedal to the metal, but where the game absolutely nails it is the music. There is only one choice when it comes to music for an Initial D inspired game, and that is the genre the anime is synonymous with: Eurobeat. 

In the early 80s, British Eurobeat became a hit genre with its fusion of two dance styles that were both created around the same time. Those were Eurodisco influenced dance-pop and Hi-NRG Italo Disco. Combining the two styles of music became Eurobeat (which is different from EuroDance and EuroDisco) and when the anime Initial D was released, the series used a ton of Eurobeat music during many of the racing scenes. It was after that realization that Eurobeat became synonymous with Initial D which is why the musics' inclusion in Japanese Drift Master is a hugely positive note. While there are other music choices in the game, I'm absolutely elated that Eurobeat can be listened to.  

Good Drifting or Bad Drifting?

Summarizing the good and the bad in Japanese Drift Master is simple. The game has a lot of good foundations that would make this title a ridiculously fun one to play. Among the good elements are its graphics, simplistic UI, and tons of licenced cars to choose from (including the Skyline, GTR, NSX, and BRZ). It stands to reason that this game is meant as an ode to Initial D because it even has a version of the AE86 in the form of the Alpha Moriyamo. As mentioned above, the game has some killer music to accompany it as well.

But even with all of the care and attention put into the game, it has some terrible elements. The difficulty of the races are all over the place, the story is not fabulous - although points for having a story to carry players through, and I can't let it slide that the loading times are abysmal. If some more time was taken to refine some of the major gameplay aspects like the drifting itself and localization improvements, Japanese Drift Master would knock the genre out of the park. Sadly, the game understeered with too many of the larger elements that left me both frustrated and really sad. 


Final Stretch

It is clear that Japanese Drift Master was created as a love letter to drifting culture and to Initial D because of its clear connections with music, vehicles, car customization, and inclusion of an in-game manga which are all brought to life for car enthusiasts and Anime lovers alike. However, due to several gameplay issues and lack of clarity, the game seems to slide itself off the track. I can only hope that the developers take additional time to improve some of the core elements and pay attention to the audience that they brought the title to, because it has the potential to bring more fans of both genres into the game. And it wouldn't hurt to re-evaluate some of the story aspects to be more in line with the North American audience - if not that, at least be sure to include content warnings. 

Sadly, the graphics and the music won't be enough to really sell the game to a wider audience, but with some time, perhaps it can really shine. I'm just not sure it'll be able to pass its other contenders in its current state, although I did have some high hopes. The fact that Gaming Factory hit so many of the important notes only to fail on the main aspects of the game really crushes my soul. Please let the game cook some more.

Score: 6 out of 10

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Play the Highly Anticipated Psychological Horror Title Holstin Demo on Steam Right Now!

8 June 2025, Warsaw, Poland | Polish developer Sonka has just shadow dropped a new trailer and a massive demo for their highly anticipated psychological survival horror game, Holstin. The demo is available now on Steam.


While the two previous public demos showcased specific slices or mechanics, the new demo offers players a very meaty first look at the game's entire eerie 90’s Eastern Euro-fueled experience. It begins with the opening segment of Holstin's story, explaining what drew you into the decaying and possessed Polish lakeside town of Jeziorne-Kolonia. Get hands-on with the core gameplay, from engaging in intense combat and solving environmental puzzles to scavenging for survival, exploring ooze-infested streets and interiors, and interacting with the not-so-mentally-stable locals who still haven’t fully Turned. 

The demo also highlights Holstin's unique camera and lighting system, which seamlessly shifts between multiple perspectives in real-time lit, fully 3D pixel environments.


THE HOLSTIN KICKSTARTER SIGN-UP CONTINUES TO GROW

Alongside work on the full game and the new demo, Sonka has also been preparing for a major Kickstarter campaign, set to launch later in 2025. The campaign aims to raise funds to complete the final stages of the game and to crowdfund additional features and ideas the team is eager to implement. Players can learn more about what the game will offer and sign up to be notified once the full campaign goes live.



PLAYING ALL SORTS OF TRICKS ON YOUR EYES

Holstin uses Sonka's custom 2XD RENDERING technology, enabling the team to create real-time lighting in detailed pixel art environments, as well as multiple camera modes in a way that has never been seen before. The game features various perspectives, including isometric 3D, over-the-shoulder third-person shooting, first-person driving, top-down exploration, and side-scrolling platforming.

Heavily inspired by the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, with the narrative team aiming for a darker Twin Peaks feel. 

Holstin will be coming to PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, and both Switch 1 and 2. 
Article by: Susan N.
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DigixArt Announces Upcoming First Person Adventure Game 'Tides of Tomorrow' in 2026

June 4, 2025 | French developer DigixArt is happy to announce that their upcoming game Tides of Tomorrow will be released on February 24 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Tides of Tomorrow is a first-person adventure game with an innovative multiplayer influence system.


Welcome to Elynd, an oceanic planet, where life is facing extinction from a deadly and merciless disease. Players have the mission to find a cure by travelling through the floating towns and villages across the sea

Discover and deal carefully with the different communities of that post-apocalyptic society as every decision has the potential to create new adversaries.

What’s more, player actions will change the story for other players. By following your favorite streamer or friend, the unique asynchronous system will generate a unique adventure based on the combination of all those choices.
Adrien Poncet, Game Director: “Just like in Road 96, narrative is at the heart of the experience. In this ruthless ocean world, you play as Tidewalkers, who witness echoes of other players’ actions. You will have to deal with the consequences of their choices - it’s up to you to cooperate… or to make waves!” 

Kevin Bard, Producer at DigixArt: "In Tides of Tomorrow, for the first time, your story changes based on the players you choose to follow. This innovative twist unlocks a whole new range of possibilities for storytelling and gameplay. Will you follow friends, streamers or total strangers?”


Wishlist the game:


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About DigixArt

DigixArt is a small video game development studio founded in 2015 in Montpellier, South of France. Its ambition is to offer innovative gaming experiences to a wide audience. After Lost in Harmony™, 11-11- Memories Retold™ and acclaimed Road 96™ the team is bringing its experience to Tides of Tomorrow™.
Article by: Susan N.
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Nice Day for Fishing - PlayStation Review

Nice Day for Fishing by developer FusionPlay and published by Team17Sony PlayStation 5 review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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After 10 Years of Development, Galactic Glitch Fully Launched on Steam!

June 3, 2025 | Tear physics apart and weaponize it against your enemies! German indie developer Crunchy Leaf Games proudly announces that Galactic Glitch, the twin-stick shooter where you can catch missiles mid-air and fling them back at your foes, fully launches on Steam today after 10 years of development and one year of community-driven Early Access. The game will be sold at a price of 14.99 USD | EUR, with a 25% discount during the first 2 weeks after launch.


What’s New in 1.0

  • Explore the Quarantine Zone: A tough, infested new mid-game level
  • Defeat the Cybervoid: An endgame arena with dynamic, ever-changing challenges
  • 20+ new enemies: Each featuring new mechanics
  • Two new final bosses, and 6 new level bosses
  • More than 40 new upgradeable powers, for 90+ powers total
  • All-new mechanics, like Glitch Bombs, to unlock secrets and explore
  • Prototype ships, which you can find in the wild, capture, and use as starter ships
  • A new Overview Map in the Hub area, that guides your exploration of the void
  • New Glitch Tokens, to give players more control over their builds
  • More Improvements
  • Completely reworked and improved UI
  • A new Boss Orb system, that unlocks game progress more smoothly
  • Added 15+ more special room types, challenges, event rooms, and new mini-bosses
  • Higher base difficulty, for better challenge and to make progress more gradual
  • Updated and Expanded Hub area, with new rooms
  • Added Helpers that allow construction of Hub rooms



Galactic Glitch blends the frantic action and build depth of Nova Drift, the fluid combat style of Dead Cells, and its own innovative physics-based combat mechanics. Use your grav gun creatively to slingshot debris, rip enemies apart, or repurpose enemy attacks into your own arsenal. With 100+ powers and weapons, 70+ enemy types, and a dynamic New Game+ system, Galactic Glitch offers endless replayability and evolving challenges every run.
"Community feedback guided us all through Early Access, and we’re incredibly thankful for that. It led to big changes—like adding mid-run saves early on, or reworking the weapon system after players told us the old one just wasn’t fun. Version 1.0 follows the same path, with highly requested features like Prototype ships and a much better upgrade system. Working together with our players has been a great experience and very enjoyable for us—and we’re thrilled to finally launch the full game." — Max Dohme, lead developer at Crunchy Leaf Games

KEY FEATURES

  • 2D Space-Roguelite – A frantic twin-stick shooter with endless replayability and permadeath stakes.
  • Physics-Based Combat – Use a gravity gun to grab debris, hurl asteroids, and fling enemy missiles back at them.
  • Multi-Part Enemies – Tear foes apart piece by piece, exposing weak spots while dodging their armored sections.
  • Dynamic Exploration – Chart a glitched starfield, uncover secrets, and loot rare gear along branching paths.
  • Abilities and Items – Unlock new powers every run and combine them into endlessly varied builds.


About Crunchy Leaf Games

Crunchy Leaf Games is a Berlin-based indie studio led by founder Max Dohme. Known for 3030 Deathwar Redux, Rise of Legions, and Crystal Clash, the team specialises in community-driven action games that push genre boundaries.

Development Through Adversity

Roughly half of the Galactic Glitch developers are Ukrainian. While some still work from within Ukraine, others have been forced to relocate—often more than once—yet all have continued contributing code, art, and design amid the turmoil of war. In recognition of their resilience, Crunchy Leaf Games will donate a portion of the game’s launch profits to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Article by: Susan N.
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Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon - PS5 Review

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon by developer Questline and published by Awaken RealmsSony PlayStation 5 review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

There is so much to enjoy about Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon that it’s almost difficult to figure out where to begin. The dark, gothic setting is supported by an interesting story. There are tons of deep lore that plays with Arthurian tales in a creative way, and the overall presentation is fantastic. Fans of open-world first-person RPGs should find a great deal to enjoy here.

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. It’s a first-person (okay, you can set the view to third-person, but the gameplay is not optimized for that) RPG where you wake up in a jail cell. You need to escape so you can work your way into an open-world where you can follow the primary questline or venture off into any number of directions to pursue other exploits. Given that Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon was released so close to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, you would be forgiven if you thought the above description was about Bethesda’s popular RPG series.


The parallels are many between The Elder Scrolls games and Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, especially in the early going. But it also doesn’t take long to realize that Tainted Grail is also very much its own thing. You aren’t battling rats to escape the prison – you’re fighting undead created from gruesome experiments performed in the dank confines of the prison. Sure, you’re picking up weapons and armor – but also brains, saws used for hacking off limbs and more disturbing finds. There’s a palpable grittiness to Tainted Grail that comes out almost from the very beginning and stays throughout the journey. There's smaller details in this opening stage that further drive home the sort of dark, oppressive feeling that the game is going for. Sometimes the events are a bit more obvious, such as someone who was experimented on asking you to kill them and put them out of their misery for the well-being of all, and others require just a bit of effort as you pick up and scan the pages of what amounts to a smutty novel that one of the guards was reading. Either way, the team does an excellent job of illustrating their own unique vision of this world.

The story is an interesting one. The stories of King Arthur are often fundamentally similar and to many people well-known. Tainted Grail plays with this premise as your protagonist encounters what amounts to the spirit of King Arthur as they travel together and start to peel back the layers of the story that builds off of these familiar tales with unique elements established in the series’ prior game Tainted Grail: Conquest. Now, I absolutely loved that title as well. The roguelike deckbuilding mechanics were enjoyable, but more than the gameplay I found the world teased in that title to be intriguing. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon takes that foundation and allows you to really explore the Wyrdness - the name given to the strange, foggy representation of corruption steadily engulfing the land. It immersed me in its story through great visual design and a solid sound and musical score. 

The moment you escape the dungeon and see the sprawling landscapes and massive statues holding walkways up, you can see the developers' vision extends past the story and into the art direction as well. It's not quite as perpetually dark and gloomy as say Bloodborne and Elden Ring, because there are some lush landscapes as well sprinkled in. It reminded me more of games like Diablo where there's often a strain of grim darkness tinged throughout, but it's not all inky shadows and things jumping out at you in the night either.

Now, it’s not just the opening scene that harkens back to The Elder Scrolls. Combat, whether you prefer melee, ranged or magical has a similar if somewhat more visceral feeling to it. You still swing, block and cast like in Skyrim, but there are nuanced additions like perfect parry, dodging and greater spell variety that breathe new life into the refined combat. Some of the elements work better than others – group combat is frantic and somewhat frustrating as it can overwhelm ranged playstyles a bit too easily and those relying on stamina for attacks seem to tire a bit too quickly, but those are quibbles about a system that is by and large a good deal more fun than the average Elder Scrolls game.

That is not to say every gameplay element is perfect or even really an upgrade over the tried-and-true Elder Scrolls formula. Crafting and fishing and such are alive and well, but there’s not much nuance to them. They’re helpful, sure – but they’re not particularly interesting and it can be a bit challenging sometimes to find a specific recipe item as the UI doesn’t necessarily do much to hold your hand. Also, while I liked the art design itself, with a score of macabre Diablo vibe to it, there are visual glitches (screen tears, objects falling through floors, bodies that sit at angles they shouldn’t) that occur more often than I’d like to see. Characters look good at a glance, but facial movements and details don’t hold up to close scrutiny but man… the landscapes are amazing at times.

It is also worth calling out that this is an RPG and with it comes some decision-making, but outside some very specific important decisions, most of the time your choices don’t really matter much outside of the flavor of the text that follows. That’s somewhat disappointing in a game that advertises ‘meaningful choices woven into complex, branching storyline’. Thankfully the writing, the lore and frankly some of the quests themselves are done well enough that I didn’t mind that most of the choices made along the way seemed more superficial than not. 

Minor rough edges aside, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an incredible experience. It would be easy to glance at it and think this is an indie Skyrim or something of that nature, but once you start to play it readily becomes apparent that there’s so much more to this game. There are numerous ways to play the game and often multiple ways to complete quests, while the deep, rich lore is well-represented in both the writing as well as the graphics. For a relatively small development team, what they have churned out is broodingly beautiful, incredibly imaginative and most of all exciting to play.

Score: 8.75 of 10  


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Sequel to Dungeon Crawler 'HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon' Releasing in 2026

Montpellier, France – June 2, 2025 | French independent developer Ars Goetia and publisher Dear Villagers are proud to reveal HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon. The sequel to the demonic Dungeon Crawler will release in 2026.


After a first successful collaboration with Dear Villagers’ sister branch, PiD Games, solo developer Baptiste Miny (Ars Goetia) wanted to delve deeper into the handcrafted Demon World he has given life to with Hellslave, and to celebrate this announcement, Ars Goetia and Dear Villagers are delighted to share that Hellslave, the first game in the franchise, is free to collect for a limited time on Steam, during Dear Villagers’ Publisher Sale on Steam, starting today, until June 16. The Publisher Sale also features discounts on other great experiences published by Dear Villagers, such as Caravan SandWitch, Fabledom or The Forgotten City.

With the aim of keeping what made the first installment successful, Miny now wishes to offer a more immersive, more open and more ambitious experience.

“I’m thrilled to offer a new HellSlave experience with a deeper, bigger and better designed game.” said Baptiste Miny, solo developer on the game. 
“HellSlave II is the result of listening to the players while trying to surprise them and offer them even more than they could expect.”

In the same way as its predecessor, HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon will be a dungeon crawler, in which players will have to put an end to the eternal conflict waged by 6 Demon lords. In a demonic twist of fate, demonic powers will await players, but their use will come at a terrible cost as the Heaven has granted a last reprieve to humanity after sending the Archon of Judgement to wipe out the Demon lords and humans alike.

In each of their runs in HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon, players will have the opportunity to discover a deeper narration, enriched gameplay features, and handcrafted art more detailed than ever, all wrapped in a grim dungeon crawler gameplay experience.

KEY FEATURES

Customize Your Damnation

Start as a Warrior or Sorcerer and specialize in six deadly classes from spectral assassins to plague-bearing mages. Mix and match powers in a flexible talent tree and forge your path through fire and fury.

Turn-Based Combat with a Time Twist

Plan every move carefully with a unique time-based combat system. Each skill takes real-time seconds to execute, forcing you to balance aggression and survival in every brutal fight.



Explore a World on the Brink

Walk inside the map to travel an immersive overworld/underworld and explore cursed dungeons, ruined villages, and sanctuaries. Every location is filled with lore, secrets, and NPCs clinging to the last threads of hope.

Fight or Be Forgotten

Face hordes of monstrous enemies and hellish bosses. Use active powers and passive talents to unleash devastating combos and ride the edge between light and complete corruption.


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About Ars Goetia

Ars Goetia explores and narrates tales of the dark atmosphere lingering in the Demon World. The studio has shaped and designed stories and experiences from this twisted universe, such as Blind Prophet – Blood of the Apostle and Hellslave which were both praised for their art direction. Ars Goetia is a solo endeavor founded by Baptiste Miny and is now on the path of its next tale: HellSlave II: Judgement of the Archon, set to release in 2026.

About Dear Villagers

Based in the South of France, in sunny Montpellier, we are a boutique publishing label composed of a team of twenty people. Open-minded and versatile, Dear Villagers offers handcrafted marketing and production guidance. Our mission: We tell memorable stories through memorable games.
Article by: Susan N.
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