TECHMASH

Author: Team Techmash!

  • Grab Your Power Washers (and Chainsaws): Kaiju Cleanup Shows Off Co-op Gameplay

    Grab Your Power Washers (and Chainsaws): Kaiju Cleanup Shows Off Co-op Gameplay

    What happens after a towering, city-levelling titan gets absolutely domed by a military railgun? Ultraman and Godzilla don’t stick around with a broom and dustpan, that’s for sure. No, the real heroism falls to the local sanitation department.

    Enter Kaiju Cleanup, the highly anticipated first-person simulation game developed by Brightrock Games and published by Mythwright. Fresh out of the Six One Indie Showcase, a brand-new gameplay trailer has dropped, giving us our first look at the chaotic, gory, and oddly therapeutic world of post-monster disaster management—now with 1-4 player co-op.

    Check out the gameplay breakdown below to see what it takes to clean up after a titan-sized tantrum.

    The Ultimate Post-Disaster Job Sim

    If you’ve ever played Viscera Cleanup Detail or PowerWash Simulator and thought, “This is great, but it needs 100% more irradiated giant monster organs,” then Kaiju Cleanup is tailor-made for you.

    The game tasks players with heading into the devastated city streets in the immediate aftermath of epic monster brawls. Your objective? Scrub away the toxic waste, manage property damage, and figure out exactly what to do with a rotting carcass the size of a skyscraper.

    Key Gameplay Features:

    • Massive Scale Carcass Carving: You aren’t just bagging trash. You’ll be using heavy machinery and power tools (yes, including chainsaws) to slice up giant alien titans, harvest rare organs, and haul away tonnes of bone and meat.
    • Hazardous Environments: The monsters might be dead, but they are far from harmless. You’ll have to dodge pocket radiation, seeping acidic fluids, and highly volatile, explosive organs that could take out a city block if handled poorly.
    • Die, Clone, Repeat: Workplace safety isn’t exactly a priority here. If you accidentally dissolve in a pool of stomach acid or get blown sky-high by a reactive monster gland, don’t sweat it. The company will simply deploy your next clone. Just make sure to mop up your previous corpse before getting back to work.
    • Upgradable Gear: Earn cash from successful cleanups to upgrade your tools, buy better protective gear, and unlock heavy machinery to make the grim task just a little bit smoother.

    Better Together: 1-4 Player Co-op

    While tackling a toxic, building-sized carcass solo sounds like a peaceful (if deeply disturbing) weekend activity, Kaiju Cleanup truly shines with its co-op implementation.

    The latest trailer highlights how a squad of four players can coordinate—or completely derail—a cleanup operation. You can have one teammate operating heavy cranes to lift massive limbs, another handling the power washer to scrub toxic sludge off the pavement, and a third frantically trying to extract a glowing, unstable organ before it detonates.

    Of course, with friendly fire and giant physics-based meat chunks everywhere, expect plenty of accidental clone deaths courtesy of your friends.

    Game Details at a Glance

    FeatureDetails
    DeveloperBrightrock Games
    PublisherMythwright
    GenreFirst-Person Simulation / Casual / Indie
    Players1 – 4 Player Online Co-op
    PlatformPC (Steam)
    Release DateComing Soon

    When Can We Get To Scrubbing?

    While Kaiju Cleanup doesn’t have a definitive release date locked in just yet, it is officially listed as “Coming Soon” on Steam. Given Brightrock Games’ pedigree for quirky, management-heavy titles, this is shaping up to be one of the most uniquely entertaining indie co-op games on the horizon.

    Head over to Steam now to add Kaiju Cleanup to your wishlist, call up your squad, and start prepping your hazmat suits.

    TechMash Verdict: A brilliant, messy twist on the simulation genre that turns the most epic anime tropes into a hilariously stressful corporate gig. We can’t wait to accidentally blow up our friends with a giant alien appendix.

    Are you ready to tackle the ultimate cleanup job, or does the sight of giant monster guts make you squeamish? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/3729700

    #Mythwright #KaijuCleanup #BrightrockGames #sim #cleaning #scifi #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • Bulwark Studios and Kasedo Games have officially launched Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II.

    Bulwark Studios and Kasedo Games have officially launched Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II.

    Strategy fans and cybernetic worshippers, rejoice. Nearly eight years after the original game took the tactical world by storm, Bulwark Studios and Kasedo Games have officially launched Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II.

    Dropping right in the middle of the Warhammer Skulls festival celebrations, this highly anticipated sequel is available right now for Windows PC, PlayStation®5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you loved the atmospheric, cog-spinning tension of the first game, you are going to want to clear your schedule for this one.

    The Machine vs. The Immortal: Two Playable Campaigns

    The biggest upgrade in Mechanicus II is that you are no longer confined to just the perspective of the cybernetic Adeptus Mechanicus. As war erupts across the mysterious world of Hekateus IV, players can dive into two fully fleshed-out narrative campaigns, fighting from both sides of a brutal technological war.

    • The Adeptus Mechanicus: Command the orthodox voice of the Omnissiah, featuring the return of fan-favourite leader Lector-Dogmatis Videx. Bring the cold, calculated fury of the Imperium’s tech-priests to bear.
    • The Necrons: For the first time, take control of the awakening Necron dynasties. Command the ancient, undying legions under leaders like Obasis—known as ‘The Shield’—as you fight for the resurgence of your empire.

    Adding even more tension to the narrative, the Leagues of Votann enter the fray as a third-party force. While not directly playable, this faction will be pulling strings behind the scenes, creating a much more volatile and unpredictable planetary war.

    Fresh Mechanics and Dynamic Environments

    Mechanicus II isn’t just a visual upgrade; it completely overhauls how you interact with the battlefield. Faction identity heavily influences your tactical options, especially when it comes to the environment:

    Play to Your Strengths: If you’re playing as the Adeptus Mechanicus, you’ll need to carefully maneuver your forces and utilize the terrain for cover. Playing as the Necrons? You don’t need cover—you can simply destroy the environment to flush out your enemies.

    Combined with a more dynamic narrative system where your strategic choices carry severe consequences across the campaign, every battle feels like a high-stakes chess match of cold metal hatred.

    Soundscapes of the Far Future

    You can’t talk about Mechanicus without talking about the music. The first game’s soundtrack is legendary in the gaming community for its hauntingly brilliant mix of church organs, heavy bass, and industrial synth.

    Thankfully, composer Guillaume David returns for the sequel, delivering 10 brand-new atmospheric tracks. If you pick up the Omnissiah Edition (£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99), you’ll get the base game, a digital artbook, the new soundtrack, and an in-game legacy soundtrack DLC that lets you roll back the audio to the original game’s tunes.

    Available Now

    Whether you are a PC purist or playing on next-gen consoles, the grim darkness of the far future has never looked—or sounded—this good.

    Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is available to download today on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Grab your plasma weapons, awaken your tomb worlds, and let us know in the comments which faction you’ll be conquering Hekateus IV with first!

    Find out more here – https://www.mechanicus40k.com/

    #KasedoGames #Warhammer40000MechanicusII #gamesworkshop #turnbased #tactical #PC #PlayStation #Xbox #WarhammerSkulls #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • Lethal Wedding, the top-down shooter, is coming to Steam

    Lethal Wedding, the top-down shooter, is coming to Steam

    Lock, load, and clear the aisle, because holy matrimony is about to meet absolute matri-mayhem.

    Independent development powerhouse Mega Cat Studios and retro-publishing heavyweights 8 Bit Legit have officially announced that Lethal Wedding is officially making its way to PC via Steam.

    If you’ve been dying for a cooperative top-down shooter that perfectly captures the frantic, chaotic energy of 90s couch co-op classics like Zombies Ate My Neighbors blended with the explosive absurdity of 80s action cinema, it’s time to show your commitment and hit that wishlist button.

    The Plot: “Bride Hard” or Die Trying

    The premise of Lethal Wedding is exactly the kind of beautiful B-movie gold we live for.

    It’s the day before the big wedding, and everything is going smoothly—until a ruthless drug ring run by criminal clowns crashes the bachelor party and kidnaps the groom. With the ceremony in jeopardy, it’s up to two heavily armed women to save the day: Joanna (the Bride) and Shelly (her Mother-in-Law).

    To get the groom back, this unlikely duo will have to put aside their wedding planning stress and family friction to blast their way through circus freaks, bazooka-toting bearded ladies, mafia thugs, and murderous mime syndicates.

    16-Bit Chaos Meets Modern Mechanics

    Originally developed natively for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Lethal Wedding features breathtakingly authentic pixel art aesthetics and a pulsing chiptune soundtrack that feels like it was ripped straight out of 1993. However, Mega Cat Studios has injected some brilliant modern features to ensure the gameplay feels fresh:

    • 2-Player Couch Co-Op: Grab a friend, share the screen, and see if you can survive the ultimate test of family bonding.
    • The Vow System: This innovative, high-risk, high-reward mechanic lets you accept optional “vows” (challenges) before entering a level. Want elite upgrades like Speed Reload? You’ll have to “vow” to face enemies that move faster and hit twice as hard.
    • Outrageous Arsenal: Forget standard shotguns. Lethal Wedding equips you with custom, bizarre weaponry like the explosive Gun of Roses, the rapid-fire Banana SMG, and the Hare Trigger—a magician’s hat that literally shoots snapping, bouncing rabbits.
    • Massive Campaign: Fight through over 30 levels of pure carnage, spanning from ruined wedding venues to clown drug dens.

    Retro Purists, Rejoice!

    While PC players can look forward to causing chaos on Steam, retro purists haven’t been left at the altar. Mega Cat Studios and 8 Bit Legit have also confirmed that a physical Sega Genesis / Mega Drive cartridge edition of Lethal Wedding is officially launching on Kickstarter on June 2nd, 2026.

    Whether you want to play it on modern hardware or blow the dust off your classic 16-bit console, this game is shaping up to be an absolute blast.

    Verdict: With its hilarious premise, gorgeous pixel art, and genuinely challenging top-down shooter mechanics, Lethal Wedding is a mandatory wishlist for retro enthusiasts and action fans alike.

    Check out the newly released Steam announcement trailer today, and prepare to Bride Hard!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/4624120

    #MegaCatStudios #8BitLegit #LethalWedding #topdownshooter #Steam #SegaGenesis #MegaDrive #Kickstarter #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • Astroneer Universe Expands: STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions Launches on June 11th

    Astroneer Universe Expands: STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions Launches on June 11th

    Astroneer fans, it’s time to dust off your space suits and prep your terrain tools. Developer System Era Softworks, teaming up with indie publishing powerhouse Devolver Digital, has officially announced STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions.

    This isn’t just a standard DLC expansion; it is a brand-new, fully standalone game set within the massive Astroneer universe—a universe that already boasts an impressive player base of over 11 million explorers.

    Best of all? You won’t have to wait long to jump in. STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is scheduled to blast off into Early Access on June 11.

    A New Frontier: What is STARSEEKER?

    While it is set in the same vibrant, stylised universe we know and love, System Era has made it clear that STARSEEKER is not Astroneer 2. Instead, it’s a completely fresh experience built from the ground up with a heavy focus on discovery, cooperative team-based expeditions, and camaraderie.

    Players will board the ESS Starseeker, an ever-evolving mobile space station that serves as the central hub for your adventures. From here, you and your crewmates will plan high-stakes expeditions, upgrade your tech, and hang out with other players before deploying to uncharted planets to tackle massive, planet-wide objectives.

    Key Gameplay Features to Expect:

    • Action Sandbox Mechanics: Face off against the unknown perils of deep space, including hazardous alien flora, fascinating local creatures, and mysterious environmental forces.
    • The ESS Starseeker Hub: A social space where you can upgrade your gear, interact with eccentric crew leadership, and watch the game’s ongoing narrative unfold.
    • True Co-Op Exploration: Work closely with friends using cutting-edge technology and an advanced toolset designed specifically for group expeditions.

    Launch Platforms & Cross-Play

    System Era and Devolver Digital are ensuring no space explorer gets left behind. When the game enters Early Access on June 11, it will be available across an impressive lineup of current-gen hardware, including a highly anticipated next-gen handheld:

    • PC (Steam)
    • PlayStation 5
    • Xbox Series X|S
    • Nintendo Switch 2

    The Early Access launch will feature fully playable cross-platform multiplayer and cross-progression, meaning you can team up with your friends seamlessly, regardless of what platform they are playing on.

    What’s Included in Early Access?

    System Era Softworks has a stellar track record when it comes to open, community-driven development (a major reason why the original Astroneer was such a massive success).

    At launch, the Early Access version will include the fully playable online multiplayer sandbox, hundreds of missions and tasks, dozens of items to earn and craft, and the game’s initial planet, Tephra. The team plans to remain in Early Access for roughly a year, rolling out monthly updates that introduce new planets, characters, end-game challenges, and narrative arcs.

    Are you ready to join the crew of the ESS Starseeker this June? Let us know in the comments below which platform you’ll be playing on!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/1454370

    #SystemEraSoftworks #DevolverDigital #STARSEEKER #AstroneerExpeditions #EarlyAccess #PC #PlayStation #NintendoSwitch #Xbox #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • D.O.T. Defence leaves Early Access to full launch on 11th June

    D.O.T. Defence leaves Early Access to full launch on 11th June

    Strategy fans, mark your calendars. Independent developer Rattleaxe Games, alongside publisher Gamersky Games, has officially announced that their hit minimalist RTS/Tower Defense hybrid, D.O.T. Defence, is leaving Steam Early Access and launching into its full 1.0 version on 11 June 2026.

    Described as a love letter to classic real-time strategy games and handheld strategy titles of the 1990s, the game has spent over a year evolving in Early Access. Thanks to extensive community feedback, the 1.0 release promises a significantly expanded experience, bringing refined core mechanics and massive new features to the frontlines.

    Think Fast, Click Slow: What is D.O.T. Defence?

    If you missed its Early Access run, D.O.T. Defence is all about capturing the depth of classic RTS games without the exhausting, hyper-fast micromanagement. It balances accessibility with tactical crunch, keeping matches to short, chaotic bursts that last between 5 to 10 minutes—perfect for quick gaming sessions.

    The gameplay loop shifts the focus to big-picture strategy:

    • Turret Mayhem: Your regions are the heart of your economy. You’ll need to defend them from relentless enemy waves by mixing, matching, and dynamically selling various turrets based on incoming threats.
    • Commander Fantasy (Macro Orders): Instead of babysitting individual units, you issue broad-stroke macro controls. You can draw movement paths for your armies or let them autonomously capture crucial map points while you focus on high-level commander powers.
    • The Chroma Wars Campaign: A sprawling, 8+ hour military epic told across 25 missions and three distinct factions: the disciplined U.C.F., the resource-hungry Chromatech, and the terraforming Invaders.

    What’s New for the 1.0 Launch?

    The jump to version 1.0 isn’t just a label change; it brings a massive meta-game overhaul that expands the bite-sized tactical gameplay into a long-play, 4X-lite conquest.

    The Global Domination Mode

    The crown jewel of the 1.0 update is the brand-new Global Domination Mode. This feature takes the game’s core campaign factions and drops them onto a grand strategy map. Players will manage overarching resources, claim territories, and build an empire, bridging the gap between quick tactical battles and grand-scale strategy.

    Expanded Survival & Tournament Modes

    Alongside the classic Skirmish and Wave Defence modes, version 1.0 highlights distinct ways to test your grid:

    • Endless War: A roguelike survival mode featuring procedurally generated enemy waves and unique, unpredictable modifiers.
    • Escalation: A high-stakes tournament mode where players draft continuous upgrades for their turrets and passives between rounds while squaring off against a stacking deck of random enemy buffs.

    TechMash Take: We love indie developers who know exactly how to trim the fat from complex genres. By stripping away the click-heavy stress of traditional RTS games and injecting deep tower defense mechanics, Rattleaxe Games has built something truly unique. The addition of a 4X-lite Global Domination mode makes the upcoming 1.0 launch a must-watch for June.

    D.O.T. Defence hits its full 1.0 release on Steam on 11 June 2026. You can check out the demo or add it to your wishlist right now on the D.O.T. Defence Steam Page.

    Are you planning to jump into the Chroma Wars this June? Let us know your favourite tower defence setups in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/3124850

    #RattleaxeGames #GamerskyGames #RTS #TowerDefense #DOTDefence #SteamEarlyAccess #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • Enter Uzovnica: Bodycam Psychological Horror FPS ‘A.A.U. Black Site’ Storms Onto Steam Early Access

    Enter Uzovnica: Bodycam Psychological Horror FPS ‘A.A.U. Black Site’ Storms Onto Steam Early Access

    The bodycam horror phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down, and tactical FPS fans have a terrifying new destination to explore. Publisher IZilla Games (an Infernozilla company) and Serbian indie developer Raspberry Studio have officially launched their highly anticipated tactical psychological-horror shooter, A.A.U. Black Site is coming to Steam Early Access.

    If you’ve been craving a blend of tactical military tension, F.E.A.R.-inspired psychological dread, and ultra-realistic found-footage aesthetics, this is a classified assignment you won’t want to skip. Better yet, the game is available right now for £12.99 / $14.99 / €14.99, alongside a limited-time 10% Early Access launch discount.

    Check out the pitch-black premise and cutting-edge features waiting for you below.

    A Routine Mission Turned Supernatural Nightmare

    In A.A.U. Black Site, you step into the combat boots of an elite operative working for the covert A.A.U. Special Forces. Sent on a high-stakes mission deep within Serbia, things go sideways almost instantly. Intercepted, framed, and entirely cut off from headquarters, you find yourself stranded in the eerie, abandoned region of Uzovnica.

    With communications dead and no allies coming to rescue you, your only silent witness is the bodycam strapped to your chest. As you navigate claustrophobic corridors and decaying ruins, the boundaries of reality begin to shatter, revealing that the hostile human forces hunting you are the least of your worries.

    [The Setup]: Framed -> Intercepted -> Stranded in Uzovnica. 
Your only objective? Survive the entities lurking in the dark.

    Key Early Access Features

    Raspberry Studio, a passionate team that began development with just a small circle of friends, has packed the Early Access launch with impressive technical depth:

    • Two Fully Playable Chapters: Dive straight into the terror with the first two main story missions available on day one: Chapter 1: God’s Chosen (a Demon) and Chapter 2: Guilt Trip.
    • An Arsenal of 20+ Weapons: From crisp pistols and rapid-fire SMGs to heavy-duty assault rifles, players have total tactical freedom. Choose to move like a ghost using stealth, or go loud when corners get too tight.
    • Intelligent Adaptive Horror AI: The supernatural “Anomalies” hunting you aren’t just mindless drones. Built with over 16,000 lines of behavioural code, these entities actively learn your habits, predict your positioning, and counter repetitive strategies.
    • Dynamic Horror Difficulty: The game features a unique adaptive difficulty system that shifts based on your performance. If you are struggling, the entities’ aggression subtly adjusts; if you’re a tactical savant, the AI scales up to keep the psychological tension at an all-time high.
    • Reactive Dynamic Soundtrack: Designed fully in-house, the audio leverages six evolving sound layers. The audio seamlessly shifts from quiet, hair-raising ambient tension during exploration to a punishing wall of percussion, bass, and distorted guitars when combat breaks out.

    The Road Ahead

    This Early Access launch is just the beginning of the nightmare. Raspberry Studio has made it clear that player feedback will heavily dictate how A.A.U. Black Site evolves over its planned one-year Early Access period.

    The developer’s current post-launch roadmap includes Chapter 3: Beneath the Rotten Sky, level expansions for existing maps, full controller support, customizable key bindings, and additional localisation settings.

    Lock and Load

    If you are ready to test your nerve against adaptive anomalies through the lens of a gritty, hyper-immersive bodycam perspective, head over to Steam and secure your deployment.

    Grab A.A.U. Black Site is on Steam Early Access, and join the official Discord community to leave your feedback directly with the development team. Remember: keep your eyes on the corners, and don’t turn off the camera.

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/3607440

    #IZillaGames #RaspberryStudio #bodycam #psychological #horror #FPS #AAUBlackSite #SteamEarlyAccess #gamingnews #videogames #games #gaming #gamers

  • Milestone launches free demo for Screamer, the arcade racing game

    Milestone launches free demo for Screamer, the arcade racing game

    If you miss the days of high-octane, loud, and unapologetic arcade racers, Milestone has some fantastic news for you. The Italian developer—mostly known for their simulation heavy-hitters like Ride and MotoGP—has officially released a free playable demo for Screamer, its neon-soaked, anime-infused combat racing game.

    Whether you play on console or PC, you can jump into the cockpit right now. The demo is available across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via both Steam and the Epic Games Store).

    What is Screamer?

    For the veteran gamers out there, the name might ring a bell. Screamer is a radical modern reboot of the classic 1995 MS-DOS arcade racer. However, Milestone has ditched traditional retro styling in favour of a gorgeous, futuristic 1990s anime aesthetic (with cutscenes handled by the legendary Polygon Pictures) and mixed it with heavy vehicular combat.

    Set in the cyberpunk-esque city of Neo Rey, drivers compete in a brutal tournament where cars are fitted with something called the ECHO system. This mysterious tech turns racing into a literal fight, forcing players to juggle offensive and defensive mechanics while drifting around corners at breakneck speeds.

    What’s Included in the Free Demo?

    Milestone isn’t just giving us a simple time-trial. The free demo gives players a meaty taste of the early events of the main Tournament mode. Here is what you can expect:

    • Welcome to Neo Rey: Take your first laps through the bright, neon-lit streets of the Neo Rey tracks.
    • Single & Team Races: Experience both traditional solo placement matches and the chaos of Team Races, where protecting your allies and taking down rivals is just as important as crossing the finish line first.
    • The ECHO Combat System: Get hands-on with the game’s core mechanics. You’ll manage Sync to trigger your Boost and Shields, build up Entropy to unleash violent, combat-style Strikes, and max out your meters to trigger Overdrive—giving you temporary invincibility and instant-KO power on contact.
    • The Twin-Stick Handling: Test out Screamer’s unique handling model, which uses the left stick to steer and the right stick to drift, allowing for highly tactical, aggressive slides.

    Please Note: Only a select handful of characters, modes, and tracks are accessible in this trial version. Additionally, Milestone has confirmed that save data from the demo will not transfer over to the full game, so treat this purely as a proving ground to test your skills!

    Where to Download

    The Screamer demo is live right now. You can grab it directly from your platform’s respective digital storefront:

    • PlayStation 5: PlayStation Store
    • Xbox Series X|S: Xbox Games Store
    • PC: Steam / Epic Games Store

    If you’ve been looking for a game that plays like a glorious cross between WipEout, Blur, and a late-night Crunchyroll marathon, this is definitely one demo you shouldn’t pass up. Download it today and see if you have what it takes to survive the tournament!

    Have you taken the Screamer demo for a spin yet? Let us know your thoughts on the twin-stick drifting mechanics in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://bit.ly/PLAION_UK_YT

    #Milestone #freedemo #Screamer #arcade #racinggame #PlayStation #Xbox #PC #Steam #techmash #gamingnews #videogames #games #gamers #gaming

  • Break In, Get Quiet, and Survive: LAG KILLS Opens Round 2 of Public Playtesting on Steam

    Break In, Get Quiet, and Survive: LAG KILLS Opens Round 2 of Public Playtesting on Steam

    We’ve all been there: you’re in the middle of a high-stakes ranked match, your latency spikes, your character freezes, and you are instantly eliminated. It’s enough to make any gamer want to tear their hair out. But what if that exact brand of unhinged, post-game rage was bottled up, turned into a highly adaptive AI, and set loose inside a dark house to hunt you down?

    That is the brilliantly terrifying premise behind LAG KILLS, the upcoming indie survival horror game from solo developer Lee Burton at DERANGED GAMES and publisher Zemore Indie Games.

    If you missed out on the initial wave of terror earlier this month, you’re in luck. The team has officially launched Round 2 of its public playtesting on Steam, and the “Request Access” button is live right now.

    The Premise: The Ultimate Worst-Case Scenario

    In LAG KILLS, you aren’t a heavily armed action hero or a paranormal investigator equipped with high-tech ghost-hunting gear. You play as someone driven to absolute desperation following a severe car accident. Drowning in your family’s mounting medical bills, you resort to the ultimate last option: breaking into a house with an old friend to steal enough valuables to clear your debt.

    There’s just one massive problem. The house isn’t empty.

    The homeowner is awake, highly agitated from a profoundly bad, lag-filled gaming session, and he is out for absolute blood. You have just stepped into the wrong house at the worst possible moment, and you are now his prey.

    [ Your Goal ] 
Loot valuables -> Manage what you can carry -> Stay quiet -> Find a way out.

[ The Threat ] 
An enraged, hyper-aware gamer hunting you through the dark in real-time.

    A Survival Horror Built on Pure Pressure

    What makes LAG KILLS stand out in the crowded survival horror landscape is its heavy reliance on tension, player mistake exploitation, and unpredictable emergent gameplay.

    Key Features to Expect in the Playtest:

    • High-Stakes Looting: You must navigate the house, deciding which items are valuable enough to risk carrying. But remember: the more you hoard, the longer you stay exposed.
    • Adaptive AI Threat: The homeowner isn’t following a simple, pre-programmed patrol route. He has a keen sense of hearing, listens for your mistakes, and adapts dynamically to your behaviour.
    • Unpredictable Runs: Thanks to randomised encounters and shifting AI behaviours, no two playthroughs feel the same. A hiding spot that saved you in your last run might leave you completely trapped in the next.
    • Priorities: Yes, you can pet the resident cat… assuming you manage to survive long enough to find it.

    Note on Multiplayer: While the full 2026 release of LAG KILLS will feature an optional online co-op mode to let you panic through the halls with a friend, multiplayer is currently disabled for the public playtest. This round is entirely focused on balancing the raw tension of the core single-player experience.

    How to Join Round 2 of the Playtest

    The dev team at DERANGED GAMES is moving fast, refining the atmosphere, tension, and replayability based on the community’s initial reactions. Round 2 is your chance to jump in, test your stealth skills, and directly influence the final game.

    Game DetailInformation
    DeveloperDERANGED GAMES
    PublisherZemore Indie Games
    Playtest PlatformSteam (PC)
    How to JoinClick “Request Access” on the Steam Page
    FeedbackCompletely anonymous in-game form
    Full Release Target2026

    Access requests are being approved over the weekend, so head over to the LAG KILLS Steam Page right now to secure your spot. You can also follow the game’s development and chat with the team by joining their official Discord, or checking them out on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky.

    Are you sneaky enough to rob an angry gamer and live to tell the tale, or are you bound to face a brutal ‘Game Over’? Drop your playtest thoughts in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/3667380

    #LAGKILLS #survival #horror #DERANGEDGAMES #ZemoreIndieGames #publicplaytesting #Steam #techmash #n5dave #games #gaming #gamers #gamingnews #videogames

  • ARK: Survival Ascended Drops Premium ‘Fantastic Tames Season 1’ Pack alongside Free Spider TLC

    ARK: Survival Ascended Drops Premium ‘Fantastic Tames Season 1’ Pack alongside Free Spider TLC

    Survivors, get ready to expand your stables. Studio Wildcard has officially launched Fantastic Tames Season 1, a brand-new premium creature pack for ARK: Survival Ascended.

    The pack is available right now across PC (Steam & Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for £8.39 / $9.99.

    Rather than just dropping a single dinosaur, this premium pack introduces three highly unique, mythical anomalies that defy nature to give your tribe game-changing tactical abilities. Here is everything you need to know about what’s available today and what’s coming later this year.

    Meet the Burrowbuck (Available Today!)

    Bounding into the game first is the Burrowbuck, a swift, rabbit-like creature designed entirely around guerrilla warfare, map control, and brilliant misdirection.

    If you are a solo player or part of a small tribe looking to stay off the radar, this is your new best friend. Key abilities include:

    • Underground Dens: Carve out hidden, bunker-like underground sanctuaries to hide your base or gear.
    • Gateway Tunnels: Open temporary portals for rapid, long-distance travel to quickly reposition or escape a bad fight.
    • Dust Clouds & Hazards: Kick up blinding dust clouds to disorient pursuers and leave behind concealed hazards for anyone foolish enough to follow.

    The Rest of Season 1 (Coming Later in 2026)

    Purchasing the Season 1 pack also guarantees you access to two massive frontline and stealth tames dropping later this year:

    • Cerberax (Q3 2026): A monstrous, three-headed frontline beast built for coordinated multi-rider combat. Up to three passengers can control individual heads, chaining together elemental attacks (fire, electricity, and corrupting force) into massive combo attacks.
    • Enigmasaur (Q4 2026): The ultimate master of disguise. This shadow-veiled creature can observe nearby animals, steal their forms, and instantly mimic their exact appearance and unique abilities.

    Free Bonus: The Araneo TLC Update Is Live!

    Even if you aren’t picking up the premium pack today, everyone gets a massive upgrade. Voted into development by the community during the Extra Life charity livestream, the classic Araneo spider has received a complete overhaul.

    No longer just a minor nuisance skittering on the cave floors, the Araneo is now the ARK’s premier ambush predator:

    • Wall & Ceiling Climbing: Fully revamped animations allowing spiders to scale walls, ceilings, and naturally spawn clinging to high ground.
    • Web-Line Descents: Drop vertically from shadows onto unsuspecting prey.
    • Web Ziplines & Grappling: Create traversable web paths across terrain or use web tethers to pull smaller targets into your jaws (or pull yourself toward larger ones).
    • The ‘Webbed’ Buff: Ranged attacks can toggle between damage or Torpor focus, applying a stacking debuff that cripples enemy movement, slows attack speeds, and stops sprinting/jumping entirely at maximum stacks.

    TechMash Verdict: ARK: Survival Ascended continues to make great use of Unreal Engine 5’s tech, and adding entirely unique gameplay mechanics like underground tunneling and multi-passenger elemental combat breathes fresh air into the meta.

    Fantastic Tames Season 1 and the free Araneo TLC patch are live right now. Grab your gear, update your client, and go claim the high ground!

    Find out more here – http://playark.com

    #StudioWildcard #FantasticTames #ARKSurvivalAscended #PC #Steam #PlayStation #Xbox #playark #techmash #n5dave #games #gaming #gamers #videogames #gamingnews

  • Guns, Grimdark, and Gambling: The Dark West Teaser Trailer Drops on Steam

    Guns, Grimdark, and Gambling: The Dark West Teaser Trailer Drops on Steam

    Move over, Diablo, there is a new, much bleaker frontier in town. Independent developer Black Hand has officially unleashed a brand-new teaser trailer for The Dark West, their highly anticipated occult Action RPG (ARPG) coming to Steam.

    If you have ever wondered what would happen if you mixed the gothic misery of Grim Dawn, the occult monster-hunting of Van Helsing, and the gritty atmosphere of Red Dead Redemption, this is it.

    Check out the breakdown of the new teaser and what we know about this supernatural wild west so far.

    Welcome to the Cursed Frontier

    The Dark West drops players into a decaying, unforgiving frontier sitting beneath a sun that flat-out refuses to rise. In this world, human greed has unearthed something significantly fouler than death, leaving behind a wasteland corrupted by black magic.

    The teaser leans heavily into this atmospheric dread, showing off a world torn between two brutal, warring factions:

    • The Order: A group draped in hollow righteousness who wear justice like armour, conveniently ignoring the rot growing within their own ranks.
    • The Damned: Twisted survivors who have openly embraced black magic, cursed and completely unapologetic about what it has made of them.

    As Black Hand puts it, the real danger out on the plains isn’t just the monsters waiting in the pitch black—it’s who is standing behind you when the bullets start flying.

    Stacking the Deck: Poker & Tarot Build Customisation

    While the teaser gives us a taste of the game’s fast-paced, positioning-heavy combat, the most exciting mechanic in The Dark West is how you build your character. Forget standard, boring stat trees; Black Hand is introducing a unique Card Bonus System.

    Players will assemble a 5-card hand using a mix of a standard 52-card deck and mystical Tarot cards. By forming recognisable poker hands, you unlock massive passive bonuses that completely shift your playstyle.

    The Dead Man’s Hand Example: Equipping the legendary combination of two pairs of black aces and black eights (based on Wild Bill Hickok) grants your character a 20% Increased Card Effect, 10% Increased Weapon Damage, and a 5% Chance to restock ammo on a kill.

    Want a high-impact, explosive build? Throw in the Blasting Cap tarot card to turn your projectiles into devastating novas. Prefer to rely on pure chaos? The Balanced Boon tarot card will roll wide, volatile stat ranges across multiple attributes for the ultimate gambler’s run.

    Alcohol, Agility, and Aggressive Jackalopes

    Combat in The Dark West is built to be fast, unforgiving, and highly strategic. True to the Wild West theme, you can even use alcohol to your advantage. Downed booze will grant your character temporary, raw strength in battle—but it comes at the realistic cost of dulling your senses and altering your vision, forcing you to weigh the risk versus reward in tight spots.

    You’ll need every advantage you can get, too. The developer logs reveal some of the twisted wildlife you’ll be fighting off, including Harrows (corrupted, violet-eyed crows that dismantle horse-drawn carriages) and packs of aggressive, horned Jackalopes that dart through the scrub to gore unsuspecting players.

    Wishlist Now on Steam

    Black Hand—a studio comprised of hardcore, lifelong ARPG fans—is developing The Dark West side-by-side with community feedback, shaping everything from the UI to build variety around player input.

    There is no definitive release date just yet, but the teaser trailer is live, the dev logs are dropping hot details, and the game is officially available to Wishlist on Steam right now.

    Are you ready to John Wayne your way through a horde of demons? Let us know your thoughts on the teaser trailer in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/3574750

    #BlackHand #TheDarkWest #ARPG #Steam #occult #action #games #gaming #gamers #techmash #n5dave

  • Back to the Boroughs: The Division 2 Drops Hype ‘Battle for Brooklyn’ Celebration Teaser

    Back to the Boroughs: The Division 2 Drops Hype ‘Battle for Brooklyn’ Celebration Teaser

    Agents, lock and load. It is time to secure your gear and head back to where the collapse originally began—well, almost.

    Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft have just unleashed a surprise “Battle for Brooklyn” Celebration Teaser Trailer for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Marking exactly one year since the game’s highly anticipated Brooklyn DLC expansion dropped in May 2025, this anniversary event promises to breathe some chaotic new life into the tactical looter-shooter.

    Whether you’re a hardened veteran who has been farming exotics for years or an agent looking for a reason to reactivate, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming celebration running from May 21 through June 4.

    What’s Packed into the Celebration Event?

    The new teaser trailer gives a fast-paced look at a city still very much on the edge, teasing fresh endgame challenges and plenty of tactical loot. Far from just a simple retrospective, the celebration brings tangible changes and rewards to the map.

    Here is the breakdown of what is dropping over the two-week event:

    1. The Brooklyn Celebration Event Pass

    Running for the duration of the event, a brand-new, Brooklyn-inspired Event Pass will be active. All agents can progress through the pass naturally by simply playing the game and earning Season XP.

    • The Loot: You’ll be able to unlock exclusive cosmetics, including outfits inspired by notorious New York bosses and factions like the LMB Boss, Danvers, the Cleaners Boss, and the infamous Rat Queen.
    • Premium Track: If you have 1,000 Premium Credits burning a hole in your stash, you can opt into the premium track for extra cosmetic rewards.

    2. A Deadly New Threat: The Phoenix Hunter

    Think Brooklyn is safe just because you cleared the mini-campaign last year? Think again. The teaser confirms that starting May 26, strange audio anomalies and new enemy activity have been detected beneath the city streets. Agents who dare to investigate will come face-to-face with a terrifying new Stalker: the Phoenix Hunter. Defeating this threat at the climax mission will reward players with the brand-new Whiplash Exotic Pistol, complete with a unique custom skin.

    3. The “Corrosive Shell” Global Event

    Starting May 26, things are going to get highly volatile. A new Global Event called Corrosive Shell will take over, fundamentally changing how you engage hostile factions:

    • Enemy factions will be protected by a purple aura called a Corrosive Shell, which deflects standard bullet damage.
    • To shatter the shell, you must hit them with Status Effects (Bleed, Burn, Blind, Ensnare, or environmental hazards).
    • Breaking the shell triggers a corrosive explosion. If you land the finishing blow on a corroded enemy, you will trigger Corrosive Momentum, granting a massive buff: +50% Weapon Damage, +25% RPM, +25% Status Effect speed, and +50% Reload Speed for 10 seconds.

    A Perfect Excuse to Re-Enter the Dark Zone

    When the Battle for Brooklyn expansion originally launched, it brought a lot of nostalgic charm but faced a somewhat mixed reception on Steam due to punishing solo balancing. This anniversary celebration looks like Massive’s way of refining the experience, offering powerful gameplay-loop modifiers like Corrosive Momentum to give players an absolute power trip.

    Alongside the in-game event, Ubisoft is also running a Twitch Drops campaign from May 21 to May 28, meaning you can score extra vanity items just by watching your favourite Division 2 streamers take on the new content.

    TechMash Verdict: With The Division 3 confirmed to be somewhere on the horizon, updates like this prove Massive Entertainment isn’t letting D.C. or New York fall anytime soon. Grab your squad, stack your Status Effect builds, and go hunt that Phoenix.

    The Division 2: Battle for Brooklyn Celebration event is live right now across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility).

    Are you ready to face the Phoenix Hunter, or has your Agent permanently retired from the field? Let us know your builds for the Corrosive Shell event in the comments below!

    Find out more here – https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/the-division/the-division-2

    #TomClancy #TheDivision #MassiveEntertainment #Ubisoft #PC #PlayStation #Xbox #techmash #n5dave #gamingnews #gamers #videogames #games #gaming

  • On-The-Go JRPG Greatness: Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition Hits Nintendo Switch 2

    On-The-Go JRPG Greatness: Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition Hits Nintendo Switch 2

    Bandai Namco’s acclaimed action-RPG is finally making the leap to Nintendo hardware. Launching on May 22, 2026, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition is officially arriving on the Nintendo Switch 2.

    When Tales of Arise originally debuted on home consoles, its gorgeous Unreal Engine 4 visuals, expansive environments, and hyper-fast combat made it an instant classic—but it was also a game that the original Switch simply couldn’t handle without major compromises. Now, thanks to the beefier hardware of the Switch 2, UK gamers can finally experience this massive 100-hour adventure flawlessly on the go.

    Here is everything you need to know about the definitive portable version.

    The Ultimate Package: What’s Included?

    Unlike the staggered releases on other platforms, Switch 2 players are getting the complete, definitive package right out of the gate for £44.99.

    • The Base Game: Follow the journey of Alphen, a Dahnan slave who can feel no pain, and Shionne, a cursed Renan noblewoman who inflicts pain on anyone she touches. Together, they lead a rebellion to liberate Dahna from 300 years of tyranny.
    • Beyond the Dawn Expansion: A massive story DLC set one year after the events of the main game. It follows the core cast as they cross paths with Nazamil, a young girl caught between two worlds, while dealing with the political and social aftermath of the game’s finale.
    • Bonus Content: All previously released cosmetic DLCs and bonus items are packaged straight into the game.

    Performance: How Does it Hold Up on Switch 2?

    Porting a massive current-gen JRPG to a handheld hybrid is no small feat, but the Switch 2 proves it has the muscle. Early hands-on reports confirm that Tales of Arise runs beautifully on the new hardware.

    Bandai Namco targeted a rock-solid 30fps for this release, and it delivers. Whether you’re exploring the sweeping fields of Dahna or triggering a screen-filling, flashy team-attack super move, the framerate holds up admirably in both docked and handheld modes.

    While docked players won’t see the high-framerate thresholds found on platforms like the PS5, the game’s heavily stylised, painterly “Atmospheric Shader” anime aesthetic translates beautifully to the Switch 2 screen. It looks incredibly sharp, vibrant, and clean, making it a pristine showcase for the handheld’s display.

    A Quick Buyer’s Note: If you are planning to pick up the physical version at retail, keep in mind that the boxed release is a game-key card code rather than a traditional cartridge. Ensure you have a stable internet connection and some free storage space ready for launch day!

    Is It Worth It?

    If you love action-RPGs and missed out on its initial release, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition is a must-buy for your Switch 2 library. The real-time, combo-heavy combat remains some of the best the genre has to offer, and the dynamic between the main cast is incredibly endearing.

    While the latter half of the story can get a bit exposition-heavy, and late-game enemies turn into a bit of a “damage sponge” grind, the sheer value of having this massive, gorgeous epic available to play anywhere you want is impossible to deny.

    Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition lands on the UK eShop and retail shelves on Friday, May 22, 2026. Are you ready to wield the Blazing Sword again?

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/740130

    #TalesofArise #BandaiNamcoEntertainment #rpg #Dahna #Rena #Dahnan #techmash #n5dave #videogames #gamingnews #games #gaming #gamers