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Railway Management Simulator Rail Estate July 16th 2026 Release Date Announced

Indie studio Holonautic is excited to announce that their upcoming railway management sim Rail Estate is finally coming to Steam on July 16th, 2026! The title, which was initially announced as a multiplayer-first experience earlier this year, has now been expanded to include a full single-player campaign, a top-to-bottom redesign of the game visuals, a new cargo hauling system, new biomes, and many other additional gameplay elements.

Watch the Release Date Announcement Trailer here

As an aspiring rail tycoon, Rail Estate puts you in control of your very own railway management company in the golden age of the train. Your goal is to outsmart up to 7 other players while you compete to become the country’s biggest transportation business. To achieve that, you’ll have to carve yourself a spot among other industry titans. Outbid your opponents as you gain control of the country’s most important routes, then carefully manage your resources and connections to maximize revenue. Upgrade your trains and cars to boost income from each trip, improve your lines to make them faster and more competitive, move cargo and people throughout the country, and do everything in your power to grow your empire as you keep your opponents in check!

Designed with both strategy and management sim players in mind, Rail Estate merges elements from the two genres. Resource management is at the heart of every decision but knowledge and quick thinking will ultimately decide who comes up on top. Play against other players in both co-op or free for all modes or hone your skills through a full single player campaign. Study the competition and react to their moves, adapt to dynamic terrain and biomes, and fight to keep your profits climbing at any cost.
 

The launch of Rail Estate on July 16th marks the end of a long journey that saw Holonautic venture into the world of non-VR games for the first time, with support from both players and the wider gaming community as a whole. Speaking on the approaching release date, Holonautic co-founder Roger Küng said: “We knew we had something special when one of our early playtesters said: “It’s truly a capitalist’s wet dream game. It’s very cutthroat and so true to life, it’s actually incredible.”.

Key Features

  • Single Player Campaign: Conquer a series of scenarios, outsmart a diverse cast of rivals on changing maps, and unlock features as you claim your title as the ultimate railroad tycoon.
  • Blind auction system: place the highest bid to secure access to the most profitable rail connections in the land – but be careful not to overspend!
  • Network building strategy: upgrade key lines to dominate routes and undercut rivals, improving your stations, trains, and cars to maximise profits;
  • Procedurally generated world maps: use the terrain to your advance on ever-changing maps – no two games will be the same;
  • Multiplayer and single player modes: challenge yourself against the computer or compete with up to 7 open players in free-for-all or Team v Team multiplayer modes;

About Holonautic
Holonautic is an award-winning independent game studio with a reputation for pushing technical boundaries and exploring unique player interactions. After establishing a successful track record in the VR industry with titles like Surgineer and the double Auggie Award-winning Hand Physics Lab (2021 “Best Game or Toy” and “Best Indie Creator”), the studio is expanding into the world of PC and console gaming.
 

Our philosophy is simple: we only release games we can’t stop playing ourselves.

The journey to Rail Estate was born from a rigorous R&D process where dozens of game ideas were evaluated and multiple prototypes were put to the test. Known for being our own harshest critics, we filter every project through a high-standard lens of polish and mechanical depth. Rail Estate emerged as the clear winner: a strategy game so engaging that it demanded to be our first “flat-screen” release. We are dedicated to creating unique and addictive experiences that prioritize gameplay above all else.

Mythological Roguelite Immortal Wayfarer Coming Soon to Steam

P Games and Yifang Studio have officially announced Immortal Wayfarer, a captivating new blend of turn-based tactical roguelike, grid-based dungeon crawling, and RPG mechanics. The game will be coming to Steam soon, and players can wishlist Immortal Wayfarer on Steam now!

ABOUT THE GAME

Immortal Wayfarer puts a refreshing twist on the classic roguelike formula, offering a unique experience that balances deep strategy with a forgiving, accessible approach. Thanks to its innovative Time Rewind mechanic, players can turn back the clock right before a fatal mistake to historical tactical blunders. Meanwhile, the Free Gear Recovery system allows adventurers to reclaim their core equipment at no cost, ensuring that defeat feels like a step forward rather than a punishing setback. At its heart, Immortal Wayfarer revives the golden age of grid-based, step-by-step dungeon crawlers, challenging players to treat every room as a rewarding turn-based tactical puzzle.
 

KEY FEATURES

  • Master Grid-Based, Step-by-Step Combat: Every encounter plays out like a chess match. Calculate tile distances, funnel dangerous mobs into narrow corridors, and trigger flawless item chains entirely at your own pace, free from the stress of real-time pressure.
  • Synergy Across 100+ Items & Eastern Talismans: Experiment with over a hundred unique mythologically-inspired tools. Whether utilizing gourds that swallow enemies whole or crafting powerful Taoist talismans, creativity is your ultimate weapon to overcome seemingly impossible encounters.
  • Stress-Free, Forgiving Mechanics: Never fear a misplaced step. The Time Rewind feature lets you undo a crisis and try a fresh approach, while Free Gear Recovery turns every defeat into a valuable learning curve rather than a frustrating grind.

ABOUT 2P GAMES

2P Games was founded in China by a small team of experts from the Asian games industry with a decade of professional experience. They are behind the release of successful indie gems like Sultan’s Game, Immortal Life, Dust to the End, Greedland, The Hungry Lamb, and Looper Tactics. For more information on 2P Games and its products, please visit 2pgames.net/links. Or join the 2P Games Discord Server.

Tile-Placement Strategy Game ShoreTiles announced – set to release later this year

VOXEL Studios and Noovola Publishing are proud to announce their new project, atmospheric tile-placement strategy game ShoreTiles, set to release on PC via Steam in 2026. Get ready to build, grow and defend an island settlement against an ever-present threat lurking beneath the sea.
 

Set in a cold, endless ocean, ShoreTiles places players in control of their growing island built around a solitary lighthouse that must stay lit. In this procedurally generated world, no two runs are ever the same. By day, players must carefully expand their territory using tiles drawn from a randomized deck, shaping terrain, constructing buildings, and managing resources. By night, the sea answers back, because as darkness falls, creatures emerge from the depths; drawn to the light and everything it protects.
 

In ShoreTiles, your island’s survival depends entirely on preparation, positioning, and the strength of your defenses, so build carefully because there is no undo: each tile placement shapes your island permanently, so lead with creativity and strategy to connect terrain types, optimize space, and plan for the night, because every decision carries weight, and mistakes cannot be reversed!
 

When Night Comes, They Rise: each night introduces increasingly dangerous enemies from the depths, twisted, silent, and relentless. Combat outcomes depend on how effectively players have connected and developed their military structures. As the island expands, new buildings, units, and relics can be discovered, offering powerful advantages, but also revealing new dangers hidden within the fog.

Watch the Teaser |  Wishlist on Steam

Key Features:

  • Atmospheric tile-placement gameplay in a procedurally generated world
  • Construct new lighthouses to push back the fog, build settlements and farms to sustain your economy, and military camps and walls to defend your island
  • A dynamic day-night cycle with escalating enemy threats
  • Strategic building and combo systems with meaningful trade-offs
  • Resource management across economy, expansion, and defense
  • Hidden relics, upgrades, and discoveries through progression
  • High replayability with randomized tile draws

“With ShoreTiles, we wanted to create something that feels calm and welcoming at first glance, but slowly reveals a constant sense of pressure,” said Daniele Amabili, Game Designer at VOXEL Studios. “Every tile you place is permanent, and that permanence shapes how you think and expand. You’re not just building an island, you’re preparing for what comes next, knowing the night will always return”.

“After working together on The Bench, we knew the kind of high level creativity VOXEL brings to their projects,” said Matteo Celoro, Director at Noovola. “ShoreTiles stood out immediately for how clearly it blends genres, taking the satisfaction of tile-placement and adding real action and consequence. It’s exactly the kind of distinctive experience we’re excited to bring to the market, and we’re excited to see what players think of it!”

ShoreTiles blends methodical, almost meditative building with a growing sense of dread. What begins as careful planning quickly becomes a fight to maintain control. Interested? Wishlist ShoreTiles on Steam today!

About VOXEL Studios

VOXEL Studios is an Italy-based development team working across video games, AR/VR applications, and software solutions. Their portfolio includes both collaborative projects and original titles such as The Bench which released to positive acclaim on Steam in 2025, ShoreTiles which is next up for release and TEOM: The Enemy of Mine. Check out all of VOXEL’s titles on Steam now!

About Noovola

Noovola, based in Leeds, United Kingdom, and Tallinn, Estonia started its journey in video games as a Public Relations agency for indie studios. Through time, the agency began offering Creative Communications, Publishing and on-location Event support, sharpening its skills on dozens of excellent indie games, AAA titles and gaming hardware. As of 2025, Noovola’s publishing arm has been created to help bring diverse and exciting indie games to market, debuting with The Bench, and now ShoreTiles.

Brawler/RTS hybrid Gangs of Asia Launching May 5th on Steam

MicroProse is excited to announce that Gangs of Asia, a fast-paced hybrid of skill-based melee combat and real-time strategy, will launch on Steam May 5th.

Blending the immediacy of a brawler with the tactical depth of an RTS, Gangs of Asia puts players directly into the action as powerful gang leaders fighting for control across vibrant, stylized city districts inspired by East Asian culture. Every match is a dynamic clash of personal skill, unit control, and battlefield awareness where players must both outfight and outthink their opponents.

Watch the Official Announcement Trailer here

At the center of the experience is a unique dual-layer gameplay system where players control their own character in real-time, engaging in visceral, timing-based combat while simultaneously capturing buildings, managing resources, and deploying units to dominate the map. The result is fast, unpredictable gameplay where every decision matters and every fight can turn the tide.

With a strong focus on multiplayer mayhem, personality-driven factions, and emergent chaos, Gangs of Asia delivers matches that are easy to pick up, but packed with depth for those who master its systems.
 
Key Features:

  • Fight and Command at the Same Time
    Take direct control of your gang leader in skill-based, real-time combat while issuing orders, capturing territory, and managing your forces across the map.
  • Fast-Paced, Replayable Matches
    Jump into intense matches designed for quick sessions and high replayability, where no two battles play out the same.
  • Distinct Gang Leaders and Playstyles
    Choose from a diverse roster of characters-each with unique abilities, strengths, and combat styles that shape your strategy and approach.
  • Dynamic Urban Battlefields
    Fight across colorful, densely packed environments filled with interactive elements, destructible objects, and strategic points to control.
  • Build, Capture, Dominate
    Expand your influence by capturing buildings, generating resources, and deploying specialized units such as ninjas, brawlers, and heavy hitters.
  • Unpredictable Chaos and Emergent Gameplay
    From sudden ability combos to all-out gang clashes, matches evolve organically, creating constant “what just happened?” moments.
  • Multiplayer-Focused Experience
    Play solo or jump into competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes
  • Accessible, Yet Deep
    Easy to learn but hard to master, Gangs of Asia rewards both quick reflexes and strategic thinking.

Gangs of Asia launches on Steam May 5th. Players can wishlist the game now and prepare to bring order or chaos to the streets.

For more information, visit the Steam page.

—

MicroProse, founded in 1982, is a world-famous simulation software company known for developing groundbreaking classics and new blockbuster titles such as Falcon, HighFleet, B-17 The Mighty Eighth, Ground Branch, Gunship and many more! Today, MicroProse is not only remaking select classics from its past but also paving the road to next-generation, state of the art games that will create the memories and experiences of new generations of gamers.

Major Update to Astro Protocol Overhauls Diplomacy

Indie developer Null Vector Studios announced a major content update for its turn-based 4X strategy game Astro Protocol, launching March 12 during TurnBasedThursdayFest on Steam. The game will also participate in the Steam Spring Sale.

The Minor Faction Diplomacy Update introduces a complete overhaul of how players interact with the smaller powers across the galaxy. Minor factions are no longer passive bonuses but persistent political actors that remember how players treat them.

Minor factions track actions such as attacks, trade, and attacks against their enemies, making reputation persistent throughout matches. Each faction now operates within one of five diplomatic states: Enemy, Hostile, Neutral, Allied, or Vassal encouraging long-term diplomatic strategy.

Key Update Features

  • Complete redesign of the minor faction diplomacy system
  • Five diplomatic states: Enemy, Hostile, Neutral, Allied, and Vassal
  • New diplomacy actions including resource trading, gifting, purchases of ships and technology
  • Four new minor factions: Miners, Radiants, Mercenaries, and Traders
  • Eight existing minor factions redesigned, including new ship statistics and alliance bonuses
  • 12 minor faction ship types can now be built by major factions through diplomacy or conquest
  • Diplomatic relations can now be influenced through anomaly reward choices

About Astro Protocol

Astro Protocol is a turn-based 4X strategy game featuring tactical space combat, asymmetric factions, and highly replayable maps. Players compete for victory points by expanding across procedurally generated galaxies, developing planetary networks, researching technologies, and commanding fleets in strategic battles.

Steam
Null Vector Studios Website

The Ultimate General: Civil War Demo Now Available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Publisher Samustai is happy to announce that the demo version of acclaimed tactical strategy game, Ultimate General: Civil War, is available starting today on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Start today at 12 PM (your local time).

Your Feedback Matters

Samustai and the development team are committed to delivering the best possible strategy experience on consoles. As players dive into the demo, the team is actively seeking feedback regarding gameplay, controls, and technical performance.

Players are encouraged to share bug reports, suggestions, and general feedback — directly with the port developers on the official Samustai Discord server.

About Ultimate General: Civil War

Ultimate General: Civil War is a critically acclaimed tactical real-time strategy game that transports players to the bloodiest period of U.S. history. Experience over 50 historical battles & lead your army through a branching campaign, where every decision impacts the outcome of the war. Praised for its deep tactical gameplay and challenging AI, the game offers a unique blend of historical accuracy and intuitive command.

About Samustai:

We are a specialized studio focused on porting and publishing games across PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. Our track record speaks for itself: we have a core portfolio of over 20 titles and have helped ship 50+ games across all major platforms (including Steam, Epic, and Mobile) by partnering with indie studios to bring their creations to new audiences.

Samustai and its products can be found at https://www.samustai.com/

Clash of the Kingdoms launches in Early Access on Steam

Indie studio New Horizons has released its turn-based strategy game Clash of the Kingdoms in Early Access on Steam.

Clash of the Kingdoms is a tactical turn-based strategy where every decision can change the course of battle. Players command armies of unique units on a compact 7×7 grid, competing to destroy enemy forces or capture the opponent’s base.

Early Access allows players to:

  • get acquainted with the core combat system
  • test key mechanics of tactical battles
  • play against AI, in local mode, or online via Steam
  • influence the game’s development through community feedback


“We are creating Clash of the Kingdoms as a fast yet deep tactical game where strategic thinking truly matters. This playtest is the first step, where we want to see player feedback and suggestions. We want to build our game together with the players,” say the developers at New Horizons.

Matches last an average of 5–10 minutes, making the game ideal both for short sessions and for serious tactical duels. The final version will feature expanded visuals, new factions, battlefields, titles, frames, a seasonal ranking system, and tournaments.

🔹 Platform: PC (Windows)
🔹 Interface languages: Ukrainian, English
🔹 Status: Early Access
🔹 Steam page

Strategos Launches January 20th

#Strategos, a #realtime tactics #wargame focused on simulating warfare across nearly a thousand years of the ancient world, will officially launch January 20th on #Steam

All gaming intel: chrisjonesgaming.net 🎮 Level up your feed!

#MicroProse #gaming #gamingnews

Star Trek Gaming in the 2000s

I did some mod work on 4 different Starfleet Command games, and never actually played the campaigns all the way through. There was ‘Starfleet Command’ ‘Starfleet Command II: Empires At War’ ‘Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates’, Starfleet Command 3′, and limited work on ‘Bridge Commander’.

For Starfleet Command I created a ‘TNG’ Mod. For ‘Empires at War’ there was a TOS and a TNG Mod. ‘Orion Pirates’ was the quite fun with the ‘Universe at War’, very popular. Starfleet Command 3 was TNG already, but we made it so much better. My Bridge Commander mod work was limited to lots of new maps to fly around in.

With Universe At War we had a ‘dynaverse’ that was quite popular. That was an ‘all eras’ mod covering all eras of Star Trek.

The 2000s were filled with Star Trek gaming.

This image is from The Ultimate Universe Mod for Star Trek: Legacy – our crown jewel.

Email me at chrisjones@chrisjonesgaming.net if you like.

Post image

Vagrus – the Riven Realms Console Versions Announced

Lost Pilgrims Studios, developer and publisher of Vagrus – the Riven Realms has announced the release for their critically acclaimed game on consoles, bringing it to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Vagrus – The Riven Realms is a niche blend of strategy, RPG, and interactive novel set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world where the player takes on the role of a vagrus, a caravan leader trying to make a living in the bleak wasteland. To celebrate this event, Lost Pilgrims presents a trailer for the console releases.

These releases will incorporate both already existing free DLCs with players also being able to purchase all other existing and future DLCs separately, including the forthcoming At the Heart of Ruin, scheduled to release in 2025, and the already available Sunfire and Moonshadow, as well as Old Acquaintances.
 

Described as a complex, difficult, well-written, and lore-rich game by the majority of its players, Vagrus is an absolute curio on today’s market, with nothing quite like it on the console platforms when it comes to the blending of genres and depth of content. The developer has also noted just how much impact those fans have had on the porting of the game to consoles, most of which concerned the UI and UX decisions the team had to make.
 

Vagrus – the Riven Realms and its attendant DLC content is available for purchase digitally on the 31st of March on their respective console digital marketplaces and stores, such as the  PlayStation Store, Xbox Store. For Nintendo, please visit the respective store page of your country/region.

Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe