Since the launch of handheld devices like the Valve Steam Deck, roguelite and bullet hell games have seen a bit of a return to the mainstream, with games like Vampire Survivors and Ball x Pit raking in massive numbers on Steam. A new indie game, The Magus Circle has just launched on Steam, taking that same roguelite bullet hell framework and mixing in an interesting combat system that involves players drawing magic sigils in order to cast spells. The Magus Circle is available on Steam for $11.69 after a 10% launch discount.

The Magus Circle aims to approximate how it would feel to cast spells using a similar sort of sigil-based magic system seen in properties like Witch Hat Atelier and Full Metal Alchemist by having players draw sigils on the screen to cast spells. The magic drawing system supports touch screens, pen displays, and regular mouse-and-keyboard and controller inputs. At launch, there are 20 spells in total, each with their own casting sigil, and they can be augmented with 600 upgrades. Players will play as six different mages of the circle in a plot that centers on a cosmic war that threatens the universe.

Loftia was announced in 2023 as a new cozy life simulation game set in a world of floating islands with a solarpunk aesthetic, and after both closed and open beta tests, Qloud Games, the developer behind the game, has officially announced the game's release date as November 3 and revealed the full details about the release. Loftia is touted as a game in which nature and community thrive, and will feature a strong emphasis on farming and crafting, in addition to building a community and living in harmony with the natural world.

According to the announcement on Steam, Loftia will be releasing into Early Access on November 3, after which the studio promises to "continue building Loftia alongside our community," suggesting there will be plenty of new content to come for the life sim. The developer makes mention of "improving systems, expanding the world, and introducing new features, stories, areas, and ways to play together," as the Early Access period progresses. Loftia will be launching at $29.99 on Steam for PC, with a Nintendo Switch 2 launch planned for a later date.

During the recent Xbox showcase at the Tokyo Game Show, Netmarble Neo showed off new gameplay for Bloomwalker, an upcoming cozy crafting game that it has been working on for PC and consoles. No release date has yet been attached to the project, but the official Steam page and the Xbox showcase revealed a number of gameplay details for cozy gamers to look forward to. One of the most notable aspects of the game is its anime art style, which is reminiscent of that of Studio Ghibli, that ties in well with its positive take on the survival crafting genre, which sees players roam around the world of Luminoa in a walking house—like a cheerful solar-punk take on the Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house of European folklore—cleaning the land and restoring life.

Luminoa was once a land shared by people and the spirits of nature. But its sanctuaries have been ravaged by pollution, and the guardians who once protected them have succumbed to madness, becoming incarnations of that pollution. Even the little nature spirits known as higgledies are under threat. You arrive as a traveler with a rare purpose: to restore this fading world alongside your moving house.

Alterra, a cozy game inspired by Animal Crossing and Minecraft in development at Ubisoft, has officially been cancelled, according to a recent Insider Gaming report. The news broke by way of insiders at Ubisoft, who claim that the news was broken to them on the morning of April 21, after which the team working on the game was sent home. Following the news of the cancellation, IGN published a statement by an Ubisoft representative, who said that "As part of our portfolio management approach and evolving creative house-led model, we continuously assess projects at every stage of development to ensure alignment with our strategic priorities, quality ambitions, and long-term market potential," continuing to explain that "projects that no longer meet these expectations may be discontinued."

It should also be noted that there have been no layoffs as a result of the cancellation of Alterra, and the team working on the cozy game will simply be made available to other development projects. The comments by the Ubisoft representative suggest that the company doesn't think the game would have been successful in the current gaming climate, and they echo recent rumors about Ubisoft carefully assessing the value of future Assassin's Creed game ports with the upcoming Black Flag Resynced launch. This move is only the latest in a series of decisions at Ubisoft aimed at cutting costs and making the company more efficient, and it follows a March round of layoffs that saw 105 people lose their jobs.

Hela is a cozy co-op adventure where you play as a tiny mouse on a heartfelt mission to help a kind witch and the land she cares for. Explore freely, solve creative puzzles, and use teamwork—or the clever Shade System—to find the small wonders tucked throughout the world.

Welcome to the World of Hela
Somewhere in the far north of Sweden, beyond the fjords, lies the tranquil world of Hela, a place inspired by the untamed beauty of Norrland. Here, you'll wander through lush woodlands, flower-dotted meadows, and quiet wetlands, all watched over by an old and kind witch who has long cared for every living thing—plants, animals, and people alike. But even witches grow weary. After so many years of caring for others, her strength has begun to fade. To continue looking after the land and its tiny (and not-so-tiny) inhabitants, she now turns to her most loyal helpers: brave, curious field mice, each carrying a small, magical frog-shaped backpack gifted by the witch herself. These little familiars are full of heart and wonder, eager to lend a paw to anyone in need.

After four years of production, the husband and wife team behind Inklingwood Studios, David & Sophie Younger, are proud to announce the release of Foolish Mortals on November 5, 2025. Foolish Mortals is a full-length, fully voiced, hand-drawn game in the classic style, inspired by games like Monkey Island and Broken Sword. Immersed in 1930s Louisiana, players take on the role of young treasure hunter Murphy McCallan, voiced by acclaimed actor AJ LoCascio (Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Game, Han Solo in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Gambit in X-Men '97, and more).

The story? Louisiana, 1933. Thirty-three years ago an entire wedding suddenly & mysteriously vanished on the island of Devil's Rock, and with it went the location of the lost treasure of Bellemore Manor. To find it, you might need to die too.

Pocketpair, which recently found itself in hot water over Palworld's striking similarity to Nintendo's Pokemon games, has announced its next game release with an official Steam page. One of the biggest points of contention in the Nintendo v. Pocketpair lawsuit has been the creature collecting mechanics that Palworld employs with regard to its Pals, and those exact same Pals will now be able to accompany you in Palfarm, which bears a not-insignificant resemblance to the popular indie game, Stardew Valley. Palfarm is, unsurprisingly, a spin-off of Palworld, taking place on the Palpagos Islands, where humans and Pals live and work side-by-side.

The Pals seem like more than just visual dressing for Palfarm. The Steam store page makes mention of the Pals' different abilities to help accomplish tasks, farm the land, cook, work, and grow shop. Unlike Palworld, it seems as though Palfarm will be treating Pals more like people than animals, since they will reportedly be able to run their own stores and form relationships with players. Officially, violence towards your companions and eating Pals are both off the table—another divergence from the original Palworld philosophy, which more or less gives players free rein over their actions in-game. However, there is a darker side to Palfarm, like fighting wild Pals who come to raid your crops, and an underground black market where you can buy all manner of illicit materials, like guns and contraband. Palfarm will be playable in both single-player and online co-op multiplayer modes, although an exact launch date has not yet been announced.