Next Fest Archives

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."

AppWizard

February 28, 2025

I became a domestic terrorist to steal a lightbulb in the best immersive sim I’ve played this Steam Next Fest—and it isn’t even a Next Fest demo

Peripeteia is a cyberpunk immersive sim set in an alternate reality of Poland, where players control a character named Marie who awakens disoriented and augmented in a warehouse. The game features a labyrinthine environment filled with gas-masked soldiers and surreal elements, such as a bar playing the USSR's National Anthem. Players must navigate creatively to complete quests, such as retrieving a bulb from a planetarium, which involves planning and stealth, including bombing a government building. The game recently entered early access, showcasing its potential for complex gameplay.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

Only One Cozy PC Game Will Help You Identify Plants In Real Life

Foraging for plants is a key activity in the game "Out and About," where players journey to the coastal town of Portobello to help a campsite manager named Annie recover from an injury caused by a storm. Players gather plants by photographing them, identifying species using a magnifying glass, and harvesting them responsibly. The game emphasizes community support and environmental appreciation, allowing players to create treats from foraged plants and sell them to townsfolk with specific needs. "Out and About" features a customizable character creator and charming animations, and it will be released on PC, though a release date has not been announced.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

You’ve got to try these 5 brilliant free roguelike deckbuilder game demos before Steam NextFest ends on March 3

Steam Next Fest features numerous deckbuilder demos available for free until March 3rd. Five standout demos include: - Aliosso: A dice rolling and deckbuilding game where players manage water resources to craft armor or use in other ways, set in charming pixel art desert landscapes. - Castle Clash: Players take on the roles of a knight, witch, and builder, aiming to destroy opposing castles while managing resources and making strategic choices. - Haunted House Deckbuilder: Players control a haunted house, defending against visitors by eliminating them or driving them mad to upgrade their home, with a humorous twist on classic simulation games. - Ballardo: A chaotic billiards game where players create mayhem by bouncing balls off each other, with a deckbuilding element that allows for strategic enhancements. - Word Migration: A word game where players help a bird migrate by forming words from letter tiles, generating 'flaps' for movement and utilizing special feathers for bonuses. Honourable mentions include Kindfolx, Inkborn, and A la Card.