Neki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,804
tried:
potionomics: fun quirky game and I like the card battle / haggle system. I'm not sure how fun this game would be after a couple of hours though, so that depends on the depth of the systems in place and hoping the card battling doesn't get stale. Could use VA.
wildefrost: quirky slay the spire game with lanes and heroes, quite fun. Also quite difficult but that may be the curve of the progression system. Definitely checking out the full release.
undecember: boring un-inspired action rpg with monetization ready to go to exploit players for cosmetics. do not recommend
right / down: I thought there was a more in depth system to be had but it's literally just traversing the different tiles with effects on them. There is no deck building or battle aspect, it's a game of numbers and traversal. If you're into that, you might like it otherwise it seemed pretty shallow to me.
asterigos: I like the protag and I like the setting but the combat feels clunky. It feels like the game should play similar to an action RPG like God of War but it's purposely dialed back to try to feel like a souls game. The problem is the fluidity of the combat doesn't match so it feels like you're underwater when you're trying to attack when you should be extremely agile. I might get the game on a sale otherwise I'll wait for more impressions.
 

TeenageFBI

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,769

View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1328350/Turbo_Overkill/
Turbo Overkill: Good lord this is retro FPS heaven. Love it. It's that perfect type of game that looks much stupider than it actually is. The levels and encounters are excitingly designed, there is a nice gimmick / hook via the body augmentations and purchasable upgrades, but there isn't so much extraneous stuff that it slows the game down. The weapons are all memorable and shamelessly imbalanced, and you have a damn chainsaw for a leg that lets you slide through crowds of enemies and just insta-gib them. The vibe, the speed, the soundtrack, the gunplay, it all just works impeccably. And while story of course takes a distant back seat in games like this, there is a pretty obviously present villain and sense of why the world is the way it is, which I appreciate. Another one that's definitely ready for prime time. My only gripe was that it was a little hard to tell certain enemies apart, but they all have glowing eyes so it seems easy enough to just change the colors slightly so you know that grenade guys are orange, shotguns are blue, whatever, something like that.

This has been in early access for a few months yet I don't see many people talk about it. I'm into it.
 

Messofanego

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
27,470
UK

View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1722790/Shoot_To_Kill/
Shoot to Kill: Nothing that noteworthy aside from the environmental destruction impressing me a bit here and there. The architecture of the levels is cool but the game is kind of washed out and ugly. It's fine if a retro FPSs isn't trying to do anything wildly new, but it's a bit disorienting when there isn't a clear reference point. I'm not sure exactly what era or what game this is harkening back to? PS2? Early 2000s PC? It doesn't quite remind me of anything in particular, at least not anything fondly remembered. And there isn't really a "thing" this game does that feels new or different, which might allow me to overlook other flaws. The guns don't feel great either, especially the burst fire assault rifle, it's very "sticky" to use. Not super interested at this point.

I really enjoyed the dismemberment mechanic. Meant I wasn't always just going for headshots.
 

Neki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,804
Tried last three games I tried:
Airship: Kingdoms Adrift - not my type of game, combat was clunky and a lot of boring menu navigations. Wasn't a fan of the art style or design
Dream Tactics - cute little game that is like strategy rpg with some card battling elements lite. The aesthetic and characters are cute and vibrant and I finished the entire demo
Hunt the Night - definitely a souls-like Zelda game with a gothic horror theme and aesthetic. Combat was fun and difficulty was somewhat above average but the sound design and artstyle oozes style. Really liked it and the boss was pretty fun
 
Nov 25, 2017
677
Finland
Squeezed a video from the stuff that I've wishlisted so far:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Found myself having loads of free time for this week, ended up testing around 30 games so far with around 20 minutes max per try - if the game didn't talk to me in that time: onwards to better things!

I used the filters quite heavily because my gaming taste seems to veer into the Lovecraftian thematics. I did browse the demos beyond the actual filter of "lovecraftian", because some instances might not be earmarked properly and they could deliver regardless. Also, can't beat folks' taste since the "most wishlisted" list on Steam is a solid thing - although most of them don't really cater to my taste.

My wishlisted so far:

store.steampowered.com

Decarnation on Steam

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…
store.steampowered.com

Hunt the Night on Steam

Plunge into a retro-style action-adventure game that combines a fast, skilled gameplay with dark fantasy and lore. Play as Vesper, a virtuous member of 'The Stalkers,' and explore the vast world of Medhram, filled with ruins and horrors.
store.steampowered.com

Erra: Exordium on Steam

Erra: Exordium is a 2D action adventure game in Dieselpunk setting. Explore a world based on Sumerian-Akkadian mythology. Take the role of a scientist who was able to cheat death and fight the rebellious army of mechatrons.
store.steampowered.com

Necrofugitive on Steam

Necrofugitive is a 2D stealth-action game about an evil shapeshifter on the run from justice. Survive a world forged through Medieval history with merciless pursuers, daring escapes, and an ancient mystery driving your every move.
store.steampowered.com

The Knight Witch on Steam

The Knight Witch is a metroidvania adventure game with fast-paced, shoot 'em up combat set in a beautifully hand-drawn world. Cast devastating card-based spells, forge close bonds, and make moral choices all in your quest to save your home and discover who's behind the War Golem invasion.
store.steampowered.com

Save 50% on 9 Years of Shadows on Steam

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.
store.steampowered.com

Save 50% on Unusual Findings on Steam

Three friends uncover mysteries in the 1980s. Follow their amazing adventures in a game where your decisions really matter. Be prepared to spin like a record on your incredible journey back to the era of synthesizers, VHS Rental stores, 8 bits games and evil alien conspiracies.
store.steampowered.com

DREDGE on Steam

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
store.steampowered.com

Repetendium on Steam

Fight against an army of elemental creatures hell bent on your destruction. Compete with other players on the leaderboards to show who is the master of Repetendium !
store.steampowered.com

Soulstone Survivors on Steam

Face the Lords of the Void and their endless minions, collect their Soulstones and become a god! In this Action Roguelite, unveil secret spells, craft mighty weapons, unlock multiple characters, discover game-breaking synergies and conquer the power of the void.

Some honorable mentions not brought up in the first video: Fowl Scourge, Psychroma, Afterdream, Skald,

store.steampowered.com

Fowl Scourge on Steam

In this Dark Fantasy Action-RPG you are part of a plague doctor guild where every encounter with your patients is a boss fight.
store.steampowered.com

Psychroma on Steam

Psychroma is a narrative-driven side-scroller where you play as a digital medium. Confront the past by piecing together the broken memories of a cybernetic house, and exorcise the ghosts in the machine.
store.steampowered.com

Afterdream on Steam

Get lost in a lucid dream, bending the lines between reality and fiction. Utilize the strange camera to navigate through the ghosts' mysterious residence. Find the purpose of your nocturnal visit in a vivid and dreamlike setting.
store.steampowered.com

SKALD: Against the Black Priory on Steam

SKALD:Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Take a chance and roll the dice as you embark on a compelling story filled with deadly creatures, branching story and tactical, turn-based combat
 

Bardeh

Member
Jun 15, 2018
3,100
Soulstone Survivors is a really good Vampire Survivors-alike with more involved gameplay than VS and lots of cool ways to plan and build your character. Tons of unlocks, tons of characters, good music, nice chunky graphics, it's a good time.
 

Mamoniadas

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,138
played roughly 50+ demos today so i'm only going to point out the ones I liked. I might consolidate my picks for weekend folks but who knows.

store.steampowered.com

Save 50% on 9 Years of Shadows on Steam

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.
9 years of shadows
this is sotn worship to a fault, alot of these metroidvania games try to blend and mix up the genre but this is all castlevania. feels and moves like sotn with gorgeous and vivid pixel art. did not have button prompt issues or get stuck anywhere (xbox controller) but the game did lock up on the pause screen. i consider these types of bugs more smaller issues for a demo then other shortcomings. would recommend to sotn or gba castlevania fans assuming the game resolve some of it's bugs.

store.steampowered.com

The Excrawlers on Steam

Action-RPG roguelike game in which you and others hero will have to plunge into the dark atmosphere of dungeons full of monsters and madness.
The excrawlers
solid top down fantasy roguelike, environment is all super detailed pixel art and character and enemies are more of a lower detailed 3D design ala flashback or out of this world. combat was smooth and wouldnt mind giving this a couple of run attempts.


store.steampowered.com

Drova - Forsaken Kin on Steam

Drova is an Action-RPG that marries the dark grim tones of its genre with the mysticism of Celtic mythology. Encounter a society where ancient restless spirits and divided factions battle for dominance. Uncover forgotten abilities and unravel the secrets of a past shrouded in mystery.
Drova
gorgeous fantasy german(?) crpg. top down pixel art here with a timing based combat system and some magic thrown in. standard crpg fare of talking to townsfolk, multiple dialogue options, completing quests and leveling. seems pretty good from what i've played.

store.steampowered.com

Fortune's Run on Steam

Explore a decaying industrial world left behind in humanity's never-ending race to conquer the stars. Beneath its iron skies, desperate souls kill and steal for passage to the still-plentiful frontier worlds. Sink or swim in this high-octane first-person shooter with immersive sim elements.
Fortune's run
FPS on what feels like the build engine. Has cyberpunk aesthetics and some fantastic music. It looks and feels like an immsim: has multiple dialogue options, healing isn't instantaneous and requires healing various body sections at a time (fall damage hurts your legs and slows you down, heal your legs and your back at full run speed), and theres also some stealth options available. However, the story missions are linear and is filled with good ole duct crawling and FAST and tense combat; you have wallrunning and bullet time, you can deflect gunfire with your katana, and enemies will quickly mow you down. had to turn the gamma up because the demo was too dark to see but man is this a sleeper!

store.steampowered.com

Vernal Edge on Steam

Vernal Edge is a 2D action-packed Metroidvania featuring an intense combat system, tight platforming sequences and a powerful story of rivalry, revenge and growth.
Vernal Edge
Another metroidvania that was probably the best demo of the day for me. pixel graphics going for that psuedo-3D look that made it feel like a lost saturn/psx gem. you commandeer a sky ship and fly between islands finding towns of cool and funny npcs or explore ruins finding treasure and traps inside. combat can be extremely stylish action centered with juggling, parry and ripostes, guard breaks, and a ton of magic attacks on a smash bros notation systems. Definitely give this one a shot if you want fun combat and adventure in your metroidvania games.

store.steampowered.com

Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum on Steam

Embody the ultimate cybernetic corporate agent. Master deadly gunplay, time manipulation, and supernatural abilities. Hack computers, people, even the individual bullets flying at you. Confront the future, and die trying.
Deadeye Deepfake simulacrum
looks like a twin stick shooter but plays like an immsim. you contract missions where your goal is to hack and spike certain computers nestled in enemy locations. there are cameras and turrets everywhere that you can hack to disable or turn on enemies. hacking costs data points that you gain by interacting with computers on-site and higher up commands (hacking the master turret controller) will cost more data points to perform commands. really focuses on the hacking aspect, your gun is inaccurate and fires two shots before needing to reload. This game is unforgiving and when you find your groove is super rewarding, feels like an imsim you need to carve your way into in the way cruelty squad is.
 

Messofanego

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
27,470
UK
Squeezed a video from the stuff that I've wishlisted so far:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Found myself having loads of free time for this week, ended up testing around 30 games so far with around 20 minutes max per try - if the game didn't talk to me in that time: onwards to better things!

I used the filters quite heavily because my gaming taste seems to veer into the Lovecraftian thematics. I did browse the demos beyond the actual filter of "lovecraftian", because some instances might not be earmarked properly and they could deliver regardless. Also, can't beat folks' taste since the "most wishlisted" list on Steam is a solid thing - although most of them don't really cater to my taste.

My wishlisted so far:

store.steampowered.com

Decarnation on Steam

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…
store.steampowered.com

Hunt the Night on Steam

Plunge into a retro-style action-adventure game that combines a fast, skilled gameplay with dark fantasy and lore. Play as Vesper, a virtuous member of 'The Stalkers,' and explore the vast world of Medhram, filled with ruins and horrors.
store.steampowered.com

Erra: Exordium on Steam

Erra: Exordium is a 2D action adventure game in Dieselpunk setting. Explore a world based on Sumerian-Akkadian mythology. Take the role of a scientist who was able to cheat death and fight the rebellious army of mechatrons.
store.steampowered.com

Necrofugitive on Steam

Necrofugitive is a 2D stealth-action game about an evil shapeshifter on the run from justice. Survive a world forged through Medieval history with merciless pursuers, daring escapes, and an ancient mystery driving your every move.
store.steampowered.com

The Knight Witch on Steam

The Knight Witch is a metroidvania adventure game with fast-paced, shoot 'em up combat set in a beautifully hand-drawn world. Cast devastating card-based spells, forge close bonds, and make moral choices all in your quest to save your home and discover who's behind the War Golem invasion.
store.steampowered.com

Save 50% on 9 Years of Shadows on Steam

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.
store.steampowered.com

Save 50% on Unusual Findings on Steam

Three friends uncover mysteries in the 1980s. Follow their amazing adventures in a game where your decisions really matter. Be prepared to spin like a record on your incredible journey back to the era of synthesizers, VHS Rental stores, 8 bits games and evil alien conspiracies.
store.steampowered.com

DREDGE on Steam

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
store.steampowered.com

Repetendium on Steam

Fight against an army of elemental creatures hell bent on your destruction. Compete with other players on the leaderboards to show who is the master of Repetendium !
store.steampowered.com

Soulstone Survivors on Steam

Face the Lords of the Void and their endless minions, collect their Soulstones and become a god! In this Action Roguelite, unveil secret spells, craft mighty weapons, unlock multiple characters, discover game-breaking synergies and conquer the power of the void.

Some honorable mentions not brought up in the first video: Fowl Scourge, Psychroma, Afterdream, Skald,

store.steampowered.com

Fowl Scourge on Steam

In this Dark Fantasy Action-RPG you are part of a plague doctor guild where every encounter with your patients is a boss fight.
store.steampowered.com

Psychroma on Steam

Psychroma is a narrative-driven side-scroller where you play as a digital medium. Confront the past by piecing together the broken memories of a cybernetic house, and exorcise the ghosts in the machine.
store.steampowered.com

Afterdream on Steam

Get lost in a lucid dream, bending the lines between reality and fiction. Utilize the strange camera to navigate through the ghosts' mysterious residence. Find the purpose of your nocturnal visit in a vivid and dreamlike setting.
store.steampowered.com

SKALD: Against the Black Priory on Steam

SKALD:Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Take a chance and roll the dice as you embark on a compelling story filled with deadly creatures, branching story and tactical, turn-based combat
Great video! I left a comment. A lot of them seem up my alley, especially Decarnation, Dredge, and Unusual Findings.
 

AvianAviator

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Jun 23, 2021
7,448
I can't find any of the demos I've downloaded on my PC in my library on my steam deck.

The steam deck seems to have an issue with demos anyway. No idea how to find them in my library.
 

Hispanicguy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,473
Came across 2 awesome rhythm games I wanted to share. Highly recommend both demos!

Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets
store.steampowered.com

Rhythm Sprout: Sick Beats & Bad Sweets on Steam

Enjoy chill Lo-fi walks and fight bosses to K-POP, EDM and Hip-Hop inspired tracks. Features a quirky story, 30 handcrafted levels and various EX-modes to refresh your gameplay.

3 button rhythm game. You hit the beat in order to progress your character through the level, fighting enemies along the way. You have a special attack (used only once per stage) that makes all the notes combine, so you just have to hit 1 button instead of 3. Good to use during any stretch where you feel it's hard.

Story gives me a Paper Mario vibe, with how the characters speak and the humor.

5 levels in the demo.
Easy and Normal difficulties.

When you beat a level, you unlock the following modifiers:
Turbo mode
Mirror mode
Randomizer (randomize the notes)

Songs may feel a bit long and that's the only "negative" impression I felt.

Recorded a video of it:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.


LOUD: My Road to Fame
store.steampowered.com

LOUD: My Road to Fame on Steam

A wholesome, music-filled arcade rhythm game in which a young, reclusive rocker goes on a journey of self-discovery. Once she begins to follow her dreams and finds her inner voice, she discovers that it is LOUD!

Rhythm game that has a layout/gameplay similar to Persona: Dancing All Night with a mix of Guitar Hero.

You have regular notes, freeze notes (where you move the analog stick at the same time to gain more points) and notes where you need to keep tapping the button.

Story is wholesome. About a young girl who loves music and has dreams to be on stage.

3 songs to try plus a bonus song after beating the demo.
3 difficulties (but the bonus song has an even higher difficulty)
Demo has 5 achievements to earn, fyi.

Video of gameplay:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
 

xyla

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,731
Germany
Tried Count Pumkcula and found it not really playing very well. Looks nice enough most of the time, but something about hit feedback didn't feel right at all. Enemies and yourself basically don't react to being hit which made the game feel pretty bad at times.
 

Aaron D.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,626

View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1644500/Masterplan_Tycoon/

MPT is a nice minimalist take on the production chain genre.

I like the ideas in place and it's got a clean, pleasing look. Smart progression system by way of increasingly complex mission structures.

Needs work on basic QoL options like WASD camera speed and such. Thankfully the dev has already posted that these features are in the pipeline.

Fans of strategy minimalism take note. (shapez, Rail Route, Warsim, etc.)
 

Frag Waffles

Member
Apr 7, 2018
1,133
Tried out a few more -

ZERO Sievert - looks like it'll have a lot of depth for those looking to sink in a ton of hours into the survival aspects, but not really for me. Nothing interesting about the actual gameplay.

Right and Down - pretty fun little puzzle/card type of game. Moving through the board needs to be a bit more responsive and snappy, but other than that it's enjoyable. Will probably grab it eventually. Needs a new name tho.

Against the Storm - cute game, but these city builders/hardcore resource/time management games I just cannot do. I can see why people into the genre are liking this tho.
 
Oct 25, 2017
8,959

View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1967390/Lenny_Loosejocks_in_Space/?inqueue=1_eyJuU2FsZVRhZ0lEIjoxMjM1NzExLCJiUHJpb3JpdGl6ZURpc2NvdW50cyI6ZmFsc2V9

giphy.gif


For real, this was my first pitch into the PC gaming when my family was bought the computer in the 90s.
 

Deleted member 1594

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,762
ZERO Sievert - looks like it'll have a lot of depth for those looking to sink in a ton of hours into the survival aspects, but not really for me. Nothing interesting about the actual gameplay.
I've put like 10 hours into this game, lol. I don't know why it's so compelling. The gameplay isn't amazing, but it gets more interesting once you get some upgrades. Sadly the demo locks off some essential areas to complete quests so I just stopped playing and will wait for the full release.

I've played games like this, but they were all multiplayer where you fight other actual people (like Tarkov). And I didn't like that aspect of it too much.
 

HellofaMouse

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,072
its my first time participating in this and man, i never realised just how many gems come out of the indie scene at all times. (instead of just one to two 'indie darlings' i usually check out each year)

this is great
 
Last edited:

Frag Waffles

Member
Apr 7, 2018
1,133
Chasm: The Rift - pretty fun old school boomer shooter. Looks like a remaster but I never played the original. I will pick this up.

Forever Skies - I had some fun with this. Scavenging survival on skyscrapers in a desolate sky wasteland, using an airship to travel is neat. The gameplay is really slow and sluggish though - it has that "moving though molasses" feel which is not really may jam, and the rough technical state of the game exacerbated that. Tightening everything up will go a long way.
 

CHC

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,639
Think my
Forever Skies - I had some fun with this. Scavenging survival on skyscrapers in a desolate sky wasteland, using an airship to travel is neat. The gameplay is really slow and sluggish though - it has that "moving though molasses" feel which is not really may jam, and the rough technical state of the game exacerbated that. Tightening everything up will go a long way.
This was a cool one, though it was slow yeah. But I also hear that there is going to be a story as well as excursion's to the earth's surface. Definitely have my eye on it, the concept is unique, I love the hyper-post-apocalypse world, it's really unique.
 

Spoit

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,540
Knight witch - was gorgeous and pretty neat, but I really suck at shumps so I hit an insurmountable wall at the first boss and gave up

Entropy center- How has it taken this long for games to really emulate portal? I put it on my wishlist, since there were some neat puzzles here, but the controls were a bit wonky, with it being difficult to time getting the blocks to actually activate pads unless you completely dropped them

Aquatico - I finished the tutorial, but the got too daunted when I looked at the tech tree. The pipe system was kinda annoying, and it was hard to tell when building placement was going to screw you over later, not to mention it seems like it struck a bad balance between manual gathering and automated buildings
 

Messofanego

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
27,470
UK
Wavetales
This is very Solar Ash! Also reminded of Sea Of Solitude. The aesthetic is cute with the hand-drawn character style and vibrant colours. The camera becomes very limited when you're zipping to grapple points, but moving around the island is fun. I'll definitely get this.

Foolish Mortals
Guy who has only played Voodoo Detective for adventure games about voodoo, getting a lot of 'Voodoo Detective' from this. It's set in the American bayou and has some weird characters. Love the look.

Enchain
I couldn't get the hang of the grabbing and throwing mechanic with the chain, and just ended up spamming the right click button. I like movement shooters but here even the wall running didn't come intuitive to me compared to others like Ultrakill or Shady Knight. I'll still get the game just to see if I get better at it.

Dimensional Slaughter
Speaking of Ultrakill, this very much reminded me of that just because of the blood effects and speed of which enemies charge at you. It doesn't feel as good and seems quite boilerplate so far in terms of combat encounters and level design. Wasn't sold on it.

Birth
I can't be the only one reminded of When The Past Was Around's art style and hidden object mechanics. But think in a more macabre world for fans of Addams Family, if taxidermy and skulls intrigue you. And you can move around the city, so there's more freedom. Completely sold.

Afterdream
Spookiest 2D game I've played in a while. Appropriately dirty aesthetic. I had chills running down my spine when the lights went out.

Arto
This top down painting combat game didn't grab me. The combat didn't feel good. There just isn't much here. Didn't like the art style.

Decarnation
Holy shit, this was amazing! I hope this comes out before She Dreams Elsewhere. This is a surreal horror psychodrama about a dancer in Paris. Nods to Black Swan but also grotesque body horror. This has potential to be a hit. The art is absolutely stunning. Nice casual lesbian representation.

Thirsty Suitors
Yeah, I'm down for an Indian Scott Pilgrim type story. This is campy and funny. You head back to your hometown and have to confront your six evil exes. I didn't know this had walking sections, which made me think of Life Is Strange but a bit more limited in interactions. I hope you get to skate around the town freely. I just was a big old flirt during the boss battle with my ex Sergio, and the JRPG like COMBAT with South Asian flavour was fun, like getting your Indian mum to use the chappal. Definitely getting this. Some casual bisexual representation, which is rare for South Asians in media.

Season
Despite all the issues reported at Scavenger Studios, and I'm conflicted about getting the game, but the demo was really good. The art style and South European setting are very visually pleasing. I love how the light hits your glasses, and is quite dynamic. All about documenting culture and history as a journalist. You take photographs and make audio recordings. You can cycle and even run, so not quite a walking simulator. The framerate tanked during the cycling, so hope that's sorted out on final release.

Asterigos
Not a fan, the art style and setting seemed generic to me, and the writing didn't endear me. The Souls like combat was boring to me, but it could be because of just fighting trash mobs.

Gunbrella
Another good pick by Devolver. More uses to the umbrella than the shovel in Shovel Knight. You can use it as a shield and repel projectiles back, slide with it, hover, and pogo. Movement feels good and the umbrella gives a lot of air. I wasn't quite getting the directional aiming, seemed quite imprecise so I ended up getting hit more than I wanted to.

Insomnia: Theater In The Head
This really deserves more recognition. Found it insanely relatable as to what goes through your head when you can't sleep and are on your phone or begging your brain to shut up. Left side of the screen is the main character in bed, and then on right is a tiny girl in your head being your distractor along with mini games and puzzles happening here. Has a stage-like setting, hence the subtitle. The hand drawn art style is cute and pleasing.
 

SOLDIER

One Winged Slayer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
11,339
I wish there was a way to sort your library by Demos. So many I've installed but never played.

Don't suppose we could also get a short list of demos that are great on the Deck? I can vouch for Knight Witch, that runs great.
 

super-famicom

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
26,358
I wish there was a way to sort your library by Demos. So many I've installed but never played.

Don't suppose we could also get a short list of demos that are great on the Deck? I can vouch for Knight Witch, that runs great.

Potionomics works and looks great! Mouse only controls, but you can use either right stick or right track pad to move the cursor and RT for left click.
 

RedHeat

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,016
Anyone have a collection of platformers? Preferably 3D ones. I wouldn't mind checking out some shooters as well
 

Arukado

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,568
Played some more demos:

store.steampowered.com

Spark in the Dark on Steam

The hardcore dark fantasy Dungeon Crawler where you will go to the endless depths of a mysterious grim Dungeon.
Dungeon Crawler with great dark fantasy atmosphere, but i played 3 cycles and i found the same monster that i couldn't kill each time, so yeah, not my kind of game.

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Aquatico on Steam

Aquatico is a classic city builder set within the depths of the sea. Strategically build an underwater colony atop the ocean floor and face the challenges that accompany oceanic life.
Underwater city builder with a slow tutorial, and kind of overwhelming. The controls were too granular in some instances.

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DREDGE on Steam

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
Survival? Adventure fishing game. Seems intriguing, and i am sure there will be a couple of surprises waiting underwater.

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Asterigos: Curse of the Stars on Steam

Embark on a journey full of danger in this action RPG, inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. Explore the breathtaking city of Aphes and forge your way through legions of unique foes and mythical bosses to discover the truth behind the city’s curse.
Soul like? third person action rpg with curious art designs. I'm not sold on the combat, like at all, but i liked the weapon variety.

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Forever Skies on Steam

Forever Skies is a first-person post-apocalyptic survival game. Return to Earth, ravaged by an ecological disaster. Fly, upgrade and customize your mobile high-tech airship base. Scavenge resources to survive, face dangers on the surface and hunt for viral pathogens to cure a mysterious illness.
Survival game with a fantastic setting: you travel through the top of ruinous buildings scavenging resources to expand and improve your ship while evading the effects of the ecological disaster that destroyed the planet. Looking forward to it, but i'm going to need a new graphics card.

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The Entropy Centre on Steam

Think in reverse. Outsmart the impossible. A mind-bending first-person adventure where you solve ingenious and complex puzzles by rewinding objects through time.
A portal inspired first person puzzle game where your weapon / tool is able to rewind some objects up to 30 seconds back in time. Pretty good.
 

Kain-Nosgoth

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,595
Switzerland
man, 9 years of shadow is beautiful, but the gameplay is pretty subpar for now

everything feels super clunky to play, there's a lot of improvement to be made in many area, the controls, the menu, the map, some weird hitboxes, and so on
 

Mamoniadas

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,138
quick little summary of the games i liked from this. i wrote more on previous posts.
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ENCHAIN on Steam

Grapple, throw, and break your fellow undead in this bone-smashing exploration movement shooter. Challenge the afterlife, collect secret artifacts, and uncover the deprived depths as you clamber out of a hopeless abyss.
fast and fun fps with juggling mechanics and spooky exploring.
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BLUE SABERS: Early Mission on Steam

Use conventional and three types of special weapons to overcome difficult situations. Take control of the battlefield with support aircraft! Long-established STG development team, Blue&White, the first new one in 13 years, and a new origin!
pretty solid shmup in vein of raiden. ROCKIN OST
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Save 60% on Ship of Fools on Steam

Ship of Fools is a seafaring cooperative roguelite. Set sail, man the cannons and battle sea monsters through the tempestuous seas of the Archipelago. Are you fool enough to stop the Aquapocalypse?
fun coop centered rougelike where you and a friend stave off enemies and protect your ship while you sail the seas
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Fowl Scourge on Steam

In this Dark Fantasy Action-RPG you are part of a plague doctor guild where every encounter with your patients is a boss fight.
top down twin stick where you hunt down monsters. gothic fantasy with some cthulu flair.
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DoubleShake on Steam

Grab, shake, throw, and kick to save your islands from total chaos in this action-packed blast-to-the-past 2.5D Platformer inspired by some of our favorite 5th generation games!
feels like tomba on a nintendo system. charming dialogue and lots of platforming and fun.
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Turbo Kid on Steam

A nostalgic metroidvania adventure with insane weapons, skills, and pixel gore. Ride your BMX and blast your enemies as you discover the secrets of the Wasteland.
metroidvania with solid exploring and a bike-centered platforming and exploration
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Save 60% on PUTRID SHOT ULTRA on Steam

A chaotic shoot-em-up roguelite with magic spell casting. Defeat enemies with your gun! Stack tons of passive spells that trigger when you shoot while weaving your unique active spell in between. Blast your enemies with gunfire and magic spells while you dodge through the rubble.
fast rougelike with massive vsurvivor powerups. good for downwell fans
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Hunt the Night on Steam

Plunge into a retro-style action-adventure game that combines a fast, skilled gameplay with dark fantasy and lore. Play as Vesper, a virtuous member of 'The Stalkers,' and explore the vast world of Medhram, filled with ruins and horrors.
gorgeous gothic zelda esque game.
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Save 80% on From Space on Steam

From Space is a solo and co-op action-shooter for squads up to four players. Take on the challenge of liberating the earth from an alien infestation with your friends, using over-the-top weaponry in a post-apocalyptic world with awesomely stylized graphics. The apocalypse has never been so much fun!
fun twinstick. if l4d was an isometric twinstick with jelly aliens instead of zombies
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Save 60% on Bravery and Greed on Steam

Bravery and Greed is a beat 'em up, roguelite, dungeon brawler for up to four players. Choose from four classic fantasy classes, engage in a deep robust combat system, and play a variety of co-operative and competitive game modes with friends via local, online or both. Get rich, or die trying!
fun 2d rougelike with solid combat and a skill tree.
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Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum on Steam

Embody the ultimate cybernetic corporate agent. Master deadly gunplay, time manipulation, and supernatural abilities. Hack computers, people, even the individual bullets flying at you. Confront the future, and die trying.
take a twinstick and make it an imsim with less on gunplay and more on hacking
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Superfuse on Steam

Superfuse is a comic-book-styled hack'n'slash ARPG with a rich and accessible skill customization system. Craft unique skills from a huge array of powerful fuses, select one of three classes and embark on this journey alone or with up to 3 friends. When humanity needs hope, be the hero!
scifi arpg like xmen legends with some borderlands style flare.
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Save 50% on 9 Years of Shadows on Steam

Fight to bring beautiful colors back to a hand-crafted world of darkness and discover the story of Europa, a young warrior, and her ghostly childhood companion, Apino.
castlevania SOTN worship. promising and vivid colors
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Save 75% on The Excrawlers on Steam

Action-RPG slasher in which you have to get into the dark atmosphere of dungeons full of monsters and madness.
another fantasy top down rougelike, feels good and worthy of some runs.
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Drova - Forsaken Kin on Steam

Drova is an Action-RPG that marries the dark grim tones of its genre with the mysticism of Celtic mythology. Encounter a society where ancient restless spirits and divided factions battle for dominance. Uncover forgotten abilities and unravel the secrets of a past shrouded in mystery.
top down crpg. looks promising.
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Fortune's Run on Steam

Explore a decaying industrial world left behind in humanity's never-ending race to conquer the stars. Beneath its iron skies, desperate souls kill and steal for passage to the still-plentiful frontier worlds. Sink or swim in this high-octane first-person shooter with immersive sim elements.
not an imsim in the build engine. FAST and frentic combat heavy on parrying and dodging gunfire. GREAT OST
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Vernal Edge on Steam

Vernal Edge is a 2D action-packed Metroidvania featuring an intense combat system, tight platforming sequences and a powerful story of rivalry, revenge and growth.
heavily overlooked metroidvania with great pixel art, combat style and tons of rewarding exploration.
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Save 40% on Gunbrella on Steam

Uncover the dark secrets of a gritty, tangled metropolis and battle diabolic villains with your trusty Gunbrella, a bulletproof brolly that doubles as a firearm.
devolver does it again. from gato roboto devs
 
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Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
37,126
Once again I download a bunch of demos and never got to play a single one. SF6 beta took up my entire weekend.
 

Bardeh

Member
Jun 15, 2018
3,100
I ended up playing around 6 hours of Wildfrost, which feels like a mashup of Slay the Spire and Monster Train. Definitely has that addictive one-more-run feel of both games. The demo is quite challenging, but I did manage to beat it a couple of times. Will definitely be buying this one.
 

Frag Waffles

Member
Apr 7, 2018
1,133
I managed to sneak in a few more trials -

Velaster - could be cool, but I can't really play 2d games on KMB, and it could barely pump out any frames in its current state, so hard to say.

Pile Up! - Dorfromantik type of game where you build upwards on a given section. I really like Dorfromantic, but just wasn't feeling this. The pieces were constantly getting stuck as I moved them around, and the final result didn't look visually pleasing. Chill game with nice music but nothing that excited me. Dorfromantik sets a really high bar so the alikes have to be super smooth, fun and engaging.

Fowl Scourge - this one is actually pretty neat. I like the style and concept, definitely inspired by Isaac. 4 directional shooting with a jump/dodge button. Nothing too crazy but if they pull off the art designs and progression it will be great I think.

Death Roads: Tournament - really cool car combat deck builder. Died at the first sub-boss but had a lot of fun. I like the art, the music and the gameplay looks like it will have a steep learning curve.
 

Kain-Nosgoth

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,595
Switzerland
What's up with all these 2D games forcing you to use the joystick instead of D-pad? It's really annoying especially since i use a Ps4 controller, where the D-pad is exactly where i want it to be and perfect for these games

I hope they'll include the option to use D-pad by the time they release!
 

super-famicom

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
26,358
This almost slipped passed me. You can get a cute looking steam profile badge from the next fest promotional page, by clicking throu a dozen generated discovery ques. Closes in one hour I believe


Just got the level 6 badge. Seems like if you go too fast finishing a discovery queue won't register. I found it helps to click on Done rather than Continue when you finish a queue, then refresh the main Next Fest page and go through a discovery queue again. I did this via the web store page and not the Steam launcher since I am at work right now.
 

starpower

Digital Dumpster Diver
Banned
Jan 23, 2018
4,219
Canada
Just got the level 6 badge. Seems like if you go too fast finishing a discovery queue won't register. I found it helps to click on Done rather than Continue when you finish a queue, then refresh the main Next Fest page and go through a discovery queue again. I did this via the web store page and not the Steam launcher since I am at work right now.
I had to go on desktop mode on my phone's internet browser to even see it, it is priddy busted
 

chrominance

Sky Van Gogh
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,745
Dammit, I thought for some reason this was going to end later in the week. Downloaded a bunch of demos and basically played 15 minutes of Potionomics and nothing else. Why'd they have to schedule this for a really busy week for me AND Canadian Thanksgiving? (I do not actually expect Steam to work around my schedule this is just me complaining for no reason)
 

AvianAviator

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Jun 23, 2021
7,448
I didn't get to try everything that I wanted, but the ones I did play were phenomenal.

There were titles I'd never heard of like Decarnation and Dredge that I now really want to get day 1. And then the games I had heard of, but only just now got to try, were spectacular like Wavetale and Thirsty Suitors.

I think the Entropy Center (or Forever Skies, not sure, played them both too close together) gave me motion sickness.
 

crienne

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,730
Dammit, I thought for some reason this was going to end later in the week. Downloaded a bunch of demos and basically played 15 minutes of Potionomics and nothing else. Why'd they have to schedule this for a really busy week for me AND Canadian Thanksgiving? (I do not actually expect Steam to work around my schedule this is just me complaining for no reason)

If it helps, a lot of demos for these things are still playable after the event ends. Until the demo shows a "Purchase" button instead of "Play" in Steam it should work.
 

Lylo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,224
I don't have the time to try the demos, but I'm wishlisting so many games based on the recommendations on this thread. XD
 

chrominance

Sky Van Gogh
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,745
If it helps, a lot of demos for these things are still playable after the event ends. Until the demo shows a "Purchase" button instead of "Play" in Steam it should work.

Yeah, looks like Forever Skies still worked past the deadline, so that's good. I did manage to get some time in a few demos finally!

Potionomics
I first played this one while distracted by other stuff, so I set it aside and resolved to continue later. Then I tried it on Deck and discovered it had no controller support, which is a little annoying. THEN I went back to my main PC and realized the demo hadn't saved any of my progress so I'd have to start from the beginning. This soured me a little bit but that's not really the game's fault; I can't imagine most devs would build a save system for their demo. Anyways, I managed to get up to the point where you can start buying materials from vendors, so not that far, but the negotiation card game did seem kind of neat. I'm hoping the alchemy stuff becomes more elaborate later on, as I'd really love another Atelier-like and nothing has really come close to having the kind of compelling alchemy systems Atelier has. Character designs and animations are top-notch, it looks fantastic.

Flat Eye
Re: the demo story: that escalated quickly.

Setting that aside, I love the store management side of things as well as the... more sinister... story parts. Glad that someone mentioned the Wipeout HD aesthetic here because while it doesn't really have anything in common with Wipeout besides the vaguely futuristic aesthetic, it was the hook I needed to look into the game and discover something I didn't know I wanted until now.

Her Name Was Fire
So this looks and plays pretty similarly to 20 Minutes Until Dawn; its colour palette is similarly muted and restricted to two or three main colours, it has the same "slow down when you shoot" and "shots take time to charge" mechanics of 20 Minutes Until Dawn, and some of the upgrades feel similar too. I assume this is just more being inspired by the genre in general rather than an explicit attempt to steal any mechanics or aesthetics, but it does mean Her Name Was Fire comes off as a little derivative. The bits that are new are a little mixed for me. Having to destroy some servers in order to unlock the area miniboss is a nice addition, and though I couldn't tell from the demo, it kind of implies some potential randomization too with the minibosses. The techs you earn during your run, on the other hand, don't feel as fleshed out as other games in the genre. Most of the useful ones just seem like percentage increases or force multipliers to your basic ability set, and I didn't see any tech tree mechanics like certain techs being unlockable once you earn two other techs. I'll keep an eye on this one but I'd say this one didn't impress me too much, though it does seem to hold its own.

Forever Skies
It feels like Subnautica but with an airship you can build up (and I think less horror stuff), which solves a big challenge I had with Subnautica: you could build all these cool bases but eventually you'd have to go somewhere else on the map because of the story, and decide whether you should rebuild your base in the new area or schlep everything back and forth between your base and wherever your next quest was. Performance was pretty sketchy (though the game did warn me in the video settings that resolutions higher than 1080p hadn't been optimized yet) but I'm very interested in this one.
 

super-famicom

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
26,358
I played a bit of Her Name Was Fire last night. It seemed... ok for "one of those" games (a Vampire Survivor-like). The music was nice, but the graphics (character and enemy design) didn't feel like anything special. It feels very close to 20 Minutes Until Dawn, like the above post mentioned. But without other characters/weapons, this game doesn't really grab me like 20 Minutes did. And I'm not sure about the game setting? My character is using magic, but there's also servers and one of the skills (and I like that they are designed as cards ) is The Drifter and has an image of a car. That's cool but makes the game feel like a mish mash of different ideas.