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Steam Next Fest demos, a Virtual Boy-inspired shooter and other new indie games worth checking out
Plus, a timely soccer-related management sim that doesn't hit the back of the net. Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got some new releases and news of upcoming games to share with you. However, it's Steam Next Fest time, so there are literally thousands of fresh game demos to jump into. One of the main aims of Steam Next Fest is to help players discover interesting games.
'Positive' or 'unnecessary'? - UK teens on social media ban
School children in Preston and Manchester had mixed feelings about a proposed social media ban for under-16s following an announcement from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. On Monday, Starmer said under-16s will be banned from social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X by spring 2027. Speaking to the BBC, some pupils described the ban as unnecessary as they asked for more responsibility for parents. One student said she hoped the ban will have a positive impact on young people's lives and their mental health. How much screen time is too much for under fives?
Summer Game Fest 2026 roundup: All the shows, trailers, news and reviews
Summer Game Fest just wrapped up its sixth year and, like a beautifully cel-shaded version of The Blob, the show just keeps on growing. The official Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase took place on June 5, but the surrounding buffet of new game reveals, release date announcements, review opportunities and developer spotlights actually ran from June 1 all the way to June 9. That's more than an entire week of near-constant video game news and trailers to consume, and here we've gathered absolutely all of it in one tidy but lengthy package. First up, a collection of Engadget's previews and reporting from Summer Game Fest Play Days in Los Angeles, which ran from June 6-8: Control Resonant's take on New York feels like the Backrooms Silent Hill Townfall brings atmospheric horror to '90s Scotland with incredible attention to detail Saw: Genesis looks the most fun when you're the murderous mastermind Alien: Isolation 2 keeps the classic horror game's uncompromising approach to raising tension Spyro: A Realm Beyond sees the '90s purple dragon make a big comeback Be like Carl from Summer House and get in the MIX with another high-energy stream filled with great-looking upcoming indie games, gathered by the folks at the Media Indie Exchange. The MIX hosts a smattering of annual online indie showcases, and alongside in-person events, they've been spreading the good gaming word for the past 10 years.
Xenoblade Genesis, the next mainline entry in the action RPG franchise, launches in 2027
It's called and it was revealed at the latest Nintendo Direct livestream . We even got a juicy trailer with plenty of gameplay and a detailed look at the world. To that end, it looks like a brand new story in a brand new world. We don't know too much about this story, other than that the protagonist is enrolled in some type of magic school (which reminds me of .) Nintendo promises more details on as we get closer to 2027.
Star Fox 64, a game I loved in my childhood, is returning – but I have mixed feelings
Why are Nintendo releasing a straight-up remake of the space-flight shooter - with many of its original limitations - rather than a fresh new take? T he Nintendo 64 was not my first video game console, but it was my formative one. Getting to grips with 3D movement in Super Mario 64 with that weird three-pronged controller is one of my most visceral childhood memories; the long, wait for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the background noise to a huge chunk of my youth. But back in the 1990s (in the UK at least), it felt as if had an N64. When everybody had a PlayStation instead, I felt I was the only kid in my whole city who cared more about Banjo-Kazooie than Crash Bandicoot. If even Zelda seemed comparatively niche in Europe in the 90s, Lylat Wars (known elsewhere as Star Fox 64) was a real deep cut.
Why Elon Musk and Sam Altman are fighting over OpenAI
Musk, who co-founded the company that created ChatGPT with Altman, wants more than $130 billion in damages in a lawsuit that could shakeup the artificial intelligence landscape. The BBC's Lily Jamali explains why the two tech giants are facing off in court. How much screen time is too much for under fives? Some major retailers and independent stores have introduced AI body scans, CCTV or facial recognition equipment to identify crimes like shoplifting. What does TikTok's deal mean for America's users?
Cyberpunk platformers, gallivanting geckos and other new indie games worth checking out
Plus, Mouse: PI for Hire arrives and Hades 2 hits PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. Once again, there are some neat new games for you to check out this weekend. We've got a bunch of updates and announcements for upcoming titles to tell you about too. There have been a bunch of solid indie showcases lately (and highlights from another one to tell you about below).
A retro Starship Troopers shooter, a video store sim and other new indie games worth checking out
Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. There are a whole bunch of neat new games out this week, as well as updates on some interesting upcoming projects. In case you missed it, the Steam Spring Sale is under way. There are lots of solid deals here, and my credit card is already screaming at me. I've picked up a bunch of games from my wishlist.
Nintendo Switch becomes gaming giant's best-selling console in history
Nintendo Switch becomes gaming giant's best-selling console in history The Switch is now the best-selling Nintendo console in history, having surpassed 155 million sales since it launched in 2017. It means the device, which saw a huge boom in sales over the pandemic, has now surpassed the Nintendo DS as the firm's most successful gaming hardware. And the Switch is now behind only Sony's PlayStation 2 in the overall gaming charts, which sold more than 160 million units in the years following its launch in 2000. But Nintendo's latest financial report, where it announced the news, also saw shares in the company fall 11% following investor concerns over software sales and memory chip prices. Despite this, the company said its sequel the Switch 2, had got off to a good start since its release in June 2025, selling 17 million units as of the end of the year.
Switch 2 sales boost Nintendo profits, but chip shortage looms
Nintendo's Switch 2 became the world's fastest-selling gaming console after launching to a fan frenzy last summer. The runaway success of the Switch 2 console drove up Nintendo's net profit by more than 50% in the nine months to December, the Japanese video game giant said Tuesday. But a global memory chip shortage, created by frenzied demand for artificial intelligence hardware, could push up manufacturing costs. The Switch 2 became the world's fastest-selling gaming console after launching to a fan frenzy last summer. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.