Steam Next Fest is in full swing, wrapping up on June 17, with a whole new crop of demos for upcoming games. It can be overwhelming to figure out which ones are worth your time, so here’s a list of five highlights to try out and add to your wishlist!
First on the list is Blue Prince. Imagine the Winchester Mystery House as a roguelike. An eccentric relative leaves you their mysterious mansion, but only if you can find the hidden 46th room in the 45-room estate. The catch? The house’s layout shifts daily, making consistent mapping impossible. Each day, you explore the house, presented with three options for what room will be on the other side. Rooms vary in the number of doors and bonuses they offer, so each choice is crucial. Collect keys to open locked doors and gems to add beneficial rooms. The day ends when you run out of “steps” or have no new doors to go through. While there are no monsters, the house has an eerie vibe with surprises, puzzles, and story moments. The demo lets you play for four days, but Blue Prince’s unique core loop is unforgettable.
Next up is Vampire Therapist. This visual novel caught my eye despite not being a genre enthusiast. You play a vampire cowboy turned therapist, helping fellow creatures of the night with their mental health issues. The game is humorous and occasionally sexy but takes mental health seriously, teaching about cognitive disorders. Your dialog choices add flavor to the story, but the core gameplay involves identifying behaviors in other vampires and helping them work through it. The sharp writing, great voice acting, and art style make it a total package. Vampire Therapist is due out on July 18.
Conscript is a survival horror game set in the trenches of the Battle of Verdun during World War I. You play as a French soldier searching for his missing brother. The game features a beautiful top-down pixel art style, limited resources, and high-stakes combat. The visceral experience of scrounging for supplies and fighting for your life is unique within the genre. Conscript is due out on July 23.
If you’re looking for a fast and vicious arcade experience, Kill Knight is a no-brainer. Banished to the Abyss, you must progress deeper by mowing down hordes of terrifying enemies with various weapons. Inspired by recent DOOM games, the game features several layers of mechanics to optimize your play while chasing high scores. The clever balance of systems adds complexity to the bullet hell gameplay without overwhelming you. Initially tough to keep track of, it becomes intuitive once you get in a rhythm. There are extra pieces of equipment to unlock by completing specific challenges, adding to the excitement.
Lastly, Demonschool is a tactics game that instantly intrigued me. You play a group of misfits at a university where the curriculum involves hunting down haunted items and locating cursed objects. The tone is light and funny, even when dramatic phrases like “only nine weeks until the apocalypse” are mentioned. Similar to the Persona series, you’ll interact with fellow students and investigate strange happenings involving demons and local gangsters. The game features a combination of cartoon and pixel art styles with fun music. The tactical turn-based battles have a twist: you must kill a specific number of monsters and move a character to the far side of the map to seal the portal. The clever and fast-paced battle system complements the entertaining story and tone. Demonschool will be released on September 13.
What games have you run across during this week’s Steam Next Fest? Sound off in the comments with your suggestions!
