The Steam Next Fest has arrived! For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Steam Next Fest is a celebration of upcoming games, with hundreds of demos available to try. Additionally, there are a multitude of developer live streams for those who are interested. Keep in mind that these are demos and therefore do not have official Steam user reviews or ratings. Some demos represent games that are still a work in progress, so the final version of the game may differ from what is shown in the demo. Now, let's get started!
Slave Zero X
Take a wild guess what happens next.
The first game I'd like to talk about is "Slave Zero X," a stylish 2D character action game reminiscent of "Strider." The art style is reminiscent of anime classics like "Genocyber" and "Guyver," which is fantastic. The game features beautiful 2D sprite animations, combined with backgrounds that seem to be inspired by the PlayStation 1 era, making it stand out from other games in its genre.
The combat system is very well done. You have a variety of different attacks that can be linked together to create combos, making it a great game for combat enthusiasts. The only downside is that the game doesn't provide an explanation of the mechanics, so you'll either need to learn on your own or consult the official guide provided by the developers. Having in-game explanations of the systems would really help players, even if it's just a simple image that shows the controls.
I recommend giving this game a try. It runs well on the Steam Deck, although you may experience some stuttering or instability in the frame rate from time to time. I hope that the developers will be able to address these issues before the full release of the game.
Crystarise
The most relaxed run of Minecraft Sky Island.
Next up is "Crystarise." You play as a girl who lives on a sky island. To further develop your sky island, you must descend into the ground below to gather resources, fight monsters, and explore caves. It's an interesting concept that works well on Steam with full controller support.
However, you don't have a clear sense of direction in the game and it can be difficult to know where to go. You are exploring a vast, open world and using the resources you gather to expand your island and build more facilities.
From what I've played in the demo, I already like the game, but I need to explore it more to fully understand it. I enjoy the art style, but there is one issue that I hope will be fixed in the future. The aiming mechanism with the right stick feels very sluggish, like you're moving a massive cursor instead of rotating your character. It should feel more seamless and natural, like in a twin-stick shooter, but it takes some time to turn your character and aim. I hope the developers can improve this in the future.
Die By The Blade
Ouch.
Next up is "Die by the Blade." Unlike some other demos on the list, this is a multiplayer demo, but you can also fight against AI opponents. You have a variety of characters and unique weapons to choose from, making this a more unique fighting game. In this game, a single blow can easily kill you, so you must be careful. A well-placed swing could even decapitate your opponent.
The guard system is similar to something like "For Honor," but it's not the flashiest fighting game. You have to play extra carefully to avoid being immediately killed by an experienced player or the AI. It's a battle of wits, and the game looks decent all things considered. I highly recommend doing the tutorial and adjusting the graphical settings to run the game as close to 60 FPS as possible if you want to play it on Steam Deck.
Voidtrain
TRAINS IN SPACE.
Next on this list is "Voidtrain." Before starting, I recommend adjusting the graphical settings. I haven't benchmarked the game specifically, but I had good results on all medium graphical settings.
In "Voidtrain," you are in space on a train. You start with a small trolley, and it takes a bit to get into the game, but it's a highly unique experience that I haven't seen in other games. It's a zero-gravity train simulator with guns, and you also explore some facilities. Although I haven't played enough of this game to make a comprehensive review, I already like it based on what I've played so far. This demo is also multiplayer.
Dungeon Drafters
Card games are fun and the best part about this one is you probably won't need to pay for packs with real money.
Next up is "Dungeon Drafters." Dungeon Drafters is a rogue-like turn-based card game where you explore different dungeons as you progress. You have access to a basic melee attack and special cards based on the characters you have. In the full game, you will be able to customize your character's deck with booster packs found on the ground.
However, in this demo, you have a preset deck for each character. Currently, there is an issue with controller support, so you have to use keyboard and mouse inputs to play it on your Steam deck. But in the future, the game will have full controller support.
Super Raft Boat Together
Kind of reminds me of another popular game where you have to mix building and fighting.
This is "Super Raft Boat Together," a roguelike game set on a boat or, more accurately, a raft. In the demo, you have access to four different characters, each with their own unique weapon type. Being a massive Disgaea fan, I chose the penguin because, well, Prinnies, dude! The gameplay loop is fairly simple: you raft and defend your raft, and you also build it up.
There are enemies and rocks that can tear up your raft, so you need to be extra careful. There's a constant struggle to balance between killing enemies and building up your raft, and trust me, building up your raft is very important, especially if you want more room to dodge attacks. The game is already fantastic, but with standard dual trackpad controls, I could see some accuracy issues with building. Thankfully, the Steam deck has trackpads.
Grim Guardians: Demon Purge
More CastleVania than Konami's done in about a decade.
Next is, "Grim Guardians: Demon Purge" is a 2D action platformer where you control two characters, the Kamizono sisters, Shinobu and Maya. Shinobu uses long-range weaponry and Maya is a close-range fighter. You can switch between them at will, and it definitely reminds you of Castlevania. The game is not strictly non-linear, but there are places you can go out of your way once you unlock upgrades.
However, you can't do so right now because it's just a demo. There are bosses to face, and this game has one of the most Castlevania-like bosses you'll ever see. INTI-CREATES once again shows why they're masters of their craft: creating 2D action games. You'd also be very surprised by the fact that this game is based on the "Gal Gun" franchise.
Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum
True horror is the unknown.
This next game is "Pocket Mirror ~ GoldenerTraum," an RPG Maker horror game. The menu doesn't look like a standard RPG Maker game, and the game is all about solving puzzles. It's always difficult to evaluate these types of games, especially in demo form, but from what I've seen, I like it. It's dark, gory, and most importantly, it freaks you out. There's an assist mode to help with puzzles in case they're too complex.
I like the game's art style, but it's a difficult game to judge. There are a lot of treacherous areas and choices to make, and if you make the wrong choices or moves, you will die, often in a very messy and horrible way. Is this game for the faint of heart? Probably not. Fun fact: Valve's official partner in Japan, Komodo, which brings the Steam deck to Japan, heavily features this game as part of its marketing campaign, which is pretty neat. Does this mean any Komodo game is a first-party Steam game? Probably not.
FAKE HEART
A rare Visual Novel Feat: good cinematography.
The next game is called "FAKE HEART," an interactive visual novel with a unique art aesthetic: black and white with splashes of color here and there. What sets this game apart from most other visual novels on Steam is its visual style, which is very distinct and feels like a natural evolution of what visual novels could become, putting more emphasis on the visual aspect. I appreciate good cinematography in a video game, and visual novels tend to have none, but this one has some really good cinematography and great establishing shots.
Unfortunately, I encountered what seems to be a pretty severe issue with this game. In certain sequences, you can text and choose your response to messages, but the window is all messed up. I hope the developers can fix this when the game launches. This is a big leap forward for what visual novels could become in the future, with more focus on the cinematography aspect. I hope the game will have voice acting, but if not, that's fine too.
Wandering Sword
Honor, martial prowess, and political intrigue. The key ingredients that make up Wuxia. Now combined with JRPGs.
The next game on the list is called "Wandering Sword". Set at the end of the Zhou Dynasty, you take on the role of Yuwen Yi, a young Chinese swordsman who was caught up in a feud and barely escaped with his life. The game is visually stunning, reminiscent of games like 'Octopath Traveler' with its blend of 2D pixel art and modern lighting technology. The classic RPG combat system has been replaced with a grid-based system that depends on the weapons you equip and the martial arts you learn.
You can master a variety of different techniques, as the game focuses on classic Wuxia storytelling, filled with elements of heroism, martial prowess, honor, and political intrigue. If you're a fan of Wuxia, you should definitely give this game a shot. The only drawback is that it doesn't support controllers, although you can use Steam Input to customize your controls. However, for RPG games, I prefer using an actual controller.
Dark and Darker
Betray, or be betrayed.
The final game on this list is "Dark and Darker". This game has been described as "Escape from Tarkov" but set in the medieval era. The concept of the game is that you enter caves with other players, search for loot, and then equip it. If you make it out alive, the loot is yours to keep. If you die, however, you permanently lose the loot.
You must contend with both dangerous monsters and other players, who may or may not stab you in the back. You can team up with other players, but there's nothing stopping them from betraying you. The game is surprisingly engaging as you never know who to trust. It's not a matter of if they'll betray you, but when. This game could have a profound impact on someone with actual trust issues in real life.
It is worth mentioning that this game currently has no controller support, so controlling the game is somewhat clunky on Steam Deck. This is one demo that may be better tested on a regular gaming PC.
Why I cover the Steam Next Fests so extensively
I've been following the Steam Next Fest for some time now. I cover these events because they showcase what could be the future of gaming. What really makes the Steam Next Fest so special is that many of these games, if not all, have demos that you can try. These demos allow you to get a feel for the game before committing to buying it.
Depersonalization is currently available on Steam via Early Access.
For example, I probably wouldn't have bought "Depersonalization" if I hadn't tried it out during a Steam Next Fest. You still have plenty of time to try out all of these demos and many more. I've tried a lot of demos, but these are the 10 that I wanted to specifically highlight.
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