In that case, I don't think Aven Colony is your game either. I'm quite pacient and have not problem playing city-builder games at x1 speed, but Aven was so slow at times that I even made it to its max speed, x8.

Don't get me wrong, the game gives you missions to complete, so you always have something to work for besides the survival of the colony, but it's a very slow paced game.

Thanks for the heads-up! I can be quite patient as well, but Surviving Mars just didn't work out for me. On the other hand, I enjoy Farthest Frontier tremendously, and it's not exactly fast-paced either. However, it kind of has that 'one more turn' thing going on that many of know from Civilization (but obviously it's not turns in Farthest Frontier). Aven Colony sounds like something I might enjoy more due to the missions, but I don't know. Maybe I'll find out one day.

It's a shame you didn't get it for free on the Epic Store, because that would solve the problem.

The devs seem to have closed down and there are games that Epic has given away more than once so, there's still a chance if Team17 wants.

Oh. I guess I do have it after all.

I liked Aven Colony a lot, but I found it a bit too easy. I mean, I rarely finish games, but this one I did, and quite easily so.

The only stage that gave me troubles was the one where...

But I had troubles with it because I always take it slowly, and this stage was the opposite of that,

Good morning, guys. Here's something for you:

*** NEW COMPETITION ***

Win an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and Arc B580 graphics card
https://www.club386.com/intel-holiday-giveaway/
or https://gleam.io/cKXwU/win-an-intel-core-ultra-9-285k-processor-and-arc-b580-graphics-card

The competition is GLOBAL.

Good luck!

The thread for this year's PC Secret Santa event is now open for business.

Another week, another round of gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

After 13 years, Euro Truck Simulator 2 smashes its all-time concurrent player peak on Steam by dropping two DLCs with, let me check my notes here, more Europe and more trucks
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/after-13-years-euro-truck-simulator-2-smashes-its-all-time-concurrent-player-peak-on-steam-by-dropping-two-dlcs-with-let-me-check-my-notes-here-more-europe-and-more-trucks/
They'll say they don't get it, young simmer. They'll ask, "You do what all day? You work for a living, and then come home to play a videogame where you work a different, more grueling job?" They won't see the irony in saying that and then queuing for ranked in Street Fighter 6. But take solace—there are thousands of people just like you who wouldn't trade those virtual Swiss skylines for anything.
In fact, it seems like there are more than ever. Over 13 years after its release in 2012, Euro Truck Simulator 2 has surpassed its all-time concurrent player count peak on Steam, according to SteamDB. At time of writing, an hour has passed since the game hit a new all-time peak of 72,678, and while the number is flickering a bit, it's rare to see such a seemingly niche game so hoppin' over a decade after it came out.
There are a few apparent reasons for this. The game just got two new DLCs on the same day: Nordic Horizons, which takes players through northern Scandinavia, and Forest Machinery, a smaller-scall add-on that piles on doodads like wood chippers and mulchers. Not to drive, but to haul across the open road. This is a trucking game, remember?
>> Another factor is an event they launched alongisde the new map DLC where players can earn some decorations for their trucks.

Steam has five new sales/events:

• World of Warships got a new update and celebrates it with a free pack (until December 5) and some discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32977250/sale/wows_ny2026
• GWB Game Awards 2025 has demos, upcoming titles and demos: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/GWBGameAwards2025
• INDIE Live Expo 2025 has upcoming games and some deals: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/INDIELiveExpo20251129
• Mov-Luv Girls VS Aliens Sale will last, in theory, until the 14th of December: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36850264/sale/MuvLuvGirlsVsAliens
• And Raw Fury’s Rawcember Sale is back and will last until December the 19th (Steam’s Winter Sale will start on the 18th): https://store.steampowered.com/curator/28981418/sale/rawcember26

Humble has two new deals:

• Humble Bundle has the Maximum Entertainment Full Send Bundle, with up to 11 games to get during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/maximum-entertainment-full-send-bundle
• Humble Store has the BYO Cyberdeal Bundle, with 106 games to choose fro your up to 5 games bundle. And remember, the bigger your bundle is, the bigger the extra discount will be. It will only be available for another 23 hours: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/humble-build-your-own-cyber-deal/

Fanatical’s Black Friday sale is over and there’s no Cyber-Monday. But they have a new BundleFestive and a new Star Deal:

• The new Star Deal is Persona 3 Reload, 61% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/persona-3-reload
• BYO Capcom Ultimate Bundle (BundleFestive 2025) has 10 titles and you can make 2+ game bundles (obviously) during 9 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-capcom-ultimate-bundle
• BYO Killer Bundle (BundleFestive 2025) has 28 games for your 5+, 10+ or 20+ bundles and will last 38 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-killer-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Unreal Engine 5.7 Venice Next-Gen Tech Demo Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/unreal-engine-5-7-venice-next-gen-tech-demo-released/
Scans Factory has just released a new Unreal Engine 5.7 Next-Gen Tech Demo that you can download and try. This tech demo shows off the Italian city, Venice, in the latest version of UE5. The demo takes full advantage of Lumen and Nanite, and it can give you a glimpse at what the games using UE5.7 may look like.
Scans Factory has used over 500 assets to create this demo. The team has designed stylized modular buildings, streets, bridges, and other local structures. Players will find small courtyards where freshly washed laundry hangs and daily life unfolds, cosy cafés surrounded by citrus trees and flowers, and a beautiful square filled with historic landmarks.
>> The article has two videos.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 Unreal Engine Fan Remake V1.03 Beta Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/star-wars-jedi-knight-dark-forces-2-unreal-engine-fan-remake-v1-03-beta-released/
It’s been almost two years since our last look at the Unreal Engine Fan Remake of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2. Normally, you’d assume the project is dead. However, a few days ago, its creator released a new beta version. So, no. This fan remake is not dead. Not yet.
In this new beta version, Ruppertle focused on recreating the third level from the game. This means that the fan remake has three levels from the original game, as well as a bonus level for testing and a Sandbox Mode. It also comes with 4 Survival levels.
Now, the bad news is that this beta is only available to Ruppertle’s Patreon members. My guess is that this new demo will be available to everyone once it leaves its beta phase. Sadly, there is no ETA on when this will happen. Until then, though, you can still download its previous version.
For what it’s worth, this is one of the best Unreal Engine fan remakes. As you will see in its latest video, it has proper gameplay mechanics. Players can solve puzzles, shoot enemies, and interact with objects. And, since there aren’t any plans for an official remake of Dark Forces 2, this is the best we can get.
Moreover, this fan remake does not use any Ray Tracing effects. Instead, it relies on pre-baked lighting, which means that it can run smoothly on a wide range of PC configurations. So, this should please every who doesn’t own a high-end PC.
>> There is a 1 minute trailer of this new version.

Play Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with Path Tracing RTX Remix
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/play-grand-theft-auto-vice-city-with-path-tracing-rtx-remix/
A few days ago, modder ‘xoxor4d’ released a Path Tracing RTX Remix Mod for Grand Theft Auto 4. And yesterday, YouTuber ‘MxBenchmarkPC’ shared a video, showcasing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with this mod.
For those wondering, this isn’t the original GTA: Vice City game. Instead, it is a Vice City Mod for Grand Theft Auto 4. This is why you can use the RTX Remix with it. Right now, you can’t make xoxor4d’s Path Tracing Mod work with the original game.
This Vice City Mod is no other than Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition is a free remaster of the classic GTA game. This project brought all the missions, the whole map, and content from the original game to the RAGE Engine.
GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition has an improved version of the city and weapons from the Definitive Edition. All the cars from the Xbox version of the original game are present here. Additionally, all the models of all characters and peds will be from the Xbox version. Plus, you will find all the radio stations from the PS2 version.
And that’s not all. GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition has additional missions of city services. You will find racing missions in Hyman Memorial Stadium and in Sunshine Autos. We also get the side missions of Sunshine Autos Import Garage.
In short, GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition is the best way to play Vice City on PC. You can download it from here. And now, thanks to the RTX Remix Mod, you can enjoy it with real-time Path Tracing.
>> The article has an almost 15 minutes video of this mod.

This Half-Life mod reimagines the game as a boomer shooter—yes, even boomier than the original
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-half-life-mod-reimagines-the-game-as-a-boomer-shooter-yes-even-boomier-than-the-original/
Half-Life revolutionized the first-person shooter when it released in 1998, what with its top shelf storytelling and novel puzzles. But who needs any of that crap? What if there was a game that turned the clock back just like, a year or two—same alien menace, some of the same innovations, but it plays a hell of a lot more like Quake. No, I'm not talking about Unreal, I'm talking about Half-Life: Element 64, a fresh mod that released a demo today on Steam.
After spending some time with that demo, I can say it's more of an asset flip into an original game with new levels and music than a mod merely tweaking Half-Life's mechanics. There's no train ride, no resonance cascade, nothing waiting for you in the test chamberrr; it drops you into a level select hub not unlike Quake, HEV suit and all, and from there you'll be blasting away head crabs and vortigaunts in a matter of seconds.
The levels, too, are remixed into more straightforward shooting galleries. Hitscanning marines and aliens lurk around every corner, so you're never waiting long between firefights (for which your guns have been provided a pleasantly centered viewmodel). There are secrets to find and an enemy counter tracking your bad guys slain, making the whole affair feel a bit like id Software's Half-Life.
I don't enjoy the original Half-Life's gunplay as much as Quake's or Doom 2's, but Element 64 maintains a good sense of challenge in its demo with scarce ammo and health pickups. Be ready to pull out the crowbar every now and again.
The full release is set to have four episodes with a host of missions each, and the challenge should only escalate with each new addition. As the Steam page says of the final chapter. "only the most skillful MIT graduates will survive this!"
>> The article has an almost 2 minutes trailer.

GAMING NEWS

MindsEye Title Update 6 Released – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/mindseye-title-update-6-released-full-patch-notes/
Build A Rocket Boy has just released Title Update 6 for MindsEye and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.
>> if you’re surptised that the game is still getting updates, check this: it now has a starter pack that lets you try the “best” mission for free (link).

Monday gaming news, part two:

The AI slop-hose comes to Let It Die as its surprise sequel reveals 'voices, music, and graphics' shaped by the tech
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/the-ai-slop-hose-comes-to-let-it-die-as-its-surprise-sequel-reveals-voices-music-and-graphics-shaped-by-the-tech/
Well, that's a shame. Let It Die: Inferno—the surprise sequel to weirdo 2016 roguelike Let It Die—has a little announcement to make: "AI-generated content has been used and then edited by our team for certain parts of the in-game voices, music, and graphics."
That's per the game's AI-generated content disclosure that recently popped up on Steam (via Eurogamer). The disclosure indicates that AI has seeped into a fair chunk of the game, touching "Background signboard textures, records illustrations, InfoCast videos," as well as "Voices and music."

A new Control trademark filing has Remedy fans hoping for a big reveal at The Game Awards
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/a-new-control-trademark-filing-has-remedy-fans-hoping-for-a-big-reveal-at-the-game-awards/
CD Projekt won't be bringing The Witcher 4 to The Game Awards this year, but a new trademark filing for something called Control Resonant has some gamers hoping that Remedy will fill the void with something cool of its own.

This interactive Arc Raiders database has become my go-to second-monitor companion
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/this-interactive-arc-raiders-database-has-become-my-go-to-second-monitor-companion/
Arc Raiders has a lot of items, and while guns, shields, and other equipment are relatively self-explanatory, what's not are the various crafting, quest, and trinket items. A handy loot guide can help you keep track of what's actually required for specific upgrades and whatnot, but even then, it's not easy to know what everything is for and how the recycling food chain works.
So, I was very pleased to discover the community-made 'Arc Forge', which is basically an item database that now lives on my second monitor while I'm playing, just like Meta Forge's interactive maps (which you should also use).
>> A couple more articles: 1.5% of Arc Raiders players have turned a Rocketeer into a mobile weapons platform (link) and the game has appeared in South Park (link).

Great news: Yakuza Kiwami 3 will let you improve Kiryu's 'Daddy Rank'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/great-news-yakuza-kiwami-3-will-let-you-improve-kiryus-daddy-rank/
There's been some great news, and I'm here to share it with you. Yakuza Kiwami 3 (and its bonus add-in game, Dark Ties) is prepping for its February release by doling out info about some of the new features RGG Studio is baking into the game. There are new minigames, a new market, something called "Drink Links," and various good deeds for Kazuma Kiryu and Yoshitaka Mine to get involved in.
Absolutely none of which is the great news I mentioned. The great news is that one of the new features is called "Daddy Rank," (...)
What's Daddy Rank? You might think it's something that Kiryu has maxed out just, like, intrinsically, but it is in fact "a rank that represents Kiryu's growth as a caretaker" at the orphanage he runs in Kiwami 3, like the real bastard organised criminal he is.

Helldivers 2 has players excited about the chance of a rogue fourth faction after Super Earth declares a 'War on Dissidence'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2-has-players-excited-about-the-chance-of-a-rogue-fourth-faction-after-super-earth-declares-a-war-on-dissidence/
Helldivers 2's latest Major Order has players in a bit of a tizzy, because it's putting the latent paranoia of Super Earth and High Command front-and-centre of its very own War on Terror. Super Earth has declared a new "War on Dissidence," after declaring that "the expanded Center for Citizen Surveillance and Safety has found dissident activity on every Super Earth planet, save Super Earth itself."

Garry's mod successor s&box goes open source and even opens up the finances, Garry says: 'Valve gave me my chance, I'm already rich, I don't want to f*ck anyone over'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/garrys-mod-successor-s-and-box-goes-open-source-and-even-opens-up-the-finances-garry-says-valve-gave-me-my-chance-im-already-rich-i-dont-want-to-f-ck-anyone-over/
Facepunch Studios has announced that s&box, the long-in-development successor to Garry's mod, is now open source. "We're awesome," says studio founder Garry Newman, which we'll nod through because they kind of are. "S&box code is on GitHub now (Valve's code is still closed source, we're not open sourcing that)."

GOG says it's 'proud to give Horses a home' after the horror game was rejected by Steam, but commenters won't let it forget the time it rejected another horror game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/gog-says-its-proud-to-give-horses-a-home-after-the-horror-game-was-rejected-by-steam-but-commenters-wont-let-it-forget-the-time-it-rejected-another-horror-game/
Horror adventure game Horses was rejected by Steam after it was submitted in 2023 (...)
Horses is still set to release on other storefronts like the Epic Games Store and the Humble Store, with GOG going so far as to say that it's "proud to give Horses a home on GOG" in a post on X—but onlookers are using that pledge of support to shine a light on a different game.
>> Which game? You’ll have to check the article to find out.

Revived survival RPG Hytale already has a release date after springing back to life, but the owner is reminding everyone the game 'isn't good yet'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/revived-survival-rpg-hytale-already-has-a-release-date-after-springing-back-to-life-but-the-owner-is-reminding-everyone-the-game-isnt-good-yet/
Hytale has had a rough go of it, but things are finally looking up. It looked like curtains when Riot canceled the game after seven turbulent years in development, but earlier this month the original owner bought the game back in hopes of realizing the "original vision" that predates Riot's involvement. Developer Hypixel has been moving quickly, showing off new gameplay a single day after the buyback, and now, announcing its early access release date: January 13, 2026.

Silksong devs felt they didn't 'have a lot of control' over its release date and sympathize with all the games that were delayed to avoid it: 'To some extent that probably is unfortunate'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/silksong-devs-felt-they-didnt-have-a-lot-of-control-over-its-release-date-and-sympathize-with-all-the-games-that-were-delayed-to-avoid-it-to-some-extent-that-probably-is-unfortunate/
In retrospect, it was probably a good idea for some developers to delay their games as far away from Hollow Knight: Silksong's release date as possible. Steam fell apart the moment it came out, preventing people from buying it for the first few hours. And even if you survived the initial blast, you'd be lucky to pull people away from what ended up being a game that was worth the wait.
(...)
"To some extent that probably is unfortunate," Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson told Bloomberg when asked about the flurry of Silksong-induced delays earlier this year. He says it all happened so fast that the date was a surprise to the team working on it, too.
>> They also say that they may not attend the TGA (link)

Tempest Rising's next update will add massive superweapons that'll let you 'unload devastating payloads onto the enemy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/tempest-risings-next-update-will-add-massive-superweapons-thatll-let-you-unload-devastating-payloads-onto-the-enemy/
Throwback RTS Tempest Rising doesn't exactly skimp on large-scale destruction, but the booms are about to get a whole lot bigger in Slipgate Ironworks' Command & Conquer tribute. Its next patch will introduce two new superweapons to its near-future conflict—one for each faction—each with the potential to reshape the battlefield.

This spiritual successor to Desert Strike has exploded into Steam early access with a 98% positive rating, and its developer plans to represent the whole Strike series in future updates
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-spiritual-successor-to-desert-strike-has-exploded-into-steam-early-access-with-a-98-percent-positive-rating-and-its-developer-plans-to-represent-the-whole-strike-series-in-future-updates/
I have fond memories of ye olde helicopter shooter Desert Strike, as it was one of the very few games that caught the attention of my dad. (...) It seems plenty of other people are nostalgic for EA's twin-stick chopper, as a spiritual successor to the Strike series is making waves on Steam (must be the rotor wash). Released last week, Cleared Hot has racked up a 98% 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating out of 1,200 reviews—not bad considering it's an early access title based on a genre that had its heyday more than 30 years ago.
(...)
On that subject, dDeveloper Not Knowing Corporation has big plans going forward. The current version only features the first chapter of the game, which takes place in the Texan desert. Future chapters will add a jungle biome and Arctic and urban environments, with the ultimate goal of representing the entire Strike series in a single game.

The Long Dark's final episode has been pushed back yet again, but at least it has an actual release date now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/the-long-darks-final-episode-has-been-pushed-back-yet-again-but-at-least-it-has-an-actual-release-date-now/
The end of The Long Dark is nigh. After more than ten years in development and seven years working on its controversial story mode, Wintermute, the climactic episode is in the final stages of production. However, those stages aren't quite as final as developer Hinterland Studio would like, so they've announced the episode won't arrive until next year.

Sektori developer says the response to his Geometry Wars-inspired roguelike has been 'awesome', but the game's sales still leave him 'with zero salary for 4.5 years'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/sektori-developer-says-the-response-to-his-geometry-wars-inspired-roguelike-has-been-awesome-but-the-games-sales-still-leave-him-with-zero-salary-for-4-5-years/
As I discussed in exuberant detail last weekend, Sektori is one of my favourite video games of 2025. The vast majority of people who play this Geometry Wars-inspired roguelike love it too, as its 97% positive Steam rating attests. But Steam's rapidly revolving release tombola means that making a great game is no guarantee of commercial success. And as Sektori's developer recently explained, the kaleidoscopic schmup is still a long way from making him any money.

GTA San Andreas modders tease fully-fledged standalone indie game inspired by Stardew Valley, Graveyard Keeper, Mafia and Schedule I
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/gta-san-andreas-modders-tease-fully-fledged-standalone-indie-game-inspired-by-stardew-valley-graveyard-keeper-mafia-and-schedule-i/
The creators of Blue & Blood—an ambitious total conversion mod reimagining GTA: San Andreas from the perspective of the LSPD’s notorious CRASH unit—have confirmed they’re developing a brand-new indie game inspired by a strange but intriguing mix of multi-genre-spanning titles.

Fallout co-creator Tim Cain says canon is 'whatever the owner of the IP says it is' but that's okay because 'the best part of interpretation is you can't be wrong'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout-co-creator-tim-cain-says-canon-is-whatever-the-owner-of-the-ip-says-it-is-but-thats-okay-because-the-best-part-of-interpretation-is-you-cant-be-wrong/
There's a character in Fallout dating back to the original game called Harold. He's a sorry sight, mutated beyond recognition with a sapling growing out of his exposed cranial innards, but how he got that way isn't clear.
Fans have speculated for years as to whether he's a virus-infected mutant, a radiation-poisoned ghoul, both, or neither, and Fallout co-creator Tim Cain has weighed in on the debate with a larger point: any interpretation is right, so long as it's designated as such.