In case you missed it, Steam Next Fest was a weeklong event highlighting upcoming games of all shapes and sizes. There were over 700 demos available to play, and I managed maybe 25 of them. Some are games I’d been following for a couple years, while others I found scrolling through the seemingly endless store portal. There’s a couple more in here that weren’t part of Steam Next Fest, but I liked them enough that I think they’re worth including. As I’ve said many times before, if you’re at all interested in a game, please wishlist it on Steam to help boost its discoverability. That being said, purchasing it on itch is almost always the best way to financially support the developer (when available, of course). Without further ado, lemme tell you about these vidya games.
Beacon Pines (itch, Steam)
Small town horror, science-fiction, and corporate conspiracy? Yes, all for Lotus. For those aspects alone (and its young cast) I’m sure Beacon Pines will be compared to Stranger Things and Stephen King’s It. Not only is that diminutive, it’s also a bit rude - so far at least, Beacon Pines hasn’t been extremely weird towards little girls or the concept of domestic abuse, so it’s already leagues ahead of them. This “Winnie the Pooh meets Twin Peaks” story boasts a unique branching narrative mechanic where, instead of traditional dialogue options, you drop one of the words you’ve collected into blanks left at major story moments. The twist is, you can return to these moments at any time you like, with the new words you’ve collected in tow, allowing for a huge amount of freedom and many different endings. This storybook theme extends to the entire game - its perspective, colorful world, and animal characters all work together to build a sort of modern fable. There’s something in the water in Beacon Pines, you see… something green and slimy and glowy and weird. Young protagonist Luka is living with his grandmother, bored to tears over summer break, so there’s only one thing to be done: investigate.
Beacon Pines doesn’t have a release date, so be sure to wishlist it on Steam and play the demo for more information.
TOEM (Steam)
Unfortunately for all other demos present here, TOEM has a monkey in it (one that does backflips, no less) and, for that, is automatically best in show. There’s plenty to love aside from Tim (the monkey), though. TOEM is a delightful little romp through the Swedish countryside, with naught but your camera and friendship-making capabilities by your side. From wilderness scouts and fellow photographers to cryptids and ghosts, you’ll be meeting and taking pics for a wide cast of characters. I took a lot of extra pictures too, though, because the whole game just looks great. It captures the spirit of photography and childlike exploration perfectly. Definitely a day one buy (some day in 2021) for those who like a heartwarming adventure.
Scarlet Hollow (itch, Steam)
Technically speaking this one isn’t a demo - it’s the first chapter of folk horror visual novel Scarlet Hollow, which also happens to be free. Close enough for me, especially because I liked it so much! The story follows Your Name Here, a disenchanted young adult visiting your cousin for the funeral of your aunt (her mother). She owns the mine in a dilapidated North Carolina town surrounded by forests, with very spooky things in said forest. I wasn’t surprised to find that the lead illustrator and writer, Abby Howard, is from North Carolina, because the characters in Scarlet Hollow all feel like fleshed-out archetypes any Southerner will be familiar with, without falling into harmful stereotypes. We’re not buying into the media smear campaign intended to paint all Southerners as ignorant and inbred in order to allow the conservative vice grip that exploited their labor while denying their voting rights to tighten any further today, no sir.
Anyways, about the “illustrator” part: the muted, natural color palette suits the game’s downhome, yet sinister, vibes extremely well. The art overall is plumb beautiful and expressive, with the larger “cutscenes” being a particular treat. Like most visual novels, you never see your character, but there’s still customization here. You choose two traits - things like Book Smart or Keen Eye - that modify how you interact with the environment and other characters. I chose Hot and Talk To Animals, naturally. One for its accuracy, the other because my chat really likes animals. I haven’t played through with the other traits, but I do feel that Talk To Animals is a prime pick for the ways it interacts with the main story. On top of being surrounded by nature, those spooky things in the forest are, in some ways, animals - or at the very least, taking over the animal population. I’m very intrigued to see how the story grows throughout its episodic, early access model, meet the other lead characters, and of course, get to know my #1 a little better (that’s Gretchen the Pug, if you’re wondering).
Radio Viscera (Steam)
It’s a bit difficult to write about Radio Viscera, not because it’s all that complex, but because my thoughts can be summed up by me making action noises while bass-boosted techno blasts in the background. It’s a top-down environmental kill simulator, where your primary weapon is a pressurized air gun. Use it to blast through walls and launch enemies around the OSHA-noncompliant industrial machinery, where they gloriously explode into low-poly giblets. Radio Viscera has an old-school streak about it I enjoy, from its general demeanor to unlockable costumes for your supreme displays of talent. It also has a neat feature akin to Overwatch’s highlight/play of the game saver; at the end of a level, it chooses three highlight moments which you can save as a .GIF and share around. It makes sense this one feels pretty ready to go as far as demos go, because it releases on July 13th!
Death Trash (Steam)
Cyber-crust-punks and post-apocalypse fans, rejoice! Death Trash is a grotesque roleplaying game set in a strange, cosmic future. Your fully-customizable protagonist wakes up in a strange facility run by androids, and is informed that their citizenship has been revoked. Out to the wastes you go, good luck! Oh, and don’t try to return - if you do, you’ll explode. Have fun!
There’s a variety of creatures out in the wastes, from other raiders like you, to eldritch fleshbeings, and everything in between. Some friendly, some not. Social and Animal Handling skills will keep those friends friendly, while Weapon skills and Cybertech abilities will take care of your new enemies. From the narrative hooks to the crunchy combat and sheer style, Death Trash is shaping up to be a must-play for any old-school RPG fan.
Death Trash releases in Early Access on August 5th.
Terra Nil (Steam)
I wrote a bit about this when introducing Among Ripples: Shallow Waters in my “21 Games Coming In 2021” video, but I’m actually a big fan of city builders/simulators - I just don’t like tearing up the natural world. Terra Nil tasks you with transforming a barren wasteland into lush greenery, then transforming that lush greenery into livable biomes for wild flora and fauna, and then packing up all your buildings and tech afterwards. Admittedly, this last part was the only thing that soured my experience of the demo - not as a concept or necessarily mechanically, but I didn’t know that that’s what you did, nor the sort of layout I’d need to do that efficiently. That and the lack of save points meant I lost a good hour of progress because of something I simply wasn’t prepared for. While I imagine you will be prepared for that after the tutorial level, I think a checkpoint system would still be much appreciated; they could be worked in quite naturally, since you progress through a level in the stages listed above, with new tech becoming available to you at each breakpoint. Anyways, that’s enough criticism, because the game is genuinely really good. Its clean graphics and music let you zen out as you find the most efficient (and/or most satisfying) way to restore the landscape. There’s a certain level of customization involved since you largely morph the terrain as you see fit, and I can picture the resulting fanscapes of perfectly symmetrical rivers now. Despite a couple trifles, Terra Nil already looks quite complete and will definitely be a solid addition to our ever-growing roster of eco-friendly builders.
NORCO (Steam)
NORCO is a total stunner in every way. Its beautiful pixel landscapes, its thoughtful prose, and its often-unheard perspective of Louisiana all combine to make something truly special. I think it’s part of a new(ish) genre I’ve found a favorite of mine, New Weird; an eclectic mix of sci-fi, the paranormal, horror, and dystopia/conspiracy. Think The X-Files or Remedy’s Control. There’s more than a little bit of Southern Gothic DNA in there, too, which I’m always more than happy to see. It feels modern and fresh in the specifics of its commentary on corporations and bureaucracy, while still grounding itself in a mix of history and seemingly-autobiographical nostalgia. There’s a very curious “hint” system in the game - a literal mind palace that allows you to recap all the information you know as well as your current objectives. That’s really important in a point-and-click adventure game, due to how rich with text and story they tend to be, so it’s good to see this system implemented for those who may struggle to keep all that information together. This wins the My Shit Award for being the most my shit of anything I played.
LOVE 3 (Steam)
This demo completely and totally kicked my ass and I was not able to finish it in time. But, that need not be a bad thing. It’s clear that LOVE 3 was designed for the pixel-perfect platformer fan, the VVVVVV speedrunners and the Celeste mapmakers. Its visual communication and signposting is on point, a cornerstone of any good platformer. Along with its different difficulties (and speedrunning mode!), it has a simple checkpoint/reset/die system available for all players to make their own checkpoints without getting them stuck, erasing the need to redo frustrating parts over and over once completed. There’s a slow-motion mode too, to assist in those particularly tricky areas. I’m not sure if I’m the type of person who can dedicate the time to learning and finishing it any time soon, but it’s clear it was made with - no pun intended - a lot of love. Oh, and I’d definitely buy the soundtrack, it fucking whips.
LOVE 3 will release towards the end of the year.
Mechajammer (Steam)
Do you ever really want to play a TTRPG, but then you remember you have to get a bunch of people together on a schedule, and then you also have to do all the character building and math and stuff, and you’re like, ah, fuck it? Mechajammer is the perfect, cyberpunk-y game for that.
You may be thinking: “Lotus, you’re just describing an original CRPG, which were based off of TTRPGs,” and like, yeah, technically I am! But it’s been quite a long time since I played one of those games that wasn’t a Dungeons & Dragons affair, or allowed me to play as a nonwhite person and/or a woman (Death Trash earlier let me do this too!). The game’s stat systems are even dice-based, which I appreciate both in terms of sheer vibes and helping me to understand. No more number crunching or hardcore min/maxing; more dice means a better chance at getting anything done. There’s also a plethora of backstory options, from your family’s material conditions, to every job you’ve held during your life, and the side effects you gained from them. Those side effects are mostly negative, by the way, which is something I always appreciate in RPGs. It’s like the dev is placing a fatherly hand on my shoulder to say, “Don’t worry, this is all about roleplaying. Build whatever character you feel like and do your best.” Visuals and audio are also 100. Despite being a grungy, fucked-up future, Mechajammer still manages a lot of style, and without washing everything out in a single color. It has that cool, mixed 2D/3D style that allows for expressive 2D sprites to move about a more complex 3D environment. Audio is a little more understated, but I’ve been sorely missing ambient music in games, so it’s more than perfect. I’m not sure exactly what the story is or where it’s going, but I sure am gonna find out!
The Legend of Tianding (Steam)
Through a combination of the wonders of technology and increasing diversity in the games industry, we’re getting more developers from all over the world telling their stories. I don’t know much of anything about Taiwan, so I’m sure there are a lot of cultural and historical references I missed in The Legend of Tianding, but I still loved it, and it taught me quite a bit! Liao Tianding was a sort of Robin Hood figure during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, who ascended to folk hero status by resisting the Japanese rulers. This has been translated by Taiwanese developers CGCG as a brawler-platformer metroidvania, in a similar vein to Guacamelee!. Its extremely fluid motion and combat are complemented by the gorgeous comic book style illustrations that tell the game’s story, which are fully voiced in Taiwanese and Japanese. It’s hard to articulate just how well done the visuals are - both in their concept and execution - so here's a pretty picture for you.
I wasn’t too great at combat, but I am interested in getting in the practice to become a combo god. Also, there’s a casual difficulty, which you can change at any time! I’d be remiss not to mention the “fat evil” villain archetype present here for the first boss, with an unhealthy dose of ableism, too. I’m sure that’s how the story is originally told, but that’s true of many folktales east and west, and I’m just down for fat and disabled people to be left alone. In any case, it doesn’t appear so far that those stereotypes will continue past him, and he will not be returning. There’s no hard release date on The Legend of Tianding yet, but it should be coming this fall to Steam and the Nintendo Switch.
No Longer Home (itch, Steam)
Arguably the most powerful aspect of gaming is the way it allows us to experience other people’s stories not as listeners, but as those people. It’s one thing for someone to tell you their exact story, or write about themselves, but games allow for a level of dramatization and identity that just isn’t possible in other mediums.
No Longer Home is a semi-autobiographical narrative adventure about saying goodbye, growing up before you’re ready, and a good sprinkle of gender feelings. It follows Ao and Bo, two non-binary university graduates on their way out and abroad - whether they really want that, or not. As their anxieties grow, bizarre objects, events, and even creatures creep into their flat. Fans of Kentucky Route Zero will find a lot to like here; magical realism is often used there to emphasize interpersonal drama and character growth, and it appears that’s true here as well.
No Longer Home comes out later this year.
Out of Line (Steam)
Did you get into indie games during the Xbox Live Arcade era? Out of Line carries a lot of that spirit with it. It’s an action puzzle/platformer with smooth, painted backgrounds and a charming, dialogue-less story. The Line in the title is referencing the main mechanic, which is spear-throwing! You have a bright yellow spear, thrown to make platforms, conduct electricity, or operate machines as a lever. Other spears are often provided as part of more complex puzzles involving time limits and resource management, and both helpful and harmful critters come along later, as well. Spear throwing felt good, it’s cute, and puzzles were that sweet spot between difficult and satisfying.
Out of Line released on June 23rd.
春と修羅｜Haru to Shura (Steam)
From the legend that brought you Cave Story and Kero Blaster, two lovingly handcrafted metroidvania platformers, comes… (checks notes)... a dark fable set in an odd, alternate world? I was surprised to see Studio Pixel going in this direction, but Haru to Shura got its hooks in me pretty quickly. Gameplay is very simple; mostly walking around, pressing Z to look at things, save, talk to people, and select the odd dialogue choice here and there. The story, however, promises to carry the whole thing. You are Chihiro, a high school student who has mysteriously crossed over from our world into a strange reality where there is no pain or suffering. The other people there have no concept of these ideas, nor their associated topics; frustration, anger, and death are not words they understand. Chihiro and the other newest resident are the only ones who remember - for now. When death strikes for the first time in the village’s memory, suspicion immediately falls on newcomer Chihiro, and it seems that the villagers’ long dormant memories will begin to awaken.
春と修羅｜Haru to Shura released on June 24th.
Kabaret (itch, Steam)
I don’t think too many people are aware of this, but almost every mainstream game you’ve played has been built in part by Southeast Asian artists. There’s a great video by People Make Games on the subject, but the SparkNotes version is that most gaming media haven't displayed any interest in Southeast Asian gaming, unless it’s to exploit their labor. Especially as someone who doesn’t know anything, really, about the region or its many cultures, I’m always excited to see new games and developers emerge from it. Kabaret is just one of them.
When Jebat awakes, he’s been transformed into a sort of sea monster; noseless, mouthless, and scaled. The mysterious Caretaker is ferrying him to the Kabaret, a palace that caters to the whims of the monsters of the realm - including their taste for humans. Humans which Jebat still reeks of, because, perhaps he’s not supposed to be a monster after all? It’s something he’ll have to figure out for himself, both physically and spiritually, as he learns about the monster world through encounters with the other dwellers of Kabaret. You’ll conduct tea rituals, play traditional games, and try not to get murdered by the fickle patrons. There’s a lot to learn here, and Kabaret is kind enough to hold your hand through it. Non-English words and cultural concepts are highlighted in yellow with translations available, all the games have multiple tutorials, and things are explained pretty clearly to the very confused Jebat, as well. Even though he’s kind of a horny nerd, I had fun playing as Jebat; he didn’t grate on me, which is always a concern with visual novels. He’s relatable without being overly vulgar or creepy. He’s a lost and remorseful young man, and his current state is only compounding those unsavory parts of him, as he finds himself more like the monsters around him. Not all of them though, certainly not the Minister of the region, a Jinn in disguise dedicated to rounding up insurrectionist humans en masse to use as bribes for the monsters. I see you, Persona Theory Games, and I’m in.
Kabaret will release this summer.
The Gardener and the Wild Vines (itch, Steam)
What a delight The Gardener and the Wild Vines is! I don’t even remember how I found this game, but I’m happy I did. Momentum and combos are a big thing in this 2D platformer, although taking it slow is fine too - there’s no time limits, just high scores. While you’re 2D, the platforms and background aren’t, exactly. It’s like if you took a screenshot of a traditional sidescroller and then rolled it up into a tube, which makes for a super neat visual effect and an interesting way of conveying information with regards to pathfinding. It’s wonderfully fluid and snappy motion; chaining movements together and mindlessly grinding out a combo feels excellent, with punchy, pixelated sound effects to really drive it home. You’ll help buds bloom into platforms, bounce off of fresh leaves, and solve simple puzzles to ascend the tower to find your Prince - eventually. It’s gonna be a long journey. But no journey is too long… if it’s for love (Looks off into the distance).
There are short cutscenes in between towers, where our jovial, anti-capitalist icon The Gardener makes the occasional jab at the monarchy while fussing over what he’ll say when he finally sees The Prince again. These are pretty short (at least in the demo), and that’s not a bad thing. The writing was snappy and showcased both the story and its sense of humor in a quick, entertaining manner. Dialogue is my favorite, too, and it brought a lot of personality to an already amazing game.
The Gardener and the Wild Vines will release sometime this year.