Magic Forge Tycoon

First off huge thank you to Clever Trickster Studios for sending me a review key to check out there game Magic Forge Tycoon its greatly appreciated so let’s jump in and talk about this.

I hope Clever Trickster studios can forgive me on the late review life got busy for me and I wasnt able to get to this sooner.

So this is a tycoon game where you run your own magical forge the tutorial option is available after you design your emblem and name your forge which that alone is a huge fun boost for me nothing like running my family company into the ground with my choices.

So the tutorial starts you off easy you pick a blueprint you wanna work on and off you go. If you’ve played game dev tycoon then you will feel right at home with this system so after you start the build your greeted with a pop up that has 3 sliders these sliders represent the build its style and the way its forged you get 3 pop ups total each with different sliders and yes its a guessing game at first but the more you build the same item over and over the more information you gain from the build unlocking these green bars under the sliders which are your favorite areas meaning these spots guarantee success in your endeavors but they can still be tweaked to get better scores.

Next is the money aspect after all your running a forge you need an income so the sale screen shows you the kingdoms where you can open up stalls for a price gaining a reputation with that kingdom. This aspect is my favorite part of the game you see your able to tell the kingdoms status by hovering over there name you can see there military power and there wealth and trust me more money means more sales at least thats how I see it.

On the world map you see the kingdoms that are available this is also where you gain special missions from them for special gears or regular gear as well you see completing orders gains you coin and reputation but be careful you see on this screen you will see what kingdoms have issues with each other and which ones are at war and sadly you cant help one kingdom without hurting your status with other kingdoms which sucks im nothing but a humble blacksmith trying to carve out a living but life has other plans for me.

The guild tab let’s you buy other blueprints so you can craft other weapons maces and staffs you have a decent variety and I really like that from this game but watch your money as it spends fast sometimes faster then you can earn. The guild tab also has all the upgrade paths for your forge which is awesome as when your on the forge screen you see whatever upgrades you buy happen in real time these small touches definitely make the game more fun knowing my hard work is paying off.

Yes you can lose the game if you spend to long broke the guild shuts you down and sadly I dishonored my family name in my tutorial run and went bankrupt but you live and learn and get better.

All in all this is a fun cozy game and good time killer and tons to figure out and learn and its definitely worth it the game releases early 2026 on steam so keep an eye out for it and add it to your growing collection thank you all for stopping by take care and game on.

Etheria Restart event

Two New Characters Join Etheria: Restart During Absolute Hollow Event

Palin and Senyu are the latest additions to the game

Shanghai, China — December 24, 2025 | XD Games is happy to announce that the latest Etheria: Restart banner event – Absolute Hollow – begins 25 December and runs through 14 January.

Absolute Hollow adds two new characters to the playable roster of Etheria: Restart: the Attack Animus and core damage dealer Senyu, and the Support Animus that defends her allies, Palin.

Watch the latest trailer below:

Palin (SSR)

Known by her code name “The Saint,” Palin radiates a noble and holy presence. However, behind the Executive Cardinal of the Astral Union’s mask of innocence lies the unfathomable mind of a true enigma.

Event Period: 25 December, 2025 00:00 – 14 January, 2026 (UTC-5)
Unlock Requirement: Complete the game’s prologue

Senyu (SSR)

The Administrative Secretary to Acting Governor Livia is known for her gentle and polite nature, navigating her duties without ever starting conflict. She’s a beloved figure within Hydra Bank, earning the title of the “Perfect Secretary” from the likes of Kokardi and Veronika.

Event Period: 25 December, 2025 00:00 – 14 January, 2026 (UTC-5)
Unlock Requirement: Complete the game’s prologue

About Etheria: Restart

Etheria: Restart is a free-to-play supernatural hero team-building RPG developed by XD Inc. The game features breathtaking visuals, an immersive narrative, and a rich blend of PvE and PvP content. Players can enhance their experience with optional in-game purchases.

Street Gods

DAVE THE DIVER ‘In the Jungle’ DLC

DAVE THE DIVER ‘In the Jungle’ DLC Introduces New Gameplay Systems, A new Restaurant, and a Village of Locals for Dave to Win Over

The latest “Dev Dive” vlog from developer Mintrocket dissects the new systems and mechanics coming to the 10-hour-long DLC, plus a peek at what’s coming for the mobile launch

SEOUL – 19th December, 2025: Today, DAVE THE DIVER developer Mintrocket shared an all-new “Dev Dive” vlog, reflecting on the last year and sharing some fin-tastic studio updates, including a long-awaited deep-dive into the upcoming “In the Jungle” DLC.

Watch the full “Dev Dive” video here: https://youtu.be/E5_pWDFRca0

Following the gameplay sneak peek as part of November’s Xbox Partner Preview, Mintrocket reveals that the next DLC — the largest story expansion yet — will launch with approximately 10 hours of content. Much of this new adventure introduces fresh, surprising mechanics and systems that branch boldly away from the base game and previous DLCs.

In “In the Jungle,” Dave heads into freshwater as he embraces new responsibilities and challenges, including befriending the locals of his and a friend’s new home base: a quaint jungle village brimming with opportunity…and just a splash of danger.

THE VILLAGE

Welcome to Utara, a jungle village where time flows in real-time. Here, Dave can spend his days freely diving underwater, gathering fruits and resources — and, naturally, building relationships with the locals by completing tasks and side quests.

As ever, Dave finds himself surrounded by potential friends (and future customers) whose trust and patronage must be earned. As relationships deepen, so too do the rewards, unlocking new opportunities throughout Utara and creating ripple effects that extend all the way to Bancho’s restaurant business.

THE RESTAURANT

One of “In the Jungle’s” biggest departures from the base game is the introduction of Bancho Grill, a brand-new restaurant in Utara featuring a fully cooked freshwater menu.

Unlike Bancho Sushi, where movement was limited, Dave can now move freely throughout the Grill, serving customers across multiple areas rather than a single horizontal plane. As Dave’s bonds with villagers grow, they’ll begin visiting Bancho Grill as diners, making the restaurant a key hub, and a vital link, between Dave and the village community.

SYSTEMS & MECHANICS

This time around, Dave dives into a massive freshwater lake instead of the Blue Hole — one packed with new aquatic life, unexpected cuisine options, and plenty of lurking danger. New waters demand new tools, and Mintrocket revealed Dave’s latest piece of gear: the Jungle Gun. This versatile weapon can freely transform into net guns, shotguns, snipers, or regular guns, allowing Dave to adapt on the fly and giving players the freedom to experiment with their preferred combat styles.

Combined with a shift from fully horizontal movement to a more free-flowing isometric view, along with real-time progression, Dave will need to carefully balance priorities and make smarter use of space and time. Expect new minigames with friends, jungle-specific adventures, and a wide variety of activities that benefit Bancho Grill, or Utara as a whole.

DAVE THE DIVER MOBILE

Rounding out today’s Dev Dive, Mintrocket also revealed plans to complete Dave’s multi-platform expedition by bringing the game to mobile platforms together with a partner. DAVE THE DIVER on mobile won’t be a simple port — instead, the game will be fully optimized and redesigned to perform seamlessly on mobile. One example shared in the vlog is the ability to tilt mobile devices to pour tea. DAVE THE DIVER will launch on mobile devices first in China, and globally thereafter later in 2026.

DAVE THE DIVER is currently available on PlayStation 4&5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (with support for Xbox Play Anywhere), macOS, and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

DAVE THE DIVER will soon be surfacing in physical form, a true collector’s catch for both PlayStation and Nintendo fans. In partnership with Silver Lining Interactive, the game will receive a full physical edition launch in retail in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The retail edition will include the full ‘In the Jungle’ DLC expansion. Preorder date and retailer details will be announced soon. Preorders will also be available via Silver Lining Direct.

Eldegarde

Fantasy Extraction-RPG Eldegarde Launches in January 2026 with PvE Mode, New Classes, and More

Legacy: Steel & Sorcery signs off a successful stint in early access with a 1.0 launch and rebrand

California, United States — December 19, 2025 | Notorious Studios is excited to announce that its debut title, extraction-RPG Eldegarde, will be launching in 1.0 on 21 January 2026 on Steam.

Originally titled Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, the PvEvE game launched into Steam Early Access in February 2025, garnering plenty of positive feedback and building a dedicated community.

Picking from iconic fantasy classes including Warrior, Rogue or Wizard, Eldegarde players can dive into a world of magic and steel, battling monsters and knights, as well as other players, through verdant fields, deep woods, and sinister crypts in order to find incredible loot and extract safely.

Watch the new Eldegarde trailer here:

Developer Notorious Studios, formed by Blizzard veteran Chris Kaleiki (World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, Mists of Pandaria), has worked closely with the game’s community over the past eleven months, shaping and improving the core multiplayer experience, adding in brand new maps and new classes such as Paladin and Wizard.

Eldegarde’s 1.0 launch also introduces a PvE mode, allowing more casual players to jump into the classic pulp fantasy-inspired world of Eldegarde, learning its combat mechanics and map intricacies without the threat of other players.

“We’re incredibly excited to finally launch into 1.0,” said Chris Kaleiki, Founder of Notorious Studios. “Early access has been an incredibly useful and rewarding experience, allowing us to shape and refine our game alongside our dedicated community.”

“Beginning life as a hardcore PvPvE game, over time we learnt that players also wanted a PvE experience, something akin to a ‘mini-MMO’, if you like. Eldegarde is indicative of that effort; it is the name of the world in the game, which now provides a variety of experiences including PvE, PvP Arenas, a Social Hub and PvE Dungeon, ready to welcome in new and returning players alike.”

Eldegarde launches into 1.0 on Steam on 21 January 2026. In the meantime, players can still purchase the game in Steam Early Access today, and upgrade to 1.0 for free come January.

Merry Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas everyone i hope your day is magical and full of lots of love and laughter i hope Santa got you everything you asked for and then some. 2025 has been an amazing year for the blog lots of reviews were done and plenty of gaming news was shared. i hope that 2026 will be amazing for everyone and that we can continue to grow and have plenty of amazing and fun games to look forward to. stay safe everyone have a wonderful day and night and game on.

Codex Mortis

First off a big thanks to GROLAF and CRUNCHFEST for sending me a copy of codex mortis its greatly appreciated let’s dive in.

First off this game according to there steam page is 100% made by A.I and when I saw this i wasnt sure how to feel but I decided to give it a chance and see.

Now this game is a Bullet Hell and lately this has been my favorite genre since it offers so much diversity and replay ability and im familiar with the genre having played a good variety.

The games demo has 2 opened levels a graveyard where the dead are restless and cant sleep and a Christmas level done for the holidays where you gotta kill zombie Santa and a variety of Christmas monsters. And I do mean variety from elfs to gingerbread man to robotic deers there’s a bit of everything.

Now what i dont like about the game is the swarm it starts off at full throttle instead of working its way up so you can get a feel for it and another being you dont get new spells during the run you find scrolls from mini bosses and they may unlock a new benefit but spells have to be found instead of being random rolls you can pick from which is counterintuitive to the whole feel of the genre then there’s objectives you have to do to finish the levels great not bad I like having something to do other then just survive but the arrow indicators are so hard to see once the screen is filled with monsters that it feels like your guessing where to go. Also the game feels like its all board game pieces the way the monsters and character moves.

You will find random treasure spots on the map which give you a chance at getting something my last run I kept getting nothing it was frustrating.

The only thing I really liked was the upgrade system you use the souls from dead enemies as currency to unlock more upgrades to benefit you on your runs as well as more spell slots so your not limited to 4 spells which I think is really cool.

The only negative ive found in the game is a bug where your character starts moving south on his own and you cant regain control unless you quit the game to your desktop ive come across this bug 4 times already I get its a demo so I wont hold it against them but I hope they fix this if there planning on launching this game.

For my first A.i made game im really at a lost for words on some aspects like the Christmas level I feel the colors make things harder to see like your arrow indicators the upgrade system is my favorite part of the whole game I had fun with this demo but I still feel games need to be made by people where they can express there passion an a.i doesn’t have the same passion and love people will anyways thanks for stopping by take care and game on

Another Eden the cat Beyond Time and Space

So today we check out Another Eden the cat beyond time and space this is a free to play game on steam thats basically a mobile port given mouse and keyboard controls.

Right out of the game my biggest issue with this game is that even after installing it from steam when you launch the game it has updates and needs to install more stuff this absolutely is not acceptable if I install a game from steam I expect all updates to be done through steam and make sure everything is installed right from the get go this is my biggest gripe with this game but I dont expect much from a mobile port I shouldn’t have to wait around an extra 30 minutes or more for the game to download extra stuff it makes me not wanna play the game and sadly the whole time ive had this game thats been my experience.

Well now with that massive red flag out of the way let’s talk about the game then, Now I reached out to there social person on twitter i saw the game in a post and it caught my interest cause there doing a collaboration even with final fantasy and im a fan of final fantasy now first the game is free to play i didnt know that and I didnt know it was a mobile port until I started talking with the guys great people by the way so I downloaded it and wanted to jump in right from the get go I spent an hour maybe more just waiting for this game to install more stuff for it to work im like ok no problem I can wait so I did and finally after what felt like forever I was able to start playing this game.

The story follows Aldo and his sister Feinne in a world thats clearly at war with itself the game opens up with a cutscene of a man least you think he is walking through the woods where he encounters a small child but instead of helping the baby he leaves why who knows then an old man comes into view who finds the baby and a young aldo fast forward and your in a village with an older grown Aldo and his sister where you do some missions and progress the story after maybe 15 minutes of game play could be more the village is shown being attacked by the beast king who’s hunting down Feinne cause she has some magical power that can be used to eliminate the humans of the world and only leaving behind everyone else after you gain control of Aldo after some gacha elements you pursue the kidnappers finding them only to end up in a fight with the beast king where you know plot armor keeps you alive that and a magical kick ass sword but its not enough and they get away with your sister and thats how chapter 1 closes out for the game.

Chapter 2 starts with your grandfather teaching you combat so you can pursue after your sister and her kidnappers which leads you to a forest the scenery is beautiful I’ll give them that so you make your way through the forest until you find the beast kings servant who you get into a fight with after that he let’s loose his pet chimera on you and you run away until your surrounded then a strange hole opens up and your blasted through time and that ladies and gents is the introduction to Another Eden the cat beyond time and space not bad I guess.
The game finally spits you out 800 years into the future leaving Aldo a bit time shocked at the fact hes not in his own time you meet a girl who later introduces herself as Amy who tells you where to find her since she thinks your a bit crazy you know time travel who knew right, during my travel to the city I met my favorite character so far an Andriod by the name of Riica who after saving her from some evil andriods agrees to help you out on your journey.

This game is a mobile port so all the gacha elements are still there so spend money get characters and so forth my favorite thing about the game is honestly the music its top tier and really soothing I could spend hours just listening to the music itself I know I haven’t played the game much more but honestly this game isnt for me which sucks I really wanted to see the final fantasy collaboration.

If you dont mind mobile games and dont mind the grueling download times for there updates this game could be worth it the combat is fun being turn based picking each attack spending mp points per attack its all there the seeds of a great game but they gotta work on the download speed for the updates even with over 600Mbs down for my internet speed the update took forever to download and if your trying to immersed yourself in the game this kills it I’ll probably come back in the future and check it out again the game has a lot to offer and do but right now its not for me thank you for your time take care and game on.

Moonlighter Rock Dungeon nintendo switch version

Hello everyone today we talk about moonlighter now this game has been out for a while but I recently bought it for my Nintendo switch and I’ve been having fun with it let’s talk.

In moonlighter your character is an explorer at night when the dungeon is open and a shop keeper by day why the dungeon is only open at night I have no clue but thats how the game has it designed.

So the game starts you off in a tutorial run you meet an old man from your village that basically begs you to not do dungeon runs as your grandfather died in the dungeons but you refuse to listen and play on after you complete the tutorial run our friendly old man gives you your first real weapon a sword and shield to help you against the rocky foes of the first dungeon. Yes you read that right first dungeon as there’s a total of 5 that you progress through sadly im not that far yet.

So your dungeon runs consist of you clearing out rooms until you find the floor bosses hidden chamber trust me there’s a lot of rooms to explore sadly you gotta be mindful as your bag only holds 20 different items and you fill up on space real quick ive learned this the hard way. But you will know when you are close to the boss as the anti chamber room is a giant magical pool that heals you and trust me healing you will need.

After your runs if you make it out you return to your store there you can put the items you just plundered for sale so you can earn yourself some coin and trust me coin you will need. You see your the sole income to your village and its thanks to you that the town will grow as you are responsible for bringing in new shops which you will desperately need.

The first shop you bring in is the blacksmith which you will need to upgrade your weapons craft new weapons and craft new armor as well everything you need cause the monsters hit hard and sadly healing potions only do so much.
The next shop is the alchemist shop this is where you will discover all types of potions and buffs to help your runs and every little bit helps.

Some of the rock monsters are annoying but you can beat them some require some environmental usage to beat them but the floor boss is in a league of his own he hits hard and has a health bar that fits right at home with any souls game just not that hard to attack.

The rock dungeon is made up of 3 floors with the 3rd floor giving you a nice gift that makes exploring that much easier at the cost of money of course.

The game has a lot to offer and you definitely have fun im glad I picked this up for my Nintendo switch it fits right at home on this console I’ll be working my way through the game so I’ll keep you posted when I beat the next dungeon take care everyone and game on.

Flotsam

First off massive thank you to Pajama Llama games for sending me a copy of the game its greatly appreciated, so let’s get into it.

Flotsam is a city builder on a boat in a world over taken by water, yes you read that right your playing a city builder on the water and at the center of it all is your tug boat I mean let’s be real if you’ve plays airborne kingdom or the wandering village this isnt a far stretch.

So thankfully the game has a tutorial and its really well done it teaches you to move and build as well as how to navigate the map and gives you quest along the way so your not bored its really well done and I enjoyed my time with the tutorial. So my first run or my tutorial run to better put it I played 5.5 hours into it and I managed to do a lot until it all crashed and burned let’s dive into more of the game.

The world is over literally the oceans have risen and your boat is your life line so you travel around in search of materials to use and forage the main one being plastic and wood you see the plastic is used to make what’s called floaters which are basically jugs that wont sink and everything in this game takes plastics which sucks cause in my run there was times I couldn’t find any plastic at all, then there’s wood which you will find floating in the ocean or on little islands where you can cut the trees down and use them to make planks or firewood which sadly both are used alot so the struggle is real so you always gotta think about how to spend your wood as it is very valuable.

Then there’s food I mean let’s be real you just survived the end of the world you gotta eat right so let’s find some food thankfully the food variety is plenty as the first you find is seaweed which is turned into a salad or rope but then you move up to the next tier which is fish and around the world there’s plenty of fish I think there’s 3 different types of fish for you to find and cook. Then there’s the next tier which you find old abandoned super markets and grab food there finally the last tier are the farms where you will find potatoes, corn, wheat and more which I haven’t gotten that far yet. So food is solid lots of great options just gotta find it.

The next problem you’ll encounter is storage and housing which you will need lots of both the houses thankfully help with another aspect of the game.

That aspect Morale every survival has a morale compass basically and the happier they are the more productive there gonna be which there’s a lot to learn with the characters you see they level up but they also have there favorite things to do so its good to make sure you have the right people working in the right spots it helps things go smoother.

Now this is where things started going bad for me I had 9 residents and was working on getting electricity going to make some things easier for my people boy was that a bad idea you see the power grid is very volatile if you dont prepare enough for it you see as your town gets bigger it gets heavier making your main vessel waste electricity faster making it harder to find stuff and progress so you gotta build batteries that help you store more energy but thats not the only problem you see there’s buildings that waste the electricity and they drain it faster then you can make it go figure the game does have a few options to produce energy a bike generator a wood burning generator and oil burner and finally solar panels. But again you gotta know how to balance it so you dont screw yourself over.

This game focuses hugely on production and balance one item feeds into several others and so forth. My next run was much better I had less people so food and water could last longer but with less people production is slower cause you need those people to do everything from gathering to crafting to researching so needing more people is a must but again balance is needed.

My play time isnt a huge amount clocking in just over 12 hours ive come to learn that this city builder really pushes your thinking skills to some im sure it will be a cake walk to others they might crash and burn a few times but not once did I rage quit or get angry at the game I wanted more to keep building and finding stuff to make my characters better and give them the home they so desperately want during these trying times, Flotsam takes a page out of other city builders but keeps it going in an original formula a floating city during the end of the world the games graphics are also very relaxed and colorful nothing to over powering or demanding.

There are a few things I would love to see added maybe a way to make our own plastics also I would love to be able to zoom out more and look at the whole map and not just be limited to a certain area also when your not in the tutorial it feels like you struggle a bit finding people and getting the story going I dont know if thats a user error or if its designed that way.

All in all flotsam is a very solid game and you can easily lose yourself playing it easily sinking hours into it so if your looking for a cozy city builder check out flotsam on steam its worth it thank you for stopping by take care and as always game on.