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Don’t Stop Smiling Horror Game Requires You to Smile Smiley dog announced it will release Don’t Stop Smiling , a new horror game about exploring an abandoned, haunted school that also tracks if the player is smiling, in Q2 2026. The game will appear on PCs and require someone to play on a device with a camera. As such, a Steam Deck wouldn’t be compatible. [Thanks, Famitsu !] Don’t Stop Smiling will be a short horror game, as the product page on Steam suggests it will last for an hour at most. Your character will go through a haunted school, needing to explore and investigate in order to survive and escape. However, as you do, you’ll encounter various entities and situations. The game will use a camera to ensure the person playing has a smile showing. If someone stops smiling, due to shock or perhaps screaming, then their character will die and the run will end. A first trailer is available. It shows what the exploration element is like and also highlights how an indicator in the upper left corner will monitor your current facial expression based on camera input. It also offers an example of what happens if the player’s expression falters. It seems the on-screen indicator will also be of our avatar, so we’ll see our character crying and hear their sobs as we play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Yb7upnq1k Don’t Stop Smiling will come to PCs in Q2 2026 worldwide, and it will be playable in 10 other languages in addition to English and Japanese. The post Don’t Stop Smiling Horror Game Requires You to Smile appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJan 6

It’s Slime Time With Dragon Quest Valentine’s Day Chocolates Square Enix has announced some Dragon Quest treats for your special someone this Valentine’s Day. If you order between January 6 and February 14, 2026, you’ll also receive a card with a Slime sable cookie to include with your gift. All of the Dragon Quest Valentine’s merchandise will come out on January 31, 2026. You’ll be able to get boxes and bags featuring a blue, pink, or brown Slime, and the snacks are in Slime shapes, too. Here are the prices for the items: Chocolates: 1728 JPY (milk chocolate or strawberry flavor) Chocolate box: 2700 JPY (milk and strawberry chocolate) Sable cookies: 1728 JPY (butter, strawberry, or chocolate flavor) Sable cookie keyholder: 1980 JPY (strawberry or butter flavor) The milk chocolate and butter sable cookies use a blue Slime. Meanwhile, the strawberry’s represented by a pink Slime, and the chocolate sable cookies are represented by a brown one. The Japanese Square Enix store does not offer international shipping, and the North American branch doesn’t have these available yet. It’s likely that these will be Japan-exclusive, so overseas customers will have to rely on proxy services or third-party sites if they wish to purchase these chocolates and cookies. Though not as specifically Valentine's Day themed, you can also purchase golf supplies from the " Dragon Quest Golf" line of goods, like club covers and balls. These items will come out on February 6, 2026. They're also available for pre-order on the Square Enix Japanese e-store. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is readily available on the Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam. The Valentine’s Day chocolates, cookies, and keychains will come out on January 31, 2026, but they’re currently available for pre-order. The post It’s Slime Time With Dragon Quest Valentine’s Day Chocolates appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJan 6

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Switch 2 Version Needs More Time Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is one of those situations in which we know this is a good game and story , but we need to give it a few weeks or months to get to that point. Owlcat Games brought the turn-based strategy game to the Switch 2 just before 2025 ended, making it the company’s first title on the system. Just like the launch on other platforms , it wasn’t entirely smooth! But since one major patch is already out and we did see updates on the original releases, I think we could eventually hit a point after a substantial period of time when Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader could worth playing on the Switch 2. After creating our character in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (don’t worry, as a bug that kept me from actually doing that a few times due to a crash is gone now), we learn we inherited the ability to become a Rogue Trader for the Imperium of Man. After a bit of a kerfuffle when actually claiming the legacy of the Von Valancius family and getting the Warrant of Trade, we soon wind up with the right to explore and trade in the Koronus Expanse. For those unfamiliar with the series, it’s an opportunity to go through an over 60-hour, turn-based RPG with recruitable characters, choices that actually matter, and even an opportunity to romance some of the companions you recruit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWBf_Nk9TfE Since the first patch for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is already on the Switch 2, I’m only going to be going over what’s making it worthwhile and what needs improvement. Know that it is an essential update. When I first played, the game crashed as I was going through character creation. After downloading the patch, I tried going through that again and didn’t encounter the bug. That’s not an issue anymore! But there are both some benefits and lingering issues that come up and suggest it’s worth maybe waiting another month. One of the biggest benefits to the latest adjustments is that Owlcat added mouse support for the Switch 2 version of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader . It’s genuinely a godsend for some strategic games on the system, and using a Joy-Con 2 in that way is quite helpful here. It’s okay with traditional controls as well, especially if you’re in handheld mode. I would say handheld mode isn’t the optimal way to play, at least not now. Which is unfortunate, as that should be one of the draws when coming to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on a Switch 2 due to issues with it running on a Steam Deck. One part of the problem is it just doesn’t look great. The resolution is really bad, especially on character models, though that is supposedly something on Owlcat’s to-do list in terms of future updates. It also could use some framerate adjustments. Some did already come through with the patch back on December 18, 2025! It did make a difference and result in a more playable game, but it still feels like I’m hitting 15-30fps instead of a stable 30fps. But then, this is an issue even when docked, as is an issue with long load times, so I suppose we can’t blame it all on Handheld Mode. Images via Owlcat However, maybe the biggest issue I’ve seen firsthand aside from an occasional crash is that the Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader has major menu problems at the moment. Aside from them being slow to navigate, I can’t even move and make selections unless I use the mouse controls. But not being able to actually use controls to navigate the in-game menus is a pretty big problem, and I was surprised a hotfix didn’t come in ahead of a more major patch even with the holiday season. We already know Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a great game on other platforms, but it is not there yet on the Switch 2. Will it eventually be ready? I think at one point in a few months we could see it being preferable to trying to play it on a handheld gaming PC. But things like menu navigation problems, framerate issues, character model resolutions, the loading situation, and crashes need to be fixed first. I’d recommend stalking the official subreddit and waiting for at least another two updates before considering a purchase. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is now available on the Switch 2, and it can also be found on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The post Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Switch 2 Version Needs More Time appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJan 6

Princess Maker: Children of Revelation Development Continues Back in September 2025, D-Zard announced a transfer that would result in an external company working on Princess Maker: Children of Revelation , following the company getting the license from Gainax to create a new game and release it in early access . Now over three months later on January 2, 2026, the company confirmed via Steam that it is in development with Gear2 at the helm and will release in 2026. This comes after the Gainax bankruptcy proceedings ended and that studio shut down. D-Zard did note that the move to Gear2 does mean that all save files will be affected by the transition. It did note that things tied to the account as a whole, like Fate Cards and the Collection elements, could potentially still remain after upcoming updates. However, the official release will not support any save files made with earlier builds of the game. No updated road map appeared for the game in this latest update. D-Zard only noted the goal is to release the 1.0 build in the first half of 2026. It did note that some of the elements being prioritized are the Harvest Festival, events, and exploration areas. This latest Princess Maker game entered early access in July 2025. It involves raising a character from a child to an adult over an eight year period, deciding where they go to school and work, who they befriend, and where they go. Depending on the choices, different endings could be reached showing the character in different professions or with possible partners. Princess Maker: Children of Revelation is in early access on PCs and is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. The post Princess Maker: Children of Revelation Development Continues appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraJan 5

Review: Arcana Famiglia Rinato Is Such a Stylish Otome Dramatic Create Switch otome games have… something of a reputation, with titles such as The Crimson Flower that Divides: Lunar Coupling and Of the Red, the Right, and the Ayakashi featuring interesting stories and poor localizations. However, it seems like it and HuneX broke the cycle with La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato , an updated version of an otome game that first appeared on the PSP! The translation isn’t perfect, but it’s worlds better than past games. Which is great, as this is a really dynamic and unique visual novel that deserves people’s attention. The Arcana Famiglia organization defends and protects the island of Regalo, with members who join the family wielding Arcana abilities that grant them special abilities and strength. Mondo, current head, decides on his birthday that he will be holding the Arcana Duello in two months to decide the new head of the family after he retires. Whoever wins will lead and also marry his daughter, Felicita. This would also mean she would be confined to the estate. However, as an Arcana-wielder and family member herself, she’s one of the people obligated to compete alongside various members she’s known and worked with her whole life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVAZ94abDn4 Arcana Famiglia Rinato plays like a traditional otome visual novel for the most part, but the Dramatic Create and HuneX title’s presentation and execution is often rather unique. As you go through the story, images often come up as manga panels. This is complete with sound effect imagery, when appropriate. Given how dynamic the whole affair is, it really helps with the storytelling. We see Sumire engage with her daughter and Luca early on in the opening flashback, conveying the sense of movement and gestures of affection. When the “duel” quick-time-events come up, there are the sfx and often multiple images to convey successful hits and abysmal failures. These does appear alongside more traditional character portraits. All together, it’s an incredible means of showing off the narrative and better conveying characters’ personalities. The way in which things proceed also lend itself to Arcana Famiglia Rinato feeling more engaging. Felicita will get opportunities to visit places around Regalo during her free time and not engaging in a story event, which lets us select which of the seven love interests she’ll meet. It will also mean opportunities to use her Arcana. This can be done a certain number of times per day and basically allows her to telepathically check in with someone to see two possible topics or options that are at the forefront of their mind. (One of them might have her face tied to it.) This allows you to influence affections and the direction of events. Screenshots by Siliconera Honestly, the major downside in all this isn’t the localization. There are occasional issues with that, mind you. Sometimes words are missing or there’s a spelling error. A good example is one of Mondo’s earliest lines. In game, it is “Rejoice, my lovely daughter. So have so many men willing to protect you with their own bodies.” Clearly, the first “so” should have been “to” instead. Or when Sumire is teaching young Felicita to be strong, she forgets the “a” article in “Just because you’re woman, that doesn’t mean you should cry and cling to others.” Small things like this are the main issues I saw come up. Annoying? Sure. Enough to keep me from playing a HuneX otome I’ve wanted to play since 2011? Never. No, the real problem here is that Felicita is a silent protagonist. Everyone here has an interesting personality! Characters are funny! Bombastic! Caring! Mysterious! From how they talk about her and how we see her respond both in actions and with dialogue responses, it seems like she’s an assertive, intelligent, and strong woman! But since she never says a word outside of the choices we make, we don’t get to see that. It really detracts from an otherwise outgoing otome. Screenshots by Siliconera La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato is such a dynamic, thrilling, and even funny otome game from HuneX and Dramatic Create. It’s so different from other visual novels in the genre we see. It’s a shame that the heroine is a silent one. Especially since the localization seems improved from the company’s other Switch efforts. The fact that this did seem to turn out so well and is an unexpected, deep cut makes me excited for the future of games from these two groups. La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia Rinato is available for the Nintendo Switch. It will come to the PC via Steam in February 2026. It also appeared on the PSP and Vita in Japan. The post Review: Arcana Famiglia Rinato Is Such a Stylish Otome appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 31

River City Ransom: Underground Being Delisted Conatus Creative announced that the River City Ransom: Underground PC game is being delisted from Steam on December 30, 2025. It is currently on sale on that platform for $2.99 , though it is still $19.99 on GOG and Humble . It seems the process is already underway, as images are gone from Steam and Humble both. The reason for the game abruptly disappearing is due to the end of a licensing agreement. Arc System Works is the rights-holder for the River City/Downtown Nekketsu IP. When Conatus Creative started working on this project and began crowdfunding for it on Kickstarter , it entered into an agreement with the parent company. As long as someone owns the game, they’ll still have access to River City Ransom: Underground after it is delisted. Others won’t have access. (The last time it was down on Steam, it was due to a false DMCA takedown .) This River City Ransom spin-off begins with Merv offering a reward for saving the kidnapped Angel, with the River City High gang known as The Flock blamed for it. As things begin, members Bruno, Glen, Paul, and Provie head out to prove their innocence and find both Angel and their missing leader Chris. As we go through the story in the beat’em up, we encounter other characters we can recruit, like Alex and Ryan, beat up opposing gangs, and learn the truth about the situation. Here’s an official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYpfel22L5M River City Ransom: Underground appeared on PCs and is being delisted. The post River City Ransom: Underground Being Delisted appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 30

Examu Fighting Game Daemon Bride Debuts Worldwide This Week Daemon Bride, a 2009 fighting game from Examu , is going to appear everywhere as DaemonBride: Additional Gain . Team Arcana will release it on Steam on December 30, 2025. This will be an updated version with additional features like an additional character. [Thanks, Famitsu !] Some elements of Daemon Bride might feel a bit familiar, as this fighting game features a similar sort of partner system as its Examu sibling Arcana Heart . The fighters use Bride partners, which might be an angel or demon. (For example, one of the demon ones is Lucifer and one of the angel ones is Metatron.) Each character in the campaign makes a contract with one of these beings and fights around Tokyo to advance their goals and be the winner. There are some major changes noted that are totally new for this release. One is that Team Arcana noted rollback multiplayer is present. The other is that Dies Irae Deus, who appeared as a boss in the original, is now playable. However, he’s not playable in an arcade story mode, and is only usable in versus style fights. There’s also an opportunity to test out characters and learn their moves via Training mode and an in-game guide. As an example of what to expect, here’s a 2011 trailer showing the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33hF8dHVIOU DaemonBride: Additional Gain will come to PCs on December 30, 2025, and the original Daemon Bride fighting game from Examu appeared in arcades in Japan. The post Examu Fighting Game Daemon Bride Debuts Worldwide This Week appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 29

Granblue Fantasy PC Version Heading to Steam Worldwide Cygames announced that it will be much easier for people outside of Japan to play Granblue Fantasy worldwide, as an English PC version will appear on Steam. This will be independent of the existing release, just as the worldwide version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a separate global release . So existing accounts used with the browser-based client or existing mobile versions will not be compatible when it launches on March 10, 2026. This comes after other games and media tied to the series already appeared worldwide. While Steam PC client this will mark the official release of Granblue Fantasy outside of Japan, we’ve been able to play the game in English for years. Cygames just never made it officially available on any region. This meant if someone went with a browser (like via the Chrome app ) or downloaded an apk, they could play. However, things like the anime adaptation and spin-off games did appear everywhere. Since this will be a distinct global release, it is possible this Granblue Fantasy PC debut could be on an accelerated schedule like the worldwide Steam and mobile release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby . This means we won’t see the November 2025 Evangelion crossover right away, and instead might see ones like the Persona 5 one before it. The game is over 11 years old now, so we'll have to wait and see to learn more about how this will roll out. Granblue Fantasy will come to the PC via Steam outside Japan on March 10, 2026. It is already available in English via PC browsers and on mobile devices. The post Granblue Fantasy PC Version Heading to Steam Worldwide appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 29

Preview: Scrabdackle Act 1 Feels Promising Scrabdackle is one of those games where we get a front row seat to its development. Jakefriend started things with a (successful) Kickstarter that ran between March-April 2021. There were pretty regular updates on its progress since. Now the game is in early access, with basically an act released every year. Though only the first of three parts is live now, it already seems promising. The concept behind Scrabdackle is short and sweet. Blue is a student at Wizard Academy. One day, a red mage attacks, petrifying people there like Blue’s roommate Viridian. Blue gets ejected. After a brief lucid dream called a waydream, in which Headmaster White explains basic gameplay concepts in a tutorial, our hero wakes up in the Junk Heap. It’s up to you to get your wand back, explore Scrabdackle as you attempt to get home, and find a way to defeat the academy’s enemy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV3NmLOgTyQ Scrabdackle can feel a bit like going through a The Legend of Zelda game, though Blue’s wand attacks can make it feel more like going through a twin-stick shooter like The Binding of Isaac . While you start with Strata Blast, which lets you survive encounters and blast through things like junk, you’ll need to get additional abilities to reach new locations. However, it’s very open-ended and you can take whatever path you’d like once you’re in the world to explore. So while some spells are necessary to make progress through certain parts, how you approach things is up to you. That freedom is handled really well in the first act of Scrabdackle . The backtracking doesn’t feel too overwhelming, at least in these early hours. Reaching save spots does mean you’ll be able to heal, refill your vials, and have enemies respawn so you can earn more currency. It does feel like certain spots will be naturally visited first, like Peanut Village since it is early on the taskroll (mission list). So while it is freeform, there’s enough structure to ensure someone doesn’t feel lost. I will note some of the enemies and bosses could use a bit of rebalancing, but that’s something I’m sure will come following feedback and patches. Images via Jakefriend But what struck me most as I went through some of the early hours of Scrabdackle is the personality. It’s a really charming and funny game! There’s fourth-wall breaking that doesn’t feel egregious. It’s both subtly and overtly hilarious. Even explanatory segments and descriptions are silly in a fun way. It matches the sketchy and doodle-y appearance of the world, so both the artistic direction and script maintain the same sorts of sentiments. I appreciate how open Jakefriend has been with Scrabdackle development on Kickstarter, and I’m hoping we’ll see the same sense of positive progression now that it’s in early access. It’s really a pleasant game with a fantastic atmosphere to it. I think as long as it keeps this level of charm, it could turn out quite well even if the rest of the adventure doesn’t get any deeper. Act 1 of Scrabdackle is in early access on PCs via Steam , with two more acts in development. The post Preview: Scrabdackle Act 1 Feels Promising appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 27

Drywall Eating Simulator Gets Frustrating Life is frustrating, and Drywall Eating Simulator is an attempt to capture that while also being funny and driving you to gnawing through walls when your anger hits its peak. It’s relatable! However, the unfortunate part is that this simulation does still feel like a work in progress. While patches did make things easier to deal with along the way, it’s still a bit buggy. Drywall Eating Simulator is about dealing with everything annoying about life. Dealing with an apartment complex where you’re trapped inside, encountering annoying neighbors, and can’t get out. The stress builds until you explore and encounter enough irritants that the Stress Buddy shows you’re about to lose it. At this point, you’ll see glowing red segments of walls. These can be eaten to make new paths and reduce stress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Nj3y8PQKo So the first really frustrating thing about Drywall Eating Simulator is the speed of the camera. While moving forward and backward is fine, as is strafing, actually moving the camera felt shockingly sluggish and slow on a handheld gaming PC. This meant actually turning and exploring felt like a chore. This persisted even after the patches that fixed some softlock situations, which is annoying. I tried messing with the settings as well and didn’t encounter the issue when playing on a laptop, so it must be tied to the Steam Deck sort of experience. Also troublesome is the fact that sometimes Drywall Eating Simulator stages don’t work well. The first and second levels are working reasonably well as of time of writing, with the recent patches up to this point making it possible to see which parts of walls are susceptible and the Questlog.txt tracker keeping accurate notes on what needs to be done. But I experienced issues with the mission list not updating and the fourth level still locked up on me. Images via Peripheral Playbox But even when Drywall Eating Simulator is working well, the way in which you progress can get a bit irritating. That’s because it’s essentially an “explore everywhere and click on everyone” type of experience. There are times when the commentary from NPCs can be funny! The idea is hilarious. The situations are perfect examples of irritating moments of life. But actually getting to the progression points can be difficult in some stages. This felt most noticeable in the first stage, but it also happened to me in the fourth as well. The idea behind Drywall Eating Simulator is amusing and captures the frustrations encountered at work or in society. Unfortunately, I feel like this is a game in need of another few patches. Some Steam Deck optimization would be great too. Peripheral Playbox did already release one patch on Steam and seems responsive, so this could be a situation where it’s in a much better place in a few weeks. Drywall Eating Simulator is available for PCs. The post Drywall Eating Simulator Gets Frustrating appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraDec 26