Step into the beat of a new rhythmic platform adventure coming to Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch

Bologna, Italy, May 7th, 2026 | Indie developer Green Flamingo is excited to share that their debut action platformer, Spanky “Bat-a-Swing,” will be coming to Steam, Nintendo, and Xbox. The PC demo is now available, and a Kickstarter campaign will launch later this year. Enjoy a 1930s hand-animated 3D action platformer where players can fall into the rhythm of smacking enemies to the beat of an electro swing soundtrack.

A City Under Rhythmic Control
Metrognome has seized power as the new mayor of Metronopolis, and the once peaceful city now lives and breathes to the literal beat under his reign. Join Spanky, an inventive bat, on an adventure complete with a roaring electro swing original soundtrack and an art style inspired by classic 1930s cartoons. With audio-reversal cannon speakers as ears, help the determined bat rebel against this new norm. Cut through all the noise and make your way to the Metrotower to put an end to this commotion once and for all. 

Clap, Dash, Attack, Repeat!
Travel through Metronopolis’ three distinct districts: Morguetone, a graveyard district home to ghostly souls of the afterlife. Blue Vines, a jungle-themed district full of exotic animals and monkeys of all kinds. Lastly, at the center of Metronopolis, Nova Nubla, a district renowned for its state-of-the-art industrial design, technology, luxury… and undercover secrets. Each level poses a new challenge with fresh beats, tricky traps, and level-specific mechanics like echolocation and air shafts that will test your precision, sense of rhythm, and ability to adapt. Maintain a steady rhythm to perform a high-scoring attack combo, and explore for gold and hidden collectibles, such as vinyl records to play new tracks on your at-home music player.

Every Fight is a Dance
As you approach Metrognome’s headquarters for the final showdown, you will encounter bosses who guard each district, such as DJ Cobwebb, an eight-legged spider that operates his own mausoleum club. Giant howler monkey Blue Vines councilor, Maestro Bonobotti, a glittering opera star, but not the brightest politician. Lastly, district councilor and cunning secretary Owlivia, the only one in all of Metronopolis able to keep Metrognome in check. All boss battles have multiple phases that switch between music tracks. Read your enemies’ movesets carefully, and you’ll be able to turn every boss battle into the ultimate performance.

Kickstarter Coming Soon
Players ready to bop to the beat can try out the first four levels in the Steam demo: Explore the graveyard district and the opening boss showdown against DJ Cobwebb. The Kickstarter campaign will be launching soon, and followers of the pre-launch campaign can receive a free digital comic.

Game Features

• Original electro swing soundtrack that will leave your feet tapping to the beat.
• Hand-animated visuals of 1930s cartoons, beautifully reminiscent of timeless classics.
• Explore 4 distinct areas, each with its own identity, musical themes, and challenges.
• A vibrant city with plenty to uncover, from hidden collectibles and story secrets to a quirky cast of characters.
• Compete in a global leaderboard for the fastest times and the highest score.
• An in-game music player to play unlocked tracks you collect throughout your journey.

Try the demo of Spanky “Bat-a-Swing” on Steam, and wishlist the game to receive all upcoming updates. Follow the Kickstarter campaign to receive a notification when it launches and claim a free digital comic. For more information, please visit the game’s official website.

About Green Flamingo
Green Flamingo is an Italian indie game studio founded in 2019. We are a group of passionate freelancers striving to break through the rigid mold of the video game market with ideas and projects we love, and think that you will too. We aim to become a full-time game development team and are currently working on our first commercial project, Spanky “Bat-a-Swing,” which is developed for PC and consoles.

May 7th 2026, – Team17 Digital and Mopeful Games have released the rhythmic tactical turn-based  Wardrum on Steam.  Play it now for £19.99/$19.99/€19.99  with a special launch discount of 20% and attune to your warband as you face intense battles across an unforgiving land. 

Wardrum is a tactical turn-based game where you must tune your rhythm with your inner warrior to plan and execute flawless battle tactics to defeat rival tribes from across an unforgiving fantasy inspired land.  

Off-beat magic has infected the lands, neighbouring settlements have fallen and it’s up to you and a band of five warriors to keep the beat. Venture out into a harsh fantasy world filled with rhythm magic and stop the source of this off-beat threat once and for all.   

Features: 

• Activate abilities in time to the beat to deal devastating attacks or powerful buffs. 
• Forge a path across a harsh fantasy world full of rhythm magic, face death and strengthen your warriors until you have the power to destroy the dark sorcery infecting the lands.
• Make use of the battlefield by comboing attacks and hazards: push enemies off cliffs, activate deadly traps, and pull foes into kill zones set by your archer.
• Trek across six distinctive biomes with randomizing map paths, navigating through battles, sanctuaries and other events to go toe to toe against dangerous bosses.
• All biomes come with their own formidable enemies and environmental dangers
• Encounter a range of over 35 menacing enemies that require careful tactical planning to overcome.
• Roguelite replayability: Death is temporary! Face death, learn from your mistakes, upgrade your warband and venture forth again. 
• Adjust rhythm difficulty – If you choose to set this to Easy, the game will compensate for the timings of the beat inputs, making it easier for you to hit those perfect notes and perform abilities more effectively! Easy mode will also make it less punishing to your units when you miss a beat too. 

Play the Wardrum today for £19.99/$19.99/€19.99 with a speciallaunch discount of 20%.     

About Mopeful Games  

Mopeful Games is a small 3 man studio from Helsinki, Finland. Our first game was a humorous fashion-FPS called Fashion Police Squad that was received well for its gameplay & uniqueness. Our goal as a studio is to make creative & fun indie games without crunch. Our games are designed gameplay first and we don’t use AI  

About Team17 Digital     

Founded in 1990, Team17 is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of the everplay Group plc with an extensive portfolio of over 140 titles and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Date Everything, Dredge, and Overcooked! franchise.

For people who love butlers by people who love butlers!

TOKYO – May 7th, 2026 – MangaGamer has opened pre-orders for the long-awaited sequel to the notorious indie butler-bullying visual novel, Hadaka Shitsuji – Naked Butlers, Hadaka Shitsuji – Spice & Sugar! The title is set to release on June 11th with a 10% discount for customers who decide to pre-order.

Promotional Website
Store Page

On the Spice side everything’s coming up Tomoaki!

Somehow or other, Tomoaki became the true master of the Kamishiro estate, rather than just serving in the role as a part-time job. Bit by bit, he’s been learning how to conduct himself and perform his duties as head of house. It’s been a very busy time for him, but finally he gets one precious week off. Who will he spend it with and how?

It’s a return to the spicy do-whatever-you-want life of master!

On the Sugar side enjoy a sweet life with a former butler.

Rather than returning to his old life when his time as part-time master ends, the time he spent at the estate drastically changed the course of his life and that of one of his butlers. Enjoy these bitter-sweet “what if” tales of former master and former butler as they’ve developed a relationship that’s more than friendship, but not quite love, continuing each of the butlers’ “romantic” endings from the original game.

Key Features:

• Two flavors of story: spicy and sweet: The “spicy” story continues from the “true” ending of the original game where Tomoaki has inherited the Kamishiro estate, and follows the same format of selecting events on the mansion map.
  On the sugary “sweet” side, follow the romantic endings with the butlers from the original game, but this time from the butlers’ perspectives. How will they navigate their new and complicated relationships with Tomoaki? Or their lives outside the comfort of the estate?
• Includes the bonus “Reminiscence” short story: Unlock the Reminiscence short story and retrace the steps of a certain mysterious young member of the Kamishiro family in the 1950s—what destiny awaits him?
• A variety of quality of life features: Including the updated interface from the Double Edition release of the game, scene replay, and new for the English release a toggle to enable or disable mosaics during adult scenes.

For more information on Hadaka Shitsuji — Spice & Sugar, and other titles from MangaGamer, be sure to join the discussion on Discord or follow MangaGamer on Bluesky, Twitter and Facebook. You can also check out their blog for comments from the staff and other featured articles!

ABOUT MANGAGAMER.COM
MangaGamer.com is the world’s biggest publisher of English translated Visual Novels. Since its launch in July 2008, it has offered services where fans can download and enjoy popular Visual Novels such as 07th Expansion’s Higurashi When They Cry series,Alicesoft’s infamous Rance series, and Novectacle’s critically acclaimed The House in Fata Morgana right from their homes.

Today, 2K and Firaxis Games announced that the much-anticipated Sid Meier’s Civilization VII’s Test of Time Update is launching free for all players on May 19. Soon players will have the option to play as one civilisation throughout the game, and explore the new Triumphs and reworked Victories systems.

Key changes introduced in the Test of Time Update include:

• Time-Tested Civs – Start a game with any civ from any Age. During the Age transition process, players can select a new civ, or continue playing as the same civilization into the next Age. AI opponents will follow the player’s lead, either remaining as a single civ or switching to a new one in corresponding fashion.
• A New Victories System – Achieving Victories has been completely reworked. This new design puts Victories front and center from the start, requiring players to establish clear, undeniable dominance in one of four categories: Military, Economy, Culture, or Science. Players can make progress toward any victory starting in the Antiquity Age, and even win as early as the Exploration Age.
• Triumphs – The team listened to feedback and have completely removed Legacy Paths, replacing them with an entirely new system called Triumphs. Triumphs offer a wide range of optional, challenging objectives to help each game feel unique. Triumphs are tied to each of the six Attributes: Militaristic, Cultural, Scientific, Economic, Diplomatic, and Expansionist.

Read the full details on what’s coming in the Test of Time update in the announcement article here.

Jackbox Games brings the jokes everywhere with latest Party Pack as Jackbox furthers expansion in 2026 with new publishing label and partnership with Netflix for fan-favorite Party Pack games

CHICAGO (May 6, 2026) – Developer, publisher and the purveyors of your favorite party game pastimes, Jackbox Games, are keeping the jokes rolling with the latest iteration of their beloved Party Pack series which has been joined by players over 826 million times since December 2022: The Jackbox Party Pack 12. Launching this year on PC (Steam/Epic Games Store) Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Apple TV, iPad and the Mac App Store, this year’s Party Pack promises to give you more opportunities to brand yourself “the funny one” of your friend group with five new games. Wishlist The Jackbox Party Pack 12 on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4199960/The_Jackbox_Party_Pack_12
 
Watch today’s brand-new announcement trailer for The Jackbox Party Pack 12 here:

The Jackbox Party Pack 12 will follow up on 2025’s Party Pack 11 with five different games designed to take your party to new heights. Highlight your inner artist, comedian, mind reader, debater and team captain like the life of the party you are. Is it social manipulation if you’re trying to make people laugh? That’s for your friends and loved ones to decide. More information about the games in this pack will be coming next month.
 
You can find more information on The Jackbox Party Pack 12 on Jackbox Games’ website here: https://www.jackboxgames.com/
 
Today’s announcement of The Jackbox Party Pack 12 is Jackbox Games’ latest in a year of firsts for the studio, including most recently a partnership announced with global streaming service Netflix to bring a select number Jackbox games to subscribers across the world as well as the studio’s first step into games publishing. Announced this past March, Jackbox Games is partnering with Australia-based developer Toot Games to publish their debut title, the highly anticipated, extremely irreverent and kind of discomforting stealth-comedy game My Arms Are Longer Now to mischief makers around the world.
 
For updates on Jackbox Games, including The Jackbox Party Pack 12, My Arms Are Longer Now, and Trivia Muder Party 3 also releasing later this year.

7, May 2026 – WheelMates, the co-op adventure where two drivers guide tiny RC cars through the secret-riddled house of an eccentric missing scientist from developer FireVolt, puts the pedal to the metal plastic in its first public demo opening the garage area, available today on Steam. 

Following the first playtest earlier this year, the doors to the mysterious scientist’s house open up for a public demo, accessible to everyone without waiting. After learning the controls and using the first power-ups in the Kitchen, explore the Garage. This big, open space full of hidden paths offers new tools to use, and more secrets to discover. Unleash gear like magnet grab and rope swing to solve puzzles together, find secret areas, and discover the whereabouts of the professor.

Explore these areas together with a friend, now with split screen local co-op in addition to online play. Drift around corners, performing stunts in the air, and test reworked physics making driving more intuitive and fun. Additionally, the demo adds improved camera control, and new localization for 14 languages in total.

With no timers and no pressure to move fast, WheelMates emphasizes shared problem solving at the duo’s own preferred pace, enabling discovery of surprises and secrets. 

Play the WheelMates demo now on Steam for PC, with the full game set to launch on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

For more information, join the Discord server, visit the game’s official site, and follow WheelMates on X, TikTok, and YouTube.

About FireVolt

An independent studio FireVolt combines its experience and knowhow to make its own co-op titles that bring new approaches and shared experiences to the world. 

A Modern Take on Classic Arcade Side-Scrolling Brawlers, Featuring Four Playable Characters, Two Distinct Biomes, Boss Fights, and Encounters with the Mad King Himself!

BERLIN, GERMANY – May 7, 2026 – Secret Mission Games, an indie studio made up of industry veterans, today announced that its debut title, Mad King Redemption, will launch into Steam Early Access on Thursday, May 14. Inspired by classic beat ’em up side-scrollers like Golden Axe, and Final Fight, Mad King Redemption is an updated version designed for modern playstyles, including quick matches, strong roguelite progression, and both local and online co-op gameplay (via Steam Remote Play). The game will be available on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Game Store in Early Access for $14.99 USD.

Watch the Mad King Redemption  launch date trailer below:

“We wanted to recreate that feeling of long afternoons at the arcade with your friends, playing through an epic quest in 20-minute bursts,” said Nicolo Girotti, co-founder of Secret Mission Games. “It’s built for the busy player who still craves depth and high-quality retro action”

Mad King Redemption is a love letter to the Golden Age of beat ’em ups. Designed for both veterans and new players, the game delivers high-intensity, short-session gameplay that recaptures the thrill of classic 8-bit and 16-bit brawlers. Featuring a 2D/3D pixel art style, Steam co-op, local co-op play, and a unique feature called Corruption, that grants players special abilities that will make them stronger … but corrupted power comes at a price.

Building on the game’s strong momentum, Mad King Redemption has already earned significant industry recognition, winning the Very Big Indie Pitch award and being hand-selected by Valve for the official Steam Next Fest trailer. The title will be a featured exhibitor at Bit Summit 2026 in Kyoto, where it was chosen as part of an elite delegation of developers.

Key Gameplay Features:

• Retro-Modern Combat: Classic side-scrolling brawler mechanics updated for 2026.
• Local Co-op & Steam Remote Play: Battle through the hordes with a friend locally or online.
• High-Octane Sessions: Designed for quick iterations and pick-up-and-play accessibility.

Stay up to date with all Mad Kind Redemption news on the website.

About SECRET MISSION
Secret Mission is a team of three gaming industry veterans with Italian roots, located in Berlin, Germany. The studio has been entirely self-funded through the founders’ personal finances and is currently seeking investment partners for the Early Access launch of their game, Mad King Redemption.

Raspberry Studio’s bodycam psychological-horror FPS enters its first Early Access development phase with two missions. Wishlist now and play the final demo today.

Loznica, Serbia – May 6, 2026. Indie developer Raspberry Studio today confirms that A.A.U. Black Site, its immersive bodycam psychological-horror FPS, will launch into its first Early Access development phase onMay 21, 2026, with the first two missions available at launch.

Following a strong reception during Steam Next Fest, the team has been working closely with the community to refine and enhance the experience ahead of Early Access. Players will step into the abandoned region of Uzovnica as an operative of the covert A.A.U. Special Forces, where a routine mission quickly spirals into chaos. Intercepted, framed, and cut off from support, you are left stranded in hostile territory as reality begins to fracture around you.

Watch the Release Date Announcement trailer below

Blending tactical combat with psychological horror, A.A.U. Black Site places players in a relentless fight for survival, captured entirely through a chilling bodycam perspective. Navigate claustrophobic environments, adapt your playstyle with a wide arsenal of weapons, and uncover the truth behind the Black Site.

This initial phase is just the beginning, with additional story chapters, weapons, enemies, and locations planned throughout Early Access, shaped directly by player feedback.

Wishlist A.A.U. Black Site on Steam now, and download the final demo today to prepare for deployment when Early Access begins on May 21

Fresh off the heels of its April release, the acclaimed real-time strategy title sets its sights on quality-of-life update, Co-op Mode, DLC, and the Scenario Editor 

Bracknell, UK – May 6, 2026 –Following its successful global launch on April 23, Sudden Strike 5 continues to gain momentum, and the battlefield is far from quiet. Today, Kalypso Media and Kite Games announced that a lineup of new content and game improvements are already in motion, reinforcing the team’s long-term commitment to evolving the Sudden Strike experience shaped by both developer vision and player input.

The first addition arriving to the game will be a quality-of-life update that will incorporate player feedback and requests from the community to include overall gameplay experience improvements and bug fixes. Following this, Co-op Mode will be introduced. Its addition will open the door for players and their favorite strategy-gaming plus one, to coordinate battlefield tactics across the entire campaign together as a fortified RTS team.

Next, a DLC will bring forth an exciting and currently classified six-mission campaign. Complete details of the upcoming DLC campaign, its release date and price will be revealed soon. Lastly, the Scenario Editor will round out the content additions outlined in the roadmap, offering players the ability to create and engage in player-generated content. 

An exciting year is underway for Sudden Strike 5! Stay tuned to Kalypso Media channels as more details on each of these additions will be revealed in the coming months. Sudden Strike 5 is available now on PC, Xbox on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation®5.  

Sudden Strike 5 Features:  

• Command massive battles: Sudden Strike 5 delivers a truly immersive strategy experience 25 missions across huge, diverse maps and the highest unit counts ever seen in the series, setting the stage for large-scale tactical warfare.  
• Deploy a vast arsenal of WW2 units: Command over 300 authentic units – including more than 190 vehicles and 110 infantry units – such as the Sherman tank for the Western Allies, the Messerschmidt Bf 109 for the German troops, and the T-34 for the Soviet troops.   
• Shape your strategy in dynamic mission gameplay: Utilize unprecedented strategic freedom by choosing your own tactics, units, and objectives to complete the mission goals. Seize and defend key locations like Field HQs, Supply Depots, and Train Stations to gain critical advantages, while using recon, sabotage, alternative routing, and smart unit combinations to outmanoeuvre your enemies.  
• Adapt your tactics with customisable commanders: Choose the Commander that best fits your playstyle and tactics – whether offensive, defensive, or more tactical. Each brings unique skills that can turn the tide of battle, such as deploying smoke grenades to provide cover on the battlefield or boosting the accuracy of your artillery.   

• Take full control of the battlefield: Extended camera options let you zoom out for full strategic oversight or zoom in for a closer look at the frontline action, giving you better control over every aspect of the battlefield.  
• Challenge yourself and others: Test your strategy against real opponents or AI enemies across multiple difficulty levels, offering competitive PvP challenges.  

About the Kalypso Media Group GmbH 
Kalypso Media Group GmbH is an independent publisher, developer, and marketer of interactive entertainment software with over 200 employees at 10 locations across Germany, England, France, Japan, and the USA. The Kalypso Media Group includes Kasedo Games, the digital label of Kalypso Media Group, along with four development studios: Realmforge Studios (Dungeons series), Gaming Minds Studios in Gütersloh and Paderborn (Railway Empire, Port Royale, Tropico 7) and Claymore Game Studios (Commandos: Origins).  

Specializing in the development of strategy and simulation games for a global audience on multi-platforms, Kalypso Media Group’s IP portfolio includes full rights to the Tropico series, Commandos, Port Royale, Dungeons, Sudden Strike, and Railway Empire, among others. Kalypso Media’s most recent releases are Commandos: Origins, Disciples: Domination and Sudden Strike 5. Recent releases from Kasedo Games include Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, Sweet Dreams Alex, and Rise of Industry 2, with upcoming titles such as Warhammer 40000: Mechanicus II and Life Below.

Kalypso Media Group offers a wide range of merch products and clothing in the newly opened Kalypso Media merch store. The products available include Kalypso Media’s best-known franchises, including Commandos, Railway Empire, Dungeons, and Tropico.

Embark on a shared adventure in the vibrant world of Siagarta—alone or with friends!

BORDEAUX, France – May 6, 2026 – Farever, the online multiplayer action RPG set in a vast fantasy open world from Dune: Spice Wars, Wartales, and Northgard developer Shiro Games, is now available in Early Access on PC via Steam.

Heed the call of adventure and journey across Siagarta, either solo or with a group of fellow adventurers in online co-op. Explore expansive regions filled with distinct biomes, dangerous enemies, hidden dungeons, and valuable treasures. Traverse the world with complete freedom: climb towering cliffs, glide across valleys and canyons, and dive into underground and underwater caverns. Every corner of this vibrant world rewards exploration with secrets, gear, and evolving content.

Choose from one of four starting classes (with more planned for 1.0), each offering a different approach to combat roles such as damage, support, or survivability. Build your playstyle through a wide range of weapons, abilities, and talents. In Farever, gear plays a central role in progression. Each piece contributes to your build by unlocking new effects, passive bonuses, and synergies, allowing you to experiment and create a combat identity that’s truly your own. Team up with friends to take on powerful enemies and challenging bosses that reward coordination and mastery.

Whether solo or in a group, Farever dynamically scales its activities to match party size, ensuring a balanced and engaging experience for all players. Between expeditions, return to town to craft equipment, upgrade your gear, or gather rare resources to create potions and consumables that will support you and your allies in battle 

“Today’s Early Access launch marks the beginning of an exciting new adventure,” said Nicolas Cannasse, CEO of Shiro Games. “We’re proud to build Farever alongside our community and evolve the game throughout Early Access with player feedback. After all, what’s an adventure without adventurers?”

Farever is available now in Early Access on PC via Steam for $19.99 with English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese language support. For more information, follow Farever on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, and follow Shiro Games on Bluesky.  

About Shiro Games 

Shiro Games is an independent Bordeaux-based studio founded 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 more than 3 million units across various platforms as well as Dune: Spice Wars, the spice-infused blend of 4X and RTS gameplay. Wartales is their latest title, with several major DLC additions since its release in April 2023.