Give me an S! Give me a T! Give me an – you get the picture.Steam. Next. Fest. That time of year (or, nowadays, timesof year) where we alldownload too many demosfor every indie game that catches our eye in the hopes that we’ll be able to use this knowledge to our advantage in next year’s Fantasy Critic. Wait, you just play demos for the love of new games? Weird.
I’ve made it a bit of a ‘thing’ now totry as many demos as I can in each Next Fest, quadrupling my workload and driving a steam train into my mental wellbeing, losing any semblance of work/life balance, all in the service of shining a light on the finest, strangest, or most interesting games that catch my attention. I’ve played dozens of demos over the past few days, and here are those which stood out to me the most.
Wilmot Works It Out
If you played Wilmot’s Warehouse, you’ll already understand the loveable simplicity ofsorting. Putting things in neat rows, columns, or sections just triggers that part of your brain that marks a job as well done.
Wilmot Works It Out offers a snapshot of our square protagonist’s home life, where he likes to unwind by befriending the postwoman and solving those sliding puzzles you used to get out of gachapon machines as a kid. Except Wilmot has a bit more space to work with and some of his puzzles can get alotbigger. It’s every bit as satisfying as its predecessor; simple, engaging puzzling accompanied by a mellow soundtrack and satisfying sound effects.
Karma: The Dark World
It takes a lot to get to me to play a horror game, but Control-esque screenshots will do the trick. Karma: The Dark World immediately presents an intriguing premise, and the interesting environments, messed-up monsters, and snippets of lore all work in tandem to grab your attention. The intro is a little cutscene-heavy for my tastes, but the diegetic gamma level test is a slice of genius.
The Axis Unseen
A game from a former Skyrim dev gone solo where you play solely as a stealth archer? A game that blends survival folk horror with elements of immersive sims? A game with a tutorial so immediately engrossing that it rivals that of I Am Your Beast? Play The Axis Unseen, it’s ticking all my boxes.
Citizen Sleeper 2
The sequel toone of the best games I’ve ever playedadds more layers of complexity to the mechanics and brings the same profound writing we know and love. Just go and read myCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector previewfrom a few months ago – Next Fest has a slightly newer build, but much of what I say there remains true.
Kill The Shadow
You’re a former cop haunted by a mysterious being known only as The Shadow in this pixel art detective game. The dystopian story offers numerous endings for every deduction, so you really have to think carefully about making the right choices – and how delicately you want to approach revealing your findings. Kill the Shadow was one of my favourite demos of Next Fest, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Symphonia
This 2D platformer is as beautiful on the eyes as it is on the ears. Symphonia is one of the few games with a button specifically mapped to play your violin, everything from the steampunk world to the orchestral score is incredibly well thought through. On top of that, though, the platforming feels fantastic and the sound design for every hop, jump, and flourish adds a wonderful layer of musical polish to the game.
DieselDome: Oil & Blood
DieselDome is trying to be a lot of things. The press release I received described it as Doom meets Vampire Survivors, all set in a Romanpunk roguelike. What? Thankfully, the game isn’t as confused as all these references. There’s a lot going on in this fast-paced FPS, but the best part is the movement. Slick and smooth, you may double jump and wallrun from the off, and randomly rolled upgrades can make it feel even better.
Watch Out For Goblins!
A 3D platformer where you customise your own goblin and get up to countless capers? Ragdoll physics, a Naruto run, and silly gobbo voices? Watch Out For Goblins! Is brilliant, silly fun.
Beaming Stingray
This philosophical shoot ‘em up will go under the radar this Next Fest, but you need to give it a go. I anticipated that the movement and shooting would feel good, but the slice of narrative we get in this demo is arguably more compelling. Sprinkle in a time travel mechanic that allows you to fly through hectic battlefields alongside your past self, and there’s a lot to like about this gem.
Spirit Of The North 2
ImagineStray, but you’re a fox in a pagan Scotland or someplace similar. Maybe I’ve just gotJuderoon the mind. While this demo lacks a bit of polish (navigating the menus with a controller is a nightmare), there’s a lot to love aboutSpirit of the North 2. Mostly, I just play it for the chilled out vibes of being a fox in a weird fantasy land. I haven’t looked at the exhaustive skill tree or blue-glow or runes, I just prance about and get up to mischief wherever possible.
Mindbug Online
A card game made “in collaboration with” Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield is sure to pique the interest of many, andMindbug Onlineseems a faithful digitisation of the existing card-based board game. The creatures are fun (usually mashups of two existing animals with appropriate art), the abilities present interesting quandaries if little in the way of synergy, and the Mindbug gimmick wherein you may steal two of your opponent’s cards a match (and they you) keeps you on your toes. The real test for Mindbug will be when I can face real players rather than AI, and in its monetisation. The multiple currencies at the top of the screen currently make me a little nervous.
Nazar
Certainly the most unique game on this list, Nazar mixes FMV cutscenes with illustrated backdrops to craft a time-bending Turkish sci-fi tale. The demo is more of an interactive trailer than a full demo – it took me ten minutes to watch – but the premise is interesting enough to keep it at the forefront of my mind.
Lonely Mountains Snow Riders
Once you get the hang of the finicky controls, perfecting the trickiest run is a joy in Lonely Mountains Snow Riders. The glistening snow and the sound of skis work in tandem to transport you to the Swiss Alps. The frequent changes in perspective can get a bit confusing, but there’s joy to be found here.
Fast Food Simulator
This one’s gonna be big. Simulator games are hot right now, and this burger flipping sim nails all the trappings of the genre. The basic tasks pile up as you need to order ingredients, cook burgers, and deliver orders to suit every customer’s needs. Later in the game it seems like you’ll be managing inventory, cooking up sides, and making everything as complex as possible until you lose your sanity.
