Demos—post game demos here

[Zed Clampet]

• Pro Philosopher 2
  As a philosophy grad, this was offensively bad. You are compelled to make banal arguments that the author clearly thought were brilliant against strawman versions of great philosophers. If you think you can refute Machiavelli in ten minutes with a few sophomoric quips, you haven't understood Machiavelli. Appalling.

I couldn't even finish watching the trailer.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Heat Death: Survival Train on Steam

Heat Death is a sci-fi survival game where you can build, upgrade, and customize your battle train to explore and survive a frozen world! This train is not only your shelter and vehicle, but also your weapon and ally to face hostile drones, deadly storms, and hidden mysteries of an unknown world!

store.steampowered.com

Post apocalyptic survival on a train that you build and use as a base. I had fun with it. As usual, I didn't make it to the combat.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Lushfoil Photography Sim on Steam

A tranquil exploration and photography experience set across a vast selection of faithfully detailed landscapes.

store.steampowered.com

I was disappointed in this, but it may just be my faulty memory at play. I played a demo for this years ago. The new demo is much slicker than the old one, but I remembered there being pretty much every setting you would find on a real camera. In this, there's just zoom and focus. Maybe I'm just misremembering.

Still, it was relaxing to wander around and take photos.

 

[Hveðrungr]

Steam Next Fest June 2024: final batch of demos:

• Parcel Corps
  This requires a controller—there are technically KB+M controls but the game is insistent that it needs a controller. Disappointing for a game that “PC Gamer” put on their front cover.
• Glyphica: Typing Survival
  Fun typing shooter, a bit like Asteroids.
• Bloomtown: A Different Story— wishlisted
  Wholesome adventure-JRPG with cosy pixel art set in a quiet all-American town which is definitely not being taken over by child-sacrificing demons.
• Dice & Fold— wishlisted
  This is delightful, very simple gameplay but extremely more-ish.
• Beat the Humans
  Doesn't tell you how to play. If you're a dev reading this, don't submit a game to Next Fest unless you have a full tutorial ready. I have dozens of demos to play and dozens of games in my backlog. If you don't make it easy for me to get into your game, I am going to drop it.
• Spirits of the Silicium Forest— wishlisted
  Fairly standard turn-based path adventure (of which there are many nowadays), but with a very interesting “Horizon Zero Dawn but Aztecs” storyline.
• 49 Keys
  Intriguing text adventure, with a strong medieval horror vibe. Not my thing enough to wishlist it but those who like this sort of thing would enjoy it.
• The Crush House
  Clean silly fun. Fans of Love Island will enjoy this. Loading screens are a bit long though.

 

[Zed Clampet]

HexoCity on Steam

HexoCity blends tranquility with strategy in a vibrant synthwave-inspired puzzle game. Build a futuristic city on a lush archipelago. Seek challenges? Strategize for high scores in this serene yet engaging city scaper.

store.steampowered.com

Don't know much about this, but I thought of @Colif for some reason when I saw it and thought I'd post it. I may try it out later.

 

[Colif]

most of the time, watching a video for a game, shows how it works... videos for that lack words, which make them hard to work out. I understand basics but I don't know, needs more explanation still.

 

[Brian Boru]

Heat Death Survival Train Demo

Controls work smoothly and PC-friendly settings—graphics, binding.

I spent ~30 minutes all-in, mostly exploring the menus and 4 buildings—2 x habitats, control center and train station—in the barren starting location on what seems like some faraway planet. There are 8 people's living quarters, but nobody around so far.

It's a survival game, with a max-weight inventory system—30 KG for me, of which I'd filled ~12 KG when I quit. You pick up blueprints while exploring, and various materials—presumably for use in 2 crafting stations in the train station.

You have 3 meters—health, stamina and energy—to take care of. I found batteries to power my suit, and recharging stations for used batteries, plus some food scraps. Nothing taxing so far, I only used up a lot of energy while using my flashlight in some dark areas.

Not my genre, but seems decent quality.

 

[Brian Boru]

Lushfoil Photography Sim Demo

I didn't spend long in this, there's very little to it—you can't even wander a bit off the path chosen for your walk. Zed summed it up:

I was disappointed in this … there's just zoom and focus

There's a lot better in Photo Mode in modern games.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Heat Death Survival Train Demo
...
Not my genre, but seems decent quality.

Nice. Not as good as my one liner synopsis of my enjoyment above🤣

There's a lot better in Photo Mode in modern games.

True, but I was hoping to better learn how to use the camera I bought a few years ago.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Blacksmith Master on Steam

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master.

store.steampowered.com

Just finished this one. Run and expand a blacksmith business. Hire people. Oversee things like mining for resources. Several crafting actions involve quick mini-games.

 

[Pifanjr]

Blacksmith Master on Steam

Manage your own medieval smithy in Blacksmith Master and supervise the entire process from mining ores and gems to designing and selling finished products. Forge everything from weapons and armor to tools and cooking utensils to fund your craft and become the Blacksmith Master.

store.steampowered.com

Just finished this one. Run and expand a blacksmith business. Hire people. Oversee things like mining for resources. Several crafting actions involve quick mini-games.

So what did you think of it?

 

[Zed Clampet]

So what did you think of it?

I enjoyed it. It's my type of game, for sure, and the execution was flawless. I've seen a lot of demo bugs this week in some games, but then others, like this one, seem like someone actually gave a darn about them.

At first I was a little turned off by the blacksmithing mini-games, but they are so quick and easy, that they are really just there to make you feel like you did something rather than just watching the process.

The demo doesn't go this far, but you can eventually have a whole crew of people working for you and going on expeditions to recover resources, which sounds really good to me.

Also, I've played some shop games lately by small teams and the graphics were just huge turn-offs. That's not the case in this one. They are low poly, but nice looking. Call me a graphics snob, but nice is so much better than bad. It enhances the whole experience.

It went on my wishlist, and I doubt I'll be able to resist long when it comes out.

 

[Pifanjr]

My kid and I tried out the demo for Everafter Falls. It's similar to Stardew Valley, at least so far. One major difference is that you don't have a stamina bar, which is nice. I don't think the stamina system actually added much to the gameplay in Stardew Valley.

We only played a couple of in-game days though, so we haven't done much beyond chopping some trees/rocks/grass, plant a couple of seeds and fished up a couple of fishes.

Oh, and my kid was very happy she could buy a toilet and put it wherever she wanted in our house.

Save 10% on Everafter Falls on Steam

Rediscover the simple life. Farm, fish, forge and fight to restore the peace in an all-new farming adventure. Features split-screen coop, a helpful pet, automated drones, resourceful pixies, a card-eating progression system, and dangerous dungeons to delve into!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Pifanjr]

Kid and I also tried out the demo for Slime Rancher. I think the demo just gives you one hour to play, which turned out to be far too short to see what the game is about when you're playing with a 6 year old, especially if you're eating dinner at the same time.

It seemed to me that getting money was pretty slow, though we also only got two varieties of slime (actually three, but we lost one when my kid jumped off of a cliff before we could put them in a pen).

I suspect that money would be faster to get if you just focus on getting better slimes instead of stuffing as many pink ones as possible into a single enclosure to the point half of them escape by jumping on each other to get over the fence.

Maybe we need to give it another go, though the fact it doesn't have multiplayer means my kid probably won't stay interested for very long anyway.

Slime Rancher on Steam

Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light years away from Earth on the ‘Far, Far Range’ where she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Zed Clampet]

NIGHT-RUNNERS™ PROLOGUE on Steam

Descend into the underworld of Japanese street racing. Set between 1990-2009, join the local street racing crews in their battle for territory control. Explore the real location open world(s), compete in wager races, battle other crews and upgrade your vehicles with detailed car customization.

store.steampowered.com

This game is absolute gold. You have to figure out what you are doing mostly on your own, but the atmosphere and racing are absolutely fantastic. This is what Need for Speed used to be back when it was a great arcade racing game.

The full game isn't coming until 2025, but if you told me I could either have this 1 game or every Need for Speed from the last 15 years, I would take this game.

Only negative might be that a controller is required. All the keyboard drivers will need to skip this.

 

[Zloth]

It's FREE? Ummm......

 

[Zed Clampet]

It's FREE? Ummm......

If you are talking about Night-Runners, yeah. It's more than your average demo, but it's still quite a bit less than what the full game is planned to be.

 

[Zloth]

OH! OK, sorry, I forgot what topic I was in - I thought the game itself was free.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Demos released the first 3 days of July (I was actually looking for something else and decided I would just post these)

Minesweeper Infinite on Steam

A classic logic puzzle game taken to the natural conclusion: Infinity.

store.steampowered.com

Retirement Home Tower Defense on Steam

Step into Retirement Home chaos in this comedic tower defense game. The "Old Folks" have stopped taking their meds, wage war against the onslaught of doctors and stop them reaching the medicine cabinet and putting you all down for an afternoon nap.

store.steampowered.com

Myths are 100% True on Steam

Myths are 100% True is a Fast-Paced Combat-Platformer that feels like X-Files if it was made by 12 year olds back in 2008.

store.steampowered.com

Tiny Kingdom on Steam

Tiny Kingdom is a minimalist city-building strategy game where every placement matters. Start with a single hut and grow a thriving kingdom by combining buildings, unlocking synergies, and creating efficient layouts.

store.steampowered.com

Snowpult on Steam

Snowpult is a Cozy strategy with a mad dash of ice cold humour, Close wormholes that threaten to tear open space by using the trusty catapult, Sling anything from giant snowballs to titantium ball bearings which definitely don't conceal immortal snails and rack up high scores.

store.steampowered.com

Drăculești on Steam

A job gone wrong traps lawyer R. M. Renfield at Castle Dracula. Sacrifice—others, or your own humanity—to survive, or risk it all for love in this romantic horror visual novel. But Renfield isn’t the only one looking for a way out. Who, if anyone, can you trust?

store.steampowered.com

HexDefense on Steam

HexDefense is a roguelike tower defense with an emphasis on constant action with little to no downtime. Defend your city by building towers, upgrading them with money from your fallen foes, and equipping them with strange items you find out in the world!

store.steampowered.com

Eternal Reverie on Steam

Dive into 'Eternal Reverie,' a team-based roguelike shooter exploring the mysteries of an eternal war. Solo or in co-op, navigate diverse planets, pilot unique ships, and customize with 80+ upgrades. Unveil secrets on branching paths to increase your roster and discover the truths of the universe

store.steampowered.com

Dangerous FightCIA on Steam

Welcome to the adrenaline-pumping adventure "Dangerous Fight" - an online shooter that will take you to the heart of the action in the atmosphere of the city of Yerevan, Armenia. You will go into epic battles where the technology of the future and the cultural heritage of the ancient city mix.

store.steampowered.com

The PARADOGX Incident on Steam

Welcome to "The PARADOGX Incident," a puzzle/rhythm platformer where every beat and move counts! Join Dox, the clever dog, to collect bones, solve recursive puzzles, and conquer rhythm levels. Experience dynamic gameplay and an adaptive soundtrack!

store.steampowered.com

Steam Store

Steam is the ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games.

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Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess - Demo on Steam

A new tale of the Kami awaits... This is the demo version of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, a unique Japanese-inspired, single-player Kagura Action Strategy game.

store.steampowered.com

Connection: The Nightmare Within on Steam

Inspired by the classics such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Alone In the Dark: Detective Stone investigates a shadow conspiracy. Explore atmospheric levels, fight monsters, and solve puzzles. Unravel a story of twists and turns. Choose classic fixed camera, or over-the-shoulder.

store.steampowered.com

Golf Around! Lite on Steam

Golf Around! Lite is a free, fun multiplayer Mini Golf game, for up to 12 players! Can you beat your friends or will your golf ball be roasted to a crisp?

store.steampowered.com

Evil Hunt - Evil never sleeps on Steam

Evil Hunt is a 4-player online co-op psychological horror. Paranormal activity in the neighbourhood is increasing, so it's up to your team to use the right ghost hunting equipment at your disposal and identify the houses where paranormal activity can be found to collect as much evidence as possible.

store.steampowered.com

Stellar outpost commander on Steam

Real-time strategy game with commander task control. Pilots-Mercenary, each with their own character, and many unique ships for them. Interesting missions. Base development, various technologies and space exploration.

store.steampowered.com

Whispers in the Shadows on Steam

A Top-down Horror game, where light is your only weapon against the monsters lurking in the shadows. Keep your torch alive as you attempt to uncover the secrets hidden within the forest.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Brian Boru]

Thanks for that Zed 🙂

Portal: Ambition doesn't seem to have a demo, unless I'm blind.

 

[Frindis]

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn - There, I posted something *dances*

 

[Zed Clampet]

Thanks for that Zed 🙂

Portal: Ambition doesn't seem to have a demo, unless I'm blind.

That's weird. There are two entries in Steam, one listed as a demo released on 7/1, but there doesn't seem to actually be a demo. Could just be that the developer put something in incorrectly or accidentally listed it as released before it was ready, or released it and changed their mind. No telling. I'll delete it.

Usually when I post demos, it's after I open up a store page and see the demo button. This time I just had a list of demos.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Creatures of Ava on Steam

Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature-saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.

store.steampowered.com

This game releases on August 7. It's not what I was expecting. It's a narrative heavy, third person puzzle platformer. If you like that sort of thing, you might give it a try. I wasn't in the mood for it, but it's well done.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Steam Community :: ZedClampet :: Review for Rally Mechanic Simulator Prologue

Instead of drawing a picture of a wrench, I'll tell you about the game. The main portion of the game is similar to Car Mechanic Simulator. Instead of taking customers, you work on cars for your racers to get them ready for the next rally race. You can change out the parts to put the right parts...

steamcommunity.com

The main portion of the game is similar to Car Mechanic Simulator. Instead of taking customers, you work on cars for your racers to get them ready for the next rally race. You can change out the parts to put the right parts for the race on the car and fix any damage from the previous race. When you are done, you can take it to the test track and drive it around a bit. This is fun, but the car is rather hard to handle, so you likely won't get a lot of useful information from testing the car.

Races are divided into segments. You don't see your driver run the race, but listen to a call of the race over the radio. After each segment, the car comes back to you, and you have a list of things that need to be worked on and a time limit on how long you have to get the car ready for the next segment. Fail this and your driver may not be able to compete in the rest of the race.

Overall, it is very well done. Very polished. This bodes well for the full game. I do wish the driving was easier. Like Car Mechanic Simulator, they consider the driving realistic. In reality, we'd all be dead if cars handled this way, but you will probably get used to it over time.

 

[Brian Boru]

There goes the weekend…

Demo works until Monday sometime.

Save 25% on Tempest Rising on Steam

Command distinct factions in a desperate struggle for power and resources in Tempest Rising - a classic RTS set on Earth after a nuclear war.

store.steampowered.com

PCG first look:

Tempest Rising is a dream RTS for Command & Conquer vets, and you can try it now

You've only got a few days, so hurry up and get into the fight.

www.pcgamer.com

"Frank Klepacki is one of the composers"