Next Fest Archives

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Mobile firm Brightika to invest $3m in PC and console titles

Brightika is investing a substantial amount over the next two years to enter the PC and console gaming market, aiming to support indie game development with financial backing, marketing, and publishing assistance. The company has nearly 200 million installations of its mobile games and plans to replicate this success in the new markets. Discussions are ongoing with various development teams, and some titles may be showcased at the Steam Next Fest from June 9th to 16th. Founder Alexander Rodichev highlights the goal of providing marketing and distribution support to developers in these sectors.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Brightika charts $3M expansion into PC and console space

Mobile game publisher Brightika is expanding into PC and console gaming with a commitment of one million dollars to develop new titles. The funding will be allocated over the next 12 to 24 months, focusing on marketing, user acquisition, localization, and community support for indie developers. Brightika plans to offer financial backing, marketing strategies, and operational assistance, including creating demos and trailers for its partners' games. The first PC title from this initiative is Bullet Yeeters, a PvP third-person shooter set to launch in the spring. Brightika will announce the first recipients of its funding during the upcoming Steam Next Fest. Founder Alexander Rodichev highlighted the company's goal to apply its marketing expertise to support developers in the PC and console space.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Synergy’s full release has more challenges like tricky soil, illness, and death, which will all slowly tear down your paradise

Synergy has transformed for its official launch, introducing new features that enhance gameplay, including new plants, seasons, and storylines. The game has evolved from a city builder with limited resources and storyline to a more complex experience influenced by solarpunk themes, where players care for refugees and establish sustainable settlements. The full release includes a dynamic temperature system that introduces challenges such as severe dry spells and the need for new tools. Players must also manage emerging threats like contagious diseases, necessitating the establishment of hospitals and scientific districts. Improvements in building systems include a unified water supply that simplifies resource management and enhanced monitoring tools for better strategic decision-making.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

This Delivery Destruction Game Will Be Free On PC At Launch

Publisher Konami and developer Far Out Games will launch the delivery simulator, Deliver At All Costs, on May 22, available for free on the Epic Games Store for one week. After this period, it will revert to its standard price and be available on PS5, Steam, and Xbox Series X|S. The game is set in 1959 and follows Winston Green, a courier facing various challenges while delivering cargo. A demo is available on Steam, and preorders on other platforms offer a 10% discount. The game was recognized as one of GameSpot's best demos during Steam's Next Fest.

AppWizard

March 3, 2025

Card Games Are Getting Even More Inventive On PC, And I Couldn’t Be More Excited

Traditional deckbuilding card games are evolving with innovative titles that blend elements of tactical RPGs and tabletop gaming. The Steam Next Fest showcased new games hinting at the future of card games. Shuffle Tactics combines deckbuilding with tactical RPG elements, featuring multiple units on a grid and characters with unique hands of cards for buffing allies and attacking enemies. It includes inventive abilities and emphasizes positioning for strategic gameplay. As We Descend incorporates adventure game elements, allowing character card enhancement and dividing the battlefield into guard and support zones. Players protect an artifact while engaging in narrative and light city-building elements, utilizing cards for interactions within a hub. Into the Restless Ruins redefines deckbuilding by focusing on dungeon creation, where players use cards to build a dungeon and then explore it, engaging in automatic battles. The game emphasizes creative problem-solving and combat, drawing inspiration from tabletop RPGs.

AppWizard

March 3, 2025

Our favourite demos from Steam Next Fest Winter 2025

The latest Steam Next Fest showcased a variety of indie games, encouraging players to explore unique demos. - DoubleWe: A first-person roguelite game where players navigate a world filled with tension, facing their murderous clone among twitching NPCs. - 1950s Delivery Game: A top-down delivery game set in the 1950s, featuring chaotic streets and absurd jobs for an underachieving courier, with destructible environments. - Wanderstop: A game centered on a grouchy protagonist, Alta, where players help him unwind and enjoy mundane tasks. - The Horror At Highrook: A cosmic horror board game that invites players to explore haunted environments and uncover hidden malevolence through card-crafting systems. - Hotline Miami-inspired Game: A game that allows players to switch perspectives and link environmental elements for strategic gameplay and destruction.

AppWizard

March 2, 2025

Steam Next Fest’s biggest Soulslike is about to jump from PC to PS5 and Xbox, and everyone seems to love the demo just as much as we did

The First Berserker: Khazan is an action RPG prequel to Nexon's Dungeon Fighter Online, set to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 27, alongside its PC release. The game has received praise for its smooth mechanics and responsive controls, distinguishing itself from other action games by avoiding sluggishness. It integrates classic elements familiar to FromSoftware fans while featuring a quicker combat system. The game ranks as the sixth most anticipated title in Steam Next Fest, with nearly 4,000 user reviews and a 90% approval rating. Players appreciate its combat mechanics, art style, and features like the absence of loading screens upon death.

AppWizard

March 2, 2025

This week’s hot PC gaming Steam deals Feb.23-Mar.1

The Steam Next Fest is currently ongoing, offering significant sales and free game demos. Ubisoft is holding a Big Publisher Sale with discounts on various titles, including: - Star Wars: Outlaws - 50% off - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - 50% off - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - 70% off - The Rogue Prince of Persia - 25% off - Riders Republic - 80% off - Anno 1800 - 90% off - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege - 80% off - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - 67% off - Rayman Legends - 80% off Sales from indie publishers Annapurna Interactive and New Blood Interactive include: - Neon White - 50% off - Ultrakill - 33% off - What Remains of Edith Finch - 75% off - Blood West - 55% off - Flock - 20% off Notable cultural games on sale are: - Lies of P - 40% off - Cocoon - 40% off - Black Mesa - 75% off - Dredge - 50% off - Unpacking - 50% off Ubisoft's sale ends on March 13, while the indie sales conclude on March 3, 2025.

AppWizard

March 2, 2025

I wrote one-sentence reviews of over 70 Steam demos to help you decide which to try before Next Fest ends

During the recent Steam Next Fest, 83 game demos were explored, with impressions shared on 72 titles. Highlights include: - Monster Train 2: A more intricate version of the original. - Sandustry: A blend of Noita and Factorio with unique mechanics. - Nomad Idle: An action RPG mixed with idle game elements. - Deliver At All Costs: Early GTA-inspired package delivery game. - Machine Mind: Resource gathering and base defense in a Borderlands-inspired setting. - Mech Havoc: A top-down shooter combining Brigador and MechWarrior elements. - Solarpunk: A survival game lacking depth. - Tempest Rising: A revival of Command & Conquer. - Mecha Break: Overwhelmed by free-to-play design choices. - Void War: Combines FTL and Warhammer 40k. - Wizdom Academy: Falls short as a wizard school management sim. - Settler's Domain: A minimalist colony-builder that encourages rapid gameplay. - Behind the Sword: An indie grand strategy 4X game with a unique spherical grid. Additional notable titles include: - RoadCraft: Relaxed truck logistics game. - Grit and Valor - 1949: Dieselpunk mech micro-RTS. - Drop Duchy: City builder with randomization issues. - He is Coming: Lo-fi roguelike RPG. - Desperate Place: Sci-fi iteration of Thronefall. - Roman Triumph: Survival City Builder: Interesting city builder with subpar AI art. - Icaria: Worker-programming factory game. - Rise of Industry 2: Lacking gameplay mechanics despite appealing aesthetic. - Windward Horizon: Complicated crafting and RPG mechanics. - Guntouchables: Co-op action roguelike with potential. - Game of Thrones: Kingsroad: Brief and unengaging demo. - Darkwater: Potential premise hindered by discomforting field of view. - War Rats: The Rat em Up: Chaotic experience added to wishlist. Other games mentioned include Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids, Outworld Station, As We Descend, Railgods of Hysterra, City Tales: Medieval Era, Task Force Admiral, Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall, Dark Moon, Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, The Horror at Highrook, Radiolight, Is This Seat Taken?, God Forsaken, Total Chaos, Nordhold, Missing Banban, Wheel World, I Am Legion: Stand Survivors, Labyrinth of the Demon King, Unyielder, Reignbreaker, Urban Jungle, Dagger Directive, Star Crafter, Blightstone, Redemption of Liuyin, Cybertaxi: Lunatic Nights, MechaKnights Legends, Jitter, Rock Crusher, Chaos Front, Savara, Pochemeow, Death Ring: Second Impact, Mystical Tactics, Uber Urban, Sweep, Anoxia Station, Starless Abyss, Scarecrow, Wanderstop, and Conquest Dark.

AppWizard

March 1, 2025

I did not expect the most promising turn-based tactics game of Steam Next Fest to star the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but here we are

TMNT: Tactical Takedown is a new turn-based tactics game featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, showcased during the Steam Next Fest. The game presents battles against the Foot Clan in a board game-like format on a dynamic battlefield grid, where players allocate action points and utilize various abilities. Each turtle has unique gameplay styles, but the demo reveals balance issues, particularly with Michelangelo being more challenging than Leonardo and Donatello. Some ability tooltips can be misleading, affecting gameplay clarity. The game features a one-versus-many setup against simplistic AI, allowing for strategic maneuvers. The demo lasts about an hour and is currently available for free until March 3, after which it will be removed from the store. The release date is marked as "TBA."