Steam Next Fest June 2024: My 3 Stand-outs

Another Next Fest has come and gone. The sheer tonnage of beautifully crafted demos is overwhelming even for the most diligent player, so allow me to present some games that I feel are worth keeping an eye on.

Lone Fungus 2: I haven't played Lone Fungus 1, but I'm happy to report that it did not stop the sequel from putting its charms on me. The game is a classical Metroidvania with excellent pixel art and dowright magical music.

In a post-Hollow Knight world it is very nice to see a game so in touch with the roots of the genre*, though that is not to say that its mechanics are antiquated or take no inspiration from its contemporaries. Your main weapon, a whip, is persistent. On top of that however, exist a number of auxillary ranged weapons that can be collected. Upgrades to your innate abilities are purchaseable through a currency found in the world, along with swappable perks and abilites. Therein lie the more modern aspects of the game.

I found the game fairly tough. I attribute a lot of that to the relatively sparse save locations and low health, though it's possible I missed a few supporting items or was just off my game that day. The map markers indicating obstacles you are yet unequipped to overcome is a feature I appreciated massively. Metroidvania maps have a tendency to be obtuse. Also, all the game's pixel art adheres to a fixed grid, which doesn't matter but it made happy.

*Please don't misunderstand this as snark. I love HK and its disciples.

For fans of: Castelvania, Metroid

Waltz and Jam: It's cute! I don't mean that condescendingly, it's clearly what the devs were going for and they succeeded. In this game you play a little ghost with a floaty dog fighting their way through purgatory (I think?). Well purgatory has never been so charming. Supernatural made me believe it's dusty forest as far as the eye can see, but the environments here are lush and detailed. My only gripe is that there isn't too much reason to explore it at this point. Most optional collectibles are obvious and poking the many nooks of the levels wields little results.

In terms of gameplay, Waltz and Jam is a top-down action-adventure. The bulk of combat is a dance of swinging your sword and avoiding telegraphed attacks. It's not the game's strength, but I wouldn't call it a weakness. Excluding willfull avoidance of the available upgrades, you won't be challenged by the enemies (keeping in mind that this is a demo and difficulty could spike later on), but it's all very smooth and satisfying.

For fans of: Death's Door, Tunic

Zero Protocol: Help, I've soiled myself and there's a knife-wielding woman in the bathroom!

This demo is very short, but it paints a complete picture of the first-person survival horror game loop present. Added to the familiar juggle of ammo, health and key items is a sanity meter*. As you might expect, the lowering of this meter causes a whole slew of uncool effects designed to scare and unsettle you, but the developers have also tied it into the gameplay in an unexpected way (no spoilers).

The demo scared the life out of me. This praise should come with the declaration that I am a complete weenie, but the good news for the fellow weenies out there is that I did make it through and would have kept playing if it went on for longer.

*Mechanics like this should be renamed to "panic" or "anxiety", but I'm aware of the precedent of naming it "sanity"

For fans of: Resident Evil, System Shock