Steam Next Fest has made its grand return. It's been a few days already, but PC players on Valve's platform have been able to flock to the storefront to download a bunch of different demos to get a taste of countless upcoming video games. We've joined in on that fun too, and have decided to cook up this article to point the spotlight on 10 titles you may or may not already have been aware of. So, if you're expecting to see The Knightling, Shadowveil: Legend of the Five Rings, Tales of Seikyu, Solasta II, and more, you'll just have to be content with our existing previews.
Out of Sight
Let's start things off with this puzzling horror game. Coming from The Gang, Out of Sight follows the young Sophie, who after being blinded finds herself able to see where she's going through the eyes of her teddy bear. Utilising this unusual perspective, Sophie will need to navigate various environments, solve puzzles, and ultimately escape the very individuals who have captured her. If you enjoy Little Nightmares-like puzzling and adventures, then Out of Sight is worth keeping an eye on.
Ostrich Farm
There's not much to add about this simulation game that its title doesn't already express. Ostrich Farm is a title that is about, well... farming ostriches. You have to create different paddocks, breed a variety of different birds, ensure they are fed and well cared for, and ultimately do so while managing a collection of simulated systems that come with running a bizarre farm of this kind. Essentially, think Planet Zoo except instead of nearly every animal you can imagine, there are only ostriches and more ostriches.
Post Trauma
Yet another horror game. Red Soul Games' Post Trauma is a modern-day survival horror title that follows a protagonist as they attempt to escape a creepy and unsettling world absolute chock-full of challenging puzzles and terrifying enemies and creatures. If you enjoy Silent Hill and Resident Evil games, this is a natural albeit unique next step, as it offers plenty of mind-boggling problems matched up with a slate of combat opportunities.
River Towns
A puzzling city-builder with strategic elements. Frogsong Studios' River Towns is a delightful builder where the aim of the game is to create a broad, complex, and varied town district in a small play space that is defined by the waterways that work their way through it. You have to slot differently shaped town elements into the available space in a Tetris-like format, all while making the town run as effectively and efficiently as possible too. If you wished City Skylines had a more arcade and puzzling format, River Towns is the ticket.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die
You might be familiar with Zoink Games' unique adventure game from a couple of years ago, but it does feel as though Stormteller Games' hack-and-slash action spinoff has been overlooked a bit. Lost in Random: The Eternal Die follows Queen Aleksandra as she and her die-companion Fortune take on challenging enemies and attempt to escape an unsettling realm, all from an isometric perspective. With roguelike elements, this is essentially what you get if you combine Hades with Lost in Random.
As We Descend
What do you get if you cross a roguelike, a deckbuilder, and a strategy game? Box Dragon's As We Descend. This is a title that asks players to recruit and upgrade forces and to utilise them to defend a city full of humans from the demonic forces that are attacking it. It uses card-based mechanics and deckbuilding elements to serve up a combat suite that is more complex and demanding than simple strategy, and ultimately it all comes together for a game that is effectively Hearthstone meets RTS.
The Phantom
Who was the first costumed comic book character? Superman? Captain America? Batman? Wrong, it was Phantom. You are probably unaware of that as Phantom has not had a career nearly as successful as other comic characters, but that could change soon as Art of Play Interactive is debuting a side-scrolling beat-em-up based on The Ghost Who Walks. If you enjoy games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge or Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind, this has similar energy except with a greater focus on comic art style and panels.
Wheel World
It was once known as Ghost Bike but decided to change its face a tad to become Wheel World. This adventure game from Messhof is all about cycling and existing in a realm where ancient spirits roam the land and enjoy inhabiting bicycles. In this game, you can expect to race other cyclists, perform amazing tricks, and of course, to save the world from devastation. Why wouldn't that be the case? If you enjoyed the vibe of Dungeons of Hinterberg and wondered how that would work in a Riders Republic-like gameplay structure, Wheel World is one to watch out for.
Dino Path Trail
The Wild West meets prehistoric lizards. Yep, Dino Path Trail is survival action-roguelike that you didn't know you needed in your life. The idea of this game is to journey across the American frontier, battling deadly bandits and escaping carnivorous dinosaurs, all in the effort of saving your sister. With an isometric camera perspective and Curse of the Dead Gods-like action, this game is about exploring, improving your gear, and taking on harder challenges without being defeated along the way and losing everything due to the roguelike nature.
RunOut - Hothead Paws
If you loved the recent Party Animals and miss the Fall Guys hype and have been waiting for another game to arrive and capture something similar to what these two achieved for the party sector, then allow us to introduce RunOut - Hothead Paws. This game is for two-to-six players and it's a platformer where the aim is to race through obstacle courses and to collect coins, all as adorable animal characters. Needless to say, if you're looking for something fun and entertaining for you and your friends to play, RunOut is definitely worth a look.
Have you been checking out Steam Next Fest? As the festival continues for a short whole longer, be sure to leave any suggestions you have for promising and exciting demos in the comments below.
