1985 was the height of the British home computer scene; an era of games delivered on cassette tapes by young coders producing innovative titles straight out of their bedrooms. Among the most notable of these developers were Ultimate, already responsible for ground-breaking titles like Jetpac and Knight Lore – but the studio’s founders weren’t about to rest on their laurels. 

This was the year that Ultimate co-creators Tim and Chris Stamper would form Rare – an ambitious new studio intended to focus on dedicated video game consoles, which had already established themselves in Japan and were about to take the rest of the world by storm.  

2025 marks the 40th ‘Ruby’ Anniversary of that bold endeavour, and Rare’s inviting everyone to join the celebration of this impressive milestone, offering free gifts, discounts and plenty of swag to claim in their shared-world pirate adventure, Sea of Thieves. 

Pictures, Plaques and Pressings 

Celebrations begin today, August 4, the official anniversary date, with the unveiling of a heritage plaque at the site of Ultimate’s first home in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. For those not within striking distance of the English Midlands, however, there are new gamerpics and an Xbox dynamic background (above) starring a who’s-who of Rare characters old and new. 

Fangamer are marking the occasion with a range of retro Rare merchandise, including a varsity hoodie, wireframe logo T-shirt and commemorative ruby pin. There’s also a limited edition wireless controller being unveiled courtesy of 8bitdo, shining in the studio’s signature colours and officially licenced by Xbox and Rare.  

Meanwhile, iam8bit will be opening pre-orders for their freshly-announced Rare 40th Anniversary vinyl collection later this week, while Evercade enthusiasts can look forward to a new cartridge collection of twelve vintage Rare titles spanning home computer, console and arcade. 

A huge heritage sale in Sea of Thieves’ Pirate Emporium begins on August 6, offering discounts on items inspired by classic Rare games, and beginning tomorrow, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to claim an exclusive Rare Ruby Emote as a Perk for use in-game.  

Ruby Rewards on the High Seas 

The party really starts in Sea of Thieves when its latest Season, Smugglers’ Tide, arrives on August 14, bringing even more anniversary antics in its wake. For a limited time, select Ancient Coin Packs acquired by spending Microsoft Rewards points will come bundled with a Rare Ruby Hat, which can also be earned via the Microsoft Rewards app. 

A 40th Anniversary bundle of cosmetics will be arriving on storefronts at the same time, while pirates logging into the game before the month is out will receive the Rare Ruby Eyepatch. An array of ruby-themed items will be arriving in the Outpost shops, while the Pirate Emporium plays host to the limited-time Ruby Reaper’s Mark sails and offers a Seasonal Plunder Pass, featuring Rare Regalia items with a similarly scarlet hue. 

Community Spirit 

Rounding out August with one last anniversary hoorah are Twitch Drops and Sea of Thieves’ Season 17 Community Weekend, which begins on August 30. Taking part will award players with the Community Weekend flag and Paper Cutout Emote, there’s a Ruby Legend Figurehead to earn from a global community goal, and there’ll be group activities like photo walls and Pop-Up Plunder to enjoy, too. 

There’s all this and more besides, including an updated Rare All-Stars EP hitting Spotify on August 15, so be sure to keep tabs on Rare’s social channels for the latest and be sure not to miss out — you only turn 40 once! 

Today at the annual THQ Nordic Digital Showcase Event, we gave gamers fresh looks at gameplay for several upcoming titles, including Reanimal, Tides of Tomorrow, The Eternal Life of Goldman, and much more. We also unveiled a new demo for Gothic 1 Remake, which Xbox players can jump into from today!

Let’s take a look at a recap of the event, including all of the major news and reveals making their way to Xbox.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Pre-Order Live Today

The pre-order program is now live for SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide! Confirmed for release on Xbox Series X|S on November 18 of this year, this all-new adventure through Bikini Bottom allows players to play as both Patrick and SpongeBob to the song-stylings of the one and only David Hasselhoff. The ability to switch from SpongeBob to Patrick and back again has been a long-time request from SpongeBob fans.

Pre-order today to receive the Natural Costume Pack DLC as a bonus. Check out the Ghostly Digital Edition and the Ultimate Edition for access to even more rewards, including the Tidal Season Pass, which includes two DLCs with new challenge levels and two themed costume packs (also available as a separate purchase).

Gothic Remake Demo Available Today

Starting today, gamers everywhere can return to the Valley of the Mines in the Gothic Remake demo. Dive into the Nyras Prologue to experience the thrill of entering the Colony for the very first time—without encountering any spoilers. Please note, this demo will not be included in the final game. Considered *the* pioneer RPG, this highly-anticipated remake is built for today’s most discerning RPG enthusiasts, including thoughtful expansions architected with Gothic veterans in mind. THQ Nordic will also release the Gothic Classics, 1, 2 and 3, for Xbox Series X|S in 2026.

New Eternal Life of Goldman Trailer Reveal

This all-new gameplay trailer reveals at least one life shattered by our protagonist Goldman. The vibrant yet dark platformer demands precision while encouraging exploration and a sense of discovery throughout the game world. Complex scenes and rich characters create The Eternal Life of Goldman’s layered story that is perfectly balanced with platform-style play.

First Look at Reanimal Gameplay

We showed an all-new reveal from Reanimal – the highly anticipated horror adventure from the creators of Little Nightmares I & II. The showcase gameplay trailer features a first look at new gameplay environments and characters, including new monsters and friends of the orphaned siblings. Their relentless journey to survive a hellish gamescape features a rich narrative, as well as online and couch co-op multiplayer.

New Tides of Tomorrow Gameplay Trailer

Hear directly from Tides of Tomorrow developer Digixart, the team behind Route 96, in a trailer that highlights the all-new asynchronous gameplay feature. Tides of Tomorrow combines rich story-telling and collaborative gameplay for a first-of-its-kind experience. The colorful, post-apocalyptic universe is in the player’s hands as decision-making will determine the fate of the game world and all its inhabitants. 

Wreckfest 2 Arriving in 2026

The high-octane, no-rules demolition derby and racing franchise is receiving a long-awaited sequel! Made famous for its realistic damage model and unique blend of arcade and simulation style, the Wreckfest franchise requires that every driver to drive hard or dive fast. Wreckfest 2 is racing to Xbox Series X|S in 2026.

Titan Quest II Coming in 2026

Titan Quest II expands upon the ARPG best known for combining hack-n-slash combat, loot-based progression, and deep character customization in a rich, mythological setting.  With a class-less character system, players can choose two masteries from a variety of options and freely combine them to create their own hero inspired by ancient mythology. Explore the realms of ancient Greece, visit places where no mortal has ever ventured, and face legendary creatures—and even gods themselves. Titan Quest II promises an adventure worthy of its own myth, and it’s heading to Xbox Series X|S in 2026.

New Wreckreation Gameplay Trailer

The creators of Burnout have combined arcade racing with a toolbox full of customization options in a giant open world! Wreckreation players can choose from 60 different vehicles and use the Game DJ to change in-game parameters like music, vehicles, weather, time of day, traffic, and game world. And the best part? Players can instantly switch to the live mix building mode in real-time, constructing their own highways—complete with crazy jumps, loops, and hundreds of objects placed anywhere in the game world. Ever wanted to race your car over a dinosaur’s head? Wreckreation has got you covered! The new gameplay trailer shows off in-game racing and stunt challenges that can be created and shared with friends. Wreckreation is coming to Xbox Series X|S later this year.

We look very forward to seeing Xbox players at Gamescom at the end of the month. We’ll be offering hands-on with many of our upcoming releases including Reanimal and, of course, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. Representatives from our development studios will be available for to share their personal insights on the games.

Imagine this:you’re enjoying a peaceful day in Ancient Greece. You’ve spent your entire life fighting, your name is known across the land… and then someone stabs you in the heel.

It can happen to anyone.

But what do you do next? Retire? Rest? Reflect?

Achilles didn’t get the memo.

At the end of Achilles: Legends Untold, our hero landed in Tartarus. But instead of staying dead like a sensible person, he decided to get out and pick another fight – this time with Hades’ entire army. No peace. No pension. Instead, he charges into wave after wave of skeletons, spiders, and explosive plant-things that would ruin even the nicest afterlife brochure.

Welcome to Achilles: Survivor – available now on Xbox.

So… What Do Greek Heroes Do After Death?

Well, that depends on the hero.

If you ask Achilles about his favourite pastime, the answer is obvious: he fights.

He’s quite happy in this game, because your main job is to battle through swarms of mythological enemies using your weapon, four power slots, and a bit of luck.

Prometheus, on the other hand, would prefer to sit this one out.
Paris does his best to stay out of trouble (with mixed results).
And Brontes… Brontes smashes and asks questions never.

Every hero in Achilles: Survivor handles retirement a little differently. As you progress, you’ll unlock familiar faces like Hector, Steropes, and Agamemnon – each with a unique signature power, talent, starting stats, and a class-specific passive tree. Whether you enjoy magical chaos, structure-based control, or old-school brute force, you’ll find a Survivor who fits.

Feel free to experiment – some powers are safer early on, while others really shine in the late game (looking at you, Pythia). My advice? Focus on upgrading one power early. The stronger your foundation, the better chance you’ll have of surviving the growing onslaught.

At higher levels, you’ll unlock powerful transformations in the Forge, which evolve your core abilities into something deadlier. Take Phalanx, for example: his venomous spikes stick around longer and spread across multiple rows, turning chokepoints into death traps.

Treat Your Build Like a Phalanx.

Your main power is the spear at the front – strong, direct, and always advancing. But without coverage on the sides or back, one bad flank and you’re done. If your main power is using close-range attacks, pair them with powers that control space around you or hit enemies from a distance.  You don’t need a perfect set of upgrades – just one that holds the line.

And if you’re struggling with frontal powers, like Prometheus’ Fire Breath? Run in circles. Seriously. It might look ridiculous, but you’ll gain great AoE coverage!

Speaking of Foundations…

Combat is only half the story. The other half? Building.

During each run, you’ll gather stone – a resource used to place structures across the map. Flame turrets, traps, healing shrines… and yes, a Trojan horse that spawns backup. Structures are vital for your survival. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or had no luck with upgrades, they’re here to bail you out.

One of my favorite tactics? Luring enemies into a triangle of flame towers and enjoying the views. It’s oddly peaceful.

A lot of players forget that structures also grant passive bonuses. If you’re running a status-focused hero like Tantalus, placing a few Ominous Visages can give a solid boost to your poison damage without you having to change anything else in your build. Keep an eye on map objectives (like “Get X armour” or “Get Y amount of Luck” – placing the right structure can complete a side task for you.

And when in doubt? Especially on the first few maps, just spam flame turrets.
They will do a lot of heavy lifting for you.

(P.S. This section was definitely not sponsored by Diomedes, king of Argos, said to have built at least ten cities before he died.)

Dying is a Feature Too

Be careful. It’s a roguelite, so nothing is permanent (except maybe the pain). Stone runs out, and structures fall under the waves of enemies. You don’t want them to be destroyed before you kill the boss.

Because you know what happens next?

You’ll see this screen a lot…

But here’s the good news: death is how you get stronger. Gods look favourably at your defeats. Or maybe they’re just bored.

Each run earns you resources that go into meta progression – general and class specific upgrades that stay with you no matter how many times you die. You’ll also unlock new Survivors, buildings, game modes, and more by completing achievements and in-game challenges.

It’s all part of your journey. You shouldn’t be gone for ten years, but some runs might feel like it.

Start Your Afterlife Adventure

To sum up, what do Greek heroes do after death?

They build flame towers. Dodge very unfriendly plants. Complain to the gods about exploding spiders, then ask them for more power to defeat said spiders.

As you can see, it’s not an easy feat: (after)life of a Greek hero. But whether you’re a roguelite veteran or just looking for some action to relax after another day at work, Achilles: Survivor has more enemies than the entire Trojan War.

Achilles: Survivor is available now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

Just remember: don’t get hit in the heel.

Achilles: Survivor

Dark Point Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆
23

★★★★★

$6.99

Get it now

Every run writes your legend.

Achilles: Survivor is a fast-paced, single-player bullet heaven set in Ancient Greece. Play as Achilles – or one of the legendary souls freed from Tartarus – and face relentless waves of enemies. Build deadly structures, evolve your powers, and grow stronger with every run. Defeat your enemies… or die trying.

Are you ready for battle?

DEFEAT YOUR ENEMIES… OR DIE TRYING
Achilles has never faced monsters like this – and now it’s your turn. Dive into chaotic, action-packed runs and hold your ground against relentless waves of enemies. Pick from dozens of powers and transform them mid-run in the Forge.

The deeper you go, the tougher it gets. No two runs are the same – and surviving means adapting fast.

BUILD LIKE A STRATEGOS
Drop flame turrets, raise healing shrines, or summon Myrmidons to fight at your side. Unlike other survivor-likes, your best weapon might be the map itself. Structures aren’t just defenses – they’re tactical tools for crowd control, sustain, and damage that can turn the tide of battle.

But remember – your resources are limited.
Build smart, and you’ll live longer.

WIELD THE MIGHT OF LEGENDARY HEROES
Achilles made a bit of a mess escaping Tartarus. Now the world’s crawling with souls that shouldn’t be here – and you’re one of them.

Unlock and master a growing roster of heroes, each with a unique playstyle and signature power. From Achilles’ raw melee strength to Paris’ precise shots, Pythia’s devastating magic, or Brontes’ brute force – these are just a few of the heroes you can discover in the game.

SURVIVE THE TRIALS OF THE OVERLORDS
Every region throws new horrors at you – venomous beasts, relentless ranged attackers, and bosses that won’t give you a second chance. Learn their patterns, adapt your build, and survive escalating waves until it’s time to face an Overlord.

These bosses don’t wait for you to get ready – they’ll punish weak strategies and reward smart structure placement.

GET STRONGER WITH EVERY RUN
Death isn’t failure – it’s part of your path. Complete challenges to unlock new characters, earn treasures and Favors, and improve your stats with long-term upgrades.

The further you push, the more power you bring into your next run.

EXPLORE ANCIENT GREECE
Return to the world of Achilles: Legends Untold and slay them all!

Battle across mythical arenas drawn from Greek legend, such as Troy and the sun-scorched coasts of Greece. Each map features unique objectives, building zones, and mythological threats waiting to be conquered.

Special thanks… to YOU
We’re a small team making the kind of games we love to play – and they wouldn’t be the same without your feedback.

We’re adding new content, improving systems, and optimizing performance with every update. Got suggestions, questions, or a wild build to show off? Join our Discord or drop us a message – we’re always listening.

Thanks for being part of our journey.

See you on the battlefield, Survivors!

Cook Serve Forever is a brand new, story-rich cooking adventure from the creators of Cook, Serve, Delicious.

You play as Nori Kaga, a food cart chef who dreams of making it big like her role model, the Culinary Queen, Chef Rhubarb. Nori leads a pretty simple life, serving food to the locals of her small town, Moraine. But when she finds out the once-in-a-decade cooking event, the Couteau d’Or, is happening in the neighbouring city of Helianthus, Nori sets out on a quest for greatness. Her idol Chef Rhubarb might be the only three-star chef in history, but maybe Nori could be the second?

As you travel from your small hometown of Moraine to the futuristic solarpunk city of Helianthus, you’ll cook over 80 foods and skilfully master more than 400 recipes.

Your quest for culinary greatness will take you and your food cart to over 50 locations throughout the city of Helianthus. Each location has its own menu and set of cooking objectives. For instance, you’ll serve pizza to burnt-out game developers at a video game studio, and old-timey eats at the city’s historic district. Some locations will force you to prioritize speed, others accuracy, and some locations will see you apprehend criminals (no, really). After all, if you want to be the best chef of all time, you’re going to need a wide range of skills.

Throughout the game, you’ll encounter friends and foes. Cook Serve Forever features a fully voiced narrative and includes voice work by Elspeth Eastman (League of Legends), SungWon Cho (ProZD) and Broden Kelly (Aunty Donna). 

The game also includes over two hours of original music by award winning composer Jonathan Geer. The soundtrack hooks into the game’s narrative in some interesting ways. For instance, your partner Brie is a musician, and throughout the game you get to hear her composing a song, with the song growing and changing throughout the story. Jonathan was adamant on using a range of real instruments for Cook Serve Forever, and in total a dozen different musicians contributed to the game’s soundtrack.

Vaulting ambition and perfection are big themes of the game’s narrative and gameplay. In each location you have two goals – an easier one and a harder one – and completing them sees you earn stickers. During the testing process, we found players became obsessed with collecting all the stickers, so we created a cookbook to show off your progress.

The cookbook is also a way to show off your Blitz challenge-mode medals and other achievements.

But That’s Not All…

• Over 80 Foods and 400 recipes.
• Easy to learn, hard to master gameplay, perfect for casual and hardcore players alike.
• An emotionally rich story full of mystery, love and ambition.
• A sticker collection to track your progress and tease your inner perfectionist.

We’re so excited to see Xbox players explore the wonderful world of food in Cook Serve Forever. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking!

Cook Serve Forever

Vertigo Gaming Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

$23.99

Get it now

Chop, stir, and sauté your way through the bustling solarpunk city of Helianthus. You play as Nori Kaga, a food cart chef aspiring to make it big like her role model, the Culinary Queen, Chef Rhubarb.

“Cook Serve Forever” is a brand new, story-rich cooking adventure from the creators of “Cook, Serve, Delicious!”

Features Include:

• Over 80 Foods and 400 recipes!
• 50 locations to master!
• 30 fully-voiced characters to meet – some friends, some foes!
• Easy to learn, hard to master gameplay, perfect for casual and expert players alike!
• An amazing soundtrack by award-winning composer Jonathan Geer!
• An emotionally rich story full of mystery, love and ambition!

What are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking!

Summer is a fun time for a great vacation. Whether you’re flying solo to disconnect or trekking a full minivan full of your favorite people, you’re likely looking for a change of scenery this month. But what if you can’t get away in real life? Well, you’re in luck because the ID@Xbox team has handpicked six Indie Select titles for July that could be your ideal getaway.

We can get you booked for a luxury vacation planet that might have a slight robot revolt to contend with. We have some incredible views on our island-hopping city building packages. What about a stay in the wintery North American wilderness filled with hired guns for some therapeutic guerilla warfare? Nothing says family like jumping into a random portal in New York City with three of your closest people to rescue your rodent father figure. If you prefer to manage your vacation more precisely, how about a trip to the theater where you choose the outcomes of everyone involved? Otherwise, a staycation can be filled with romance where you least expect it.

Act now and book our Monthly Selects for your latest dream destination. Here’s what we’ve got for you this month (in no particular order):

I Am Your Beast

The latest game from Strange Scaffold is a shortform covert revenge thriller FPS. However, more specifically, it’s the video game equivalent of yelling “I’m fine!” while sprinting through a dense forest full of laser tripwires and heavily armed guards. You play as Agent Alphonse Harding—a man with a past, a knife, and a serious grudge. Once a top-tier assassin, Harding’s been living off-grid in a frozen forest, trying to forget the things he’s done. But when his old handler, Burkin, shows up with the classic “one last job,” Harding refuses. Bad move. Burkin retaliates. Worse move.

Harding “snaps”—his word, not mine—and what follows is a comic-book-style rampage of sweet rebellion and stylish vengeance. The game doesn’t ease you in—it kicks down the door, hands you a blade, and says, “Figure it out.” And honestly? I loved every second of it.

The mechanics are tight, fast, and unforgiving in the best way. Every level is a high-speed puzzle of movement and timing. One of my proudest moments? Sliding under a laser, catching a guard off-guard (pun intended), flinging their weapon into another enemy’s face—then catching it mid-air and using it to shoot a third. It felt like I was auditioning for an action movie no one asked for, but everyone would absolutely watch.

But what really surprised me was the emotional weight behind the chaos. Between the synth-heavy soundtrack and the stylized carnage, there’s a surprising amount of heart—thanks in large part to the stellar voice acting. Harding’s narration is delivered in a gravelly, deadpan tone that somehow manages to be both hilarious and quietly devastating. There’s a heaviness behind every line, like he’s not just angry—he’s tired of being angry. After one particularly brutal encounter, he mutters, “I’m not angry. I’m just disappointed… in everyone.” It’s absurd, yes—but it hits.

If you’re into games like Superhot or Ghostrunner, and you enjoy feeling like a one-person demolition crew with a flair for the dramatic, I Am Your Beast is your next obsession. Just don’t be surprised if you start narrating your grocery runs in a gravelly voice. – Steven Allen

I Am Your Beast

Strange Scaffold

☆☆☆☆☆
50

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Hunt the military-industrial complex across stylish comic book micro-sandboxes in this fast-paced covert revenge thriller FPS from the developers of El Paso, Elsewhere.

Date Everything!

We’ve all been lonely, but have you ever been lonely enough to date your coffee table? Well, to be precise you’re dating the “concept of a table” – there’s a difference, trust me. On the surface, Date Everything! is a quirky dating simulator where each object in your house has a distinct and lively personality, but it only takes a few minutes in the intro to realize something else entirely is going on, something sinister and corporate. Your contacts in the human world seem more disembodied than the inanimate objects you’re beginning to form bonds with and, believe me, that’s entirely the point.

As the protagonist your goal is not simply to discover how to get your bed into bed (a thought that is absolutely 100% part of it), but to unravel the complex nature of the personalities around you, to truly understand the situation and world you exist within. And that’s what makes Date Everything! so incredibly compelling; the characters that exist within it are so rich, and the world so filled with loose threads just begging to be pulled. By doing so, you are rewarded with strange tales and lovely bits of steamy dialogue written so pitch perfectly and delivered by an absolutely stunning cast of voice actors.

That is the gasoline that fills the engine of the game’s loop. The engine itself is simple and effective; you wake up each morning and have a limited amount of battery life to talk with objects around your house, all the while receiving curious and sometimes desperate messages from your human contacts over your phone. You repeat this process, and a puzzle begins to form in front of your very eyes, each piece slotting into place but opening another space for yet another piece to fit. It is a sprawling tangle of emotions and personalities all caught within the walls of a house, while you glance suspiciously at the outside world.

So go ahead, I beg of you, learn about your lamp’s burgeoning streaming / influencer business and your fridge’s ice cream restaurant; and remember to treat them well, because objects are people too. – Joe Olk

Date Everything!

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
82

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Date Everything! brings an exciting new twist on the dating simulator genre.

Your BFA in customer service unfortunately goes to waste as you lose your job to AI. But… a mysterious stranger sends a gift – magical glasses called ‘Dateviators’ – which make your house come alive and dateable!

Each dateable object will open up, have their own stories and potentially become your lovers, friends, or enemies. With an exhaustive Who’s Who of voice actors keeping you company on your journey!

Features:
• 100 Datable Characters
• Fully Voice Acted
• Branching Narratives
• At Least 3 Endings Per Dateable Character
• Puns Galore!

Robots at Midnight

Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic, soulslike action-RPG that combines storytelling with atmospheric worldbuilding and skill-based combat. You play as Zoe, a stowaway onboard her father Michael’s spaceship orbiting their home planet Yob, a luxury vacation world. When a sudden emergency breaks out and the ship’s robotic crew turns hostile, Zoe, believing she’s the only human left, sets out with her robot companion Phlite to find an escape capsule. Along the way, she discovers the Mobile Impulse Traversal Technology (MITT), a relic of the Space Walkers used for space exploration. The gauntlet-like device adds depth to combat and exploration, granting Zoe a booster dash, overcharged punches, and charged energy shots.

After a chaotic battle and multiple turns of events, you arrive on Yob, where the tone shifts. Once a beautiful, idyllic place, it’s now lonely and in ruins. From there, the game unfolds into a carefully crafted narrative full of secrets and eccentric, yet endearing, characters. What I love most is how the game pulls you in emotionally through small, quiet moments. Conversations with forgotten robots, the haunting stillness of abandoned places, and Zoe’s unwavering hope all create a world that feels deeply personal. You feel invested in helping her get the answers to the mysteries.

The story is layered but not convoluted, with each encounter, memory fragment, and clue feeling purposeful. You’re not just hacking through enemies; you’re uncovering questions left unanswered. What drove the machines to revolt? Where is her father, and why was he spared?

The sound design amplifies the tension with retro synths that echo isolation, wonder, and occasional dread. The world feels both abandoned and alive, and every interaction – whether it’s an offbeat robot or a strange remnant of the past – adds personality to the setting. The soulslike combat is never punishing; there’s a rhythm to each encounter that rewards patience and creativity, especially as you unlock new abilities and uncover new layers of the MITT’s potential.

If you’re drawn to story-driven RPGs with atmospheric exploration, strong companions, and combat that complements rather than overshadows the narrative, Robots at Midnight is one to watch. It’s a haunting and heartfelt journey that asks you to think, feel, and fight with just one warning: be sure to be home before midnight… – Oscar Polanco

Robots at Midnight

Snail Games USA

☆☆☆☆☆
29

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Robots at Midnight is a retro-futuristic Action RPG set on the planet Yob, a world left in ruins and haunted by the machines once built to serve it.

After twenty years in cryo-sleep, Zoe wakes to find a world she barely recognizes. To survive and to save what’s left, she must track down her missing father, lost during the cataclysmic event known only as The Blackout. Along the way, she’ll take on gangs of corrupted robots, confront towering bosses, and uncover long-buried truths about Yob.

Just be home before midnight.

[Combat with Fluid Movement]
The MITT is a powerful piece of old-world tech made for Space exploration, now repurposed for survival. Launch off enemies, soar through the air, and smash through bots with momentum-based combat that keeps you constantly moving. Whether in battle or traversal, fast, fluid movement is your greatest weapon. Find your rhythm. Sharpen your skills. Discover what you’re really made of.

[Choose Your Challenge]
Whether you’re new to action RPGs or a seasoned fighter, Robots at Midnight adapts to your playstyle. Hero Mode offers a more forgiving, story-driven experience, while Master Mode pushes your reflexes and tactics to the edge with high-stakes combat.
Whichever path you choose, prepare for a fight.

[Explore and Uncover Hidden Lore]
Waking up on a ruined planet isn’t the hard part, figuring out what happened is. Step into Zoe’s sneakers and investigate the mystery behind Yob’s downfall. Discover lost technologies, unravel the threads of the past, and determine your place in a future that moved on without you.

Islanders: New Shores

Sometimes you just know before you even hit the start button when something is going to be your jam. The sequel to the critically acclaimed title that launched on Xbox back in 2021, Islanders: New Shores is a calm, welcoming, minimalist, island-hopping city builder that is, in my opinion, the ultimate stress relief. The core of the game is pretty straightforward: slowly build a small civilization on a procedurally generated island in the most efficient way possible, with a limited amount of buildings. When you build up enough points, you can move on to the next island whenever you’re ready. No big rush.

You collect points based on how you lay out your buildings. Certain buildings interact with aspects of the environment or other buildings in specific ways. Sawmills next to trees, bonus points. Seaweed farm set up next to a body of water, bonus points. City center next to other homes, bonus points. However, there are deductions to your points if certain buildings are next to elements that don’t gel.

The UI is not only very pretty, but very intuitive. There’s a lot of trial and error, but there’s no massive consequences for any errors. It was easy to pick up quickly and learn how to access the information I needed to make the right choices. Suddenly, you just keep going, earning more point tiers and landmarks as you start learning the synergies and, before you know it, you’re offered the chance to build a new civilization on a different island.

And when I say different, I mean different. The island types don’t just offer a color palette swap but completely different environments with different city builds. You can go from a warm tropical paradise to an aviary-focused island with a carrier pigeon network, to a barren rock surrounded by lava. Along the way you’ll unlock special boons that can create some powerful combos, allowing you to copy a building, gain a point multiplier, or shrink building sizes that can lead to a massive point gain. However, by the third or fourth island, you’ll start to feel the challenge of the higher point requirements and smaller landmasses. If the challenge starts to be more than you want to experience, don’t worry – you begin the game in High Score mode, but you can just as easily slide into Free Build mode allowing you to customize the island shape, size, climate and buildings at your whim.

This game feels like cross between a zen garden and roguelike, and I found myself up late at night with straining eyes saying to myself “just one more run.” It has such a chill and pleasing soundtrack and aesthetic that I found myself at peace. However, as simple as the game is, it’s not exactly easy either. Overall, there’s just something about finding that one pixel of space to create a crazy point bonus that is unreasonably satisfying. I’d recommend this for anyone that enjoys turn-based strategy and roguelikes, but just needs a night to chill out. I’ll be playing this for a while. – Raymond Estrada

ISLANDERS: New Shores

Coatsink, Thunderful Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆
5

★★★★★

$9.99

Get it now

The next chapter in the beloved minimalist city-building franchise is here. ISLANDERS: New Shores invites you back to a world of tranquil creativity, now reimagined with expanded gameplay, stunning visuals, and a host of fresh features that build on the charm of the original.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, prepare to explore, build, and strategise like never before.

Build Your Dream Cities Across 50 Unique Levels
Explore over 44 building types across 6 diverse biomes, each available in 4 vibrant colour variations, letting you customise your strategy and create truly unique cities.

Choose your mode of play; High Score Mode for those who love a competitive twist, or Sandbox Mode to let your creativity run wild.

Experience a World of New Features

Photo Mode – Capture and share your stunning island creations with customisable filters and a turntable camera.

Expanded Soundtrack – Enjoy 75 minutes of original music that sets the perfect mood for your building adventures.

Dynamic Scoring Systems – Master innovative scoring methods – such as line of sight, distance bonuses, and inter-island strategies – to enhance your gameplay.

Boons – Unlock single-use power-ups that give you unique tactical advantages as you progress.

Twitch Integration – Streamers can now engage their audiences directly with interactive features built into the game.

A Visual Overhaul That Elevates the Experience
With a complete reimagining of the minimalist aesthetic, ISLANDERS: New Shores delivers a visual feast that complements its deep, strategic gameplay. Whether you’re here to relax or to challenge your building skills, every new shore offers a fresh canvas for creativity.

Key Features
– Two modes: High Score and Sandbox (with separate saves)
– 44 unique building types and 7 island properties
– 50 dynamic island generators offering endless variety
– Photo Mode with filters and a turntable camera
– 75 minutes of original, immersive music
– Boons: new one-time power-ups for strategic gameplay
– Advanced scoring systems that reward clever tactics
– Twitch integration for an interactive streaming experience

ISLANDERS: New Shores – where every island is a new adventure, and every build is a chance to create something extraordinary.

Bad End Theater

Part-visual novel, part-puzzle adventure, Bad End Theater asks you to you make decisions for each of its characters, with every choice affecting everyone’s path through the story –, which all seemingly lead towards a bad ending. The ensemble for this tragedy includes the Hero, the Maiden, the Servant, and Demon Overlord, and the overall theme takes on morality, fate, and finding yourself despite the fear of what could happen. The game emphasizes replayability much like a roguelike –every mistake isn’t necessarily a failure, but a necessary choice that could unlock a new path.

When you start out, you’re asked to lead these 4 charcaters to their doom. You lead each of them through their storylines, making a few choices until they reach their horrible conclusion (usually, they die). After each run, you’ll unlock new traits that can alter their paths and lead them to dozens more bad endings. Each character has their own story and dilemma that intersects with each other character. A decision made for one character’s path can alter the direction of another character. You’ll constantly hop between each character, all seeing the same events, but from a unique perspective, which forces you to rethink character intentions, and what is ultimately the “right” choice.

As a kid, I loved “choose your own adventure books,” mainly because 90% of the endings were, “you chose poorly so they died.” But the point of those books was to illustrate how any of our choices can lead us astray from our true path. This game really illustrates this, as you will see your characters die a lot. However, as you continue your little experiment, you’ll learn more about the Bad End Theater and the bigger picture this game is ultimately painting. The game is a snack-sized experience in terms of length, but it’s a great snack to go back to again and again, offering 40 different endings. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves puzzles, as this is definitely a game that rewards curiosity and experimentation. – Raymond Estrada

BAD END THEATER

Serenity Forge

☆☆☆☆☆
20

★★★★★

$9.99

Get it now

“Welcome to BAD END THEATER!

Select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates!

The decisions you make in one story will affect the others. You can toggle these behaviors to open up new paths! Unfortunately, every path leads to a bad ending…

Can you find a way to save this unlucky cast?”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate

This is what you get when you combine all the charm of an iconic franchise with the popular – and quite frankly, addictive – action-roguelike genre. Players will find the gameplay reminiscent of other roguelike favorites like Hades but with 1-4 player co-op and featuring the rich story and characters of the TMNT universe.

The game begins with Leonardo (my favorite turtle) getting ambushed by Foot Soldiers – a staple enemy to the Turtles and loyal grunts of the universe’s main antagonist, Shredder. However, after clearing these henchmen, you are faced with an unwinnable fight (either you’re supposed to lose or I’m bad… or both). You then learn that Shredder, or someone even darker than him, has not only kidnapped Master Splinter, but possesses some powerful, portal creating, world altering…thing, and it’s up to the gang to save their master and stop the mastermind behind this plot.

What I love most about it is how the developers retained key components of the genre, incorporated TMNT lore and design, and managed to make things feel fresh, fun and engaging. Fans of the franchise will appreciate seeing the Turtles’ hideout repurposed as the central hub for upgrades, pizza being the symbol for health pickups, the ability to unlock Casey Jones, fights against Leatherhead or Rocksteady, and your chats with April or Slash.

The developers even went as far as adding dialogue to in-run upgrades that are themed after other characters. There was a point where I chose an ability that was themed after Mikey, and Leo said something along the lines of “I hope it doesn’t come with the bad puns.” It’s classic Turtles and whether you’re a diehard fan or novice to that fandom, it’s charming to see and easy to appreciate – Ralph can get irritating sometimes, but that’s canon. – Deron Mann

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate

Super Evil Megacorp

☆☆☆☆☆
39

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Unleash Turtle Power!
Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into an adventure to save Master Splinter from the Foot Clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales.

Bodacious Co-Op Gameplay
Brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomized power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies.

Build Your Power
Master the powers of water and fire, utrom and ooze, light and darkness, and -most importantly- Ninja to create unique and bodacious builds for your Turtles. Every run brings new challenges and opportunities – explore and perfect your favorite builds, and combine them with allies to conquer your enemies.

A Thrilling Story
When Splinter is kidnapped by Shredder, mysterious portals appear across NYC and the Turtles will battle to recover their father from the clutches of the Foot Clan. However, an even greater threat lingers in the shadows…

With additional settings, balance and tuning enhancements for PC, Splintered Fate promises to keep you engaged in the FIGHT, ADAPT, REPEAT portal loop. Be ready to restore peace to the city!