Category: Technology

Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. As ever, we’ve got a whole bunch of new games for you to dive into this weekend, along with announcements and updates on several others that are coming down the pike.

I love how spoiled we are for game showcases these days, and I’m really looking forward to the latest installment of the indie-focused Triple-i Initiative at noon ET on April 9 as the first two editions were really strong. The trailer for this one features the likes of Cairn, Warhammer Survivors (the Warhammer-themed Vampire Survivors spinoff), the excellent CloverPit, Final Sentence and Far Far West. The organizers are promising to share release dates and gameplay reveals. Expect to see eight game announcements here too.

Summer Game Fest is fast approaching. That means the mid-year edition of Day of the Devs, one of the biggest indie game showcases around, isn’t too far away. Developers still have a chance to be featured in the show. Submissions for Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Digital Showcase are open, but you’ll need to hurry if you’re ready to shoot your shot at being included. The deadline for submissions is this Monday, April 6.

Meanwhile, I’d normally write about notable ports in the new releases section of this roundup, but there was no trailer for this, so I’ll mention it here. Before its success with Peak last year, Landfall also scored a hit with Content Warning on PC (making it free for the first 24 hours didn’t hurt!). Now, this friendslop game is out on PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 for $10. Landfall added cross-play to the Steam version as well.

New releases

 

A sequel to an all-time indie classic dropped this week, and it took the squishy protagonist of the series to another dimension. Like its predecessors, Super Meat Boy 3D is a tough precision platformer. You’ll need to guide the titular meat cube past saws, shredders, burning forests, laser-guided rockets, enemies and other obstacles. There are boss fights too. A mistake spells a quick trip back to the beginning of the level. Meat Boy does have an air dash this time around, though.

I played through the first world and Sluggerfly and Team Meat haven’t changed the base formula too much. The additional dimension and fixed perspective make platforming a little trickier. When there’s a gap while I’m running across a wall, for instance, I might forget to stop pressing up while I’m crossing the hole, causing Meat Boy to disappear into the void. I found it easier to control him with the D-pad than a thumbstick, for what it’s worth. 

You can try it for yourself right now as Super Meat Boy 3D, from publisher Headup, is available on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 for $25. There’s a 10 percent launch discount on PC, and it’s on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass.

I really enjoyed the Raccoin demo, so I’m bummed that I haven’t had much of a chance to jump into the full game yet. I have some other things on my plate at the minute (more on some of those next week!). When I do have time to properly sit down with Raccoin, though, I may just lose the rest of the month to it.

Raccoin is a roguelike deckbuilder in the vein of games like Balatro and CloverPit. Instead of racking up giant scores in spins on poker or one-armed bandits, the action here takes place in a coin pusher. The aim, as ever, is to find wild synergies between special coins and items to break the rules and earn enough points to keep moving forward. I’m excited to experiment with a much larger box of tools in the full game. 

Raccoin, from Doraccoon and Balatro publisher Playstack, is out now on Steam. It’ll usually cost $12, but there’s an 18 percent discount until April 7.

I’ve only played around an hour of Tombwater, but I’m really digging this game from Moth Atlas and Midwest Games. It’s a 2D, eldritch horror Western Soulslike. It feels like Bloodborne meets The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past (there’s even a hookshot), by way of Red Dead Redemption.

After a brief prologue, you’ll pick a character class and jump right into the action as you search for a former train-robbing partner who has somehow become a sheriff. Enemies are quite varied, and you’ll use a mix of melee attacks, firearms and magic to battle them.

Resource management is vital. You restore ammo by dishing out melee damage. The magic meter has an interesting twist too. Using spells too often can send your character spiraling into madness, which can cause hallucinations.

There are lots of hallmarks of the Soulslike genre here. When (not if) you die, you’ll leave behind a totem that has all your cash and unused leveling experience. You can destroy this to regain your lost loot, or wait until you’ve dispatched nearby enemies to do so, as the totem can heal you (helpful in a tough boss battle). You can level up and restore health flasks at campfires. 

There’s a wonderfully gloomy tone to Tombwater. The lovely pixel art and atmospheric music are spot on so far.

However, I got lost quite a few times — the map didn’t help much — and I don’t love the way aiming works with a controller or on Steam Deck. You aim by holding the left trigger and fire with the right. But you can only point your weapon in the four cardinal directions, and you need to let go of the left trigger before you can change your aim. That’s not a problem with a mouse, as you can aim freely. 

I hope Moth Atlas improves controller aiming, since Tombwater is very promising so far. I’m looking forward to playing more when I can. 

Tombwater is out now on Steam. It’ll typically run you $25, but if you pick it up before April 14, it can be yours for $20.

Corgis in mechs. That’s the first thing you need to know about Animalkind, a co-op village-building game. You and your friends can play as corgis (or tuxedo cats or raccoons) in mechs. You’ll first need to find the parts to assemble your ancient mech before you can actually pilot the machine, though. Exploring the open world, gathering resources, crafting and recruiting NPCs are all elements of this charming-looking game.

Animalkind is available on Steam for $20, with 10 percent off until April 6. Developer Uncommon Games expects it to remain in early access until 2027. Once again, corgis in mechs.

Hozy is another lovely-looking game — perhaps the title is a portmanteau of “home” and “cozy.” The idea behind this home renovation title is that you’ll be restoring a neighborhood of abandoned abodes. There are nine locations for you to clean up and decorate. 

There are so many nice touches in the trailer, from the robot mop cleaning floors to pulling a new table out a box filled with packing peanuts (on that note, Unpacking hit Apple Arcade this week). The animations for things like laying down floorboards, changing the height of a chair and unfurling a roll of wallpaper are all delightful. The lighting looks great too. 

Hozy, from Come On Studio and publisher TinyBuild, is out now on Steam for PC and Mac. It will normally run you $15, but you can save 10 percent if you snap it up by April 6.

“You stay in the warmth of your friends,” reads a narrative subtitle as three characters stand on a rooftop, looking out at a cityscape and a multicolored sky. By itself, that shot from the launch trailer was enough to sell me on Fishbowl, a coming-of-age adventure from the two-person team at imissmyfriends.studio and co-publisher Wholesome Games Presents. 

I then looked back at a previous trailer, which included the prompt “hydrate?” with the options of “yes, hydrate and live” and “no, dehydrate and die.” Shortly afterward, Fishbowl became the latest addition to my Steam library. Funny how that happens.

You’ll play as Alo, taking care of her and her home and trying to give her a fulfilling life even as she remains isolated. You’ll meet Alo’s loved ones and co-workers on video calls, edit video in her work-from-home job and rearrange items in boxes to discover her childhood memories. Learning about Alo’s past (with the help of a magical talking fish from her youth) can help you shape Alo’s future through you narrative choices. There’s a surrealist aspect to this game too.

Fishbowl is out now on Steam for PC and Mac, as well as PS5. It costs $10, though there’s a 10 percent discount on Steam until April 16. There’s a demo available on both platforms. 

Upcoming 

Here’s a deep dive into gameplay from Nightholme, a survival extraction game from Studio Ellipsis, which is led by Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Assassin’s Creed Unity creative director Alexandre Amancio. It’s coming to Steam and consoles, with a closed beta lined up for this summer. 

Each match will have 12 monster hunters. You can run solo or group up with other players. At the start of each match, you load into a camp on the edge of a town full of horrors. Here, you’ll drink a potion that turns your character into a monster — three archetypes will be available at the outset. 

There are a number of things you can opt to do in each match, from carrying out quests tied to factions, scavenging, defeating enemies and taking out other players to snag their loot. Each match also has a boss that’s protecting a high-value item.

The horror aspect makes me more interested in this than many other survival extraction games out there. I’m definitely looking forward to checking this one out.

We’ve seen a bunch of interesting climbing games over the last few years. You can add another one to the list. Ascenders: Beyond the Peak is a turn-based roguelite in which you’ll go exploring with a team of climbers. It seems that you’ll encounter Lovecraftian horrors on these mountain, along with dangers like avalanches, blizzards and rockfalls.

You’ll have nine character classes to choose from and you can level up your climbers and their gear and skills between runs. While the levels are short, you’ll need to be mindful as there’s a permadeath element to this game. You might even end up having to sacrifice a member of the party in order to save the rest. Brutal. 

Ascenders: Beyond the Peak, from Ludogram Games and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is coming to PC and consoles. It’ll debut in early access on Steam later this year for $20.

Puzzling Places has been a hit on PlayStation and Meta virtual reality platforms, as it has racked up 400,000 players. The 3D jigsaw game will soon be playable without a VR headset for the first time, as it’s going to hit Steam on April 9 — it will run on Steam Deck and SteamVR as well. A Steam demo is available now. 

There are a wide range of puzzles for you to solve, ranging from 25-piece quick hits to gargantuan 1,000-piece endeavors. Each features animations, including of figures going about their lives. It seems very relaxing!

It’s only 86 seconds long, but I felt a lump in my throat as I watched this trailer for The Day I Became a Bird. The visuals, music and story beats got me caught up in my feelings. It’s a narrative adventure about a first love. You play as a young lad named Frank who tries to grab the attention of a classmate, bird-lover Sylvia. Designing and wearing a bird costume just might help him do that.

Developer Hyper Luminal Games is based in my hometown, which is yet another reason for me to get on board. I’m not familiar with the children’s book — by Ingrid Chabbert and illustrator Guridi — that the game is based on. I kind of want to buy it for my partner’s kid… and maybe myself. 

The Day I Became a Bird is coming to Steam, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. The base game costs $20. On Steam and PS5, that version includes a short animated film from Passion Games, which found out about the book and teamed up with Hyper Luminal and publisher Numbskull to make the game. A $25 Feathered Adventurer edition includes the film, a digital artbook and the soundtrack.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/super-meat-boy-3d-coin-pushing-chaos-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110000960.html?src=rss 

HarperCollins is tapping into AI to bring some of its book franchises to life. Specifically, the publisher is teaming up with Toonstar, an AI animation studio, to turn them into digital shows. The first project will be an adaptation of Lisa Greenwald’s “Friendship List” series, which will also be joined by a graphic novel.

You’d be forgiven for being unaware of Toonstar, a studio that received some buzzy early on for simplifying typically complex animation pipelines with AI, but has mostly remained under the radar. Its biggest claim to fame is producing StEvEn and Parker YouTube series, which has amassed 3.38 million subscribers and sometimes has episodes reaching around a million views. It’s not something I’ve heard animation fans speaking about, though. And honestly, it was tough to sit through a few minutes of its sub-South Park animation.

“By leaning into the [AI] technology, we can make full episodes 80 percent faster and 90 percent cheaper than industry norms,” Toonstar co-founder John Attanasio, told The New York Times last year. In that same interview, the company revealed that it uses AI across its production, including having it dub dialog for international audiences, as well as working on storylines.

Toonstar initially pitched itself as an animation studio leaning into Web3 and NFTs, but those technologies seem virtually absent from the company’s presence today. Space Junk, one of its early series, was “put on hold for a variety of reasons,” a representative told Engadget. “It’s possible we’ll resurrect the concept in the future,” they added. Its original domain now points to a crypto gambling site.

“We’re honored to bring Friendship List to life as an animated series,” Attanasio said in a press release. “Our artist-centered approach ensures these beloved characters and stories stay true to the author’s vision, while our Ink & Pixel production technology enables fast, high-quality production at scale which unlocks the ability to meet audiences where and when they enjoy content today.”

Toonstar has certainly proved it can make “content” for YouTube. Can it actually produce an enjoyable animat edshow? That’s another question entirely.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-animation-studio-toonstar-will-turn-books-into-digital-shows-for-harpercollins-211419155.html?src=rss 

Jason Blundell, a former creative lead on Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Black Ops series, has announced that he’s formed a new development studio called Magic Fractal Studios. Blundell announced the studio on a livestream with former Dark Outlaw Games coworker JC Farmer, a little over a week after the previous studio was closed by Sony.

Little is known about Magic Fractal beyond its logo and social media accounts. Dark Outlaw Games was similarly mysterious, and closed before it could even announce its first project. All that’s known is what Blundell has shared after the studio was shut down: Dark Outlaw wasn’t working on a live-service game. The distinction is notable, if only because live-service games have been connected to at least two notable studio closures in the past. Sony shut down Firewalk Studios in October 2024, not long after its live-service shooter Concord was released, and in February 2026, closed Bluepoint Games after its live-service game based on the God of War series was reportedly cancelled.

Magic Fractal is Blundell’s third studio after leaving Activision Blizzard in 2020. He formed Dark Outlaw Games with Sony’s backing in March 2025. Before that, he led Deviation Games, which was closed in 2024 and was reportedly also working on a game for PlayStation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/jason-blundell-announces-his-new-new-studio-magic-fractal-201055837.html?src=rss 

On their way around the Moon, the Artemis II crew had time to snap some terrific pictures of our blue planet. NASA has begun sharing the images, including the one above, which shows a striking view of Earth through the Orion capsule’s window.

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman overcame the crew’s problems with Microsoft Outlook and the toilet to capture the photos. He took the above pic after the craft completed its translunar injection burn on April 2.

Meanwhile, this second photo trades clever composition for a full-on view of our planet. If you look carefully, you can see two auroras: one on the top right and another on the bottom left. Easier to spot is the diffuse glow of zodiacal light (bottom right) as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

At the time of publication, Artemis II is over 105,000 miles from Earth. The 10-day journey will have the crew of four looping around the Moon and back again. Serving largely as a test run for future deep space travel, the mission is NASA’s first to the Moon since the Apollo program. However, the crew won’t be landing this time; that will have to wait for Artemis IV, currently planned for 2028.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-artemis-ii-crew-snapped-some-mesmerizing-photos-of-earth-183610493.html?src=rss 

Take-Two, the owner of Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games, has seemingly laid off the head of its AI division, Luke Dicken, and several staff members working under him. “​​It’s truly disappointing that I have to share with you that my time with T2 — and that of my team — has come to an end,” Dicken shared in a LinkedIn post spotted by Game Developer. 

When asked to confirm the layoffs in its AI division, Take-Two declined to comment.

Dicken writes that his team was “developing cutting edge technology to support game development” and his post specifically notes that he’s trying to find roles for staff with experience in things like “procedural content for games” and “machine learning.” It’s unclear how many people other than Dicken have been impacted by these layoffs, but the timing does seem a bit unusual for Take-Two.

Like some other large game publishers, Take-Two has “actively embraced” generative AI tools to “drive efficiencies” and “reduce costs.” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has even framed AI as having a positive effect on employment, noting that generative AI “will not reduce employment, it will increase employment,” because “technology always increases productivity, which in turn increases GDP, which in turn increases employment.”

It’s too early to characterize these layoffs as some sort of tide turning against AI — like other big game companies, Take-Two also just does a lot of layoffs — but it’s interesting they’re happening now, while the company is speeding towards the release of Grand Theft Auto VI. The sequel is expected to be a big hit, one that should give Take-Two plenty of financial wiggle-room to experiment with new technology.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/take-two-laid-off-the-head-its-ai-division-and-an-undisclosed-number-of-staff-182824338.html?src=rss 

I realized something was genuinely wrong with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie about 30 minutes in: I hadn’t laughed even once. My audience of around 15 people, including a few families, was dead silent as well. The guy sitting behind me, a Nintendo fan decked out in Mario gear, was so bored he fell asleep. Sure, this is made for kids, but as a Nintendo devotee myself, and someone who has to watch a ton of children’s films on repeat, even the Despicable Me films are more entertaining. 

To be fair, there’s the pretense of a plot: Koopa Jr. and Peach are on parallel tracks to reconnect with a sense of family, in their own ways. But the movie leaps from scene to scene joylessly, with no sense of storytelling or characterization, glued together by the “oh I remember that guy”-ness of empty corporate nostalgia. It’s even less of a movie than the previous Pratt-led popcorn flick. 

Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Take the discovery of Yoshi, which takes place early in the film. Mario and Luigi just find him in a cave and he immediately becomes part of the crew, no questions asked. There’s a brief creative sequence where Yoshi wreaks havoc in the real world, but it’s far too short. Yoshi’s got plot duties to fulfill, after all! He’s the perfect sidekick, with no desires of his own and the bare minimum of characterization (thanks to Donald Glover’s voice, oddly enough. Dude’s got range!)

I argued that the first Mario film felt a bit too safe, but at least it had a few moments to shine: Like an early side-scrolling sequence, and Jack Black’s endearingly musical take on Koopa. The only truly inventive sequence in this movie involves Star Fox’s Fox McCloud, voiced with just the right dose of attitude by current Hollywood “it guy” Glen Powell. He briefly recounts his story in anime form, and yes, he does a barrel roll or two. 

Bowser Jr. and Bowser in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Now it doesn’t make much sense why Fox is actually in the film, but a few half-hearted fight sequences throughout makes it seem like Nintendo is setting up an eventual Avengers-style Smash Bros. movie. What better way to cram in even more characters and references! Isn’t that what franchise filmmaking is all about? 

I’d like to think Nintendo and its collaborators can do better. This is a company known for the thoughtfulness of its game designs, for delivering quirky and inventive player experiences and for not always following the competition. None of that applies to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. There’s little in the way of creativity. It barely respects the audience’s time. And it is, in every sense, just following the More, Louder, Busier playbook for unfocused franchise sequels. 

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is so soulless, it makes me worried about the upcoming Legend of Zelda film (which at least has a far more respectable creative team). Sure, it’s  hard to expect genuine cinema from a Mario film. But we live in an era of great kids movies – Pixar’s Hoppers was an absolute hoot wrapped in an environmentalist message; The Lego Movie (and its sequel and side stories) manage to deliver both laughs and heart. Kids deserve better than an empty sequel moneygrab.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-is-a-black-hole-of-entertainment-154406362.html?src=rss 

Amid Microsoft’s hacking and slashing of its Xbox division, you wouldn’t be crazy for thinking State of Decay 3 was dead. After all, the title was announced nearly six years ago, and, well, we haven’t heard much since. But the survival game is still in the pipeline, and developer Undead Labs will hold a series of playtests beginning in May.

In the announcement, franchise co-creator Brant Fitzgerald emphasized the role of community input in the game’s continued development. “We’ve read your feedback on Discord, we’ve watched your gameplay clips and livestreams on YouTube,” he said. “It became clear that community is survival — and that we need your help.”

The Alpha playtests will include four-player co-op, new base building and resource strategies and plenty of combat. “If scavenging supplies in the middle of a zombie outbreak sounds fun to you, then grab your ruck, pack some mags and head over to our website to find more information and register for a chance to be included in the Alpha,” Fitzgerald said.

Assuming it eventually launches, State of Decay 3 will be available for Xbox and PC. You can sign up for the playtest on the game’s website. Undead Labs warned that not everyone will be selected for the first round, but they’ll keep your names on the list for future opportunities later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/much-like-the-games-zombies-state-of-decay-3-is-somehow-still-alive-170709155.html?src=rss