Christmas is again around the corner, and after it, the New Year. As is my habit, I am going through my Steam wishlist again. The main idea is to figure out my game plan for the upcoming sales, play some demos, and clean up that long wishlist of mine.
So these are 4 games I’m looking forward to playing, games that are firmly on my wishlist. I recommend looking into the recently released demos. All of the demos are available on their respective Steam pages.
Chronique des Silencieux
The first of the four games is Chronique des Silencieux. In Chronique des Silencieux, we play a rookie private eye investigating the life of an old history professor. The game is set in the 1970s in southern France. From what I can see in the demo, the game is in isometric style. It is hand-drawn and resembles some classic French and Belgian comic books.
The demo gives a brief taste of what is to come- classic detective work, with witnesses to question, evidence to gather, and papers to read. I love games like that! Chronique des Silencieux is easily one of the most anticipated titles for me. I was hoping for a 2023 release, but I’ll have to wait for the first quarter of 2024.
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is an upcoming productivity game like my favorite Virtual Cottage (also mentioned in my article Productivity Games: 4 Games to try Right Now). It offers customization options for everything from sound effects to the appearance of the virtual avatar and space. On top of that, Spirit City has its lore and spirit pets. You can lure them with the right combination of settings and add them to your spirit collection.
From the trailer, it was obvious that the artwork would be stunning. The demo version is proof of that. The colors are crisp and warm. The room’s interior is beautiful, and the way the light moves across the surfaces when you change the ambience is spectacular. In other words, I can’t wait for the full version to come out.
Tavern Talk
Tavern Talk is a game that popped up once in my Discovery Queue, but I should have paid more attention. Then, a few weeks back, Mina did a Steam Demo Impressions here, and I promptly went back and marked the game onto my wishlist.
Only recently did I come around to playing the demo. I was hooked. The artwork is stunning. The gameplay is engaging. The storylines are fun. What’s not to like? Now, only if the game comes out sooner…
A Twisted Tale
A Twisted Tale is an upcoming point-and-click adventure inspired by all the classic quest games back in the day. It is a hand-drawn comic-styled adventure heavily influenced by the Monkey Island and Deponia games. The demo has been out for a while, and while it only features one room, it still has plenty of Eastern eggs.
Our heroine, Vio, is witty and brave, and the game will take her on a wild adventure. A Twisted Tale was announced in 2021 and was supposed to come out last year, and here we are at the end of 2023, and the game is still “coming soon.” Well, one can hope, right?
We Stay Behind
We Stay Behind is a charming single-player third-person mystery game. A comet is on course to destroy a small town, but its inhabitants refuse to leave. We play as a writer who has come to interview the people of Laburnum Creek, explore a beautiful national park, and unravel the secrets of the little town.
The demo offered a brief peek into the game, but it was enough to impress me with the beautiful scenery. The models of the people are somewhat unrealistic, but the nature and the interiors are stunning. The soundtrack is well-suited and blends well with the sounds of nature.
The elements of mystery and intrigue are there – a poster of a missing person here, a reference to the police there, and then, there is the comet itself, bright in the sky. We Stay Behind has no release date yet, but I am anxiously waiting.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of games in my backlog, anxiously awaiting their turn. In fact, if you’ve counted, you’ll see it turned into five games, one snuck in! And then there are plenty of games I anxiously await, like the five games I’ve mentioned. Still, it is better to have more games than time than the other way around!