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0 Just like that, another Steam Next Fest is done and dusted. Were there oodles of demos? Yes. Did I play through an ungodly amount of them? Also yes. Is my Wishlist now the length of A Song of Ice and Fire? Three for three, you got me. The number of demos on offer can be a double-edged sword; I’m still getting through the last few! But what was exhibited gave gamers plenty to be excited about for the end of the year and the beginning of 2025. So, without further ado, here are five standout demos from Steam Next Fest October 2024 aka the last Next Fest of 2024:
Kill The Shadow
Developer: Shadow Light Sanctuary
Publisher: 663 Games
Genre: Adventure/RPG/Puzzle
Planned Release Date: 2024
Platforms: PC
A game that blends detective work, a complex story and the supernatural and throws more curveballs than a Yankees game will always get my attention. Enter Kill the Shadow. Former detective Lucas is just one of many trying to survive in a post-war city rife with poverty and bubbling tension. But when his foreman’s dog is found dead and food rations are put on hold, he has to brush up on his old skills. What begins as simply ‘Who Killed Lucky?’ unearths deeper and more complex conundrums. To truly get to the bottom of things, the darkest facets of the city and himself must be confronted.
Lucas can meet various city residents and interact with them during his investigations. Relationships with them can be altered, for gain or detriment, through dialogue choices. Three primary stats, strength, spirit and charm, open up different investigative avenues. Will you beat a suspect, flirt, mess with their minds? The choice is yours. Utilising a handy conspiracy corkboard, you can connect suspects and evidence using key questions. However the best deduction tool is an entity known as The Shadow. This enigma can manipulate time, allowing Lucas to read memories and retrace characters’ steps – a must!
In the game, colour pops and weather effects in the masterful blend of 2D pixel art and 3D environments draw the eye. It’s a gritty, messy world of mysteries. If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, you may just bring the truth to the surface.
Wishlist/follow it here: STEAM
Loco Motive
Developer: Robust Games
Publisher: Chucklefish
Genre: Point-and-click adventure
Planned Release Date: Q4 2024
Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch
If you’re pining for the days of LucasArts-style adventuring with charming pixel art and hilarious quips, then climb aboard the Reuss Express! Loco Motive throws you headlong into a murder mystery worthy of an Agatha Christie novel but with the wit and slapstick of a classic cartoon. Aboard a luxury steam train, wealthy heiress Lady Unterwald is about to name her successor to an eager audience when she is suddenly murdered while passing through a tunnel. Everyone is a suspect and the murderer could strike again at any moment.
You play as straight-laced lawyer Arthur Ackerman, one of three protagonists, and follow his progress on that fateful night. Naturally, the train is full of larger-than-life characters with reasons for being aboard. Talking to them gives you more information and sometimes items to solve puzzles, not to mention plenty of laughs. One involving passing a “love note” was particularly hilarious. Puzzles are primarily item-based, of course, but all very intuitive and creative with just the right amount of brain-teasing. But if you’re unsure what to do, sometimes talking it out with a friendly bartender will get you back on track – they see it all after all. Walking through the Reuss Express is itself a joy. The exquisite animation, snappy soundtrack and soundscapes will have you engrossed.
Think you can put Poirot to shame while also outfoxing a casino cheat with a giant magnet? Hop aboard!
Wishlist/follow it here: STEAM | NINTENDO SWITCH
Noiramore Academy
Developer: Ink Rose Inc., Studio SyndiCat
Publisher: Ink Rose Inc.
Genre: Adventure/Mystery
Planned Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC
Even before the mammoth franchise of The Boy Who Lived, I had a soft spot for magical schools and I was already in love with Tim Burton movies. Put these together with humanoid unicorns/satyrs and a mystery to solve and you get Noiramore Academy. At the titular magical school, student Judith Hovern has a reputation for being a troublemaker, running schemes and seeking to learn the hidden secrets of the Academy. But when a new teacher is kidnapped and Judith is the only witness, she’ll need all her skills and smarts to find the culprit.
As the cheeky Judith, you must navigate the academy’s classrooms, solving riddles and puzzles to gain new clues. Logic and item-based puzzles are nicely proportioned and fun to figure out with Judith’s snappy wit. Your colourful cast of classmates have different areas of expertise such as dressmaking, knowledge of ancient battles and method acting. The latter is perfect for a timely distraction! And of course, as a magical being, Judith has powers which can come in handy when reaching high places or performing slightly more fantastical feats.
As per the title, the visuals are a monochrome treat with splashes of bright colour, unique to each pupil. Voice performances are also very well done; just like the animation style, cute but with bite!
Ready for a brand new magical school to attend? Noiramore Academy could be the one for you.
Wishlist/follow it here: STEAM
The Precinct
Developer: Fallen Tree Games
Publisher: Kwalee
Genre: Action/Sandbox
Planned Release Date: Q4 2024
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Plenty of games have explored the criminal underworld, dodging or duking it out with the cops. But what about life on the other side of the law? Games like L.A. Noire gave us a taster, but what of the full-on day-to-day life of a beat cop? Step into The Precinct and find out. Set in the fictional Averno City in the 1980s—the height of the police movie boom—crime is rising dramatically and the ACPD is fighting a losing battle. You are Nick Cordell Jr, a determined rookie fresh out of the academy looking to serve Averno and investigate your father’s murder. Time to clean up these streets!
The city is your oyster in this sandbox spectacular. With the help of your partner, you’ll patrol the streets and respond to various situations such as radio calls, graffiti, parking tickets and altercations. Each has specific procedures to follow with varying actions like fines or arrests; thankfully they’re all in a handbook to consult when needed. And like any classic cop movie, plenty of action can also be found. Bank robberies, shoot-outs and exhilarating vehicle chases, on the road and in the air, throw you into the thick of things. Easy tiger, no need to go it alone! Cruisers, barricades, and other support are at your fingertips. Everything is balanced well and fun to get into. Going from a high-octane helicopter pursuit to checking IDs in a vendor turf dispute is strangely satisfying in its pacing.
Combined with living, breathing locales that simply beg you to explore, this is a beat I’m excited to walk!
Wishlist/follow it here: STEAM | PS STORE | XBOX STORE
Rift of the NecroDancer
Developer: Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games
Publisher: Klei Publishing
Genre: Rhythm
Planned Release Date: TBC
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
3, 2, 1, let’s rock! Crypt of the NecroDancer’s Cadence and co are back with a bang and a brand new look in the much-anticipated sequel/spinoff Rift of the NecroDancer. Dragged into a strange new modern world, Cadence once again finds herself battling an army of fantastical monsters, this time emerging from “Rhythm Rifts”. Can she stem the tide of evil AND juggle the everyday tasks of modern living without missing a beat? Bring it on!
Now focusing solely on the rhythm aspect, Rift opts for a Guitar Hero-esque scrolling fretboard and tapping the arrow keys when enemies land on corresponding markers. Enemy patterns from Crypt make a comeback and memorising them will help you stay on beat. But if you think this new approach will make it too easy, think again cupcake! Rift stays true to form by being fiendishly difficult. However, there’s still a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you master a tricky section of a track with multiple enemies. There are also varying difficulty settings should you want to take it down a notch or test your musicality even further.
The visuals trade pixels for slick, expressive hand-drawn animation, which works exceptionally for the new format. Of course, the soundtrack is on fire! A mix of composers, including Crypt’s Danny Baranowsky, bring their A-game and produce blistering tracks that will have you bopping for hours afterwards.
Wishlist/follow it here: STEAM | NINTENDO SWITCH
Honourable Mentions
- ANTONBLAST – Summitsphere – 3rd December 2024
- Garden Trills – Yukim – December 2024
- Otherskin – Game Atelier – Q1 2025
- Sword & Seek – Boomzap Inc – TBA
You know it’s a good Next Fest when you have earworms for days, an expanding Wishlist, and you’re hungry for more. Thank you Steam Next Fest October 2024 for ending on such a high! Here’s to another good ‘un and bring on 2025! Hopefully I’ll have played through the remaining demos by then.
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About Author
Thanks so much for giving our Noiramore demo a shot! Glad you enjoyed it!