Defend Your Empire! And help us shape what comes next! It's finally happening: Roman Triumph is out in Early Access! Five years of solo dev, a mountain of coffee, endless playtests, and a ridiculous number of spreadsheets… and now we're here. Huge thanks to everyone who played the demo, sent feedback, or just cheered us on—you helped shape this game more than you know! To celebrate its launch, the game is available for $24.99 with a 25% discount. That discount won't last forever, and the price will go up once we reach 1.0, so if you've been thinking about it, now's a great time to dive in.

Roman Triumph is a survival city-builder / colony-sim set in Roman times where you must lead your people, build a city from the ground up and fortify it with walls, ballistae, archer towers and other Roman defenses to survive against the hordes of Barbarians, ferocious Hydra, Minotaur, Cerberus, and other mythological beasts. In order for your city to thrive, you must keep your citizens fed, safe, healthy, and happy. Strategically designing your city in this randomly generated world will improve your empire's chances of attracting new citizens, increase your resource and food production efficiency, please your gods, and maximize safety during attacks.

Customers evaluating AI infrastructure today rely on a combination of industry-standard benchmarks and real-world model performance metrics—such as those from Llama 3.1 405B, DeepSeek-R1, and other leading open-source models—to guide their GPU purchase decisions. At AMD, we believe that delivering value across both dimensions is essential to driving broader AI adoption and real-world deployment at scale. That's why we take a holistic approach—optimizing performance for rigorous industry benchmarks like MLperf while also enabling Day 0 support and rapid tuning for the models most widely used in production by our customers.

This strategy helps ensure AMD Instinct GPUs deliver not only strong, standardized performance, but also high-throughput, scalable AI inferencing across the latest generative and language models used by customers. We will explore how AMD's continued investment in benchmarking, open model enablement, software and ecosystem tools helps unlock greater value for customers—from MLPerf Inference 5.0 results to Llama 3.1 405B and DeepSeek-R1 performance, ROCm software advances, and beyond.

No kidding. This is not a drill. Monster Train 2 will be in your hands in under two months. If you haven't already, please enjoy the trailer (watch below), wishlist the game, and get ready for five all-new clans, dozens of new cards, and surprises of all shapes and sizes. As we ramp up towards launch, we'll be back at a regular cadence giving you deep dives into Monster Train 2's new content, from clan deep-dives to new game mode reveals and more. All aboard.

If you've spent enough time on the internet, you already know what today is about. It's about goofs. It's about tricks. It's about "pulling a fast one." April Fools' Day in the video game world is a particularly special time for video game studios like us. With the right April Fools' Day announcement, your game can land at the top of the gaming news sites and subreddits.

Mecha fandoms collide in an epic battle to determine the world's future in the upcoming tactical RPG series SUPER ROBOT WARS Y. Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. and developed by Bandai Namco Forge Digitals Inc., the game features immersive strategic game play and is a return for the legendary series to the West in a English localized installment, following the success of SUPER ROBOT WARS 30. The anticipated sequel brings together iconic mecha characters and units from beloved series including COMBATTLER V, Aura Battler Dunbine, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury (Season 1), Majestic Prince, Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre, Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection, Getter Robo Arc, and more. SUPER ROBOT WARS Y will launch in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

In the looming calamity of inevitable ruin, SUPER ROBOT WARS Y challenges the guardians of steel to rise and conquer fate. The lauded series combines an all-star mecha cast, action-packed attack animations, and an upgrade system to customize various units and pilots. The game also features a deep and engaging original story that weaves together universes from a variety of mecha anime. In a battle to determine the world's future, players strategically command an army on a grid-based battlefield, utilizing their arsenal of weapons and abilities to defeat the opposing army. SUPER ROBOT WARS Y is the anticipated new entry to the franchise, following the 2021 hit SUPER ROBOT WARS 30, as a must-have for fans of the long-running game series in the West.

Over three years ago, Bit Reactor was announced as the lead development partner on a mysterious "Star Wars strategy game." According to an early 2022 press release, Respawn Entertainment would collaborate on this new IP project. As disclosed in a recent Star Wars Celebration LIVE! schedule, company representatives will present a "first look at a new Star Wars turn-based tactics" title on Saturday, April 19. MP1st has somewhat spoiled this upcoming public reveal, by publishing an article that contains an impressive collection of "sneak peek" screenshots from project "Bruno." This alleged internal codename was uncovered when the online publication "procured" images from an unnamed Bit Reactor artist's portfolio. MP1st claims that the leaked images are: "dated to mid-2023, indicating that they belong to an early build of the game...The gameplay screenshots showcase elements common to the turn-based genre, like an isometric view and a party of characters."

Familiar Star Wars faction designs and technologies are showcased in captures of this older "Bruno" build. Gameplay and user interface concepts seemingly demonstrate where Bit Reactor's collective expertise lies. The Baltimore metropolitan area-based studio is headed by Greg Foerstch (formerly of Firaxis Games); a tenured artistic director of multiple turn-based strategy favorites. His indie outfit describes how members have (previously): "developed some of the most successful games you've heard of, such as XCOM, Civilization, Gears of War, and Elders Scrolls Online. We learned from the best and reached the pinnacle with the highest accolades, including Game of the Year and BAFTA." As interpreted by MP1st, the leaked early interface mock-ups suggest a multi-platform release—with "controller button" prompts spotted on several shots.

AMD today announced the completion of its acquisition of ZT Systems, a leading provider of AI and general-purpose compute infrastructure for the world's largest hyperscale providers. The acquisition will enable a new class of end-to-end AI solutions based on the combination of AMD CPU, GPU and networking silicon, open-source AMD ROCm software and rack-scale systems capabilities. It will also accelerate the design and deployment of AMD-powered AI infrastructure at scale optimized for the cloud.

AMD expects the transaction to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis by the end of 2025. The world-class design teams will join the AMD Data Center Solutions business unit led by AMD Executive Vice President Forrest Norrod. AMD is actively engaged with multiple potential strategic partners to acquire ZT Systems' industry-leading U.S.-based data center infrastructure manufacturing business in 2025.

After many rumors and supposed leaks claimed that Tencent was preparing a buyout of Ubisoft, it seems as though an alternative solution was reached, with Ubisoft today announcing that it has created a new subsidiary to house some of its biggest gaming franchises. According to the announcement, the new business entity is "based on its Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six brands," and it received initial funding from Tencent, which owns a 25% stake in the new business. Tencent's investment in the new subsidiary is to the tune of €1.16 billion.

The announcement also gives us an indication of what to expect from these game franchises going forward. For starters, Ubisoft mentions that the new subsidiary—and likely the capital injection from the Tencent investment—is part of a new business model that would allow it to invest more in increasing the quality of its creative outputs. Supposedly, it will focus on quality story-driven solo games and growing its multiplayer offerings with more frequent content updates, more social features, and introducing "free-to-play touchpoints." The acquisition comes after a series of delays marred the lead-up to the launch of the latest Assassin's Creed Shadows, which ultimately seems to have been a commercial success. In keeping with other trends, Ubisoft mentions in the press release that the move to split off these gaming IPs will also help accelerate its recent moves to make these gaming franchises multi-platform. Recently, Ubisoft has repeatedly stated that its strategy moving forward would include more multi-platform day-one launches, as opposed to console exclusives and timed exclusives.

Indie publisher Brain Seal just announced Dark Quest 4, the latest entry in the beloved Dark Quest series—a bold, standalone return to the dungeon that feels like a living board game.

Inspired by iconic board games such as Hero Quest, Descent, and Dungeon Saga, Dark Quest 4 is a turn-based RPG dungeon crawler that blends strategy, imagination, and unforgettable quests into one immersive experience.

Greetings Commanders, Grit and Valor - 1949 is now available for purchase on Steam! Thank you all for your support on the journey so far. Seeing you react to our content, leave feedback and participate in our demos and beta has meant everything to us. We hope you enjoy the full game and cannot wait to hear what you think, so please leave a review.

Set in an alternate-history World War II, command an elite squad of resistance mech pilots against the technologically superior forces of the Evil Axis. The year is 1949, and the Axis powers have dominated with their mechanical war machines. As the commander of the resistance, you must rally Allied mech pilots and lead a daring mission into the heart of New Germany to deliver the EMP weapon and end the war once and for all. Command your squad and strategize your every move adapting to dynamic battlefields and overwhelming enemy war machines. With a blend of tactical decision-making, rogue-lite progression, and intense boss encounters, you will be challenged to make split-second decisions and discover the best strategy for survival and reclaim Europe region by region!

Hi everyone, as you all hopefully know, we released Kaiserpunk on Friday! While we're proud of the work we've done, we're not satisfied. The release clearly shows there's a lot of interest in Kaiserpunk and its promise, but it also shows that we didn't fully achieve what we are aiming for. That means that the work continues—on delivering the game that Kaiserpunk deserves to be, and the game you deserve to play. We're incredibly grateful for all the feedback you've shared—both those of you telling us how much and why you like the game, and from those of you who let us know what's keeping you from enjoying the game. All your feedback helps us understand how to move forward, and every player is equally deserving of our gratitude.

For now, however, our focus will be on the latter group—seeing what we can do in the short and medium term to ensure that even more of you enjoy our game. The feedback we're receiving seems to come in three primary categories; performance, UI/UX and game balance. We'll be focusing on all three in the coming days and weeks. Regarding performance, some of you have experienced issues you shouldn't have—that's not ok—end of story. We're working as fast as we can to improve performance for all players. However, it will likely take about a week or so for us to make a meaningful impact. Second is UI/UX. UI/UX for complex games is always challenging, but that doesn't mean we won't work on improving it. We'll work hard with this starting with the first patch, but we'll need ongoing help and feedback from you. Please share any additional feedback you may have—you can find the best ways to reach us at the end of this message.

I want to thank everyone for your support approaching launch, we—at Sword & Axe LLC—have been working hard for years to bring Dark Deity 2 to you and I think you're going to be really happy with it! Can't wait to see all the builds and team compositions you put together as your build up the Eternal Order! Verroa is a peaceful continent on the brink of war as the Asverellian Empire seeks to expand—at your homeland's expense. Command unlikely heroes, fight challenging turn-based battles, and watch hardship forge iron into steel. Dark Deity is back, bigger and better than before!

Engage in Thrilling Tactical Combat
Fight through over 40 tactical scenarios utilizing your team of twenty's varied abilities and prowess, where you will complete side objectives and balance your experience gain to make your squad as strong as can be.

Kaiserpunk, the highly-anticipated grand city-builder, from Overseer Games and co-published by Elda Entertainment, is now available on Steam for $29.99. Kaiserpunk challenges players to build thriving cities, maximize industrial power, and lead military campaigns across an alternate-history Interbellum Era (1918-1945). Combining large scale city-building, deep production chains, and global conquest, Kaiserpunk offers a unique blend of creativity and strategy. Players can shape their empire through military might or diplomacy—creating a city-state that will rise from the ashes of war and leave its mark on history.

"Kaiserpunk has been a journey of ambition and passion," said Danijel Mihokovic, game director on Kaiserpunk and co-founder of Overseer Games. "We set out to create a city-builder that not only lets you construct a metropolis but also challenges you to shape its destiny on a global scale. We're beyond excited to see players dive into the world and make history their own."

Seeking to explore semiconductor policy measures that can strengthen the industrial policy in the European Union, SEMI and the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) have successfully held a high-level roundtable event in the European Parliament under the auspices of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Bart Groothuis (Renew Europe), Oliver Schenk (European People's Party) and Dan Nica (Socialists and Democrats Party).

The 2023 European Chips Act marked an important milestone for Europe's semiconductor industry and overall industrial ecosystem, providing concrete measures to enhance competitiveness and technological capabilities. In order to build on the success of the Chips Act, after the roundtable, MEPs signed a joint declaration to the European Commission's Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, calling for an ambitious follow-up to the Chips Act that adds new research and development (R&D) funds, attracts new investments, and increases European competitiveness.

Square Enix's long-running Front Mission franchise was set to expand with an all-new entry—Front Mission 2089: Borderscape—first revealed back in April 2022. The Japanese multinational publisher announced BlackJack Studio as their chosen development partner on this fledgling project, destined for launch on mobile platforms (Android and iOS). Months later, this collaboration was terminated. Video game news outlets have picked up on a new-ish lawsuit; filed on March 13 in a Seattle, Washington court. Contained information indicates that Square Enix ended a licensing agreement and canceled development in October 2022. The 26-page legal document alleges that HK Ten Tree Limited (aka BlackJack Studio) had produced a "Front Mission-style" game that reuses assets from the shelved "2089: Borderscape" title.

BlackJack's Mecharashi IP is advertised on Steam as a: "mecha-themed tactical turn-based game. The game adopts a Front Mission-style combat system, where you can assemble mechas however you want, equip a wide selection of weapons, and choose your favorite pilots to engage in battle." According to the latest reports, Mecharashi/Metal Storm has already launched in China and Japan—a Western release is "coming soon." Square Enix seems intent on preventing the game from reaching a wider audience. According to Polygon, the Japanese video game giant has: "sent multiple DMCA takedown notices to get the game removed from storefronts; it was removed from Steam, but is back after a counter-claim was submitted. Square Enix said it also filed a lawsuit in Japanese court." Additionally, Square is seeking "maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each copyright infringed." The Front Mission IP lives on in the shape of remakes—under license, Forever Entertainment S. A. developed and published Front Mission 1st: Remake (2022). Front Mission 2: Remake arrived roughly a year later, with Storm Trident S.A. taking care of development duties. Front Mission 3: Remake was unveiled last year at the Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Back in January 2022, Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm Games announced a new "Star Wars strategy game." Press material revealed a production collaboration between Respawn Entertainment and Bit Reactor. The latter party was described as a: "newly formed studio, helmed by games industry veteran Greg Foerstch (ex-Firaxis Games). Respawn will produce the new Star Wars strategy game while Bit Reactor leads on the development of the title." EA's PR piece did not go into major detail, given the very early nature of the generically monikered strategy project. In the interim, Bit Reactor has spent just over three years of production time on their mystery title. Last Friday, the official Star Wars website published a schedule for next month's Celebration LIVE! Japan event.

Eagle-eyed journos and fans soon noticed an intriguing entry, titled: "Bit Reactor Developer Panel featuring Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games." The April 19 early Saturday evening slot—4:30PM to 5:30PM, Live on the Galaxy Stage—will be dedicated to a "first look at a new Star Wars turn-based tactics game." According to reports from last summer, Greg Foerstch and fourteen other former Firaxis team members are involved in the making of the EA/Lucasfilm's unnamed Star Wars turn-based IP. Interestingly, a Bit Reactor 2024 blog post goes to great lengths in explaining that there is more to their internal makeup than being mere "XCOM" veterans. The scope of Respawn Entertainment's involvement is not clear, but Vince Zampella's studio is primarily working on an untitled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sequel. Earlier on in March, an ex-employee leak indicated the unfortunate cancelation of an unannounced first-person shooter game. Industry watchdogs believe that the now dissolved Respawn "new game incubation team" was tasked with the creation of a Titanfall multiplayer prototype.

According to The Korea Economic Daily, an unlikely alliance—involving Samsung Electronics and Palantir Technologies—was formed at the end of last year. Late last week, insiders posited that the South Korean megacorporation's Foundry business was going through troubled times. It is not clear whether the assistance provided by Palantir's AI-infused suite has produced pleasing results chez Samsung's flagship production hubs, but insiders reckon that utilization of the software started just before Christmas. Local media outlets view this unusual pairing as a "gamble"—reportedly, the new-ish initiative has targeted an improved "semiconductor yield (ratio of good products in total production), quality, and productivity."

The Samsung Foundry appears to be going "all-in" with its 2 nm GAA node process; industry moles picked up on signals transmitted by an alleged special "task force (TF)." This elite team is reportedly entrusted with a challenging two-pronged goal; get 2 nm GAA over the finish line by late 2025, alongside the (connected) finalization of a much-rumored "Exynos 2600" mobile chipset. The Korea Economic Daily news article mentions the expansion of a "Samsung DS Division AI Center" back in December (2025), but falls short of labelling this department as the aforementioned "special task force." Despite a previous reluctance to share sensitive data with external companies, the latest report suggests a significant change in strategy. Further details were disclosed: "(Samsung's) collaboration with Palantir is handled by the DS Division AI Center...The AI Center is an organization that merged the DS Division Innovation Center and SAIT (formerly Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) AI Center, and is developing DS Division-specific technologies using AI, advancing development software, building AI platforms, and controlling and advancing facilities and infrastructure." Around late February, industry inside trackers predicted continued "smooth" progress with the 2 nm GAA node. Samsung Foundry's fully upgraded "S2" mass production line is expected to come online by Q4 2025.

China's Ministry of Finance has allocated $55 billion (¥398.12 billion) for science and technology funding in 2025, marking a 10% increase from the previous year's $50 billion (¥361.9 billion). This expenditure now stands as the nation's third-largest budget item, following only national defense and debt interest payments. The 2024 allocation achieved a 97.6% implementation rate, indicating effective deployment of resources in the technology sector. The funding prioritizes initiatives under the "Science and Technology Innovation 2030" program, with significant investments targeting semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing research. Rather than stimulating immediate breakthroughs, the incremental funding increase aims to strengthen existing projects and enhance technological self-reliance amid global competition.

This strategy shows some fiscal constraints imposed by China's economic slowdown while maintaining the country's long-term technological objectives. Supplementary measures bolster direct R&D investment, including enhanced support for fundamental research and specialized financing mechanisms for technology-focused enterprises. Tax reductions and targeted subsidies form part of a comprehensive policy framework designed to foster domestic innovation capabilities. While the funding increase shows commitment to technological advancement, effective project management and efficient resource allocation will be critical success factors, mainly as China competes more globally. Perhaps the most important milestone for this aid package will be supporting the development of advanced lithography tools to make sure that domestic companies can manufacture cutting-edge silicon.

Kuuasema, the Finnish veteran game developer, welcomes all aspiring cult leaders to try the recently announced Cthulhu Keeper! All players are invited to head to the Steam page of the game to give the darkly humorous and challenging strategy game a go!

Have you ever dreamed of ruling over an evil empire alongside the most iconic nightmare creature of all time? Cthulhu Keeper blends classic dungeon-keeping with real-time tactics, immersing players in the creeping horror of Lovecraft's world, all set in the period-appropriate 1920s. In Cthulhu Keeper, you can build your very own cult and generate fear and chaos around you. Command your minions, build a terrifying lair, and unleash chaos upon the unsuspecting populace.

Time flies and as we enter the latter half of March, we have a AAA release from a popular franchise that involves murder by another name. This is followed by a rather weird party game, a 33 player co-op game (good luck finding enough friends), some casual ski resort fun, an anime based game that appears to be related to chemicals and finally some alternative 20th century strategy gaming.

Assassin's Creed Shadows / This week's AAA release / Thursday 20 March
Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Steam link

Intel's 18A node, often referred to as Intel's silver lining, has just produced tangible result. In a LinkedIn post of Intel's engineering manager Pankaj Marria, we learn that Intel's 18A node is now being produced in initial wafer lots for testing and evaluation by Intel's customers. This means that Intel's 18A node PDK is officially in version 1.0, and customers are already using that PDK for testing of custom chips. "The Eagle has landed," noted the post, referring to the node development as a major milestone for a node developed and made in US. There were even posters with the same slogans being brought up, meaning that possible customers are also happy with inital test runs. With high-volume manufacturing slated for second half of 2025, we could even see 18A HVM going before initial targets.

Intel's leadership transition to CEO Lip-Bu Tan has overlapped with a recalibration of corporate messaging around the foundry business. Tan's internal communication explicitly frames Intel's strategy as a dual-track approach that maintains both product development and foundry services under unified corporate governance. This position counters speculation regarding potential foundry spinoff scenarios, though it doesn't categorically exclude future structural changes. Previous industry rumors had outlined potential joint venture configurations involving TSMC and major US semiconductor firms, including AMD, Broadcom, and NVIDIA, taking equity positions in a separate foundry entity. While such arrangements remain theoretically viable, Tan's emphasis on fab strategic importance aligns with predecessor Pat Gelsinger's manufacturing-centric vision, suggesting continuity in Intel's Foundry and Product model despite market pressure.

At Embedded World Germany, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the entry into an agreement to acquire EdgeImpulse Inc., which will enhance its offering for developers and expand its leadership in AI capabilities to power AI-enabled products and services across IoT. The closing of this deal is subject to customary closing conditions. This acquisition is anticipated to complement Qualcomm Technologies' strategic approach to IoT transformation, which includes a comprehensive chipset roadmap, unified software architecture, a suite of services, developer resources, ecosystem partners, comprehensive solutions, and IoT blueprints to address diverse industry needs and challenges.

"We are thrilled about the opportunity to significantly enhance our IoT offerings with Edge Impulse's advanced AI-powered end-to-end platform that will complement our strategic approach to IoT transformation," said Nakul Duggal, group general manager, automotive, industrial and embedded IoT, and cloud computing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We anticipate that this acquisition will strengthen our leadership in AI and developer enablement, enhancing our ability to provide comprehensive technology for critical sectors such as retail, security, energy and utilities, supply chain management, and asset management. IoT opens the door for a myriad of opportunities, and success is about building real-world solutions, enabling developers and enterprises with AI capabilities to extract intelligence from data, and providing them with the tools to build the applications and services that will power the digital transformation of industries."

Today, KOEI TECMO and developer Team NINJA announced that their open-world action RPG, Rise of the Ronin, is now available digitally on Windows PC via Steam. Originally released for PlayStation 5, the epic Bakumatsu era tale takes players on a historic journey where a masterless warrior, a ronin, must fight to forge their own destiny through the chaos of war and political unrest. The Steam version supports various PC features, including ultra-wide monitor combatibility, 8K resolution, 120 FPS, 3D audio, and more.

In Rise of the Ronin, fans will play as a ronin in 1863 Japan in turmoil. With Japan's fate now in their hands, players will encounter various historical figures and factions with differing ideologies, and make significant decisions such as whether to confront or defend them. Players will also be able to form special relationships with some characters thanks to the "Veiled Vow" system, which will allow them to freely shape their own experience of the Bakumatsu period.

The day that we have been working towards for one year, and around 5 years overall for the studio (Dart Games). Our game—Do No Harm—is out! We are excited to show it to you. Hope you like it. We are also excited to announce a bundle with Death & Taxes.

Do No Harm is a doctor simulator with a Lovecraftian twist. You take on the role of a village doctor, diagnosing and treating patients using ancient and often cryptic medical procedures. If you're a fan of profession-related simulators or games that test your decision-making under pressure, Do No Harm is a unique blend of strategy and horror that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Samsung Electronics is taking a close look at its chip design and foundry operations. This action could lead to organizational restructuring, including executive reassignments and workforce reallocation. The initiative aims to strengthen Samsung's competitive position against industry leaders such as TSMC. In January, the company's executives initiated an in-depth evaluation of the System LSI division, which handles chip design. After that, the company plans to extend the review to its foundry business. Significant restructuring may occur within the System LSI division, one proposal involves transferring the Exynos system-on-chip (SoC) business to the Mobile Experience (MX) division to better align with Samsung's smartphone strategy.

Samsung is also evaluating the potential pause of investments in its Pyeongtaek (South Korea) and Taylor (US) manufacturing facilities for its foundry business. At the same time, the company is developing strategies to improve yield rates in its advanced manufacturing processes. Moreover, Samsung is also considering changes within its image sensor business, potentially shifting focus from high-resolution sensors toward products for autonomous vehicles and robotics applications. This action represents the first major internal assessment since Samsung established its management analysis department in November 2024. The primary objective is to revitalize underperforming business divisions.

Much has been said about how the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like a modern twist on the classic JRPG formula, with its flashy, turn-based combat, a massive overworld map to run around in, and customizable weapon sets. You don't have to look hard to see influences from the likes of Persona, Final Fantasy, and other titans of the genre. Mixed with its engaging race-against-the-clock narrative and compelling Belle Époque-inspired art direction, Sandfall Interactive's first game has all the ingredients needed for a sleeper hit when it launches April 24, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and day one with Game Pass.

Recently, I had a chance to experience Expedition 33 for myself with an extended hands-on demo that guided me through the game's opening hours, learning more about its characters, getting a handle on its engaging turn-based combat, and exploring its dark, fantastical world. It's a world that I've been eager to run around in since it was first revealed during Xbox Games Showcase 2024. In a world much like our own, the mysterious Paintress, who looks like a towering Greek god, awakens once each year and paints a number upon a giant monolith—upon which everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. As the game begins, she has painted the number 33, and a small team of adventurers sets out to accomplish what other expeditions have not—destroy the Paintress before even more souls are lost to dust.