Steam Next Fest – three words that mean one thing. Demos. Demos upon demos to try, enjoy and evaluate. And evaluate them we did, so as usual, we picked out some of our favorites to help you decide which indie games you should be keeping an eye on in the near future. So, without further stalling, here are the demos we enjoyed the most during the festival:
Autopsy Simulator
My personal favorite of the bunch. Don’t let the generic title fool you – Autopsy Simulator does engagingly simulate what an autopsy must probably feel like in real life, and is by no means a parody or a comedic exaggeration of the concept. Granted, I’m not medical expert myself, but I was quite impressed by how educational this small slice of the game felt; and more than that, it actually gave me a brilliant atmosphere, a bit of intriguing storytelling, and one hell of a cliffhanger to end a demo on. There seems to be a lot more here than meets the eye, and it’s been a while since I’ve found myself this utterly enthralled by what is shaping up to be a quality horror (?) game. I’m absolutely looking forward to diving into Autopsy Simulator’s dark mysteries, whatever they may be.
Souldiers
“This game is chef’s kiss good” was the first thing I said to myself when I stopped to take a quick break from the highly impressive demo of Souldiers. Sporting incredible pixel art, tight, responsive controls and a fairly interesting narrative to boot, Souldiers is everything I could ever want from a Metroidvania-style game that hopes to recapture the glory days of the 16-bit era. Also, have I mentioned that the story involves Valkyries and Ragnarok? Because it does.
Expedition Zero
Another pleasant surprise in the form of a survival horror game that, instead of jump scares, relies on tension, atmosphere and a genuinely oppressive location to establish its haunting mood. In my brief preview of the title, I wrote: “It feels like there’s a lot more left to explore in this world, and I’ve yet to full piece together every part of this terrifying puzzle. I am, however, intrigued. Haunting notes left in abandoned houses, inexplicable, ghost-like entities huddled together at a dark church, and oddly mutated, undead workers shuffling sluggishly between tents meant for children – these are just some of the fascinatingly head-scratching experiences I’ve had with Expedition Zero, but if the brief slice I’ve played is any indication, this could turn out to be a genuinely atmospheric, well-put-together survival horror experience. I, for one, can’t wait to see more.”
Otherworld Legends
Gorgeous artwork and flashy actions – what’s not to like? Otherworld Legends describes itself as a “blood-pumping, face-bashing roguelike brawler”, and I can’t help but agree. Thrown into randomly generated dungeons, you’re allowed to punch, smash and conjure your little heart out while taking on the role of a variety of wildly different characters, each with their own skillsets, pros and cons. It may not have been the most complex game I’ve played during the festival, but it certainly was one of the most fun – and when it gave me the option to put on some in-game headphones to drown out the cacophony of battle while listening to some smooth, funky tunes… well, that’s when I was completely sold on Otherworld Legends.
The Unliving
Who doesn’t want to be a necromancer? Actually, don’t answer that. Still, if you’re in the mood for a bit of Diablo-esque rampaging, The Unliving has you covered. Put in the shoes of a powerful Necromancer, just called The Necromancer (yup), you’re set loose upon the world of mortals and allowed to let your undead minions roam free. There’s a certain satisfaction in massacring a group of villagers, then immediately replenishing your armies with their corpses, and while the demo gave me the impression that certain things could be tweaked in terms of controlling your minions (I did actually find myself oddly outnumbered at times), the concept alone has me very much intrigued.
