Video games log 010 (Steam Next Fest)
There were quite a few more demos I would have loved to try (Skate Story, Coins and Daggers, ...) but couldn't get to them because I was too busy. Still managed to try out quite a bunch though!
Like last time, I added a little heart emoji next to my faves 💕
Steam Next Fest
Ambrosia Sky 💕
Immersive sim/exploration game where you get back to your dead colony based on the Saturn ring, and have to discover what happened. Pretty interesting, and great visuals! The effects with the fungi are great, and the logs you can gather are well written. Will definitely play this game!
BIRDCAGE
Shoot'em up with a flavour of Metal Gear Solid in terms of communication. I suck really bad at this kind of games (I tend to want to touch the shiny things even though they're bullets...) but it was pretty forgiving, at least in easy mode! The visuals are great too.
BloomKeeper
You are a guardian and have to help "pouics" give life to barren land. It's a pretty chill game where you could almost let those little critters do their thing for some time. There's a cooperation mode too!
Boogie Fungi
City builder of the fungus kind ; take care of mushrooms while fending off foragers! I feel like the gameplay loop is missing a little something (maybe a lack of different needs for the shrooms? or something tying the foragers in a better way?) but it's still an enjoyable one. The art is really cute!
CD-ROM
Pretty cool old school PC/CDs puzzle game! You have to find clues to access 10 CDs. The visuals are great, and the whole game definitely feels like I'm back in the 90s.
Don't Stop, Girlypop!
Girly FPS with 90s 3D style visuals! Pretty cool if it's your thing.
DreamEcho
2D roguelite where you fight in your dreams. I haven't played much of it but I liked it alright! The art is pretty cool if you like anime stuff.
Jackal
Top down shooter where you have to clear enemies on every level, Hotline Miami like. Except there's no OHKO, making it a bit more of a brawler. The artstyle is psychedelic 70s with a bit of Noir narration. Neat!
Lap of the Gods: A Visual Novel
Urban fantasy visual novel. Can't say much about the story because the demo is pretty short and doesn't show much, but it looks like an interesting story. The character design is right up my alley.
Mysteries of Old Tokyo
90s style detective game! With the good old windows grey interface. You get to learn about Tokyo and its history in an interesting way and that's pretty fun!
Nano Neighbors
Cute little incremental point and click game! The pixel art is really cute, and there's more to it than the usual game in that genre - tho I haven't played a ton of it.
OPUS: Prism Peak
Walking sim with photography! In an anime style. Pretty fun! Had this one on my wishlist for a while, and I know I'll play it one day, definitely. I found the demo didn't really sell well on what it could do and was a little slow (doesn't help that the protagonist walk pretty slowly) but it's still really pretty and well done.
Paperwork
Incremental game set in an office space. You have to make money. Yay capitalism!
Le Plan Spectral
Cute city builder with a unique style where you have to house ghosts. Pretty fun!
Scrabdackle
2d open world game where you play as a young wizard trying to get back home. Pretty fun! I like the overall setting and visuals. As a scholar, you take field notes and the entries are pretty fun to read. I find the interface lovely as well!
Simon the Sorcerer Origins
Good old point and click. I know absolutely nothing about this franchise, but this one seems like a nice enough point and click, if a bit too kid friendly for my tastes. Still, it's well done and the art is pretty damn good.
Spiritstead
Cute city builder! I love the art style, there's a neat old-ish animation vibe to it that is adorable. Haven't played it for long tho, it's a pretty slow kind of game.
Tears of Metal 💕
Musou game set in medieval Scotland! This demo was THE ONE I wanted to try out, as I fell in love with it ever since the first time I saw a trailer. The art direction is peak, the gameplay is pretty good, the music is a++, and if I had a bit of trouble with my ps controller with the game showing xbox controls, it didn't hinder the experience. Can't wait for the game to come out!
Trimjob 💕
Golf except you trim weeds. The whole retro style with the announcer voice is making this already great game an absolute joy to play! The levels are short and easy to replay to try getting a trim in one and the interface is just chefs kiss for its responsiveness. I highly recommend checking this one out.
Truckful
You are stuck in your truck and have to drive... somewhere. Pretty cool game with pretty simple driving mechanics! As always, the artstyle is one of the things that caught my attention - that and the fact that I love its developer, MythicOwl. Their games are candies for the eyes and have nice gameplay.
(Please check out their other games if you like the colourful visuals!)
With Me: Aquatic Time
Focus game centered around collecting fishes! Pretty cute if you like that kind of tool :)