HomeFeatures
The best free game demos at Steam Next FestI would play 500 games, and I would play 500 more
I would play 500 games, and I would play 500 more
Redfall E3 Trailer Reaction | E3 2021Watch on YouTube
Redfall E3 Trailer Reaction | E3 2021
Wolfstride
Alotof people I know have a weird thing for giant robots. Transformers, Gundam: if it’s big, metal, and punches other big metal things, they’re into it. Not in a sexy way (I mean, I assume not in a sexy way. I haven’t asked), they just think they’re neat. And playing Wolfstride is the closest I have come to being like “OHHHH, I get it!”
Get the free Wolfstride demo here.
Little Witch In The Woods
Get the free Little Witch In The Woods demo here.
Darjeeling and publisher Pixmain have adapted a children’s book series and created a moving, luxury Where’s Wally (which is my frame of reference because I never read Pierre The Maze Detective). Each level is a dense maze, through which you must wend your way, and while in practise you can’t really get lost or go far in the wrong direction, exploring is a charming time. There are treasure chests, golden stars and hidden notes to find in every level, not to mention interactable bits to surprise and elicit giggles. It’sHidden Folksin full colour, and definitely an imaginative toy to plonk in front of a child.
Death Trash
Get the free Death Trash demo here.
Freshly Frosted
Freshly Frosted turned up at Wholesome Direct, which is how it first came to my attention. Coming later this year from The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild (who, you’d think from the name, would have more pressing things on their plate than donuts), this little puzzle game is way harder than it looks. Each oven will spit out a plain donut, and you have to build a network of conveyor belts that carry them to an exit chute. Except, some of them will need to stay plain, some will need cream and a cherry on top, and some will need icing but no sprinkles. Then add in stuff like mandatory switches separating your donuts into two or more streams and you’ve got the recipe for a donut factorynightmare. In a good way.
Get the free Freshly Frosted demo here.
Norco
Norcois point and click, but I hesitate to say adventure. It describes itself as “a sci-fi SouthernGothic”, which checks out. You return to your childhood home town after several years away, and the recent death of your mother. Exploring the industrial town, with its rundown suburbs and general air of decline, you uncover a semi-secret semi-conspiracy as you search for your newly missing brother. It’s quite a lot of drama, but it all feels subdued and matter of fact.
Get the free Norco demo here.
The Immortal Mayor
I’m a fool for a chill city builder, and if this isn’t that then I dunno what is. From Star Chess Studio, The Immortal Mayor is launching into Early Access later this month, and it shows great promise in the demo - albeit, shows it quite slowly. You build an absolutely stunning town (first priority being to give everyone houses) and gradually expand it to fill their needs for food, entertainment, and just living somewhere pretty and stable. Even though it’s not fully translated yet, it’s intuitive enough that dull English-only speakers like myself will be able to grasp everything and make somewhere pretty nice, and since you’re a local deity you have access to some limited magic, and can build shrines to other gods for passive boosts to other things. The only problem, really, is that it takes just a mite too long to do anything, so you might as well just have full fast forward speed on the whole time.
Get the free The Immortal Mayor demo here.
Kapital: Sparks Of Revolution
Lapovich Team deliver another cool city builder/management game, although this one is slightly less chill - but will be of particular interest to teens who’ve read (or at least pretend to have read) The Communist Manifesto. Anon-specificEuropean country has just weathered an invasion during a war, and needs to rebuild. As the mayor you need to facilitate this, whilst also balancing the needs and dissatisfaction of the upper, middle and working classes. For example, you initially levy taxes on the more entrepreneurial middle class, who are business owners. Raising taxes on the nobility requires you to pass another, different law, but you can only pass new laws on a fixed time frame, so d’you wanna use your next one for that, or to nationalise education? Social unrest is, we are told, inevitable…
Get the free Kapital: Sparks Of Revolution demo here.
Bear And Breakfast
Get the free Bear And Breakfast demo here.
They Always Run
In this case they always run in 2D, and away from you. This is fair enough, since you are a mutant bounty hunter with a third arm sticking out of your back. I enjoyed the space-ish setting, with kind of a “You ain’t from round these parts” hostile cowboy saloon feeling. Alawar Premium have made a game that encourages you to be speedy. You can run, jump and insta-kill parry multiple baddies in one go, all with surprisingly little effort. Your third arm comes into play as basically a special ability - you can power it up to do special attacks, or use it to break blocks. Controller required for full enjoyment, I’d say.
Get the free They Always Run demo here.
The Rewinder
Get the free Rewinder demo here.
