Another Steam Next Fest and more games added to my wishlist.

It has been over a month since my last post in May. After completing the latest assessment for my apprenticeship, I decided to finally take some time out and spruce the Later Levels site up a little as there were a few changes I’d been wanting to make for a while.

Check out the homepage and you’ll see a new Extras section. This consists of several new areas where I now have space to keep track of the games I’m currently playing, the Kickstarter campaigns I’ve backed and the video game soundtracks I’ve enjoyed, among other things. The Love Letters to Adventures collaboration with friend-of-the-blog Darkshoxx continues too and we’ll be back with another instalment at the end of June.

In the meantime, I can treat you to a round-up of the demos I managed to play during the latest Steam Next Fest. The last event in February was successful for me, although I didn’t manage to try as many games as I’d have liked due to their length. Most of them lasted for over an hour whereas the right demo length for me is only around 20 minutes or so.

While some of the recent demos were lengthy – with one even going on for almost three hours – there were still some good experiences to be had. I managed to get through a total of 16 games this time, with five new entries being added to my wishlist along with a special mention below. The Adventure tag on Steam is still hit-and-miss with regard to the titles it considers as being part of this genre, but I uncovered a few gems and am looking forward to some releases taking place next month.

49 Keys

Wishlisted: yes

Michele Buonanno, Veronica Wu and Fabio Porfidia’s project wasn’t included in my original to-play list because I wasn’t sure whether I liked the art-style. But decided to try it after completing the planned demos faster than expected, and I’m glad I did. This ‘book-based puzzler’ won’t be to Pete’s taste because it contains far too much reading between puzzles. For me though, it has a vibe that’s similar to the horror board games that I enjoy, and the visual style and soundtrack perfectly complement the Lovecraftian theme.

Cats Hidden in Germany

Wishlisted: no

I’m not sure why I keep trying these hidden-cat-games during online expos as they’re not particularly enjoyable. The genre (if it can be called that) has become completely saturated with random entries of variable quality in the past year. In the demo for Travellin Cats’ latest title, several of the creatures didn’t even look like cats and it felt as though this had been done to artificially increase its difficulty. Rather than actually continue the game, I found myself wanting to print a screenshot of it and grab my colouring pencils.

Cave Hikers

Wishlisted: yes

I received a promotional email about this game last week. It didn’t initially seem like something I’d pick up, but the fact it was ‘narrated as if the characters are creatures in a nature documentary’ sounded interesting. I then realised that it was being developed by Studio Spektar and Porcupine Parkour – creators of the awesome General Horse and the Package of Doom. While Cave Hikers is completely different, the short demo was sweet and the narration does indeed add something special to this point-and-click.

Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken

Wishlisted: no

I really want to like scriptwelder’s project. Its story about lucid dreaming and a missing brother, pixelated visual style and ominous atmosphere are right up my street, but I just don’t think it’s something I’d play. The puzzles within this point-and-click have multiple solutions and using an item in one location may impact the outcomes available in another. Several friends are adventure fans and will love this mechanic, but I tend to prefer more linear titles as my perfectionist nature finds them less stressful to play.

Dimhaven Enigmas

Wishlisted: Kickstarter backed

After playing Quern in 2021 and enjoying the way it took me back to the days of Myst, I was interested to see what Zadbox Entertainment would create next. And after completing the demo Dimhaven Enigmas, I decided to back the Kickstarter campaign. I’m still a little unsure about its slightly pixelated artwork but the puzzles in the slice I played convinced me. They consist of layers so, when you think you’ve found the solution, they lead you to consider an alternative. There might be a full post about this if I find the time to write it soon.

Dustborn

Wishlisted: already on wishlist

There was no way I wasn’t going to wishlist an upcoming release by Red Thread Games as soon as it was announced. The Longest Journey series is one of my favourites although I’ve never been able to finish it, so I’ve followed the developer for a long time now. Dustborn is vastly different in terms of both visual style and gameplay but it still has that same narrative heart. I know I’m going to be terrible at playing it because it features rhythm games and action alongside conversations and dialogue trees, but I can’t wait.

Heir of the Dog

Wishlisted: already on wishlist

I don’t think this one was officially part of the Steam Next Fest lineup but, seeing as I’d blocked out time to play demos, I took the opportunity to finally try it. Both Pete and I enjoyed Lucy Dreaming and the next point-and-click from Tall Story Games looks like it’s going to be just as good. The setting and storyline are different but the visuals, colours and British humour are all familiar, with the puzzles featured in the demo providing a nice level of challenge. It feels like an adventure to be experienced with a cup of tea and posh biscuit.

Hyperdrive Inn

Wishlisted: no

Horsefly Games’ demo started off promisingly, with a story about a device which can bend the fabric of time and space and a hotel created using it. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm waned when something was lost in translation. After encountering a puzzle which featured two statues and a series of buttons labelled with objects, I just couldn’t figure out what the connection was. I decided to quit the demo early when the protagonist kept telling me that there must be a clue in her father’s letter but there didn’t appear to be one.

Ophelia’s Chapter

Wishlisted: yes

This psychological-horror adventure by Red Tear Games is set in a ‘world inspired by the work of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King’, so it’s no wonder that it quickly ended up on my to-play list. The demo immediately throws you into the story when a friend arrives at your door, just before you receive a telephone call from someone who tells you that they’re with her in a hospital. The graphics, soundtrack and atmosphere are all very dark and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are several jump-scares in the full release.

Rose Cottage

Wishlisted: yes

The hand-painted visuals and lighting effects in Rose Cottage are lovely – which is a weird thing to say about a point-and-click ghost story set in a Victorian mortuary. The demo took me around 90 minutes to complete and while I wouldn’t necessarily say it was scary, there was definitely an element of spookiness. The puzzles involved had me backtracking through the location multiple times but it’s done in a clever way that makes it not feel monotonous. I’m just glad that Hollow Lane Games, along with a protagonist who shares dad jokes.

Still Joking

Wishlisted: already on wishlist, but…

Still Joking has been on my wishlist for a while now. And I enjoyed the story laid out in the demo, which stars a reflection who’s torn between the urge to unravel the mystery of her ‘prototype’ and the need to find her place in the mirrored world. But it’s highly unlikely that I’m ever going to play Purple Brick Games’ release myself. I struggle with the lack of interaction in visual novels and soon grow tired of them but I really do want to see where this narrative goes. I’ll probably end up watching a longplay while I’m on the treadmill.

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss

Wishlisted: yes

Sarepta Studio’s psychological drama reminded me of several good adventure games: Firewatch, Observation and Ghost on the Shore. It feels as though it’s going to be a slow-paced and emotional release where you can take your time exploring the underwater environment and finding clues that point to what happened on board the Thalassa. There are some nice detective elements too, where players must link those clues together on a mysteries board to answer questions. The layout was a little confusing at first but I quickly got to grips with it.

The Alters

Wishlisted: already on wishlist

Although The Alters remains on my wishlist after playing the demo, I’m not sure if it’s going to be one that I actually end up playing. The story, about a worker who must create alternative versions of himself in order to escape from an inhospitable planet, is intriguing. And I liked the way you could see how these versions were influenced by the protagonist’s life events. But I’m not a fan of resource management and I think this aspect of the gameplay might put me off. I’m interested to see how well 11 bit studios’ upcoming release does.

The Operator

Wishlisted: already on wishlist

I can’t resist a detective game and so The Operator has been on my wishlist since May 2022. The demo for this one was so good that I started poking around in files and got told off by my in-game boss for not sticking to my objective. Although not much about the plot was given away, it’s clear that there’s something sinister going on that connects the cases you’re looking into. With the full game due to be released next month, I can see me making a purchase and picking up Bureau 81’s title as soon as possible.

The Rise of the Golden Idol

Wishlisted: already on wishlist

The Case of the Golden Idol was such a great title so I’m extremely pleased to see Color Gray Games returning with a sequel this year. The demo played very similarly to the original instalment with a few tweaks to the interface, and while the graphics may be less pixelated, the visual style feels pleasantly familiar. This time around, we’ll be solving 20 strange cases of crime, death and depravity in the 1970s. The Steam page advises that the world has changed dramatically but the sins of humanity have not – and I can’t wait.

Things Too Ugly

Wishlisted: no, but maybe in the future

I’m unsure about Things Too Ugly by Professor Space Games after playing the demo. My main concerns were that the interface felt a little clunky and some actions were very slow to respond. The ending of the 20-minute slice was confusing too. I’d been asked to input the answers to some questions and was sure I’d got them right. But my in-game terminal showed invalid entries and then appeared to reboot, before a final message was displayed. Was I wrong or was that simply the end of the preview?

Special mention: Blue Prince

Wishlist: already on wishlist, with a notice

Although we didn’t play the Blue Prince demo during the Steam Next Fest, it’s already on my favourites list. Pete and I were kindly invited to help with its testing a couple of years ago and we realised that it was going to be something special after our first session. As the Dogubomb team have made numerous updates since then, we decided to avoid the demo so we can try to recapture that first-time feeling again with the full game. I can honestly say that I haven’t been this excited for an upcoming release in a very long while.

It’s difficult for me to choose a single favourite from this Steam Next Fest as all of the games added to my wishlist are so different. 49 Keys and Ophelia’s Chapter have a great ominous vibe. Cave Hikers is really sweet and offers an interesting perspective. Thalassa looks like it’s going to have a really emotional narrative, and the Dimhaven Enigmas demo convinced me to back the Kickstarter campaign. If Pete had to choose, his selection would be The Rise of the Golden Idol as we enjoyed our experience with the previous game so much.

Did you manage to try any demos during the latest digital event? If so, which stood out for you and how much has your wishlist grown?