If there’s one thing I associate with Steam’s Next Fest event, it’s indie game demos: a whole host of potentially interesting – and upcoming – releases to pore over and sample as I dive into the popular PC platform’s massive repertoire. And every single time, I manage to find a handful of very promising and unique projects, which usually prompts me to write one of these little articles, to make sure that you (yes, you!) are also introduced to and made aware of a variety of lesser-known gems.
So, on that note, here are my favorite indie games from the latest Steam Next Fest, in no particular order!
Midnight Special
Midnight Special, ironically enough, ended up being something really special. Its opening scenes and the accompanying soundtrack already made me feel like I was booting up an old DOS game from the 90s, so the nostalgic tone was guaranteed from the word go. Then we’re introduced to a house filled with aging furniture, creaky floorboards and generally unsettling vibes – but the “spooky mansion” theme of the demo quickly turns even more sinister, with Edgar Allan Poe references and some absolutely nightmarish imagery. I’d hate to spoil it for you, so it’s best if you go in blind, but needless to say, Midnight Special is a horror point & click adventure game you’ll want to keep an eye on.
Mohrta
This demo was one of the best comeback stories of Next Fest for me. Allow me to elaborate. Upon starting up Mohrta, I was… skeptical, to say the least. I wasn’t sure if I’d be having fun, or if the game was even for me, mostly because the opening sequence doesn’t really give you a good idea of how colorful and creative the rest of the experience will be. Now, the visuals are aggressively retro and certain other elements (like the cutesy mascot character) might be a bit too much for some players, but in my case, the more I played Mohrta, the more I warmed up to it and its bizarre, otherworldly charm and unique aesthetics. This is a game I thought I’d dislike… until it suddenly claimed itself a spot on my list of most anticipated indie projects.
The Stone of Madness
I knew this was going to be an interesting project the moment I read its premise, and I was right. A stealth game from developer The Game Kitchen (the team behind Blasphemous), The Stone of Madness plays a lot like a Spanish, 18th century version of Desperados that takes place within a monastery/madhouse: you control multiple protagonists at the same time, utilizing their strengths – while working around their weaknesses – in order to get from A to B undetected. For example, one character is able to swiftly assassinate unsuspecting enemy guards, while another goes into a panic and gradually loses his sanity upon seeing a dead body; you’ll have one character who’s terrified of fire (forcing you to put out torches), and then another who dreads being in the dark for too long. It’s a bit of a rock-paper-scissors dynamic, with players having to figure out how best to overcome their obstacles without triggering the latent fears and paranoias of each protagonist. I was terrible at the demo, mind you, but even I could see just how well thought out it was.
Mandragora
Mandragora is a visually stunning 2.5D action-RPG with metroidvania and soulslike elements that transports players to a world ravaged by monsters and other unholy abominations. You take on the role of an inquisitor who, at least in the demo, is on a quest to hunt down a certain witch, and ventures into the hostile wilderness to accomplish that goal at all costs. While Mandragora’s demo didn’t quite allow me to play around with the game’s multiple classes and customization options (I could only pick one class), I enjoyed what I played of it. I particularly liked how two-handed swords functioned: in other games, they often feel too slow and cumbersome to be worth wielding, but here in Mandragora, they stun your opponent, giving you just enough time to land your hits, which was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. Sadly, the demo was over before I could really sink my teeth into the world, but I’m most certainly looking forward to more.
Heartworm
The demo of Heartworm felt like a love letter to 90s survival horror games: its delightfully blocky characters and PlayStation-era textures managed to craft a comfy atmosphere I could immediately sink myself into. Instead of exploring a zombie-infested mansion, though, you’re wading through surreal locations that feel like a waking nightmare – what’s more, you’re not limited to a classic fixed-camera perspective, as the game allows you to enter a third-person, over-the-shoulder mode, which felt like a nice combination of the retro and the modern.
And there you have it – our personal list of memorable games from this October’s Steam Next Fest! We hope we’ve managed to introduce you to some cool titles, and as always, we’ll see you during the next… Next Fest!