(Video not by me)

PC Gamer and GamingOnLinux recently covered a few things about GOG's usage of genAI for promotional content, but this video goes into deeper coverage about their Head of Product being responsible for their direction. (Cue scam AI Instagram girls). It also covers how the company chose to respond to the backlash regarding their usage of genAI.

It's sad to see them being brazen about their AI usage. I advocated for them several times, owning games (anything, really) is something that should be for granted. All of this makes their store look really cheap and turns off people from thinking about the idea.

Today's game is some more Alan Wake II. I think the Morgue is my favorite room in Saga's story. It's got all these shiny tiles with reflections that everything bounces off of, it's really pretty to look at. I cranked my poor RX 7600 XT up to high Ray Tracing just to see what it'd look like. Here's what it looks like by the way:

I also noticed an interesting detail here, and that is that there's shit under where the table used to be. Why is this interesting to me? The table isn't held down by anything, and i find tables like this collect a lot of dust and stuff under them that brooms don't get. Especially if you're lazy like me. It results in things like this. It was just a neat attention to detail i noticed.

Something else i noticed is that the writing on the heart is actually legible, which i thought was cool. You can zoom in really close and read the writing on it.

i also found out with Nightingale, that when you shoot him pieces of his flesh tear off. I thought it was a cool albeit gross detail. It checks out for the level of decay on him, and it's neat to see dynamic damage like this. I really like it. I'm sure lots of other people already noticed this detail, but i didnt. I assume the reason why is because i always aim for the chest.

That's what i love about these games. This is my 4th ish playthrough and i'm still seeing new details that really add up to make this a good game. It was well worth the wait since the first one, but damn, the wait for a 3rd one is painful.

A far smaller detail, and last one, but there's Raspberry Pi's in this game which i thought was cool. The Pattern Lock puzzles the cult has uses the Raspberry Pi 0s to code them. You can't see it, but the CPU has a Raspberry on it when you zoom in, which i think was cool. It was something i liked about the first one. I'm not usually a big fan of product placement, whether it's an ad or not, but the way Alan Wake 1 did it with the Billboards and stuff i really liked. It made the world feel more real. Like, back then i saw lots of Verizon billboards.

I got to Alan's section and got away with cranking the Ray Tracing up to Medium preset. I also installed the FSR 4 mod for it to help, though i remember it making The Dark Place all "smeary" so i might let Ray Tracing go and just bump it up to Quality Preset.

It looks gorgeous though. The morgue may be my favorite of Saga's rooms, but Alan's story is so god damn pretty. It makes me almost wish i to stand on the streets in real life.

I'm excited to keep playing through this. This is one of those games i want to play on the regular. I don't think my heart ever truly left Bright Falls, or more appropriately The Dark Place when i froze my last playthrough (which i dropped because my hard drive decided to die on me)

Hey all.

I saw that there's a free game on Steam today. Looks indie and cute. Here's the link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1511950/Magellania/

I don't know if the game will ever go anywhere or fade into vaporware hell, but even if that's the case, the trailer's too fun not to share.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4193010/Hypernet_Explorer/

Hypernet Explorer is an immersive-sim roguelike set in a weird and alternate 2001, where the Y2K bug shattered reality and erased most modern technology, that is slowly being rebuilt using magic and the occult.
Form a party to explore a 92 floor skyscraper that barely holds the cosmos together or just get lost in alternate activities; manage a cursed pizza place, become a certified tarot reader, date yourself from another plane of existence, start your own space program, get filthy rich by manipulating the soul market and... go bowling with your beloved cousin.
Every boundary that once separated religion, science, finance and magic is now obsolete so... do what thou wilt.

Honestly, I could use some of this shit into a TTRPG campaign, it's just too good.

Names are power...and money is power! And it happens that Mario Draghi's name is written over a billion times on 14.5 billion euro banknotes in pre-printing phase. This gives hypercapitalists who amassed huge amounts of euros huge arcane and political powers.

Had a LAN together with 10 friends last weekend. We played BAR. What an absolute amazing game!! 1000s of units, AI and large scale battles - No lagging, No crashing.. just ran smooth all the time, even on old crappy gfx cards with 4gb memory. Wow!

Highly recommend trying. We disabled tech level 2 and 3 the first rounds, then just 3 and finally ran everything. A nice way to start without being overwhelmed:)

If you loved Starcraft and RA2, try this game 🥰

Game Information

Game Title: Mewgenics

Platforms:

• PC (Feb 10, 2026)

Trailer:

• Mewgenics - Official Trailer

Developers: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 90 average - 94% recommended - 16 reviews

Critic Reviews

CGMagazine - Zubi Khan - 9 / 10

Mewgenics is a real-time strategy game with RPG elements that has players assume the role of an unnamed lab assistant to an eccentric mad scientist, tasked with procuring cats for all manner of weird shenanigans.

GAMES.CH - Joel Kogler - German - 90%

Quote not yet available

GameFM - Douglas Souza Dos Santos - Portuguese - 10 / 10

Mewgenics is a game overflowing with charm, supported by a fully authorial identity and a sharp, acidic sense of humor – something longtime fans have come to expect from its developers. Its turn-based strategic combat may feel simple or even limited during the first few hours, but as the gameplay unfolds, it reveals a unique depth, largely thanks to the roguelite system applied to the cats’ abilities and passives. Over the course of my 62 hours of gameplay, only one aspect truly bothered me: the length of the incursions, which can easily exceed 50 minutes. Even so, this "issue" can be softened by increasing combat speed to 2x or even 3x. Mewgenics stands out as a pleasant surprise of 2026, inviting players to experience firsthand the mystery and freedom of the nocturnal adventures lived by these adorable little cats.

GameSpot - 9 / 10

What McMillen, Glaiel, and co. pulled off is simply paw-some. It's catnip for roguelites in all its glory, as you keep going through runs and coming back for more.

Gameliner - Claudia Tjia - Dutch - 4.5 / 5

Mewgenics is a deep and sometimes merciless game that hides strong tactical combat, huge amounts of content and an addictive roguelike, turn-based loop behind its silly look, occasionally frustrating due to RNG and predictability, but hard to put down and well worth it for players who enjoy deep systems and dark, strange humor.

GamesRadar+ - Ali Jones - 4.5 / 5

"The gross-out humor and whacky build interactions that have been a key part of McMillen's work for decades don't distract"

IGN - Dan Stapleton - 9 / 10

Mewgenics is a fantastic tactical RPG that's good for more than a hundred hours of roguelike runs. Just when you think you have it figured out it'll throw something completely unexpected and hilariously gross at you – and probably a catchy new original song, too.

KonsoliFIN - Joonatan Itkonen - Finnish - 5 / 5

While the early-2000s humor is often grating and dated, there's no denying that everything else about Mewgenics is nothing short of magnificent. This is a wildly inventive and deeply compelling hybrid of genres that will keep you occupied for years.

Loot Level Chill - Lyle Pendle - 10 / 10

Mewgenics is one of the densest and most entertaining tactics games ever made, and I'll be discovering new stuff in it for years to come.

PC Gamer - Robin Valentine - 92 / 100

A sprawling, ridiculous, and endlessly surprising roguelike that will drag you body and soul into its chaotic world.

PCGamesN - Paul Kelly - 8 / 10

Mewgenics offers more depth and ingenuity than any strategy game I've played in years. It is also terminally unfunny, with an aesthetic, theme, and cast of characters that consistently miss the mark. If you can square yourself with the humor, there is a genuinely great game waiting here.

Qualbert.com - Ben Schuster - Masterpiece

Mewgenics is a roguelike meowsterpiece. Only Edmund and Tyler are capable of taking a concept as offensive as watching cats bang and turning it into a polished, deep, and endlessly replayable indie game hit. While the game’s striking Flash-era visual style might be a bit grating to a younger audience, those alive for the internet’s golden era will appreciate the nostalgia in the game’s presentation. So if you can stomach the rotten humour throughout Mewgenics, prepare to feast on a feline smorgasbord that will leave you feeling bloated and satisfied for months to come.

RPG Fan - 79 / 100

A roguelite strategy RPG if ever there was one, and chock-full of off-putting and/or cute kitties.

TechRaptor - Austin Suther - 10 / 10

Mewgenics may as well be Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel's magnum opus. It's an insanely deep, tactical strategy game with addicting breeding mechanics, and a mind-boggling amount of roguelite-variety and content to play. I'm over 100 hours in, and I still can't get enough.

The Punished Backlog - Matt Plaus - 8.8 / 10

I am having an absolute blast with Mewgenics. Even after playing for over 30 hours, I can tell I have only cracked the surface of what the game has to offer. Like many roguelikes, the game’s difficulty and design demand many playthroughs and hours to build up your arsenal of resources and personal skill to beat the entire game. There is a genuinely impressive number of enemies, items, and ability synergies that are incredibly satisfying to discover. I’m looking forward to exploring new areas, experimenting with new ability combinations, and breeding new genetically monstrous kitties for many more hours. Based on how addicting Mewgenics is, I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.

VDGMS - Darren Andrew - 9 / 10

Mewgenics can go paw to paw with the best turn-based tactics games out there. Unsurprisingly, the tone is divisive, but the narrative is also shallow and the learning curve is beyond steep, as it can border unfair at times. What Mewgenics lacks, it overcompensates with emergent gameplay thanks to a plethora of variables, absurd creativity, and extremely deep tactics to the point that no two runs ever feel the same, which is rarified air for a roguelike.

Mewgenics is a perfect amalgam of excitement, discovery, strategy, shock, and disgust, but you would expect nothing less from the minds behind The Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy and The End is Nigh. Just like catnip, Mewgenics is irresistible.

Today's game is Alan Wake II. I've been wanting to do another play through after I dropped it before getting to the second DLC, and since starting a photography class i've been wanting to try and put my knowledge to use in this game. If I manage to get through this play through it will be my 4th complete Playthrough.

With all this practice i also want to try applying some diversity to my shots. Last time i leaned way too much into just letting the photo mode do the heavy lifting. I want to try and make these something that catch people's attention or stops and makes them think.

With this one for example, the Effect makes a bright glow around the deer which might naturally draw the viewers attention too it. At least that was my hope. As a result they would be more likely to focus on the deer and think about it and then take in it's surroundings.

It's fitting that this game has by far my favorite Photo Mode to use, and having learned all the stuff i have so far i think it's by far one of the most accurate. I'd say the only thing it's missing is ISO controls really, and it doesn't really need that (though it would add some familiarity too operating it)

I tried to direct the viewer to the center of the table here in this one. I tried it by using the Lamp and making the orange a little brighter. I thought it acted as a sort of arrow pointing down to the table, which is the table where the Anderson Brothers sit in the first game.

On a similar note, It's fun going through this game after 100%ing the original. It's almost nostalgic in a way seeing all these places i have fond memories of. Like the Jukebox. I half expected to see the Old Gods there again.

I got about as far as the end of Episode 1 before my headphones started going and dying. I probably should invest in a good pair of wired ones, but for now my wireless ones work fine. I think that's a fine end point though i would have liked to already be controlling Alan by then.

I wanted an Xbox one so i could play the newer Forza Motorsport series( seems like most people say Forza 6 is the best all around), but it also seems as if the xbox one was on life support by Microsoft since they had to make the Xbox One X with 4k and HDR just to keep up with Playstation and i hear the newer Xbox's aren't much more reliable than the older consoles and still suffer from hardware failures.

Is it worth it to get an Xbox one X for around $120-160, or is the series X more reliable and so much better it's worth twice the price.

I will mainly use it as a 4k player for my DVD's and blu ray collection for upscaling and it appears to do a good job at this. Maybe get a couple FPS games as well.

Do you think it's really worth it to splurge on the Series X if i'm not really playing many games on it?

I have researched these questions online, but always like talking to people on lemmy, so if you have other suggestions, lemme know!

Article for those who dont want a video: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/final-fantasy/after-13-years-a-new-version-of-final-fantasy-7-is-replacing-the-current-version-on-steam-and-square-enix-hasnt-explained-whats-different/

Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/games/39140/announcements/detail/514107648813039663

Square Enix has announced a brand-new version of Final Fantasy VII for Steam. This is not a patch. It’s a replacement.

The existing release will be renamed FINAL FANTASY VII 2013 Edition, while a new version becomes the default Steam listing. Existing owners get both versions for free but save files will NOT be compatible between them.

When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you've likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then. The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame).

Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed. But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change. We will keep you updated as much as we can as we finalize those plans as soon as possible.

DCSS 0.34 features:

• Many new egos for weapons, armour, amulets, and orbs.

• Big overhauls to strategic damage with a new doom system and a reduction of player mutation.

• Unlimited player inventory for consumables.

• Major updates to Troves, the Slime Pits, and the Halls of Zot.

• Dozens of new monsters spread throughout the dungeon!

The tournament starts today on Friday Feb 6th, 8pm UTC and runs through Sunday Feb 22nd, 8pm UTC, with all online 0.34 games counting towards your score.

Yippee!!!~

The prompt for this one might seem wildly unexpected. To start with: Yes, some libraries let people borrow video games. Generally, the easiest system for them is just to buy Switch / Playstation carts/discs for people to borrow and return.

However, many great indie games have never really had the publishing resources to put out physical releases, especially with the Switch's printing expenses. Even those that have, don't always have them widely available. But, it's now common for many libraries to offer DRM-driven, digital services to account for their gaps and failings (and so people don't need to make so many trips in the dead of winter). Hoopla and Kanopy are examples of such services: Content providers can give bulk licenses for media, with an agreed price the library pays (presumably often just per item for infinite borrows)

So to bring back to the original point, if the logistic hurdles were cleared so that a solo dev could take their Steam-only Unity game, and sell it to libraries as well, so that lower-income gamers could run them anywhere, what games do you think could have the best societal impact for people to be able to play? It'd be great to have plenty of mindless, pure-fun games on offer, but I'm also thinking about introspective, social-literacy games that most people wouldn't pay money for just looking at the thumbnail.

Today's game is some more Halo. I finally got around to trying some Forge Games (Only 450 Hours in on Steam alone). We got a whole bunch of stuff to try. Like one we got called Jenga. It's a game of infection where the Zombies have Grav-Hammers and try to Fling things at the Humans who are stacked on some floating boxes that can be dislodged.

It's a lot of fun, and there's some sort of satisfying terror of seeing a Warthog whiz past your head:

Halo Reach has some really satisfying physics, which makes this mode all the more fun to play.

We did another mode called Run from Barney. In it you're in an obstacle course with an invincible enemy who's the titular "Barney". Your goal is to make it to the end without being caught.

Despite it's name, it really subverts Halo to me. There's no way to fight back. There's no way to kill the enemy. Your only option is to run. It's almost terrifying in a way to have the power Halo usually gives you ripped away from you all while being chased down by an individual with the name "Barney".

There was also Forklift Sumo. It's pretty straightforward. We just all get in forklifts and try to push each other off. There's not much else to say.

We then did a Gamemode called Michael Myers. This one was really fun and creative. There's one zombie who's Invincible until the last Human is alive. Then you can kill them. In a way it's a satisfying game of Hide and Seek which becomes 1v1 Infection right at the end.

The map that's paired with it is fun too. It's narrow and has tight corridors, so theres nowhere to really hide. Just run and avoid the killer and hope to lose them.

And of course, i couldn't try Custom Games without tackling Griffball. This is a blast, both literally and metaphorically. I think we need more than our usual 6 for this. But besides that it's still great fun. I want to try and find some more courses for it. I think it'd be fun to get some variety.

Playing these was fun, especially since it gave me time to install the next game i want to try playing.

Reports are inconclusive at the moment. Some users have reported worse performance, others swear that uninstalling mods and/or verifying the game's files has fixed their performance issues.

This is not the first Capcom game to use Enigma.