Mi’pu’mi Games and Skystone Games Announce Launch Date and Arrival on All Platforms
SAN FRANCISCO – May 4, 2026 – Mi’pu’mi Games and Skystone Games today announce that Black Jacket, a narrative-driven roguelite deckbuilder where players gamble their souls against restless spirits in the afterlife, will launch on May 12 across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. A brand new gameplay trailer debuting today showcases the dark atmosphere and impossible card combinations that define the experience, offering players deep dive into the strategic depth and storytelling that awaits.
Trapped in the underworld, the player awakens among other lost souls. The only path to freedom runs through the Ferryman – who demands payment in coins for a safe passage back to life. To earn those coins, players must face off against the restless spirits who dwell in the afterlife, each one harboring their own tragic story, their own desperate bid for escape.
Black Jacket twists the rules of classic blackjack into something darker and more strategic. As players encounter each opponent, they see only hands and playstyles – never faces. Each match becomes a puzzle: learn your opponent’s behavior, understand their curse, and exploit the board state with rule-bending cards. Force them to overcommit. Swap their cards. Manipulate card values. Stack impossible synergies to turn the tide. Every victory yields precious coins. Every defeat pushes the Ferryman one step further away.
Between matches, the story unfolds. Through gameplay and dialogue, players uncover the histories of those who stand against them – and their own. Black Jacket isn’t just about winning; it’s about understanding the cycle, and whether there’s a way to break it for good. The game weaves narrative and strategy together, making each encounter a step forward in both your escape and your understanding of the world’s mysterious lore.
“Black Jacket is about more than just luck,” says Mi’pu’mi Games. “It’s about learning to control the game flow, outsmart your rivals, and uncover their stories. We wanted to create a deckbuilder that feels both familiar and completely new, where modified blackjack becomes the foundation for endless creative strategies – all wrapped in a dark, narrative-driven world that respects the player’s intelligence and curiosity.”
Launch Date: May 12, 2026
About Mi’pu’mi Games
Mi’pu’mi Games is a Vienna-based independent studio known for crafting rich, narrative-driven experiences. The studio’s work spans interactive fiction, adventure games, and innovative deckbuilders – each one characterized by compelling storytelling, atmospheric design, and respect for player intelligence.
About Skystone Games
Skystone Games is a global video game publisher founded by Diablo creator David Brevik and veteran Bill Wang. With a passion for bold ideas and breakout talent, Skystone supports unique projects like Mistfall Hunter, Tiny Bookshop, Crystal of Atlan, HELLCARD, ACECRAFT, and more.
Survive, strategize, and rebuild in a desolate world as The Dead Await emerges from Early Access.
T’BILISI, GEORGIA — Indie game publishing platform indie.io, in partnership with developer Shotx Studio, is excited to announce the official 1.0 release date for The Dead Await, a zombie apocalypse survival RPG fused with deep deck-building mechanics. The game will fully launch on May 18, 2026, and is currently available in Early Access on Steam and the indie.io Store, where players can begin their journey ahead of the full release.
The Dead Await immerses players in a vast open world, torn apart by a zombie apocalypse. As the leader of a caravan of survivors, players must navigate derelict cities and new settlements, managing resources, sanity, and the constant threat of both zombies and human adversaries. Build your deck, experiment with character builds, and engage in card-based combat as you strive to rebuild civilization.
What sets The Dead Await apart is its unique blend of deck-building mechanics within an open-world survival RPG framework. Players can expect a strategic experience that challenges them to manage scarce resources while evolving their characters through a robust skill and perk system.
Key features include:
Deck-Building Mechanics: Collect and customize a deck of cards to enhance your survival tactics.
Open World Exploration: Traverse a sprawling landscape filled with danger, opportunity, and mystery.
Resource Management: Balance food, water, gear, and sanity to keep your caravan alive.
Character Development: Customize your survivor with attributes, skills, and perks for a tailored gameplay experience.
Strategic Combat: Engage in sophisticated card-based battles against zombies and rival humans.
Players embark on a harrowing journey, making critical decisions that impact their caravan’s survival and the potential to rebuild society. The satisfaction of overcoming challenges and progressing through a richly detailed world promises an engaging long-term experience.
With its full 1.0 launch, The Dead Await will expand on its Early Access foundation, delivering a more refined and complete survival experience shaped by player feedback with its final act. The journey ahead promises new challenges, deeper systems, and even greater stakes in a world where every choice can mean life or death. Players can wishlist The Dead Await now and jump into Early Access today via Steam and the indie.io Store ahead of its full launch on May 18, 2026.
UNITED STATES, May 4, 2026 – Indie developer, Builderment LLC has announced its latest factory automation game Belts of Iron will launch into Steam Early Access on May 28th. Belts of Iron literally drops you into a vast procedurally generated world where survival quickly turns into an obsession for optimizing your factory. Design massive production lines, build power and rail networks that go for miles, and fight hostile enemies to obtain the valuable resource they protect. All in pursuit of building a rocket capable of taking you home, or stay if you feel like you’ve made a nice home by then.
Since Belts of Iron was announced last fall the developer has been constantly updating and improving the game, sharing progress through regular dev logs and the growing discord community. The demo has been played by thousands of players on Steam and covered by popular gaming YouTube creators such as Orbital Potato and Z1 Gaming.
About the game
Belts of Iron is an open world factory automation game where belts are just the beginning. After crash-landing on an alien planet you start mining ore and smelting ingots to craft belts and basic machinery. Soon you have a small factory producing data packs that can research new technology. It’s not much but it’s yours and it works, for now. New research unlocks oil refineries and fluid mechanics. Suddenly you’re weaving pipes full of crude oil, petroleum, and water throughout your neatly placed rows of belts. Your machines start to hunger for more power, so you scale up electricity generation with massive steam turbines. You feel like you’ve got it all figured out just as your initial resource deposits begin to dry up. And then you hear the low rumble of iron horses coming to save you. Choo choo! Freight cars hauling wagons full of valuable resources over miles of railway tracks back to the factory. Only you’re not alone, and the native creatures do not like what you’re doing to their home. Luckily this isn’t your first rodeo and you’ve come prepared, didn’t you? Now that you’ve made your presence known and your factory is humming at 100% efficiency, it’s time to build a rocket and go home. Or don’t. The factory could always be bigger.
Key Features
Automate Everything – Every item and machine in the factory can be crafted and transported. Your entire factory, from miners to oil refineries, can and should be automated.
Fully Procedural World – Explore a unique world every time with new terrain and resource locations spread accross 9 distinct biomes.
Multiplayer Co-op – Play online or via LAN with up to 4 players.
Train Networks – Live out your fantasy of being a railway tycoon with dedicated train networks efficiently moving items and fluids across long distances.
Base Defense & Combat – Craft weapons, automate turrets, and build defenses to fight the native creatures.
Early Access
The Early Access release includes a complete core gameplay loop, from resource gathering and factory construction to large-scale automation and exploration. Future updates will expand the game with new production lines, more technology, additional machines, quality of life improvements, and much more!
“Early Access isn’t just about releasing early, it’s about building alongside players, improving the game together, and letting ideas evolve in real time,” said the developer. “The game has reached a state where I’m excited to share it with players and see what they create!”
Community feedback will play a central role in prioritizing and shaping these updates, with ongoing development shared openly through regular posts and experimental releases.
Builderment LLC is a solo indie studio focused on creating complex automation and systems-driven games. Its games emphasize visible mechanics, player-driven design, and continuous evolution through community feedback. Belts of Iron is their latest project, currently in active development.
Wage war one shovel at a time and experience true trench warfare.
[May 4th, 2026] – September 1914. The war has ground to a halt. Now you dig in. Take command of your sector in Dig In, a WW1 Trench Warfare Colony Sim from Vitar Games. Carve the battlefield by digging and extending trench networks where your men live, sleep, and fight. Hold fast as artillery shapes the destructible battlefield. Move supplies, reinforce your lines, and design your defenses—using barbed wire in No Man’s Land to funnel the enemy into deadly strongpoints. When the moment comes, blow the whistle and send your men over the top. What kind of commander will you be? The shepherd to your men, or their butcher?
In the fragile calm before the storm, every decision matters. Ensure your troops are fed, sheltered, and safe in your trenches. Morale will decide how long they last. Do what you can to meet the demands of High Command as you deploy sections of men who only months ago were bakers, farmers, bellboys, and foremen. Hold the line as long as you can. Because victory isn’t about advancing — it’s about surviving.
About Dig In
Wage War One Shovel at a Time: Shape the battlefield by digging and expanding trench networks, building shelters, and fortifying your position before the enemy makes their move.
Command the Frontlines: Take control of forces across multiple nations, including France, Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Imperial Germany, in real-time tactical engagements. Additional factions will be deployed throughout Early Access.
Morale is Your Lifeline: It’s up to you to make sure your troops are ready for war. Assign orders, manage shifts to avoid fatigue, oversee base construction, and keep supplies flowing. Will you choose butter or bullets to maintain the fighting spirit of your soldiers?
Make the Battlefield Yours: Harvest and scavenge across fully destructible WW1 battlefield environments. Chop down trees, dismantle civilian infrastructure, and more to reinforce your defenses.
Adapt or Be Overrun: Embrace the chaos and creativity of war as you experiment with different approaches to suit the situation at hand. Survey the terrain for an advantage as you send your troops charging into battle or carefully and methodically hold the line; the choice is yours.
Rewrite the Rules of War: Customize your experience with full mod support as you and your troops fight to survive another day.
Wishlist now on Steam and hold out in the trenches until Dig In’s launch into Early Access later this year! And join the game’s growing community on Discord to stay up to date on everything Dig In and chat with others who are eager to hit the trenches.
About Vitar Games Vitar Games is an Icelandic Boutique Gaming Company from Reykjavík, Iceland. A mix of highly experienced veterans and relative newcomers. After the amazing buildup of their community, they are excited to release their debut game, WWI tactical colony sim Dig In, in Q3 2026.
Bringing fast paced battles to players on Steam and Xbox on PC this jam-packed update features a new campaign, Golden Week festivities and the return of the Roman Empire
May 4 – Wargaming, developer and publisher of the historically inspired naval battle MMO World of Warships: Legends has launched its May update. Headlining this is the full PC launch onto Steam, Xbox on PC and new benefits coming with Xbox Game Pass bringing the action to even more players around the world. May’s update also includes a special “Blooming Mountain” campaign, plenty of themed content to celebrate Golden Week, and the return of the Roman Empire to the game. Rounding out May’s update is the reappearance of the “Arpeggio of Blue Steel -Ars Nova-” collaboration, featuring fan-favourite ships, skins and Commanders.
World of Warships: Legends now available on PC
World of Warships: Legends has launched onto PC, bringing fast-paced naval battles to gamers across Steam and Xbox on PC and additional benefits to players with Xbox Game Pass. With full cross-progression support, players can sync their Legends accounts from other platforms upon login, and pick up where they left off on their way to naval domination.
Blooming Mountain campaign introduces Premium Japanese battleship Inamura
A new four-week “Blooming Mountain” campaign makes waves, with 80 milestones available for players to complete, unlocking rewards like camouflages and crates. For those who complete the campaign with active Admiralty Backing, new Japanese Tier VII Premium battleship Inamura is available. In addition to being one of the faster and more agile ships in her class, perfect for evading danger, Inamura sports fast-reloading 410 mm guns that spray with armour piercing and high-explosion shells to deal damage to surrounding enemies.
Golden Week festivities arrive to Legendary waters
Golden Week has arrived for 2026, alongside plenty of themed content. Five new battle-ready skins arrive for Aoba, Kagerō, Musashi, Fubuki, and Akatsuki, joined by a new three-week calendar “Spirits in the Wind”. Packed with rewards, this calendar features a new Commander guise, Kaede Kawashiro, who crafts magical Japanese carp streamers known as koinobori. The event also brings Golden Week ‘26 crates, which contain themed skins and the chance at returning ships like Hyūga and Musashi.
The Roman Empire rises again in World of Warships: Legends
Making a triumphant return back to the game, players can look forward to new Roman Empire themed content, including unique, new Tier VIII Italian Premium cruiser Legate. Taranto Port returns as well, reimagined with stylised decorations and a Crafting Station, where players can combine resources to unlock thematic rewards. Amongst these are a Centurion Commander guise, and new Tier VII Italian Premium battleship Marcantonio Colonna, with precise main guns and long-range secondary firepower to strike down enemies.
“Arpeggio of Blue Steel -Ars Nova-” returns to Legends
“Arpeggio of Blue Steel -Ars Nova-” makes waves in World of Warships: Legends, as the collaboration returns to the game. Bringing back all previously released content, players can have their fan-favourite characters take the helm battle, and explore a variety of ships to expand their fleets, including ARP Musashi, ARP Nachi, and ARP Kirishima. On top of this, additional themed content is available in-game, including a special skin for Yamato, and a special set of missions to claim Japanese camouflages and Arpeggio crates.
###
About World of Warships: Legends
Experience epic naval action in World of Warships: Legends, a massively multiplayer online game where you can master the seas in history’s greatest warships! Recruit Legendary Commanders from maritime history, upgrade your vessels, and stake your claim to naval supremacy with or against players from around the world in thrilling and immersive battles.
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry. Its 15 offices around the world include studios in Chicago, Prague, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vilnius, Belgrade, and Kyiv. Millions of players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Its flagship products include the free-to-play hits World of Tanks, World of Tanks Blitz, World of Warships, World of Warships: Legends, and World of Warships Blitz.
When it comes to monster collection games, they tend to come in a few different kinds of flavors. There are cute ones focused more towards children, ones that tip-toe between the lines, and others that reach into the darker depths of how sinister a world can be where monsters roam free and can be tamed by nearly anyone. Monster Crown: Sin Eater happens to be the latter, focusing heavily on being a darker game that looks to set itself apart by taking from a number of familiar mechanics and combining them to make something of its own. With a retro-style design and chip tune soundtrack, is this turn-based monster battler worth picking up for those looking for a darker trip to the past?
Story
While Monster Crown: Sin Eater is the second game in the series, it does not follow the story from the first game at all outside of a few “myths” being mentioned in passing. As such new players can come in freely without worrying about missing out. Players take on the role of Asur, a farmboy in the Crown Nation who lives with his rare-speaking younger sister and mother while tending to the farm. His older brother, a well-known and accomplished monster tamer named Dyeus, has just come home and is eager to teach Asur the ropes of monster taming. The reason for this is that Dyeuss admits that a great danger is on the horizon and even the brutal totalitarian ruler Lord Taishakuten, his Four Heavenly Kings, and legion of twisted beastmen, won’t be enough to stop it.
Unfortunately, before Dyeus can help train Asur beyond the basics, one of the Heavenly Kings’ brutal enforces arrives and accuses Dyeus of conspiring against the Lord and takes him away and, despite Asur’s best efforts, the only thing he can do is watch his brother’s head be sliced from his body by the mantis-like woman that takes sadistic glee in her kills. Vowing over his brother’s grave, Asur sets out on a path of vengeance to take down every leading member of the Crown Nation no matter the cost, as long as they pay for the blood spilled that day.
Monster Crown: Sin Eater sets its tone early with one of the first major plot points being an example of just how cruel The Holy Order governed by Lord Taishakuten can be and this is emphasized countless times throughout the player’s journey as Asur comes across the ruins of towns left to fend for themselves while thriving, obedient, towns are bustling full of people under the protection of their respective rulers. Talking to NPCs throughout the world emphasises this fact, at least partially, as they’ll discuss various events happening around an area but it is also worth noting that the title does have some flaws with NPC dialogue. While some NPCs have entire stories to tell, hints on where to go or side-quests, and even some moral choices, others recycle the exact same dialogue as everyone else in town and there is no way to know without talking to everyone. Ironically, talking to the same NPC over and over again in a town can run through the town’s entire dialogue tree, with a gangster punk talking about how high class a restaurant is.
It is also a bit unfortunate that, for as interesting as the world-building ends up being through books and conversations with characters, including the fact that there are various groups that players can choose to align themselves with to create a unique storyline and encourage replayability, that the game takes its “open nature” a bit too far past the initial pair of story bosses. Moving beyond the mostly straightforward “Windy Province” location and into the rest of the world means that players will be dropped with the ability to go nearly anywhere they want, even if it means getting lost and a bit confused with their only task being told to hunt down the other Heavenly Kings.
Ironically, the one hint that players get just before the first boss fight is to head to an island where the resistance is established, only the ability to actually “surf” isn’t given until players discover it on their own and in any order. While the lack of handholding is a bit of a nice touch, since it gives players freedom to challenge areas however they see fit compared to being on linear routes, a little extra guidance wouldn’t have hurt, especially since players gain various abilities when defeating members of the Heavenly Kings. Though it is worth noting that players cannot waltz into the final dungeon on their own, which is at least one noteworthy limitation.
Gameplay
Monster Crown: Sin Eater is a somewhat simple yet complicated beast to tame on its own. Players will be able to fight as Asur themselves, firing a gun that deals minimal damage but this is a last resort as dying as Asur will end the game. Instead Asur will gather up to eight different “pact bound” monsters that can make up his party at any given time. The monster that the player takes as their lead will follow along behind them while traveling through the world and will also be the first to fight in any monster or tamer encounters. Tamer encounters are an interesting element in the game as they are not challenges and are entirely optional, with the rewards for winning generally being a large sum of money that is useful in shops and for the game’s generous monster modification options.
Fighting in Sin Eater is a turn-based affair with the faster monster moving first and each monster having a designated base type as well as various move-types that they can utilize. All monsters in the game are either Will, Brute, Malicious, Unstable, or Relentless with a special Crown type being generally boss monsters. Each of these monster types are strong and weak against one different type of attack and players will want to adjust as necessary, swapping out monsters or powering through if need be since swapping out mid-battle means that the new monster will eat an attack for free. While fighting, every monster has a certain “MP” level for their moves and this dictates how much certain moves can be performed. While this will rarely be an issue, it is entirely possible to run out of Unstable MP and be forced to use less effective brute attacks or swap out the most effective fighter as a result. This can be caused by monster traits and other elements, since some monsters can inflict “gravity” requiring moves to cost more MP or even draining MP entirely from certain pools.
The most unique element when it comes to fighting in Sin Eater is the synergy gauge. This meter, which is above the HP bar, fills up over the course of attacking and receiving attacks (though some moves can drain it too) and synergy is then used to “Crown” an attack, basically amplifying its effects or strength. Crowned attacks are far more powerful and at 100% charge can be devastating for the enemy, though the enemy also has a synergy gauge players will need to keep an eye on. When battling a monster that players want to tame, with the exception of story bosses and beastmen, players can use a “pact” to add the monster to their team or send it back to the boxes. Most monsters will ignore or only slightly ponder a pact at full health while those beaten to near death or suffering from a status ailment will be far more likely to agree. Though there are a specific subset of enemy types that can only be tamed by rare pacts, signified by their red outline and will scoff at any other pact.
One thing that would have been a nice quality of life improvement for the game would have been the ability to speed up combat, to even double-speed. While players do have the option to turn off attack animations, this lowers the quality of the actual fights. As a result, players who are trying to level up their weaker monsters by having them battle stronger foes will find fights taking far longer than they should since, even with animations turned off, battles drag on against even simple foes. That isn’t to say that the combat isn’t impactful, but the option to adjust the speed would have been appreciated.
It is interesting to note that the amount of customization when it comes to creating the player’s team is outstanding in Sin Eater as both the monster breeding, complete with gene editing at an extra price, and monster fusions can help create some truly powerful monsters if players are willing to take some risks and figure out the best combinations for their teams. Some monsters are even sold in town monster shops, giving players the ability to work with extra creatures at a cost if need be. Similarly, excess monsters that the player may never use can also be sold at a Monster Shop for some money if necessary.
While out in the field and exploring, one thing to note is that Sin Eater makes use of a “predator and prey” system. This means herbivores will either ignore the player or flee from them while carnivores and omnivores will actively chase the player down. This is a nice little touch, even if it feels mostly useless in the grander scheme, but it also allows players to place bait down, such as veggies or steaks to draw in monsters that they want to either hunt down or avoid fighting entirely.
One issue that plays a major role in Sin Eater is the fact that it is incredibly easy to become too overpowered for most encounters. Thanks to the game’s open exploration after a certain point and the numerous ways players can power up their team, it is entirely possible to overlevel your primary monster and start wiping the floor with most wild monster fights and even bosses. Even rotating starters to try and spread the XP around doesn’t help much as it usually just provides extra strength to the overall party in the end. There are three difficulties to choose from and they can be changed at literally any time, this means that players can choose to up the difficulty if needed which may be needed if they become too overpowered too quickly.
Audio & Visuals
It must be said that Monster Crown: Sin Eater is an absolutely gorgeous looking game that replicates the retro styling of the “OG” monster collecting games with their sprites and environmental designs. Special characters have unique character portraits and there are a decent amount of special effects for different attacks. The designs of the monsters themselves vary wildly and while there are a base of roughly two hundred monsters, they quite literally come in every different type and the different in their base type also changes their appearance.This level of visual change is quite impressive considering how much players are encouraged to breed and fuse their monsters together to create stronger forms, especially since some can only be obtained through fusion.
There is no voice work throughout the game but the title does sport some decent sound effects that replicate what a fan would expect of the era Sin Eater is replicating. One thing that is nice to note is that the game features a wonderful sounding soundtrack, featuring plenty of unique chip-tune style songs that vary depending on the locale and even during battles, with more intense tracks playing during boss encounters or even demon fights.
Overall
Monster Crown: Sin Eater is a great improvement over the original and offers extensive team building thanks to the breeding and fusion systems available, allowing players to truly craft a team that fits their playstyle all while trying to keep some of their favorite monsters in the line-up. Between the deep combat and interesting story, this monster taming game seems like a big win if it weren’t held back by the open-ended design leaving for some confusing pacing and overleveling becoming far too easy as a result.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Dream Team Supreme, the co-op kaiju battling roguelike deckbuilder from Wellington-based developer Big Adventure, pits scientists in mechs against giant monsters in its debut demo ahead of Steam Deckbuilder Fest.
Pilot the giant robot Super Supreme and defeat towering monsters in a game inspired by nostalgic Saturday morning cartoons and thrilling comic book battles! Battle giant refrigerators, bowls of noodles, traffic signs, and octopi colossi before they attack innocent citizens to save the day.
Choose two heroic pilots and their decks of specialized cartridges that match their big personalities. Lock the cartridges in strategic sequences to deliver big hits and block attacks! Mind each cartridge’s location, as their placement and order with other cartridges can unlock boosts and additional effects. Only have block cartridges this turn? Don’t worry, that’s not a wasted move: all leftover block becomes Momentum that buffs your next turn!
Team up with a friend or manage two decks solo to work together and create a kaiju-crushing synergy while enhancing the deck after every battle. Defeat monsters’ nefarious plans to earn new upgrades for the deck and Super Supreme, choose between training paths to boost stats and gain abilities, then triumph over evil!
“Co-op was an intrinsic part of our game design for Dream Team Supreme, as we wanted to make a game that was centered around managing two different characters and decks at the heart of it,” said Olivier Chrun, founder, Big Adventure. “While Slay the Spire 2 unexpectedly beat us to the punch, we want people to see how our different approach to deckbuilders and co-op feels, and this is the perfect time to try it out as part of this demo.
”Dream Team Supreme’s first PC demo is now available ahead of Steam Deckbuilder Fest. To learn more about Dream Team Supreme, follow developer Big Adventure on Twitter, Bluesky, TikTok, and Instagram, join the official Discord community, and search the hashtag #DreamTeamSupreme on social media.
About Big Adventure
Big Adventure formed like Voltron to master making and releasing engaging roguelike deckbuilders. We’re award-winning, experienced, and passionate game devs who value player feedback, rapid iteration, and fun factor. Each of our team members, including experience with PikPok and Fox & Co, is a shareholder in our startup and we’re based in not-so-sunny Wellington, New Zealand. We’re thrilled to be sharing our debut game, Dream Team Supreme, with you.
In a land where monsters roam and humanity is held beneath the iron fist of beastmen and a twisted long-lived king, we take our first steps as Asur, a man seeking vengeance for his family. Our journey begins as we tame our first few monsters and take out the initial bosses in Monster Crown: Sin Eater.
Monster Crown: Sin Eater – Gameplay
Monster Crown: Sin Eater expands the dark monster-taming RPG universe with a brand-new adventure set in the Crown Nation. You play as Asur, a young farm boy who dreams of becoming a Monster Tamer like his brother, but when tragedy strikes his family, he is forced into a dangerous journey that could change the fate of the world. Explore detailed top-down environments, uncover hidden secrets, and build a team of powerful creatures as you venture through a grim world filled with mystery and conflict.
At the heart of the experience is the game’s advanced True Crossbreeding system, allowing players to create over 1,000 unique monster variants through breeding and fusion. Strategic turn-based battles, monster transformations, and deep team-building mechanics reward experimentation as you shape the ultimate squad. With its retro-inspired visuals, darker tone, and expanded gameplay systems, Monster Crown: Sin Eater offers a fresh and ambitious evolution of the original cult favorite.
Monster Crown: Sin Eater Developer: Studio Aurum, Red Art Games Publisher: Red Art Games Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) Release Date: April 30, 2026 (Digital) / July 2, 2026 (PS5 Physical EU) Price: €29.99 / Approx. $29.99 USD
Recommended – “Monster Crown: Sin Eater shines with customization and engaging battles, even if its open design causes confusing pacing and quick overleveling.”
When a developer is aiming for a certain aesthetic, they tend to go a few different ways. Large studios aim for larger than life highly detailed titles while indie games go for unique stylization or even 2D and sprites to help bring their vision to life in a way that helps to stand out from the crowd. Then there are the brave few that take a completely different approach, something only one real indie title has pulled off in the past and now Mouse: P.I. For Hire from Fumi Games is here to do it again by delivering a boomer shooter with as much rubber-hose animation styling as possible all set in a noir-detective storyline that is just as impressive as its gunplay.
Story
Set in a 1930s styled city called Mouseburg fresh out of a war called “The Quite Big Affair” players step into the well-traveled boots of Jack Pepper, a former war hero and cop that has turned to being a private investigator. Jack may not be the cleanest mouse around, having his own issues with gambling and being haunted by the war, but he knows how to get a job done when the cheese hits the fan. Already exhausted from his previous case in the ever growing corruption plaguing the city, a new case comes across his desk that one of his former war buddies turned magician has gone missing, and not the type of disappearing act one would usually expect from a magic show.
In an attempt to track him down not only does Jack thwart an assassination attempt on an up-and-coming politician looking to challenge the current status quo, he finds that his buddy Bendel has gotten in way over his tail when it comes to the seedier side of Mouseburg, complete with gangsters, cultists, and far worse creations. To make matters worse, even as Jack investigates this case another arrives his way pointing towards police corruption that might lead to the very heart of the precinct he once worked for, all while suppressing the already discriminated against shrew population. Then, when a mysterious dame walks into his office with a case that is ready to point Jack even further down the path to danger, he has little choice but to follow this trail, especially once everything starts to converge.
Perhaps one of the best things that MOUSE: P.I. for Hire does is tie its storyline together in a satisfying yet slow enough burn to give players plenty of ways to figure out how things are going to play out while still learning about the world and the characters. This leads to plenty of unique twists and noir style turns that will catch players off-guard, especially since everything is always building to something bigger. Rarely does one investigation end with a simple conclusion, instead it points to yet another finger in the cheesecake of corruption that is spoiling the city. It also does an excellent job making the characters players interact with, and Jack himself, feel like completely believable people in the world that they are living in, as broken as they might be inside.
Of course, in case it wasn’t already apparent, the title is also filled to the brim with cheese jokes, puns, and references and not just to cheddar. There are constant references to various noir tropes, older noir style films and developments, and even a few more recent references that feel a bit out of place but still work thanks to the theming. This means that there is plenty of cheesy humor to be had in the rotten back alleys and numerous other locations that Jack will need to shoot his way through to get to the bottom of everything. Lovers of the noir genre will also have their fill here as it features all the hallmarks of morally ambiguous characters, femme fatales, and more gravelly twists and voicework than you can shake a cheesestick at.
It is also nice to note that the game is filled to the brim with little collectables and many of them do provide interesting story tidbits and worldbuilding. While some are simply baseball cards, used on a mini-game that we’ll go over later, others are newspapers of both past and current events that provide unique insight and details about how the city came to be in the state it is in, including some background information into the heinous events that took place to the Shrews and the place they once called home. Another comes in the form of generally light-hearted, if a bit scattered, comic book strips. It is worth noting that while players cannot revisit levels they have completed before, an unfortunate design choice, players that miss picking up a collectible can later purchase it at the ammunition store.
Gameplay
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire feels like it is best described as a first person boomer shooter with a few extra additions attached to make things a bit more complex. Players will only be able to fire from the hip for their chosen weapon and will often find themselves needing to search around the current arena for ammunition for their favorite weapon, healing jugs, bits of armor, or even cheese wedges that serve as carriable medkits. Rather than being limited to only two weapons at a time, players have access to all weapons they’ve unlocked through standard play at any given time, accessible through a weapon-wheel, but it is also possible to quickly swap between the two most recent weapons with a tap of a button.
The different weapons that players can eventually utilize come in the standard form such as a pistol and shotgun to the signature “Jack Gun” (Tommy Gun) to the wackier more unique ones such as the devarnisher that does damage over time, a freeze ray, and more. Players can quickly kick enemies with a melee attack to get space as well as dash around an arena to avoid incoming fire. There is a stamina meter to worry about but it rarely feels like an issue.
As players gather schematics from levels they can upgrade weaponry back at the game’s hub, which is Jack’s office and surrounding area. Every weapon, after being upgraded at least once, will unlock an alt fire that is unique in nature. Similarly other fighting options in the game come from power-ups occasionally scattered throughout the game such as pepper balls that make every shot set enemies on fire, spinach cans that are blatant Popeye references that hulk out Jack for maximum punching damage, and even the ability to pick up and throw exploding barrels around rather than simply shooting them. There are even locations where players will notice heavy objects such as anvils or pianos in an area that can be shot and dropped on enemies heads in classic cartoon fashion.
Outside of the various shooting arenas players will also have plenty of collectables to gather as mentioned before. These tend to be hidden away in off-track locations and include things such as the aforementioned baseball cards, newspapers, comic strips, or simply cash. Occasionally players will also encounter locked safes or doors that will involve a fun little mini-game of lockpicking with Jack’s mouse tail with players needing to navigate his tail through a maze and not doubling back on itself. Story based doors are impossible to fail but hidden ones or optional doors will have limitations on them such as hitting all the tumblers within a certain number of moves, not hitting any spikes, or doing it within a certain time limit, or any combination of these, jamming the lock if they fail.
Another mini-game that is entirely optional, but does offer a powerful gun if players are devoted enough, revolves around the baseball cards and game. Players can take their collected deck and try it out around Jack’s office or any of the roadstop’s along the way. The game itself is rather simple and easy to understand with players having five turns to bat and five turns to pitch, with the higher valued cards winning out with either home runs and base hits or strike-outs depending on what side the player is on if they win. This little side activity is fun and a nice little optional bonus to dabble with in-between missions.
Various platforming and light puzzle solving is also worked into the game here and there though most of these tend to involve simply following the path. Similarly, most of the platforming gimmicks tend to only really take priority in the levels they are introduced in other than the double-jump and wall run. Things such as using Jack’s tail to swing around or hover between currents of air are used less and less even as players unlock these abilities. Another disappointing aspect of the gameplay is less exploration or combat based but more structural in nature and that is the actual “detective” work. While there are optional clues to find here and there, the clues simply involve placing things on a corkboard and Jack either being stumped and having a new lead fall into his lap or put things together on their own, rather than giving players a chance to put things together themselves.
Audio & Visuals
Fumi Games has fully committed to the whole “rubber hose” style of cartoon animation by making every single moving part of the game animated in such a bendy and bouncy manner. Everything about the UI, down to the health meter being animated, unique excited bullets for every firearm, and even wacky reload animations are as bouncy as possible. The character designs for unique NPCs that players talk to are impressively unique and even enemy types have a great amount of variety, especially when it comes to boss design. Even the death animations for some are cartoonishly brutal, with heads popping off with little geysers of “ink” or bodies melting to skeletal remains when shot by a devarnisher gun, melting the ink right off their bones. The entire black and white aesthetic is also glorious looking, with every shade of gray used between to present a perfect looking feeling of a 1930s era cartoon. Players can even select various visual grains if they wish to replicate the era better, or forgo them entirely if they want to avoid a potential headache.
The voice work for the game pulls a lot of weight when it comes to making this noir story land so well. Troy Baker does a wonderful job as the battered down but ready for more Jack Pepper and the slew of other voice actors and actresses all fit their roles perfectly here as well, fitting their voices to fit the theme of a noir movie wonderfully. It is also great to note that the title features an exceptional collection of background music that plays as players explore levels and take part in various firefights with all of the tracks having a jazzy bouncing rhythm to them, encouraging players to keep on the move as much as the gunplay does.
Overall
Mouse: P.I. For Hire pulls off both style and substance with its choice of black and white rubber-hose animation style and designs combined with tight gunplay. Combine this with an engaging storyline and a wonderful voice cast that helps bring that story to life and even the few drawbacks do little to stop this boomer shooter from being the sharpest cheddar on the block, making it a must play for any fan of the genre.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
On May 7, the highly-rated action game Priest Simulator: Vampire Show will release on Xbox Series X|S. Set in a grotesque and absurd atmosphere, this title combines shooter, hack ‘n’ slash, simulator, renovator, and sandbox genres. The game targets fans of characters like Bogdan Boner, the South Park series, or games like No More Heroes and Postal. Priest Simulator: Vampire Show is also available on PC and PlayStation 5.
Priest Simulator: Vampire Show was developed by the independent Polish studio Asmodev, which also publishes smaller titles such as Booze Masters: Freezing Moonshine and Priest Simulator: Heavy Duty. Released on PC in 2024, the game was well received by players and currently has 94% positive reviews on Steam (based on over 700 reviews). The publisher is Ultimate Games S.A.
A totally absurd shooter with exorcisms
Priest Simulator: Vampire Show is an uncompromising first-person action game. It blends multiple genres, including shooter, hack ‘n’ slash, simulator, renovator, and sandbox.
In the game by Asmodev studio, the player controls Orlok the vampire, who, after crazy events, becomes a priest in the village of San de Ville. The main goal is to fight evil and care for the faithful. The story is set in a grotesque and absurd reality.
The story in Priest Simulator: Vampire Show is told through cutscenes styled as a mockumentary. The gameplay is varied, including activities such as performing exorcisms and rebuilding the church. Players can also expect other intriguing mechanics, many side quests, and races.
On the day of the game’s release on Xbox Series X|S, the Her Ghost DLC will also be available, featuring a new storyline.
Priest Simulator: Vampire Show – Key Features:
Fighting evil;
An absurd and grotesque storyline;
Mockumentary formula;
Exorcising and shooting;
Exciting side activities;
An original soundtrack (by the black metal band Gruzja);
Over 10 hours of gameplay.
Priest Simulator: Vampire Show will release on Xbox Series X|S on May 7, 2026. The standard price on consoles is $19.99/€19.99 or equivalent. The Her Ghost DLC will also launch for $2.99/€2.99.
