Next Fest February 2025 Discussion

[ZedClampet]

I tried this today. I did get key prompts and occasionally there was a short notification in the top right that the game had saved, so maybe they updated the demo.

Sadly, it's not like Subnautica or The Planet Crafter. I spent a lot of time just waiting, either for my crops to grow or my furnace to smelt stuff. You're stuck to a tiny island until you get your airship, so there isn't anything to explore either while you wait. It seems the game intends for you to spend your time waiting on chopping down trees, collecting sticks and stones and mining for ore, as you'll need a lot of them.

This is a major problem with survival game demos. You only get to play the beginning, which is always the worst part of the game

Flying the airship isn't fun either. You just point your airship in the direction of an island and wait until you arrive. If you're lucky you get the wind in your back and go faster, if you're unlucky you have to fly against the wind and it takes even longer. And this time you can't even hit trees while you wait.

Kinda funny airship story: Guido and I played a beta test back in the day for World's Adrift. There was no tutorial or anything, but we built a shipyard on the edge of our tiny home island and then a ship. We hopped on, pointed it toward the nearest sky island and set off. During the next 20 minutes, we talked about how slow the ship was, and how it would probably go much faster when we got gasoline engines instead of just a sail. There was lots of talk on how we could tell we were getting closer to our destination, but we were getting increasingly frustrated. Finally Guido, for lack of anything better to do, fired his grappling hook at the mast and jumped overboard. He quickly said, "Hey, Dad, jump off the ship and look at this." So I jumped off the ship, and right underneath us was our shipyard. In all that time we hadn't moved at all. I can't remember now what we had done wrong. Our ship had gained a little elevation, and we couldn't see the island right below us from onboard 🤪

 

[Pifanjr]

Deliver At All Costs on Steam

Deliver At All Costs is a thrilling action game where destruction, absurdity and intrigue collide! Step into the shoes of Winston Green — a down-on-his-luck courier with a fiery temper and a mysterious past — as he delivers highly unconventional cargo, leaving a trail of havoc and chaos behind him.

store.steampowered.com

OMG that's hilarious. I loved it. Talk about the $h!t hitting the fan, hahaha. The moment you start that first delivery it's complete madness. I used kb/mouse for walking around and picked up the controller for driving and it worked seamlessly.

This game has probably the worst vehicle handling I've ever seen, but in a good way. The story bits are pretty decent as well, but it takes too long to get to the actual gameplay, at least for a demo.

This is a major problem with survival game demos. You only get to play the beginning, which is always the worst part of the game


Kinda funny airship story: Guido and I played a beta test back in the day for World's Adrift. There was no tutorial or anything, but we built a shipyard on the edge of our tiny home island and then a ship. We hopped on, pointed it toward the nearest sky island and set off. During the next 20 minutes, we talked about how slow the ship was, and how it would probably go much faster when we got gasoline engines instead of just a sail. There was lots of talk on how we could tell we were getting closer to our destination, but we were getting increasingly frustrated. Finally Guido, for lack of anything better to do, fired his grappling hook at the mast and jumped overboard. He quickly said, "Hey, Dad, jump off the ship and look at this." So I jumped off the ship, and right underneath us was our shipyard. In all that time we hadn't moved at all. I can't remember now what we had done wrong. Our ship had gained a little elevation, and we couldn't see the island right below us from onboard 🤪

I managed to crash my airship into the merchant platform and got stuck. It took quite a bit of wiggling to get free.

 

[ZedClampet]

I managed to crash my airship into the merchant platform and got stuck. It took quite a bit of wiggling to get free.

The Zed Pro Move (TM) Is to get whatever I'm driving stuck in the middle of two things and spend 5 minutes going forward and backward until I get turned enough to get out.

The story bits are pretty decent as well, but it takes too long to get to the actual gameplay, at least for a demo.

That was one of the things that made if funny to me. You spend all this time relaxing and trying to get a job, then all of a sudden...pure madness.

Or maybe it was only pure madness because I was doing something wrong/driving poorly, but I had fireworks going off in all directions and people chasing my truck on foot seeking retribution.

 

[Johnway]

so i had a crack at the labyrinth of the demon king and another disappointment. Problem is that there is no real substance to the game, the combat mechanics are a bit half baked tbh. its block dodge and parry but no where near satisfying as say chiv 2. It feels stiff and primative enemies blocking almost guarantee a hit and it really could do with some more stamina to make it easier.

To make thing annoying those bloody bugs keep poisoning me and trying to slash them is just horrible. Couldn't even stamp on them.

But outside of combat there just doesn't seem to be much substance. Unlike say a dungeon crawler where i can find all sorts of things throughout the dungeons, but alas all i've found is just a rusty katana. So no real customization of combat yet or implementing a combat style.

visually i understand what they're going for but so far its just me fighting in ruins and its not exciting or impressive. Its really dull and the level design isn't really inspiring. Which is a shame, as there is some interesting tidbits of lore and the evidence i can pick up is really appreciated.

Its a shame as there's potential but Here s what i would like to see (or hope to see):

1. Streamline processes. i really don't want to be constantly asked if i want to pick up a sake bottles or worse, every single coin or arrow. Why would i NOT want to pick up those things up if i have infinite space for them. Its like clicking on every gold stack in an ARPG as opposed to walking over to collect automatically.

2.Some RPG elements to improve my skills. Fine, start with a low stamina, but i would like in the future to see increase in stats and skills etc. So far i've not seen any of this.

3. Flesh out the monsters. So far they are misshapen lump humanoids. uninspiring.

4. refine combat. its just a chore.

Can't recommend in its current state.

Labyrinth Of The Demon King on Steam

Venture through the Labyrinth Of The Demon King, solving puzzles and fighting fearsome monsters in an epic quest to track down the demon who betrayed your lord and end its life.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Johnway]

More games to add to taste, this time its Repose another dungeon crawler:

REPOSE on Steam

In the facility, each step, each shot, each mistake costs precious energy. Rendered entirely in black and white, find oxygen and sleep. That's the job. And don't ask about Aaron.

store.steampowered.com

going to try reign breaker a hades knock off?

Reignbreaker on Steam

Reignbreaker is a high-octane action rogue-like set in a dystopian medievalpunk world. Step into the boots of Clef, a fearless rebel ready to rid the world of the Kingdom’s oppression, take down the Elite and lay siege to the Queen’s grand Bastion. Grab your javelin and become The Reignbreaker!

store.steampowered.com

 

[ZedClampet]

Site Error

store.steampowered.com

You have a hotel and you are a pimp. Um..anyway...it works well.

 

[ZedClampet]

This is it. I'm going for the record...

 

[ZedClampet]

I've been distracted, so I probably won't hit a world record today haha

King of Retail 2 on Steam

Ready to build another empire? You are once again back in the role as the manager, trying to make the best of a busy store. Find the right things to sell, get the right employees and turn every stone for a profit. Can you handle the pressure or will you buck under? Welcome to King of Retail 2.

store.steampowered.com

As expected from the King of Retail devs, this is going to go far beyond and have much more complexity than all the retail games that have been hitting Steam the last 12 months. This will be good for me, but people used to the simplified systems of the newer games could be put off a bit.

Schedule I: Free Sample on Steam

Jump into the streets of Hyland Point and take the first steps from small-time dope pusher to kingpin. Manufacture and distribute a range of drugs to reach the peak of the underworld. Now available in 4-player co-op!

store.steampowered.com

This game is going to be special. Almost 1000 reviews for the demo and it's sitting at 98 percent positive. It is vastly superior in every conceivable way (except maybe for graphics) to the very popular Drug Dealer Simulator. It's like a life sim for a drug dealer, and your goal is to run that town...

Night Club Simulator Demo on Steam

Run a nightclub in this free Prologue! Renovate, upgrade, and manage rowdy customers. Get a taste of the full game’s challenges as you shape your club’s atmosphere and rise in nightlife!

store.steampowered.com

This will probably be fine, but I don't recommend the demo due to it being rushed out for Next Fest and having a wide selection of bugs. Also, I have my doubts as to whether the game can be properly played by one player. You may have to plan this as a co-op game. There are just too many different jobs for one player. Not sure whether you can hire NPC helpers or not in the full game.

 

[Johnway]

So my thoughts on the 2 games i downloaded.:

REPOSE

A really quirky game. The demo might not be that long (it took me 7 minutes to complete it). its a dungeon crawler with a speccy/amstrad early dos game feel. Visually i'm a huge fan of its styles. The story itself seems interesting as well. As for game mechanics? Its a bit questionable. Players are given only a set number of steps to move and explore. if you don't sleep in your bed, you die and start from the last save. The combat is also just as suspect as the axe you have you have to raise it before moving forward to slash to kill a target. Death comes swift and even swifter when someone has a gun as you have a specific time limit before it caps you.

interesting game, might get it when its at a much cheaper price.

REPOSE on Steam

In the facility, each step, each shot, each mistake costs precious energy. Rendered entirely in black and white, find oxygen and sleep. That's the job. And don't ask about Aaron.

store.steampowered.com

ReignBreaker

a pretty entertaining game. Its like Hades but with a dystopian twist filled with steam punk and robots. Pretty entertaining stuff and does a good job of mimicing/aping Hades. one for the wish list. methinks!

Reignbreaker on Steam

Reignbreaker is a high-octane action rogue-like set in a dystopian medievalpunk world. Step into the boots of Clef, a fearless rebel ready to rid the world of the Kingdom’s oppression, take down the Elite and lay siege to the Queen’s grand Bastion. Grab your javelin and become The Reignbreaker!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Pifanjr]

I played 83 Steam Next Fest demos and these are my top 5

If you only have time to check out a few Next Fest demos, try these.

www.pcgamer.com

9 Kings sounds pretty interesting, I might try that out if I can find the time. I'm pretty hooked on Dredge though and my kid is returning tomorrow so I won't have much time to game any more.

 

[ZedClampet]

Star Crafter on Steam

A space survival crafting mining base building and star system building game. Craft rockets to create planets and Dyson Rings, mine and craft advanced materials, terraform the terrain, manage electricity, farm food, and more as you watch the star system evolve into stunning, ever-changing views.

store.steampowered.com

I guess I don't really recommend this. The UI and progression are not good at all. However, I love the aesthetic where the starting planet has an atmosphere but it isn't visible. Something about it being day and everything is lit up, but the sky looks like the night sky is very appealing to me.

Merchants of Rosewall on Steam

As a new Merchant in the bustling city of Rosewall you'll manage your own shop, craft artisan goods, hire Companions, and even unravel a mystery of the city! Immerse yourself in a fantasy world where conflict is a thing of the past in this visual novel meets shopkeeper simulator.

store.steampowered.com

This is strangely complex and deep. You have six employees and they all have different skills. You have 6 crafting rooms to make products, plus you have three open jobs like "sales" that you have to fill, and you have another part of the city that has people who sell crafting supplies. There are a gazillion things you can craft and sell, and you have to balance the cost of supplies, how you use your employees, etc. And when you open your store your day is quickly simulated so that you don't have the drudgery of watching NPCs for 10 minutes while you wait for the day to end. At the end of the day you get all the usual statistics, but you also get a rundown of how customers felt about your store, which impacts how many people come to your store each day.

eh, I'll post the rest of what I played later...

 

[Johnway]

Tried a few more demos:

Centum

a puzzle Psychological horror. its mind bending narrative/flow that its hard to make sense of the story. it feels like you're in the matrix or caught in an infinite loop as you're just thrown into things and the puzzles are non sensical. But its entertaining and i would be looking forward to seeing more.

Centum on Steam

Every why has a wherefore. You are trapped, and you must escape. But is that really the goal? Centum is an unreliable narrative-driven adventure where everything may be a lie.

store.steampowered.com

Twisted tower

probably one of my pick in this times NextFest. its fun and interesting setting(think Disney bioshock!) and ticks all the right boxes so far.

Twisted Tower on Steam

Blast your way through an abandoned theme park crawling with fairy-tale mascots, twisted puzzles, and deadly traps. Uncover the dark secrets of your past as you race to the top to win the prize and the love of your life.

store.steampowered.com

 

[ZedClampet]

Twisted tower

That actually sounds really interesting. Will have to try it out

 

[February's Ghost]

That Night Club simulator looks more liek

That actually sounds really interesting. Will have to try it out

I really enjoyed the Twisted Tower demo.

 

[February's Ghost]

PCG just posted a one-sentence reviews article on some of the NextFest demos on Steam. Might have something someone missed.

 

[Johnway]

That actually sounds really interesting. Will have to try it out

Honestly, i thought it was going to be painkiller with clowns. Well, it is, but there is a story and the strong themes really make it stand out. It does have a few tricks up its sleeve like rotating rooms and such. So far the first few encounters are pretty easy and we're exploring the more "conventional" sections of the tower, like the hotel/reception/welcome lobby area of the tower. Looking at the signs, we can expect some crazy stuff as we go up the tower. How it will play out and how long it will be remains to be scene. Either theres 6 floors or we're pressing every button on the elevator and moving up or down the tower accordingly.

 

[ZedClampet]

Played Twisted Tower and really enjoyed it.

Honestly, I'm over this. I don't even feel like listing the ones I haven't listed yet, somewhat because they were all simulator games and no one else here plays those.

But that's a big reason I'm burned out. Out of every type of game, simulators are the lowest effort trash games you can find. It's rare when someone does one well.

 

[February's Ghost]

Deck of Haunts on Steam

Deck of Haunts invites you to become a malevolent Haunted House. Lure humans into your cursed halls, manipulate their fears, and drain their essence to grow your power. Use strategy to build your mansion and expand your dark influence, turning your home into a terrifying, inescapable nightmare.

store.steampowered.com

Just played this for a bit, interesting, but maybe not for me. Deck-builders aren't very interesting to me and this game is basically a tower defense game and that's definitely not my thing. Perhaps after a sale it might be a good game for October.

The Horror at Highrook on Steam

The Horror at Highrook is an occult card crafting narrative RPG. Explore a haunted mansion with your team of investigators, summon dark entities, craft powerful protections, uncover the fate of the missing family, and choose your own path through the darkness.

store.steampowered.com

I like this one. Might get me into more board game type video games. I have Book of Hours but that seemed to be overly complex and unclear in direction. Highrook seems a bit more straight forward, but oh so much reading.