Okay, it’s that time of year. We are already in the second month of 2024, and the Steam Next Fest in February 2024 has come and gone. I planned to limit the number of demos I looked at. I resolved to do so many demos every day, a mix of live streams and gameplay footage, and before I realized it, I’d covered 50 demos. So I decided to share my impressions of each demo I played. Because there are 50 demos, I’ll attempt to keep them to at least a small passage per game. Also, to avoid one long article, I am splitting it into seven articles. So, let us continue our adventure through the 50 demos I played during Steam Next Fest.
| STEAM NEXT FEST DAY 3: FEBRUARY 7, 2024 |
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | Kajoo Games |
| Publisher | Kajoo Games |
| Genre | Management Card Game |
| Release Date | Q1 2024 |
| Platform | PC macOS |
Alchemy Deck is an alchemy-themed card game that makes crafting potions enjoyable. Take orders or develop unique recipes. Collect and process ingredients, then make your potions. If you meet threats, confront them! Your goal is to locate the philosopher’s stone. Good luck!
Alchemy Deck, which is currently in Early Access, allows you to become a master alchemist by juggling ingredients, producing potions, and fulfilling customer demands. While it has a charming atmosphere and great core gameplay, its Early Access status allows for potential.
It’s satisfying to combine elements like fire, water, and earth to make beautiful mixtures. Experimentation feels satisfying, and discovering new recipes adds an enjoyable element of complexity. The art design is quirky, and the soundtrack creates a soothing alchemical atmosphere. Fulfilling customer orders sets clear goals while making your own mixtures adds a creative element. However, resource management can be difficult, and balancing numerous goals might feel overwhelming at times.
As an Early Access title, you should expect some incomplete functionality and occasional problems. Balancing, content variety, and tutorial clarity may all benefit from additional refinement. If you appreciate resource management, experimenting, and a dash of magic, Alchemy Deck is a promising start. Just be ready for the occasional setback on your alchemical quest. For patient players who appreciate tinkering and brewing, Alchemy Deck is worth a look. However, if you prefer a fully polished experience, you might want to wait for further improvement.
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | Hamlet Games |
| Publisher | Hamlet Games |
| Genre | Metroidvania |
| Release Date | 2024 |
| Platform | PC macOS SteamOS/Linux |
Emberbane is a 2D Metroidvania that features precise platforming and combo-based combat. Harness the power of four elements – fire, water, earth, and air – as you journey through the gods’ realms in a story about vengeance and the chaos it causes.
Emberbane’s art design reminded me of vintage SNES Metroidvanias, with rich settings and fluent character animation. The demo has precise controls and responsive leaps, which are necessary for navigating sophisticated-level design. Boss fights appear to be the centerpiece, requiring strategic use of parts and exact execution. The demo suggests an intriguing story, but its entire extent remains to be seen. The difficulty appears to be on the higher end, which may appeal to die-hard Metroidvania enthusiasts but may be scary for newbies.
Emberbane has the potential to be a spectacular Metroidvania experience, with compelling gameplay, gorgeous pixel visuals, and a landscape ripe for exploration. However, with the final release still in the works, a conclusive verdict must wait. If you appreciate hard action-platformers and the appeal of mastering elemental powers, Emberbane is one to keep an eye on.
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | Bluespy Studios |
| Publisher | Catoptric Games |
| Genre | Tower Defense |
| Release Date | Q2 2024 |
| Platform | PC |
Are you ready for an exciting toy army tower defense adventure? Welcome to The Toy Shire! Battle various adversaries in various areas, protect your family and keep foes away from your territory. Save the world by fortifying your defenses with toy towers!
Toy Shire puts you in the shoes of a child whose once-favorite toys have turned corrupted and malevolent. You must navigate familiar environments such as your room, backyard, and attic while protecting your area from waves of enemy toys. While the narrative is whimsical, it gives enough substance to encourage your battles and keep the environment interesting.
The primary gameplay consists of two key elements: tower defense and direct unit control. You strategically position towers such as catapults and laser turrets to automatically attack foes. In addition, you command a tiny squad of friendly toy soldiers and move them across the battlefield for tactical moves and close-quarters combat. This dual method adds depth and variation to the action by challenging you to balance tower placement, unit deployment, and active combat abilities.
While the primary gameplay is enjoyable, the broader goal of “defend your territory” across numerous locations can get repetitive after extended play sessions. Another issue is that the early levels are simple to understand, but later stages can get fairly difficult, potentially irritating less experienced players.
Toy Shire is a delightful and interesting indie game with a fresh take on the tower defense genre. Its strategic combination of tower placement and direct unit management makes for a rewarding gameplay experience, particularly for fans of tower defense games with an action edge. However, the difficulty curve and repetitious objectives may restrict its appeal to casual gamers. If you’re seeking for a nostalgic journey with strategic depth, Toy Shire is well worth exploring.
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | Exit 73 Studios |
| Publisher | Humble Games |
| Genre | Action-Adventure |
| Release Date | 2024 |
| Platform | PC |
BLUD is a colorful and unique action RPG that takes players on a crazy adventure through a demon-infested high school. As Becky Brewster, the newest member of a long line of vampire hunters, you must negotiate the dangers of adolescence while battling undead horrors and uncovering a deadly secret.
BLUD’s story sparkles with its tongue-in-cheek humor and unexpected twists. The relatively regular high school setting morphs into a war against demonic powers, providing a welcome contrast. Becky’s voyage of self-discovery intersects with the vampire-hunting lineage, providing a satisfying blend of personal development and monster-bashing action. However, players looking for a deeply emotional tale may find the content light.
The gameplay strikes a blend between traditional dungeon crawling and contemporary sensibilities. Becky uses a range of weapons and spells to defeat her undead adversaries, making combat fast-paced and interesting. The novel mechanic of taking pictures to study adversary weaknesses adds an enjoyable element of strategy. Exploration is rewarding, as secrets are concealed around the school and its surroundings. However, several monotonous dungeon parts and some backtracking may down the pace for some gamers.
BLUD is a wonderful indie gem with a distinct blend of action, comedy, and high school drama. While it lacks the intricacy of AAA titles, its appealing graphics, interesting gameplay, and funny narrative make it a great experience for players looking for a unique and entertaining journey. If you’re searching for a fun dungeon crawler with a unique twist, #BLUD is definitely worth a try.
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | VoxRay Games, Inc. |
| Publisher | VoxRay Games, Inc. |
| Genre | Voxel FPS |
| Release Date | To Be Announced |
| Platform | PC |
Voxlands presents itself as a distinct blend of RPG, survival, and action features set in a gorgeous ray-traced voxel landscape. While currently in Early Access, it provides a promising insight into its potential while also highlighting areas that require additional improvement.
The ray-traced voxel graphics are quite stunning. Voxlands depicts a bright and immersive world, with beautiful landscapes and fascinating constructions. The lighting effects are particularly noticeable, adding to the atmosphere and sense of discovery. The capacity to modify the environment to your liking is liberating. Dismantling voxel by voxel is surprisingly rewarding because it allows for innovative problem-solving or just plain destruction. Combat is lively and entertaining, with a good selection of melee weapons, firearms, and spells. Mutated organisms present a serious problem, particularly in the early phases.
Currently, the content appears to be quite sparse. While the globe is enormous, it might benefit from a wider range of biomes, areas of interest, and quest options. Survival components now feel simplistic. Food and water management might be expanded upon for a more immersive experience. It’s vital to note that Voxlands is still in development. Bugs and issues may occur, and features are subject to change.
Voxlands showcases amazing possibilities. Its magnificent sights, destructive freedom, and engaging combat form a compelling foundation. However, content limitations, performance difficulties, and fundamental survival processes are currently impeding its progress. Voxlands is worth a look if you’re patient with Early Access and love visual splendor and innovative architecture. However, if you want a more detailed and polished experience, you should consider waiting for future improvements.
| Game Name |  |
| Developer | 超厚皮猪猪 Ultra Piggy Studio |
| Publisher | Gamera Games |
| Genre | Roguelike Deck-Building |
| Release Date | To Be Announced |
| Platform | PC |
DICEOMANCER is a roguelike deck-building game. Despite your desire to live a calm life, fate pushed you to go on an adventure. Make the most of your deck and dice in a world full with swords, magic, and firearms, all in the hopes of restoring the tranquility you once knew!
Diceomancer’s dual resource system is the central idea. For attacks and abilities, you pull cards from your deck; however, dice rolls are required for their activation. You roll many dice each turn intending to match the required number on your cards. This adds another level of strategic complexity: should you choose a high-powered card with a chance dice roll, or should you go for less expensive but safer options? You have to adjust your moves to the whims of the dice gods in this enjoyable puzzle.
The dice manipulation cards in the game add even more depth to its mechanics. These let you add more dice to the pool, adjust the values of the dice, or even reroll the dice. This gives you the ability to reduce unpredictability and create potent combinations, which adds even more strategic nuance.
The dice system can be frustrating at times, even if it offers a thrilling dimension of risk and reward. Unfavorable rolls have the power to ruin your well-thought-out plans and cause times of utter RNG-induced hopelessness. This can be especially harsh in roguelike games, which are notorious for being merciless.
Diceomancer is a good game with unique gameplay elements and a lovely visual style. Although its dice manipulation method adds a fun strategic element, the game’s strong reliance on random number generation may cause aggravation. There’s also room for expansion in the card pool. Diceomancer is a fun game for lovers of deckbuilders and roguelikes who want something a little different.
