North Line archive
All coverage.
Every published story, newest first. Browse up to 30 stories per page as the archive grows.
Opinions
When inventory management becomes a second job
Limited space can be a satisfying choice, until it becomes an endless chore.
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Opinions
The hidden cost of starting a new live-service game
Accounts, storage, schedules and learning systems all belong in the decision to start a new game.
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Opinions
The small details that make a game world feel lived in
A few thoughtful details can make a fictional place feel like it existed before the player arrived.
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Opinions
Why the first town in an RPG matters more than we think
A memorable opening settlement gives a much larger world a human scale.
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Opinions
A good game update gives you a reason to return
A returning player needs a clear reason to log in and a helpful place to start.
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Opinions
The case for playing an RPG on a lower difficulty
Choose the challenge that leaves room for the parts of an RPG you enjoy.
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Opinions
Can an MMO respect your time without removing all the friction?
The best obstacles make choices meaningful without turning an evening into a commute.
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Previews
Steam Next Fest October 2026: every game we previewed, sorted by what you like to play
Our Next Fest previews in one place, grouped by genre, with a one-line pitch and each demo’s status after the festival ended.
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Indie
Cozy Game Restoration finds comfort in cleaning old cartridges
A restoration simulator turns worn cartridges and old stickers into a quiet trip through gaming nostalgia.
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Opinions
The first MMO decision that matters isn't your class
A little coordination with friends can matter more than the perfect party composition.
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MMOs · Updates
LOTRO’s Wolves of Mordor gives every class a new build system and the homestead some company
The Lord of the Rings Online’s Update 50 adds three Mordor regions, the account-friendly Survival Instincts system, Neighbours for player homes and a higher gear cap. What changed on October 28.
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MMOs
Classic-plus is the MMO trend of 2026. The good versions are selling rules, not nostalgia
WoW: Forever, MapleStory Classic World and Old School RuneScape’s Hardcore Worlds all reuse a familiar world with new rules. That is why they work, and where they could go wrong.
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MMOs
Five new MMOs you can start this fall, from 100-player worlds to WoW: Forever
Everlast: Undying Tale, Scramble Knights Online, VAMPIR, MapleStory Classic World and WoW: Forever: what each one is, what it costs and who it suits.
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MMOs · News
RuneScape’s Jagex Account deadline is November 17. Here is who needs to act
Legacy RuneScape and Old School RuneScape accounts must upgrade to Jagex Accounts to keep logging in after November 17. What changes, who is exempt and what to set up first.
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RPGs · Updates
Atom Team is expanding Plague Island before its next DLC after some players called it short
In an email Q&A, Atom Team’s Alexander Chernyavskiy discusses returning to ATOM RPG for its 10th anniversary, the “too short” feedback now reshaping the studio’s plans, and where ATOM RPG 2 is heading.
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Previews
New PC RPGs and MMOs in November 2026, and three that slipped to later
WoW: Forever, Old School RuneScape’s Hardcore Worlds, ArcheAge Chronicles and a run of turn-based indies: the RPG and MMO releases still dated for November, with demo status for each.
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RPGs · Updates
Where Winds Meet’s first anniversary takes the story to war in Hutuo
NetEase’s free-to-play wuxia action RPG adds Hutuo, a war-torn frontier region, on November 13, with anniversary rewards, two board-game modes and Dual Spears later in November.
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MMOs · World of Warcraft
WoW: Forever launches November 4. Here is what to sort out before launch day
Launch time, access, name reservations, friend codes, rulesets and the December 9 raid unlock: a practical guide to World of Warcraft: Forever’s first week.
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MMOs · News
Amazon is leaving MMOs. Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark are leaving on very different schedules
Throne and Liberty moves to NC on November 10; Lost Ark moves to Smilegate in early 2027. What carries over, what does not, and what players of each game should do now.
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MMOs · Upcoming
Wildercrown’s stock market is its most unusual addition to the skilling loop
Talk Alice Labs’ MMO prototype combines familiar gathering and crafting with fictional company shares. The current build and the larger MMO roadmap deserve separate attention.
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Indie
Cartoon Crime’s two camera views put its small sandbox in a different light
BuBa Games’ early-access crime game combines third-person and top-down views with a city full of activities. The interesting test is how those systems interact.
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Previews
Tavern Clicker wants the pub to keep running after your clicking finger clocks out
Crooked Mug’s upcoming idle tavern game builds around serving drinks, unlocking automation and making a small fantasy pub feel like yours.
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Multiplayer · News
Hearthbound makes room for gardens, neighbours and a little cave trouble
Build a cottage, tend a garden, trade with neighbours or explore troll caves in Hearthbound, a free multiplayer village game for Windows and Android.
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Previews
The Vast White makes the mountain more interesting than the finish line
Horizon Games’ mouse-sized snowboarding adventure pairs relaxed exploration with restoring an old resort. Its appeal depends on giving the ride somewhere worth going.
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Previews
Hack You Builds Its Revenge Story Around a Fictional Desktop
Mahlo's hacking simulation makes conversations and personal choices part of the route to getting even.
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RPGs · Updates
ATOM RPG’s Plague Island gives returning players more to prepare for than a new map
The new story DLC arrives alongside the finalized 1.2.1 update, with equipment changes and a subsequent hotfix that matter to anyone loading an older save.
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Previews
Wyldheart Offers Bite-Sized Co-op Fantasy Campaigns
Wyldheart is a co-op action RPG from Wayfinder Studios, published by Curve Games, and ranks among the 20 most-played Next Fest demos in the latest snapshot. It is set in the fallen kingdom of Caerwyn.
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Previews
Everfront Makes the Border Itself Your Army
Wilhelm Tranheden's real-time strategy roguelike asks where to commit your territory, rather than which unit to move next.
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Previews
Malignus Puts You in Charge of the Dungeon's Daily Problems
Keeping minions fed and traps working matters when the heroes are coming to take back your treasure.
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Previews
Dumpster Gang Lets Raccoons Run a Co-op Heist Sandbox
Dumpster Gang is a one-to-four-player co-op sandbox from Coyote House Games, published by Curve Games. Its Next Fest demo pitches players as raccoons completing missions and stealing whatever they can carry.
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