Steam Next Fests are typically my favorite parts of the gaming calendar, but this year, my luck has been off the charts. When it comes to filling my wishlist, this has undoubtedly been the most fruitful event in all my years of playing demos. So, I’m here to share some of that wealth! From silly guys to serious scares, get ready to find your new most anticipated game.
With so many amazing titles to show, I came up with a few very loose categories for your reading pleasure. Do the categories imply they’re particularly similar to each other? No. The list is about unique games, remember? Lastly, not all games on the list are officially part of Next Fest, but they were released close enough to where I wanted to celebrate them regardless. Now, let’s get to it!
Absurd Animals
Croak
Croak is a beautiful, hand-drawn 2D platformer about a little frog king from artists whose previous works include Cuphead and Rick & Morty. Its standout feature is its incredibly unique moveset, based on grappling and pinballing, controlled by holding down a button and letting go at the right time. It’s seriously tough, upping the intensity room by room, but this debut by Woodrunner Games is as innovative as it is lovely to look at.
You can find the demo for Croak here!
PSI
We were this close to calling this the Frog Platformer category! PSI is an amazing, funny, overwhelming first-person platformer by Book Club Games about a cult of frogs living on the very bottom of their industrial prison. Controlling one of the few remaining members, you ascend the walls using your jump jetpack and explore caves in search of loot to upgrade it, in hopes of finally making it out. Worth highlighting is the tactile UI. So charming!
You can find the demo for PSI here!
Blast Cats
I’m right off the heels of an indie 3D platforming masterpiece, and I’m ready for more! PSI is a contender, so here’s another one. Blast Cats by Blast Cats Dev is bringing insane levels of energy to the space. Wacky dudes of all shapes and sizes, secret levels, loading screens, the crunch, the noise. It has the movement chops despite sticking largely to the ground, and excels in level variety and the sheer richness of its style. Feels like a true evolution of several 3D platforming games.
You can find the demo for Blast Cats here!
Darwin’s Paradox
Backed by Konami, this is one of the biggest names on the list, but it’s here for a good reason! The other games in this category are, admittedly, pretty challenging, so if you want to experience a grand, silly, animal-themed joyride without as much worry, Darwin’s Paradox by ZDT Studio is the perfect fit. It is just an absolute blast that switches up its level themes a lot, bringing back memories of wacky morning cartoons.
You can find the demo for Darwin’s Paradox here!
Winning Wrong
COCOBOY
The main inspiration for the category. COCOBOY by Adrian Kellman and Cameron Werner is a game that lets you step back in the shoes of old-school video game hackers. Back when you had to own a cartridge for a cartridge to really break the game. Immerse yourself in the experience of being so into a game you just have to break it apart. Designed intentionally! Love to see the ways we experienced culture being turned into games, a way to preserve history in its own right!
You can find the demo for COCOBOY here!
Worming From Home
Just your usual job simulation. Fill up some spreadsheets, work on your skills, and grow out your skill tree. Typing it all out one button at a time can be challenging if you mess up your schedule, but we’ve all been there. The only difference here is that you play as your worm coworker from across the country. We all have those, right? Well, if not, you can experience the life of a worm desk worker in Worming From Home by Zach Northrop and Mason Sabharwal.
You can find the demo for Worming from Home here!
Dodo Duckie
Have you ever played a platformer and felt things were going just a little too slow? The moment that thought starts hitting you in Dodo Duckie by BornMonkie, it gives your duck a cute propeller hat and tells you to screw that and go 3D! From here on, it becomes a puzzle platformer that becomes dangerously difficult to put down. I know you have one question in mind, though. Can you quack on command? I am happy to report that yes, you can!
You can find the demo for Dodo Duckie here!
Phonopolis
From Amanita Design, the legendary creators of point-and-click masterpieces like Machinarium and Botanicula, comes a game where you play as someone living outside the system. Literally. Phonopolis is built around a system of loudspeakers that all its inhabitants must adhere to. Except your little guy, Felix. Manipulate the, frankly, unbelievably good-looking avant-garde environments to take down the authoritarian government. Timely and astonishing, despite being active for decades, this might be the developers’ new magnum opus.
You can find the demo for Phonopolis here!
Cozy Collection
The Witch’s Bakery
The magic of pastries and the magic of, well, magic. I know I said it about multiple games on the list already, but this is another unbelievable-looking game. When I said this is the best Next Fest in all my years of playing demos, I meant it. Sunny Lab created one of the most immediately inviting sims out there, with its wonderful, emotional portrayal of a young woman’s life opening up a bakery in Paris. Truly a magical journey!
You can find the demo for The Witch’s Bakery here!
Teeto
Who knew the post-apocalypse could be so nice? A little bunny inventor and its creation, the titular goopy Teeto, travel around what is one of the most charming worlds I’ve seen in recent 3D platformers. You’re always together with a partner, always exploring new transformations for Teeto, in co-op if you want! This debut title from Eat Pant Games is shaping up to be one of the most inviting titles in the space, so get your kid or little sibling and try it out together.
You can find the demo for Teeto here!
Map Map – A Game About Maps
Games without quest markers and with hand-drawn maps seem to be all the craze lately, so why not play a game where you make your own? An adorable aesthetic makes this adventurous puzzle game feel playful, like kids hiding treasure and making maps for each other! This childlike wonder and a genuinely impressive set of ideas propelled Map Map by Pipapo Games right near the top of my wishlist.
You can find the demo for Map Map – A Game About Maps here!
Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland
DIE SOFT may sound threatening for a developer name, but their debut, Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland, is anything but. Cozy is a spectrum; we saw a bakery sim, a platformer, a puzzle game, and now a lovely-looking, great-playing, and even better-sounding metroidvania. One of the best soundtracks of the year right here. A heartwarming adventure based on a comic strip from 1905, so bonus points for being a licensed game!
You can find the demo for Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland here!
Assortment of Action
Gunboat God
Classic, meaty, level-based goodness. A unique style with the screen split in two by the sealine: the bottom is dark, the top is colorful. Dive under or pop up above with the titular gunboat, with the distance of either determined by how many creatures you’ve shot down. Gates requiring the same sacrifice block your way during a variety of objectives. All killer, no filler. Gunboat God by Janson RAD is one of my absolute favorites from this haul.
You can find the demo for Gunboat God here!
Altered Alma
Metroidvania/Dating Sim that is great in both departments. The demo did not skimp out on difficult platforming, combat, or dilemmas: do I want to smooch this alien or that robot? Altered Alma by 2Awesome Studio has plenty of ideas for itself, fully standing out from its peers. The cyberpunk setting of Neo Barcelona alone is an absolute treat. Everything else? Endless delicious layers.
You can find the demo for Altered Alma here!
RUIN: Beast City
RUIN: Beast City by DascuMaru is a game dripping with style from its inspirations, namely SUDA51’s eccentric catalogue and Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s brutal anime movies. The demo features two atmospheric boss battles. A pure block and dodge combat system where you don’t always have to wait for your turn, but you are also not always owed a counterhit. Real old-school action, feeling fresh in the current landscape.
You can find the demo for RUIN: Beast City here!
Luna Abyss
A PC FPS with often de-emphasized aiming… that works? I was initially shocked by the first gun having a lock-on feature, but the more I traveled the gloom megastructure, the more it just felt right. Guns serve more than one function, with future ones allowing for more skill expression. Movement is key with large, glowing enemy bullets. The atmosphere is out of this world as the game toys with your emotions and perception. You have to check out Luna Abyss by Kwalee Labs.
You can find the demo for Luna Abyss here!
Various Wacky Vehicles
Airframe Ultra
From Videocult, the creators of Rain World—one of my all-time favorites—comes a party racing game that has you chase each other on bikes around some of the prettiest retro locations I’ve ever seen. Then, you step off the bikes (or don’t) to destroy each other with all sorts of makeshift weaponry. Or guns. Those work too. Wacky in a Looney Tunes sort of way, colorful retro visuals, exciting, brimming with inspiration, and potential for player-made stories.
You can find the demo for Airframe Ultra here!
Denshattack!
Once upon a time, a train-based parody of the car racing manga Initial D introduced the world to multi-track drifting. Exactly what it sounds like: a train drifting across multiple train tracks. Fast forward many years and a series of Densha de D games, and we arrive at Denshattack! by Undercoders. It should work, and it does. An absurdly stylish trick and speed game that leans into its own absurdity to the max.
You can find the demo for Denshattack! here!
Truckful
The first drive in Truckful by MythicOwl is a bit of a slow start. You go by some sheep, have to honk at them to have them move out of your way as you deliver cargo, making sure it doesn’t fall off on the bumpy roads you traverse with a fixed camera angle. The one right after is how I got hooked, though, as I slotted a hunched man on the back of my truck as if he were a piece of cargo. A physics-based game with just the right amount of shenanigans.
You can find the demo for Truckful here!
Wild Blue Skies
While I’m not a committed Star Fox fan, I played my fair share of Star Fox 64. I don’t think you’d need to play even that much to know Wild Blue Skies by Chuhai Labs and VITEI BACKROOM Inc. has all the tools to revitalize this long-dormant formula. It’s not the first to try, but the charisma of the characters and the popping visuals on top of a rock-solid gameplay foundation that give me faith it might be the one to break out.
You can find the demo for Wild Blue Skies here!
Mystery Medley
The Ratline
Starting this section with a real brain-scratcher, The Ratline by Owlskip Games is a deep puzzle mystery game about hunting down Nazis after World War II. It’s a game all about focus, reading comprehension, and connecting the dots, with a slick interface and a bunch of tools that make everything go by smoothly and end so satisfyingly. Plus, the Steam page features co-signs from several genre greats. What else do you really need?
You can find the demo for The Ratline here!
Esoteric Ebb
There’s really no doubt in my mind that Esoteric Ebb by Christoffer Bodegård is going to be a huge hit. A dice-based mystery game set inside a fantasy world, where you wake up from death in confusion and start by eating your way through a wall of apples. Or dying while doing so. In all this, it follows the lineage of all-time classics like Disco Elysium and Planescape Torment. The writing is phenomenal, and it has the presentation down to its classic RPG stats… who talk in your head! Must-play when it releases on March 3.
You can find the demo for Esoteric Ebb here!
RUNT
Post-apocalypse. Monsters roaming around. You and your older brothers are sons of a now-dead cult leader. You’re the youngest, the Runt. The oldest brother is trying to hold it together, protect the town, but on the fifth anniversary of your father’s passing, you find a message. 5 days. Who defaced your church? What do the townspeople know? What does the message mean? You only have so much to find out. As fascinating as it is disturbing, you should absolutely check out RUNT by Grimtaste Studio.
You can find the demo for RUNT here!
Inquisitor Shepherd
Thought you were done with the horror after the last entry? Think again. In a religious nation, you play as the Inquisitor hunting down heresies, armed with powers to discover the truth. The world has some fascinating lore, but what truly captured me was the absolute insanity of the court in front of which you judge the characters. Inquisitor Shepherd by Narrowdeep shows just how much further the mystery/visual novel hybrid can be pushed.
You can find the demo for Inquisitor Shepherd here!
Despite playing dozens of demos, I know it’s just the tip of the iceberg, as seen in our other article about Next Fest here. So, which demos captured your interest during this Next Fest? Any games you’re looking forward to that you would love to play a demo of? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to check our other articles about upcoming indie games!
