Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a very good brawler that provides a large roster of characters, excellent pixel art visuals and plenty of replayability. It’s a rather short beat-‘em-up...
Escape Simulator 2 is a fantastic escape room game developed by Pine Studio. The sequel has new exciting locations, challenging puzzles, and an updated room editor.
Purrrifiers: Cleaning Chaos is a goofy clean-up game that has you battling the forces of dirt, grime, and weird characters asking for some really weird things.
Mistonia's Hope: The Lost Delight is a fantasy based Otome visual novel that dives you into a world of Humans, Fairies and Revenge! This story follows our beautiful protagonist Rose...
Freemind S.A. has extended their building simulation games (another reviewed here) into the country of Egypt where a fellow author and myself would love to visit. Welcome to Egypt Frontiers where you, a master builder...
Seventy-ish logged hours later (so far), I have been reminded anew that my veneration of this franchise is nothing short of completely deserved, and that if I can count on one thing in this world, it’s that I will inevitably find myself obsessively pulled into whatever latest little quaint town Marvelous USA has graciously bestowed upon us.
Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed is a game based on a Netflix cartoon series. I never knew about it until I reviewed this game, so I am unsure whether the game is anything like the show, but I can tell you what I do know, having played it.
It's 2008. I'm halfway through my second college certification which will propel me onto my career path. My PC is getting older, it's not running the software I need. Sacred 2, which I've been waiting on forever to come out after playing the original Sacred and its expansion, is here.
The long awaited sequel to Moonlighter is finally here after many years in development as well as a slight delay from the original release date. Digital Sun launched Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault into early access and I'm loving what I'm seeing so far.
24th July, 2025 | Step into the smoke-filled alleys of a city drowning in secrets. Obsidian Moon, a text-based detective adventure set in the 1930s, has just been revealed with an announcement trailer. Created by Lost Cabinet Games, the title promises a psychological descent into a series of murders that tie into a growing, otherworldly conspiracy hidden beneath the city’s surface.
As Carter, a once-respected homicide detective haunted by grief and failure, you’ll be asked to solve a string of interconnected cases through logic, instinct, and the steady collapse of your own sanity.
Armed with vintage forensics, gritty intuition, and limited time, you’ll follow leads, interrogate suspects, and make costly choices that may bring you closer to the truth, or break you entirely.
“We wanted to build a detective game that gives players true investigative freedom, not just to solve the case, but to lose themselves in the process’’, said Game Director, Yannis Antonakakis
‘’The entire design is built around one question: what if all the clues were laid out in front of you, and the only thing standing between order and chaos was your mind?”
Inspired by Lovecraftian horror, 1930s noir, and Mediterranean chthonic mythologies, Obsidian Moon melds storytelling with genre-bending mechanics that echo titles like Stacklands, Papers, Please, and Cultist Simulator. Every case is a story. Every choice leaves a scar.
Key Gameplay Features:
10 sinister murder cases that converge into a wider conspiracy, bound by blood, shadow, and secrets.
Player-driven investigation – interrogate witnesses, run forensic reports, dig into criminal records… or use your magnum to extract a confession (seriously don't do this)
A noir descent into madness – choose between stability or spiraling; every lead costs you time, money… and maybe your mind.
Multiple modes – including a Hardcore permadeath mode and immersive Noir black-and-white filter.
Three narrative lenses – track the crumbling psyche of Carter, the reactions of Chief O’Hara, and the naive wonder of your partner, “The Kid.”
About Lost Cabinet Games:
Lost Cabinet Games was born out of love for video games. We long for the magic that made the early days of gaming truly special and for the thrills of future technology.
Our vision is to create transcending experiences for all players, by carrying on the essence the 80's and 90's video games and projecting it boldly into the future.
July 24th, 2025 | Scottish-German indie studio Yaldi Games have just announced the early access release date for their super cute and cozy foraging adventure, Out and About! It will be adventuring to PC via Steam on the 7th of August.
‘Only One Cozy PC Game Will Help You Identify Plants In Real Life’ - Robin Bea, Inverse
The game by Scottish-German studio Yaldi Games is all about the magic of real-life plants!
Learn to identify and gather 100+ real wild plants and fungi (50+ in early access!), cook tasty recipes, master herbal remedies, and rebuild your community after a devastating storm.
Features:
Identify and forage real-life plants and fungi in the wild, learning their uses and how to tell them apart!
Learn about sustainability and how to take only what you need!
Cook 150+ delicious recipes and useful herbal remedies (90+ in early access), with step-by-step instructions to make them in real life!
Explore an open natural world around the town, from dense forests and wide grasslands to beautiful coastal beaches and wetlands!
Make friends with the charming characters around the town and become part of the community!
Customize your character and discover different hairstyles and outfits!
About the Game
Harness the power of nature to rebuild your home in Out and About, a cozy foraging adventure that raised 380% of its goal on Kickstarter! A storm has blown through your childhood home, the sleepy town of Portobello. To help this little community get back on its feet, you’ll need to learn all about the wild surrounding landscape.
Learn to identify 100+ plants and fungi (50+ in early access!) – knowledge that carries over into real life! Explore a gorgeously wild open world. Forage for ingredients, cook recipes, and form deep friendships with the town's residents, who are slowly coming together as a community striving for sustainability.
Enrich your life with an ever-growing knowledge of plants, mushrooms, recipes, herbalism and more!
About the Developers:
Yaldi Games is a Scottish and German-based indie studio with a mission to craft hobby games infused with real, actionable knowledge that enriches players' lives. They are currently working on their debut title, foraging adventure Out and About, after a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over 380% of its goal.
Jack Wall is considered the primary composer for the outstanding Mass Effect 2 soundtrack, with additional contributions from Sam Hulick, David Kates and Jimmy Hinson. However, Jack’s fingerprints are all over this fantastic title’s music. Jack’s discography includes a couple of traditional television and film credits, but his video game contributions are considerably more pronounced.
Dating back to the third-person shooter Vigilance for PC by SegaSoft in 1998, Jack’s credits include Myst III and IV, The Mark of Kri, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Jade Empire, several Call of Duty titles and the first two Mass Effect games. There’s a theme here of big, bombastic franchises and Jack’s music perfectly encompasses these often-massive set pieces within action-heavy games. However, unlike the Call of Duty titles that Jack crafted, Mass Effects 1 and 2 both have orchestral tones complimented by electronic elements that compliment the science fiction setting.
This is never truer than Mass Effect 2, which also happens to be one of my favorite titles ever, let alone action-RPG titles (the theme of this month’s Memorable Music). The music swells and is bombastic during scenes with lots of action but knows how to be soft and subtle during many of its more emotional moments as well. For me no song is more memorable in Mass Effect 2 than Suicide Run (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLsw&rco=1), which evokes numerous emotions when paired with the game’s events near the end.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been playing a game with some friends that is free to play. It is none other than Genshin Impact which has some of the most beautifully composed music I’ve heard in a video game. There have been several moments while running around figuring out how to level up artifacts and characters to complete a story mission that I’ve commented about the music in this game. Each region has a distinct theme, and along with the theme is music that fits the area. In total, there are seven nations in Teyvat which are: Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya. Those seven nations are inspired by real world places and their music. Monstadt is based off of Germany because of its unique architecture, Liyue is modelled after China, Inazuma is reminiscent of Japan, Sumeru is inspired by the Middle East, Fontaine is definitely modelled off of France, Natlan is said to be based off the Philippines, and Snezhnaya is inspired by Russia.
Given each nation’s inspiration comes unique music throughout the region being explored. The composer Yu-Peng Chen (aka Chen Zhiyi) produced the soundtrack for Genshin Impact under the in-house music studio HOYO-MiX. Chen made it a point to mix traditional folk music with western arrangements to facilitate the diverse locations in the game. Thus, the music uses the tin whistle, medieval style lutes, and piano. Although it has evolved over time, HOYO-MiX now consists of several composers who have been featured on different albums for Genshin Impact. The man who is responsible for much of the early game music departed the HOYO-MiX team to pursue his own musical dreams.
With that in mind, I’ve found myself drawn to several tracks from the Mondstadt and Liyue regions. For one Mondstadt Starlit, the Dawn Winery Theme, and Flows like Jade Water are all beautifully crafted songs that I love, but they are certainly not the only ones. See, I’ve recently stepped into The Chasm and the main theme of the area is quite memorable, especially since it has a quiet piano and violin melody to accompany you on your journey. Another area with rich music is Sumeru as it features a Middle Eastern sound that I really enjoy. All you have to do is listen to the Sumeru theme to hear what I mean.
Honestly, there are so many amazing tracks in Genshin Impact that I’m impressed. Although the game may have some flaws, the music is fantastic and I can’t help but get drawn in by it.
This is an incredibly tough pick for me since there are so many great options, but if I were forced to choose a game that’s had the most soundtrack stuck in my head for the longest, I’d have to go with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. I believe we’ve discussed Falcom’s music team being absolutely amazing, but I really think they hit it out of the park with Ys VIII. From really heartfelt pieces that’ll pull on your heartstrings, the amazing battle themes, great area themes, and a final dungeon theme that WON’T. LEAVE. MY. HEAD.
Seriously though, probably about 70% of the soundtrack is permanently on loop in my brain. While Ys titles have always been amazing audio wise, there’s just something about Lacrimosa of Dana that really hits home with me. There’s not much I can say other than Yukihiro Jindo makes soundtracks that reflect the nature of the scene so well it’s honestly astounding. There have been some games I’ve bought just because the soundtrack is amazing, and honestly Ys VIII would be one of them if I weren’t already invested in the Ys franchise.
Granada, Spain – July 24, 2025 | WildSphere is pleased (or perhaps we should say, revels) to announce the launch of its next horror masterpiece: OXIDE Room 208. This frantic body-horror that promises to turn your worst fears into reality, will arrive digitally tomorrow on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series, Steam and GOG.
Get ready to spend $29.95€ on PC and $34.95€ on consoles and a few screams of horror for a visceral, raw, and unique experience that will leave you breathless...
But that's not all, collectors of the macabre are also in luck! Tesura Games joins the carnage to bring an OXIDE Room 208 Collector's and Standard Editions for PlayStation 5 this Halloween. Stay very, very tuned, because the exact details will be sent to you very soon.
Warning: OXIDE Room 208 is a demented, intense, visceral, and unforgiving experience. If you are a sensitive person, play in public spaces, or plan to stream your game live, be sure to activate "Safe Mode for Streaming" before you start playing. Dare to cross Door 208... if you dare. Stay in touch, horror fans!
Visit WildSphere's social media for more information about Oxide Room 208, gameplay videos, development anecdotes, and much more.
Introduction/Brief Summary
Eight people trapped in an old laboratory find themselves caught up in sinister circumstances as they try to survive their final moments in this action-packed, terrifying body horror game full of gore and madness. Immerse yourself in a nightmare where the boundary between flesh and insanity blurs. Oxide Room 208 challenges you to face your fears in a dark and twisted environment.
Chronology of a massacre. THE STORY
Oxide Room 208 tells the story of eight people who are trapped by the ruthless Doc and forced to be connected to his experiment, Oxide. This dark and twisted place is controlled by Eva, an innocent victim used by Doc in his cruel research to turn her into the host of the experiment. However, Eva's sanity has reached its limit, causing the experiment to spiral out of control and create an organic, hellish environment that transcends reality. Now everyone is trapped in this nightmare filled with grotesque creatures and dangers, inspired by an old motel and the underground laboratory facilities where many atrocities were committed in the name of science. If you want to survive the night, find door 208 and go through it at all costs.
Dissecting the victims (the usual suspects)
Two shady characters trying to shoot a dirty movie with an undercover cop, a cannibal hiker and his fiancée, a rock legend searching for answers, a half-naked madman who seems to feel right at home down there, and two famous streamers from a well-known horror channel will be the perfect victims for the twisted creatures that roam the corridors of Doc's facility, and he has no qualms with mutilate their flesh and twist their memories until they are consumed and nothing remains, keeping hidden his terrible secret and his questionable and unethical experiment.
We all have some secret we can't tell anyone. So don't trust anyone! Some of those present have a much more sinister motive than just escaping from there alive.
When a character dies, there’s a good chance you will see them again, but they will have changed for the worse. Avoid the revenants at all costs!
** All characters in Oxide Room 208 are real actors and actresses digitized using motion capture techniques.
Explore different, eerie environments: Survive your journey through the forest, avoid the creatures lurking in the old mine, enter the underground laboratory where the experiment went haywire, or try to escape with your life through the greenhouse or the old motel while the rest of the survivors rot in the containment cells. Try different paths to avoid deadly encounters or find the armory and let the massacre begin. Visit seven different horror-filled locations that will make your hair stand on end.
Creatures Born of Nightmares
You are not the only one living in hell. The facilities are teeming with grotesque abominations, creatures born of chaos that defy reason. Their murderous intelligence and stealthy movements will relentlessly pursue you. Every encounter with these beings is a blow to the senses, a reminder that terror lurks around every corner, waiting to devour your last glimmer of hope.
When certain creatures see you, they will relentlessly pursue you throughout the facility. But don't just run blindly, because you might end up running into something even worse.
With art focused on the bodyhorror genre and over a dozen different types of foes, Oxide Room 208 will test your sanity.
The Fight for Survival
More than just a game, Oxide Room 208 is an immersive survival experience. Interaction with the environment is visceral: you manage your weapons and resources realistically, feeling every shudder in your hands as you take hold of your destiny. The camera, constantly shifting between the up-close first-person view and the expansiveness of third-person view, gives you a brutally intense experience of every moment.
KEY FEATURES:
Nine Real Characters: Each character is based on actors who were digitally captured using motion capture and facial scanning. Forget simple skins; their stories, scars, and secrets blaze the trail into the unknown.
Organic and chilling environments: From the grim motel hallways to sinister experimental facilities, every location is filled with details that will immerse you in horror.
Immersive dual perspective: Switch between first and third person to experience the horror from every angle and get the most out of your adventures in Oxide Room 208 with photo mode.
Cutting-edge technology: Unreal Engine 5 revolutionizes every scene with ray tracing, stunning dynamic lighting, and realism that will blur the line between fiction and reality.
Top-notch soundtrack and effects: With an exclusive vocal track by legendary rock band Sôber and a playlist curated by the talented ANBR music, we'll prove that rock and horror go hand in hand. Plus, both will be playable characters (ANBR music as Samael Tselios and Carlos Escobedo as Carlos Miller). You’ll experience all this in a terrifying atmosphere filled with sounds and effects that will remind you that you're not alone down there and that something could always jump out of the shadows.
Any last words before entering...?
If you think you have what it takes to face humanity's worst, stare into the abyss and not blink, and dig into a brutally honest storyline, you've come to the right place. Oxide Room 208 is a meat grinder, a space for anyone without fear of being consumed by darkness. The experience is intense, visceral, and unforgiving. Step through Door 208... if you dare to cross over.
WildSphere is a small, indie videogame studio with more than 12 years of experience in the industry. Among their most important titles are “Oxide Room 104”, "Gigantosaurus: The Game", "Timothy vs The Aliens, and “Naught”, publishing on many platforms, including the two latest generations of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.
July, 2025 | Finally, RuneQuest becomes a video game. For the first time ever, PC gamers will be able to dive into the original and iconic fantasy world of RuneQuest, the legendary tabletop RPG first published in 1978 by Chaosium, with a turn based strategy game.
RuneQuest: Warlords is a turn-based strategy game that brings the rich and myth-infused universe of Glorantha to life like never before. Developed by Slitherine and Virtuos with deep respect for the original RPG, the game transports players into a fantasy setting unlike any other — one inspired not by medieval clichés, but by the mysticism, warfare, and tribal cultures of the Bronze Age.
Slitherine has just unveiled the first gameplay footage, showcasing a faithful adaptation of the RuneQuest mythos through deep strategic mechanics, faction-based warfare, and rich narrative elements. Fans of the classic RPG and newcomers alike will find a world shaped by gods, myths, and runes — not just as sources of magic, but as fundamental forces that define identity, culture, and destiny itself.
Set in the rich and immersive world of Glorantha, RuneQuest: Warlords takes players on an epic 18-mission campaign filled with heroism, sacrifice, and brutal conflict. Players lead a tribal champion from Talastar as they forge alliances — even with unlikely factions — to repel the relentless Chaos invasion from Dorastor. RuneQuest: Warlords brings an original vision of fantasy to the strategy genre, blending deep tactical gameplay with the soul of a living myth. Fans of lore-rich worlds, tactical battles, and narrative-driven strategy games won't want to miss this.
RuneQuest: Warlords Core Elements
A world driven by myth, not tropes: Glorantha isn’t your typical fantasy land. Its conflicts are steeped in myth and legend, where belief shapes reality and every war has cosmic meaning.
The power of Runes: These aren’t just magical symbols — they’re the core of who you are. Your alignment with specific Runes influences everything from your people’s culture to your warriors' abilities and your place in the grand tapestry of the world.
Heroism beyond the sword: You're not just a warlord — you're a champion of your people. The game explores deep themes of struggle, identity, and divine favor, as your characters rise through the ranks not just through might, but through mythic deeds and spiritual allegiance.
Do you want to test and taste the magic of RuneQuest: Warlords? Click here to enter the closed beta, and help Slitherine to forge the game.
More details, including release plans, will be revealed soon - stay tuned!
The Slitherine Group is the world’s leading producer and publisher of digital strategy and wargames. Under the Slitherine (www.slitherine.com) and Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) brands it has published literally hundreds of games, with many award-winning titles in its portfolio and spanning all digital platforms, from home consoles to PC. Slitherine also works with a wide array of key licensing partners, such as NBC Universal®, Games Workshop®, Sony Pictures, BBC, Osprey, and many others.
About Virtuos
Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest independent video game development companies. We are headquartered in Singapore with offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Specializing in full-cycle game development and art production, we have delivered high-quality content for more than 1,500 console, PC, and mobile games. Our clients include 23 of the top 25 gaming companies worldwide. Visit www.virtuosgames.com to find out how we can make games better, together.
Volmi is a Virtuos studio since 2022.
About Chaosium
Chaosium was founded by visionary game designer Greg Stafford in 1975. For more than forty years, Chaosium has captivated gamers, readers and mythic adventurers worldwide.
Their award-winning roleplaying games, board games, and fiction are praised as being some of the most engaging and innovative of all time.
LONDON, ONTARIO – July 19, 2025 | Digital Extremes celebrated 10 years of TennoCon with a milestone event today attended by thousands of guests and streamed live to millions of fans around the world. Join 85+ million other players and embark on the road ahead for Warframe, starting with the full gameplay reveal of The Old Peace, the next major Quest and Narrative Chapter launching for free on all platforms this year, packaged with a new Side Story, The Devil's Triad, featuring a devil-themed Warframe and new Protoframes. Keep the stars in sight and pave the way for the 2026 Narrative Chapter, Tau, also teased in TennoCon’s finale.
Other reveals included a look at Caliban Prime Access coming soon, an untitled Fall update introducing a new player Mod tutorial Quest, The Teacher, as well as a Fall closed beta for Warframe on Android. Digital Extremes also unveiled that Warframe is arriving on the tabletop RPG scene with Warframe x Starfinder: Operation Orias in partnership with Paizo and offered another peek at the Valkyr Heirloom Collection, launching July 21.
"Ten years of TennoCon is such a mind-boggling thing to say out loud,” said Rebecca Ford, Creative Director of Warframe. “When we first started this celebration event back in 2016, we had no idea it would grow to what it is today. Our community is everything to us; we wouldn’t be here without them. To be able to continue TennoCon and bring together more players in person from around the world and treat them to the latest announcements, hijinks, and simply celebrate the world of Warframe is a privilege we don’t take for granted. The 10th TennoCon has been a deeply special, unforgettable journey. We want to thank our community to Tau and back for joining us on this monumental milestone. See you all next year!”
Notable reveals made during Digital Extremes’ annual community celebration include:
THE OLD PEACE (2025): To take hold of the future, you must awaken the past in Warframe’s next major Narrative Chapter. Revisit a period of tenuous peace between the Sentients and Orokin while uncovering notable features arriving:
Main Quest, The Old Peace: Think far back and remember the long-forgotten tale of Tau, a childhood Sentient friend named Adis, as well as the war-scarring conflict between the Orokin, their creations, and a coalition of Dax Anarch Warriors upon the Perita moon.
Side Story, The Devil's Triad: Welcome a new trio of characters – Father Lyon Allard (Protoframe of Harrow), Marie Leroux (Protoframe of Wisp), and Uriel (the new devil-themed Warframe) – in cinematic style within a Side Story, arriving alongside The Old Peace.
New Enemy Faction: Walk a fragile line during a tumultuous moment of harmony and discover who is friend and foe. What starts as a rebellion of Dax Anarchs could cause alliances to cascade and put into question how deep this Old Peace really went.
Operator Remaster: Gaze upon the Operator’s graphically remastered character models and cosmetic assets to improve their visual fidelity, including new facial animations, and aligning with Warframe’s latest assets. TennoCon attendees caught the first glimpse of this remaster in The Old Peace gameplay reveal.
Tauron Focus Expansion: Study up for the upcoming Focus expansion, introducing a new ultimate ability for the Operator. More details to come around this feature expansion in future Devstreams.
Original Song Released Today: Remember the sorrow of our forgotten Sentient childhood friend, Adis, with his heartfelt song, 'Lullaby of the Manifold,' now on YouTube. This somber, hauntingly beautiful track was first heard in The Old Peace gameplay reveal and will be available on most major music streaming platforms on July 21.
VALKYR HEIRLOOM COSMETIC (JULY 21, 2025): Valkyr, the tormented experiment, aims to make witnesses go berserk hot off the heels of her recent gameplay rework with a new Heirloom Collection available July 21 in collaboration with community artist Pertti Bahaa.
WARFRAME X STARFINDER TABLETOP COLLAB (OCTOBER 2025): In partnership with acclaimed tabletop RPG developer Paizo, Warframe x Starfinder: Operation Orias will bring the surreal sci-fi world of Warframe to tabletops everywhere this October. Eager fans will have the opportunity to learn more information and get a small slice of the adventure at GenCon from the Paizo booth (July 31 - Aug. 3 in Indianapolis, IN). For more information, including purchase details for digital and physical versions, please see the dedicated webpage on Paizo’s website.
UNTITLED FALL UPDATE (FALL 2025): Digital Extremes continues its commitment to the new player experience in Warframe, with a new Mod tutorial Quest, The Teacher, developed in collaboration with Sumo Digital. The 62nd Warframe, a long-awaited Oberon rework, a fresh Lavos deluxe skin, among other quality-of-life improvements, arrive with this update. Tune into the September Devstream for more information.
ANDROID CLOSED BETA (FALL 2025): Equip your cellular devices and prepare for the upcoming closed beta for Warframe on Android this Fall. Sign up for the closed beta playtest now via the Warframe on Android webpage. More info on the full launch on compatible Android devices will be available later this year.
CALIBAN PRIME ACCESS (COMING SOON): Featured in TennoCon’s gameplay demo trapped in stasis, Caliban Prime arrives soon before The Old Peace launches. Relive the glorious might and gold-trim style of the Orokin Empire alongside new Prime weapons and accessories later this year.
TAU (2026): The Old Peace propels Warframe’s current “Void War” story arc into full speed, setting the stage for the monumental Tau Narrative Chapter to explore in 2026.
For a comprehensive rundown on Digital Extremes’ Warframe announcements, TennoCon giveaways, digital player rewards, and official merch, visit the official event website and Warframe news hub webpage, as well as keep an eye on our Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Twitter/X accounts.
*Warframe is available in the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop and is playable on the new console via forward compatibility from the original Nintendo Switch. For more information on Warframe for Nintendo Switch 2, visit the Nintendo Switch forums.
About Warframe
Warframe® has evolved the looter-shooter genre since its debut on PC in 2013, becoming a multi-generational game with more than 85+ million registered players across multiple console and mobile platforms. In this free sci-fi epic, players join an ancient class of warriors, the Tenno, and fight their way through an ever-expanding universe of over 18 planets and more than 60 Warframes, with four open worlds to discover. With unrivaled customization, an intriguing narrative, and one of the most welcoming communities in gaming, players can define their playstyle and become an unstoppable force with a squad. Warframe’s success has led to the creation of TennoCon, where thousands of fans descend upon the heart of Digital Extremes’ creative operations in London, Ontario, annually to discover the future of the game. For more information about Warframe, please visit: www.warframe.com.
About Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes ranks among the world's top video game development studios. Originating more than 30 years ago with the co-creation of Epic Games' multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio develops its games using its proprietary Evolution Engine and has reached critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game Warframe®, supporting a global community of 85+ million registered players across all major gaming platforms. Alongside Warframe, which is in its 12th year of operation, Digital Extremes is currently developing Soulframe®. Based in London, Ontario, Digital Extremes has been named a Top 100 Employer in Canada for 15 consecutive years by MediaCorp Canada and was recognized with a 2025 lifetime achievement award of Corporate Icon by the London Chamber of Commerce for its contributions to community engagement and leadership. For more information about Digital Extremes and its products, visit www.digitalextremes.com.
I don’t work out… much… but if I did, these are the tunes I’d want blasting during an evening lifting session.
Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing | Pride of San Jacinto
Whatever happened to racing games featuring such wildly catchy and memorable music? I probably wouldn’t have even known about Reverend Horton Heat if it weren’t for this gem.
There’s something magical about watching your Hot Wheels car pull off a loop-the-loop while this rockabilly banger kicks in. I’ve got a diecast of Way 2 Fast on my shelf—and every time I glance at it, this tune starts playing in my head. No joke.
Okay, maybe it’s not your typical gym track, but if Madeleine Wood’s soaring vocals and B-BANDJ’s robotic lines don’t push you into doing one more rep, I honestly don’t know what will. Dramatic? Absolutely. Effective? Without a doubt.
If every gym played this on loop, I swear every single person would walk out shredded. Forget steroids and protein shakes—just cue up BFG Division and watch the gains roll in. Pure, primal power.
Not as explosive as the others, but perfect for warm-ups or slower, controlled sets. “Rust” has a smooth, determined energy—just enough momentum to keep you moving while you prep for the heavier stuff.
21 JULY 2025 | Belgian Indie Studio Happy Volcano is cranking the conveyor belts into overdrive for Steam Automation Fest (July 14-21), bringing its modular factory sim Modulus front and center with its recently updated demo, a brand new creator program, and the reveal of its Early Access launch date: Oct 22, 2025. With over 100.000 wishlists, 42.000 demo downloads, and a 96% Very Positive rating on Steam, Modulus has quietly built a serious reputation, one voxel at a time.
Mark Your Calendars: Early Access Launches October 22nd
Steam Automation Fest marks the final stretch before Modulus enters Early Access this October. Players can look forward to:
The Tech Tree - Unlock new islands, upgrades, and tools with Data Shards.
Advanced Systems - Sorters, Warehouses, new Drone deliveries, and deeper logic automation.
Cosmetics & Customisation - More visual flair, more creative freedom.
Player-Led Goals - Module challenges, weekly prompts, and build-your-way gameplay.
Want to get involved? Join the Happy Volcano Creator Program!
We’re also proud to launch the Happy Volcano Creator Program, open to Twitch streamers, YouTubers, TikTokers, writers and community hosts. The goal? To celebrate creativity and grow together, across Modulus, You Suck at Parking, and The Almost Gone, plus all future projects (🤫 shh there may be a surprise coming your way).
Early access to updates
Exclusive merch
Creator-only giveaways
Dev Q&As & collab invites
Shoutouts, support, and co-stream visibility
👉👉 Apply to be added to the Happy Volcano Creator Program 👈👈
Modulus is a relaxing sandbox factory sim where you don’t just solve problems, you design the components that make up the solution. Using operators like Cutters, Stampers and Assemblers, players craft 3D modules that physically form the voxel-art buildings that make up their sprawling factories.
There are no enemies, no timers and absolutely no failure states! Just you, your machines and the deeply satisfying hum of artistic problem solving.
Key Features
Design the Pieces, Not Just the Puzzle – Create modules from raw materials, then use them to construct massive structures that visibly grow from your creations.
Automate with Purpose – Build to fulfill objectives from the Colony, or forge your own path when a mysterious signal challenges your directive.
Modular Visual Payoff – Your factories don’t produce abstract data. Every module you make appears in the buildings you construct, block by block.
Peaceful Production – No combat. No timers. Just deeply satisfying, stress-free automation.
Creative Mode – Break free from objectives and build voxel wonders with unlimited resources and tools.
A Meditative Factory Game – Shape beautiful, efficient systems in a game that prizes creativity, experimentation, and flow.
New Parts on the Line: Demo Update Highlights
Just like the factories in Modulus, the game itself is constantly evolving. After journeying through the playtest conveyor belt, the demo has seen major upgrades, shaped directly by community feedback.
Here’s what’s new:
New Systems – Paint production via Dye Mixer and Oil Rigs; pigment-based buildings
Updated Map – Additional oil and polyrock resource zones
New Models – Harvester Pad with updated footprint
Tutorial Overhaul – Fully revised to reflect new mechanics and build on feedback
Operator Improvements – Visual feedback, shortcut keys, and a new Counter operator
Quality-of-Life Features – Highlight valid resource nodes, delete foliage, rotate operators more easily
Art & Performance Upgrades – Improved animations, foliage, textures, and VFX
Creative Mode – Fully unlocked sandbox with no resource limits
This is the game's biggest update yet, offering deeper mechanics and even more ways to express your factory-building style. You can read the full patch notes on Steam.
About Happy Volcano
Happy Volcano is an award-winning, remote-first game studio based in Belgium with a tight-knit team of just 11 senior specialists. Backed by Hiro Capital and Sir Ian Livingstone, known for crafting bold, innovative games with original mechanics and lasting appeal. Their past titles include the critically acclaimed You Suck at Parking® and The Almost Gone.
Currently developing Modulus, a meditative factory automation game that combines creative expression with strategic depth. Happy Volcano believes in inclusive collaboration, sustainable production, and building games that surprise & delight players around the world.
LONDON, ONTARIO – July 19, 2025 | Digital Extremes held its latest Soulframe Devstream live from its 10th annual TennoCon. The development team behind the upcoming free-to-play fantasy action RPG revealed some details about Soulframe.
Additional reveals included a full look at the Bromius Omen Beast boss fight, a new enemy named Wazzard of Wastes, and the hazardous Neath’uns underbelly. The team also highlighted plans for enhanced character customization and a vision for what combat progression will look like in future Preludes updates.
“Over a year now of players going hands-on with Soulframe in our Preludes pre-alpha builds, we’ve learned so many lessons and built a lot of new features for us as a studio,” said Geoff Crookes, Creative Director of Soulframe. “After last TennoCon, we put a huge amount of effort into improving combat fluidity and continued that passionate work into exploring brand new features like player social hubs, asynchronous player messaging with World Trees, among so many other additions. Today, we shared what the latest additions to our next Preludes build would be and beyond. We promise to all existing and future players to keep trying new things outside our comfort zone and work with you to create something we’ve all been looking for.”
SOULFRAME ACCESS FOR ALL: Digital Extremes invites all players interested in the game to join its growing community. Create an account at Soulframe.com by July 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET to secure an Envoy name and explore all content and adventures Soulframe Preludes currently has to offer. Players can continue to access Soulframe Preludes until the game’s full public launch. Once the open sign-up window has closed, players may still sign up, but will wait in the sign-up queue until additional access is available.
NEW ENEMY, WAZZARD OF WASTES: Seek out the source of the rot within the heart of the Galvinar swamp, the Wazzard of Wastes. Today’s gameplay demo showcased this magical mini-boss with a fresh look at Magick-focused combat, featuring a fresh parry feature capable of reflecting projectiles back at the tainted thaumaturge.
BROMIUS BOSS FIGHT / NEATH’UNS ENVIRONMENT: After its initial tease, TennoCon attendees and viewers were treated to the next Omen Beast boss fight: Bromius. Explore the Neath’uns underground full of corrupted Sproutfolk and environmental puzzles hindering the rehabilitation of the mutated three-headed Bromius from sinister whispers within the dark, tainted sap.
CHARACTER HAIR CUSTOMIZATION: The first set of hairstyles available for players to customize their Envoy was showcased by the development team. Eight different hairstyle cosmetics are in production, with additional customizations for Envoys to emblazon themselves still to come.
CUSTOMIZED COMBAT PROGRESSION: Inspired by historical medieval martial arts manuals, the Soulframe team shared a stylistic and customizable approach to skill progression and combat techniques to suit individual playstyle preferences. Viable offensive and defensive build options can be mixed and matched from close-range melee focused on creating space with dodges, ranged damage that can close the gap with timed parries, to more supportive roles, and other combinations.
This progression approach allows individuals to tailor their Envoy’s strengths to their preferred playstyle and becomes additive to situational party composition makeups when playing with others cooperatively across a variety of encounters.
Soulframe® is an upcoming free-to-play open-world fantasy adventure from Digital Extremes and the imaginative minds behind the genre-defining Warframe®. Heavily influenced by themes of nature and restoration, Soulframe® promises a personal journey of discovery through a handcrafted world. Explore an ancient, broken land and inherit the courage, spirit, and grace of Ancestors to mend earthly flesh and heal its land from Ode’n reign. Players can sign up on the official game website for a chance to play an early test build of the game. For more information about Soulframe®, please visit: www.soulframe.com.
About Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes ranks among the world's top video game development studios. Originating more than 30 years ago with the co-creation of Epic Games' multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise, Digital Extremes went on to develop Dark Sector®, BioShock® for the PlayStation®3, the BioShock 2 multiplayer campaign, and The Darkness® II. The studio develops its games using its proprietary Evolution Engine and reached critical and commercial success with the free-to-play action game Warframe®, supporting a global community of 85+ million registered players across all major gaming platforms. Alongside Warframe - which is in its 12th year of operation, Digital Extremes is currently developing Soulframe®. Based in London, Ontario, Digital Extremes has been named a Top 100 Employer in Canada for 15 consecutive years by MediaCorp Canada and was recognized with a 2025 lifetime achievement award of Corporate Icon by the London Chamber of Commerce for its contributions to community engagement and leadership. For more information about Digital Extremes and its products, visit www.digitalextremes.com.
Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a valiant attempt at resurrecting what was a fantastic game from nearly two decades ago, but the actual enhancements feel somewhat spartan at times. There’s a handful of welcome updates, but this title seems to miss the mark, as I think it will at times frustrate original fans of the title while doing little to pull in new fans as well.
The original Neverwinter Nights was one of the most memorable games I have experienced in my four-plus decades of video gaming. I was in love with the story, the soundtrack continues to be one of my favorites even today and I spent oodles of time scratching my creative itch playing in its module community back in the day. Oddly enough, the sequel and I never quite developed that same relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed it but never quite completed the story. I am a bit foggy on the details (as it’s been nineteen years), but I believe that I picked it up right about the time I took a new job and moved to a different part of the state. So my guess is ‘real life happened’ and something else caught my attention once things settled down again.
So, I was eager to dive back into it once again with this new release of Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition. The interesting thing is that I am probably the perfect audience for this release. I have reason to go back to it since I never completed it. Computer RPGs are among my favorite genres (I still fire up older titles and enjoy them), and there are a handful of notable updates here that are worth calling out.
So what makes this an ‘Enhanced Edition’? Probably the most notable are the improvements to the textures. There will inevitably be people who say it doesn’t look any better than the original, but I would disagree with that. Does it look good? Not really, but it looks better on a sixty-inch television than it would using the old game, where it was played in much closer proximity on smaller computer monitors. I will call out that textures don’t seem to always load quite right. In general optimization could be better. The camera controls were pretty finicky, but I appreciate the ability to adjust them and get things more to my liking. I had a handful of crashes during longer play sessions (admittedly hours long without a break), and it sure feels like it loads pretty slowly for a game this old.
However, the transition to controller support on the console has been rather solid. There’s a quick toggleable ability to simply walk around with your character and interact with the environment, but also a more strategic semi-overhead view that works well for combat. Interfaces for RPGs (especially inventory management) could be pretty gnarly back then, but by and large once I got used to the button layout, it worked pretty smoothly with a controller. In fact, I think those who are console-first will find the most value in this release. There is a ton of content here as well, as the base game was quite a massive experience in and of itself, but this version of the title also comes with some extra expansions: Mask of the Betrayer, Storm of Zehir and Mysteries of Westgate.
The music still holds up beautifully, even if the visuals are clearly dated despite their touch-up for this release. Where Neverwinter Nights 2 stands out is its story. True to form for the Dungeons & Dragons games of yesteryear, there’s a deep, interesting narrative here that sells the feeling of an epic adventure. Sure, there’s plenty of familiar genre tropes to be found. For example, you’re an orphaned child being raised by a man in a village that experiences a major event that causes you to set out on your path.
Still, I wonder who this title is going to appeal to the most. Fans of the original game may still own it via Good Old Games, and the like may be disappointed by the lack of 'new' features and content. Sure, there is value in having a ready-to-play version of the game that doesn't require any configuration to try and make it work on current hardware. But those who have played the game through and experienced most of what is here might feel that the term 'Enhanced Edition' is a bit of an exaggeration. Newer players who have never experienced this title in the past might be curious due to the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, but will likely find Neverwinter Nights 2’s pacing, visuals and camera frustrating by comparison. That leaves something of a narrow target audience.
That being said, there’s certainly an audience for this game and I’m part of it. I enjoyed my time with Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition. It’s an earnest re-release of an already very good game with a ton of content. It is dated, and its age shows time and again with minor bugs and gameplay mechanics that can be somewhat unflattering when compared to the quality of life options found in modern RPGs. However, the story is rich, and the gameplay itself can be quite varied depending on your characters and how you tune your party. The amount of agency you have with the detailed character customization and progression is a hallmark of Dungeons & Dragons games and Neverwinter Nights 2 does not disappoint. With well over one hundred hours of content, Neverwinter Nights 2 is an excellent value, assuming you enjoy the gameplay itself and don’t mind the minor issues that persist. I feel as though console players will get more out of this than PC ones.
LOS ANGELES - July 17, 2025 | Today, Theorycraft Games detailed the massive amount of incoming changes for their long-anticipated 1.0 launch of SUPERVIVE, an action battle royale with endless playstyles, going live globally on Steam July 24. In a video from Theorycraft, CEO Joe Tung detailed the SUPERVIVE 1.0 overhaul, headlined by the Armory–a new foundational progression system that gives players persistent loadouts, build-defining gear, and the freedom to customize every match with nearly 100 items at launch – all usable in every game with no pay-for-power.
“SUPERVIVE 1.0 is more than an update - it’s a total reinvention of the game shaped by our players’ feedback,” said Joe Tung, CEO, Theorycraft. “We’re giving Hunters the freedom to play their way with thousands of possibilities, a long term meta progression system, new heroes and so much more.”
Introducing: The Armory
At the heart of SUPERVIVE’s relaunch is the Armory, a foundational new system that adds persistent progression, meaningful customization, and rich meta-strategy. With nearly 100 items available at launch and dozens of build paths per Hunter, players will now be able to theorycraft and dominate in their own way, whether you’re turning Ghost into a laser mage or Kingpin into a lockdown support. The armory works by:
Earning in-game currency Prisma exclusively through gameplay in matches to unlock build-defining gear and expand your Armory
Customizing your loadouts with Relics, Grips, Perks, and Kicks.
Accessing your unlocked Armory in every match – no randomness, no pay-for-power.
Resetting each Season to keep metas fresh and experimentation flowing.
What Else is New with the 1.0 Launch
In today’s video, Tung outlines changes arriving with 1.0 that touch nearly every part of the game. From quicker matchmaking to a full client rebuild, Theorycraft reinvented SUPERVIVE. SUPERVIVE’s 1.0 includes:
Transforms the Breach with a larger map, expanded aerial traversal, jetstreams, and storm clouds.
Introduces the Skyshark, a two-seat aerial vehicle that letsplayers traverse the Abyss in style, complete with boost, onboard combat, and explosive impact on destruction.
Expands the roster with three Hunters debuting in the first month post-launch, joining the five added since Open Beta.
Revamps the core experience with smarter matchmaking, faster revive mechanics, and major solo play improvements and tools.
Rebuilds the client and UI with a redesigned HUD, mission tracking, refreshed cosmetics store, and death recap system.
Upgrades key modes like Warm-Up and Arena, turning both for strategic depth, faster pacing, and seamless integration with the Armory progression system.
Refines the core game loop to emphasize clarity, strategic depth, and meaningful player choice.
AND MORE!
Launch Rewards for Early Players
To thank the players who joined during Early Access, Theorycraft is rolling out exclusive 1.0 launch rewards:
All pre-1.0 players receive Rooty, the Cartoon Carrot Wisp + Champion callsign.
Players with 40+ hours played earn “The OG” Glider + exclusive Theorycrafter title.
+200,000 EXP will be granted to Battlepass owners during the pre-launch maintenance window.
SUPERVIVE’s 1.0 launch marks its latest chapter for the game and its community, built on player feedback, bold reinvention, and a commitment to making a game worth your time. Whether you're a longtime Hunter or dropping into the Breach for the first time, Theorycraft invites you to experience the next evolution of SUPERVIVE on July 24.
In SUPERVIVE, face off in all-out, multi-squad teamfights; take down boss monsters for big loot; get that W and run it back. Squad up with friends and dive into 10-team battle royales, 2-player duos, or 4v4 deathmatches. With 16 unique hunters, each with distinct abilities, players can build a team of hyper-styled heroes, all designed to be self-sufficient playmakers. Featuring dynamic map-based objectives and game-changing storm shifts, SUPERVIVE ensures that no game is ever the same. SUPERVIVE will always be free-to-play and is designed to ensure that cosmetics are the only in-game purchases, with no pay-for-power elements, ever.
About Theorycraft Games
Theorycraft Games is an independent game studio on a mission to make deep, 10,000-hour games that are just better when played with friends. Theorycraft was formed in December 2020 by a founding team that includes Joe Tung, Mike Tipul, Michael Evans, and Areeb Pirani - former studio leaders at Riot Games, Bungie, and Blizzard Entertainment. Collectively they led the development of games such as League of Legends, Halo, Destiny, Overwatch, and VALORANT. For more information, please visit https://www.theorycraftgames.com/
Munich/Rome, 21 July 2025 | The release of the eagerly awaited BOULDER DASH 40th Anniversary is fast approaching. Anyone who wants to play the final version for the first time will have the opportunity to do so next Thursday. Italy's best BOULDER DASH players will meet at the GAMM Museum at 11 a.m. to compete in the ‘Master Challenge’ qualifying tournament. All museum visitors on that day are eligible to participate. The winner will be determined in three rounds and will then be seeded in the main field at the World Championship in Cologne on 23rd of August. The German champion, who will also be determined this Thursday at the competition taking place at the same time at the Computerspielemuseum in Berlin, will also compete there. At the final during gamescom on 21st of August, the world's best BOULDER DASH players will compete in front of the developers and sound legend Chris Hülsbeck to determine the world champion.
The cult game from the 80s is getting a spectacular re-release with BOULDER DASH 40th Anniversary, featuring brand new levels, cool new graphics and exciting challenges, and will be released on 21 August for Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and MAC.
Marco Accordi Rickards, Director of the GAMM Museums in Rome, adds:
"The fact that the World Cup qualifiers are taking place simultaneously in Berlin and Rome shows the international appeal this game still has after 40 years. We are delighted to be part of this anniversary with GAMM."
Peter Liepa developed the classic game ‘BOULDER DASH’ together with Chris Gray, which was first released in 1984. He recorded a personal message for the participants in a bouldering hall.
The tournament will take place at the impressive GAMM Museum, which opened in November 2024.
On 21 August 2025, BOULDER DASH 40th Anniversary will be released for PC, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation (RRP: £19.99).
About BBG Entertainment GmbH
BBG Entertainment, based in Munich, Germany, has had two main focuses since it was founded in 2008: In the “Casual Games” area, the publication of new editions of real video game classics, which, thanks to a unique game principle, guarantee gaming fun for the whole family even decades after their initial publication. In the “Education” area, titles that not only have a demonstrably positive effect in the training and learning segments, but are also fun thanks to an entertaining production. In 2016, BBG Entertainment purchased all rights to the legendary Boulder Dash® brand from the US company First Star Software Inc. In 2023, BBG Entertainment acquired two more IP classics from Intellivision Entertainment LLC: Shark! Shark! ® and Astrosmash®. The current portfolio includes classics such as Boulder Dash®, Dynablaster®, Shark! Shark! ®, Astrosmash® and Einstein™ Brain Trainer for various platforms such as PC (Steam, Windows, Mac), consoles (Switch, Xbox) and mobile (iOS and Android).
Boulder Dash®, Rockford®, Astrosmash®, Shark! Shark!®, Dynablaster® and Quiz with Fritz® are registered trademarks of BBG Entertainment GmbH in the European Union and other countries. All rights reserved.
Intellivision is a registered trademark of Intellivision Entertainment LLC.
ALBERT EINSTEIN and/or EINSTEIN are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, represented exclusively by CMG Worldwide and are used with permission. Official licensed merchandise.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Information about all BBG Entertainment products can be found here:
It’s time to get your detective boots on,
because we’re about to take a delve into a world of mystery, kidnapping, and
goofy shenanigans! Kaname Date and the gang are back in the latest Somnium
Files game. Forced to play an escape room game for their very lives, will they
perish, or will they use their third eye to open a path forward! Time to find
out in No Sleep for Kaname Date!
I should preface this by letting you know
that if you haven’t played either of the first two games, there are both
spoilers and probably some confusing moments you’ll come across in No Sleep for
Kaname Date. A sort of “Somnium Files 1.5”, this game takes place between the
original Somnium Files and Nirvana Initiative. Seriously though, you should
probably at least play the first game before coming to this one. Adding some
escape room style challenges in the style of the Zero Escape series, a series
also produced by Spike Chunsoft, No Sleep for Kaname Date will see the cast of
characters alternating between trips into the Somniums (mental subconciousness) of various characters
and doing room escape puzzles.
No Sleep for Kaname Date starts out rolling
with Iris, a local internet celebrity/streamer, being kidnapped by aliens
(maybe)! She is challenged to escape the spaceship using only her wits and the
tools around her by a mysterious being who claims to be an alien. Thankfully
she can call on someone for help, and who better than Kaname Date! Ok, maybe
there are a lot of better options, but at least he’ll try his best. So the game
begins as Iris and other kidnappees must escape, while Kaname Date must figure
out who has kidnapped them. As mysteries and egos collide, can you figure out
the mastermind behind the kidnapping and help Iris escape?
Largely speaking, No Sleep for Kaname Date
is pretty much what Nirvana Initiative was like just with added room escape
sequences and less investigations. While you will be traveling to different
locations as Kaname Date and interacting with people and environments, you will
also be delving into people’s subconscious through psyncing with them. That is a
process where a person will enter someone else’s subconscious mind to try and
find out the hidden secrets they have. The psyncing has remained the same as
Nirvana Initiative, where you have a set amount of time to explore the subjects
mind. You must interact with objects, perform actions, and break the mental
locks on the subjects secrets so they might be revealed to you. Each
interaction will cost time, and some interactions will give you a Timie, which
acts as a modifier to the time cost as a one-off usage. Your goal in these
segments is to get some sort of indication or information to help you solve the
case.
On the other hand, the escape room games
are, for the most part, not timed and you will be investigating items around
the room you’re trapped in and solve puzzles to help you escape. I’m glad to
say that the escape game puzzles are, predominantly, very reasonable. One of my
biggest issues in escape game style puzzles is when a puzzle is given with a
solution that requires some sort of external knowledge or has some subtle
solution that is counterintuitive or doesn’t match with what is available for
your understanding. Spike Chunsoft has done really well with this in the past,
and I’m happy to say that there aren’t any puzzles that require solutions so
out of left field they are only solvable if you happen upon the answer by
chance. There were only two puzzles that stumped me for a bit, one was a poor
wording choice, but not incorrect, and the other was something I was just
solving in a different manner that wasn’t the intended solution. Both are at
least reasonable, so no worries there!
If you are having issues, whether in the
Somniums or escape room puzzles, there are different difficulty settings you
can choose. For the Somniums, you can select a difficulty before starting, and
after completing one you can choose an “unlimited time” mode to see all the
interactions and get all the collectibles. Although you can’t use this for the
“finish with more than 0 seconds remaining” challenge, easier difficulties
reduce the time penalties from choices, meaning these goals are a little
easier. For the escape room sequences, easier difficulties mean you can scan
the room for interactable points, get more hints, and increase the time limit
for any portions where you are on a timer. Honestly, the variety of different
difficulties is really great for players who struggle with one mode or the
other while still maintaining the gameplay you want.
The soundtrack and graphics for the Somnium
Files games have always been pretty decent, and thankfully the game runs well
on the Switch, even in handheld mode. While some of the character models may be
a little…chunky, let’s say, in handheld mode, the performance was still really
good and I never had any crashes, stuttering, or other performance issues. The
soundtrack is a lot of reused pieces from the other games, but it still works
here, and why change something that works well? There are new and old environments
to explore, and the escape rooms are some interesting designs to check out.
While No Sleep for Kaname Date is
definitely on the shorter side, requiring a lot less time than either of the
previous games in the series, probably about half the time to complete, it is a
lot more exciting and a lot more player involvement and has a lot less
exposition. While I could figure out the plotline pretty easily from the
beginning, there are still some twists and turns, and it isn’t a boring
direction. Additionally, there are a lot of alternate ending routes you can
find, which are usually pretty funny and can range from serious shootouts to
Date deciding to go on extended vacation instead of solving the case.
Overall, No Sleep for Kaname Date is a
really enjoyable addition the Somnium Files series. The addition of the escape
room style sequences is a nice addition and were well put together, and the
Somniums were interesting with just as many gag interactions as I’ve come to
expect and love from the series. While this entry is definitely shorter than
the rest, that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun. If you’ve played either of the
other two games, I highly recommend you check out No Sleep for Kaname Date!
.jpg)
