Farming Simulator 25 Expands Its Fleet with Free Content Update #7 and New Sola Brand

Farming Simulator 25 has received another free expansion to its virtual agricultural ecosystem with the release of Free Content Update #7. Developed and published by GIANTS Software, the latest update adds four new machines and vehicles, introduces the Sola brand to the franchise for the first time, and brings additional visual improvements to the game’s weather effects. The update is part of GIANTS Software’s continuing post-launch support for Farming Simulator 25, combining new officially licensed equipment with technical refinements to the simulation. Alongside the new machinery, the game has been updated to version 1.24, which includes improvements to the visual presentation of rainfall, vehicle raindrops, and fast movement during rainy conditions.

The new content is particularly notable because it expands the game’s representation of agricultural equipment while also introducing a completely new manufacturer to the virtual farming environment. Sola arrives with two machines, while Merlo contributes the EW 25.5 and Škoda adds the Fabia vehicle. These additions give players more options when building specialized fleets, managing farms, transporting equipment, and carrying out day-to-day agricultural operations across the game’s extensive environments.

Four New Machines Join the Farming Simulator 25 Fleet

Free Content Update #7 introduces four pieces of equipment and vehicles: the Merlo EW 25.5, Sola Velox 300/12, Sola Aura 2000, and Škoda Fabia. Although the update is relatively compact in terms of the number of machines, it covers several different aspects of virtual farm management. Instead of focusing on a single agricultural category, the update combines compact equipment, crop-management machinery, and a road vehicle.

This approach is consistent with the broader design of Farming Simulator 25, where successful farm management often requires a diverse collection of machines rather than a single powerful tractor. Players can combine tractors, implements, loaders, transport vehicles, and specialized equipment according to the size and type of their operation. New machinery therefore has value not only because of its individual specifications, but also because it expands the possible combinations available to players when designing an efficient virtual fleet.

The four additions also demonstrate the wide range of equipment represented in Farming Simulator. Agricultural machinery can differ significantly in terms of operating width, intended application, maneuverability, attachment requirements, and logistical role. Even relatively compact machines can become important when operating in confined areas or when a farm requires specialized tools for specific tasks.

Sola Makes Its Farming Simulator Debut

One of the most significant aspects of Free Content Update #7 is the arrival of Sola. The manufacturer makes its Farming Simulator debut with two machines, the Velox 300/12 and Aura 2000. The introduction of a new agricultural brand expands the range of manufacturers represented in the game and adds additional equipment choices for players.

The addition of Sola is also important from a simulation perspective because Farming Simulator has traditionally placed considerable emphasis on authentic machinery and recognizable agricultural brands. The inclusion of additional manufacturers allows players to create more diverse equipment fleets and gives the virtual agricultural environment a broader representation of the real-world farming machinery market.

With two Sola machines arriving simultaneously, the brand is not represented by a single isolated piece of equipment. Instead, players immediately gain access to a small selection of Sola machinery that can become part of their wider agricultural workflow. This provides a stronger introduction to the manufacturer and allows players to experience different types of equipment carrying the same brand identity.

Sola Velox 300/12

The Sola Velox 300/12 is one of the two machines included in the manufacturer’s debut. Its addition gives players another specialized agricultural implement to integrate into their farming operations and provides an opportunity to build equipment combinations around Sola’s machinery.

The numerical designation Velox 300/12 is also characteristic of the way agricultural machinery is identified in the real world, where model names frequently communicate information about equipment configuration, working dimensions, or product positioning. In Farming Simulator 25, this type of detailed equipment representation contributes to the game’s broader emphasis on machinery authenticity.

The Velox 300/12 can therefore be viewed not simply as another vehicle in a garage, but as part of the game’s increasingly detailed agricultural equipment ecosystem. Players who enjoy building machinery fleets around particular manufacturers now have another brand to consider, while those focused on equipment functionality gain another option when planning their farm operations.

Sola Aura 2000

The second Sola addition is the Aura 2000. Together with the Velox 300/12, it establishes Sola as a new equipment manufacturer within Farming Simulator 25 rather than merely adding a single standalone machine.

The Aura 2000 further expands the range of equipment available to players and can be incorporated into the machinery combinations used across different farms. Farming Simulator’s equipment system is designed around the interaction between machines and implements, meaning that adding a new implement can have a wider effect on fleet planning than its basic presence in a dealership menu might suggest.

For players who enjoy creating specialized agricultural fleets, the Aura 2000 provides another opportunity to experiment with different combinations of machinery. The addition also contributes to the game’s broader objective of representing modern agriculture through a large selection of specialized equipment rather than relying exclusively on generic machines.

Merlo EW 25.5 Adds Another Equipment Option

The Merlo EW 25.5 is another major component of the free update. Merlo is already associated with agricultural and material-handling equipment, making its presence in Farming Simulator particularly relevant to players who operate farms requiring machinery capable of handling multiple types of work.

The EW 25.5 expands the game’s selection of equipment available for farms where maneuverability and material handling are important considerations. Compact machinery can be particularly useful on farms with limited space, around buildings, in storage areas, and in locations where larger agricultural machines can become difficult to maneuver.

The inclusion of the EW 25.5 also adds another dimension to fleet management. Larger tractors and agricultural machines remain essential for many operations, but smaller and more maneuverable equipment can complement them by handling jobs that do not justify the use of a full-size machine. This creates a more realistic hierarchy of equipment within the virtual farm.

Škoda Fabia Brings a Road Vehicle to the Update

The fourth addition is the Škoda Fabia, which differs from the other three machines by serving as a passenger and road vehicle rather than specialized agricultural equipment. Its inclusion illustrates the broader scope of Farming Simulator 25, where players are not restricted to operating tractors and field machinery.

A compact road vehicle can have several practical and recreational uses within a farming simulation. Players can use vehicles of this type for moving around large maps, checking fields, traveling between farm buildings, and simply navigating the game world without taking a large agricultural machine onto public roads.

The Škoda Fabia also adds another recognizable automotive brand to the game. Its presence helps create a more complete virtual agricultural environment in which farming is not limited to the moments spent working directly in fields. Farm management also involves transportation, logistics, property inspection, equipment movement, and traveling between different locations.

Version 1.24 Brings More Than New Equipment

Free Content Update #7 is accompanied by Farming Simulator 25 version 1.24. This means the release is not limited to adding new machines to the dealership. GIANTS Software has also used the update to improve aspects of the game’s visual presentation and overall experience.

One of the main areas receiving attention is rain. Weather effects are an important component of Farming Simulator 25 because the game attempts to create a dynamic agricultural environment rather than presenting permanently static conditions. Rain affects the visual appearance of the world, vehicles, and surrounding surfaces, making the quality of weather rendering particularly important for immersion.

Version 1.24 specifically improves the visual behavior of fast movements during rain and optimizes the appearance of raindrops on vehicles. These may appear to be relatively small changes compared with the addition of four new machines, but visual effects such as these can have a significant cumulative impact during extended gameplay sessions.

Improved Rain Effects and Vehicle Raindrops

Rain in a modern simulation game involves more than simply placing a transparent layer over the screen. A convincing rain system has to account for the appearance and movement of precipitation, interaction with vehicles, camera movement, lighting, and the visual behavior of objects moving through the environment.

The optimization of fast movements during rain is therefore relevant to players who drive quickly across the map while weather conditions are changing. At higher speeds, rain can appear differently because the relative movement between the camera, vehicle, environment, and precipitation becomes more pronounced. Improving this presentation can make rainy driving sequences appear more consistent and visually stable.

Vehicle raindrops are another small but important detail. When a vehicle is exposed to rain, droplets can contribute to the perception that the machine is actually operating inside a dynamic weather environment. Optimizing these effects allows the visual condition of vehicles to better match the surrounding weather and strengthens the connection between the player, the machine, and the simulated environment.

The Technical Role of the GIANTS Engine

Farming Simulator 25 is built on GIANTS Software’s internally developed GIANTS Engine. The technology is designed specifically to support the requirements of an agricultural simulation, including vehicle physics, high-fidelity graphics, dynamic environmental systems, and extensive modding capabilities.

Unlike a conventional action game in which the primary technical challenge may revolve around combat, movement, or scripted environments, a farming simulation has to coordinate a large number of interacting systems. Vehicles need to behave differently according to their type, implements need to interact with tractors and fields, agricultural processes need to follow game rules, and the environment needs to remain functional across large maps.

The engine also provides the technical foundation for the game’s visual effects. Weather, lighting, vehicle rendering, terrain, vegetation, and other environmental components all need to operate together. Updates such as the rain optimizations included in version 1.24 therefore demonstrate how GIANTS Software continues to refine individual systems after the game’s initial release.

Authentic Machinery as a Core Part of the Simulation

Authentic machinery has always been one of the defining characteristics of the Farming Simulator franchise. The series features hundreds of machines from established manufacturers, allowing players to operate equipment inspired by real agricultural and industrial products.

The inclusion of Merlo, Sola, and Škoda in the latest update continues that approach. Each manufacturer represents a different part of the broader machinery and transportation ecosystem, and their inclusion helps increase the variety available within the game.

For experienced players, new machinery can also change how an existing farm is organized. A new machine may replace an older one, complement an existing tractor, provide a more suitable solution for a particular task, or simply become part of a specialized fleet. Because Farming Simulator allows players considerable freedom in how they structure their operations, even a small number of new machines can provide many potential gameplay combinations.

Free Content Updates Extend the Game’s Lifecycle

GIANTS Software’s decision to continue releasing free content updates means Farming Simulator 25 is being supported beyond its initial launch. These updates provide additional equipment while also allowing the developer to make technical improvements based on the ongoing development of the game.

Free updates are particularly valuable in a simulation title because players can continue expanding their farms without necessarily having to purchase every new machine package. This creates a continuing stream of new content for the existing player base while allowing the developer to introduce new brands and equipment categories over time.

The distinction between free updates and larger paid content packages is also important. Farming Simulator 25 has additional downloadable content available through its broader content strategy, while free updates such as Content Update #7 provide new additions to the base experience at no additional cost.

ModHub and User-Generated Content

Official free updates are only one part of the content ecosystem surrounding Farming Simulator 25. GIANTS Software also maintains the official ModHub, where user-generated content can expand the game with additional machines, equipment, maps, and other modifications.

Modding has historically played an important role in the Farming Simulator community. The GIANTS Engine is designed with extensive modding support, allowing the community to create content that can significantly expand the range of available gameplay experiences.

This creates an ecosystem in which official machinery and community-created content can coexist. Players can use officially licensed machines such as those introduced in Content Update #7 while also customizing their farms through additional ModHub content.

Farming Simulator 25 Across Modern Platforms

Farming Simulator 25 is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. This platform availability allows the game to reach both traditional PC simulation players and console audiences.

The PC and Mac versions are particularly important for the franchise’s modding community, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions provide access to the game on current-generation consoles. Across these platforms, the game combines large-scale agricultural environments with detailed machinery, dynamic weather, physics systems, and extensive customization.

The continued release of free updates also means that the supported versions of the game evolve over time. Version 1.24 and Free Content Update #7 are examples of this ongoing development process, adding new content while simultaneously improving existing systems.

Year 2 Season Pass Expands the Content Roadmap

In addition to free content updates, GIANTS Software offers a Year 2 Season Pass for Farming Simulator 25. According to the publisher, the pass can provide savings of up to 30 percent compared with purchasing the included content separately.

The Season Pass represents a different approach to expanding the game. While Free Content Update #7 is available without an additional purchase, larger downloadable content packages can introduce more extensive additions to the game over time.

For long-term players, this creates multiple ways to expand the Farming Simulator 25 experience. Players can continue using the base game and free updates, purchase individual content packages, or choose the Season Pass depending on how much additional content they want to access.

A Growing Agricultural Simulation Ecosystem

Farming Simulator has developed into a large simulation franchise with a particularly broad representation of real-world agricultural machinery. According to GIANTS Software, the main series has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide since 2008.

That scale helps explain why manufacturer additions are important. Every new licensed brand potentially introduces another layer of authenticity, equipment variety, and fleet-building possibilities. The addition of Sola is particularly notable because it represents the expansion of the game’s manufacturer ecosystem rather than simply another model from an existing brand.

The franchise’s focus on authentic equipment also differentiates it from more generalized farming games. Farming Simulator attempts to reproduce the structure of modern agricultural work through machinery selection, field management, transportation, logistics, and specialized equipment.

What Content Update #7 Means for Players

For existing Farming Simulator 25 players, Content Update #7 provides four immediate additions to explore. The Merlo EW 25.5 expands the available equipment selection, the Sola Velox 300/12 and Aura 2000 introduce an entirely new manufacturer, and the Škoda Fabia adds a compact road vehicle.

The update is also more than a simple content drop because version 1.24 improves the visual treatment of rain. The changes to fast movement during rainfall and vehicle raindrops are designed to make dynamic weather look more polished, particularly when players are driving through storms or operating machinery under wet conditions.

For players who spend hundreds of hours developing a single farm, these incremental improvements can be particularly meaningful. Farming Simulator is structured around long-term progression, and the value of new content often comes from how it integrates into an existing operation rather than from a single short gameplay session.

Continued Development Through 2026

Free Content Update #7 demonstrates GIANTS Software’s continuing commitment to developing Farming Simulator 25 beyond its original release. Instead of treating the game as a finished product after launch, the developer continues to introduce new manufacturers, vehicles, equipment, visual refinements, and technical improvements.

The arrival of Sola is arguably the most distinctive element of this particular update because it expands the game’s brand portfolio. At the same time, the Merlo and Škoda additions ensure that the update provides variety beyond a single agricultural manufacturer.

As Farming Simulator continues to grow, the combination of licensed machinery, free updates, paid downloadable content, and community-created modifications gives players multiple ways to expand their virtual farms. The result is an evolving simulation environment in which the equipment available to players continues to change long after the initial launch.

Summary

Farming Simulator 25 Free Content Update #7 expands the game with four new additions: the Merlo EW 25.5, Sola Velox 300/12, Sola Aura 2000, and Škoda Fabia. The update marks Sola’s debut in the Farming Simulator franchise, giving players two new pieces of equipment from the manufacturer while further expanding the game’s extensive collection of officially represented machinery. Alongside the new vehicles and agricultural equipment, version 1.24 introduces visual improvements to rain, including optimized effects during fast movement and improved raindrop presentation on vehicles. Combined with the game’s GIANTS Engine technology, extensive modding support, official ModHub, current-generation console and PC availability, and ongoing downloadable content strategy, the update reinforces Farming Simulator 25 as an evolving agricultural simulation designed to expand continuously through new machinery, technical refinements, and community content.

Bill Skarsgård Confirmed as the Lead Actor in Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS has officially confirmed Swedish actor and producer Bill Skarsgård as the lead actor in PHYSINT, the upcoming action-espionage game being developed by Hideo Kojima and his independent studio. The announcement was made on September 17, 2026, alongside a new promotional poster featuring Skarsgård and Charlee Fraser, while the project is also expanding its relationship with Xbox, which has been confirmed as the new publishing partner for the game.

PHYSINT represents one of the most ambitious projects currently in development at KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. Hideo Kojima has described the title as the culmination of his 40-year career as a video game creator, with the project intended to combine advanced game technology, cinematic presentation, a major international cast, and the studio’s experience in stealth and narrative-driven game design.

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LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Launches on Nintendo Switch 2 With New Mayhem Collection DLC

Warner Bros. Games, TT Games, DC, and The LEGO Group have officially expanded the platform availability of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, with the action-adventure title now available on Nintendo Switch 2. Alongside the new Nintendo platform launch, the developers have also released the Mayhem Collection DLC, introducing The Joker and Harley Quinn as playable characters, a new villain-focused story mission, a dedicated Mayhem Mode, additional costumes, vehicles, collectibles, and customization items. At the same time, every player receives a free update introducing an enhanced Absolute difficulty setting, adding a considerably more demanding combat experience for players looking for a greater challenge.

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Xsolla’s Rosh Hashanah Event in Tel Aviv Proved Why Physical Gaming Events Still Matter

A Smaller Room, but a Much Bigger Opportunity

On September 9, I attended Xsolla’s Rosh Hashanah event in Tel Aviv, and for me the most interesting part actually started before the larger evening celebration. The first part took place at Xsolla Club TLV and was deliberately small, bringing together a focused group of people who are actively shaping the local gaming industry. Developers, journalists, executives, founders and people in key industry positions were all in the same room, with food and refreshments around us, but the real value was the ability to simply talk. I attend quite a few gaming events, and I have learned that the number of people in the room is rarely what determines whether an event is useful. Sometimes the opposite is true. When the group is carefully selected and small enough to actually have conversations, networking becomes much more natural and much more valuable.

That atmosphere became even more meaningful when Nikita Sherman, SVP of Business Development at Xsolla, and Guy Ulmer presented data about the gaming industry and where the regional ecosystem is heading. The GamesBeat report sponsored by Xsolla puts Israel’s gaming and interactive entertainment ecosystem at roughly $10 billion in economic value and around 15,000 employees, while more than 140 companies operate across gaming, mobile entertainment, adtech and monetization infrastructure. What interested me more than the numbers themselves was the wider picture behind them. Israel is not necessarily known as a traditional AAA development powerhouse, but its influence on mobile gaming, user acquisition, analytics, monetization, AI and LiveOps reaches far beyond the size of the local market. The report also presents Israel and Cyprus as two very different but increasingly complementary gaming hubs, with Israel focused more heavily on technology and product innovation while Cyprus has become an important base for international operations and scaling.

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Barbie: Horse Ride & Rescue Brings a Cozy Equestrian Adventure to PC, Switch 2 and Mobile

PikPok and Mattel are bringing players into a colorful new Barbie adventure with Barbie: Horse Ride & Rescue, an equestrian-focused game designed around horse rescue, exploration, customization, fashion challenges and story-driven discovery. Developed by the New Zealand studio behind the Rival Stars Horse Racing franchise, the game will launch globally on mobile on June 16, 2026, with PC through Steam and Nintendo Switch 2 versions planned for 2027. The new title combines the recognizable Barbie universe with PikPok’s experience in horse-focused game development, creating an experience aimed at older teens and adults who are looking for a relaxed, character-driven and highly customizable adventure.

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Crazy Taxi: World Tour Hands-On at Gamescom 2026: The Childhood Chaos I Have Been Waiting to Drive Again

A Childhood Memory Came Back to Life

There are games I remember because they were good, and then there are games that somehow became part of my life outside the screen. Crazy Taxi belongs firmly in the second category. I loved the series as a kid, but one of my strongest memories has almost nothing to do with actually holding a controller. When my younger brother had trouble falling asleep, I used to invent bedtime stories for him about a completely crazy taxi driver racing around the city, picking up passengers, taking ridiculous shortcuts and getting into increasingly absurd situations. Years later, standing at Gamescom 2026 with Crazy Taxi: World Tour in front of me, that memory was the first thing that came back. This was easily one of the meetings and hands-on sessions I had been looking forward to most at the entire show, and that kind of emotional baggage can be dangerous because nostalgia has a habit of setting expectations impossibly high.

That is why I was genuinely relieved when I started playing and realized that SEGA has not forgotten what actually made Crazy Taxi fun. World Tour still understands that the player should almost never feel comfortable. You pick a direction, accelerate, make a decision, change that decision because something else suddenly looks more important, jump, drift, crash, search for the next objective and immediately move again. The game has an almost constant forward momentum, and that was easily my favorite part of the Gamescom experience. I never felt like I was waiting for the game to entertain me. Instead, it kept creating reasons for me to do something, and after a few minutes I stopped thinking about the fact that I was testing an upcoming game at a trade show and simply started playing it the way I used to play Crazy Taxi years ago. That is probably the biggest compliment I can give it.

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Honkai: Nexus Anima at Gamescom 2026: HoYoverse’s Creature Collecting World Is More Interesting Than It First Appears

A World Built Around Bonds, Not Just Creatures

Going into my meeting with HoYoverse during Gamescom 2026, Honkai: Nexus Anima was one of those games I thought I understood before I actually spent enough time looking at it. On the surface, the description is simple enough: this is a creature-collecting adventure strategy game set within the Honkai universe, where you meet creatures called Anima, build a team around them and use their abilities in battle and exploration. The obvious comparison is Pokémon, and visually there are moments where your brain naturally goes there, but after seeing the game in more detail I think reducing Nexus Anima to another creature collector would be unfair. What immediately caught my attention was how much effort HoYoverse is putting into making the creatures feel like part of the world rather than collectibles waiting to be added to a menu. The environments I saw felt broad, colorful and deliberately inviting, with enough visual variety to make exploration feel like something I would actually want to do without constantly being pushed toward the next objective. I liked that feeling. There was no sense that the world existed only as empty space between missions. It felt designed for wandering, discovering things and simply spending time with the Anima accompanying you.

The foundation for all of this is the Nexus, a system of invisible connections between paired concepts called Aspects, including Love and Hate, Light and Dark, and Reality and Illusion. Following an event called the Sundering, those connections were broken and their remaining power became scattered throughout the world as Anima. That concept sounds complicated when explained on paper, but it gives HoYoverse an interesting excuse to make creatures radically different from one another, both visually and mechanically. This was one of my favorite parts of what I saw. The Anima did not feel like slight variations built from the same design template. They have different shapes, personalities and abilities, and those abilities matter beyond combat because different companions can influence how you interact with the surrounding world. The starting town of Iia is a good example. Its New Quarter, commercial areas, architecture, Nexus Hall and True Nexus Building give the location a stronger sense of identity than I expected from an opening area. I personally enjoy games that let me explore at my own pace, and Nexus Anima seems to understand that exploration becomes far more interesting when the creatures traveling beside you are involved in it instead of disappearing into an inventory the second a battle ends.

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Monopoly Junior Brings a Colorful New Digital Experience to Younger Players

I was given the opportunity to see Hasbro Games Junior Collection and its Monopoly Junior experience during a meeting at Gamescom, where I had the chance to get a much closer look at how the game translates one of the world’s most recognizable family board games into a digital format. What immediately stood out to me was just how deliberately the experience has been adapted for younger players. Rather than simply taking the traditional Monopoly formula and putting it on a screen, the game appears to rethink the way younger children interact with the mechanics, presentation and pacing of the experience. At the same time, it retains enough of the recognizable Monopoly structure to make it feel authentic. I was particularly impressed by the balance between accessibility and genuine gameplay depth, with mechanics designed for younger players without introducing the complexity that can sometimes make strategy-heavy board games difficult for children. The colorful presentation, interactive dice mechanics, character customization, familiar locations and competitive mini-games all contribute to an experience that feels designed around family play rather than simply being a simplified version of a more advanced game. After seeing it in action, I came away very positively impressed, and I am already looking forward to trying the game with my own family when it launches.

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Petit Planet at Gamescom 2026: HoYoverse’s Cozy Galaxy Made Me Want to Slow Down

A Different Kind of HoYoverse Game

Walking into my meeting with HoYoverse at Gamescom 2026, Petit Planet immediately felt different from almost everything I normally associate with the company. There are no enormous battles demanding perfect timing, no constant pressure to optimize a character build, and no feeling that the game is trying to push you toward the next challenge as quickly as possible. Instead, Petit Planet is built around the idea of slowing down. You become a Planet Tender responsible for developing your own small world by gathering resources, planting crops, growing trees and flowers, crafting furniture, reshaping the terrain, fishing and gradually turning an initially simple space into a home that feels personal. What surprised me most during the presentation was how deliberate the visual design feels. The colors are soft without becoming dull, the environments are bright without constantly fighting for your attention, and practically everything I saw seemed designed to make the player feel comfortable. I personally found that incredibly refreshing at Gamescom, where you spend entire days moving between loud booths, trailers, presentations and games competing to be more spectacular than whatever you saw five minutes earlier. Petit Planet did the opposite. It invited me to stop.

That accessibility is clearly part of the product strategy rather than simply an artistic decision. Petit Planet wants to be approachable to someone who might not normally consider themselves an experienced gamer. The controls, pace and visual language are designed around gradual learning rather than punishment, while the core activities do not seem obsessed with measuring performance. At the same time, I would not describe the game as something created exclusively for children. The art direction is too carefully constructed for that, and the appeal of building a peaceful space at your own pace is obviously much broader. Personally, I think this may become one of its biggest strengths. There are plenty of games that claim to be relaxing, but many eventually introduce timers, optimization loops or resource pressure that turn relaxation into another checklist. From what I experienced at Gamescom, Petit Planet seems far more committed to preserving that gentle rhythm. My concern is that HoYoverse will eventually need to find ways of creating meaningful progression without damaging exactly what makes the game attractive. Relaxation works when I still feel curious about what comes next. If everything becomes too safe or predictable, calm can very quickly become boredom.

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Daedalic at Gamescom 2026: Ghost Haunting, Hordeguard and Star Trek’s Q Trials

Ghost Haunting Brings Classic Point and Click Design Back to Life

During our meeting with Daedalic at Gamescom 2026, the first game presented to us was Ghost Haunting, a handcrafted 2D point and click adventure developed by Cologne based studio Creative Monkeys. We did not play the game ourselves during the meeting, but the presentation provided a detailed look at its story, visual direction and accessibility systems. The project is heavily inspired by the LucasArts adventure games of the 1990s, combining low resolution pixel art, linear storytelling, environmental puzzles, item combinations and conversations with strange characters. The developers want the game to look like something from the classic era while still benefiting from three decades of improvements in game design. Every pixel has reportedly been created and adjusted by hand, reinforcing the feeling that this is a carefully produced adventure rather than a quick attempt to imitate retro graphics.

The story follows Gigi, an unpredictable eight and a half year old girl whose grandmother was the only person who truly understood her. After her grandmother dies, Gigi is not given a proper explanation of what happened and assumes that she has simply travelled to the realm of the dead. She later discovers Baron Butternut, a demon trapped inside a talking pumpkin, as well as the truth about her grandfather’s secret work hunting ghosts and monsters. Gigi decides that if spirits can travel from the realm of the dead into the world of the living, she should be able to make the same journey in reverse and bring her grandmother home. Despite the subject of death, the game is built around absurd comedy, including a toilet dwelling goblin, an organisation of verified vegan vampires and a suspicious character named Dr. Calligraphy. The adventure is set in Germany’s Eifel region, with forests, castles, legends and real locations used to give the fictional world a strong local identity.

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