The chaotic space co-op party game is available to wishlist on Steam

SAN FRANCISCO – June 4, 2025 – Independent game development studio Daruma Games today shared a new gameplay trailer for their debut title, Sol Mates, during Shacknews’ indie showcase.

Sol Mates is a chaotic co-op party game for 1-4 players that can be played locally or online. Steer, shield and blast your way through the galaxy, taking on space pirates, giant alien crabs, and sassy onboard AIs. Grow your space agency as you take on kooky requests, make story decisions together and soar among the stars in this cooperative roguelike spaceship sim.

Key Features

• Chaotic cooperative gameplay – Chaos is at every turn as tension mounts throughout your interstellar journey. Work together with friends to become a well-oiled team that puts out fires, launches missiles, and steers the ship out of a crisis at the ready.
• Mission-based storytelling – Sol Mates expertly weaves a humorous sci-fi storyline told through a series of hand-crafted missions mixed with procedurally generated twists.
• Retro-futuristic art style – Enter the adorable and charming world of Sol Mates, where your customizable astronauts lead the way through a retro-futuristic universe filled with surprise and thrill. Battle massive space crabs and defeat hordes of pirates in colorful and explosive encounters.
• Meaningful progression – By progressing through the campaign, you unlock new missions, characters, cosmetics, events, and challenges. With every new unlock comes new combinations offering endless replayability.

Sol Mates will launch in Early Access on Steam in 2025 on PC.

About Daruma Games

Daruma Games is a San Francisco-based game studio founded by veteran developers and friends Loren Weng and Simon Armstrong. They’re building experiences fueled by a love for games that are best played on a comfy couch. Games bring people together, and Daruma Games aims to leverage their love of cooperation and chaos to make games that’ll turn up the heat at game nights.

 The Gardens Between expands into the virtual frontier with a massive amount of new content

MELBOURNE, Australia – June 4, 2025 – Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between, a significantly expanded VR iteration of the award-winning puzzle-based adventure The Gardens Between, from developer The Voxel Agents, breathes new life into an earnest story of friendship on Meta Quest and SteamVR in 2025, as debuted during the Shacknews E4 Indie Showcase. Get hands-on for the first time with the game during Steam Next Fest, which runs from June 9-16, 2025.

Bend time at will, as childhood best friends Arina and Frendt journey across islands filled with precious mementos from the seminal moments of their time together. Explore a captivating narrative and solve clever puzzles. Embrace a tale retold in a new light, with twice the content in an illustrious, comprehensive package.

Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between begins two decades after the original story, as Frendt is in the midst of moving. Upon discovering the diary of his childhood best friend, Arina, Frendt is transported back to The Gardens Between, now guided by Arina’s treasured diary.

Maneuver Frendt and Arina as the duo trek through dreamscapes, manipulating objects and time itself to solve puzzles reflecting their shared past. Throughout each level, experience the emotional journey through Arina’s perspective via the pages of her diary. Witness her evolving artistry, revealing her cherished moments with Frendt, and her personal growth from the rollercoaster of adolescence.

Dive into 40 new puzzles scattered across the levels, offering tangible and immersive interactions only possible in VR. Engage in bespoke puzzles delivering unparalleled emotional depth with real-time physics. Reach out and assemble toy parts, lift a paintbrush to experience a whimsical moment, or playfully craft a friendship bracelet to become part of this intimate world.

Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between will support both the touch controllers and controller-free hand tracking on Quest platforms, including Quest 2/Pro and Quest 3/3S.

“Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between is a tribute to the friendships from our childhoods that felt so impossibly large with unbreakable bonds,” says Simon Joslin, co-founder of The Voxel Agents. “We wanted to tap into something relatable, familiar, and nostalgic through the lens of VR. The magic of being a kid is fleeting, but the story of Arina and Frendt captures that enchantment in a beautiful package.”

Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between launches on Meta Quest platforms and SteamVR in 2025. Check out the demo during Steam Next Fest, running from June 9 to June 16, 2025. For more information, please visit the official game website, The Voxel Agents official website, and follow the team on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

About The Voxel Agents

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, The Voxel Agents was founded in 2009 by Simon Joslin, Matthew Clark, and Tom Killen to create games that kindle curiosity with a passion for highly focused gameplay. Previous achievements include their highly acclaimed releases The Gardens Between, Train Conductor, and Puzzle Retreat.

Stress-free builder favors creativity and laid-back progression over resource management

BORDEAUX, France – June 4, 2025 – Block Factory, the calming and creative building game where you craft delightful 3D figurines from blocks from publisher Shiro Unlimited (Northgard, Wartales, Dune: Spice Wars, Ale Abbey) and developer OverPowered Team, comes to PC via Steam on July 11, 2025, as revealed during the Shacknews E4 Indie Remake showcase.

Enjoy a serene and rewarding automation and building experience where creativity takes center stage. Bring miniature figurines to life by building flowing factories that turn individual blocks into charming creations. Take a laid-back approach, refining each step of the production process at your own pace, building from simple starting points to intricate assembly lines in a peaceful factory world. 

Enter a flow state while building figurines, utilizing an array of machines to stack, shape, cut, glue, and paint bricks during each step of production. Experiment with different workflows and new machines, developing creative workflows across 24 highly replayable stages tailored to players of every style. 

Let creativity shine in Creative Mode. Design custom 3D figurines block-by-block and implement workflows to bring them to life. Find the joy in creation and automation, sharing completed figures with friends and other players via Steam Workshop support. Download others’ creations, opening a world of endless possibilities.

Celebrate the thrill of creation by adding completed figurines into evolving themed dioramas. Each diorama offers a unique opportunity to showcase your creative output, adding figurines like red pandas, seafaring ships, and racecars to imaginative scenes. 

“Block Factory encourages players to find the optimal solution to automated production challenges,” said Pablo López, Co-Founder and Designer at OverPowered Team. “Whether working to complete stages or tackling player-created figurines, the only limit is your creativity. We eagerly await seeing players’ imaginative figurines and the factories best suited to build them when Block Factory comes to Steam on July 11!”

Block Factory comes to PC via Steam on July 11 for $9.99 | £8.50 | 9.99€ with a 10% discount at launch. The game will offer English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and Simplified Chinese language support. 

For more information, wishlist the game on Steam and follow Shiro Unlimited on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

About Shiro Unlimited

Shiro Unlimited, the publishing arm of independent game development studio Shiro Games, was created by video game veterans Sebastien Vidal and Nicolas Cannasse to bring new innovative games to life. Based in Bordeaux, France, the studio released its first project Evoland in 2013 and its acclaimed sequel Evoland 2 in 2015. Shiro Games then launched its popular Viking strategy game Northgard on Steam in 2018, which has gone on to sell nearly 4 Million units across various platforms, followed by the medieval tactical RPG Wartales in 2021 and the critically acclaimed 4X RTS game from a renowned franchise Dune: Spice Wars in 2022.

For more information on Shiro Unlimited, please visit the official website.

About OverPowered Team

OverPowered Team is an independent video game developer based in Madrid, Spain. Comprised of passionate developers who met in college over a decade ago, OverPowered Team strives to continually create fun and engaging games. Their previous work includes Ruin Raiders, a turn-based tactical roguelike and Godstrike, a fast-paced twin-stick shooter.

For more information on OverPowered Team, please visit the official website.

As the Governor of the afterlife, take down colossal titans and bring order to the chaos of Hell 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – June 4, 2025 – The HELL: City Builder of the Dead, the underworld city-builder powered by souls from developer METROPOLICE, opens its doors to the afterlife via Steam Early Access on Friday, October 24, 2025, as seen during the Shacknews E4 Indie Showcase.

Take command of Hell as Governor, navigating the afterlife through distinct scenarios that tap into folk traditions about life in the beyond. Employ unfortunate souls in harvesting and refinement structures that capture the resources of purgatorial punishment. Manage Hell’s new arrivals while maintaining balance – or risk turning sinners into sadists who wish to tear down the underworld and return to sheer chaos!

Unravel the nature of Hell through the lens of well-known catastrophes under the baleful eyes of giant Titans who guard every realm. Each Titan draws from different mythologies, managing realms with bespoke rules and mechanics. Master distinct systems and rules to defeat the powerful Titans and unlock the secrets of Hell!

“Our goal with The HELL: City Builder of the Dead is to bring a fresh perspective to the city-builder genre—by exploring a theme that’s rarely touched,” said Mike Chong, Founder of METROPOLICE. “This is our imagination at play. Players step into the role of a Hell Governor, managing a dark, chaotic vision of the afterlife that also has a giant Titan lurking around the map that the player needs to defeat to advance.”

The HELL : City Builder of the Dead arrives on PC via Steam Early Access on Friday, October 24, 2025, for $12.99 USD. Language support includes English, Simplified  Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Latin America), Traditional Chinese, and Indonesian.

To keep up with the latest news on The HELL: City Builder of the Dead, follow the game on X/Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube, and be sure to check out the official Discord server.

About METROPOLICE

METROPOLICE SDN BHD also known as METROPOLICE Studio is an independent game development studio based in the Klang Valley, with its headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. We take pride in our creative, narrative-driven approach to game design. Our first project, The HELL: City Builder Of The Dead, was created by using Unreal Engine and it’s a unique city-builder simulation where you step into the role of a “Hell Governor” and manage a dynamic underworld—one shaped by historical natural disasters and steeped in mythology, history, and political intrigue. Embracing our indie spirit, we’re committed to original storytelling and innovative gameplay, all under the ethos of “Better Than Yesterday.” We continue to develop game experience better than yesterday to public and contribute to Malaysia’s growing digital content and gaming industry.

Will you fight for a second chance, or will you find peace in the void?

Boulder, Colo. (June 4, 2025) – Developer and publisher Serenity Forge (Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, Slay the Princess, To the Moon) today revealed a new upcoming choice-based visual novel, Return to Ash. This emotional narrative adventure can be wishlisted now and will launch on Steam next month on July 10, 2025.

Return to Ash follows the journey of Ashleigh, a young adult that awakens in the afterlife following a nearly decade-long hospitalization. Feeling healthier than ever, Ash sets out into the void to forge bonds with other lost souls and overcome the trials of Death themself

Explore a mysterious afterlife and learn about the past lives of fellow souls, but know that Ash’s decisions will shape their fates as much as her own. Will you trust and help those around you? Or will you fight for a second chance at life, no matter the cost?

Key Features

• Dialogue Choices That Matter: Build relationships with a cast of memorable characters, each with their own dreams, regrets, and reasons to return to life.
• Unique Art Style: A distinct and atmospheric visual design brings the afterlife, and its mysteries, to life.
• Original Soundtrack: Experience a beautiful, emotional score that complements every twist and turn of Ashleigh’s journey.
• Short and Impactful: A complete story experience designed to be finished in 2–4 hours.

“Return to Ash was partly inspired by my personal experience struggling with my near-fatal illness hospitalized as a teenager, trapped and forgotten by the world,” said Zhenghua (Z) Yang, Founder/CEO of Serenity Forge and Executive Director & Artist of Return to Ash. “What brought me back during those dark times were the connections and friends I met through the games we shared. I hope that this game reminds people that life is worth living, even when the world seems to have moved on without you.”

Stay in the loop on all things Serenity Forge by visiting the team’s website and Twitter page. 

About Serenity Forge

Based in Boulder, Colorado, video game development and publishing studio Serenity Forge prides themselves on the care and dedication they put into their work, creating meaningful and emotionally impactful games that challenge the way you think. Firm believers in the artistic, cultural, and educational power of video games, Serenity Forge aims to craft unique interactive experiences to broaden players’ horizons and expand their perspectives.

LOS ANGELES – JUNE 4, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, has released a new update for its collectible RPG, Tower of God: New World, featuring two new Teammates and multiple limited-time events. 

SSR+ [Shadow Girl] Alphine (Blue Element, Anima, Support) and XSR+ [Name Hunter] Kaiser (Blue Element, Ranged, Anima) have been added as part of the new update. [Shadow Girl] Alphine is one of the Ten Bosses of the Name Hunt Station and Kaiser’s loyal servant who controls shadow foxes. Her specialty is to protect allies with her support skills. [Name Hunter] Kaiser is based on the character when she slowly seized power by defeating strongmen from the previously lawless Name Hunt Station. 

To welcome the arrival of the new Teammates, various events are now available in Tower of God: New World, offering valuable rewards: 

• [Shadow Girl] Alphine Release Celebration Festival (June 4 – June 18): Players can earn Suspendiums and other rewards by participating in events like Special Summons, Check-in Events, Boost Missions, and TapTap Plus.
• [Name Hunter] Kaiser Release Celebration Event (June 4 – June 18): Challenge [Name Hunter] Kaiser’s Data Tower to earn a chance to obtain XSR+ [Name Hunter] Kaiser. Special Summon for Kaiser is also available. 
• [Rerun] Advent Summon: [Family Head] Traumerei (June 9 – June 18): Players can acquire [Family Head] Traumerei, a Ten Great Families grade teammate, via Advent Summon during the event period. 

Tower of God: New World is a collectible card game RPG based on “Tower of God,” a popular WEBTOON series that has surpassed 6 billion global views. In Tower of God: New World, players can take control of fan-favorite characters to ascend the Tower. Join Twenty-Fifth Bam – and more than 100 characters – as he fights his way through the Tower in gorgeous 3D animation that will make players feel like they have stepped into an anime world. Players will experience fast-paced battle mechanics while utilizing a unique Slot System that powers up a particular “slot” instead of a specific character. 

The game is now available on Google Play and the App Store while the PC version is available to download from Google Play Games Beta. Players are encouraged to sign up on Discord and other social channels (YouTube, Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook) for the latest information.

About Netmarble Corporation

Founded in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading global game developer and publisher. Through acclaimed franchises and strategic partnerships with top-tier IP holders, the company delivers innovative and engaging gaming experiences to audiences worldwide. As a parent company of Kabam, SpinX Games, Jam City, and a major shareholder of HYBE and NCSOFT, Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling:ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

The Ultimate Football Sandbox Will Hit 1.0 on Xbox, Steam, and PS5 with improved features and new surprises

Walnut Creek, California – June 4, 2025 | The wait is almost over. Maximum Football, the community-focused, free-to-play football sim, is officially launching on PlayStation 5 on June 17, 2025. On the same day, the highly anticipated 1.0 update will also arrive on Xbox and Steam, marking a major milestone for the game since it entered Early Access and Game Preview in 2024. View today’s 1.0 announcement trailer:

From day one, Maximum Football has been built with community at its core. With direct player feedback guiding development, the team has introduced major new features including Local Multiplayer and Coach Mode, expanding the game’s depth and playability.

“We’re excited to invite even more players to the field and continue shaping the future of football gaming together,” said Anth Rodgers, Head of Studio at Maximum Entertainment. “We’ve got some fresh updates in store for our June 1.0 launch, and we can’t wait to see new players enter the game.”

Whether you’re calling the plays or suiting up on the field, Maximum Football offers an open football experience where your voice matters. Join the passionate Maximum Football community and help build the football game you’ve always wanted.

Maximum Football is coming to PlayStation 5 on June 17, 2025, along with the 1.0 update on Xbox and Steam.

Play free now on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview:

• Xbox X|S: Maximum Football on Xbox Game Preview
• Steam: Maximum Football on Steam

Stay up to date with the latest plays in Maximum Football by visiting maxfootballgame.com and following @maxfootballgame on X. For more information on Maximum Entertainment, please visit maximument.com.

About Maximum Entertainment 

Maximum Entertainment is a global entertainment company dedicated to crafting indie to AA video game experiences through original content and licensed partnerships. A fully integrated group with a broad portfolio of content, the company emphasizes collaboration and inclusivity in its partnerships to produce the highest level of interactive entertainment. With more than 300 titles in its catalog, Maximum Entertainment has joined forces with talented creators and renowned franchises around the globe to deliver magic to the gamer in everyone. Maximum Entertainment employs experienced professionals across the entire value chain of video games including development, publishing, transmedia, sales, and operations. Visit Maximum Entertainment at www.maximument.com.

PARIS – June 4, 2025 – Focus Entertainment and Douze Dixièmes are over the moon to share a new playable PC demo and gameplay reveal trailer for the upcoming indie sci-fi metroidvania MIO: Memories In Orbit. The brand-new gameplay trailer offers a first look at combat and platforming, giving a general feel of the unique atmosphere created by French studio Douze Dixièmes. Players can also experience the action firsthand through the game’s demo, available now on Steam and the Microsoft Store (PC).

A mesmerizing journey across danger and wonder

Play as MIO, a nimble robot who awakens alone aboard the Vessel—a vast, drifting spaceship left in ruin. Once maintained by AI caretakers known as the Pearls, the Vessel is now overrun by wild vegetation and malfunctioning machines. With the ship facing imminent shutdown, MIO must explore its labyrinthine depths, recover its lost memories, and uncover the truth behind the collapse… and their own forgotten past.

Today’s trailer shows how MIO: Memories In Orbit’s multi-tool gameplay combines platforming and combat in an ongoing, empowering flow. As a voice narrates elements from a mysterious lore, MIO: Memories In Orbit’s trailer exudes a poetic atmosphere, stemming from stunning art direction and inspirations, both visual (SF, comics, anime, paintings) and musical (lo-fi beats and choral melodies).

Start the journey now with MIO’s playable demo

MIO: Memories In Orbit’s PC demo is 2-3 hours long and lets you play the beginning of the game, with a secret area to discover and a major challenge to overcome. Experience a slice of action-platforming and exploration gameplay featuring precision-based traversal using the grappling hook, gliding, and wall-cling. Will you rise to the challenge and save the Vessel from destruction?

MIO: Memories In Orbit is planned to release this year on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The demo is available now on Steam and the Microsoft Store (PC).

Play MIO: Memories In Orbit and wishlist the game today! Create your Focus Together account to receive exclusive rewards and join the community and development of MIO: Memories In Orbit.

Sandbox Interactive’s latest Dev Talk video dives into the MMORPG’s brand-new PvP dungeon, a hell-themed player hub and more!

BERLIN – June 4, 2025 –The next update for Albion Online, “Abyssal Depths,” will launch on June 30, delivering a new, thrilling, multilayered PvP mode, as well as a brand-new hub for instanced PvP content, a more structured and rewarding new player experience, and some big quality-of-life changes. On the dedicated update page, players will find extensive information about the new features and changes coming with this update.

And there’s more: Game Director Moritz Bokelmann and Co-Creative Director Michael Schwahn give a detailed look at the Depths in the new Dev Talk video.

The Depths are a new type of PvP dungeon for groups of 2-3 players. In this dungeon, players must battle each other to extract as much loot as possible and escape before it collapses. It introduces a new ruleset where death results in inventory loss, but not gear loss, making it ideal for players wanting to try lethal PvP without risking everything.

Topics Covered on the Update Page at a Glance:

• The Depths: A brand-new type of instanced PvP dungeon.
• The Antiquarian’s Den: A new subterranean player hub that brings together Albion’s hell-themed content.
• New Hell-Themed Rewards: Raise a baby spider into a brand-new mount with a unique spell.
• Fully Reworked New Player Experience: Clearer goals and more helpful rewards from the start.
• New Albion Journal Category: The Character Progression category charts players’ personal path toward mastery.
• New Crystal Weapons: Two powerful new Crystal Weapons bring unique playstyles and tactical depth.
• Quality-of-Life Improvements: A wide variety of enhancements to Albion‘s UI and overall usability.

The “Abyssal Depths” update for Albion Online will be released on June 30. Find more details on the update here and watch the latest Dev Talk video here.

About Albion Online

Albion Online is a sandbox MMORPG set in the medieval fantasy world of Albion. From its humble beginnings as an independently developed, old-school MMO, it has risen to become one of the world’s leading sandbox MMORPGs, played by hundreds of thousands around the world. Whether you’re a fighter, farmer, trader or master craftsman, all styles have a place in the player-driven world of Albion. Its “you are what you wear” system is free from typical class restrictions and lets players define their own role within the game world. Every item crafted, every enemy defeated, and every territory conquered has repercussions and consequences: in the world of Albion, everyone matters.

Instead of a pre-built, linear path full of game-provided quests, Albion Online offers players the opportunity to write their own story and play the game in countless different ways. Deep systems for guilds, alliances and factions make it possible to claim territories and fight large battles together with friends. Gathering resources, crafting, and trading are the foundations of the player-based economy, and offer players a path to fame and fortune. On top of that, Albion’s sprawling world, with its five biomes across two massive continents, offers near-endless opportunities for exploration and discovery, with a wide range of PvE and PvP options for solo and group players.

About Sandbox Interactive

Albion Online is developed by Berlin studio Sandbox Interactive. The studio was founded in 2012 by a group of enthusiastic MMORPG players and fans and now includes a team of 100 employees. Sandbox Interactive follows the belief that the creation of your own world and interaction with other players are central to the MMORPG experience, and that these ideas are truly brought to life in the sandbox genre. With Albion Online, the studio has created the world’s first truly cross-platform sandbox MMORPG – a game that places compelling gameplay and the player experience squarely in the foreground.