Archived News:
Monday, Jul 29, 2024
Steam Tower Defense Fest [7:13 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
The Steam Tower
Defense Fest is now underway as a celebration of games where the best
defense is a good defense. For the next week this will feature showcases of
tower defense games along with lots of playable demos. Many of the demos will
only be available for the duration of the fest, so like the games it reps, the
Fest will require some strategic planning. There are also rewards in the
Steam Points Shop, so head over there to bolster your profile's defense. The
Official Trailer
introduces the event and shows off a bunch of the games that are participating.
Wardens Rising Demo [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Related to the above,
Steam
now features a playable demo for Wardens Rising, Big Moxi Games'
upcoming game that combines MOBA-style base defense with action/RPG shooter
elements.
The full game isn't due until next year, so this is an early look at what to
expect, along with a warning it's not yet fully optimized. Here's the recent
Gameplay Reveal Trailer,
and here are some specifics on the demo:
The Demo provides a single player experience during the first biome of the campaign (Forest). No multiplayer is included, either on campaign or mission mode.Continue here to read the full story.
- Here's what you can expect from this Demo:
- A taste of the Solo campaing
- 3 Unique Wardens to level up and customize with gear, upgrades and perks
- 8 Unlockable activatable tactical items used to complement your strategy and play style
- 3 SPEC companions, each with a unique abilities
- Upgradeable defense structures like towers, traps, portals, and walls
- Forest campaing maps plus its fearsome Warchief
Get Drawful 2 for Free [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Steam now
offers another chance to get a free copy of Drawful 2, the sketchy party
game from Jackbox Games which as already been part of a couple of prior
giveaways (thanks Ant). This Windows, macOS, and Linux game lets you use a
phone or a tablet as a controller in a guessing game involving deciphering
drawings, which may well be awful, bringing us full circle to the title. The
giveaway is for keeps and you have a month to collect your copy. Here's
word:
The team behind the hit party games Fibbage, Quiplash, and YOU DON’T KNOW JACK presents Drawful 2 the game of terrible drawings and hilariously wrong answers! Use your phone or tablet to draw funny and challenging things like “creepy tiger” or “two moms having a great day.”
Players type in what they think the (probably terrible) drawing really is and then everyone - even an audience of potentially thousands of players – votes on what they think is the correct answer.
Inspector Waffles Early Days Demo [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Goloso Games announces Inspector Waffles Early Days, a point-and-click
adventure prequel that will expand the Wafflesverse when it arrives later this
year for PC and Game Boy Color. The Windows edition will come to
GOG.com
and
Steam, and there's a playable
demo on Steam to check out right now. Check out the game's throwback Game Boy
sensibilities in this
trailer and read on for more:
This time, follow a younger Waffles, a cunning and witty cat, in his first days as an Inspector who wants to prove to everyone that he is more than just a rookie. Your partner, Pancakes, is an experienced Inspector and probably the only one at the police station that isn’t an incompetent policecat.Continue here to read the full story.
Cats on Duty Released [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Speaking of cats, Cats on Duty is now available as promised for Windows
on the Epic
Games Store and
Steam,
beginning the tour of duty for this game promising to combine the real-time
strategy, tower defense, and match-3 genres. That may not immediately conjure
any images, but there's a
PC Launch Trailer to help, and each store hosts a playable demo if all this
doesn't sell itself. Here's a bit more:
Welcome to Cats on Duty, the purr-fectly hilarious and action-packed ultimate blend of real-time strategy, tower defense, and match-3 mechanics, where heavily armed battle-hardened cat veterans of rodent skirmishes and yarn tangles take charge in defending their homeland (and litter boxes) against the forces of great evil! Utilize a multitude of cat varieties to engage in combat against 50 types of fiendish creatures. Unleash the power of the whiskers and drive those zombies back to the depths of the underworld!Continue here to read the full story.
Demos & Freebies [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Terrorformer TD on Steam (Windows, macOS, Linux). "Terrorformer TD is a tower defense roguelite with a procedurally generated map that YOU shape! Raise or lower tiles, divert enemy paths and funnel monsters into perfectly designed killzones. Randomly drawn cards result in plenty of run variety, as you seek to survive endless waves of enemies."
On Sale [7:13 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Subscribe to Ubisoft+ Classics for Just $1.
- The Free League Immersive RPG Bundle for Alchemy VTT (pay what you want and help charity) - Humble.*
*Blue's News may receive a commission on sales of this item.
Evening Consolidation [7:13 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Evening Metaverse [7:12 pm ET] – Share – 5 Comments
- Low-income homes drop Internet service after Congress kills discount program - Ars Technica.
- Twitch completes its TikTok makeover with new app update - The Verge.
- Instagram Will Let You Make Custom AI Chatbots—Even Ones Based on Yourself - WIRED (may require registration or subscription). They should let them talk to each other.
Evening Tech Bits [7:12 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks DSLReports and Ant.
- Alleged GDDR6X shortage could briefly hinder Nvidia gaming GPU supply starting August — Tom's Hardware.
- AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 lowers latency by 28% — low-latency frame generation comes to RX 6000 and RX 7000 GPUs - Tom's Hardware.
- What You Need To Know Ahead of Intel's Earnings Report - Yahoo! Finance.
- Evernote version 10.99.3. Thanks Console General.
- WinMerge version 2.16.42.1.
- Glary Utilities version 6.13.0.17.
- WizTree version 4.20.
Into the Black [7:12 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Deadlock Station Announced; Demo Released [11:52 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
A Deadlock Station demo is now available
on
Steam with one of those new dedicated demo pages
Valve recently announced. This
provides Windows gamers a sample of
Deadlock
Station, a tactical roguelite "with indirect controls" (autobattler). An
Announcement Trailer
has a first look, and Luxorix Games and CRITICAL REFLEX promise the full game
will arrive "soon." Here are some details:
Turn the battlefield to your advantage in this pixelated tactical roguelike with indirect controls. Assemble a unique squad of heroes to destroy the alien invaders with precise strategic planning. Use resources to upgrade your base between each tactical expedition as you seek to uncover the truth about the Event and the mysterious disappearance of humans.Continue here to read the full story.
Unity of Command II - Berlin DLC Announced [11:52 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Croteam and 2x2 Games announce new Berlin DLC is expected in Q4 of this
year to add new content to
Unity
of Command II, the World War II strategy sequel. There's no trailer for
this yet, but its
Steam Listing is live with screenshots and details. This promises 32
scenarios, including a Soviet Victory in the East campaign and a seven scenario
Axis mini-campaign depicting the last-ditch offensive in Hungary and Romania in
1945 with an alt-history branch. Here's more:
The summer of 1944 saw the massive Operation Bagration, a surprise attack that shattered German Army Group Center. By the fall, Soviet forces were on the offensive all along the Eastern Front, setting the stage for the final push into Germany in 1945. By February, the Soviets stood on the Oder River, just east of Berlin.
The final assault on Berlin began in mid-April. Soviet troops encircled the city, battling their way through the streets in fierce close-quarters combat. Hitler committed suicide on April 30th, and Berlin fell on May 2nd, marking the fall of Nazi Germany.
Sunset Motel: Prologue Dawns [11:52 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Sunset Motel: Prologue is now available
on
Steam, offering Windows gamers a free sample of
Sunset Motel,
an upcoming management simulation from Efkey Studios and RockGame. This puts you
in charge of a run-down motel that must be renovated back to the level of meh
discerning travelers expect. A
brand new trailer
shows off some gameplay and the description fills in more blanks:
Step into the enchanting embrace of the free version of Sunset Motel! A haven that caresses weary souls, and encourages travelers to pause and unwind. In this one-of-a-kind simulation experience, start on a journey to breathe life into dilapidated rooms and ensure the radiant smiles of your cherished guests.Continue here to read the full story.
Morning Patches [11:51 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
↑ Official patches. ↓ Unofficial games, patches, and mods.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs [11:51 am ET] – Share – 4 Comments
- FALLOUT: LONDON - 3 Essential 'Fixes' - Gopher (video). Thanks RedEye9.
Morning Multiplex [11:51 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Funko Fusion - Official Story Trailer.
- Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions - Official Trailer - -Welcome Students.
↑ Official trailers. ↓ Content creator videos.
- Firearms Expert Reacts to Borderlands Franchise Weapons - GameSpot. Part one of 10,000?
Morning Postmortems/Retrospectives [11:51 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Morning Metaverse [11:51 am ET] – Share – 12 Comments
- TikTok Has a Nazi Problem - WIRED (may require registration or subscription).
Morning Tech Bits [11:51 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments
Thanks Neutronbeam.
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X grabs Cinebench R23 world record when pushed to 6.5 GHz - Tom's Hardware.
- NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 New Comparison Highlights How 4K Performance Mode is Superior to Native 1440p, Quality Mode - Wccftech.
- Nvidia Blackwell server cabinets could cost somewhere around $2 to $3 million each - TechSpot.
- Report claims that OpenAI has burned through $8.5 billion on AI training and staffing, and could be on track to make a $5 billion loss.
- Microsoft says black borders in Windows 11 File Explorer is a feature, not a bug - Windows Latest.
- How to Make Windows 11 Look and Feel Like Windows 10 - Tom's Hardware. Step one: Download Windows 10.
- 5 reasons you should try using open source software - XDA.
- Logitech’s new CEO wants your next mouse to last forever - The Verge.
Morning Safety Dance [11:51 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Hardware Reviews [11:51 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Neutronbeam.
- Case: InWin POC One Review - PCMag.
- Case: Pironman 5 mini PC case for the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC - CNX Software.
- Headset/Earbuds: 1MORE Fit SE Open Earbuds S30 Review - APH Networks.
- Laptop: Asus TUF Gaming A14 review- Understated endurance - Tom's Hardware.
- Laptop: Gigabyte AORUS 16X (2024) Gaming Laptop Review - ThinkComputers.org.
- Laptop: Huawei MateBook X Pro Core Ultra Premium Edition review - GSMArena.com news.
Out of the Blue [11:51 am ET] – Share – 29 Comments
Here's another appreciation post for a social media shout-out. Thank you to
Apogee founder Scott Miller, who made a very kind post
on X/Twitter
about Blue's News (thanks John). This seems directly inspired by the
LinkedIn post I mentioned yesterday, therefore thank you once more to Pete
Hawley for getting this ball rolling. As I mentioned yesterday, this has always
been a word-of-mouth operation, so these moments are very important here. Thanks
Scott!
Obituary: The Dark Pictures Anthology Actor Tony Pankhurst Has Passed Away - IGN.
Obituary: The Dark Pictures Anthology Actor Tony Pankhurst Has Passed Away - IGN.
Hyped-up Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.Breakfast Links
Thanks RedEye9.
- ‘Ready, Steady, Slow’- Championship Snail Racing at 0.006 M.P.H. - The New York Times.
- How a Maine airport packs live lobsters for your carry-on - The Washington Post.
Stories
- The Taxidermy Bat Market Is Compounding Threats to a Species’ Existence - The New York Times. Thanks RedEye9.
- Neighbors try to shut down children’s lemonade stand by calling Colorado sheriff’s office - KKTV. Karen hotline, how may I direct your call?
- Jennifer Garner gets stuck inside elevator for over an hour at Comic-Con - ABC7 Los Angeles.
Science
- Venus’ atmosphere reveals potential signs of life — again, scientists say - CNN.
- Two meteor showers will flash across the sky around the same time in late July - Phys.org.
Media
- Cleaner ANATOLY Shocks BODYBUILDER in a GYM. Thanks VideoSift.
- The Trouble With Heat Pumps - Sabine Hossenfelder.
- Hellboy: The Crooked Man - Official Trailer - Comic Con (2024) Jack Kesy, Adeline Rudolph. Thanks RedEye9.
Creature Features
- Dragonflies swarm beachgoers at Rhode Island's Misquamicut Beach. Tiny Targaryens sought for questioning.
The Funnies
- The Bestseller - Savage Chickens. The late Hudson the wonder dog's favorite book.
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