Gait Games

So icky.

The post Why This Cosy Game Connoisseur Is QUITTING Heartopia: The Downfall. appeared first on Gamezebo.

Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has said his 2021 departure from Blizzard followed an ultimatum about redundancies which “ultimately broke” his resolve and led him towards the exit door. The developer frames that moment as the culmination of a number of tough years working on the hero shooter, which included a 2018 push into esports with the Overwatch League serving as a drain on resources for a team who were also trying to get Overwatch 2 off the ground.

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# Highlights from the 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards

The Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards have consistently been a guiding light for the exploration of inventive and distinctive indie games. The 2026 event presented an extraordinary selection, showcasing the ingenuity and skill of independent creators. With categories that highlight the diverse aspects of game design, this year’s finalists and victors exemplify the lively indie landscape.

## Best Student Game
– **Poco (Whalefall, Micah Boursier)**
– BubbleBeast DigiDungeon (EchoLane)
– Kiloton (Jack Morehart)
– Prší (Herdek)
– Sip Fisher (Syphon Software)
– SPRKLS.exe (PesiiDom)

## Excellence in Audio
– **Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)**
– BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital)
– Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
– Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
– Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
– Wheel World (Messhof, Annapurna Interactive)

## Excellence in Design
– **Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)**
– Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
– Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
– Öoo (NamaTakahashi, tiny cactus studio, Tsuyomi)
– Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)
– Time Flies (Playables, Panic)

**Titanium Court** distinguished itself as a tactical RPG deckbuilding puzzle that seamlessly integrates surreal storytelling with breathtaking visuals and animations. On the other hand, **Öoo** presents a creative puzzle challenge where players maneuver through a universe as a bomb-laden caterpillar, evolving into a complex and gratifying gameplay experience.

**Time Flies** grants a distinctive viewpoint as participants embody a fly with a finite lifespan, encouraging interaction in a whimsical setting filled with unexpected delights.

## Excellence in Narrative
– **Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)**
– Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
– Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Game Works)
– Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
– Type Help (William Rous)
– Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)

**Perfect Tides: Station to Station** garnered acclaim for its narrative richness, receiving a well-earned accolade. This title has struck a chord with audiences through its immersive storytelling, solidifying its reputation as a significant game.

## Excellence in Visual Arts
– **Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)**
– Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
– CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs (Bastinus Rex, CRITICAL REFLEX)
– Loco Motive (Robust Games, Chucklefish)
– Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
– Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital)

**Eclipsium** captivated viewers with its lo-fi artistic style, crafting a visually compelling atmosphere that enhances its gameplay, ultimately securing the Excellence in Visual Arts award.

## Nuovo Award
– **HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)**
– Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
– Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
– Mini Mini Golf Golf (Three More Years) Plum Road Tea Dream (Reveal Game Studio)
– Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
– kevin’s PLAYING in berlin (Kevin Du)
– Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)

## WINGS Award (Women and Gender-Marginalized Led Games)
– **13Z: The Zodiac Trials (Mixed Realms Pte Ltd)**
– Ambrosia Sky (Soft Rains)
– Backpack Battles (PlayWithFurcifer, IndieArk)
– The Wandering Village (Stray Fawn Studio, Stray Fawn Publishing, Whisper Games)
– Yes, Your Grace 2: Snowfall (Brave at Night)

**Ambrosia Sky** triumphed in this category, recognized for its innovative gameplay that combines elements from **Prey** and **PowerWash Simulator**, alongside a distinctive narrative approach.

## Audience Award
– **Wednesdays (Pierre Corbinais, The Pixel Hunt, exaheva, Christophe Galati)**

## Seumas McNally Grand Prize
– **Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)**
– Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
– Angeline

The key to boss battles

The post 10 Ways to Get Boss Keys in Sailor Piece appeared first on Gamezebo.

Do you remember the days when we didn’t need to talk about generative AI? Whatever side of the pro or anti fence you sit on, or even indeed if your buttocks are firmly planted on those white picket panels, you may be tired of hearing about which games do or don’t feature AI-created artworks. Even the US supreme court seems done with the whole business, as they recently refused to take a case about copyrighting AI art.

I wish, instead, developers would avoid the whole kerfuffle and do what Slay The Spire 2’s developers Mega Crit Games have done: just bodge it in Paint.

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Two very different items with the same problem.

The post How to Get Imperfect Aja and Enchanted Stones in Bizarre Lineage appeared first on Gamezebo.

Microsoft have shared some more details about the hardware Xbox’s next-gen console – the PC game-running Project Helix – will be packing. The new box is set to run on AMD-built tech with support for FSR upscaling, and should start to rock up on developers’ desks as of 2027. That last bit means it’ll likely release in 2028 at the very earliest.

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The people behind RoboCop: Rogue City may have accidentally released an early version of an unannounced Hunter: The Reckoning game, set in the same World Of Darkness universe as Vampire: The Masquerade. The files in question were shared as an update for Rogue City, in what could be either a coded message from Hunter-Net’s witness1, or a classic case of backend butterfingers.

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Something tells me this hospital is not going to improve my health.

The post Pocong Cursed Hospital Walkthrough appeared first on Gamezebo.

Put down your pencil case and get ready to answer when your name’s called. Or prepare to pancake a bunch of rolling wrecks. Either way, early access banger Wreckfest 2‘s latest major update’s delivered a school bus. It’s far from the lone addition either, with the sequel’s first crack and car upgrading and waypoint races arriving alongside the usual extra cars and tracks.

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