Steam Next Fest 2023 brings with it 100 indie game demos to try, and while there’s something for everyone, there’s also nowhere near enough time to try every demo. We’ve combed through them and sorted out what we think are some of the best – some of them have a unique premise, some with fantastic style, and some that are just plain fun.
These Steam Next Fest demos are only available until June 26, 2023, though they’ll likely come around again before their respective full games launch.
Lies of P
Lies of P, the Pinocchio version of Bloodborne from Neowiz, launches on Sep. 19, 2023, but you can get a good idea of what the Soulslike has to offer in the demo, which covers some of the early chapters. We came away from it impressed with the story potential in our preview, even if the gameplay is rather too familiar. The Lies of P demo released during Summer Game Fest, so this one might stick around after Steam Next Fest.
Viewfinder
Viewfinder is shaping up to be a clever game about perception and how you look at the world around you. It’s a first-person experience where you bring still pictures to life and alter the environment around you, discovering the many secrets that lie under the surface. It’s also just about 30 minutes, so you can fit it into your other demo experiments easily.
Laika: Aged Through Blood
Laika puts a fresh twist on the classic Metroidvania genre, or the “motorvania” genre, as developer Brainwash calls it. You navigate a post-apocalyptic world with the help of your handy, stylish motorcycle, pulling off tricks and mowing down anyone who would dare to harm your family. The script is a bit rough, and it’s a grim world, though there’s certainly some promise here.
Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars draws inspiration from classic SNES RPGs and the likes of Golden Sun, while innovating with exploration and combat design. Legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda even contributed to the soundtrack. It’s been a long time coming, but Sea of Stars finally launches on Aug. 29, 2023.
Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City looks like the ultimate urban cat simulator. You play as an absolutely adorable little black cat set loose in a city. You can be a good kitty and go home – or you can cause mayhem, help other animals, explore the alleys and dives of the city, and pretty much whatever you want in between. It’s a polished, fun experience that’s definitely worth a try.
Venba
Venba carves out a unique genre for itself as a “narrative cooking adventure.” You play as an Indian woman and mother who immigrates to Canada in the 1980s, exploring family recipes and restoring family connections in the process. It’s a striking concept and boasts an equally striking visual style.
Moonstone Island
What if Stardew Valley met Pokemon is the premise behind Moonstone Island. It’s a life sim-slash-monster collector with farming, crafting, and a charming pixel art style. The world is procedurally generated, so none of the 100 islands you can call home will be the same.
Sludge Life 2
Sludge Life 2 is kinda gross, but it’s a brilliant open-world exploration game. Your goal is traveling around a dank, dingy city and tagging graffiti in key locations, whether it’s the rubble of a toilet stall behind an apartment complex or the top of a building site nestled in a fetid swamp. It’s a bizarre, slightly surreal world and one you probably won’t forget in a hurry.
Goodbye Volcano High
Imagine Life Is Strange with dinosaurs, and you’ll end up with a decent idea of what Goodbye Volcano High is like. It’s a choice-driven narrative adventure following a group of friends and bandmates, and the decisions you make have a significant effect on how the story unfolds.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
The minds that created Desperadoes 3 and Shadow Tactics are back with a brilliant pirate-themed strategy game. Shadow Gambit takes the best of both games and makes it even better, with clever maps, excellent characters and abilities, and an absolutely fantastic sense of style.
Station to Station
Station to Station is a charming puzzle simulator where you bring the world to life by building connections for your cute little blocky train to travel on. It’s a gorgeous world as well, with a style resembling a high-definition toybox diorama. If you’re looking for something a bit more laid back, definitely give this one a try.
Spirit Swap: Lo-Fi Beats to Match 3 to
Spirit Swap shakes up the typical Match 3 game with a witch, some lost souls, and a snappy, stylish cast of characters, all set to a chill lo-fi soundtrack by Meltycannon. It’s a refreshing and creative mix of cozy and intense puzzle solving, with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure.
Wargroove 2
Wargroove stepped in to fill the gap after Nintendo‘s Advance Wars vanished, and it went over so well that Chucklefish is making a sequel. There’s more maps, more unit taps, even more devious tactics, and three campaigns, and you can get a pretty sizeable taste of what’s in store in the Wargroove 2 demo.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
