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Celestial Return News

Live, Roll, Die, Live Again—Celestial Return is a Striking Cyberpunk-Noir Narrative RPG Coming Spring 2026

Backed by publisher Shoreline Games and funded at over 200% on Kickstarter, this dark, dice-based adventure invites players into a world of cosmic horror and corruption 

Istanbul, Türkiye – January 13, 2026– Survival is optional in Celestial Return, a cyberpunk-noir, dice-based narrative RPG from storytelling veterans Metaphor Games, launching on PC via Steam in spring 2026 in partnership with publisher Shoreline Games. 

Celestial Return is a story-rich, boldly stylized sci-fi adventure where dice are your bullets, your bribes, and your last breath. Don the well-worn loafers of Detective Howard, a man with nothing left to lose, as he traverses the neon-washed streets of the decaying Netherveil City, where its corpses are clawing back to life and horrors loom in the shadows. You will investigate a string of suicides that reek of cosmic horror and corporate corruption where your only tools are your rusted badge, a loud-mouthed sentient rose, and a pocketful of stolen dice. 

Watch the announcement trailer: 

YouTube Video.

“Celestial Return has always been about creating a deeply immersive narrative experience that resonates with fans of both video games and storytelling-focused board games,” said Bilge Gul Cakir, Co-Founder / Author at Metaphor Games. “We are so honoured by the outpouring of support from our community, and we never imagined our gritty noir game would achieve 200% funding. Partnering with Shoreline Games allows us to amplify our vision and ensure the game reaches the widest possible audience. We’re excited to see how this collaboration will bring our community’s dream project to life in new and exciting ways.”

“This team has an undeniable work ethic and penchant for storytelling and developing rich, narrative driven storylines. But not only that—their community has spoken, and the support for the game’s development has been incredible to watch,” said Keith Kawamura, CEO of Shoreline Games. “So, to be a part of their journey translating those narratives from board games to video games, is something we absolutely wanted to be a part of, and are incredibly grateful to do so.” 

Celestial Return Key Features: 

  • Doomed Gameplay Loop: Earn and spend your dice while leveling up your own personality, to gain the edge needed to survive conversational combat. It’s sometimes violent, but always desperate. 
  • Simple Currency: Dice aren’t just tools. They’re oxygen. Earn ’em, spend ’em, lose ’em. Hoard them too long, and opportunities vanish. Roll recklessly, and resources burn.
  • Welcome the Crossroads: Discover a vast sci-fi story, rich with twists, turns, mind-bending crossroads, and a branching narrative fully shaped by your decisions.
  • Sounds & Visuals to Bleed For: Immerse yourself in a completely hand-drawn world where manga’s precision meets the raw nerve of American comics
  • Choices Matter: Your choices are the weapons and your mind the battlefield. Decide the outcome with each small step. Just remember: Intelligence picks locks in silence. Virtue pleads for mercy. Foolishness laughs at the abyss.

Expanding the world of Celestial Return beyond the world of video games, Metaphor Games has also released the first in a series of Webtoon comics that delve deeper into the seedy underbelly of Netherveil City, with more episodes planned to release in the run up to the games’ launch. Designed as a living companion to its video game counterpart, the comic’s narrative ties directly into the game, blurring the line between game and graphic novel, with the final episode ending exactly where the game begins. 

Metaphor Games—composed of award-winning writers from TTRPG publisher Metis Creative—successfully rallied a strong Kickstarter community around Celestial Return with fans around the world, surpassing its funding goal by more than 200% and earning the coveted “Projects We Love” distinction. By partnering with Shoreline Games, Metaphor Games gains the support of a publishing studio experienced in bringing narrative-rich and system-driven games to global markets, ensuring Celestial Return will thrive both within and beyond its Kickstarter origins.

Celestial Return launches in spring 2026 for Windows PC via Steam. To follow along for news and updates, join the community on X (Twitter) and Instagram

Hungry Horros

9 JANUARY 2026 – ​ Clumsy Bear Studio is releasing Hungry Horrors into Steam Early Access in a little over a week, on 19 January 2026.

Hungry Horrors is a card-based adventure inspired by British and Irish folklore, where players must keep terrifying creatures fed using traditional regional dishes. There is no combat. Every card played is a meal served, and each turn is about keeping a Horror fed before it reaches you.

After a strong demo reception and months of iteration driven by community feedback, the Early Access release marks the next major step for the project, expanding its systems, content, and progression while continuing to involve players directly in development.

Hungry Horrors launches in Early Access on Steam on 19 January 2026. Available for PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) and Steam Deck. Other platforms will be considered after the PC release.

Hungry Horrors’ Early Access Release Date Trailer:

YouTube Video.

What Early Access Includes

At launch, the Early Access version of Hungry Horrors will feature:

  • Five playable biomes: Caves, Woods, Bogs, Meadows, and the Town, plus the Dungeon and the Kitchen
  • 20 folklore Horrors, drawn from British and Irish myth, including Dullahan, Jenny Greenteeth, and Queen Mab
  • 42 playable dishes based on real traditional recipes from Britain and Ireland
  • 8 legendary characters to encounter, such as Herne the Hunter and the Wulver
  • Seasonings, cookware, potions, and artefacts that alter how you play
  • Core progression through the Book of Taliesin, unlocking new mechanics and strengthening future runs
  • Unique fatality animations for every Horror
  • Five original music tracks composed for the game by Henry Taylor
  • Easter eggs, unlockable mechanics, Steam achievements, and hidden interactions
  • Full controller support, plus mouse-only and keyboard-only play modes

Player feedback will continue to shape the game during Early Access, with regular updates planned as new areas, creatures, dishes, and narrative elements are added.

About the Game

In Hungry Horrors, you play as a spoilt princess forced into action when a ravenous curse spreads across her kingdom and a dragon awakens at its heart. To save the realm, she must perfect her cooking and feed the Horrors drawn from British and Irish legend, under the watchful supervision of a sharp-tongued, sarcastic cat who never misses a chance to comment.

Each encounter is about feeding Horrors rather than fighting them, balancing hunger, flavour cravings, and taste chains while upgrading dishes with seasonings. Cookware, spices and artefacts collected along the way reshape each run, as you discover events and legendary characters throughout the journey.

Every Horror, NPC, and artefact is rooted in regional folklore, from well-known figures to obscure local tales. Every dish is based on an authentic recipe, many of which can still be found in pubs today.

The game blends turn-based strategy with a strong sense of place, wrapped in colourful 90s-inspired pixel art and accompanied by an original, whimsical score composed by Henry Taylor.

Key Features

  • You don’t fight monsters, you feed them
  • Every card is a traditional recipe from Britain and Ireland
  • Every monster, NPC and artefact comes from the tales, legends and folklore of this region
  • Unique fatality animations, colourful 90s pixel art and whimsical bespoke music
  • Blends turn-based strategy, cozy pixel art indie charm, and dark folkloric horror.

The Real Face of a VTuber

The Real Face of a VTuber Launches January 13 on PC Steam
Can you see the truth behind the avatar?

8th January, 2025 – Today Lilien Games and WhisperGames are excited to announce a brand new genre of murder mystery, opening for investigation on Steam PC on January 13, 2026. The Real Face of a VTuber blends courtroom intrigue and digital drama as a murder rocks a VTuber studio, and multiple suspects come forth claiming to be the face behind the same online idol. The VTuber Kuripa was live on air when the crime occurred, so not everyone can be telling the truth…

As the sharp-minded prosecutor Justin Truth, it’s your job to find out who is behind the avatar. Gather evidence, uncover testimony contradictions, challenge alibis, and outthink every witness in tense battles of logic and law.

Features

  • A unique murder mystery centred on the VTuber phenomenon
  • Realistic courtroom mechanics where you must follow proper procedure
  • Nonlinear storytelling: choose who to prosecute and shape how the story and truth unfold
  • Multiple endings based on your deductions and strategy
  • Optional assists from your clerk for new players; intricate logic for mystery veterans
A World Built by VTubers, for VTuber Fans!
 Lilien Games collaborated with a range of creators, from the indie teams behind Aeruta, Alice’s World, Word Game, and Minds Beneath Us, to well-known VTuber groups like SpringFish Studio and ReLive Project, plus independent VTuber Nonokuma Bicori. And that’s not all, discover hidden Easter eggs celebrating the VTuber community woven into the game!
A Challenge Few Can Conquer… Don’t let the cute aesthetic fool you – this is a hardcore whodunnit. According to demo statistics, only 1.6% of the players testing the game uncovered the real culprit. Every clue could be your key to victory… or a perfectly crafted trap. Choose your path, decide who to prosecute, and unlock multiple storylines and endings. 
Can you discover who is undercover to unmask a murderer? 
Find out when The Real Face of a VTuber launches on Steam on 13 January 2026. 

Locked in my darkness 2 the room

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico — January 8, 2026 — Locked in My Darkness 2: The Room, the concluding chapter of the psychological horror trilogy, will launch on February 11 on Steam. Developed by Blusagi Team, the game delivers a tense, narrative-driven experience that brings the series’ story to its definitive end.


YouTube Video.
Locked in My Darkness 2: The Room is a first-person psychological horror game that follows Yuki Tachibana, a Japanese high school student who has recently moved with her parents to a modest apartment in New York. What begins as an attempt at a fresh start quickly unravels as the dark past of her family resurfaces, manifesting through disturbing environments, shifting realities, and buried memories that refuse to remain hidden.

Focused on exploration and atmosphere, the game emphasizes environmental storytelling over combat. Players investigate interconnected rooms, read scattered notes, solve environmental puzzles, and traverse surreal alternate dimensions inspired by classic psychological horror. As the story progresses, the atmosphere evolves, intensifying tension and unease while revealing the truth behind Yuki’s family history.

Featuring multiple endings and optional collectibles, Locked in My Darkness 2: The Room offers a 2–3 hour experience shaped by player choices and discoveries. The game serves as a direct sequel to Locked in My Darkness and Blue Maiden, resolving the narrative threads established across the trilogy.

Locked In My Darkness: The Room 2 will launch on February 11th on Steam.

Obsidian Moon

12th January, 2026 –  The case is officially open. Obsidian Moon, the noir detective simulator from Lost Cabinet Games, is launching its first public playable demo as part of Steam Detective Fest, inviting players to step into the shadows and take on their very first investigation.Set in the smoke-filled alleys of a city drowning in secrets, Obsidian Moon is a text-based detective adventure rooted in 1930s noir and psychological tension. Players take on the role of Carter, a once-respected homicide detective haunted by grief and failure, tasked with solving a series of interconnected murders through logic, instinct, and the steady collapse of his own sanity.
“The call came in last night about a corpse found at the Obsidian docks. By the time I rolled in, head still spinning from the bottle of Jack the previous night, our boys in blue had already cordoned off the scene and rounded up three suspects…”
In the demo, players will take on the first murder investigation, navigating a dense web of leads, choices, and consequences. Whether you interrogate witnesses, dig through records, rely on forensic work, or take more questionable shortcuts, the case adapts to your methods, offering more than 30 different investigative paths depending on how you approach the case.
“Steam Detective Fest felt like the perfect moment to let players get their hands dirty,” said Yannis Antonakakis, Game Director at Lost Cabinet Games.“The demo isn’t a vertical slice, it’s a real case, built to show how much freedom the game gives you. We want players to experiment, make mistakes, and feel what it’s like to live inside an investigation, even if it costs them.”

KEY DEMO FEATURES:

An introductory tutorial case plus the first original case of the game

30+ investigative solutions, depending on your choices and methods

20 – 45+ minutes of gameplay, based on player approach

The (almost) complete gameplay feature set, including the atmospheric Noir Mode

A first glimpse into Obsidian’s dark past and unsettling atmosphere

AVAILABILITY

The Obsidian Moon demo will be available on PC via Steam starting January 12, as part of the Steam Detective Fest

The game will launch on PC via Steam in 2026

Players can wishlist the full game now and experience the demo during the event.

Moto Rush Reborn

DRIFT THROUGH NEO-TOKYO AND UNLOCK MANGA-TOLD STORY IN ‘MOTO RUSH REBORN.’ DEMO COMING SOON TO STEAM

Classic Arcade Racer With A Demonic Twist Boasts 45 Action-Packed Levels  

Kraków, Poland, 8 January 2026 | Baltoro Games, the console developers behind titles such as Pixel Cafe and Urban Flow, is excited to announce their next vibrant project, Moto Rush Reborn! Slice through heavy traffic on an overpowered motorcycle and dominate tracks filled with obstacles on a mission to overcome demonic possession. A demo for the game will be coming to Steam soon, and the full game will be available on Steam, Xbox Series X | S, and Switch!

YouTube Video.

WHIPLASH INDUCING SPEEDS 

After totaling your bike in a race, you stumble upon a demon-possessed engine in a junkyard that offers speeds and power you can’t refuse. Take on the shining streets of Neo-Tokyo and hit uniquely challenging tracks, each offering its own variety of obstacles. Immerse yourself in an intense world of motorcycle racing to clear levels at breakneck speeds and avoid hitting innocent commuters. Battle for freedom from possession and overcome the darkness!

Moto Rush Reborn is the indirect sequel to the 2019 console hit Moto Rush GT, which sold over a million copies. This new entry reinvents the classic Moto Rush experience with bold new aesthetics and delivers a completely original storyline.

DUCK, JUMP, AND SLIDE THROUGH FAST-PACED LEVELS 

Pop wheelies to boost your speeds as you weave and duck through dense traffic. React to rapidly changing track environments by sliding across asphalt and narrowly avoiding barriers. Keep the adrenaline pumping as you launch yourself off ramps over the congested neon-lined streets of Tokyo. Fine-tune your speed; accelerating and decelerating to overcome the constantly evolving track layouts.

Collect Demonic Symbols during your ride to unlock beautifully hand-drawn manga pages that reveal your unfolding story.

Each level contains three skill objectives:

  • Record Time: Finishing the level as fast as possible
  • Zero Demolition: Avoid colliding with high-speed traffic
  • Near Misses: Drive close enough to kiss cars without colliding

THE NEON LIGHTS OF FUTURISTIC TOKYO 

Explore 45 unique and challenging handcrafted levels that immerse you in a vibrant, futuristic Tokyo. Each zone offers its own distinct aesthetic, as well as its own set of challenging gameplay. Drift through power plants, duck into collapsing tunnels, and break through windows as you shred through a neon-drenched shopping mall. The challenges offered in each level escalate as you progress, pushing your skills to the edge. Hidden demonic symbols are easy to spot early on, but harder to find as you advance. Master the toughest paths to claim them all and keep the adrenaline pumping. 

Gameplay Features:

  • Hit max speeds up to 299 km/h as you duck under obstacles, slide on asphalt, launch off ramps, and pop wheelies to boost acceleration on your demonically overpowered bike
  • Neon-drenched, vibrant levels filled with dynamic obstacles, tight traffic lanes, ramps, and high-risk shortcuts  
  • Demonic Symbols to be discovered in each level 
  • Narrative story told through original hand-drawn manga pages 
  • Tons of tracks with wicked terrains to explore, including hidden paths to uncover 

Moto Rush Reborn will be available on Steam, Xbox Series X | S, and Switch. A demo for the game is coming soon to Steam! Wishlist to be the first to hear updates and join the Discord to stay in-the-know about all things Moto Rush Reborn. 

The 18th Attic

Europe, 08 January 2026 – Indie developer Steelkrill Studio, creator of the NYX Award–winning horror game The Backrooms 1998 has revealed new teaser footage for The 18th Attic, an upcoming psychological horror title launching on February 2, 2026 – featuring a fully interactive, customizable cat companion based directly on the developer’s real-life cat.

The game have been in development for over a year, and instead of pills or medicine like in traditonal horror games, The 18th Attic asks players to calm themselves in a more human way – by petting their cat. The real-life-inspired cat companion directly restores sanity and can be fully customized, including its name, skin, and more. 

The game is launching 2 February 2026 on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store!

You can view the post highlighting the real-life cat that inspired the companion, alongside the in-game cat-based sanity system, here on X. 

Announcement Trailer: https://youtu.be/E6nAs5ss0uQ

Nova Antarctica

Earth’s Last Frontier is Calling: ‘Nova Antarctica’ Launches January 29, 2026 

RexLabo’s Narrative-Driven Survival Adventure Heads to Steam

Tokyo, Japan, 8 January 2026 – In 2900, the world has finally run out of second chances. Antarctica – once the planet’s final untouched frontier – cradles a ravaged Earth, beset by viruses, food shortages, extreme weather, and ceaseless conflicts. But, in the midst of this desolation, a mysterious signal sparks from the South Pole. A beacon of hope, perhaps? Or something far more sinister?

Today, PARCO GAMES is proud to announce that RexLabo’s atmospheric sci-fi exploration narrative, Nova Antarctica, will launch globally on January 29, 2026, for PC via Steam.

Nova Antarctica tells the story of a lone child drawn south by said signal, searching both for its source and for meaning, for connection in a place where the Earth itself seems to remember everything we’ve done to it. Combining survival mechanics, crafting, exploration, and the ability to befriend wildlife companions, the game challenges players to endure the world’s most unforgiving landscape whilst uncovering the secrets hidden beneath the ice.

This is, however, firmly unfamiliar territory. This is the Antarctica of the far future; reshaped by climate collapse, reclaimed by strange new ecosystems, haunted by memory, and alive with echoes from beneath the ice. This is the place where the future of both the Earth and the human race will be decided, with you at the helm.


You can watch the brand new Nova Antarctica release date announcement trailer here: https://youtu.be/Sk0rjOkWGPo?si=5lQdgUx1VEYifjJh

“Nova Antarctica began as a question: what happens to humanity when the world goes quiet? Launching the game now feels like opening a window into a possible future – one shaped by our mistakes, our resilience, and our imagination,” says RexLabo Game Director and Creator, m.Hayashi. “This game is an invitation. Antarctica has always fascinated me, and imagining its far future opened creative doors we just never expected. Now it belongs to the players – I hope they discover stories that feel personal, fragile, and unforgettable.”

Key Features:

  • Explore a far-future reimagining of Antarctica – a living, dynamic ecosystem shaped by centuries of change.
  • Discover wildlife shaped by a world altered beyond recognition.
  • Survive harsh conditions using tools, intuition, and fragile technology salvaged from the remnants of human civilization.
  • Uncover a branching narrative shaped by your decisions, your relationships to the continent’s mysteries, and the stories you leave behind.
  • Experience an atmospheric, meditative tone unlike most sci-fi adventures – intimate, human, and quietly haunting.

Nova Antarctica is one of three debut releases from PARCO GAMES, alongside the equally compelling Constance and The Berlin Apartment.

Founded in 1969, PARCO focused on creating cultural experiences and serving as an artistic catalyst, blending fashion, art, and retail to offer forward-looking experiences through its shopping malls, galleries, and cafés. With the launch of PARCO GAMES, the company is extending that legacy into an excitingly fresh field, championing titles that combine artistry, culture, and innovation.

“PARCO has grown together with culture and art in Japan,” offers Yuichi Nishizawa, General Manager at PARCO GAMES. “With PARCO GAMES, we’re bringing that same spirit into the world of interactive entertainment. Nova Antarctica is one of our first published titles, and we’re proud to support a game that approaches science fiction with such imagination and emotional depth.”

To coincide with launch, Nova Antarctica will also be featured at Taipei Game Show at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center between 29th January 2026 and 1st February 2026 where RexLabo and PARCO GAMES will be showcasing the game on the show floor. Attendees will be able to experience the game firsthand at the booth, marking the title’s first major public showing post-launch.

Nova Antarctica will launch on Steam for $24.99/€24.50/£20.99 on Thursday, January 29th, 2026, price subject to change.

Follow US

One player navigates scary levels while another guides them in asymmetrical horror game Follow UsCommunication is key in this horrifying and hilarious co-op creepfest
Paris, France – January 7th, 2025 – Game Atelier, the acclaimed studio behind Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, have revealed their upcoming asymmetrical horror game Follow Us. In this hilarious and horrifying relationship stress test, one player explores a spooky environment, while another guides them remotely from the van, trying to keep their partner alive. 

Each round lets players choose whether they want to play as the intrepid Explorer – who bravely navigates a deadly, haunted map – or the Operator, who hangs back to guide their comrade and hack the playspace to protect them. Built on communication rather than complex mechanics, Follow Us creates tension by combining two different things – isolation and connection with a partner.
Watch the Follow Us trailer:
Every mission explores a different type of fear, from psychological tension to pure dread. The Explorer experiences isolation and danger in the field, while the operator suffers through helplessness and constant pressure. Every swap creates a fresh emotional scenario, making each playthrough completely different with unexpected communication conflicts guaranteed to create creepy co-op chaos! 
“With Follow Us we wanted to build a horror game where communication is the key to survival,” said FeiBi at Game Atelier. “Every mission becomes a live stress test for friendship and relationships. Friends and couples alike may find the game generating unexpected hilarious and horrifying reactions as players switch roles and power dynamics. Furthermore, the asymmetrical nature of the game makes it perfect for players where one player likes being spooked, while the other prefers a more casual, albeit chaotic, experience of overseeing an operation from afar. So there’s something for everyone!” 

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN TRAILER

We’re thrilled to share a brand new trailer for ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, the upcoming ultra-violent science fiction action game from Grasshopper Manufacture led by SUDA51, which launches on 11th February 2026 on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.  

The trailer shares a look at the action-packed-story that players can expect when ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN launches next month, and they become FBI Space-Time Police special agent Romeo Stargazer as he hunts down the universe’s most wanted across time and space!

YouTube Video.