Steam’s Next Fests are becoming my favorite part of PC gaming. For one week several times a year, Steam promotes indie gaming in all the right ways: hundreds of free, bite-size demos, dozens of livestreams with developers and streamers, and lots of front-page promotion.
The October Steam Next Fest is going on now, and lasts through October 10.
There are so many cool-looking games that it’s impossible to highlight them all. But here’s a brief sampler of what to look for:
LEGO Bricktales is launching on October 12 on PC and consoles, but you can play the demo right now. Build your way through a series of puzzly diaromas constructed entirely out of LEGO bricks.
Romancelvania combines 2D metroidvania with a romantic visual novel. Play as a six-pack ab Dracula as you explore Transylvania and the relationships with a dozen different fully-voiced monsters.
For budding engineers, Plasma is a physic-based puzzler using a visual programming interface. It looks a bit like Spore’s old creature creator, but with actual science and robotics. Plasma is also fully integrated with Steam Workshop, so you can share and download other users’ creations.
Soulstone Survivors is a horde survival game, which looks like a combination of hack and slash and bullet hell. In the upcoming Early Access version, Players can combine over 140 skills, 20 weapons, and 20 runes, alongside 14 different characters.
Undecember is a Diablo like hack and slasher. Instead of picking a class at the start, you’re free to develop your own playstyle with thousands of skill combinations. Undecember will launch as free-to-play on October 12 on PC and mobile devices.
One Last Breath is a post-apocalyptic adventure. You play as a reincarnation of Gaia, nature herself. Wielding your budding vegetative powers, you’ll traverse the diseased earth to discover what happened to mankind. The demo won Best Game Award at the indie booth at Gamescom earlier this year.
