Author: SkullFireXO

  • Microsoft Halts development on Contraband

    Microsoft Halts development on Contraband

    4 years after its first announcement, Avalanche have posted a statement. They said that “active development has now stopped” on the game.


    Contraband was described as an open world, co-op heist game, Set in the 70’s. It comes from the developers of the ‘Just Cause’ Game series. However, in the 4 years since its initial teaser trailer, almost nothing has been heard about it.

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    Contraband joins a growing list of games cancelled by Microsoft, titles such as ‘Perfect Dark’ and ‘Everwild’ are such named victims of these cutbacks, it comes as Microsoft continues heavy lay-offs, despite continuing to be a financial powerhouse, recently pledging spending $80bn (£68.6bn) in massive data centres to train AI models.

    What are your thoughts on the cancellation? are you surprised with all these recent cuts? Let us know below in the comments!

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  • Grounded 2’s first Patch is Bigger than expected!

    Grounded 2’s first Patch is Bigger than expected!


    Obsidian has released the first Patch for Grounded 2. Let’s review the Fixes and changes made.

    Just over a week ago, Obsidian launched the highly anticipated sequel to Grounded. They brought a plethora of new content and challenges for us to experience. Now with the first Patch out, let’s have a look at what’s changed!

    A Few Key Points:

    • Acorn Tops are now a guaranteed drop
    • Wearing Wolf spider Armour will no longer apply venom on regular attacks with all daggers
    • Bee’s now follow proper sleep behavior at night

    That means If you’ve been searching high and low for those Acorn tops, you now will get more regular drops! Useful considering just how many you will end up using, whether it’s in building or for Armour.

    And what’s better than the Bees getting some proper sleep? 

    Check out the Full List Below

    QOL & Community Requested Features

    • Acorn tops are now a guaranteed drop
    • Created a flow for Steam players to access Crossplay
    • Updated character icons in the HUD and map
    • Removed “explore” and “go to entry” where it wasn’t possible to use
    • User can now hot deposit their haulable on a buggy
    • Wolf spider fur polish

    Major Bug Fixes

    • Various Performance Improvements (We don’t expect this to fix the performance problems as a whole, but various optimizations are underway behind the scenes. We will continue to work on optimization throughout all of development).
    • Fixed the issue where the ORC Bee by the blueberry bush was above the skybox and was unable to be hit
    • Fixed a bug where ORC Creatures did not return to their intended locations after being pulled away (This fix is not retroactive to the save file – Please note you are not softlocked, please go to where you died last to find the ORC Creature Missing).
    • Various Stability Improvements (Major Stability Improvements were made – in our estimates were expecting a 40%- 60% improvement from 0.1.1.3).
    • Fixed a bug where Shared Worlds Crashed after prolonged gameplay (Also fixed a bug on the backend that would cause Shared World saves to be lost indefinitely).
    • Opening Photo Mode no longer causes clients to lose functionality during multiplayer sessions.
    • Resolved an issue where the sizzle effect persisted indefinitely after saving and loading the game.
    • Fixed a progression blocker that occurred when saving/loading after defeating tutorial mites.
    • Addressed a bug where clients could fall beneath the terrain textures during multiplayer gameplay.
    • [Redacted] now properly descends during the [Redacted] encounter.
    • Corrected instances where Park terrain failed to render for players.
    • Key mappings now remain intact after exiting a session, preventing unwanted resets

    Multiplayer Bug Fixes

    • Various De-Sync Improvements
    • Fixed a bug where clients joined with improved stats

    Building Improvements

    • Various Improvements preventing building on dirt piles around The Park (We don’t expect this to be fixed completely – but improvements have been made).
    • Fixed an issue where the “S” key wouldn’t respond during build mode.
    • Corrected naming inconsistencies across various building structures.
    • Resolved a problem that prevented decoration blueprints from being placed on walls or furniture.

    Buggy Improvements

    • Buggies can now be summoned from greater distances without issue.
    • Fixed a bug where the Red Ant Buggy incorrectly spawned as a hostile Red Soldier Ant.
    • Addressed a controller issue where RB wouldn’t function after mounting the Orb Weaver Buggy.
    • Resolved a visual glitch where Eggs stored in inventory became invisible after saving and loading.
    • Fixed a scenario where players could become stuck beneath a buggy after dismounting.
    • Prevented Eggs from disappearing in storage following a save/load cycle.
    • Eliminated overlapping UI elements for clients loading into a save while mounted.
    • Fixed a bug that caused buggy loss after entering the cooler.
    • Buggies no longer take gas damage while blocking.
    • Improved buggy summoning logic to avoid spawning inside terrain (e.g., caves, anthills).

    Creative Mode

    • Fixed a bug where the Handy Gnat feature was not functioning as intended
    • Invert Vertical Look setting now properly affects Handy Gnat controls.
    • Removed unintended calls from Sloane while in Creative Mode.
    • The Mysterious Stranger no longer appears in Creative Mode sessions.
    • Ranger Outposts are now correctly unlocked in Creative Mode.

    The Park

    • Various Fixes with Creatures spawning inside of Geometry
    • Fixed a bug where scorpions didn’t attack correctly in the Ice Sickles event
    • Raw Science orbs are now easier to see from a distance
    • Patched several terrain gaps throughout The Park.
    • Corrected floating waypoint markers in specific areas.
    • Reduced shadow flickering across various Park regions.
    • Fixed a softlock that could occur after dying in the Teleporter.
    • Bees now follow proper sleep behavior at night.
    • Closed off access to unfinished areas that were previously reachable.
    • Addressed a stuck spot on the ramp in the O.R.C. Cockroach Queen arena.
    • Clients now experience proper collision when parkouring on plant stems.
    • The Resource Finder now correctly detects all intended resources.

    Combat

    • Wearing Wolf Spider Armor no longer causes all daggers to apply venom on regular attacks.
    • Fixed an issue where drinking dirty water caused infinite Sick debuff stacking.
    • Thrown weapons no longer get stuck mid-air for clients.
    • Fixed a bug where the death timer was not visible to Client after Save/Load

    Additional Bug Fixes

    UI/UX

    • Replaced placeholder text in the Fertilizer description with finalized content.
    • Tutorial tooltips now correctly reflect custom key bindings.
    • Removed a nonfunctional “Activate Handy Gnat” prompt from the interface.
    • Corrected item preview behavior in the Crafting Menu to prevent unintended replacements.
    • Eliminated an unintended grain texture from the UI background.
    • Resolved an issue where 3D models displayed with a black backdrop in the UI.
    • Updated the Summoning Wheel to show accurate status indicators.
    • Ensured Buggy status is properly reflected in the interface.
    • Adjusted UI text scaling for better readability across resolutions.
    • Fixed the incorrect buff icon for “Human Food.”
    • Corrected location messaging in the map UI.
    • Addressed input dead zones in the Crafting Menu that blocked navigation.
    • Localized the Camera Mode Toggle label correctly.
    • Prevented text cutoff in Ominent audiolog entries.
    • Removed multiplayer prompts from singleplayer sessions.
    • Improved resolution for Comms Array images in the UI.

    Gameplay

    • Players can now complete the Hatchery blueprint from all sides.
    • Restored functionality to the “S” key in build mode.
    • Quests now progress correctly after smoothie creation.
    • Optical Discs are now collectible post-tutorial.
    • MIX.R event completion no longer blocks subsequent quests.
    • Blueprint placement near dirt clumps and MIX.R now works as expected.
    • Removed duplicate quest entries for already completed objectives.
    • Candy consumption on the Buggy now counts toward mutation progress.
    • Improved Buggy summoning and pathfinding consistency.
    • Fixed a trap scenario on the web bridge.
    • Status effects now visibly apply to creature models.
    • “Confront the Stranger” quest now unlocks properly.
    • Photo references for Ominent Optical Discs are now present.
    • Thistle Needle preview now displays correctly.
    • Suppressed the post-battle incoming call after defeating the Mysterious Stranger.

    Environment

    • Resolved terrain gaps that were visible in the Snack Front region.
    • Prevented out-of-bounds visibility near the MIX.R area.
    • Restricted unintended access to unfinished zones.
    • Removed an out-of-world camera angle above Ranger Outpost: Ceremony.
    • Patched multiple visual breaks near the Tennis Ball, Empty Terrarium, and surrounding locations.
    • Adjusted spawn points to prevent Bombardier Beetles from appearing inside geometry.
    • Corrected Orb Weaver placement to avoid spawning within terrain.
    • Fixed an issue where Bombardier Beetles became stuck in foliage around The Park.
    • Addressed spider fall-through behavior when interacting with webs.
    • Eliminated flickering on Brittle Quartzite Shards in the park.
    • Enabled proper placement of decoration blueprints on walls and furniture.
    • Refined Buggy summoning logic to avoid spawning inside terrain (e.g., caves, anthills).
    • Relocated Scorpion Adult spawns to prevent overlap with the statue bush.
    • Restored blueberry harvesting functionality on the Picnic Table.
    • Fixed one-sided texture rendering in the Ceremony zone.
    • Realigned stone collision near Mollar Stash.
    • Corrected mosquito sleep spot positioning.
    • Sealed an out-of-world gap near Ranger Station: Flower Bed.
    • Closed visual breaks near the Yoked Girth Magazine Ad.
    • Smoothed out terrain inconsistencies throughout the park.
    • Repaired misaligned textures in the Ice Cart Outpost.
    • Addressed glass clipping issues across various map locations.
    • Fixed respawn logic that placed players outside the Flower Bed Outpost.
    • Added collision to the oak tree model.
    • Prevented save/load traps involving pinecones.
    • Removed unintended gap visibility in the Statue Area.
    • Patched out-of-world gaps in the Ice Cart Outpost.
    • Grounded floating acorns.
    • Corrected floating terrain assets across multiple zones.
    • Fixed clipping issues with environmental props.
    • Eliminated a visual gap in the Fire Pit region.
    • Covered a visible break behind the Fresh Mint.
    • Resolved out-of-world gaps in the Toxic Anthill.
    • Smoothed angular stretching of dirt textures.
    • Fixed one-sided rendering on root textures.
    • Prevented grass from growing through the Thistle leaf.
    • Corrected one-sided dirt textures between the Picnic Table and Fire Pit.
    • Addressed dirt clipping in the Trashbags Outpost.
    • Added missing collision to the Shalpz Amplifier mesh.
    • Fixed overlapping grass blades near BURG.L.
    • Removed terrain obstruction in the Snackbar area.

    Audio

    • Adjusted sound behavior so the Mysterious Stranger’s global SFX no longer plays outside the lab.
    • Limited the Array ringing sound effect to its intended floor level.
    • Synced the Cockroach Queen’s Body Slam animation with its audio for proper timing.
    • Restored missing ambient audio in the Ice Cart area.
    • Corrected playback issues with Pete’s voice lines.
    • Updated glass impact sounds to match expected audio cues.
    • Fixed a looping issue with the SCA.B 2K scanner sound after saving and loading.
    • Ensured global sound effects are now audible to all players, not just the host.

    Localization

    • Addressed an issue where the terms “Button” and “Slide/Unlock” were not properly translated.
    • Resolved missing localization for the suitcase interaction on the Picnic Table.
    • Corrected inaccurate Italian text in pop-up notifications.
    • Spanish translations for MIX.R messages have been added.
    • Fixed a UI overflow problem in the Smoothing Station caused by localization inconsistencies.

    Art

    • Updated the Cockroach Queen’s [Redacted] state to use the correct texture instead of an outdated one.
    • Resolved an issue where character poses caused floating behavior in Photo Mode.
    • Fixed hair clipping on Willow when wearing headgear.
    • Smoothed out texture stretching on teen characters during wake-up animations.
    • Standardized hair visual effects for consistency.
    • Adjusted the Ladybug Chestplate to prevent leg clipping with teen models.
    • Corrected Grub Leggings overlap with Willow’s boots.
    • Refined Clover Poncho string movement to behave as intended.
    • Reattached Sizzling Robes components that were detaching and clipping into teen characters.
    • Fixed visual clipping on the Butterfly Circlet accessory.
    • Addressed head clipping on Willow during death animations.
    • Corrected one-sided texture rendering behind Major Diesel.

    Multiplayer

    • Key bindings now persist correctly after exiting a multiplayer session.
    • Omni-Tool interactions are no longer interrupted for client players.
    • Founder Pack skins remain equipped after joining a new session.
    • Prevented users from launching multiple instances of the game simultaneously.
    • Realigned client-side waking animations for proper visual flow.
    • Fixed Shared World save renaming functionality.
    • Restored visibility of Founder Pack gear and hairstyles in PEEP.R mode.
    • Removed indefinite “Waiting for others” prompt triggered by Lean-To destruction.
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    What do you think of the games launch so far? are you impressed with how quickly they’ve rolled out these fixes? Let us know in the comments!

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  • Hotel Galactic – 2 weeks on

    Hotel Galactic – 2 weeks on


    Hotel Galactic entered its early access just over 2 weeks ago on July 24th. It was met with heavy criticism from its community due to a high amount of bugs and errors being encountered.

    With any Indie release entering early access, bugs are expected. Things go wrong. It is a part of the journey. How the developers respond to this matters. It determines how long a game will survive. 

    Some Devs choose to simply move on, leaving the game as it is, whilst others, like Ancient Forge, roll out patch after patch to repair the damage

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    On July 26th, Ancient Forge announced their “Repair Roadmap”

    Well we’re now a week on, so Lets have a look at what they’ve managed to achieve!

    • 4 patches (0.5.1 to 0.5.4) in just 7 days”
    • “fixing and improving over 90 different things across quests, systems, visuals, saves, and AI behavior.”
    • “Still deep in the Repair Roadmap, but we’ve also started internal planning for future production content too, to deliver our Early Access content roadmap as planned.”

    For The first week, you cant say they haven’t been putting in the hours!

    Highlights from this week

    • Guests no longer get stuck during orders if daybreak happens
    • Farming tasks can now be cancelled properly (seeds, fertilizer)
    • Safe validations added for broken dish delivery and farming tasks
    • Greta no longer gets stuck on benches
    • Workers don’t drop luggage if dismissal is cancelled mid-task
    • The Crusher station works again
    • Guests won’t spam new orders without clearing the old ones
    • Autosave now triggers after cutscenes, dialogue, quest steps, and phase changes
    • Guest ship population and kitchen orders now have hard caps
    • Research tree softlocks and Sell Zone bugs fixed
    • Textures restored across Raven Lobby, farming island, arcade rooms, and research zone
    • UI and controls improved in the research tree
    • Quest guides added for research objectives

    Quests updated

    We made multiple improvements to the multiple quests, like:

    • Simple Life
    • Sleeping Dragon
    • Farm Empire
    • Sparn’s Birthday
    • Law is Law
    • and many more.

    These now flow better, reward correctly, guide the player, and behave more reliably across saves.

    Current Goals

    • Further elimination of loading screen issues based on delivered cases
    • Polish all quest interactions further into Act I
    • Improve stability in longer play sessions
    • Continue improving rendering performance

    How Do You think Ancient Forge has done? Have you played Hotel Galactic yet? Let us know below in the comments!

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  • Introducing XO Screen!

    Introducing XO Screen!

    🎬Welcome to XO Screen!🍿

    InsideXO is leveling up, and now, we’re diving headfirst into the world of film and TV. Our brand-new XO Screen section is where you’ll find reviews, recommendations, and hot takes on the latest movies and shows, all brought to you by our very own Ben, InsideXO’s Lead Publicist (Film).

    Whether it’s a big-screen blockbuster, a hidden streaming gem, or a series that everyone’s talking about, XO Screen is here to give you honest, entertaining, and spoiler-safe coverage.

    📽 First reviews drop tomorrow – grab your snacks and join us in the comments, or Our Discord!

    Sign Up To Our Newsletter to Stay Up-to-date with the Latest News from InsideXO!

  • Painting Under Pressure: Sloppy Forgeries Is Indie Chaos at Its Best

    Painting Under Pressure: Sloppy Forgeries Is Indie Chaos at Its Best

    Imagine a high-stakes art heist, but instead of sneaking through lasers, you’re racing against the clock to sloppily recreate iconic paintings using only your mouse, a timer, and sheer panic. That’s Sloppy Forgeries, and after getting a chance to play it early, we’re absolutely hooked.

    Developed by the indie minds at Playful Systems LLC, Sloppy Forgeries is a fast-paced, competitive art game that mixes creativity and chaos. 

    You’re shown a classic painting and challenged to recreate it as closely (or wildly) as possible. The catch? You only have a short amount of time, and so every stroke counts.

    As you can imagine this can lead to some pretty hilarious attempts, of which I will show some of mine in this article!

    We’ve been playing an early build thanks to a Steam key from the dev (huge thanks again!), and the experience has been equal parts hilarious and genuinely addictive. There’s something oddly satisfying about trying to replicate a masterpiece while the timer ticks down, and everything just falls apart (At least for me!)

    I had the chance to Ask some Questions to the Dev about the game, which will be included in a separate article below, be sure to check it out,

    “There might be artists out there who aren’t great at traditional video games who will REALLY excel at this.”


    Gameplay – A Stroke of Genius🖌️

    The game plays very well, for an unreleased game it feels solid, and it does the job, i was given a painting to copy, and I did my best, there’s a good selection already of over 30 classic paintings, and there’s so much more potential, I can already imagine the competitions to get your artwork in the game, or Merch to be able to get your best (or worst) paintings on a small canvas for your own keeping! There are so many different directions this game could go, it’s incredibly exciting to follow its Journey!

    The game Particularly Shines in multiplayer, and with it’s mouse v mouse local multiplayer, it makes it even easier to play with those around you, (although there will be a standard multiplayer option as well) 

    The game scores you on how accurate your painting is to the real thing, so this creates some very funny moments of panic, trying to get those last few brush strokes in before time runs out.

    There’s a healthy amount of Strategy involved here too, Do you go for the broader shapes quickly, or focus on those smaller details that may boost your score? Either way no two matches really felt the same when I was playing, as I was trying different ways to optimise my accuracy score

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    Why It works🧠

    Beyond the laughs, Sloppy Forgeries taps into that same accessible creative itch games like Drawful or even Skribbl.io do, but with a surprisingly artful twist. It manages to celebrate fine art while also absolutely butchering it in the most amazing way, 

    The Dev clearly has a strong love for art, combined with some absurdity in a perfect blend, the game also seems to sharpen your mind, you think quick and really tap into your inner artist, i’ve never been good at art, in fact, even in school my worst nemesis was shading a circle! (story for another day) but this game made me actually enjoy it, and want to see how good I could actually be!

    As you can see… Not Very!
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    So When Can You Play it?

    The game is currently unreleased, but it’s already making waves in indie circles. No hard release date just yet, but it’s one of the most uniquely fun party games we’ve played in a while. It’s expected in 2025, so be sure to add it onto your wishlist, and keep your brushes at the ready, this is absolutely one to keep a close eye on!

    We’ll be watching this one closely here at InsideXO, and we’ll update as soon as more info drops. 

    Let us know Your Thoughts below in the comments, or Join the Official XO Discord, and come chat!

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