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Cozy Creature Collector / Life Sim “Frog Island” Now Available on Steam

Indie developer DevFrog is pleased to announce that Frog Island, a point-and-click, cozy creature-collecting life sim over 3 years in the making, has launched on PC via Steam. Start your new life as a caretaker for an island of frogs in this cozy creature-collector! Build your dream island, discover magical wildlife, and uncover the island’s many hidden secrets to try and piece together the past life you’ve forgotten somehow.

Watch the trailer here


Premise:

Waking up on a deserted island, you are greeted by a mysterious woman who asks you to take care of her frogs while she is away. However, she vanishes the next day, leaving you with only a hand-written note and some old tools. With nowhere to go, you have but two simple tasks:

  • Escape Frog Island
  • Accept the role of caretaker of Frog Island

Serving as a spiritual successor to classic creature-collection games like Neko Atsume, Frog Island invites players into a charming, hand-crafted world to build their dream sanctuary, collect unique frogs and wildlife, and uncover the island’s forgotten secrets.

Key Features:

  • Discover and collect 60+ adorable frogs, each with unique personalities and looks, and some super secret frogs as well
  • Explore the diverse wildlife of the island, with 60+ bugs, critters, and fish for you to catch
  • Farm, cook, fish, and forage during your day-to-day caretaker activities
  • Discover 10+ hand crafted environments on the island, from a fiery volcano, to a magical field of flowers
  • Build the island of your dreams, with over 250+ toys and decorations to fulfill all your decorating needs
  • Dress your frogs with cute accessories, over 60+ to unlock
  • Feed, sing songs, chat, clean, and so many more ways to interact with your frogs
  • Capture your favorite moments on the island with your camera, and save them in your photo album
  • Features a story-driven narrative, unique side quests, lots of hidden lore and secrets, and other fun and whimsical events to discover

Game Details:

  • Title: Frog Island
  • Developer: DevFrog
  • Publisher: Shovel Sprout Games Inc.
  • Release Date: AUGUST 20, 2026
  • Platform: PC (Steam)
  • Price: $7.99 USD
  • Steam Store Page

About Shovel Sprout Games:

Shovel Sprout Games is an independent studio making heartfelt games made with love, for the love of the game. Founded by developer DevFrog, Frog Island marks the studio’s debut commercial release after more than three years in development.

Media Contact:

Review keys and developer interviews are available upon request.

Neuron Activation Demo Gets An Upgrade, New Trailer Also Released

Indie Developer DR Studio & their publisher Pretty Soon are giving players even more ways to keep their brains occupied with an expanded demo for Neuron Activation, which just launched alongside a brand-new trailer. The updated demo adds new narrative moments, cosmetics, leaderboards, touch support, new ways to play and a preview of Zen Mode, giving players plenty of reasons to clock back in.

At its core, Neuron Activation is a digital fidget box disguised as a game. Push buttons, flip switches, drag sliders, shoot targets and complete dozens of tiny interactive tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible, while the dopamine keeps rushing in. It’s tactile, satisfying and designed to keep your attention moving from one little challenge to the next.

BUT SOMEONE IS WATCHING.

As players progress, assignments from The Handler start to reveal that there’s more going on behind the control panel than simply chasing a high score. What begins as a satisfying collection of micro-tasks gradually turns into something a little more unsettling, as corporate orders become harder to ignore and the question of whether you should actually follow them starts to creep in.

Neuron Activation Demo Update Trailer


Demo Update:

The updated demo expands Neuron Activation with a whole batch of new content and features.

  • There is now a Store – Buy extra cosmetics and open useless lootboxes. This is purely in-game, with no real currency of any kind! Only the satisfaction is real.
  • New Interactions – Opening lootboxes or interacting with your player badge triggers a fresh new dialogue with its own subnarrative.
  • Earn player titles by progressing in the demo story
  • Zen Mode preview – 4 of the 30 boards are available to play around in a stress-free zone. And it even has 3 brand new buttons to interact with.
  • Gauntlet Mode – play the available boards in quick succession to get the best time.
  • Leaderboards – players can keep coming back for more and compete on the leaderboards
  • Various Quality-of-life & UI improvements
  • Touch Support – You can now play the entire demo with touch. Great news for Steam Deck owners!

Key Request

We encourage press & creators to cover the demo first, but you can already put your name on the list for a full release Steam code, which will be distributed closer to the Q4 2026 launch:
Request a Neuron Activation Steam Code

Steam Page: store.steampowered.com/app/3978110/Neuron_Activation
​Press Contact: press@piratepr.com & krzysztof.masternak@prettysoon.games

About the game

Neuron Activation is a digital fidget box disguised as a puzzle game. Filled with dopamine-fueled micro-challenges where you will push buttons, flip switches, shoot targets and more to boost your score through clever chains.

Complete assignments from The Handler and decide how far you’re willing to follow orders from your mysterious corporate overlords.

Key Features:

  • Dopamine-Powered Micro-Challenges – Push buttons, flip switches, drag sliders, shoot targets, and dozens of other instantly satisfying tasks.
  • Multitasking Mayhem – Juggle multiple objectives at once as your control panel grows more chaotic and rewarding.
  • The Handler Watches Your Every Move – Receive assignments, feedback, and increasingly questionable requests from a mysterious corporate overseer.
  • Obey or Push Back – Your choices matter. Follow instructions or challenge authority. See what happens when you refuse to play along.
  • Easy to Learn, Hard to Master – The main game is designed to be approachable for players of all skill levels, while score chasers can optimize every action for bigger multipliers.
  • Zen Mode Included – Enjoy the tactile satisfaction of completing tasks without timers, scores, or pressure.
  • 60+ Handcrafted Levels Progress through unique stages, special challenges, speed tests, and boss encounters.
  • Rewarding Progression – Level up, earn coins and unlock cosmetic options to customise your control panel.

For more updates on Neuron Activation: Wishlist on Steam

About DR Studio

Danilo is the solo developer behind Neuron Activation. Games have always been a huge part of his life. Being able to finally create his own game and see players from all over the world enjoying something he built is an incredible milestone for him. He finds inspiration in the little moments and tries to share a rewarding experience with others.

About Pretty Soon

Pretty Soon is an indie games publisher on a simple mission: to be the best choice for solo developers and small teams. Located in Poland, they work with talents spread over the entire world. Their portfolio includes such titles as Backpack Hero, Havendock, Small Spaces, Primal Planet, Scale the Depths, Neuron Activation, Project P.I.T.T., and others.

Prettysoon.games

Copyright © 2026 Pretty Soon, All rights reserved.

Psychological Horror ‘T.W.I.R.L.’ Launches Today on PC

T.W.I.R.L., the debut horror game from developer Genie Boy Games about growing up with a deep secret that must be protected for life, releases today on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam. Console versions are planned to awaken at a later date.

Awakened at 3:00 AM each morning by an otherworldly pull drawing him out of bed, he is instructed to move through the dark, moonlit hallways of his childhood home. Creep out of the bedroom undetected. Walk down the corridor. Open the door. Now “T.W.I.R.L.” — whatever that means.

TELL NO ONE. Not a soul can know. Feel every trembling step forward with haptic controller feedback, exploring an oddly cozy house of horrors rendered through a nostalgic, retro lens. Wander through memories of a concealed adolescence in P.T.-inspired loops as introspection becomes a matter of youthful life or quiet death. Protect your secrets for as long as possible. If anyone were to find out…who knows what hell would come of it?

Follow the boy as he ages into his teenage years, bearing the unspeakable weight of his past. Experience introducing a family, their house, and the unspoken enigma hiding within a story-rich narrative. Witness an intimate group of characters whose personalities are brought to life by a talented team of first-time video game voice actors, including 14-year-old Alexander Roff as “The Boy,” Shannon Mindlin as “The Girlfriend,” Jerry Schultz as “The Priest,” Colleen Arnold as “The Mother,” and others.

“Of many things, T.W.I.R.L. is a challenge to look fear in the eye and see it for what it is: nothing,” said Ben Escobar, founder of Genie Boy Games. “Through our story about childhood secrets, the loss of innocence, and growing up in 2006, we hope that our game inspires you to embrace a rediscovery of self, and an acceptance of your lifelong fears.”

Hold on tight to the truth as T.W.I.R.L. launches today on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam for $5.99, with a 15% launch discount. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch versions will launch later this year. For more information, join the community on Discord, visit the official Genie Boy Games website, and follow the developer on Twitter and Instagram.

Assets

T.W.I.R.L. Streaming Launch Trailer

About Genie Boy Games

Genie Boy Games is an indie studio helmed by film producer, writer, and director Ben Escobar, where the fusion of film and interactivity flourishes. Video games were the medium in which the team learned to convey meaningful stories. Ben pairs his penchant for meaningful filmmaking with interactive storytelling techniques revolving around minimalism, experimental horror, and abstract themes to provide a frightful narrative in the studio’s debut game T.W.I.R.L. (spawned from the David Lynch: Catch Ideas Like Fish” Game Jam by the Haunted PS1 Community), currently in development.

Media Contact

Zachery Bennett / Raymond Porreca

Stride PR for Genie Boy Games

zachery.bennett@stridepr.com / raymond@stridepr.com

New Roguelike Survival Game Black Flower Now Available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Mobile Platforms

Triomatica Games, the award-winning studio behind Boxville, has announced that Black Flower, a strategic roguelike about survival and growth in a fragile garden, is available now on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, and Android.

At the heart of the game lies a single black seed, a rare and mysterious flower that gives you the chance to change your fate, if you can make it bloom. A free demo is also available on all platforms for anyone who wants to get a feel for the game first.

Play Black Flower on Steam
Play Black Flower on PlayStation
Play Black Flower on Xbox


About the Game:


Black Flower is a strategic roguelike about survival and growth in a fragile garden.

Guide your garden through a magical calendar, making daily choices between unpredictable weather conditions. Each day brings new risks and opportunities, forcing you to manage resources, protect your flowers, and adapt to an ever-changing world. At the center of your journey lies a single black seed — a rare and mysterious chance to change your fate, if you can make it bloom.

Every run is different. Skill matters, but success is never guaranteed.



Key Features:

  • Strategic roguelike gameplay where every run brings new knowledge
  • Experiment, learn, predict, and adapt your strategy to achieve your goal
  • Unlock over 80 achievements and discover new ways to influence the world
  • Combine tools, devices, enchantments, and weather effects to overcome every challenge
  • A relaxing yet challenging experience where careful planning competes with unpredictable chaos
  • Handcrafted art and a magical atmosphere
  • Learn through experimentation — knowledge is your true progression


About Triomatica Games
Triomatica Games is a young but ambitious Ukrainian independent game development studio, founded in 2020 by artists and developers. The studio handles the full stack of development and publishing in-house, and is best known for Boxville, winner of the GDWC 2023 Mobile Award and PGA’23 Best Indie International Game.

CTHULHU’S REACH: DEVIL REEF OFFICIALLY OUT OF EARLY ACCESS, VERSION 1.0 NOW LIVE

First Break Labs today announced that Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef has left Early Access and launched into full version 1.0 on Steam

The 1.0 release arrives on the heels of a major update introducing the Curse Dice System, a new reload-based ammo management layer for ranged combat, and hand-crafted Room Spawn Events placed throughout the campaign — alongside a newly released launch trailer.

Swedish developers The Fine Arc said, ”It’s been three years since the first line of code. Now we’re excited to launch version 1.0 and share what we’ve built together with our awesome community. A heartfelt thanks to all the support from our peers and amazing players. You know who you are!”

Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef launches into version 1.0 on Steam today at 10:00 AM PST.


About The Fine Arc Nordic AB
The Fine Arc is a Sweden-based game studio with a focus on creating satisfying and atmospheric titles.

About First Break Labs

First Break Labs is an innovative, independently financed collective of video game industry veterans, committed to spotlighting groundbreaking new video games. With extensive experience at SEGA, Nintendo, ATLUS, and SmileGate, First Break Labs is on a mission to provide essential funding and marketing support to like-minded indie developers. From immersive adventures and pulse-pounding action titles to innovative indie gems, our curated selection showcases the incredible talent and creativity of our partner studios.

Media Contact

First Break Labs PR : press@firstbreaklabs.com

Co-Op Horror Comedy Last Pirates: Die Together Launches in Steam Early Access on August 18th

RetroStyle Games, a Ukrainian indie studio, releases its chaotic 1-4 player co-op horror comedy Last Pirates: Die Together into Steam Early Access on August 18, 2026, following a demo that drew 300,000+ players and nearly 200,000 wishlists.

Watch the Early Access Launch Trailer here

Game Overview
Last Pirates: Die Together is an online co-op horror comedy for 1 to 4 players, built on chaotic physics and ridiculously stretchy arms, where the same teamwork that keeps you alive turns your friends into your biggest hazard. Your crew is cursed, and the only way to break it is to plunder treasure buried in haunted pirate locations. Grab as much gold as you can, dodge the monsters in the dark, and get at least one crewmate out alive.

What’s New in Early Access
The Early Access build is a major content jump from the demo:

  • Two brand-new handcrafted chapters and locations, the Ship and the Castle, each with its own layout, loot and threats.
  • Six new monsters including the Snake, Parrot (shrieks to summon the horde), Sleeper, blind sound-hunting Ear, Anchorman and Crab, plus reworked swarm Rats. The Mimic now speaks in players’ own voices.
  • A bigger chaos sandbox: blackjack, bar, trampoline, slot machine, jacuzzi, air hockey, mast parkour, and playable instruments (piano, flute, guitar).
  • Physics and environment overhaul: smashable large objects hauled out piece by piece, new elevators and funiculars, and reworked cart physics.
  • A full lighting and visual pass, new character skins, Steam Rich Presence, an invite system, and built-in Streamer Mode.

Key Features

  • Stretchy-arm chaos: grab, pull, throw and swing across rooms with the one tool that both saves and wrecks the crew.
  • 1-4 player co-op, fully playable solo, with communication-heavy teamwork that breaks down hilariously.
  • Horror meets comedy: real tension blended with physics-driven slapstick.
  • The signature butt-revive: bring downed crewmates back with a physics-driven butt-slam.
  • Chapter progression, a growing bestiary, and shop-based upgrades. Available in 20 languages, including Simplified Chinese.

About RetroStyle Games


RetroStyle Games is a Ukrainian indie studio developing PC and mobile games with distinctive visuals, clear mechanics and memorable player interactions. Its portfolio includes the Ocean Keeper series and Last Pirates: Die Together. Early Access is planned for a minimum of 6+ months with regular content updates on the road to 1.0.

Resources

More information

Company links:

From RetroStyle Games

Survival Adventure Coastless Announced by Megame Studio

Megame Studio is excited to introduce Coastless, a survival crafting adventure inspired by Raft and Don’t Starve, where players build a floating base, explore procedural islands, and cross an ocean consumed by mysterious black waters.  

There’s one catch: your raft is powered by a hungry monster – Garry.

Feed the creature to generate energy, take control of your raft, and sail deeper into the unknown in search of resources and a way to restore the disappearing world.

Key features:

  • Build and expand your own floating survival base
  • Explore procedurally generated islands
  • Fish, cook, gather resources, and craft new tools
  • Feed a mysterious monster to power your raft
  • Navigate freely using sails and a steering wheel
  • Survive changing day and night conditions
  • Cleanse the black waters and uncover what happened to the world
  • Play solo or together with friends

Coastless is available to wishlist on Steam here

STARSHIP JOB SIMULATOR CONTACT PROTOCOL, COMING TO PC AND CONSOLES SPRING 2027

Kinetic Publishing and Cold Zephyr Games have announced Contact Protocol, a starship job simulator set in a gritty cassette-future full of spaceships and CRTs. Coming to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Spring 2027.

Revealed as part of Kinetic Publishing’s first wave of titles at the Kinetic Publishing Showcase, Contact Protocol has you take on the role of a security officer onboard the starship Pale Horse, a GalCo mining vessel setting course to Jupiter’s largest moon. You’ll have to assess the intentions of approaching ships, compare the information they provide against company records, and determine whether they are friend or foe.

This is no simple admin job, however – as discrepancies are interrogated and requests for information are sent, the unknown ship approaches ever closer. Uncertainty can lead to disaster for the Pale Horse if a passing ship means harm, but choose to fire torpedoes out of caution and you just might doom a ship full of innocents. All the while the company is watching, with the threat of legal action looming if paperwork is mismanaged.

“Contact Protocol is inspired by the simple premise that, when under pressure and inundated with information, people do not make good decisions!” said Mick Hunter, Lead Designer at Cold Zephyr Games. “We’ve engineered the game so that the player’s cognitive load is at its highest whenever they are faced with a difficult moral decision – and we want to challenge them to make choices that they won’t regret later down the line. It’s about towing the line between doing the job, and doing the right thing.”

Contact Protocol Features:

  • Investigate, Interrogate, Engage: Cross-reference incoming data bursts against company records, prod for answers to explain discrepancies, and destroy incoming ships that don’t meet the mark
  • Multi-task: Fix contact frequencies, check hull images, and recover corrupted data – all while answering comms
  • Choices matter: Your decisions will affect your relationships with the crew and their narratives and will have knock-on effects throughout the solar system
  • Procedural starships: No two encounters will be the same, and no outcome can be predicted
  • A painted universe: Discover a striking sci-fi world as sketchy and hard-edged as the game’s distinct art style

Contact Protocol will launch on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Spring 2027.

Visit the newsroom

About Kinetic Publishing

Launched in 2026, Kinetic Publishing is the publishing label of Kinetic Games, the UK-based developer behind 27+ million selling horror phenomenon Phasmophobia.

Founded to champion innovation within the indie game development space, Kinetic Publishing aims to offer the level of support that would have benefitted Phasmophobia creator Daniel Knight at the start of his journey, and to help developers make incredible games without compromising their creative vision.

In 2027, Kinetic Publishing is launching gritty starship job simulator Contact Protocol and open world witch-tech delivery game Crescent County, followed by PRECOGNITION, Shellbound, and Aether Wizard Life in 2028. For more on Kinetic Publishing, visit the official website and follow them on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Bluesky.

About Cold Zephyr Games

Cold Zephyr Games was founded by former students from the London College of Communication, with one goal in mind – make games that make you think. Starting with Contact Protocol, the team’s debut title, Cold Zephyr Games aims to create interactive experiences that incorporate ethics, information, and the inner workings of the human brain in playful and unique ways.

Psychological Horror Veil of Madness Unveils New Demo, Now Playable on Steam

Wandering Wizard and Stormling Studios have launched a new demo for Veil of Madness, the upcoming first-person psychological horror deckbuilding game, offering an early hands-on experience of the game. Alongside the new demo, Veil of Madness has released a new trailer offering a closer look at its eerie world, intense card-based combat, exploration, and psychological horror. The trailer features a voiceover and captions presented entirely in R’lyehian, the fictional language from Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, further immersing viewers in the game’s unsettling world.

WATCH THE NEW DEMO TRAILER HERE

In Veil of Madness, you take on the role of a doctor who enters the mind of a patient trapped in a coma, only to discover that her condition may be something far more disturbing than an illness. As the boundaries between reality, memory and nightmare begin to collapse, players must navigate a surreal and dangerous mental landscape while uncovering the mystery behind her transformation.

The game’s combat system puts a unique spin on the horror genre, combining first-person exploration with strategic deckbuilding. Players gather unique cards throughout their journey, upgrade their abilities and strategically manage their inventory to survive encounters with increasingly terrifying creatures. Some cards are hidden in secret areas, while others can only be obtained by completing specific quests, encouraging players to explore their surroundings and pay close attention to the characters they encounter.

The new demo gives players an opportunity to experience this combination of exploration, investigation and card-based combat firsthand while getting a taste of the unsettling atmosphere and psychological mystery at the heart of Veil of Madness.

Key Features

  • A Mind-Bending Horror Mystery: Enter the mind of a patient whose coma may be something far more sinister than an illness.
  • First-Person Deckbuilding: Combine exploration and investigation with strategic card-based combat.
  • Build Your Arsenal: Collect unique cards and upgrade them to improve their effectiveness.
  • Explore and Discover: Search for hidden areas, interact with NPCs and complete quests to uncover additional cards and secrets.
  • Face the Horrors Within: Strategically use cards and inventory items to survive encounters with terrifying creatures.
  • Atmospheric Psychological Horror: Explore a surreal world inspired by Lovecraftian horror, mystery and psychological terror.

Veil of Madness is currently planned for release in 2026. The new demo is available now on Steam.

Wishlist and play the Veil of Madness demo on Steam

Wandering Wizard: X | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok 

About Stormling Studios
Stormling Studios is an independent game development firm headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey and represents a compact yet highly creative independent game development firm, initiated by the innovative minds behind the celebrated Lovecraftian titles such as the DARKNESS WITHIN series, CONARIUM and TRANSIENT. Over the years, projects have consistently received accolades for their ability to maintain a captivating atmosphere, deliver stunning visuals, and craft engaging narratives.

About Wandering Wizard
Wandering Wizard is passionately committed to championing indie game developers. We provide a platform for fresh voices, revolutionary ideas, and daring experiments within the indie gaming realm. Embracing the inherent risks of indie game development, we partner with creators worldwide to enrich the global gaming community with inclusive, inspiring, and innovative gaming experiences. wanderingwizard.com

Steal & Sell Simulator Launches Its Steam Page

DreamWay Games has launched the Steam page for Steal & Sell Simulator, a first-person stealing and shop management game where players steal valuable goods at night and sell them from their own store during the day.

The game is now available to wishlist on Steam, with a playable demo planned for this autumn and the full release scheduled for later this year.

In Steal & Sell Simulator, players break into warehouses and other locations, pick locks, crack safes, bypass security systems, and grab valuable loot before time runs out.

But every theft can go wrong. Cameras, alarms, and guards can quickly turn a quiet burglary into a desperate escape. Back at the shop, stolen goods become profit. Players fill their shelves, sell their latest finds, upgrade the business, and reinvest their earnings into bigger opportunities. As the operation expands, players unlock new districts and more dangerous locations, hire thieves to carry out additional heists, and gather valuable tips from local contacts and also when the police start asking too many questions, a strategically placed donut might just help.


Key Features:

  • Break into a variety of locations and steal valuable goods.
  • Pick locks, crack safes, and bypass security systems.
  • Avoid guards, cameras, and alarms.
  • Escape before time runs out.
  • Sell stolen goods in your own shop.
  • Upgrade and expand your business.
  • Hire thieves and send them on heists.
  • Unlock increasingly dangerous locations with bigger rewards.

Steal & Sell Simulator is available to wishlist now on Steam.


A playable demo will launch this autumn, followed by the full game later in 2026.
Steam Page
Trailer


About DreamWay Games
DreamWay Games S.A. is a game development studio based in Wrocław, Poland. The company focuses on producing PC games for the Steam platform. DreamWay Games was founded in 2020 by Piotr Szwach and Wojciech Roszkowiak. The studio has already released Espresso Tycoon, Used Cars Simulator, and Weed Supermarket Simulator – which will have its version 1.0 release and exit from Early Access tomorrow (August 12).

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