Steam Next Fest: A Feast of Demo’s

Time for another Steam Next Fest to get underway at 6 pm BST/10 am PT from Monday, 13th June, until Monday, 20th June. There are plenty of free demos to try out for the week. But with so many free demos available, choosing what you want to play can be a little overwhelming, so we thought we would highlight some of our favourite upcoming games to try out.

Most of the games mentioned below, with a few exceptions, have been tried and tested by the team at LadiesGamers. Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of game demos released for the Steam Next Fest; for all the demo’s released you can find the page here. Let’s get started.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara

Chibig Studios have a demo for Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara to download. Anyone that follows LadiesGamers will know that we have reviewed Summer in Mara and Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition and written guides for both games. So now is your chance to try out a little portion of their upcoming game Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara.

Set in the same universe as Mara, Koa is an action-adventure game. In the full game, you’ll join the series favourite Koa and her friend Napopo on an action-packed journey through the world of Mara. Traverse wild islands, dodge cunning traps and defeat the pirate bosses in this loving tribute to classic platforming adventures. In addition, you can find the demo here.

Hamster on Rails

Hamster on Rails is a cute puzzle game by Virtual Arts Studio. You’ll help the hamsters’ village to collect minerals and crystals by building crazy railways to solve the fun puzzles. This is a short demo where you must lay tracks to help the little hamster, and a few of his friends collect some crystals. I’m playing a longer demo version for an impressions article, and it is an enjoyable game with great animations and tricky puzzles. Check back soon for our Hamster on Rails demo impressions, in the meantime, you can find the demo here.

Terra Nil

Terra Nil has been in development for a while now and was recently featured in the Wholesome Direct. It is a reverse city builder where you are tasked with cleaning up the land, purifying the soil, and cultivating greenery. No two play-throughs are the same as the map is procedurally generated each time, offering a new environment to take care of and clean up. I’ve played the demo of Terra Nil a few times when it was released in previous Steam Next Fests, and I can’t wait for the full game to be released. Check out the demo here.

Foretales

Are you into adventure card games? If you are, you should try out the demo for Foretales. A terrible curse ravages the realm. The only one who can stop it is a small-time thief named Volepain. Foretales tells the story of a world doomed by a dark prophecy. With the clock ticking on the apocalypse, it’s up to you to decide how to use what little time is left. Mina tried the game out for our Foretales preview, which you can find here. You can find the game’s Steam page here. 

Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To

Another puzzle game, this time in the action-puzzle, match-three genre with LGBTQ+ characters set in a lush, narrative-driven world of witchy demons. In Spirit Swap, you swap to the beat as you reassemble lost spirits and enjoy a custom lofi soundtrack by the incredible Meltycanon. You’ll cast powerful spells and arrange spirits into special patterns to unlock potent powers. In addition, you’ll earn trinkets and keepsakes as you play, then place them in Samar’s room to affect gameplay. Check out the demo here. 

Tin Hearts

In Tin Hearts, you guide a troop of mischievous tin soldiers through a magical toy-filled world using a variety of whimsical and inventive contraptions to bounce, shoot and glide them to their goal. You can read James’ Impressions of the game here and find the game’s Steam page here. 

Faerie Afterlight

The game is a platform adventure game inspired by Indonesian philosophy and folk art. You’ll simultaneously control Kimo and Wispy as this unlikely but inseparable duo explores Lumina’s infested caverns, deep seas, and ghostly cities to gather the scattered shards of Light. Solve puzzles, unlock new abilities, and fight fierce enemies in Faerie Afterlight. Check out the demo here. 

Lost in Play

Lost in Play was featured in the Wholesome Direct, a point-and-click adventure game. The game is a journey through childhood imagination with thoughtfully crafted puzzles and colourful characters. Play as a brother and sister duo on an adventure to find their way back home. Between reality and fantasy, the siblings explore the enchanted forest of a horned beast, start a rebellion in a goblin village, and help a team of frogs free a sword from a stone. The Lost in Play Steam page can be found here. 

APICO

I had the pleasure of reviewing APICO last month. It is a laid-back exploration management game about Bees. In APICO, you’ll find and breed bees taking care of their needs in the many beehives you’ll have dotted around your house. APICO uniquely combines resource gathering, biology, and beekeeping minigames, taking ideas from a mix of real-life and fantasy apiculture & floriculture. Check out the demo of the game here. 

The Wandering Village

Originally funded on Kickstarter, The Wandering Village is a unique take on the rogue-lite building genre. You’ll look after a small group of survivors who seek shelter on the back of a giant, wandering creature they call ‘Onbu’. I’ve played the demo for The Wandering Village, and it is a great game; the developers took their inspiration for The Wandering Village from such games as Timberborn and Airborne Kingdom. You can find the demo here. 

Critter Crops

Critter Crops is an isometric role-playing/management game, where you take control of Sylvie as she explores the island. Sylvie will raise crops of magical critters and try to uncover the secret of who invited her to the island and why. Previously we interviewed Critter Crops developer Crystal Sciarrino and Charmaine Duff, marketing manager from SkyReach Studios, for our Ladies In Gaming Biz series of interviews. You can find the Critter Crops demo here. 

Harmony’s Odyssey

Another game featured in the Wholesome Direct at the weekend was Harmony’s Odyssey. The game is a 3D fantasy adventure puzzle game set on mythical dioramas full of riddles, perky creatures and magic. You’ll embark on a fantastic journey through remote fabled lands tangled by a rowdy cat and bring peace to its inhabitants. Find the demo here. 

Townseek

You might remember Townseek from the Wholesome Direct at the weekend. An adventure simulation game where you embark on a journey to discover the legacy of Sir Reginald Sharkingston as you complete his journal. You’ll take to the skies, travel far and wide, discover exotic landmarks, visit faraway towns, trade with their hosts, complete quests, catch fish, and discover artefacts. I downloaded this one myself as it looks great, though I haven’t had a chance to play it as yet. Find the demo here.

Mail Time

A cosy wholesome game, Mail Time is a relaxing, cottage core adventure set in a peaceful forest, far, far away. You play as a Mail Scout and are equipped with a mushroom hat, and a pack full of letters. In addition, you have unbridled enthusiasm to help out those around you. So, it’s time to deliver letters and packages across the Grumblewood Grove. Check out the demo here. 

Sweet Transit

Published by Team17 Sweet Transit has been on my wishlist for a while, it is a city builder with trains due to be released on the 28th of July. In Sweet Transit you use mighty iron horses (trains) to build new settlements. In addition, you’ll create intricate production lines, and grow humble villages into thriving metropolises while moving through distinct eras such as the introduction of steam power and the invention of the combustion engines. you can find the demo here. You can find the demo here.