Steam Next Fest, June 2022

I've been playing Beneath Oresa.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…Beneath_Oresa/

It's a rogue-like deck builder, which I imagine plenty people here are wary of, but it has a nice aesthetic and some interesting mechanics to it.

I also tried Selaco. I agree with JDR13 that it has potential, but some of the visual design choices are a little off. For example, I don't think the anime-ish still art (e.g. of the girl whom I assume you play) fits with the game at all.

I've also tried a couple of others that ended up being yet-another-indie-survival game that adds nothing to the genre.

Earths' Shadow looked like it had potential, nice graphics and plenty of atmosphere going by the screenies, but I didn't get very far before deciding that it was meh.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…Earths_Shadow/

One of you needs to try Jerry Wanker and the Quest to Get Laid. Quality pr0n.

Something completely different, I've tried Rail Route, a train-dispatching game. It's not the type of games I usually play for long, just to get my mind off things.

It's well presented, very clean UI design, and has interesting automation options once you get enough points to acquire them. Very good tutorial too, and some narrative to make it more engaging. No 3D view, it's not like Train Fever 2.

Originally Posted by Shagnak
Earths' Shadow looked like it had potential, nice graphics and plenty of atmosphere going by the screenies, but I didn't get very far before deciding that it was meh.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…Earths_Shadow/

Yep, that's another one I tried as well. Along with being mediocre, I had some technical issues with it. The mouse cursor wouldn't work properly in fullscreen mode for some reason, so I had to play it in a window, and it wouldn't match the resolution of my monitor. It was pretty rough all around.

I played a bit of Midnight Fight Express.
Kinda like a 3D Double Dragon. Lots of fun. Played the extended tutorial areas and the first mission/boss.
The only thing against it was that it needed more open areas; I thought it could get a little repetitive going from room to room over and over.
That said, the Steam page seems to show quite a few varied scenarios, so maybe the variety improves. So, not wish list material, but I'll keep an eye on it.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…Fight_Express/

Also tried Siege of Dungeon. Pixel gfx, dungeon romp, should be good - nope. Snoozefest.
Got to the end of the first level, decided not to continue.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…ge_of_Dungeon/

I tried Underwater Space. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…erwater_Space/
I thought it was going to be more than it was. It's just an action game with middling production values. Very skippable.

Also tried Stasis: Bone Totem. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…IS_BONE_TOTEM/
That was a lot better. Adventure games aren't really my thing, but if you're looking for one, it's pretty good. Strong atmosphere.

Just played some Frozen Flame.
It's a RPG/survival hybrid with stylized graphics. Has some potential - open world, charming looks. The RPG elements are simple - put points into skills in either Warrior, Ranger, or Sorcerer areas, and the crafting bits look fairly standard.
The performance in the first area is abysmal. The closer I got to the swirly portal the worse my framerate got, until I was in single digits even at lowest settings.
Then I got transported to the open world and performance massively improved, but still way too lumpy for something that doesn't look all that flash.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/715400/Frozen_Flame/

I tried Terra Invicta, a Grand Strategy game from Pavonis Interactive, of The Long War (XCOM/XCOM 2 mods) fame. And it is with deep sadness that I say that I didn't enjoy it.

I created a thread on Steam trying to explain what I did/didn't understand about the game. Summing up: IMHO the game doesn't communicate well what I could/should/shouldn't do and what benefits I would/wouldn't reap for our Faction if I choose/don't choose a given option that's presented to me, thus making the game, which already belongs to genre that's complicated by nature, become even more complicated. That, coupled with a (again IMHO) confusing UI, made me uninstall the demo and cross it off my wishlist. I wasn't having fun

It's a pity because I tried to like it. Or maybe the game is not for me, and I have to accept that.

Of course I may change my mind once the game gets released, but not without first reading several in-depth reviews and watching gameplay videos. And even so, getting the game after a good discount.

Some info about 1428: Shadows over Silesia, after I watched part of their stream.

The plan is to release the game on Sep 6th, even though the feedback from the demo made the dev realize the combat should be better explained and refined a little bit.

If I understood correctly, the game has 13 chapters and is about 30-hour long. I've seen stealthy parts in a dungeon, where the field of view of the guards is visible so you know where to walk and what to avoid; the ambient sounds and comments from the guards had a Thief vibe (indie style).

Other parts were shown with puzzles. There are riddles, and encrypted messages explaining who did something and why, as part of an investigation.

I wasn't entirely convinced by the demo but I didn't give it much time. It could still be interesting but I wouldn't expect something extraordinary or with a big replay value, more like a small indie exploration game with some variety in the content.

Well, it's over now, and I have to say I was disappointed. Tons of demos, but the quality games seemed even fewer and farther between this time. For me, that was the least interesting Next Fest since they started doing them.

I ended things by trying three of Humble's entries:
Ghost Song (metroidvania)
Moonscars (metroidvania souls-like?)
Signalis (retro-styled horror)

They were all triumphs of style over substance IMO. Oh well.

The one I had the most fun with was Midnight Fight Express (a Humble game I'd tried earlier).

Originally Posted by Shagnak
The one I had the most fun with was Midnight Fight Express (a Humble game I'd tried earlier).

Tried it after reading that. It reminds me of games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage with the obvious difference in that it's isometric.

It's fairly challenging. I chose the Hard difficulty, and there didn't seem to be any way to replenish lost health. I also couldn't get the timing quite right for blocking attacks. Killed myself several times by throwing explosive items while too close to an enemy.

Pretty fun overall, but I don't know how long that kind of action holds up. It seems kind of repetitive.