Entering the Nightmare: Story and Psychological Depth
Out of Hands is an indie card RPG developed solely by Yang Zeyu, the creative force behind Game River. The game thrusts players into a nightmarish dreamscape, where the protagonist, shattered by the loss of a loved one, must navigate a world that is as eerie as it is emotionally charged. Each step through this surreal landscape is a confrontation with repressed memories and psychological scars, with the narrative constantly shaped by three fragmented states of mind-logic, cryptic intuition, and instinct. These mental voices not only influence the protagonist’s actions but also lead players to question what is real, what is delusion, and what lies in the unspeakable abyss that lurks beneath trauma.
A New Era for Tactical Shooters on Mobile Delta Force, the iconic first-person shooter franchise, has made a triumphant return with its global mobile launch, achieving unprecedented success in just its first week. Developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Level Infinite, Delta Force arrived on iOS and Android on April 21, 2025, and immediately soared to the #1 Top Free Game position in the App Store across 169 territories and in the Google Play Store across 125 territories. In an astonishing display of popularity, over 10 million players joined the action within just four days, setting a new standard for AAA mobile shooters and significantly boosting the game’s performance on PC, where concurrent player counts on Steam continue to rise. Delta Force on mobile is not just a port-it’s a fully realized, next-generation FPS experience. Players can engage in massive 24v24 Warfare battles across seven visually stunning maps, or tackle three-player co-op Operations missions featuring enemy squads, AI mercenaries, and boss encounters. The game boasts console-quality visuals, running at up to 120 FPS with HD rendering and ultra-long-distance visibility. With 10 elite Operators, 55 customizable firearms, 12 drivable vehicles, and 19 tactical gadgets, Delta Force offers a depth and variety rarely seen in mobile shooters.
Sitting down with Alon Kaplan, CEO, Team lead, and composer at Biohex Studios, at the Olamot convention, I was eager to uncover the story behind Moduwar-an RTS unlike any other. Alon recounted how the journey began nearly a decade ago, when he and co-creator Alon Tzarafi (CTO & Lead Game Designer), both passionate about real-time strategy games, gathered friends to brainstorm a new concept. Inspired by the cult classic NetStorm, they envisioned a game where players connect floating islands and build modular weapons. The twist? In Moduwar, these islands would be living creatures, not static landmasses.
After a pivotal phone call, the core mechanic of splitting and merging living entities was born. The team quickly built a tiny prototype, but the road ahead was anything but straightforward. Showcasing early builds at conventions, they received positive feedback but struggled to find a publisher willing to take a risk on such an unconventional idea. It wasn’t until a chance meeting with Firesquid at Gamescom that things finally clicked, leading to a publishing deal and a renewed sense of purpose to finish the game.
Rise of Rebellion arrives on PC via Steam as a 3D single-player action RPG crafted by solo developer Hytacka and published by Kodansha Game Creators’ Lab. Set in the war-torn town of Tella, players become a Tella warrior-one of a select few attuned to the mystical Tel energy of the earth-tasked with reclaiming their homeland from invaders. The game’s premise is steeped in myth, with dragons once ruling the skies until divine wrath wiped them out, leaving behind a world where faith, earth magic, and swordsmanship collide.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate (PBBGU) marks a triumphant return for the cult-classic side-scrolling beat ’em up, now reimagined for modern platforms with a host of technical and gameplay enhancements. Developed and published by Rocket Panda Games, this ambitious remaster leverages the power of Unreal Engine 5 to deliver a visually stunning, mechanically refined, and content-rich experience across all platforms.
A Franchise Reborn
The Phantom Breaker franchise began as a 2D fighting game in 2011, with its beat ’em up spin-off, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, debuting in 2013. Over a decade later, Rocket Panda Games has revitalized the series, acquiring the IP and committing to expanding its global reach. PBBGU stands as the most expansive entry yet, combining the nostalgic charm of the original with modern sensibilities and a wealth of new features.
The world of magical management sims welcomes a fresh contender with Wizdom Academy, developed by the Swiss indie studio Kipwak Studio. Now available in Early Access on Steam, Wizdom Academy invites players to step into the shoes of a headmaster, tasked with not only constructing a sprawling wizarding school but also shaping the destinies of future spellcasters. With its blend of classic builder mechanics, enchanting visuals, and a strong community-driven development approach, Wizdom Academy is already making waves among fans of both simulation and fantasy genres.
Augmented Empire, developed by Coatsink, has made its much-anticipated leap from VR to PC, bringing its acclaimed cyberpunk world and tactical turn-based gameplay to a broader audience. The game is now available on Steam with a launch discount, offering both newcomers and fans of the original a chance to experience the dystopian city of New Savannah in a new light.
Steel Seed, developed by Storm in a Teacup and published by ESDigital Games, emerges as a bold new entry in the stealth-action genre, blending atmospheric world-building with emotional storytelling. Available now on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, this title invites players into a post-apocalyptic future where the last remnants of humanity are trapped beneath the earth, caught between extinction and a machine-dominated fate.
Arena Breakout: Infinite, the tactical extraction shooter from MoreFun Studios, is set to ignite the genre once again with its highly anticipated new season, IGNITION, launching April 29. This update promises a wealth of fresh content, gameplay enhancements, and new modes.
“The Thaumaturge” is a story-driven RPG with morally ambiguous choices, taking place in the culturally diverse world of the early 20th-century Warsaw. In this world, Salutors exist: esoteric beings that only Thaumaturges can truly perceive and use to their needs.
A thaumaturge bears both a gift and a burden at the same time. This parallel holds true for Wiktor Szulski, who is drawn back to the tumultuous streets of 20th-century Warsaw by family matters. The gift of thaumaturgy significantly shapes Wiktor’s life journey tied around, a pursuit of unearthly Salutors and their hosts.
The Thaumaturge in the streets of Warsaw. Pic: Fool’s Theory
As only a thaumaturge can tame them, utilizing their mystical abilities to discover secrets hidden within the human soul and speak to the Darkness, no one understands quite like Wiktor how everyone suffers their own demons.
Obedience of beings
Only Thaumaturges can truly perceive the presence of esoteric Salutors and use their powers to their needs. Once captured, Salutors – whose existence is imperceptible to ordinary people – faithfully obey their masters.
The Thaumaturge in a fight. Pic: Fool’s Theory
Next to being capable of influencing people’s temperaments and affinities, they serve as a useful tool during fights. And be prepared to be dragged into many of those from the dark alleys of infamous districts like Praga and more.
Warsaw, 1905 AD
This isometric, story-rich RPG will portray Warsaw under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests.
The Thaumaturge uses his senses to find clues. Pic: Fool’s Theory
Here hopes and dreams mix with dark desires, because darkness constantly lurks and waits to stigmatize its victims. “The Thaumaturge” will offer a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, and confront gamers with morally ambiguous choices.
My thoughts
I simply love it. The gameplay is easy, just navigate with a left mouse-click to a spot or walk with WASD. However, if you use the keyboard, you cannot walk in a straight line and often have to use W with D or A to zic-zac through Warsaw’s streets. With a right mouse-click, you can use your powerful Thaumaturge senses, who lead to hidden objects or forgotten stuff, or you follow the thoughts of people, and it leads to side quests.
The battle system is round based, and you can use your Salutors to aid yourself, or harm your opponents. It’s relatively easy and good explained. Think about some strategies, and even 4 enemies with guns and knives are no problem. Also, don’t forget to max out your skills.
It’s more story-driven rather than RPG, your choices in answers are limited. But that’s not a problem at all, since the story is excellent. It’s a lot of fun to see or interact with some of the famous people of that time. It exceeded my expectations… and don’t forget to visit your barber or tailor sometimes.
System requirements
Minimum:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 core with 3,5 Ghz) or Intel i5-10400F (6 core with 2,9 Ghz)
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon RX580 (8GB) or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti (4GB) or Intel Arc A750 8GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 25 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD (Recommended), HDD (Supported). Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. Ultrawide screen supported.
Recommended:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 core with 3,5 Ghz) or Intel i5-10400F (6 core with 2,9 Ghz)
Memory: 32 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon 6700xt (12GB) or Nvidia RTX 3060 TI (8GB) or Intel Arc A770 16GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 25 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD. Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. Ultrawide screen supported.
