These Anime Fighting Simulator codes will come in super handy as you're levelling up your weapons and abilities in the fighting game. Whether you need to buff you Chakra, your sword, or your durability, you'll be able to do so with most of the codes below.

Luckily, redemption codes come in thick and fast for this Roblox experience, and I'll be keeping an eye on the latest announcements so you don't miss any. So, whether it's Tensei Shards or a training speed boost you're after, take a look at the Anime Fighting Simulator codes below.

If you'd also like some rewards that can be used in many other experiences as well, then we have all of the current Roblox promo codes too.

All Anime Fighting Simulator codes

These are the Anime Fighting Simulator codes you can redeem in-game right now:

• TOURNEYFIX - 1x Temporary Server Boost, 4x Stat Boost, 4x Chikara Boost, 2x Tensei Shard Booster
• TRIPLET - 2,000x Tensei Shards, 1,000x Tower Tokens, 2x Shifting Serum, 4x Training Speed Boost, 4x Stat Boost

As you can see from the list above, there are a load of great rewards to be had from redeeming these Anime Fighting Simulator codes. New codes often come through every few days, so I'll be updating this list regularly. Check back frequently to make sure you don't miss out.

How to redeem Anime Fighting Simulator codes

To redeem Anime Fighting Simulator codes, simply access the Shop via the basket button on the left-hand menu. From here, you'll see the Codes tab at the end of the top bar. Select this, enter your code into the box, and hit Redeem.

Enter codes exactly as they appear above to ensure that you get your rewards.

Expired Anime Fighting Simulator codes

• FASTFIX - 1x Server Boost
• FIGHT - 2,000x Tensei, 4x Speed, 4x Stat, 10x Trait Rerolls
• TOURNEY - 1,500x Chikara, 1,500x Tensei Shards, 4x Training Speed Boost, 4x Stat Boost, 4x Yen Boost
• 7.5SHUTDOWN - 1,500x Tensei, 1x Temp Server Boost
• SEASON2 - 750x Tensei Shards, 4x Stat Boosts, 4x Training Speed Boosts, 10x Trait Rerolls
• MOREFIXES - 1x Server Boost, 2x Stat Boosts, 750x Tensei Shards, 2x Yen Boosts
• FLAMEBREATHING - 5,000x Chikara, 750x Tensei Shards, 5x Stat Boosts, 5x Training Speed Boosts, 5x Yen Boosts
• MIDWEEK - 500x Tensei Shards, 2x Training Speed Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts, 10x Trait Rerolls
• DIM2FASTFIX - 500x Tensei Shards, 1x Server Boost
• DIM2FIXES - 1x Temp Server Boost, 500x Tensei Shards
• DIMENSION2 - 500x Tensei Shards, 2x Yen Boosts, 2x Stat Boosts, 2x Speed Training Boosts
• UPDFIXES - 1x Temporary Server Boost
• LIBERATION - 2x Stat Boost, 2x Yen Boost, 1,000x Chikara, 1x Server Boost
• WTOPSPEED - 1x Temp Server Boost
• RUMBLING - 4x Stat Boosts, 2x Training Boosts, 10x Trait Rerolls, 1x Temp Server Boost
• SHUTDOWNBOOST - 1x Temporary Server Boost
• FIVEUPDATE - 2,000x Chikara, 2x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts, 2x Training Speed Boosts
• UPDATEWED - 2x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts, 1,000x Chikara, 1x Server Boost
• UPD4RELEASE - 3x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts, 1,000x Chikara, 2x Fruit Rolls
• SWORDINCIDENT - 4x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts, 1,000x Chikara, 2x Limbo Keys
• MIDBUGFIX - 1,000x Chikara, 1x Server Boost, 2x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts
• BPEXP - 400x Battle Pass XP
• 100THOUSANDLIKES - 1,000x Chikara, 3x Stat Boosts, 3x Fruit Rolls
• HOTFIXPATCH - 3,000x Chikara, 2x Fruit Rolls, 2x Stat Boosts
• UPD3RELEASE - 3x Chikara Boost, 3x Yen Boost, 3x Stat Boost, 1,000x Chikara, 1x Champion Luck Boost
• MIDWEEKUPD - 3x Stat Boost, 3x Yen Boost, 3x Fruit Rolls, 1,000x Chikara
• QUICKSHUTDOWN - 2,000x Chikara, 2x Stat Boosts, 2x Yen Boosts
• UPDATE2PLAY - 3x Yen Boost, 3x Stat Boost, 3x Fruit Rolls, 12x Trait Rerolls, 1,000x Chikara Shards
• DELAYCODE - 8x Dungeon Keys
• QUICKFIX - 3x Server Boosts
• THANKYOUFOR50K - 3x Fruit Rolls, 2x Yen Boosts, 2x Stat Boost, 10x Trait Rerolls, 2x Training Speed Boost
• 100KFAVS - 2x Chikara Boosts, 10x Trait Rerolls, 3x Fruit Rolls, 3x Stat Boosts, 500x Chikara Shards
• UPDATE1 - 1x Stat Boost, 1x Chikara boost, 1x Yen Boost, 12x Trait Reroll, 5x Fruit Rolls, 1x Malevolent Key, 1,000x Chikara
• THANKYOUSUPPORT - 1x Fruit Roll, 2x Stat Boost
• RELEASE - 600x Chikara Shards, 1x Speed Training Boost

Loads of Anime Fighting Simulator codes have already expired, as you can see from the list above, so be sure to redeem any current codes while you have the chance.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Back in 2006, Rare found itself at a crossroads. The developer had spent the 1990s working with Nintendo, creating some of the SNES, Game Boy, and N64's most beloved titles. In 2002, though, it was acquired by Microsoft, becoming a first-party developer for its new game console. In the transition, some of Rare's magic seemed to have been lost. None of the four games it developed in the intervening years were hits, critically or commercially, on anything like the scale of its Nintendo golden years.

As such, 2006's Viva Piñata was positioned as a comeback for the studio. The game was aimed at a younger audience and was intended to be the beginning of a fully fledged franchise, complete with its own animated TV show. On these terms, the game was not the success it deserved to be – but it proved that the embers of that old Rare magic still burned bright.

In Viva Piñata, the player is handed the deeds to a rough patch of land and tasked with turning it into a bustling garden by filling it with plants, decorations, and – the game's undisputed stars – animals. Piñatas, to be precise, of which there are 60 varieties, from Arocknid to Zumbug, to attract into your garden with the hope that they'll make it their home.

This is achieved by meeting a tick list of needs for each species: the right kind of tree for them to nest in, enough water for aquatic creatures to splash around in, and the component parts of their diet. It's a gentle start to the game, but the process of winning over a piñata is truly satisfying. Spotting a new species for the first time is a treat. All 60 are charmingly designed, with names that pun on a type of sweet, like Profitamole or Buzzlegum. Visiting piñatas start out monochrome, but convince them to become residents and they'll bloom into full colour, revealing their vibrant blues, yellows and purples – the perfect visual reward for your efforts.

It's not hard to see why Microsoft saw the opportunity for a kid's TV series in Viva Piñata. Cuteness can be an easy thing to dismiss, but Rare pulls it off here with the kind of deft hand usually reserved for Disney cartoons and litters of puppies. Every bit of incidental animation is charming, bringing the piñatas and their world to adorable life.

Don't you dare smash one

Back in the Nintendo days, Rare had created Banjo-Kazooie, a series of kid-friendly games which were among the biggest sellers on the N64. In the Donkey Kong Country games, it filled out DK's supporting cast with the likes of Diddy and Cranky Kong. After the failure of Kameo: Elements of Power, an Xbox 360 launch title with a similar Saturday-morning cartoon aesthetic and a Pokémon-like cast of creatures, Viva Piñata provided much-needed proof that the design talent behind those older games was still alive and well.

Viva Piñata is more than just a pretty face, though. As the game progresses, it drip-feeds the player a steady stream of new challenges. First, the introduction of ‘piñatavores', which won't settle in your garden until they've eaten one of its existing residents. There's a certain old-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly logic to attracting some piñatas at the top of the food chain: you lure in a Mousemallow to feed to a Syrupent, then feed the Syrupent to a Macaracoon and so on. This is further complicated by the ability to breed animals, which involves checking off another set of requirements to help get them in the mood. Smaller piñatas, it seems, serve as the perfect aphrodisiac. This can test your loyalties – say you want to breed the foxy Pretztails, but have grown attached to the two Bunnycombs who have settled in the garden. Naturally you get the latter to do what rabbits do best, and make another Bunnycomb – so you can feed that cute little baby straight to a Pretztail.

As you nudge forward through the game, waiting for the right animal to wander into your garden, tending to plants, and building homes for your favourites, the initially gentle pace begins to snowball. Viva Piñata introduces ‘sour' piñatas, who drop sweets that can poison a resident; weeds that can spring up and choke your existing plants; masked Ruffians who vandalise and start fights. It's around this point that you begin to glimpse the game's hidden dark side.

Rotten candy

Family-friendly games weren't the only thing Rare was known for. Titles such as Killer Instinct, GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark brought a vital edge to Nintendo's catalogue. Conker, one of the cutesy animal characters created for Diddy Kong Racing, was revamped into a sweary, hard-drinking squirrel armed with Uzis and a chainsaw. By 2006, though, games had to work considerably harder to shock. Six months after the launch of Conker's Bad Fur Day, Rockstar changed the gaming landscape with the release of Grand Theft Auto III. Xbox consoles had made their name with the likes of Halo, Splinter Cell and – launched just days before Viva Piñata – Gears of War. An attempt to return to Rare's more bloody roots with Perfect Dark Zero proved disappointing.

While it may not have been obvious on the surface, though, some of this spirit lived on in Viva Piñata. The violence is kept strictly PG – when a piñata is killed, they pop open and spill their sweets on the ground, accompanied by the sound of children cheering – but it's effective because the game has encouraged you to invest in these creatures. The early game incentivises naming your piñatas with mechanical reward, sneakily building attachment. After all, which are you going to care more about, ‘Horstachio 1' or the one named after your childhood pet? As anyone who's watched Bambi or The Lion King will tell you, the death of loved animals isn't exactly out of the realms of children's entertainment, but Rare finds new opportunities to twist the knife. Those spilt sweets will get eaten by passing piñatas, meaning it's not unusual to catch a treasured Fudgehog snaffling up the innards of its former lover. The circle of life, lovingly rendered in all its gory glory.

And then Dastardos floats into your garden. The game's equivalent of the Grim Reaper, Dastardos is genuinely sinister. He glides just off the ground, a rigid expression on his Picasso mask, towards any piñatas who have fallen sick. "Dastardos has invented a cheerful song to help him through the day and make piñatas calm while he ‘fixes' them," reads the in-game description. By fixing, of course, it means bashing them open with a big stick. Suffice to say, Dastardos is not a welcome presence in your garden. But as the pace picks up, he's an increasingly common sight.

Viva Piñata increases the tension through something that's either a trick smartly borrowed from survival-horror games or a brilliant accident: the tools it gives you are just a little imprecise. The game plays out in real time, and its controls often make it feel like you're trying to complete a very delicate task with a very long pole.

This is an offshoot of the god-game genre, but one which casts you as a hapless god. Your shovel can be brought down like a lightning bolt from Zeus, but you lack that all-important omniscience – meaning you can only react to things once they've already started happening.

Turn your back for one second too long, and a wild piñata can sneak into your garden on the hunt. The game pings you with a notification when this happens, but if you don't act quickly, it'll all be over before you can intervene. When things start to go wrong, you can suddenly find yourself drowning in notifications, trying to pick through all the ones about plants drying out to get to the real trouble.

Two of your favourite piñatas are fighting, so you reach for the shovel and… Too late. One of them falls to the ground, sickly green. You notice a gate open in the pen separating predators from prey… Too late. A Cocoadile is gulping down your beloved Donald, the Quackberry you spent time and money dressing up. You spot a sour piñata, and look for the seeds it inevitably left behind… Too late. Red, ugly plants climb up, spitting fire and poisonous gas, choking and trapping whole piñata populations, meaning you miss the poisoned candies the sour also dropped on the other side of the garden.

Self-flagulation

When these disasters start to happen, you notice the game doesn't offer any quick save or load options. It's not exactly Ironman mode, but Viva Piñata is pushing you to stick with the consequences. The only way to sidestep the game's permanence is by shutting it down mid-session, praying for a convenient autosave.

That this option is so tempting is testament to Viva Piñata's success, building just slowly enough that you get invested in this cutesy world, before baring its teeth. The game works because it blends the brightness of Banjo-Kazooie with the harder edge Rare that showed in early games such as Killer Instinct and Battletoads.

Unfortunately, when it came to finding an audience, this meant that Viva Piñata fell between two stools. The game did well enough to launch a handful of sequels and spin-off games, but sold a small fraction of what Rare's biggest hits had managed. After a couple more games, the studio was folded more closely into Microsoft, working on avatars for Xbox Live and a string of Kinect games. It's only now, with Sea of Thieves, that Rare is stepping back into the spotlight – and so in 2018, the developer once again finds itself at a crossroads, with a bold new game positioned as its big comeback.

Until we ever get a new Viva Pinata, why not try these games like Palworld?

Substructure is an attempt to take one of the factory sim genre's most celebrated mods, and transform its core idea into a game of its own. Factorio's Ultracube, which limits production to the vicinity of the eponymous cube and tasks players with expertly navigating the bottlenecks that inevitably brings, is a lauded but daunting twist on the genre leader. By the time Substructure's devs have finished showing me how their game reimagines that idea across a multi-level map, I'm feeling dizzy at the extent of mental juggling I've had to do.

After a 'rogue planet' drifts its way into the solar system, you're dispatched to its surface to investigate. Upon arrival, you quickly begin extracting the resources you find near your landing site; silica serves as a basic building material, from which you can construct what you need to farm the local fauna, burning it as biofuel to power more complex buildings. Automation, of course, is the aim, and conveyors and robotic arms are quickly sorting and transporting fuel, raw materials, and seeds to be replanted around your growing planetary footprint.

Rock and roll

But among the more simple material is something else; a rock that can only be mined at night, and which will eventually dissolve away if not processed effectively. It's the first sense of the logistical challenges that Substructure will impose, but also that there's more to this planet than the plants and minerals on its surface are ready to reveal. Eventually, a drill allows you to burst through the crust, opening a cavernous new internal frontier to explore.

It's from here that the real complexity of Substructure's automation begins to open up. Beneath the outer shell, the planet has another level, this one dark, humid, and home to bioluminescent fungus. Bore down another layer and the climate changes again, glowing crystals combining with a building toxicity to create an altogether harsher climate. Developer Dubious Design has already teased a journey taking you all the way to the planet's core, and the deeper you delve the more clues you'll find to suggest this rogue planet hasn't always been as empty as it currently seems.

But, while progress might be downwards, it's not a straight line. Those drills don't simply allow you to bust holes in the planet for the fun of it – they help you build massive elevator shafts that can be used to carry materials to and fro across the various levels you've explored. Material mined from lower levels might need to be brought up to the surface for expansion, and material processed on the surface will need to go back into the depths.

As your automation becomes more complex, the elevators themselves can become their own mega-factories, yoyo-ing between levels to take advantage of the differing environmental conditions. Certain catalysts will speed up production – sunlight, for example, speeds up the production of the plants in your fields, while darkness will slow it down – so managing exactly where your elevators are and at what thresholds they move (all while balancing where their output goes) is crucial to pushing substructure's efficiency.

By the time just three planetary levels have offered up their secrets, my head is spinning. I'm being guided through Substructure's opening hours at breakneck pace, admittedly, but there are already so many moving parts, all reliant on so many other systems. Despite that, studio co-founders Mike Donoghue and Stu Taylor say they have to fight the urge to add things that are "too complicated."

Instead, the aim is to gradually introduce players to more and more complex ideas. Guiding them directly through the experience isn't an option – the team's internal mantra is "'all game'", the idea that nothing should be interrupting the player on their own journey to understanding. Mastery might be a long time coming, but the belief is that that friction – catalysts, time-sensitive resources, the game's sheer verticality – is all a necessary part of the game.

"You need friction for it to be interesting," says Taylor, as Donoghue doubles down: "I think humans derive inherent satisfaction from solving things and feeling like they've achieved something. We really believe in this idea of 'sense of accomplishment by playing', where indirect guidance is where you get the highest sense of accomplishment. Our games work best to some extent when they are maddening you."

Keep your own play ticking over like in Substructure with our best strategy games ranking, and games like Stardew Valley recommendations!

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has shared an update on his upcoming chocolatier sim Haunted Chocolatier as we approach the fifth anniversary of its announcement: the game is still happening.

Now that Hollow Knight: Silksong and Mewgenics are out, the gaming community needs a new indie that's taking ages to launch to rally around. For me, that's Little Devil Inside (which was originally announced for the Wii U, to tell you how long that's been), but I imagine there's a whole lot of people who have been desperately waiting for the next game from Stardew Valley developer Barone instead. His upcoming Haunted Chocolatier was announced all the way back in 2021.

To his credit, Barone has been way more open about the development of Haunted Chocolatier than the Silksong devs were or Little Devil Inside devs are. He's well aware that Haunted Chocolatier is "taking a long time," but he's now shared a new update on the game's development through the Haunted Chocolatier website.

"I'm still here, still making progress," Barone says, thanking the fanbase for waiting patiently, and apologizing for how long development is taking. He adds, "I've been very productive on this project lately even though I am busy with many things. Working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I'm most eager and driven to do, out of everything."

However, despite his apologies about the development time, Barone isn't stressed about it, as, "That's just how it is" He explains, "I won't compromise on the quality of the game by rushing it or releasing it too early. Then all my time would be wasted, anyway." Barone also notes that the community is supportive, adding that "I do appreciate how understanding you guys are."

"My goal is to make a game that I am proud of and personally enjoy. And I am certain, at this point, that I will enjoy the game when it is finished," Barone says. "I already enjoy playing it in its unfinished state, especially after some recent additions i made… I hope others will like it too when it’s ready."

Given that Stardew Valley has become one of the most beloved games of all time, and it has been consistently been updated alongside the development of Haunted Chocolatier, I reckon we let Barone cook – because he's right, it'd be a waste to rush the process.

Haunted Chocolatier is "way bigger than Stardew Valley," says ConcernedApe: "Everything is cranked up."

Paralives just got a brand-new update, addressing some of the most common bugs and adding various hotly requested features to the indie life sim – including alternative camera controls, which I might be a tad bit too excited about.

As per the Paralives roadmap, there's still plenty to come to The Sims 4 competitor, but the developers have undeniably been on the case. Recently, we saw improvements made to baby Paras' uncanny appearances – and, now, we've got more columns in the Paramaker, new camera controls, fresh animations, and more.

Paralives Studios reveals as much in a post over on X, showcasing some of patch 0.1.8's big highlights

The alternate camera controls are such a big deal, in fact, that they've spurred their own little follow-up thread from the studio, in which it says, "You're welcome."

Attached is an amusing edit of various – and I mean various – complaints and screenshots from Reddit and the like regarding the old Paralives camera controls and the (previous) inability to change them. The comments are nice there, too, with many a "thank you" rolling in.

How do the alternative camera controls work, though? "Notably," as Paralives Studio writes, it "allows players to rotate the camera with middle click and scroll their view with right click." Yes, please.

As for everything else that 0.1.8 has to offer, the column customization in both the Build Mode and Paramaker is pretty dang great if I do say so myself – especially as someone who uses Sims 4 mods to properly adjust the columns in Create-A-Sim.

There's also a new set of embarrassed animations, because we all know our Paras might find themselves in some less-than-ideal situations at times. Plus, "various optimizations" to the game's code, the ability to turn the TV or radio on – something we lost along the way "in the past few patches," and loads of other bug fixes.

All in all, 0.1.8 is a decent update, and I'd recommend giving the full notes a read on Steam for those able.

Excitingly enough, Paralives Studio has more up its sleeve underway as well, noting that the devs are "still hard at work trying to find proper reproduction steps for many ongoing issues."

Until then, I'll be hopping back into the Paramaker for the hundredth hour.

Searching for more new games to wishlist? Here are the best games like The Sims 4 out there right now to explore if you want a Paralives-adjacent experience.

Roblox has been in the limelight the past couple of days thanks to Steal an Egg, a pet-raising simulator that encourages users to continuously doomscroll through reels while running on a virtual treadmill Black Mirror-style – or, well, used to encourage.

Used to, because Roblox actually deplatformed the game yesterday following folks' outrage online over Steal an Egg's encouragement of short-form video overconsumption (you know, doomscrolling). At first, users weren't sure why Roblox removed Steal an Egg – but now, it all makes sense.

The company explains its reasoning in a new post, confirming that it won't allow Roblox to host such games any longer. So, what do we mean by "such" here? Well, games that encourage doomscrolling, basically.

"Effective immediately," as the Roblox developers write, "games will not be allowed in Roblox Kids and Select if they combine all of the following: A media feed (short-form videos, images, or story-style posts). A feed that autoplays, loops, or scrolls on its own. A reward, or implied reward, for continued watching."

The devs conclude with their reasoning here: "Rewarding users to consume a continuous feed of content without natural stopping points is not appropriate for younger users."

They specify what kinds of games and what sort of content isn't okay further, then, but it's safe to say that this was a pretty decent move on the Roblox team's part. Between Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot, there's already plenty of mind-melting content to fall under the spell of, anyway.

Comments show users happy to see the change, too. "This is incredible," reads one. "I am extremely glad that the team is making changes in response to creator and community feedback. I really appreciate how fast this change was made as well."

Another replies, "This is a genuine breath of fresh air to see Roblox actually making good decisions for the health and quality of the platform instead of whatever will pump the stock up."

The comments make sense here, considering past statements from the company, like CEO Dave Baszucki's instructing parents to simply not "let your kids be on Roblox" when they raised concerns… and seeing as it's basically the biggest gaming platform in the world now.

Fan of the virtual platform yourself? Here are some up-to-date Roblox promo codes to use for free, effortless goodies.

Story of Seasons (previously known as Harvest Moon outside of Japan), the cozy series that inspired Stardew Valley, is returning five years after its last original entry with another gem – and a fresh JRPG spin-off for Rune Factory stans, too.

In case you're out of the loop, Story of Seasons – which used to be Harvest Moon, but is now a separate franchise overseas – hasn't seen the release of a new mainline entry since Pioneers of Olive Town back in 2021.

Sure, we've had remakes and all, like the recent (and, yes, good) Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, but a never-before-seen release? It's been five years, y'all. Turns out developer Marvelous Inc has one up its sleeve, however.

The team confirms as much in a new live stream over on X, unveiling a brand-new Story of Seasons with some downright adorable footage. I'm talking bubbly cows, crystal-blue waters, and a charming seaside town I can't wait to learn more about.

That's not all that Marvelous has in the works, though. It showcases Rune Factory 6 as well, the latest entry in Story of Seasons' spin-off JRPG series… and, yep, it looks just as gorgeous.

As excited as I am for both, the most wholesome part of the stream stands out as a message from Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone – the mastermind behind Stardew Valley himself.

"The Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series are the best games of my life and have played a huge part in shaping who I am today," it reads (as translated in-house by GamesRadar+). "Playing Harvest Moon on the SNES as a child it was obvious that it set itself apart from every other game I had played."

He explains why: "Many games focus on grand adventures, battles, and saving the world, while Harvest Moon presents a very different world, a little life that's centered around farming, the bonds people share, and building a home. It reminds me of the unspoken comforts of slow-paced everyday activities."

That it does, ConcernedApe. That it does – and that's probably why so many of us harbor so much love for it.

We'll likely learn more about both Marvelous projects soon, but for now, I'll be rewatching the live stream over and over again for better glimpses of Story of Seasons' farm animals and Rune Factory 6's chibi little beast-like characters.

Searching for other new games to play? Browse through our roundup of the best games like Stardew Valley to hop into while you wait for Story of Seasons and Rune Factory 6.

Look, sometimes you're really proud of something and want to show it off. Even as the CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata was not immune to this, since he apparently made sure everyone at Nintendo Europe was playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf ahead of the game's launch.

Speaking on the Back Page podcast (spotted by FRVR), Ashley Day, a former PR and social media manager at Nintendo UK, recalls the experience in a retrospective on the Nintendo DS. "There was a very unusual push behind-the-scenes to make [Animal Crossing: New Leaf] a success," he remembers.

"This came from the top. This came from Iwata," he said. "Certainly in Europe, I don't know what it was like in the States or in Japan, but every single employee at Nintendo Europe and all of its subsidiaries was given a free copy of New Leaf months before the game came out."

This wasn't normal for the games giant. Employees had access to freebies, sure, but not before the shelf date. Iwata made an exception for the handheld Animal Crossing installment, because he wanted everyone to understand the charm and rhythm of the series.

"Iwata made a point and said, 'I want everyone, it's now your job to play New Leaf, like play it every day,'" Day says. "He wanted people to understand at Nintendo what it was like to play Animal Crossing habitually."

I'm not an Animal Crossing fan, really – I respect the series much more than I actively enjoy it – and even I'll say, having your boss come in and utter the words, "It's now your job to play New Leaf" is truly the dream. Forget real capitalism, we're partaking in fake capitalism with bells and Tom Nook now.

Of course, "he was right," and Nintendo's European operations became a hot bed of Animal Crossing aficionados, because New Leaf dailies became fundamental to everyone's days. "It was amazing to see," Day adds.

"Some of the older generation of sales people who were in their late 50s and didn't really touch games all that much suddenly became ultra obsessed with Animal Crossing," he remembers. "They were trading on the Animal Crossing stock market and making clothes."

New Leaf wound up being a massive release, and Day puts some of that down to this mandate. Whether that's true is hard to actually verify, but having everyone behind the game definitely won't have hurt.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf became a benchmark for the series, remaining a fan-favorite to this day. If even your accountants and admin staff are into it, the thing must be good, right?

Nintendo got "a lot of angry calls" from parents who thought Animal Crossing's "skin-colored" gyroid "looked like a wiggling penis."

Grow a Chicken Fighter codes can give you a head start in the process of hatching, fusing, and battling your expanding collection of chickens to create the ultimate feathered fighter! Take them to the Tower and try to defeat every boss as you climb the floors, or head into the Pit to fight for money against other players.

The promos that have dropped so far will increase your bank balance, while also providing fresh eggs to hatch and temporary boosts to speed up your progress in this Roblox experience. If you think you've got what it take to train the best, then these are the codes for Grow a Chicken Fighter and how to redeem them.

If you're searching for some more general promos that apply to all of your experiences, then we've got the latest Roblox promo codes covered.

All Grow a Chicken Fighter codes

The following Grow a Chicken Fighter codes can be claimed now:

• CHICKENCLASH – 50x Arena Medals, 100x Charm Dust, x2 Hatch Luck (15 minutes) new!
• BATTLEREADY – 100x Charm Dust, 1x Royal Egg, x2 Hatch Luck (15 minutes)
• 50MVISITS – 60 Cash, 1x Thunder Egg, x2 Money (20 minutes)
• ASCEND – 50 Cash, 1x Thunder Egg, x2 Money (30 minutes)
• EGGSCELLENT – 50 Cash, 1x Thunder Egg, x2 Corn (30 minutes)
• LETMECOOK – 50 Cash, 1x Thunder Egg, x2 Money (30 minutes)
• SERGIOVERSE – 50 Cash, 1x Scratch Egg, x2 Corn (30 minutes)
• WELCOME – 50 Cash, 1x Nest Egg

There are a decent number of codes for Grow a Chicken Fighter available, all of which give you some Cash alongside other handy items such as Eggs to hatch and test your RNG luck. Boosts to your Corn and Money earning are also included, but these run in real time and don't stop if you leave the game, so make sure you're ready to use them when you redeem the code.

How to redeem Grow a Chicken Fighter codes

To redeem Grow a Chicken Fighter codes, all you have to do is hit the Ticket icon at the top of the main screen, which will open up the CODES menu. From there, use the TYPE YOUR CODE... text box to enter a promo, before using the REDEEM button to receive your reward. Codes for Grow a Chicken Fighter are not case-sensitive, though when I was redeeming them on mobile the game kept adding extra letters as I was typing, so watch out for that.

Expired Grow a Chicken Fighter codes

• 40KCCU – 1x Blazing Egg

Although they haven't been around for long, expired Grow a Chicken Fighter codes have already started appearing! That means there's extra reason to go and grab those active promos as soon as possible, as they may also end up down here soon.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Just last night, the future was looking pretty bright for Starsand Island, the anime RPG inspired by Stardew Valley. It was about to get its 1.0 update and launch out of early access after months of generally positive impressions from early adopters, slightly offset by claims of fake Steam reviews which developer Seed Sparkle Lab has denied. However, it seems the tide could be changing away from Seed Sparkle's favor as early reviews of the 1.0 update are mostly negative on Steam.

To be very clear on the math here, Starsand Island still has a "very positive" rating overall on Steam, but the distinct "recent reviews" rating is now "mixed," which directly correlates with the launch of 1.0. In fact, Steam lets you sort reviews by exact date, and if you look at today, which is when the update launched, 61% of reviews are negative. That's a huge downward swing compared to lifetime reviews of the game from the launch of early access until now, strongly suggesting people aren't digging the 1.0 offerings, which apparently are pretty slim.

"undisclosed ai, tencent backing. not an indie studio. kickstarter was a success, scammed tons of people who STILL haven't gotten their keys," reads one particularly scathing review marked as one of the "most helpful" by Steam due to an abundance of community rewards given by other users. "the day 1 dlc is $20 for a recolored $100 kickstarter tier outfit. idk. just not a good look."

Another propped up Steam review claims "the game is riddled with AI" and echoes other common criticisms that Seed Sparkle hasn't been upfront about funding for the project and, more pertinent to the game itself, that multiplayer hasn't been well-implemented. "Multiplayer is locked behind hours of single-player gameplay, so you can't play together from the start," says one Steam user. "And to make things worse, progress is only awarded to the host. If you join someone else's game, your own progression doesn't carry over."

It's not just on Steam, either. If you look through Starsand Island's subreddit, you'll find similar complaints from that community. "Nothing worth coming back for tbh," reads a Reddit thread with 90 upvotes and comments generally in agreement. "Nothing new apart from some weird fox girl in front of my house. No new blueprints, no new outfits, seeds," says the Redditor.

"I couldn't agree more. I got bored before finishing the ranching and gardening professions. And 1.0 added nothing," reads the top reply.

In pre-release update notes for 1.0, Seed Sparkle listed multiplayer as the headline addition and teased expanded dating and romance features, and well, technically all of that is in the game today. I'm not seeing anything to suggest the studio straight-up promised features that aren't included in 1.0, but the general vibe is that the launch update simply isn't packing enough to distinguish it from the early access version. Pair that with widespread claims of undisclosed AI and multiplayer features apparently being locked behind hours of gameplay, and things aren't looking good right now.

Of course, it's way too early to say a consensus has been formed on Starsand Island 1.0, and I'll be eager to see if and how Seed Sparkle responds to the AI claims and other complaints about the update. There are definitely still people enjoying the game while we wait for answers, including a few of us here at GamesRadar+, but if accusations of uncouth practices and unfulfilled promises were previously a small thorn in the side of an otherwise successful early access game, they've grown into a festering wound on the first day of its full launch on PC and consoles.

In the meantime, here are some of the best relaxing games we recommend when you've had One of Those Days.

As an avid fan of the best farming games, I'm always looking out for cozy life sims that let me carve out an idyllic existence. Naturally that means I'm desperate to play Fields of Mistria (thanks in no small part to our Features Editor's adoration for it), the anime-inspired game like Stardew Valley which left Early Access in August with the addition of marriage and kids – social sim elements that speak to my romance-loving heart. But as a console player who doesn't own a Steam Deck, a port is my only hope… The wait for that, though, is anyone's guess, with the team looking at a release on other platforms "at a future time".

Fortunately, another big farming-RPG-life-sim-hybrid has just launched on PS5 and Switch 2 after leaving its own Early Access period: Starsand Island. Not unlike Fields of Mistria, I've had Seed Sparkle Lab's cozy adventure on my radar since it was announced last year, and now that it's gotten a host of updates and its wider console launch, I've thrown myself into the pastoral world and its many cute critters. I may only be around five hours in after getting an early code from the publisher, but I'm already surprised by how much there is to do and work towards.

A crafter's life for me

I'm well-versed in the classic farming life sim formula, and Starsand Island starts out as many do. Trading off corporate city life for a quieter existence in the countryside, you return to your picturesque hometown and reunite with childhood friends to start over. Where Starsand Island diverges a little, though, is the way it throws a bunch of different professions at your feet. Want to become an expert crafter who makes gadgets and gizmos for the community? How about becoming a proficient angler, farmer, explorer, or rancher who raises animals?

The beauty of it is that you work towards progressing in all of these professions at your own pace, which constantly gives me goals to work towards – with each one laying out questlines that help you advance and unlock more skills, better equipment, useful crafting features, and sometimes open up the world in different ways. Angler, for example, led me to discover I could ride out on a boat. Everything you can develop in these jobs feed into the classic mainstay features I've come to expect from the genre, from sowing seeds and helping them grow, to gathering resources with my axe or pickaxe, and doing a spot of fishing.

But with each profession having its own unlockable skill trees, connections to certain NPCs (which can go some way to helping you increase your bond with them), and routes to follow, there's a satisfying loop in chipping away at job milestones and completing tasks that give you new ways of doing things.

I've spent 13 in-game days in Starsand Island so far, and being a crafter is far and away my favorite profession. I'm used to gallivanting about on the back of a horse, but I love the way my crafty ways have led me to unlock all sorts of vehicles and means of travel. Sure, Starsand Island involves a lot of 'make or get this thing and give it to someone' – especially if you're taking on requests from the local community board – but when I can go and deliver it on the back of a skateboard? Or zip down the lane in style wearing my trusty rollerskates? Well, you best believe it's way more fun.

Better yet, I can even rent a snazzy moped, or even a sports car, and cruise around the landscape delivering watermelons, fruit pulp, and whatever else someone is after. I'm absolutely planning on saving up to purchase my own, more advanced rides. As a gearhead who loves driving in games, having vehicles really just adds to my farming experience (even if the Rancher path gives some adorable mounts).

Bonding with the locals

Truth be told, what I'm really here for is to get to know the characters. For me, the chance to develop bonds and even establish romances is at the heart of what I really love about so many farming sims out there. I love how meaningful the relationships feel in the likes of Stardew Valley or Studio Drydock's Wydle Flowers, and I'm always yearning for more experiences that let me form attachments to the locals and build up a life with them in this way.

With Starsand Island's frankly huge lineup of local residents, I could hardly wait to get to know them and see who I would invest my time and energy bonding with. The 1.0 launch is said to have expanded dating activities for 14 romanceable characters, with the likes of picnics, kite flying, and more, along with the promise of bringing to life more varied interactions. While I can't speak to changes or improvements directly since I didn't play in Early Access, I have been enjoying meeting the vast cast and increasing my affection level so far.

In the social tab, though, it does refer to these bonds as "friendships", with the last unlockable goal being that your friend moves in with you. With no marriage option in sight as of yet, or more relationship advancement beyond that, I have a feeling Starsand Island isn't going to rival its peers in the romance and relationship department, but I really hope more time with the game will prove me wrong (if only to make the wait for Fields of Mistria and its marriage update more bearable).

Even if marriage doesn't appear to be on the cards in this world, I have been impressed by the amount of variety there is when it comes to Starsand Island's professions. Not to mention the wealth of customization it offers; from letting you build and design your own home and land, to changing up your character's look with various hairstyles and outfits. My experience on PS5 so far has also been pretty stable, with no major bugs stopping me from progressing – even if load times can be a little on the slower side at times.

If you're looking for a new life sim farming RPG you can easily sink lots of time into on console, then Starsand Island fits that bill. With a host of goals to work towards, unlockables to get, and plenty of room to build and decorate your own piece of land in its cozy setting, it's certainly scratching my genre itch while I continue to hold out for Fields of Mistria.

As a long-time Stardew Valley fan, here's why I'm converting to Fields of Mistria.

Remember Starsand Island? The impossibly cute anime RPG explicitly inspired by Stardew Valley? It was a huge hit at Steam Next Fest earlier this year and fully captured the hearts of several GamesRadar+ writers, myself included however briefly. Well, it's back with the full 1.0 update, launching out of Steam Early Access on Tuesday, August 18 with a bevy of new and expanded features.

Developer Seed Sparke Lab, a name I just adore, revealed the contents of Starsand Island's 1.0 update in a couple of Steam developer updates. The big selling point is the addition of multiplayer, which, you guessed it, lets you hang out with your friends online in the game. Similar to how it works in other life simmy games, the host of the island can open it up to other players, including friends and randoms, and set permissions as far as what resources can be harvested.

There's also a new in-game economy tied to the multiplayer system that doles out points for doing specific activities with your friends, like fishing, farming, exploring, and taking pictures with them. You can head to the new multiplayer shop to exchange your points for "a variety of useful and lovely items."

The 1.0 update also has some pretty neat-sounding narrative stuff that should add a new dimension to your relationships with the other islanders. New "relationship stories" are unlocked once your relationship status with an islander reaches three hearts, and from there you'll unlock letters from them as well as special quests deepening your relationship with that islander even further. Speaking of which, the dating system has been "upgraded" and "expanded" for 1.0 with new activities like picnics, arcade game challenges, and kite-flying.

With 1.0 nearly here, you might be wondering what's next for Starsand Island, but so far the developer has only said it'll be "listening to your feedback, fixing issues, and improving the game" after launch. Given the early access success the game's seen so far, and the longevity associated with farming sims, 1.0 is likely the beginning of a long road ahead for Starsand Island.

It's worth noting that Seed Sparkle has been accused of forging Steam reviews to boost the game's profile, although the developer has strongly rejected those claims and insisted someone else was behind the fake reviews.

Stardew Valley "3DVR" mod looks like a whole different game, is "fully playable" and compatible with all of your existing mods

The saga between former Saber Interactive writer Stella Sacco and Saber CEO Matt Karch reaches day three with hardly any progress as Sacco maintains she was fired and replaced with AI, and Karch summons all the antagonism in the galaxy to say she's mistaken. Only one aspect of the spat between them has been resolved: Saber finally added an AI disclosure label to upcoming driving sim Rideshare "Stimulator" on Steam.

Sacco initially wrote in an August 11 Bluesky post about the game, "I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they're not disclosing it on Steam." Karch then hit back on August 13 to say "it was always [Saber's] intention to reveal" its AI usage, and that Sacco was actually "terminated for a variety of reasons," though "I would frankly in retrospect have been happy to replace her with AI." Right. Well, though Karch suggested Saber would only update the Rideshare "Stimulator" Steam page with an AI disclosure "once it's finalized," the developer apparently had a change of heart.

Now, the bottom of the Rideshare "Stimulator" Steam page explains, "The main Campaign story, characters, and dialogue are written by a team of human writers. AI tools are used for voice generation and some localization.

"The optional Free Ride mode includes AI-generated passenger missions and localized dialogue. Free Ride mode is separate from the main Campaign and can be skipped by players who prefer to experience only human-written narrative content."

This broadly lines up with statements from both Karch and a Saber representative, who told GamesRadar+ earlier this week, "Rideshare's story was written entirely by real people. The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite."

But this new Rideshare "Stimulator" Steam disclosure also reveals "a mix of radio stations featuring human-made music and AI-generated music. Stations containing AI-generated music are clearly labeled as such in the game." So my calculations tell me, that's a lot of AI content. Players and critics alike have discredited other games for less, like when Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had its Indie Game Awards wins retracted in 2025 for launching with some AI-created textures.

Sacco comments on the new Rideshare "Stimulator" disclosure on Bluesky, writing, "It's even worse than I said it was. I can see why the CEO crashed out when I pointed it out."

It's certainly curious that Saber didn't want to reveal its AI usage sooner considering the scope of it, though fellow hyperactive driving sim Crazy Taxi: World Tour received tornado-wind levels of blowback over its own AI-assisted production so, maybe that's why. But I'd like to remind developers that a good way to avoid controversy over your generative AI usage is to actually not use generative AI. GamesRadar+ recently found out this is also the advice a lawyer would give; video game lawyer Haley MacLean recently told us that she wants studios to know, "Don't touch [gen AI]. It's not worth the legal liability that it brings to you."

That said, Karch claims in a new interview with IGN that Saber isn't "shying away" from its AI usage in Rideshare "Stimulator." He says, "It required us adding two writers and multiple coders to work with AI tools to try and get a reasonable result. Maybe we are bad at business but the net cost of incorporating these features was significantly higher than leaving them out."

He is confident that "AI can and should help shape gamer experiences," though "my PR team is always terrified by even broaching the subject."

"It's not and has never been about efficiencies and team reductions," Karch concludes. Nonetheless, Sacco hasn't budged in her version of events, writing on Bluesky, "Everything I said was true." She maintains that Karch's cynical statements were inappropriate, "and combined with the AI use it will do far more damage to Saber's reputation than it ever could mine." No need to ask ChatGPT if that's true – it sounds right to me.

"It creates lesser games": Indie game studios are supposed to love generative AI, so why do the 25 devs I spoke to avoid it?

Generally speaking, you're best off using official channels for any video game purchases. There are exceptions when it comes to delisting and preservation and whatnot, but the simple fact is Steam, GOG, and others protect your investment more than third-party resellers, and one indie dev is reminding people of that by deactivating illegitimately gotten copies of their game.

The repair shop sim ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs managed to shift 300,000 copies in its first week. An incredible result for a small team, but it's been tainted slightly because a small percentage of them have been blocked by publisher tinyBuild because they were ill-gotten keys.

"We just revoked 649 game keys for ReStory most of which were confirmed to have been sold on shady key reseller websites," Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of publisher tinyBuild, said on Twitter. "If you bought the game off shady reseller websites and lost access, contact said shady reseller website."

To make his gripes here clear, he shares a news story from 2016, where tinyBuild says it lost $450,000 due to key resellers. A decade later, and it's still a problem.

"We identified the leak and will not be working with that part moving forward," he adds. "Also just buy games on Steam. If a deal looks too good to be true, it's probably not true."

This is fundamental to how these sites operate - they tend to offer keys at discounted rates compared to proper channels. In some cases, they operate on a lottery, where you pay in a certain amount and can end up with a major triple-A release, or something smaller. Either way, it's money the devs and publishers are losing out on, and you're risking your funds on a platform with very little in the way of customer support.

For what happened here, Nichiporchik explains that scalpers bought copies on Steam priced cheaper in certain regions. If you release a game on Valve's store and don't set the price in each region individually, universal pricing creates discrepancies where this can happen. These were then being sold on less regulated marketplaces.

Remember, most games aren't coming from huge corporations. Any lost sales can hurt them. Nichiporchik clarifies afterward that some Green Man Gaming copies have been lost in the mix, which will be restored in time. "If you bought the game through GMG - a replacement key is on its way! No action needed on your end," he says.

"Just pirate it": Roguelike dev would rather you download its games illegally than buy from Steam code resellers.

Although The Sims 4 sadly doesn't feature an open-world map the way that The Sims 3 (my beloved) did, one talented modder has stepped up to the plate and is making it feel a lot more seamless and united.

How is he doing that, you might ask – and the answer is, well, by changing up the boring world selection screen and transforming it into a map that's almost reminiscent of The Sims 2 (minus all of the customization, but we can't win 'em all).

Aptly dubbed "The Immersive World Map" by creator SimMattically, the mod is rightfully making rounds online as it does what Simmers have hoped EA would do for years.

SimMattically describes it in a recent online post, calling the exciting new mod "a complete overhaul of the world selection screen, featuring a custom map design and a seamless layout that connects all Sims 4 worlds together."

He notes that it's available in early access over on Patreon, and you bet I'm running… not walking.

An attached video shows the map in action, too, and I'm all the more convinced I need it in my game.

It's downright stunning as well, combining all worlds into one unified map that just… well, makes sense. From Chestnut Ridge to San Myshuno, everything appears to fit perfectly, with bodies of water spacing out "continents."

Thematically, it all aligns, making navigation easier and less of an eyesore. I'm evidently not alone in thinking so, either, as comments show many already deem it one of the best Sims 4 mods to date.

"Beautiful and gorgeous," writes one Simmer. Another calls the mod "so sick." SimMattically confirms that it works with custom world map replacements, too – a dream come true.

He put a lot of effort in as well, stating he "did a ton of research" on every region "to see what real-world places they're based on." Then, he "tried to match them with the right culture, climate, and geography." EA could (or, perhaps more accurately, would) never.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Patreon to subscribe to and a brand-new world map to behold – borders be damned. Maybe one day we'll even see a worthy open world mod come to light, too… a girl can have hopes here, right?

EA finally admits adding autosaves to The Sims 4 is a good idea after 12 years, slapping a band-aid on over a decade of heartbreak from crashes and lost progress

The CEO of publisher Saber Interactive has responded to writer Stella Sacco's claim that she was replaced by AI on developer Unigine's upcoming driving sim Rideshare "Stimulator," and it's bizarre. He says Sacco is mistaken, but he wishes he did replace her with AI.

On August 11, Sacco explained on BlueSky about Rideshare "Stimulator," "I was lead writer on this one!" But "Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too" – and Saber CEO Matthew Karch doesn't outright refute this in the extravagant statement he gives This Week In Videogames.

Sacco also noted the Steam page for Rideshare "Stimulator" doesn't yet reflect the use of any AI tools. Another statement from Saber, given to GamesRadar+, roundly shoots down these claims. "Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game," the company says. "In fact, Saber's staff of writers has tripled since 2023. Rideshare's story was written entirely by real people."

Sacco stuck to her guns in a follow-up comment to PC Gamer. "They took me off the project to use ChatGPT to write the rest of the text, including planned live updates," she says. "If they changed plans in the intervening years, that's great, but again: I was there, and it was my job to write the game, and then it wasn't once Matt Karch decided using ChatGPT would be great publicity for the game."

Karch responds, "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her," he says to This Week In Videogames. "We have already said we are using AI for certain parts of the game and will update the Steam page once we have finalized the feature set."

He maintains the Rideshare "Stimulator" script is all human-written, adding that, "Were it to win an award, it would go to someone who can walk up on stage and receive it."

Karch then claims Sacco "violated her confidentiality clause" by mentioning the game's incorporation of AI before Saber could. "It was always our intention to reveal this," he says.

"We look at our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower-priced title, as a plus for consumers," Karch adds. "As far as Stella is concerned, she was replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later. From what I can gather she enjoys controversy even more than I do. I would frankly in retrospect have been happy to replace her with AI. At least we would be dealing with someone programmed to be honest."

In another public post, Sacco triples down on her original comments. "I think it should be obvious to anyone who reads that statement that he's lashing out because he did not want people to know there was AI use in the game," she writes. "Everything I said was true. Here's more truth: that statement is remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making, and combined with the AI use it will do far more damage to Saber's reputation than it ever could mine."

I certainly wouldn't say Saber or Rideshare "Stimulator" are looking particularly good here. Generative AI is becoming pretty common in the industry, though replacing devs outright is a whole other level of ick. Plus, at the time of writing, Rideshare "Stimulator" still doesn't have the boilerplate AI disclosure on Valve's marketplace.

"Once it's finalized, we will update the Steam page," Karch tells IGN when asked about this. "In Rideshare we added an unrelated experimental mode to the game to play around with these concepts. It's not the core experience. And even in this case it required us adding two writers and multiple coders to work with AI tools to try and get a reasonable result."

He defends Saber's AI use by claiming it's about helping the process rather than downsizing. "It's not and has never been about efficiencies and team reductions. Rather it's about how AI can improve the game experience," he claims.

Baldur's Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star didn't believe she was in Space Marine 2 until fan messages sent her sleuthing through receipts.

Update: In a statement issued to GamesRadar+, Saber denies that any writer was replaced with AI on Rideshare "Stimulator" or "any other game."

However, an "experimental," free-ride mode in the game does feature the use of some AI "as the number of passengers in the game is infinite."

You can read the full statement below:

"Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game. In fact, Saber's staff of writers has tripled since 2023. Rideshare's story was written entirely by real people. The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite.

"We are firm believers in using AI tools to improve or enhance gameplay experiences and improve NPC behavior as we have done since Saber was founded in 2001. As the industry has continued to contract, Saber continues to hire. None of our 3000+ employees have to worry about being replaced by AI."

Original story: Publisher Saber Interactive allegedly heavily used generative AI in the upcoming driving sim Rideshare "Stimulator," even directly replacing some staff with AI bots like ChatGPT, without disclosing AI use in the game's Steam store page.

Rideshare "Stimulator" was announced in a trailer released on July 30 by Saber and developer Unigine. Today, August 11, former lead writer Stella Sacco reacted to the news on Bluesky, suggesting Saber has buried its AI use.

"I didn't even see this had been announced. I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development," Sacco says. "All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they're not disclosing it on Steam."

Sacco also points to a post she originally shared on December 21, 2023, which reads, "I got replaced on one of my games at work. With ChatGPT."

Her LinkedIn career history shows she was with Saber from July 2023 through July 2024 as "lead writer for STUNTMAN HOLLYWOOD and other games across Saber’s portfolio."

Rideshare "Stimulator" is billed as a driving simulation game spliced with a rideshare business sim. Players plot and navigate routes through a city, speak to passengers, and aim for high driver ratings.

"Dodge traffic, follow the rules, and race the clock to drop off your quirky passengers, each with a story that's either captivating, hilarious, or just plain weird," reads its Steam description. A freshly minted page on Saber's website echoes this wording.

Notably absent from that Steam page is any sort of AI use disclosure. Games that use generative AI for "content that ships with your game, and is consumed by players" are required by Valve to disclose that usage on Steam. "This includes content such as artwork, sound, narrative, localization, etc.," per Steamworks content survey documentation.

Many developers have told GamesRadar+ that they support Valve's gen AI policy, though its stance has seen opposition in the games industry, notably from Epic Games (and Epic Games Store) boss Tim Sweeney.

Already, these accusations have made their way to YouTube comments on that announcement trailer, even for the PS5 version of the game. (Not that Sony needs any help inviting negative YouTube comments right now.)

"'We replaced the writers and VAs with AI !' We can tell bro," reads a comment posted one hour before press time.

"AI writing and voice work," adds another, posted one hour earlier.

"I notice there is no AI disclosure on the steam page, are you gonna rectify that? Seems at least one of your writers got pushed out in favor of using chatgpt," a third recent comment says.

I've reached out to Saber Interactive for comment on Rideshare "Stimulator" and its AI use and policies.

In stranger news, Saber CEO Matt Karch recently confirmed that Rideshare "Simulator" does, indeed, contain a dig at Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.

Half of all games released on Steam will use AI by 2028, study predicts: "AI lowers the barrier not just to make a game but to make several."

You run an electronics shop in mid-'00s Tokyo, and it's your job to meet with all kinds of oddball anime characters and repair off-brand PS1s and Polaroid cameras for them. That's the pitch for ReStory, and if that pitch has you rushing to check out this new indie game on Steam, you're not alone.

ReStory launched on August 6, and within 12 hours it had already made its budget back. That's according to Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of publisher tinyBuild, who shared some detailed stats about the game's release on Twitter.

By the day after launch, the game had grossed over $1 million, selling nearly 80,000 units. As of today, August 10, Nichiporchik says the game has reached $3 million in sales. Clearly, there's something here beyond the nostalgic pitch, as the reviews on Steam are firmly in "overwhelmingly positive" territory, with 96% of players leaving a positive rating.

ReStory is maybe my ideal cozy game, since it's all about what I try to spend most of my evenings doing: touching various old electronics. There are proper, licensed Atari consoles in here, as well as other electronics with the actual branding sanded off. You'll be fixing "Nony PlayMachines," "PMP" handhelds, "Pokia" phones, and even a few "Mapple Mypods."

Notably, ahead of the game's release, some players were looking at trailers and making accusations about AI art. "One glance at the trailer and you can see the key imagery has poorly-generated keyboards and a sticky note with scribbles on it," as one poster on the Steam forums put it.

"There are no AI-generated assets in ReStory, and there never will be any AI-generated assets in ReStory," the devs responded. "Everything in the game is created by our team of extremely talented and skilled artists who have been doing it for many years, and who simply don't need any AI to create amazing visuals."

Here are the upcoming indie games you need to know about.

Dig and Clean codes can help you make better discoveries hidden beneath the sands, as you sweep the beach with your detector in search of buried treasure. Once you've found an item, you can grab your bottle and give it a spray to clean it up, then put it on display for tourists to admire (and pay you for) or sell it for a profit.

The current promos will help you clean faster, and give you a Luck boost that improves the quantity and quality of the items you detect, which in turn will help you to earn more money and progress further in this Roblox experience. If you're ready to uncover a fortune, then here are the codes for Dig and Clean plus instructions for how to redeem them.

If you'd prefer some more general promos that can apply to all of your experiences, the Roblox promo codes can help with that.

All Dig and Clean codes

The following Dig and Clean codes can be claimed now:

• UPDATE3 – 2x Luck for 30 Minutes new!
• UPDATE2 – 5x Instant Cleans
• UPDATE1 – 2x Luck for 30 Minutes
• SECRET10 – 10x Luck for 10 Minutes

Codes for Dig and Clean provide various rewards, which currently includes Instant Cleans that can be used at your Cleaning Table to speed up the process, and Luck boosts for a set period of time that are represented by an icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen along with a countdown. Note that Luck boosts run in real time and don't stop if you leave the game, so make sure that you have time to get the maximum use out of them before redeeming.

How to redeem Dig and Clean codes

To redeem Dig and Clean codes, all you need to do is hit the Shop icon on the left side of the screen and then scroll down to the bottom of the menu that appears. Type a promo into the Enter code here... text box, then tap the Redeem button to collect your reward. Dig and Clean codes are not case-sensitive, so you don't need to use all caps as long as the spelling is correct when you enter them.

Expired Dig and Clean codes

• No expired codes

At the moment there are no expired Dig and Clean codes to report, as they haven't been available for long. They won't last forever though, so make sure you've claimed any active promos as soon as you can.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

+1 Speed Monkey Escape codes will help you to level up quicker, as you attempt to navigate obstacles and clear increasingly difficult courses to get wins. While every step you take will make you faster, there are ways to make that process even more efficient to improve your progress.

There are promos that will give you a free spin of the prize wheel, while others add potions to your inventory that can be consumed to temporarily double your speed or your wins in this Roblox experience. If you're climbing the walls (in a good way), then these are the codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape and how to redeem them.

If you're looking for some general promos that can be used in all of your experiences, then check out the Roblox promo codes.

All +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

The following +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes are currently available:

• PULSEISANOOB – x2 Speed Potion (1 Hour) latest!
• 1MCCU – x2 Wins Potion (1 Hour)
• 300MVISITS – x2 Speed Potion (1 Hour)
• 250KCCU – x2 Speed Potion (1 Hour)
• 100MVISITS – x2 Wins Potion (30 Mins)
• STREAK – Streak Boost

There are a decent number of codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape at the moment, for a selection of different rewards. Some, like the Streak Boost or Free Spin, are applied immediately when the code is redeemed, while potions are deposited into your Backpack so they can be activated at a time of your choosing.

How to redeem +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

In order to redeem +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes, you must first join the 100% ALGO SHOT Community. If you haven't done that already, a pop-up will prompt you to do so during the next step.

There are two routes available, so either tap the Shop icon and scroll all the way to the bottom of that menu, or hit the Rewards icon followed by the Codes icon to go directly to the entry screen, then enter the promo in the text box and press the Redeem button. Codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape are not case-sensitive, so all you need to do is use the correct spelling.

Expired +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

• 80MVISITS – x2 Speed Potion (30 Mins)
• CODESYAY – Free Spin
• 50MVISITS – x2 Speed Potion (10 Mins), x2 Wins Potion (10 Mins)

We now have some expired +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes to report, as some of the earlier promos are no longer valid. As always, make sure that you claim all of the active codes listed earlier while you still can.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

After two years in Steam Early Access, Fields of Mistria has fully launched with its 1.0 update adding key features like marriage, children, and player-requested quality of life improvements.

Fields of Mistria, the conceit of which is often synthesized as Sailor Moon meets Stardew Valley, launched into Early Access in August 2024, almost exactly two years ago. In that amount of time, it's become one of the foremost indie darlings in the cozy gaming scene, alluring the perpetually anxious among us with shojo-style anime cutscenes, a gentle progression loop built around farming, fishing, crafting, building relationships with villagers, and tinkering with the game's unique magic system. As you might expect, you, as the player, are tasked with restoring a disaster-ravaged homestead to its former picturesque glory.

Reactions to Fields of Mistria have been so universally positive that I often forgot it was in early access until today. In the two years it's been in testing, the game has received more than 26,000 reviews on Steam, and 97% of them have been categorized as positive. GamesRadar+'s Andrew Brown recently wrote about Fields of Mistria's deep RPG systems and "easy-living fantasy" that offers value in every possible progression avenue, which is especially impressive given the modest $14 price tag.

Now, with 1.0 having launched on Steam, there's even more to do. You can check out the full patch notes here, but arguably the biggest highlight is the addition of marriage and weddings to bring your romances to a narrative conclusion. Finally, instead of living the bachelor life and romancing several characters, it's time to pick one to settle down and have kids with. It's been two years, y'all, enough playing around.

The 1.0 update also lets you finally complete the Town Repair questline and go up to 100 in Town Renown, complete your museum, and start collecting Steam achievements. Some player-requested QoL features include the ability to rotate your avatar in the customization menu, the ability to disable break-up letters, and an option to disable the status change from Dating to Best Friends that happens automatically after engagement. And finally, you'll start seeing cloud shadows on the ground around town, which is entirely insignificant from a gameplay perspective but is nonetheless lovely.

There are no right answers to the supernatural murder plot in Grave Seasons, and that "moral ambiguity" is what has me so excited about the cozy horror game

Life as a Nintendo Game Counselor in the early '00s sounds like a wild time. One moment, you're helping someone find the Ghost Ship in Zelda: The Wind Waker, and the next you're assuring a deeply concerned parent that their child isn't playing a game that prominently features a giant, gyrating penis.

Yes, that is a real thing that happened. People really did get stuck on Wind Waker's Ghost Ship quest. I know, can you believe it? Oh, you're more interested in the gyrating penis thing, of course you are. Yes, that was also a very real concern back in the early aughts, according to a newly resurfaced magazine snippet featuring former Nintendo Counselor Rick Sandbom.

As spotted by Sasha's Retrobytes, and verified by GamesRadar+, the August 2004 edition of Electronic Gaming Monthly featured a quote from Sandbom about a very specific but recurring complaint he remembered hearing from Animal Crossing players calling Nintendo for advice. Their concern, apparently, was that the gyroid in front of each players' house was actually some sort of marital aid.

"We got a lot of angry calls about Animal Crossing," said Sandbom. "A skin-colored hydrant in the game caused a stir with parents, who thought it looked like a wiggling penis."

I've been playing Animal Crossing for 25 years going back to the first English language game from 2001, so I refuse to allow my precious childhood memories to be soiled by this story, but unfortunately I can't deny that I can understand the misperception having Googled what gyroids looked like that the time, especially distorted by old CRT hardware. Apparently, these complaint calls were so frequent that Nintendo implemented an official policy on how to deal with them.

"Our database even had a special page on dealing with the call," added Sandbom. "I waited every day to take this call, but it was always routed to hotline veterans."

What an honor, to be such a loyal employee of Nintendo that you're granted the privilege of taking calls in which you try convincing angry parents that what looks like a duck and gyrates like something else is in fact just a friendly neighborhood thingamabob that lets you save the game – although it's very much reading into the much more macabre origin story behind these bizarre and apparently phallic creatures.

I'm deleting my 1000-hour island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to play the Switch 2 update from scratch, and I never thought I'd be so excited to owe Tom Nook bells again

A wildly new ambitious MMO called SEED sees the entire player base touch down on a freshly-colonized planet, build a couple Seedlings who aren't too far off your typical The Sims characters, and collaborate to "build real, functional societies" that run even when you're not looking.

"SEED is a persistent, player-driven life and MMO simulation," developer Klang's website explains. But the nitty gritty details are what make SEED seem really exciting. You essentially build autonomous characters, each with their own personalities who will go about their routines whether you log in or not. Before long, they'll have built up societies that mirror our real life, only this time on a faraway planet. It's basically Rimworld but it's always online and borrows from The Sims.

Players can choose to either join one of "thousands of burgeoning societies" or begin anew, making your Seedlings go out for crafting materials to build almost everything from scratch. Bed rooms, houses, factories, pubs, hospitals - all with your expertly tuned interior design skills, of course. The coolest part is that societies exist in the same world no matter what, which I imagine could lead to some cool political drama as the game inches closer to 1.0. Even when you're not logged in, you can check in and text with your Seedlings on your real-world phone.

The trailer down below dives deeper into the juicy details: "How societies run is up to the players. They can form everything, from a top-down aristocracy to grassroots democracy, and then elect leadership, draft laws, levy taxes, and do everything modern governments do today on every scale." There's even a working real estate system, political elections, and inter-community trading.

"We're launching in Early Access because real society needs real people! Join early and get a chance to be one of the first to shape this ever-evolving new world," the developer writes. For now, the game's only available through the standalone SEED launcher on the company's website. A Steam launch is planned for later in the year.

For more, check out the new games of 2026 and beyond.

Just five months after entering early access, the 1.0 launch of Starsand Island is coming up soon. The more tropical take on Stardew Valley will be coming out fully in August, making the transition less than three weeks away.

Developer Seed Sparkle Lab made the announcement today, July 31, on Steam. Starsand Island will go into 1.0 on August 18, with the biggest addition being four-player multiplayer, "allowing you to farm, fish, build, explore, and enjoy island life together."

The studio notes that community insight has been a major factor in getting this far. "Thanks to your support, we've added new content, refined existing features, and made island life even more enjoyable," the team writes.

"To every islander who has joined us on this journey – thank you," the post continues. "Your feedback, encouragement, and passion have helped shape Starsand Island into what it is today."

Going from early access to the full version in six months is an impressive turnaround for any game. Projects often gestate for years before moving out, if they ever do. But 88% positive reviews suggests Seed Sparkle Lab is definitely doing something right.

Looking more like Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons in aesthetic, Starsand Island takes a coastal perspective on farm life. While you're tending to your crops and animals, you can enjoy a bit of sunbathing on the beach, or even head out on a boat for a little cruise. It's all delightful and summery, making this the perfect time of year to put it out.

There'll be a special launch discount, so if your interest is piqued, you can wait until the day of to buy a copy. "Version 1.0 is just the beginning," the developers add. "We'll continue bringing new content, improvements, and exciting updates to Starsand Island in the future."

8-year-old indie game on Steam goes from "like 10 reviews" to over 500 as players use it to play an Undertale multiplayer mod, and the dev behind it just thinks it's "really cool."

Stardew Valley's wonderfully active modding scene has brought PC players many, many unofficial delights over the years, like the addition of a bear mount or, bless it, a mod that lets you see where all of your neighbors are on the map at any given moment. The latest marvel coming courtesy of a dedicated Stardew modder looks like a whole new game, one with a 3D world, a first-person perspective, motion controls, and VR compatibility.

"Play Stardew Valley in Full 3D or VR with Motion Controls," says mod author GingasVR. "I'm Serious. Lightweight and Compatible with Everything."

It's a tempting proposition to be fully absorbed in a 3D transformation of Stardew Valley's impossibly cozy world, but GingasVR cautions that the mod is still a work-in-progress. Despite "some visual weirdness," which you can see in the clip below, the mod is "fully playable" and "won't mess up your save." According to GingasVR, you can install and uninstall it seamlessly and switch between 3D, 2D, and VR modes with hotkeys.

Even GingasVR admits this mod looks a little janky here and there, saying "there's only so much you can do with C# scripting to create voxels out of sprites that are meant for 2D," but if it's really as smooth in motion as it looks, it's still mighty impressive. I don't have near enough qualifications to explain how it all works, but fundamentally, it uses procedural generation to create 3D voxels from the game's existing 2D assets. That's how GingasVR was able to make the mod in a matter of months rather than years.

I'd be interested to play it out of pure curiosity, and if you're so inclined, there's a video tutorial from GingasVR on how to get it all set up. It doesn't sound particularly complicated, but if you aren't used to installing mods for games, you should probably watch the guide.

Stardew Valley doesn't have mod support on console for "numerous reasons" says creator ConcernedApe, but he's not "opposed" to it if it's ever possible

These Be the Final Boss codes are the best way to boost your Soul resources for getting new Units, but you can also get Luck Potions, Spins, and more. If you want to survive as many waves as possible, you're going to need to decent team of units to defend your base from incoming swathes of, I guess, 'heroes'.

Units aren't the only thing at your disposal in this Roblox experience. Unlike a tower defence game, you too can fight - you are the final boss, after all. Buy weapons with Coins and forge armor from Forge Stones, all of which you can also get with the Be the Final Boss codes below, so let's get to them.

But quickly, I'll also just mention that there are plenty of other Roblox promo codes available, too, for use across all your favorite experiences.

All Be the Final Boss codes

These are the current Be the Final Boss codes you can redeem right now:

• BOWTOTHEBOSS - 1 Coin Booster, 7.5k Coins new!
• NOHEROCANWIN - 3 Epic Fusion Shards, 1 Fusion Booster
• RAIDTHECASTLE - 6 Uncommon Fusion Shards, 3 Forge Stones
• ARMYOFBOSSES - 15 Uncommon Fusion Shards, 2 Spin Tickets
• CLAIMTHETHRONE - 125 Souls, 2 Forge Stones
• BOSSMODEON - 6k Coins, 2 Forge Stones
• ULTTHEBOSS - 1 Health Booster, 1 Attack Booster, 5 Spin Tickets
• CANTKILLABOSS - 1 Soul Booster, 5 Fusion Shards, 3 Spin Tickets
• UNSTOPPABLEBOSS - 1 Coin Booster, 5k Coins
• FINALBOSS4LIFE - 2 Epic Fusion Shards, 2 Spin Tickets
• BOSSMAN3000 - 5 Rare Fusion Shards, 1 Luck Booster
• BIGTHRONEKING - 10 Uncommon Fusion Shards, 1 Spin Ticket
• SLAYDEMHEROES - 100 Souls
• BIGBOSSMAN - 2.5k Coins
• BETHEBOSS - 1k Coins

Be the Final Boss codes reward you with a range of rewards, including Spin Tickets, Coins, and Fusion Shards. This gives you a few different ways to obtain new Units to defend your base, as well as various boosters and buffs.

These promos aren't case sensitive, but you could simply copy and paste the codes from above to avoid any mishaps.

How to redeem Be the Final Boss codes

To redeem Be the Final Boss codes, you just need to hit the Settings cog button in the top left-hand corner of the screen and scroll to the bottom of the settings page. Enter you code into the box, hit Redeem, and enjoy your rewards.

Expired Be the Final Boss codes

• There are currently no expired Be the Final Boss codes.

No Be the Final Boss codes have expired yet, but I'll move them down here when they do to save you the time and disappointment of entering invalid codes.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

These Anime Astral Simulator codes grant some essential rewards, including potions for boosting your power, luck, and more. With your stats buffed, you can then defeat bosses more quickly, thus earning more rewards, eventually leading you to new worlds, new pets, and new bosses.

What's more, Anime Astral Simulator is one of the rare Roblox experiences that's pretty much entirely free-to-play, allowing you to swap the in-game shop currency from Robux to F2P Tickets, a ton of which you can get by redeeming these rewards - so let's get to it.

Plus, there are even more rewards to be had with our list of Roblox promo codes, granting avatar items and more for use across experiences.

All Anime Astral Simulator codes

These are the Anime Astral Simulator codes you can redeem right now:

• UPDATE13 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SPIRITS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SANCTUARY - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SORRYFORKEYS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SORRYFORKEYS2 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• MINI12.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• QUINQUE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• 2GACHAS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• SORRYRELICS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• 12.5FIXES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE12 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• KAGUNES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• FRIENDSLEADERBOARD - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE11.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• AUTOSPAWNBOSS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• HUNTERLICENSE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE11 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• ASTRALRARITY - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• NENHXH - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPD11FIXES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• MINI10.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• AUTOENTERGAMEMODE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• GAMEBOOSTS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPD10PATCH - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE10 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• PRIMORDIALS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• TITANPASSIVES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• SORRY4DEL4Y! - 1,000x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE9.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• SPAWNBOSS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• HEROTEST - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• SORRYFORUPGRADES - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPD9FIXE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• MONSTERS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• ONIPUNCHI - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE9 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• DEMONKING - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• GODDESS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• COMMANDMENTS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• LIONKINGDOM - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• FIXEDRANKS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8FIXES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• AUTOCOLLECTFINGER - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• GATESNOTCLOSINGANYMORE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• !FIXEDABUG! - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• CURSEDRUSH - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• KINGOFCURSES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7FIXES 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• FIXEDINDEX - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• YETANOTHERFIXSHUTDOWNOPTIMIZATIONS - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• PROMOTION - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• TOMBRAID - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 10KLIKESALREADY - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• LIKES5K - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 5MVISITSINGAME - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• VISITSASTRAL10M - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 10KFAVORITESINTHEGAME - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• ASTRAL20KFAVORITES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPD6.2FIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6.2 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• FIXEDWHITEBEARDQUEST - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6.1 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• KIEVOLUTION - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6EXTRAFIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 2MVISITSNEW - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• LIKES3KNEW - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 30KACTIVE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 20KACTIVE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 7.5KFAVORITES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• !ASTRAL40KCCU! - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6RELEASE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6FIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• FIXEDAVATAR - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• SKILLTREE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE5.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• DUNGEONS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• PETPASSIVES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 100 Pet Passive Tokens, 150x F2P Tickets
• MINIUPDATE4.75 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• DIVINEPASSIVES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE4.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• SUMMERMOUNT - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE4 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• TRIALMEDIUM - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE3.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE2.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• MOUNTS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• TRACKER - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• BATTLEPASS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE2 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE1.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE1 - 1 Damage I Potion, 1 Luck I Potion, 1 Power I Potion, 1 XP I Potion, 1 Yen I Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• NPCNERF - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• EXCHANGE - 1x Damage I Potion, 1x Luck I Potion, 1x Power I Potion, 1x XP I Potion, 1x Yen I Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• RELEASE - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 1x Damage I Potion, 1x Luck I Potion, 1x Power I Potion, 1x XP I Potion, 1x Yen I Potion, 250x F2P Tickets

As the list above shows, Anime Astral Simulator codes are incredibly generous - and they also last a long time, too. Each code grants not just one reward, but usually one of each potion at either level 1 or 2 and a stack of F2P Tickets, which can be exchanged for anything in the shop - simply toggle the currency type at the top of the shop window from Robux to Tickets. Occasionally, you'll also get some Pet Tickets to redeem for useful passive buddies.

How to redeem Anime Astral Simulator codes

To redeem Anime Astral Simulator codes, click on the Menu button in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then select Codes from the drop-down list. You can then pop your code into the box and hit Reedem [sic] to fill your inventory with loot.

Anime Astral Simulator codes aren't case-sensitive, so you only have to worry about getting the spelling right. That said, I'd still recommend just copying and pasting from our list above.

Expired Anime Astral Simulator codes

• 18MVISITS - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• 35KLIKES - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• BACKTOASTRAL - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 1 Drop II Potion, 5,000x F2P Tickets

Anime Astral Simulator codes do seem to last some time, with even some very old codes still available to redeem right now. However, as the list above shows, some have expired, so you should redeem valid codes as soon as possible just in case.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Fans sighed but understood when EA's free-to-play Skate reboot from 2025 started its ongoing Early Access period with microtransactions, but EA vice president of advertising Alexander Dao seems curious to see if that sigh could turn into a dry-heave as the publisher toys with in-game ads.

Dao recommends some developers start designing in-game ads during their production periods, telling The Game Business in a new interview, "As you think about new games that are coming out, as you think about free-to-play experiences that are happening on the console side – like our Skate game – those are opportunities where, if you actually design them with the right advertising and brand experience in there from the get-go, it just makes it easier."

Earlier this summer, EA established the EA Advertising "platform" for brands eager to test gameplay ad placements, emphasizing in an announcement that EA Sports games were particularly ripe for "participatory experiences where brands come to play."

If you're gagging, that means it's working.

At the time, EA had already introduced the home improvement store Lowe's to Madden NFL, partnered with Visa credit cards, and added Vans shoes to Skate. But Dao reminds developers, too, to invest in the "huge opportunity" of in-game ads.

"Building the advertising experience is really retrofitting it in," Dao says about the current state of in-game ads, but if developers help, "it makes it feel more native and it creates more flexibility in the types of brands that can come in and out."

I recoil at the idea of advertisements feeling "native" to video games that aren't inherently advertisements, like the promotional games of yore spanning diet sodas, fast food, and beer. At the same time, EA Advertising is really just making an enthusiastic return to those Wild West days of video games between the '80s and early 2000s when games like NFS: Underground 2 were glad to laser-blast you with Best Buy billboards while you were cruising.

Many of my favorite games from childhood were congested with ads, and the in-game product placement in the dress-up game Stardoll at age 10 still influences my closet with fashion brands like Miss Sixty and DKNY. It worked!

I find that frightening – especially now that companies have more opportunities via smart refrigerators and unskippable YouTube ads to tattoo our retinas with their stuff.

In 2026, game developers are already tasked with navigating mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations – if EA ends up successful in guiding them to create more in-game ads, forcing them to obey the financial interests of a company that could dissolve their job at any moment, then there will be no more room for artistry. Just fear and Mountain Dew assets.

After "incomprehensible" Xbox layoffs, id Software producer says worker-owned studios are "the only path forward."

The day I never thought I'd witness is near – EA is finally introducing an autosave feature to The Sims 4… you know, a good 12 years after its 2014 launch.

How many Sims have I lost to random crashes? How many houses have perished before my eyes due to buggy shutdowns? Too many to count, I'd say – and sure, I could've been more vigilant about saving, but The Sims 4 has needed an autosave feature for well over a decade now.

Some of the best Sims 4 mods (I'm looking at you, MC Command Center) have tried to rectify the issue, but EA hadn't officially addressed it… until now. On July 21, the studio is finally adding an autosave ("AutoSave," as EA calls it) option to the life sim – but that's not all.

As outlined in its latest Laundry List of upcoming fixes, EA says, "This month we're introducing a new AutoSave to The Sims 4, and rolling out Memory Boost to Mac and console players to improve overall performance for more Simmers."

The team is also looking to target "the top-reported issues from players via EA Forums."

The autosave feature is undeniably the most eye-catching tidbit here, though. So… how will it work, exactly? "Quietly in the background, automatically creating save points at key moments while you play," apparently.

"You can customize when AutoSave happens in Game Save Settings, with options like saving after traveling between lots, after a period of playtime, or at important gameplay milestones."

There's another option for Simmers who hate themselves (I kid, I kid). "If you'd rather stay in control, Save Reminders like the friendly (or slightly grumpy) gnome notification… can prompt you to create a manual save at the frequency you choose. Together, these features help reduce the risk of lost progress while giving you the flexibility to save the way you want."

Not bad, EA. Not bad at all. It just took, erm, 12 years.

EA goes into some of its other big tweaks, too, like the Memory Boost system that "improves how The Sims 4 manages memory while you play, helping deliver a smoother experience with reduced lag, improved frame rates and responsiveness, shorter loading times, and a lower risk of memory-related crashes."

It sounds like, all in all, The Sims 4 will crash less – and when it does crash, it'll be far less painful thanks to autosaving.

I don't know about you all, but I think this is a step in the right direction – even if it's coming a bit late to The Sims 4. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some mods to delete…

The Sims 4's microtransaction Marketplace has officially shown me the door after 24 years of Simming.

These days, it's hard to imagine a world without Stardew Valley. Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone's pixel perfect village escape is the modern standard bearer by which all other cozy and retro-styled games are measured against. Explicitly inspired by the early Harvest Moon games, Stardew Valley has ballooned in popularity beyond anyone's expectations since its release in 2016, taking on its own identity and inspiring countless other indie games of the cute and cuddly variety. None of this would be true, however, if Barone hadn't been able to salvage the game data from a computer crash that happened about a year into development.

PC Gamer recently republished a 2016 interview with Barone in which the solo developer brushed with the idea that his ragtag Harvest Moon-like could become a phenomenon. Barone couldn't have had any idea just how revolutionary Stardew Valley would one day become, but he had the foresight to know he was very lucky to recover from a PC crash that almost put Stardew Valley in a pixelated grave before it was ever born.

Barone told PC Gamer that the project was almost canceled when the PC he was using to develop the game unexpectedly crashed. Since he had no backups, Barone thought it was over for Stardew Valley, but was ultimately able to restore the project from the old hard drive and build a new rig.

"In retrospect, it feels crazy that it all worked out," he said. "The whole development was so sloppy. It was the most indie development you could imagine: no professional style at all, figuring it all out as I go, and just the scrappiest code you could imagine. I'm almost embarrassed to have other people look at my code!"

Barone's next game, Haunted Chocolatier, very much seems to be being built using the foundation laid down by Stardew Valley, and with Barone having all of that experience under his belt, not to mention a small team helping him put everything together, fans can expect a much smoother development process while they wait for the darker, sweeter follow-up.

Haunted Chocolatier is "taking a long time," admits Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe – but going "over every last detail" is just what it takes "to make a game I'm satisfied with"

I'm no stranger to Stardew Valley and all of the cozy farming sims it's inspired since its 2016 release – but Moonlight Peaks might just be my favorite in concept yet.

In case you've not heard of it yet, Moonlight Peaks is a wholesome farming and life sim that takes everything I love about games like Stardew Valley and gives it a Monster High-esque twist. It ticks all of the genre boxes – bug-catching, cooking, farming, fishing, questing, and, of course, romance – but also adds a bit of morbid magic. There are vampires (whom you play as yourself), mermaids, werewolves, witches… what more could a girl want?

The town itself follows a unique nighttime schedule, too. You don't wake up in the early morning to farm through the day in Moonlight Peaks. Instead, you rise out of your coffin at the turn of the night and take care of your daily tasks before sunrise… because, well, you are a vampire.

Visually, it's appealing, to say the least – but it also adds an extra "cozy" layer to the game, in my opinion, with all of the purple-y blue visuals.

Moonlight Peaks boasts an adorable aesthetic overall, honestly. I'm sold thanks to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons-esque designs and cute itty-bitty beasts (is that a three-eyed cat?) – it's a nice cartoon-y change of pace from the pixel-y style other recent genre gems like Fields of Mistria have opted for.

The whole mystical, magical side of the game from indie developer Little Chicken is what really has me hooked, though. From potion-making to spell-casting, there's no shortage of witchy, whimsical vibes to be found in Moonlight Peaks. The devs even tease mystical crops – whatever that might mean. It's spooktacular, but not in a legitimately frightening way that would break the cozier immersion we farming sim stans crave. The game is, as Little Chicken so aptly puts it, "a sweet and spooky journey."

If you're just as obsessed with cute monster people and farming games as I am, you can grab the game over on Steam, Nintendo Switch, or Switch 2 when it unlocks tomorrow.

Searching for more to look forward to? Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond for other great titles to wishlist.

It was love at first sight. I knew I was meant to play cozy horror farming sim Grave Seasons as soon as I learned about its unconventional story of an ex-convict restoring the dark fairytale town Ashenridge, where handsome farmers, werewolves, and other serial killers exist in bloody disharmony.

"Grave Seasons is really special in that we don't hold back on the horror elements," developer Perfect Garbage co-founder and narrative director Emmett Nahil tells me during a Summer Game Fest 2026 interview, where I was happy to discover the game seems just as bold as I'd hoped.

I got to play a bit of Grave Seasons' introduction, where I wander a farm and dig up some plots for carrot plants, but I arrive in Ashenridge in a conspicuous prison jumpsuit. From just this experience, it's easy for me to determine the pastoral town isn't your typical, green suburbia, where khaki shorts neighbors smirk privately at those they think dress a little funny, and it isn't your Animal Crossing island, either, where you suppress feelings of hatred for community members because their little piggy noses are pretty cute. Developer Perfect Garbage's eerie countryside is different: there's death and emotional challenges as you define your new life as a reformed criminal, which makes my interest swell – like a diseased artery!

You have one in-game year to learn who's the supernatural murderer terrorizing Ashenridge, whether or not they're the love of your life, and what you should do with that information. Save the world and prove that you've changed? Or keep filling up your watering can like nothing's wrong?

It'll probably be tougher than you think. Nahil says, "I always want to see more moral ambiguity, generally" in story narratives, and Grave Seasons has no easy answers.

Nahil continues, "I find a lot of game writing, when done to the broadest audience possible, can fall into a sort of good-versus-bad binary. Some of the games that I like most have really embraced the middle area, embrace that moral grayness, embrace the complicated repercussions of player decisions."

Putting players into the trudging shoes of protagonist Dara – whose appearance is customizable, but who begins Grave Seasons in that sickly orange jumpsuit no matter what – is the perfect way to force a nuanced mindset from the beginning. Nahil says he wants players to "embrace the fun, roguish nature of Dara. I really want them to feel like they can experiment with their choices and have fun, and also experience the consequences of maybe not-so-savory reactions."

This is the kind of daring narrative ambition I always crave in horror, specifically, which I think has a duty to be visceral, itchy, and extra-impactful on an innocent audience member's sense of self. More specifically, Nahil says, "I want players to learn that it's worthwhile to get to know the people around you, to really learn deeply about the people that are in your community, no matter what kind of person you are. That's what Grave Seasons does best."

Maybe I should switch to rollercoasters, or a glass of wine, but I've always had the desperate need for art to encourage me toward emotional places I never thought of going before. With its unique premise and magnanimous thoughts about community, it seems like Grave Seasons can do that with only a few bite marks and bags of carrot seeds.

I can't wait. Grave Seasons' original August 14 release date has been delayed to this fall, but I'll sit around until its new launch time is announced. Not patiently!

I'm convinced this farming sim horror demo is better than anything you'll play during Steam Next Fest.

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is still hard at work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, even if it's taking a while – but he's not quite ready to share more sneak peeks of his exciting project just yet.

He'd rather perfect what he's working on first. The mastermind indie developer says so in a new update on the official Haunted Chocolatier website, amusingly dubbed "Still here, still grinding."

He begins by confirming what he's confirmed quite a few times in the past: "Yep. I'm still working on the game." He says it "feels kinda dumb posting this same thing over and over, but that's the reality." So it is, indeed.

ConcernedApe is well aware that Haunted Chocolatier is "taking a long time" – but he wants to be "very thoughtful about every aspect of the game." He feels the need to ensure that every feature is "perfect," or as close to perfect as features can be. "They need to be seamless, clear, intuitive, satisfying, aesthetic," in his own words.

Plus, "it's a big game. So there are many things for me to fuss over." Understandable… heck, Stardew Valley itself is massive.

The dev has said before that the "world of Haunted Chocolatier" will somehow be even "larger" than that of Stardew Valley and that "everything is cranked up" in the new sim. So, why isn't he sharing any more sneak peeks of it, when there's so much?

"I don't like to share too many screenshots or even talk about the systems in too much detail while the game is in development," ConcernedApe admits.

He likens it to baking: "Partly, it feels like I'm serving a half-baked bread. I would rather serve a fully baked bread. Also, I know that many parts of the game will likely evolve and change before release, so if I reveal them early, I risk disappointing players if the final product does not match their expectation. Fortunately, I'm in a position where I don't need to market the game, so I can take my preferred approach."

I'd certainly say so – Stardew Valley continues to stand the test of time as one of the most successful indie games… heck, games, of all time. ConcernedApe does not, in fact, need any marketing, something he acknowledges himself.

While I'd love to see more of Haunted Chocolatier myself, of course, I understand where he's coming from. He's got a lot on his plate between the new sim and Stardew Valley's own 1.7 update, and he wants to make sure his work is complete enough to show folks.

The legendary dev closes with a grateful message to us fans, writing, "As always, I really appreciate your patience" – and to that I'd respond that we really appreciate his work and transparency. Here's to more Haunted Chocolatier… whenever it may come.

ConcernedApe spends 5 days a week on Haunted Chocolatier and 2 on Stardew Valley, says the new game is "a lot harder" to make.

Stardew Valley mastermind Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has been chipping away at his new game, Haunted Chocolatier, since 2020 – and even though he's aware it's taking a while, it's all with good reason.

The legendary indie developer shares as much in a new update on the official Haunted Chocolatier website, aptly dubbed: "Still here, still grinding." He explains that yes, he is still working on his upcoming sim – and yes, he's said that many times.

"I know it's taking a long time. A big part of that is that I am being very thoughtful about every aspect of the game," he admits – and, yeah, that makes sense. Plenty of us are fellow perfectionists.

As ConcernedApe writes, "The things in the game which the player will be interacting with or using very often need to be 'perfect.' They need to be seamless, clear, intuitive, satisfying, aesthetic." He looks to the game's chocolate recipe book, as he adds: "I torture myself over every last detail."

I get it. The standards that Stardew Valley set – or should I say, expectations – likely don't help here… neither does the size of Haunted Chocolatier. "It's a big game," after all. "So there are many things for me to fuss over."

That checks out – especially with what he's said in the past, that the "world of Haunted Chocolatier" will somehow be even "larger" than that of Stardew Valley and that "everything is cranked up" in the new sim.

All in all, it's a lot to work with, "but this is what it will take to make a game I'm satisfied with," as per ConcernedApe's own words. That's not to mention Stardew Valley's own 1.7 update, which I'm sure will be massive.

As for why the dev hasn't shared more sneak peeks at his game-in-progress, he simply doesn't want to. "I don't like to share too many screenshots," says ConcernedApe, "or even talk about the systems in too much detail, while the game is in development." I'm certainly fine with that.

I'd rather he feel comfortable when he does post screencaps or teasers, rather than "risk disappointing players," as he puts it himself.

Not that I think he'd ever disappoint us – heck, I'd be happy with pretty much anything after the gem that Stardew Valley was (and continues to be). I'm certain that Haunted Chocolatier will step up to the plate and impress just as much… whenever that may be.

ConcernedApe spends 5 days a week on Haunted Chocolatier and 2 on Stardew Valley, says the new game is "a lot harder" to make.

Paralives, the vibrant life sim now rivaling EA's own life sim gem, The Sims 4, is racking up quite the community after just a month in the wild – one that now boasts over a million fans, in fact.

The recent indie release's developer, Paralives Studio, reveals as much in a new post aptly dubbed "1,000,000 copies" on Steam. After thanking players for their support and promising "to keep improving the game thanks to all your suggestions and feedback," the team goes on to unveil some fun statistics.

First, it looks back at the six patches and hotfixes that have arrived since Paralives' May 25 launch. Then, it covers the life sim's average daily players: a whopping 80,000, just last week. Folks playing have spent on average 11 hours or so in-game as well, sent in 350,000 feedback and bug reports, and created 22,000 mods for the Steam Workshop – now that's impressive.

Doubly so as devs have spoken out in support of modding (yes, even NSFW mods), and it appears that fans have been very receptive to that.

There are some amusing stats in there, too. A good 170 "naked Charlies" have popped up in people's games (unprompted, might I add). In case you missed the whole Charlie situation, it involved a bug in which a nude man could "appear in your household if, after giving birth, you exit without saving," as Paralives Studio previously put it. He was named Charlie, and boy, did he cause some chaos in many a random Para's home.

The devs conclude with an amusing mystery stat: how many players have married Jason and broken his once-happy family up. If you don't get it yourself, I suggest giving "Paralives Jason" a quick Google – the man is fine.

Comments are as funny as you might expect as well, with one fan exclaiming, "Poor Jason!" Others commend the indie team for its hard work on the life sim… a sentiment I can certainly add to myself.

Paralives is undeniably a solid entry to the genre, and I can attest this – heck, I've already managed to land nearly 100 hours in it, and that's between the plethora of other games I spend far too much time in.

Searching for more new games to wishlist? Here are the best games like The Sims 4 out there right now to explore.

With Merge a Nuke codes, you can get some much-needed cash to upgrade your nuke spawns or shield time, but you can also get some nukes to spawn instantly on your plot. This is particularly great if you suffer a loss at the hands of another player, so use these codes wisely.

While your main objective in this Roblox experience is to destroy the central city, you can attack other players, destroying their nukes in the process (which seems pretty pointless if you ask me). Even if you're leaving other people alone, there's a chance they'll come for you and your nukes, so get yourself back on track with the following Merge a Nuke codes.

For other rewards that you can use across all of your favorite experiences, then check out our list of general Roblox promo codes, too.

All Merge a Nuke codes

These are the Merge a Nuke codes you can redeem right now:

• DELAY - 300 Nuclear Waste new!
• BOOM - 5,000x Cash

As you can see from my list above, Merge a Nuke codes tend to offer a combination of cash and nukes. While cash will always give you a boost to your bank balance, and the ability to get upgrades faster, there is a caveat when it comes to redeeming nuke codes.

That is that you won't get these nukes unless there's room for them on your plot. For example, if you have a Max Spawn of five and you have four nukes on your plot already, you'll only get one, wasting potentially nine or 19 nukes you could have had. This means your current Max Spawn Upgrade needs to be at least big enough for the reward, but you also need to account for any nukes you already have on your plot.

How to redeem Merge a Nuke codes

To redeem Merge a Nuke codes, launch the game on Roblox, then click on the Shop button in the main menu. Scroll to the bottom of the Shop window to find the codes redemption box, enter your codes as they appear above, and click Redeem to get your rewards.

Rewards are instant, so as I've mentioned above, be sure you have room for the any nukes before redeeming those codes.

Expired Merge a Nuke codes

• ATOMIC - 10,000x Cash, 20x Nukes
• UPDATE2 - 10,000x Cash, 10x Nukes

A few Merge a Nuke codes have now expired, and we've listed them above so you don't waste time trying to redeem them. Now we know Merge a Nuke codes can expire, redeem any valid ones as soon as possible so you don't miss out.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Redeem the latest Speed Keyboard Escape codes for a little bump to your speed in the Roblox experience by SecretVerse Studios. In this walking (or running) simulator, obby, and satisfyingly clicky-clacky ASMR game, speed is the goal, and the faster you go, the further you'll get. Stop along the way to pick up 'Wins', which can then be used to buy items that further boost your speed.

Since higher levels naturally give out more Wins, you want to get as far as possible as fast as possible (again, that's literally what this Roblox experience is about), so any little boost helps, and that's exactly what you can get from these +1 Speed Keyboard Escape codes.

For more rewards that can be used across every one of your favorite experiences, then run on over to our list of Roblox promo codes, too.

All Speed Keyboard Escape codes

This is the only valid Speed Keyboard Escape code right now:

• BYP4SS1 - Extra Speed

There is only one Speed Keyboard Escape code so far, which grants bonus speed. I got 15,000, but this reward may differ depending on your current level. Whatever you get helps towards your steady speed increase, though, getting you closer to more valuable Wins.

Remember, the codes we list here are for the +1 Speed Keyboard Escape game by SecretVerse Studio. There are many Roblox experiences with very similar names, so be sure you're playing the right one if the above codes don't work.

How to redeem Speed Keyboard codes

To redeem Speed Keyboard Escape codes, simply launch the game and click on the Code button at the top of the screen. Enter the code at the bottom of the window that appears, hit OK, and you'll automatically receive your rewards.

Speed Keyboard codes aren't technically case-sensitive. You'll notice that whether you enter lower or upper-case, they'll appear as the latter, so just make sure you're spelling the code correctly - or copy and paste it from above.

Expired Speed Keyboard codes

• There are no expired Speed Keyboard codes

Since codes are relatively new to +1 Speed Keyboard Escape, there are no expired codes at the moment. As soon as any codes start expiring, we'll move them down here, but I'd still recommend that you redeem Speed Keyboard codes as soon as you see them to avoid missing out.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Kynseed, the impossibly charming Stardew Valley-ish life sim from a team of former Fable developers, is coming to consoles on August 4.

Indie developer PixelCount Studios, founded by two Lionhead veterans who worked on "every Fable game," according to the studio's website, announced on Steam that Kynseed will release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 4. "That means more players will soon be able to grow a family legacy, run shops, explore Quill, and now, of course, manage their very own tavern," says PixelCount, with that last bit referring to a new system that just launched on PC.

PixelCount says tavern management has been one of the most requested features from the community since Kynseed launched, and I believe it. Management sim and cozy RPG go hand-in-hand, and there's nothing cozier than a good tavern. Dimly lit by candles, warmed by fire, and lively in atmosphere, I can't think of a better place to hang out and unwind than a tavern, and now Kynseed players will get to do exactly that while making sure no one gets too drunk. (That's not true: PixelCount clarifies this is a non-alcoholic bar.)

"You can welcome villagers through your doors, serve drinks and food, hire entertainers and build up another cosy little corner of your Kynseed life," the studio says.

Kynseed is often referred to as a Stardew Valley-like, and it definitely shares a lot of elements like farming, crafting, and managing relationships, but there's a dark fantasy theme spread throughout the world that feels distinctly Fable-inspired. Like Stardew, there's combat involved, but in Kynseed, you're tasked with taking down the evil Hob army, which has been creating totems from dark magic and using them to destroy crops and buildings, just to be jerks, I guess.

When Kynseed launches on consoles in a few weeks, I suspect it'll cost $25 just like it does on Steam.

Here are all of the upcoming indie games to keep on your radar.

Paralives, the colorful new indie answer to EA's own life sim gem, The Sims 4, encourages all sorts of mods (yes, even NSFW mods) – but the most famous adult mod in the entire genre won't be making its way to the recent game.

The mod in question here is WickedWhims. If you've not heard of it, it adds a whole lot of spice to The Sims 4… as well as various real-life features, like birth control, family planning, health simulations, and much more. It's known very well in the Simming community – heck, it's launched a whopping 400,000 times a day. So, it comes as no surprise that fans have been wondering whether or not its developers would bring it to Paralives.

Husk, also known as HelpfulHusk, who helps work on WickedWhims (and its more SFW counterpart, WonderfulWhims) alongside creator TURBODRIVER, says that it isn't – sad news for all of us who hoped for a Paralives counterpart of the adult mod.

They confirm as much in response to a fan asking about it online, writing, "Sorry to say that's not happening!" When asked why not, Husk explains that they're not too certain.

"I dunno, just telling you what TURBO said," Husk states. They do tease "what the other person said is as good of a list of reasons as any," though, pointing to another reply under their own.

That one cites a few potential reasons that WickedWhims won't come to Paralives – a different game engine, the difficulty in transferring assets, problems with re-exporting animations in Blender, and "mod files can easily be stolen in the [Steam] Workshop."

To top this all off, "They'd have to do all this and keep up with their current mod." Well, this all certainly makes sense – but that doesn't mean "someone else" won't step up to the plate, as folks are now discussing over on Reddit.

As one person puts it, it's "the way of the Internet." Indeed… and a quick browse at the Steam Workshop shows me that we've already got a very aptly named "UncensoredParas" mod available to download.

Over on NexusMods, there are even more. So, yeah… we don't have too much to worry about, although I will admittedly miss all of the extra features that WickedWhims adds to The Sims 4 in Paralives, honestly.

Searching for more new games to wishlist? Here are the best games like The Sims 4 out there right now to explore.

I couldn't comprehend the woods. As a child in New York, I saw that sleepy horses trotted around the Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park, and I waved to the lonely polar bear at the zoo without wondering why she lived in the Bronx. But the demo I'm playing at Summer Game Fest 2026 for Fractured Blooms, the upcoming farming horror sim from Doki Doki Literature Club publisher Serenity Forge, makes me feel like I've started life over again from a filthy forest in West Virginia, and the odd thing is, I don't mind. I'm also sure that the Fractured Blooms demo available now is more intoxicating than anything you'll touch during Steam Next Fest.

It gives me the sensation that I've walked into someone else's dream – there are some concrete reasons for that, as Fractured Blooms is based on a true story, Serenity Forge founder and Fractured Blooms creator Zhenghua "Z" Yang tells me, though he evades me when I ask him for more details. I suppose I don't need anything as finicky as that, as Fractured Blooms is soaked in the sugar of Appalachian mysticism, and perhaps the wrath of God.

Teen protagonist Angie begins my Summer Game Fest demo with confession: "Can I tell you a secret? I'm not scared." She talks about mud caking the white skirt of her dress on her way to the old church, where I think something covered in fleas is probably waiting for me.

That's the feeling of Fractured Blooms – Angie speaks with a childlike evasiveness I relate to, being a Christian who loves Jesus as much as she is aware His wound is always bleeding. It's obvious something is wrong with these woods, even though Serenity Forge has cleverly depicted them with lovely gauziness, and it makes me want to lie down for a nap among the poppies…

Angie remembers trudging through this particular forest path with a shining white bouquet of flowers, but it's red petals that fall from the sky as I make my way inside the church, where... there's a plate of raw meat staring at me from the altar as a congregation recommends I partake in His flesh.

Yang tells me later that this demo represents the start of Angie's time loop of chores, where she must farm, cook, and pick up after herself to the point of pain. This is the kind of idea that really frightens Yang, who realizes he isn't scared of much else over the course of our interview. Daily dramas – folding the laundry while your unmade bed is pleading for your return, picking all the fresh tomatoes before the bugs get them first – upset him more than the average horror game or film, which he rarely interacts with.

"The most difficult part about launching a horror game in general," Yang says, reflecting, "is to try to break through the noise of a now established and generic formula, which is typically some kind of combination of mascots, jumpscares, asset store flips, and some kind of PS1 graphics." Fractured Blooms is a soft bunny in comparison, eager to lead you to a more contemplative horror rather than shit your pants.

For example, "I think it's very important for players to see the version of God in their own way, because I believe that that is the truth of how it works," Yang says.

The Fractured Blooms demo currently available to play on Steam showcases some of the rituals players will carry out while weighing the idea: harvest a tomato from the golden garden, notice the treehouse is rotting, make venison stew with noodles and thyme. At one point, Angie sobs mid-sentence, because the work never stops. During my Summer Game Fest demo, she eagerly drowns herself at the behest of an anime redhead (Yang tells me there will be "a major payoff" to why Fractured Blooms' character and environmental art styles are so different).

"I split the self apart to bud anew, and shrank into the dirt as she advised," Angie says unremorsefully. I understand. It's complicated – her crying, her temporary suicide don't read as purely tragic to me. Angie seems to act out of commitment.

Again, I relate to her, being a woman who loves life as much as she is aware it requires suffering. Yang shares this grim understanding, as he tells me when I ask for his greatest fear, "I don't think I am scared of death, just like how I'm not scared of before I was born."

"I don't know if you know too much about my history," he says, "but when I was 18 years old, I was diagnosed with a near-fatal illness that caused me to be hospitalized for two years. I was told I was going to die in three hours when I was 18.

"At that point, I was writing my will, I was thinking about how to come to terms with death. For the next two years, I was going through chemo, and I kept on being told by doctors that maybe I have a couple days. Maybe I have a couple weeks. I spent years just expecting to not have a future and to only have a very limited amount of time to live.

"It kind of removed my fear of death, because I just had to be so OK with it from such a young age. It also removed my fear of needles. I find a lot of comfort when needles enter my veins."

Nestled in the burnt heart of the Virginia woods, Fractured Blooms seems like a comfortable place to consider these kinds of human peculiarities. I feel safe here, even with the leaves and sliced venison telling me I should question that, and Jesus' cut continues to drip.

It seems I've finished the journey from New York to Fractured Blooms' cracked porcelain, Appalachian kitchen from just my Summer Game Fest demo. 20 minutes of gameplay has never made me feel this way before.

The most popular Soulslike in Steam Next Fest makes a very powerful argument for adding a shotgun to Dark Souls.

Grow a Garden 2 codes are handy things to find when you're setting up your farm, as they provide useful items such as seeds for you to harvest without having to spend money at the shop first to buy them. This will maximize your profit on those crops, giving you a solid starting point to build on as your plot expands.

The initial GAG 2 codes available will give you common watering cans and a triple helping of green bean seeds, so you can immediately start growing crops to get your farm up and running – remain vigilant though, as when night falls the stealing starts in this Roblox experience. If you're ready for the agricultural life, then these are the codes for Grow a Garden 2 and how to redeem them.

If you're looking for rewards you can apply to all of your experiences, then we've got the latest information on the Roblox promo codes.

All Grow a Garden 2 codes

The following Grow a Garden 2 codes can be redeemed for rewards:

• FREESEED – Invite 3 players to claim prize! [Players are reporting that this is currently glitched and invites aren't registering] latest!
• REMEMBERTODRINKWATER – 1x Common Watering Can
• WATERYOPLANTS – 10x Common Watering Cans
• TEAMGREENBEAN – 3x Green Bean Seed

There have now been a couple more GAG 2 codes released, which will add plenty of common watering cans to the trio of green bean seeds from the original promo. I expect more promos will be added in the coming weeks, so keep checking back here for updates.

How to redeem Grow a Garden 2 codes

To redeem Grow a Garden 2 codes, all you have to do is hit the Cog icon to open up the Settings menu, which includes a big Redeem Codes section just under the volume sliders. Use the Enter code here... text box to type in a promo, before tapping the Claim! button underneath to receive your reward. Remember that codes for Grow a Garden 2 are case-sensitive, so make sure you type them in exactly as they're written.

Expired Grow a Garden 2 codes

• No expired codes

There are currently no expired Grow a Garden 2 codes, which isn't much of a surprise as the game has only recently launched. However, this situation doesn't usually last long for new experiences, so make sure you claim any active promos as soon as you can.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Of all the different ways you can enjoy Stardew Valley, I doubt most of us here have done so at 50x speed – well, except for Rath Games, that is.

The legendary player who managed to sweep through Final Fantasy 14's free trial content solo has another challenge up his sleeve – this time in ConcernedApe's cozy farming sim rather than the MMO he's so well-known for blazing through.

His latest video on YouTube captures the beginning of his Stardew Valley playthrough… in which he tries to complete the game while on 50x the normal speed.

Now, if that doesn't sound wild enough, let me put it into perspective. "The actual day length of Stardew Valley at 50 times speed is 28 seconds." If you're anything like me, that's about how long it takes you to get out of bed in-game and step outside into your field. I can't imagine getting to do anything like, oh, you know, farming or fishing.

Somehow, though, Rath does it all – sort of, anyway. He has to split up his daily schedule.

Sometimes, he struggles to collect eggs and pet chickens. Other days, he chops trees… or, uh, a tree. It's as hilarious as it is chaotic, and as Rath puts it himself, he's still "discovering some of the craziest exploits to make it possible."

He doesn't manage to nail it all at once, which isn't too surprising, considering just how fast everything is moving. Heck, the poor guy struggles to even see a fish in the 28-second period, let alone catch one.

Rath isn't giving up on his cursed Stardew Valley run, however. He concludes with a promise: "Part two will release soon." I'll be waiting.

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone walks back any potential infidelity in the farming sim, says "it was just some theoretical idea I've toyed with"

After seeing Planet Zoo 2 gameplay behind closed doors, I've often thought about its sag mechanics. It's a word that made the developers at Frontier laugh and wince at the same time, chuckling that they really couldn't call it that at launch. But, despite the connotations, it really does play a key part in one of the big new additions for Planet Zoo 2 - the aviaries.

These huge new habitats are built on the enclosure mechanics from the original game, but with a key difference being canopies that you can craft as roofs to keep your new feathered pals safely within. Made from essentially gigantic nets, you're given full free-reign to position poles wherever you want around the enclosure to hold the net aloft or adjust the way they're rotated or tilted. Which brings me to that all-important sag mechanic - aka, how the net drapes or sags between poles. You can swap out the canopies for glass or other materials, too. The effect is pretty cool, especially when you realize these new enclosures are completely explorable on foot by your guests.

For me, looking up is often what makes a great zoo or aquarium experience. There's something about having enclosures that you can walk inside with butterflies or birds flying overhead, or being inside one of those tunnels at an aquarium that lets sharks, stingrays, and other water friends swim overhead. Planet Zoo 2 really plays with that experience, adding so much more verticality to your zoo builds than the first game ever made possible.

It's particularly palpable when the developers whizz us round to one of the new aquarium habitats that are also coming with Planet Zoo 2. This aquarium they've built is easily four or five times the height of the guests, with turtles, shoals of fish, and other aquatic creatures floating around inside it - and even a scuba-clad staff member too, sponging the glass clean. There's a shipwreck, huge rock formations, plants and more, and I'm really glad they linger on the view as they really are stunning to watch. Plus, you can absolutely make aquarium tunnels, too.

"It was really clear that at the top of the wish list of things that the community wanted in the sequel were aquariums and aviaries," explains Gareth Hughes, game director on Planet Zoo 2. But in terms of actually getting them in the game, "it was really confidence that we could technically deliver them - feeling that we could do justice to the navigation and motion of the animals. And obviously, that we could portray the actual structures in a way that made sense for the game".

It's interesting the way Frontier Developments has approached the aquariums in particular, with residents essentially split into two categories. There are 'hero' fish of sorts, like the Hawksbill Turtle, or the brilliant but goofy-looking Sunfish, which will have all the usual animal welfare requirements of the Planet Zoo games. But then there are also shoals of fish, which are treated as a group rather than as individuals. It helps keep your aquariums feeling full and really alive, without you having to drown in animal care requirements.

A roaring success

Because you certainly will be busier in Planet Zoo 2, as the sequel is making major changes to animal behavior.

"Pretty much the most important thing in Planet Zoo is the animals," adds Hughes. "We've always wanted to represent them in a really authentic way, both in terms of how they look in the game, how they behave in the game, but also how you manage and look after them. A really important part of the game loop is animal welfare."

Along with advancements in fur, scale, and feather tech to make all your zoo residents look their best, Planet Zoo 2 is making major improvements to animal animations and behavior. The way your animals will interact with their enclosures, environments, and each other has been worked on a lot, with the chimpanzees moving on their climbing frames being the prime example of this in our preview. They can now hang off, sleep on, or interact in other ways with the beams on those frames too, which will no doubt make watching your animals even more enjoyable.

In terms of behavior, there are a lot of new improvements when it comes to welfare. In Planet Zoo 2, you'll be able to physically see the mood of your animals just by looking at them or listening to the sounds they're making.

"As we moved into development of Planet Zoo 2, one of the other new pieces of technology we had access to was a brand new animation system, and that allowed us to do all sorts of new tricks with the animals and get some really, really amazing results. One of those is basically layered animations that allow the animals to be much, much more expressive. In our demo, they've conveniently forgotten to give the tiger any water, and it's clearly subdued, sulky and inactive. It might sound like a comedy take on animal welfare, but it's such a realistic way of gauging your animals' moods.

"That's something that we could never have done in the original Planet Zoo. It's a massive sort of step forward in terms of the realism of the animals," says Hughes, explaining that these new animations allows the team to create "much more expressive" creatures than ever before.

It should also dial down what Hughes calls some of the "crazy volatility" that was present in some of the zoos in the original game. "It's all about things being readable. Something is happening, I understand what's happening, and I understand why it's happening, and I understand what I need to do to fix it. That kind of summarizes our philosophy toward the zoo management side. It's really just making it a more accessible experience without sort of dumbing it down in any way. We don't want to simplify it and make it easy, that's not where we're at."

Creative vision

The team is also hoping that the approachability changes they're making with Planet Zoo 2 also extend to building the zoos themselves. The scale and scope of these parks are now much, much bigger than in the original game, with the park we're shown being an Indonesian island-inspired zoo with different heights, weaving paths, entertainment areas, and expansive habitats.

Hughes says that they're "making sure everyone can create awesome-looking stuff in the game. We want to keep a high ceiling so our dedicated players can continue to create amazing things and really spend the time and effort to make those things. But we want to drop the floor a little bit to make things easier for most players to come in and build, whether it's structures, environments, or habitats."

I've not had a chance to go hands-on, but I really hope that's true. It's one of my key frustrations with the original game: creating things from scratch is really fiddly, awkward, and sometimes seriously frustrating - even on PC with keyboard and mouse. And that's certainly a sentiment shared by the community too.

To remedy that, the team has also integrated the community-powered Workshop, where you can go and grab not only dev-built blueprints for all sorts of building elements, from habitats to facilities, but also community-made creations too, all curated specially by the team at Frontier.

Beyond the park

But I think for me, the real allure of Planet Zoo 2 is how Frontier highlights its focus on conservation. Narratively, the campaign this time around is getting you to play as a member of an organization known as FEN - or the Fauna and Ecosystems network - with the goal being to set up a network of zoos to renew a load of wildlife reserves. Any animal you then release into the wild from your zoos will then join these playable nature reserves.

"You're not just visiting these places, you're actually rewilding them, you're repopulating them, so they're integrated into the wider game loop," says Hughes. "But [it's] also just an amazing experience to see the animals from your zoos moved into that new context, and seeing those animals in their natural environments with other animals around them that perhaps in a zoo setting you wouldn't necessarily put together. It has quite an emotional impact. We've certainly felt it on the dev team, seeing this come together. It looks and feels really authentic."

Watching the animals co-exist in a safari-style nature reserve even just for a few minutes was magical, and I can just imagine the emotional tug watching your animals go live their new lives somewhere else rather than just watching them disappear once you hit the 'release to the wild' button.

From everything I've seen so far, Planet Zoo 2 is going to be quite the sequel, as it's building on everything that made the original game great with more attention to making it a better game for more players. And making the animals even better too, of course. Thankfully, with the game launching on October 13 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, we don't have too long to wait.

Take a look at our new games calendar for what's coming up next!

The Xbox Showcase had a lot of big announcements. Gears of War: E-Day has a release date, console exclusivity is back, Persona 6 is real even if it didn't give us much. Though none of those actually matter because I was too busy getting dazzled by life-sim Vivarium.

If you thought you saw a Studio Ghibli movie in the middle of the showcase then you were mistaken, but you do know what game I'm talking about now. First announced in 2023, Vivarium is now set for a 2027 release, as revealed in the latest trailer, and it still looks as gorgeous as ever. The Ghibli vibes are largely owed to the game's lovely art, which the trailer notes is hand-illustrated.

Vivarium follows the story of Jenny, an 11-year-old that lives within a terrarium. The game takes place in this perfect pocket world, draped in a nostalgic atmosphere of verdant foliage and sunlight. The game's official site hints that while you'll spend most of your time doing the expected cozy activities of a life-sim, there is a hidden truth that lies beneath.

A fun twist on the life-sim formula that Vivarium brings is its approach to days. According to the game's official site, "days in Vivarium are synced to the player's real-world calendar." This will allow for new unique discoveries. Some of the cozy tasks you'll be able to get up to include cooking, collecting vinyl records, and crafting items to decorate your home. If you've ever wanted to live inside of a Ghibli film, Vivarium is a game that should be on your radar.

Vivarium is set to release in 2027 for Xbox Series consoles and PC.

My favorite indie game of 2024, a perfect mashup of Sailor Moon and Stardew Valley, just got a massive new update adding romance – and I already know who I’m dating

For Glass Gecko Games, the developers of fishing game Scale the Depths, blowing up wasn't all good news. After winning a game jam in 2024 the title became the victim of countless AI rip-offs. The official version released this May, and its creators say it may have to thank the clones after all.

The game's lead artist, Serpexnessie, took to Reddit and laid out the highs and lows of development. The story begins in an almost dream scenario for developers. Scale the Depths won the 2024 GMTK game jam. Serpexnessie explains that honor was probably because of the core gameplay loop, "It was incredibly addictive," they write, "and we pretty much hit gold with it." Following the jam, Glass Gecko Games made a browser based version of the game (this is important), saw two to three thousand views a week on itch.io, and surpassed 7000 wishlists by the end of the year.

That's when things went south.

While some unofficial versions begin popping up the real problem arose when the team noticed clones were ripping the browser-based version of the game in its entirety then running it through AI filters. The number of clones became so large that, "It eventually became unrealistic for us to try to take all of these down without significant effort and taking time away from development," writes Serpexnessie.

The clones even ran ads that used the real version of the game's gameplay, pulled from YouTubers playing Scale of the Depths. The only silver lining, according to Serpexnessie, was that the clones were poorly rated because they were crammed with ads and microtransactions.

While the AI clone problem continued, Glass Gecko eventually secured a publisher. A demo was released on Steam in 2025, which raised interest but also led to even more clones. Right before release, Scale of the Depths had about 175,000 wishlists on Steam says Serpexnessie.

Funny enough, Serpexnessie partially credits the AI clones with the game's popularity. "Those stolen copycats ended up becoming advertisements for our game," they write, "This was quite literal sometimes, because some of them paid for ads that featured gameplay from OUR ORIGINAL GAME."

Serpexnessie ends the Reddit post with some main takeaways from Scale of the Depths development. Most of them are genuine pieces of advice for developers, but it does end with the evergreen statement, "AI SUCKS."

The 15 best fishing games to play right now

We've uncovered the latest Re Aura codes to help you ascend that seemingly endless staircase a little easier. Whether it's the perks from a new Sin or Shards to buy new pets, these code rewards all grant stat boosts in one way or another.

You see, in this Roblox walking simulator, you're tasked with climbing a staircase. While you that might sound easy enough, insanity quickly sets in, and you'll find yourself back on the ground floor before you can even think about taking a rest. With the Yen, Shards, and Rerolls granted by these Re Aura codes, though, you can help yourself reach greater heights with each attempt.

If you're after some more general rewards that can be used across all of your favorite experiences, check out the latest Roblox promo codes.

All Re Aura codes

These are all the Re:Aura codes you can redeem in-game right now:

• 5MILLIONVISITS - 75x Shards
• 15KLIKES - 10x Aura Crate Rolls
• ALWAYSREMEMBER - 25x Shards
• HAPPYBIRTHDAY - 45x Shards, Aura Crate Roll
• AURAMONSTER - 50x Shards
• 3KCCU - 25x Shards, Aura Crate Roll
• FREEROLL - Aura Crate Roll
• UPDATE4 - 250x Yen, 20x Shards
• 2KCCU - 50x Shards
• 1MILLION - 30x Shards
• DANIEL - Daniel pet
• NATSUKIDANIEL - 50x Shards, free Daniel pet
• REAURA - 50x Yen, 1x Shard

Most Re Aura codes can be redeemed for Shards, but there are often a few Aura rerolls in there, as well as the odd pet. Everything you obtain and equip in Re:Aura helps you climb farther and faster, so be sure to redeem codes when they're available.

How to redeem Re Aura codes

To redeem Re Aura codes, you just need to launch the game and click on the Redeem button at the top of the screen. Then, simply enter your code into the box and hit Submit to redeem your rewards.

Re Aura codes aren't case sensitive, so you only need to double check your spelling if you have any issues redeeming. It's probably easier to just copy and paste them from the list above, though.

Expired Re Aura codes

• SOMESHARDS - 35x Shards
• 1400LIKES - 250x Yen, 5x Shards
• 380KVISITS - 250x Yen, 5x Shards
• AURALESS - 15x Shards

As you can see from this list, Re Aura codes do have an expiry, so it's best to redeem them as soon as you see them to avoid missing out, especially if you're after a new Aura or Sin.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Paralives, the charming indie life sim that plays a whole lot like The Sims 4, is finally here – and, as an Early Access title usually does, it boasts a plethora of very silly bugs, one of which the devs are desperately trying to fix.

Some bugs are sillier than others – and, no, I'm not just talking about your Paras clipping through the floor and smiling like there's absolutely nothing weird about that at all. I'm talking about the random naked dude who can show up on your property and just… live there. Use your bed. Flush your toilet. Sit on your couch. All while nude, of course. Folks over on Reddit noted the man as soon as Paralives launched: Charlie.

He can jump scare players, seemingly out of the blue, and just act as a strange pseudo-family member. Although I somehow managed to evade the, erm, bug (?) myself, I'm happy to report that Paralives Studio is on it.

Over on Twitter, the team outlines as much with "an updated list of the known issues we're working on" – and, yeah, one of these issues is none other than Charlie. Sure, there are corrupted save fixes and tweaks to make playing with mods better, but the one that catches my eye (much like Charlie does himself) reads as follows: "A naked Charlie Parafolk can appear in your household if after giving birth, you exit without saving."

For now, the devs provide a solution – simply "enter the Paramaker with the cheat EditCharacter and then delete Charlie." It feels like The Sims 4 (and 3… and 2) all over again, eh? Some of the other notes amplify this feeling even more.

Just see "babies teleporting to the ocean" – another one of my faves. It's like the whole baby on the barbecue debacle, except now it's… baby by the ocean?

Anyway, the most important takeaway here is that Paralives Studio is on the case. Until a patch rolls out, though, it provides temporary fixes like the Paramaker one. The Paralives modding scene is expanding as well – NSFW and all – so I'd suggest keeping an eye on mods, too.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go try and simulate this whole Charlie situation so that I can say I was one of the (un)lucky players who witnessed him in all his unclothed glory.

The Sims rival Paralives won't have paid DLC, even after early access: "The sales we made so far will sustain us for many years."

Driving Empire codes can help you get ahead in this detailed driving experience, which stands apart from others as it has realistic open-world locations and simulated races. It also has officially licensed vehicles from brands such as Porsche, McLaren, and Lamborghini, but naturally if you want to own any of those it's not going to be cheap!

That's where these Driving Empire codes come in, as you can use them to claim free in-game currency for hundreds of thousands of dollars to help with purchases, as well as stocking up on tuning gear and fresh rides for your garage in this Roblox experience. If you're ready to hit the road, then here are all of the codes for Driving Empire and how to redeem them.

If you're looking for some general rewards that can be used in all experiences, then check out the latest Roblox promo codes.

All Driving Empire codes

The following Driving Empire codes can be claimed for rewards:

• RECORD – $75,000 latest!
• USA250 – Rocket Car
• 2MLIKES – 2017 Nissan GT-R Bolt
• 200KMEMBERS – $50,000

There a plenty of codes for Driving Empire available, which are pretty generous with their rewards as you can see. In addition to a big chunk of cash plus a stock of tuning kits and trophies, you can also collect six new cars to drive without having to spend a dime.

How to redeem Driving Empire codes

To redeem Driving Empire codes, you just need to hit the Cog icon to open up the settings menu, which should have the Codes option already open at the top of the list. Use the Input code text box to type in a promo, then tap the green Submit button to receive notification of your reward. Codes for Driving Empire are not case-sensitive, so all you have to do is get the spelling right.

Expired Driving Empire codes

• 10KITS – 10x Tuning Kits
• MARCH2026 – 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
• HAPPY2026 – 2015 Renault Twizy
• CALL911 – $50,911
• GOBBLEGOBBLE – 10x Tuning Kits
• SPOOKY – $80,000
• VEGAS2025 – $50,000
• WHOOPS – $75,000
• RDCNASCAR25 – NASCAR Toyota Camry XSE with Roblox Japan livery
• BADGUYS2 – Betty Beater
• NASCAR100M – 200x Trophies
• CUSTOMIZATION2025 – 10x Tuning Kits
• ZOOM – 2023 Fairway Zoomer
• NEWYEAR2025 – $75,000

As time has passed by the list of expired Driving Empire codes has grown, so we've included the most recent ones in the list here for reference. While some promos do stick around for a long time, you should always make sure you've redeemed all of the active codes so you don't miss any bonuses.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Factorio, the legendary management sim that proved a smash hit on Steam – and later, the Nintendo Switch – will no longer be receiving updates.

Or, well, significant updates, anyway. With patch 2.1, indie developer and publisher Wube Software plans to step away from gameplay development on Factorio and move on to other projects.

The team announces as much in a new blog post on its website, first outlining what the plan with 2.1 is. There are no major additions to the game, perse, but rather quality-of-life tweaks and "some small features," as the studio puts it. The real highlight is the fact that 2.1 marks the end of Factorio – or, at least, its updates.

"We envision 2.1 as our last major update of Factorio," as Wube Software explains, "and we will shift the focus onto long-term support… things like bug fixes, platform support/compatibility, modding features, etc. Other than that, we feel we've reached a good place to conclude the active gameplay development."

It's certainly bittersweet, but it makes sense.

After all, Factorio began its journey sometime in 2012. Its devs grew into the team we now know as Wube Software in 2014, and early versions of the game went up on the studio's own site before its official debut on Steam in 2016. Then came its full release out of Early Access in 2020.

On Valve's platform, it racked up "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews and a perfect 5/5 rating – no small feat for a title that boasts such humble origins. Factorio went on to drop on other platforms like the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, reaching an even wider audience, too.

It's safe to say that Wube Software has more than made a name for itself with the unique construction and management sim – one that's now revered as one of the greatest to date.

Thankfully, even though 2.1 closes the book on Factorio, the devs are working on other games. In fact, it sounds like they're doing so quite actively.

As per their post, "We have been starting work on projects other than Factorio. Honestly, there will not be anything to share for a long time, but you might notice some of our team members less active fixing bugs and working on Factorio as they spend their time on other game prototypes/experiments. We have hired a few new humans to help with development of Factorio and the new projects."

No word on what those are, of course, but still.

Here's hoping we hear more from Wube Software later down the line on what those "new projects are" – and, for now, get to enjoy Factorio 2.1.

Palworld lead calls Factorio "one of the most influential games" on Steam, and "can't imagine" how different the gaming landscape would be without it.

As Factorio confirms that its next major update will be its final one, Palworld lead John 'Bucky' Buckley has paid tribute to the construction management sim.

After just over a decade since its launch into early access, Wube Software announced over the weekend that Factorio's 2.1 update will be the "last major update" for the game, with the dev team shifting "the focus onto long-term support" like bug fixes and compatibility changes.

The game has been consistently updated since its release, with the full release in 2020, a massive DLC pack titled Space Age in 2024, and, most recently, a Nintendo Switch 2 edition releasing in December 2025, but it's finally time to say goodbye.

Naturally, fans are sad to see it go and are reminiscing about the 13 years since the game was first announced on Indiegogo. Among those is Pocketpair's head of publishing and communications, Bucky, who said: "Factorio, perhaps one of the most influential games to ever release on Steam, will end 'active gameplay development' after 13 incredible years."

Bucky continues, "I can’t imagine how different [the] Steam gaming landscape would have been if there was no Factorio. Thank you for making an incredible game!" Bucky has been an outspoken fan of the game for years. Back in 2024, when Palworld was doing well in The Game Awards' "Player's Voice" category vote, he noted that, despite Palworld's success, "The two best games of the year weren't even in round 1 at all… Satisfactory and Factorio: Space Age."

Steam blocked this Factorio homage's early access release 5 times, so its developer threw caution to the wind with a full release instead - and now he's sold 2 million copies