Ball x Pit was recently revealed during a special edition of the summer Devolver Direct, where a documentary was released highlighting Ball x Pit and Kenny Sun. It immediately caught my attention, and I’m thrilled to say the Steam Next Fest demo lives up to the hype. Ball x Pit is a roguelite, brick-breaker, base-building survival game – got all that? You dive into runs where you begin with a lackluster set of mini-orbs and one spiked ball that you fire at incoming waves of enemies. As they die, you collect experience, level up, and select new perks and abilities to utilize on this run.

Like any good roguelite, the progression happens fast, and the runs grow more and more chaotic as you upgrade weaponry, discover new perks, and create more synergies. This part of the game is a lot of fun, but it’s only part of the experience. After a run, you return to your base to plant crops, create forestry, and upgrade and harvest these plots of land to gain more resources, expand your base, and rinse and repeat. It has not just one loop of excitement, but multiple, and that’s a sign of the kind of game I will likely lose a lot of time to. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Ascend to ZERO has quickly shot up on my list of games I’m looking forward to checking out the final release of, and fortunately, I don’t have to wait long, as it’s “coming soon,” according to Steam. In the demo, you control Chrono Child, a cyberpunk-esque character who must save a pixel-art-meets-voxels-hybrid world… in 30 seconds. To do so, Chrono Child picks up a sword and heads through a portal where she’s placed into a long, futuristic hallway filled with enemies. In the first room, I find Level 1 enemies and can quickly dispatch them by clicking on the mouse to kill them. But I must do so quickly as there’s just 30 seconds to do everything I need to do.

I can pause time by pressing the space bar, but I can’t attack during this period. So I utilize this paused time to collect experience after killing every enemy in the room. Chrono Child quickly levels into the 20s, making the next room full of Level 25 enemies easier to kill. I rinse and repeat until I reach the Level 70 room – with just 10 seconds left on the clock, I must strategically use my time-stopping mechanic to collect enough experience to defeat the Elite enemy in this room. Doing so frees Gabriela, an NPC who will now appear at my home base to help with my adventure. In that base, there seems to be additional NPCs to free as they each have stations that will presumably help Chrono Child on future runs. As a roguelike, it features all the stress and excitement I love about this genre, condensed into extremely fast runs. After checking it out, Ascend to ZERO is a game I’ll be watching closely as we near its full release. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

I’ve been tracking Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream since it was first revealed in June last year. With a pedigree of developers who have experience on Mirror’s Edge and Battlefield, I figured it’d be something worth keeping an eye on. After playing through the Steam Next Fest demo, I’m thoroughly impressed and excited for more. It’s nothing like the game you’d expect from developers who worked on Mirror’s Edge and Battlefield, which makes it all the better. Set in the fictional city of Eriksholm in the 1900s, it follows three protagonists, though the demo is focused on one named Hanna. She’s an adolescent orphan searching for her brother, Herman. After a lengthy and beautifully rendered opening cinematic, I’m thrown into a stressful escape where I must crawl and sneak my way through a warehouse.

Doing so is as simple as clicking where you want to go on the screen, using the WASD keys to move the camera, Q and E to rotate, and the mouse scroll to zoom in and out. Utilizing the camera is critical to successfully escaping because this stealth game leaves little room for mistakes. I appreciate this challenging approach to the stealth genre as it forces me to really pay attention to enemy sightlines, their pathways, and the floor beneath me (since specific types of floors are louder than others). The city of Eriksholm, as presented in this demo, is gorgeous and sunny, and it’s fun engaging with a stealth-heavy, isometric game in such an otherwise bright environment. It launches next month on July 15, and I can’t wait to see what the other protagonists are up to in Eriksholm. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Consume Me might be the cutest-looking game on this list of Steam Next Fest demos, but don’t let that fool you – the team behind it is tackling some heavy themes in the game. Centered around a girl who struggles with food and weight, and a mom who shows no mercy or grace and ridicules her because of it, Consume Me is a non-traditional point-and-click narrative experience. Everything I did in the demo was completed with just one hand and by clicking on the mouse. It’s straightforward in that regard, but a lot is happening on-screen.

In this short demo, I worked out, purchased diet magazines and study guides, walked the dog, folded laundry, talked to a boy, got yelled at by my mom multiple times, ate food, snuck into the kitchen for a late-night snack, and more. These tasks are completed with short, simple, and sweet minigames, enhanced by a cute art style and boppy soundtrack. Everything you do is tracked via a calendar and a journal to track your bites (basically calories), energy, stomach fullness, mood, and more. It all coalesces into a fun time and something very unique in the video game space. I look forward to seeing how this game further tackles this heavy and relatable topic narratively and mechanically when the full game launches this September. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Escape From Duckov, despite what its name implies, is not a multiplayer extraction shooter starring ducks. It is, however, a single-player top-down shooter where you play as a customizable duck who is looking to escape from the clutches of other birds. It’s also a looter shooter and looting is necessary as you begin each run with nothing to your name. You must collect weapons, bandages, and other items like chocolate milk if you plan to survive, all while sleuthing through hallways, buildings, towns, and more. You can take out enemies in close-range combat using melee weapons, but you’ll need to utilize your duck’s ability to sprint and dodge roll away from enemy attacks because dying comes easy in Escape From Duckov.

But as you progress, you’ll find stronger weapons, including guns, that make killing other ducks easy. Though I only gave Escape From Duckov about 30 minutes (there are lots of other demos to check out, y’all), developer Team Soda promises 8 hours of content in this Steam Next Fest demo. There’s base building, NPCs to befriend, plenty more weapons and items to loot, and more. If you’re looking for a fun spin on the looter shooter genre, give Escape From Duckov a try. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Bandit Trap could be your friend group’s next multiplayer hang as it’s a charming, simple to pick up and play, and ultimately, fun game about setting traps in a location to prevent other players from stealing treasures. In each round, it’s one Trapper vs. three Bandits. The Trapper has two minutes to place traps throughout a location, like a punching boxing glove, bomb, flamethrower, or something else into various pieces of furniture in the demo’s house location, for example. After the two minutes are up, three Bandit players rush in to secure as much treasure as possible by looting things around the house.

As the Trapper, you must sneak around the place to reach trap towers, from which you can activate your traps and inflict damage upon the Bandits. Take down their health bars and their treasure looting days are done (for the round). But they can also take you out, so you must be careful when sneaking around, utilizing Trapper-specific pathways to escape their sight lines. It’s the kind of game that will provide more laughter than a competitive edge, as the stakes don’t seem high. Nonetheless, I had a great time with the demo and recommend checking it out with some homies. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Immersiv Games comprises just one developer, and they reached out to me on social media to introduce their game. Now, that’s not a surefire way to get me to check out your game – in fact, I’d say most of the time this won’t work because my plate of games to check out is often already full – but I was intrigued by Arcadian Days’ minimalist exploration and sun-kissed visuals. After checking out the full Steam Next Fest demo, I’m excited to see what kind of chill vibes await in the full game. As Miela, you and your family arrive at a new homestead in a gorgeous mountain valley. After completing a few tasks, which are quick and simple like collecting plants for a crop or wood for a shed, I’m transported to a hill amongst mountains, with the sun falling behind beautiful clouds before night arrives.

The tasks I have already completed and the ones awaiting me on this hill, which include finding a basket of carrots in a field for soup, aren’t all that exciting. They aren’t difficult either, but based on the game’s “non-linear, relaxing” exploration premise, I think that’s by design. The writing is barebones, and it could use some optimization, but so far, Arcadian Days seems like a game worth slowing down for, just a little. 

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Playing Pirate Outlaws 2: Heritage’s new Steam Next Fest demo bummed me out… because it made me realize I completely missed out on the great deckbuilder Heritage must be a sequel to; which is a roundabout way of saying I thoroughly enjoyed the Heritage demo. In this game, which features cute but high-quality 2D visuals reminiscent of a premium board game, you select a captain, a deck, and hit the rogue high seas searching for treasure, elite targets, and more. I found this pirate setting particularly inviting to the deckbuilder roguelite formula, as the themed cards are easy to understand and combat is quick and satisfying. 

Instead of set turns, you play cards in accordance with available ammo and by paying attention to enemy clocks. When their clocks run out, they attack, but because their clocks are on-screen at all times, you can strategize around incoming offensive maneuvers they might make and react accordingly. The cards are themed around pirate maneuvers and weaponry, as are the enemies, and the map is simple but enticing enough to make each run feel unique and varied. Heritage has shot up high on my list of indies to keep an eye out for, and not just because I love pirates – it’s a really fun time. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault trades in the first game’s pixel art style for a cartoon-ish 3D presentation that breathes a lot of new life into this adventure game. You play as Will, a trader who has seemingly lost his touch but is now ready to dive back into the merchant game. Like the first Moonlighter, the loop consists of traversing out into the wild to defeat enemies and collect a backpack full of treasure before returning to your shop to sell the items you discovered.

I enjoyed bartering with customers, adding bonuses to improve the sale, and getting a peek at what’s to come in my shop’s future. The combat in the demo is one-note but satisfactory, and I expect that aspect of the game to be greatly expanded in the final release. For now, the chill vibes of being a merchant – not the hero that saves the day – is a fun change of pace, much like the first Moonlighter. The Endless Vault appears in town to challenge Will to deliver more gold than it can contain to obtain a special reward, and I’m excited to see what this premise means for the full game when it launches later this year. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

With Ninja Gaiden 4 out later this year, Blasphemous series developer The Game Kitchen created a little throwback treat to help the wait in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. In this side-scrolling entry, players control a ninja named Kenji Mozu (at least in the demo), whose teacher is none other than series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. With gorgeous pixel art visuals, a stellar soundtrack, and platforming action that feels right at home in this classic series, Ragebound is a game I absolutely cannot wait for more of when it launches next month.

The Guillotine jump move allows you to jump off of incoming projectiles, and it feels great every time. Couple it with fast-paced sword action that rewards aggression and various traversal mechanics that keep things moving, Ragebound is go, go, go in the best way. It’s stressful and challenging – like the rest of the Ninja Gaiden series – but this Steam Next Fest demo eases players into it, no doubt withholding the toughest challenges for the final game. Nonetheless, Ninja Gaiden, Blasphemous, and throwback platformer fans should not miss this demo. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Developer Wombat Brawler’s idle fishing game, Cast n Chill, has been on my radar since last month’s excellent Six One Indie Showcase. It’s a gorgeous pixel-art fishing game that’s less about objectives (though there are some) and more about enjoying the great outdoors, the serenity of water, great company in the form of man’s best friend, and the sport of fishing. It’s a simple game – move your boat to where you want to fish, cast your line, and reel in a fish when you land one. Fishing itself is basic, but it mixes well with the relaxed nature of Cast n Chill. 
Finding a spot to fish is about the types of fish you’re after (and adding them to your fishing log), but more than that, it’s about finding a beautiful place to drop a lure and chill. There are plenty of different species of fish, lures, rods, and boats, each with some fun backwoods country descriptions, and coins to collect to buy additional fishing licenses. Those licenses allow you to boat further throughout the game’s beautiful landscape, unlocking more fish to catch. Cast n Chill is, as the name implies, chill, and Wombat Brawler knows this. There’s even an Idle Mode, which lets you keep it open and running beautifully in the background. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Into The Grid is a run-based deckbuilder set within the virtual grid of a cyberpunk society. After a wedge is driven between a former-netrunner-turned-mother and her daughter, the daughter is driven towards working for a dangerous company. She needs a rescue, so in steps mother. After shaking off the virtual rust in a short tutorial, I played through the game’s first run. In the virtual grid, you interact with various nodes to gain currency, extract new and rare cards, or gain items that can automatically open up new rooms, take down security nodes, and more. As you interact with this virtual grid, though, the security takes notice and sends various sentinel enemies to attack. 

From here, the isometric view disappears and you’re brought to a first-person combat arena with an enemy before you. To attack, you select cards that are drawn each turn. You can go on the offense to take down enemy integrity (health), use defensive cards to increase your barrier (shield), or utilize special cards that increase your VIM, which determines when you can use Commands. Commands allow you to draw additional cards, add more Clock, which determines how many cards you can use each turn, and more. It was fun synergizing my moves around what Commands I wanted to build toward. The most unique aspect of Into The Grid is that each turn, your hand is wiped and you draw a new set of cards, meaning you must build new strategies every turn. It’s a fun, if stressful, change to the traditional deckbuilder formula and one I so far enjoy. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

Reikon Games describes Metal Eden as an “adrenaline-rush sci-fi FPS,” and that’s right on the money. It reminds me of Ghostrunner, but there’s no katana here – just guns. As you advance to the objective, you dodge, jetpack, punch, and shoot through enemies in slick cyberpunk industrialist hallways. There’s wall-running, ziplines, and all the other movement tech you expect in a fast-paced FPS. While enemies are dispersed throughout each level, combat primarily happens in wave-based arenas, where you must utilize your surroundings, enemy cores you can explode, and skill cooldown management to survive. Metal Eden is tough – I played on Normal, the easiest option, and died several times in the demo’s hour of content – but definitely a game to keep an eye on if you’re into stylish futuristic shooters.  – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

This top-down, twin-stick roguelike is a delightfully weird fusion of The Binding of Issac, Spelunky, and Pokémon. You play as a little mouse who can turn into Morsels, odd little creatures like a grub, pile of dung, or sunflower with abilities to help you fight back against oppressive cats. Play as a Morsel enough and it'll evolve, but if you level one up too much, it dies. Morsels also don't share health, so there are simultaneously different sets of abilities and numbers of lives. You can have up to three Morsels in your roster at once, so it's an interesting balancing act to swap between them to get a strategic team. After making it to the end and defeating the first boss, I can't wait to play the full game and collect as many weird guys as I can get my hands on. – Charles Harte

Check out the demo and wishlist here. 

I was shocked that I hadn’t yet heard of Davey X Jones as the games industry’s self-proclaimed number-one pirate aficionado. After roughly 40 minutes with the Davy x Jones demo available during Steam Next Fest, I’m excited to see what the final product looks like, though cautious as well. In Davy x Jones, you play as a beheaded Davy Jones, betrayed by pirate lords across the seven seas and their leader, Edward Teach aka Blackbeard. It’s Teach who is responsible for you not having a head, but fortunately, your lifeless body discovers this head once more and together, this unlikely duo heads off on a quest for revenge. 

I like that Davy’s soulless body grunts his name repeatedly, while Davy's floating skull handles all the talking. But the two also amusingly interact with each other, with some nice voice acting too. Everything going on in this world, from the visuals to the storytelling and more, is great and I’m legitimately excited for more. However, I hope the team can use feedback from this demo and the time between now and its unannounced release date for polish. Of course, this is a demo of an in-development game so it naturally could use work, but so far, the first-person gun-and-swordplay feels a little floaty, lacking the weight I’d expect from the scourge of the seas. It’s not optimized well either, but again, it’s a demo, so I won’t hold developer Parasight’s feet to the fire, err, raging seas over this. Nonetheless, Davy x Jones has lots of promise and I look forward to the final release. – Wesley LeBlanc

Check out the demo and wishlist here.