Steam Next Fest February 2024

[ZedClampet]

The Next Fests have become so massive I think they deserve their own thread. Hundreds of demos and developer streams, as the marketing says. For me, someone who believes indies are the heart and soul of an overall stale gaming industry, these festivals have become more important than E3 was.

Here's my first discovery, a city-builder called Dystopika. Here's a screenshot of part of a city I built:

Dystopika on Steam

A city-building sandbox for futuristic cities. No goals, no management, just creativity and dark cozy vibes.

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It's a very relaxing and simplified process kind of like Townscaper, another game I have enjoyed. The developer stream was worth the watch, I thought.

 

[Colif]

Indies are the only ones allowed to try different things. They don't have anyone above them saying No...

Once all the AAA dinosaurs are gone, they might have day in sun. Now I wonder where I can find an asteroid

 

[ZedClampet]

Photography Simulator on Steam

Learn and explore the world of a professional photography. Join adventure of the wild life. Hunt and shoot best pictures. Sell your photos to magazines, buy and upgrade your gear, and whenever you get tired of waiting for a perfect shot there are ways to brighten your day waiting for you.

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I like learning real world things in games, and this game teaches you how to use a real camera with all the important photography settings.

Here is a photo the game had me take when learning about ISO

The demo had me asking why a photography game had fetch quests and stamina, and it seems a little rushed and doesn't have much to it. It made my laptop's fans go full blast within the first few seconds. It also wouldn't let me buy a camera I was supposed to buy, which is sort of a problem. But I'm still looking forward to the full demo which is supposed to be out soon.

The demo had me looking for large chess set pieces that had been scattered around a large park. I was supposed to take pictures of them and send them to a person. I was enjoying wandering around and looking for them, but I couldn't find the last piece, so knowing how pictures work in games, I just started taking photos of vast sections of the park, and got credit for it

 

[Colif]

stamina in a photography game? Are they expecting action shots?

I did a camera course long ago. Trying to remember what camera I had is likely pointless. It would be long gone by now. It wasn't color, I remember that much. Its amazing I remember doing it still.

 

[ZedClampet]

Pet Shop Simulator on Steam

Run your own pet shop in Pet Shop Simulator! Find new homes for pets, thus fulfilling the dreams of your customers. Take care of the needs of animals by selling the right items and get involved in matters related to the pets' home life!

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Hey, I didn't say I was finding games for you. I love retail games, and even though this is ugly with a capital "U", it looks like it could be a good game in a genre that is just starting to grow, largely in thanks to the popularity, I think, of Big Ambitions.

Demo was functional but not extensive. Mostly it was a tutorial.

 

[ZedClampet]

stamina in a photography game? Are they expecting action shots?

I did a camera course long ago. Trying to remember what camera I had is likely pointless. It would be long gone by now. It wasn't color, I remember that much. Its amazing I remember doing it still.

I'm not sure why there is stamina, but I can imagine a possibly fun photography game where stamina would come into play, like if you were a British tabloid photographer chasing royals and celebrities and running from security.

 

[Frindis]

Just tried out Pepper Grinder Demo for 30 minutes. Took me a few minutes to get the hang of the movement as the character is pretty fast and I had to take that into consideration when doing sharp turns or moving in a narrow area.

Overall a good demo, wished it could have had another level and I can't say I am too fond of the flipper thingies you have to bump into so they change direction. I would have liked to see something more fast-paced instead, so you could keep up the momentum as the rest of the demo wants you to do.

Pepper Grinder on Steam

Pepper Grinder is an action-packed 2D adventure blending traditional platforming with an alternate drilling mode that allows you to dive in and out of the earth like a dolphin swims through water.

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[ZedClampet]

Just tried out Pepper Grinder Demo for 30 minutes. Took me a few minutes to get the hang of the movement as the character is pretty fast and I had to take that into consideration when doing sharp turns or moving in a narrow area.

Overall a good demo, wished it could have had another level and I can't say I am too fond of the flipper thingies you have to bump into so they change direction. I would have liked to see something more fast-paced instead, so you could keep up the momentum as the rest of the demo wants you to do.

Pepper Grinder on Steam

Pepper Grinder is an action-packed 2D adventure blending traditional platforming with an alternate drilling mode that allows you to dive in and out of the earth like a dolphin swims through water.

store.steampowered.com

Looks like Dig Dug on hardcore drugs.

 

[Frindis]

Dungeonborne was next and enjoyed a few hours. It is a bit janky and fairly unbalanced, but these things can be fixed in the future. What makes me skeptical about the game is that most stuff in the game costs gold, like crafting or upgrading stuff which could be the reason they have a locked marketplace in their game already. What this potentially means is that you can buy gold or whatnot, giving you an unfair advantage. Purely speculation on my part, so we'll have to see at release.

Dungeonborne on Steam

Dungeonborne is a first-person PvPvE dungeon crawler blending extraction gameplay with iconic fantasy class design. In a world of sword and sorcery, delve into ominous dungeons, face terrifying monsters, and outwit adventurers for treasure. Find an extraction portal to survive and fight another day.

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Also tried Outcast - A New Beginning. It looks beautiful, but I have to wait for a performance patch because it is a resource slog and it did not matter If I changed all settings from ultra to low. Keeping a close eye on this one!

Outcast - A New Beginning on Steam

Explore the breathtaking alien world of Adelpha, support the local Talans in their struggles and fight your way through fast-paced battles against invading robot forces in this 3rd-person, open world, action adventure sequel to the 1999 cult classic.

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Then Welcome to ParadiZe Demo - A game about using zombies as your companion. It seems you can control their mind through a helmet you put on their head and then you can have them do stuff for you. Explored around, and found some new weapons and hoards of zombies. Met a group of zombies with cushions as armor, that was hilarious! It seems you can build your own base/shelter also, so I'll be doing that later on. Pretty chill game

Welcome to ParadiZe on Steam

Paradise isn't exactly what you hoped for: it's infested with zombies! Thankfully, you can control them. Capture them and teach them to farm or fight. They will help you defend our camp while you explore the world looking for… a new paradise.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Johnway]

just went through the 3 level demo of Caesar's revenge - its a more an assualt course as you get to point a to point b whilst maintaining your killstreak to survive. honestly, not enough to sustain my interest and especially with level design being as flaky as it is. Would be nice if there was more nuance to combat as atm its spamming hack and slash, moving as fast as possible killing things as quickly as possible. Those roman legionnaires makes it tricky though. Plus the ranged weapons don't really add much when rushing in as fast as possible is more optimum approach.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2166150/Caesars_Revenge/

 

[Brian Boru]

stamina in a photography game?

Depending on your target, stamina can play a big part. Wildlife, hiding and waiting for the perfect shot, some spend days literally—check out some of the big annual competitions.

Nature—hiking up that mountain to get the perfect sunset/sunrise or slow exposure of the Milky Way.

Any kind of news photography could involve dashing around—and war photography is a whole other thing.

I did a wedding once, stamina needed there for sure, a 10-hour day of herding cats!

 

[ZedClampet]

Depending on your target, stamina can play a big part. Wildlife, hiding and waiting for the perfect shot, some spend days literally—check out some of the big annual competitions.

Nature—hiking up that mountain to get the perfect sunset/sunrise or slow exposure of the Milky Way.

Any kind of news photography could involve dashing around—and war photography is a whole other thing.

I did a wedding once, stamina needed there for sure, a 10-hour day of herding cats!

My question wasn't whether photographers could get tired. My question is why it is in this game. Farming is tiring, but there's no stamina in Farming simulator. Etc. The only justification I can think of for this particular photography game would be if you were going to implement camera shaking when your stamina is low and your heartbeat fast. The demo didn't have that, but maybe the full game will.

 

[ZedClampet]

Tried College Bowl (not the game I'm working on) from the makers of the excellent Legend Bowl.

While there was plenty of content not available in the demo. the actual gameplay on the field seems complete, and it's just as good as it is in Legend Bowl. They've added a few skills to both offensive and defensive players that give you more tools while playing.

College Bowl on Steam

College Bowl is a beautifully pixelated on-field simulation of American Football! Challenge college rivals on your way to winning a National title! Take on various game modes, including a deep Dynasty mode with in-depth recruiting, scouting, stat tracking, ranking, bowl games, yearly goals and more!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Brian Boru]

photographers could get tired. My question is why it is in this game

Maybe taking "simulator" more literally than other games? 🤷‍♂️

 

[ZedClampet]

Maybe taking "simulator" more literally than other games? 🤷‍♂️

Well, all it did in the demo was slow you down for no purpose. You weren't chasing anything or taking pictures of moving people/creatures/things. We'll see if it comes into play somehow in the game. I've heard that you do go to Alaska, but even then, if it doesn't come paired with camera shake, I don't see much use for it. Generally speaking, as you mentioned, you don't chase wildlife to get a picture. You camouflage yourself in some way and either stalk your target or just hide out near where you know they will be. I'm sure that can be tiring, but that kind of fatigue is not what this stamina bar is measuring.

 

[ZedClampet]

Maybe taking "simulator" more literally than other games? 🤷‍♂️

Someone is having a rough time with this demo. There was an update. I thought, I bet I can buy the camera now, so I installed the update and went into the game. Yes, I can now buy the camera, but the settings don't work. Every camera setting scrolls to either max or min.

Actually, as I was typing this it occurred to me that the problem may be that I have a controller plugged in. Will have to try it without it later.

 

[Brian Boru]

Thought I mentioned the Next Fests I'm looking at—diff thread I guess

4 I'm looking at so far:

Millennia Civ-like.

Global Conflagration RTS classic-style.

Small Kingdoms 4X-RTS hybrid with ProcGen maps.

9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far from Petroglyph = bunch of old C&C devs.
Couple of videos on this one. Spud for 24m jumping in cold, and 10m from perafilozof.

I'll report briefly on these as I play them in the Demos thread, so they don't get lost and are available via search 'in this thread' function.

 

[ZedClampet]

Thought I mentioned the Next Fests I'm looking at—diff thread I guess

4 I'm looking at so far:

Millennia Civ-like.

Global Conflagration RTS classic-style.

Small Kingdoms 4X-RTS hybrid with ProcGen maps.

9-Bit Armies: A Bit Too Far from Petroglyph = bunch of old C&C devs.
Couple of videos on this one. Spud for 24m jumping in cold, and 10m from perafilozof.

I'll report briefly on these as I play them in the Demos thread, so they don't get lost and are available via search 'in this thread' function.

Might want to wait and see if they are permanent demos first. Most Next Fest demos go away after the festival. That's one reason I'm posting in this thread.

 

[Zloth]

Indies are the only ones allowed to try different things. They don't have anyone above them saying No...

Once all the AAA dinosaurs are gone, they might have day in sun. Now I wonder where I can find an asteroid

Marvel's Midnight Suns on Steam

FIGHT AND STRATEGIZE LIKE A SUPER HERO IN THE DARKER CORNERS OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. Play as The Hunter, a legendary demon slayer who must lead a team of Super Heroes and supernatural warriors facing apocalyptic threats.

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Save 50% on DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT on Steam

From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes a genre-defying experience, now expanded in this definitive DIRECTOR’S CUT. As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America. Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time?

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Maybe No Man's Sky, too, depending on your definitions.

Original AAA stuff happens. Not nearly as often as with indie games, but they definitely happen. (And, if Midnight Suns hadn't had a demo, I doubt I ever would have bought it because I couldn't tell if I would like it or not.)

 

[Brian Boru]

Original AAA stuff happens. Not nearly as often as with indie games

Well yeah, do the math.

There are how many AAA, 20-25?

How many indie devs? 20-25 million?

 

[Colif]

i would think there are more than 25 AAA devs but the number game is in the Indies favour, they may just lack the resources.

 

[ZedClampet]

Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure on Steam

Oddsparks is a blend of Automation and Real Time Strategy for both the die-hard fans of the Automation genre and the Automation-curious. Explore a strange fantasy world, uncover the mysteries of the past, automate your workshops, and go on adventures with your odd & adorable Sparks!

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Automation game. The developers mention Satisfactory and Factorio. I played the demo, but couldn't really get into it because it's the very beginning of the game before you get to the automation part. Seems very well done, though.

 

[ZedClampet]

Hahaha I've officially found the best game in Steam's Next Fest, it's #Drive Rally, and nothing matters except that your copilot is Arnold Schwarzenegger (his name is actually Hans, but he's obviously supposed to be Arnold), and he's hilarious. It's more fun to run off the road and see what he says than it is to win the race.

The graphics are old, the driving is very arcade, it's impossible to slide without the handbrake, some of the tracks have questionable layouts, but none of that matters. It's all about Arnold screaming at you as you drive.

#DRIVE Rally on Steam

#DRIVE Rally lets you relive the 90s in the most exciting era in motorsport history, where dust, mud, and snow are badges of honor. Unleash the raw power of legendary rally beasts, admire every second of the stunning landscapes, and remember: the faster you go, the better!

store.steampowered.com

 

[Johnway]

i played Dread Dawn a zombie survival sandbox game. Its indie roots are quite apparent, but that said there are a few ideas and features that are executed in such a way that makes me feel that this might be good. namely the exploration aspect, in the demo i spent some time in the city exploring and encountering other survivors, safe houses etc, but that said the initial stages feel really boring and tedious. Will i get this game? not sure tbh.

Dread Dawn on Steam

This is an open-world zombie survival game set in a quarantined city. You play as a student left behind due to missing the evacuation convoy. Together with classmates and other survivors, you must defend the school, survive, and await rescue.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Johnway]

Just another demo to add to the list: maniac. Players try to survive as long as they can for 30 minutes as you kill and cause mayhem, the more money you get. Think the classic GTA kill frenzy mode as the main premise. Whilst fun, you'll see everything manic offers in one run and decide for yourself whether its worth a buy or not. personally, not really going to keep me interested for the long run. probably an hour or 2 hours fun tops.

Maniac on Steam

Ever just tired of it all? Ready for change? Wanna bet it all on sheer mayhem and destruction? In comes Maniac, a game in which the world goes against you, and your insanity creates chaos!

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