Hey adventurers,

Before we get into the Creator Spotlight winners, just wanted to let you know that we’re working on some big projects and updates that take some more time to cook to get right. We don’t have an ETA yet but will share some more news as soon as we can! Now back to the creator spotlight:

The gears have finally cooled on our January 2026 Creator Spotlight, and the results are in! This month’s theme was Steampunk, and wow—what a showing. From clockwork cities to smoke-choked skylines, all worlds that properly captured the pulse of industry have now been ranked. Judging was incredibly difficult thanks to the sheer creativity on display, but the winners have officially been decided!

Entries were judged on creativity, originality, visual presentation, and gameplay, with special attention given to the unique approach each world took to convey the pressure, progress, and spectacle of a clockwork age. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event such a success!

1st Place

Blood Aria by Kewl

Excellent game! Loved playing as Seraphel Veyne. I played as a mole within the Ascendency who was doing what he could to take it down from the inside. I started off at the Rustbone Docks and saved a little girl from Dusters who were going to erase her for being hazardous. From there I began to build an organization outside the Ascendency to help me topple it. This game is easy to get lost in and I loved it so much that I almost forgot that I was playing it just to review it! All of the art in the game is beautifully made, and everything is so thematic. The characters are vibrant and give a lot of life to the game. This is definitely going to be a staple in the Friends & Fables featured worlds. Be sure to give it a play! You won't be disappointed!

2nd–5th Place Winners

Shout-out to the next four worlds that powered their way into the winner circle:

Otome Punk by solodit

Another beautiful world by Solodit! I love the art, it was so eye catching, and the story is so original it really caught me off guard. I started off the game as a cat and my goal from then on was to get a wedding ring from a lady or else I'd be stuck as a cat! It was a real trip! Unique landmasses floating in a sea of clouds, vibrant and diverse steampunk themed locations, and a wild storyline that's a romance adventure unlike any other you'll ever play anywhere else.

The Gilded Grove by areelu

The first thing that we all noticed was the map. Well done Areelu! The Spine Mountains are amazing, and pretty much the main destination I headed to when I started the game off in the Rig-Rafts. Franz was delightful in the play through. The Skimmer who took me to the Spine Mountains was named "Franz" solely because that name has been "floating around a lot lately."

The Clockwork Paradox by treedaddy

I love the story for this one! Your timeline has been erased because it's corrupted, and you are the only thing preserved. You are then left as the last remnant of your timeline to start a new life put to work in Prime Meridian. Unit 77-B was really fun to chat with, and I absolutely love his mustache. Definitely play this game if you want to have some fun starting a brand new life. It's easy to slowly pull yourself into the direction of a timeline bounty hunter or someone who wants to fix their timeline and bring everything back to the way it once was.

Steam Noir by canknightlife

A fun adventure where your job is to solve a Steampunk Noir mystery. Right from the start Franz guided Inspector Calder Vane towards a mystery and created a plot direction and clues to get the game rolling. If you need a break from normal action/adventure games, give this Steampunk Noir game a try, I'm sure you'll have fun! I can tell that the world builder put a lot of work into this game, as it is filled with art that follows a particular theme, as well as a wide range of items, classes, spells to pick from. When I saw almost 700 custom items, my eyes nearly fell out of my head. Great job on this one!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Hofferson Empire by damien the malkav

Great game! I can tell a lot of work was put into this submission. Love the custom art, spells and monsters. This would have made it into the top 5 worlds, but I had to be fair for the world builders who only had a month to prepare since your game was 143 days old.

To Rule the Ashes by BCorrente

I love the world and the art, but unfortunatley there were so many missing descriptions that it wasn’t playable just yet. I can definitely see a lot of effort was put into this. I can’t wait to see how you finish this one!

The Land of Beautiful Corpses by AimlessGeeks

Love how you do your maps and the story was very unique for a steampunk adventure! I know you were sick this month, I hope you’re feeling better! Don’t push yourself too much!

Haven XVII by The Entire Population of Uranus

Great game, the art was very consistent and fun to look through. I also like how much effort you put into the lore. I think this one was very close to the top 5 pick.

Brassfeil by candyman7649

Lot’s of work was put into this one. I love how much thought was put into the map and locations. Starting off as a detective in the Police Station was a lot of fun, and I love how you set up the opening to get the player directly into the game. This one was another that was very close to the top 5. Great work!

Blasphemy! by RustyMart

Love the art, but the consistency could use a little bit of work. The map was excellent and I loved looking around!

Lurruna by chromaticchimera

Great effort, I can tell that you thought quite a lot about this world as you were building it, and that’s because I’m looking through the lore you put together! Well done!

Astron Cogsworks by Lord_Kaijin

Thank you for your submission!

Saccharum Crown by lovereid911

Excellent map, and very unique story idea.You did a great job with your world! Starting in the special cargo pens was a very fun experience.

Stranded by .snickt.

Love the map design with the area blocks, but because all the POIs were around the same area in Alpha town I wasn’t able to experience the blocks. It would have been awesome to see some lore for this game! Great job!

The Belldeep Coast by KingTrex101

Love the map, I saw that there were some missing descriptions for several regions, but the playable areas where you start are all in good zones. The Cog & Cauldron is a classic start in a bar.

This was our second Creator Spotlight Competition, and it really proved how much momentum this community has. If you built, played, liked, shared, or hyped up someone else’s world—thank you. That energy is what keeps the engines running.

If you haven’t already, jump into some of these worlds and show them some love. A single like can mean a lot to a creator.

Happy adventuring,
Friends & Fables