All the Demos I Enjoyed From Steam Next Fest (Feb 2024)
There were so many amazing demos this Steam Next Fest. I played 52 in the end, and while my brain feels squishy and sleepy, I think I walked away with a good amount of new games to pick up when they release. This list is broken down by “demos that really surprised me and left me totally intrigued” and “demos that seemed neat that didn’t quite grab me, but might grab you” rather than favorites and honorable mentions because I enjoyed such a huge chunk of the demos I played. There’s around 30ish games in here (I have dyscalculia and cannot math so that number might be +/- a few).
All of these games are neat and worth wishlisting to keep an eye on! Wishlisting before the game comes out helps indie games get better visibility when the game releases, giving it better sales and better odds of success, and so on. Truly the most exhausting thing in a creative person’s life is navigating the various Algorithms™ that define the outcomes of our creations. So yeah! Wishlist!
And now for many games!
Demos that left the biggest impression on me and were pleasantly surprising!
Hauntii screenshot
Hauntii (Moonloop Games LLC)
Okay, I know we aren’t doing favorites but Hauntii was definitely my favorite. I hadn’t heard of it prior to the event and picked it up because the art style looked cute and someone in chat recommended it and wow. Stunning visuals, fun twin stick gameplay, ethereal and whimsical soundtrack, and a plot premise that utterly draws you in? Hauntii is amazing.
Crypt Custodian (Kyle Thompson)
This was my other favorite that I hadn’t heard of at all before Next Fest. Play as Pluto the cat recently sentenced to effectively hell outside the palace where good cats go and break things with a broom. It’s listed as a metroidvania/Zelda-like, and there is a fair bit of action adventure and platforming, but I never found it too punishing. The art style is cute and gorgeous, the music soothing, and the combat intuitive and not too difficult.
Minami Lane (Doot, Blibloop)
Comfy management sim without the time stress, yes please, give it to me. Build shops, parks, gain more villagers, and more. It eventually gets fairly elaborate but I never felt overwhelmed because, again, there’s no real timer. And as someone who has time stress and a lot of anxiety, that makes Minami Lane fairly perfect and I can’t wait for the full version to come out soon.
Baladins (Seed By Seed)
Cute TTRPG inspired choose your own adventure game. Use Action Points and Move Points to do things, play with friends, test your luck at challenges. It’s multiplayer as well, so good to play with friends and good for parents to play with kids too!
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU (Surgent Studios)
I guess this Steam Next Fest I really enjoyed more metroidvania/platformers than I expected (it’s usually a genre I’m intimidated by due to having slightly delayed reflexes and easily getting tension migraines if I get too tilted). This one has fun combat that’s fluid and not too punishing. The platforming is similar, at least in the demo, which allowed me to have fun and focus on the story!
Trash of the Titans (Thayer and Back Again)
A nice tactics turn-based fantasy game where you play as 4 trash animals just trying to protect your trash from rats who would take it. Game Boy vibes pixel graphics, intuitive gameplay, fun abilities. The final boss fight was unbeatable for me even on mild mode, but I didn’t full annoyed by it and just wanted to keep playing.
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami (Happy Broccoli Games)
The demo for this one was brief but cute, fully voiced, and silly. Play as Eugene McQuacklin, Duck Detective. It’s a point and click and investigate game but with fun cartoon art vibes and an exaggerated hardboiled noir detective making deduc(k)tions.
SUMMERHOUSE (Friedemann)
No rules, just create houses and scenes. This one is beautiful in its simplicity. Do you want to make an entire row of boulders with random signage and trees? Go for it. Doors, all in a row, that lead to nothing? Why not! A gorgeous and elaborate streetscape that actually makes sense? If you know how to make that work, I applaud you and yes, you absolutely can do that.
Pacific Drive screenshot
Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios)
I love weird X-Files-y shit and this one definitely has that vibe. Survive the Olympic Exclusion Zone, upgrade your car, drive around for material and clues to get out and survive. I sometimes get stressed by survival games but, at least in the tutorial, this one gave me enough leeway to wander around and get a little lost after the initial intro that I got really hooked on the game world and concept. Good news is it’s coming out very soon (Feb 22, 2024), so I’ll get to drive right into disaster again.
News Tower (Sparrow Night)
This one was a bit overwhelming at first, a lot of info upfront, as a lot of management sims tend to be! Craft newspapers, decide on headlines, build your newspaper. I didn’t play the entire demo, but the full version seems to be releasing soon (Feb 13, 2024, so literally in a couple days) and I definitely want to explore it!
Run Pizza Run (IZI Games)
Gives big Goat Simulator energy and wow do I find that hilarious. Deliver your pizzas, try not to get hit by a car. And the cars are exploding all around you and also hurtling nonsensically at you at high speeds. It’s goofy fun. This one also seems to be releasing soon (Feb 19, 2024).
Pepper Grinder (Ahr Ech)
I want to reiterate that I am awful at platformers, despite clearly being interested in a lot of demos of platformers! Pepper Grinder was a pleasant surprise in that it’s a platformer but you dive through sand and ground like you’re swimming by holding on to a rogue jet ski for dear life. I couldn’t play it for too long (again, tension migraines when I focus too hard limit my playtime on games like this), but I had a lot of fun with it.
Botany Manor (Balloon Studios)
I’ve played this demo before and it has been featured on other lists, and it continues to be a beautiful, relaxing experience! Wander around an English manor and learn about a bunch of magical plants. This one is definitely a puzzle/exploration sim, and so far at least a fairly chill one! It’s coming out April 9, 2024, which is sooner than I’d like (because somehow it’s already February).
Lightyear Frontier (FRAME BREAK, Amplifier Studios)
It’s farming but in space. With a mech. Of course I enjoyed it. Destroying rocks with my mech’s saw was satisfying enough to keep me playing for a bit. The full version of this releases soon (Mar 19, 2024) and that’s the only reason I didn’t our more time into the demo—figured I’d save it for the full release. Oh! And it’s also a co-op game, though I didn’t test that functionality out. But might be fun to play with friends!
Flock screenshot
Flock (Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg)
Speaking of multiplayer, Flock is definitely meant to be enjoyed with friends. Fly around on your bird and gather up random creatures that float around behind you as your, well, flock! The landscapes are both a bit surreal and cartoonish but beautiful all at once.
Harold Halibut (Slow Bros.)
This one is very much a narrative focused adventure/puzzle game. Harold is a research assistant on a spaceship in the ocean on a distant planet, run by the corporation that funded the whole thing. But there’s more to the situation than anyone realizes. The claymation-esque style of the animation and fully voice acted and aggressively British humo(u)r makes for an endearing vibe.
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions (Mooncube Games)
I do coworking streams sometimes, so this game is perfect. The Just Chatting category on Twitch can be a bit broad, so this game would offer not only a game category to stream under but a chill background with pre-existing and built in lofi music that is (ideally) DMCA safe. This one comes out April 8, 2024, and I am immediately trying it on the next coworking stream day.
Kind Words 2 (Popcannibal)
I saw the first Kind Words but never played it, so figured the second game would be a good time to finally dip my toes into the series! Customize an avatar, wander around a cute cityscape, and ask for recommendations as well as—you guessed it—kind words! This one leaves me feeling squishy and vulnerable, but not in a bad way. In the time I played the demo I also never saw anything reportable or bad, but do bear in mind that these are real letters and notes from real people so you might run across something negative from time to time, or something emotionally heavy.
Alcyone: The Last City (Joshua Meadows)
Full disclosure: I was paid to play the demo for Alcyone on the game’s Steam Page and interview the developer, Joshua Meadows, as well! It was a fun time, and I really enjoyed the writing on this one, even though I had the worst luck and failed an 83% chance to succeed an event. I’m curious what conspiracies will unfold. This is an interactive novel. Play different routes to see all the ways things can unfold.
Demos that seemed intriguing that weren’t quite grabbing me but might grab you
Arco screenshot
Arco (Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, Fáyer)
Pixel graphics and a unique combat system left me a bit frustrated at the difficulty (I died a lot in this little demo) and simultaneously hoping the finished and full release has more balance because I desperately wanted to like it more. The vibes are very Latine as well and I love that. Story rich and tactics heavy.
Dungeon Inn (Cat Society)
This one is a turn based tactics management sim puzzler! It’s got so many things I got a bit overwhelmed and confused, but the vibes and animations are super cute. Great for management sim enthusiasts that can juggle all that information and time management at once. Play as a trio who open an inn in a dungeon. The catch? They’re hosting rival adventurers from rival towns, and the two factions can’t find out they’re both staying at this inn or there will be a fight. The premise is fun, I just got a bit too confused and I was sleepy after so many demos.
Moon’s Creed (MrCheatCode)
A memorable deckbuilder that felt just a bit underexplained. I had no idea what to do with the moon phases and there weren’t any explanations, but I did enjoy the combat and the card balancing felt solid! I’m definitely keeping an eye on this one to see how it shapes up.
StellaGale: The Trials of Faith (Extra life Entertainment, Vifth Floor)
I admit I picked this one up entirely because of the anime intro vibes of its trailer. It gave me big Tales of Vesperia energy in terms of animation and plot, and I do enjoy that. This is a hack n slash/action adventure game. Uncover what happened to your father and get him back. The only reason this one didn’t make the more intrigued list was because the combat timing was frustrating and not kind to me at all. But I am curious about the story and what it shapes up to in final release.
The Land Beneath Us (FairPlay Studios Co. Ltd)
A turn-based roguelite that made me think of Crypt of the Necrodancer, hopping from tile to tile but without having to do it on beat. I enjoyed the vibes of that, but got a little confused. I’m definitely keeping an eye on this one though, the premise is interesting and very up my alley!
Kamaeru screenshot
Kamaeru (Humble Reeds)
This one I almost put in the above section, but ultimately decided the amount I was overwhelmed at the management elements put it down here for now. It’s a super cute game about caring for frogs and restoring the wetlands, which I really love. I just got very lost at the controls and tutorial section. My brain was also just very sleepy from many demos, so I want to revisit this one when it releases. But if complex management elements right out the gate do not intimidate you? You will love this one.
Rotwood (Klei Entertainment)
This is another multiplayer dungeon crawler-y game, and I really enjoyed it. The controls were a little too clunky/delayed for me to dodge easily (again, I have a slight delayed reaction and get migraines easily so this is a notable element for my enjoyability), and the boss HP is definitely designed for you to be able to beat it either with friends or repeat attempts. Both are fine! I just didn’t quite have the energy for it. But I trust Klei, and really enjoyed Don’t Starve so I think this one will get nice and balanced out over time.
Rusty’s Retirement (Mister Morris Games)
This is another one that will be good for coworking streams, as it’s an idle-farming sim and it’s so adorable. I don’t quite love that it only takes up the bottom of my screen, and that it takes such a huge chunk of it. I’d rather it just be a fullscreened thing buried under my millions of tabs. Maybe if they give me that option I will be more excited by it, and this will be a great one for fellow ADHD and generally neurospicy folks who struggle with tasks and motivation—this will be a great way to gameify your productivity!
And last but not least: demos that looked up my alley and I wanted to get to but my brain hit a huge NOPE point and I stopped processing everything, please forgive me
1000xRESIST (sunset visitor 斜陽過客) - a sci-fi adventure/thriller that looks intense and narrative heavy.
Horticular (inDirection Games) - pixel graphics building sim that looks cute as heck.
Small Town Emo (Fnife Games) - an emo teen in 2007 having a big ol’ gay crush all in Game Boy era graphics because it’s literally a Game Boy game!
Until Then (Polychroma Games) - visual novel that looks intriguing and was recommended to me by someone in my Twitch chat!
Once A Tale (Carcajou Games, Triple Boris Inc., 2 Igloos) - stop motion Hansel and Gretel puzzle adventure game! The devs actually showed up in my chat and were very nice, so I apologize for not getting to your game.
Neoproxima (Lonestone Studio) - a sci-fi point and click visual novel. Narrative heavy, looks to be set on a mysterious alternate reality planet? Seems up my alley for sure.
Pico Topia (DNNIS) - ever since Dorfromantik, I’ve been on the lookout for more citybuilder-y and chill tile style games, so this one caught my eye!
Trash Goblin (Spilt Milk Studios Ltd) - I actually watched urbanbohemian stream the demo of this, but since I haven’t played it myself I put it here. It seems like a fun “solve the puzzle of how to clean these trinkets” that’s very chill.
A note about Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse (Frontside 180)
Maybe this is the year I get into metroidvanias and platformers? Because I really enjoyed a surprising number of them. This one is a metroidvania/roguelite. Play as a cursed hat that possessed and summons *checks notes* the body of a blonde with a floaty sword to get through various levels and restore a local village. Yeah that seems fine! Nothing strange happening there! Based on the Steam page, some of the levels look ridiculous and difficult, so I’m not sure how accessible this game is overall—but the demo was playable for me, so who knows.
(This is mostly me begging metroidvania/platformer games to have better accessibility options.)
Update: I didn’t realize this game is being developed and published by PocketPair, the publisher behind PalWorld and a game that is straight up called AI Imposter and that Never Grave itself has come under scrutiny for similarities to another metroidvania game. It goes without saying that, as a writer, I’m amazingly anti-AI so while I’m keeping this on this blog post for posterity, it’s getting bumped all the way down here and I’m yet again yelling about how developers like this need to stop using AI to steal from artists and writers because they have no creativity in their soul. Appreciate the good folks on Cohost for pointing this one out to me!
And that’s everything! I hope you enjoy some of these demos. Or if you didn’t read this until after Steam Next Fest—go check out the games that catch your attention. Some of them might still have demos up. Some might even be out already. There’s a wide array of awesome indie games out there, and again this barely scratches the surface of all the indie games showcased during Steam Next Fest this year. But I hope you find some new stuff to add to your wishlist.
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