The week-longSteam Game Festivalbegan on Wednesday, giving gamers the chance to try out over 500 demos from upcoming PC games. Featuring titles from a wide variety of genres, theSteamevent gives developers of all sizes an opportunity to showcase their hard work to an audience of millions.
The demos will no longer be available after 10 am PST on Tuesday, February 9, so players only have a limited time to check them out. With some demos taking as long as two or three hours to play through, time will be at a premium for gamers looking tomake the most of the Steam Games Festival. The games are also in different stages of development, making it difficult to decide which ones are worth playing. So far, there have been a few stand-outs that gamers should keep their eyes on.
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Roguebook
This rogue-lite deck builder takes all of the best ingredients fromSlay the Spireand adds a ton of its own.Developed byMagic: The Gatheringcreator Richard Garfieldand Abrakam SA,Roguebookinnovates on the growing genre by giving players two heroes to control instead of one. Heroes and their cards gain different abilities depending on whether they’re standing in front or in back, making the order in which cards are played more crucial than ever. One of the most exciting innovations is the introduction of a hex-based board to explore, which players fill in with inks and brushes earned by defeating enemies.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Created by indie developer Greg Lobanov,Chicory: A Colorful Taleis an adorable puzzle platformer that doubles as a virtual coloring book. When all of the color disappears from the world, players take up a magical paintbrush that allows them to color in their surroundings. Featuring quirky, memorable characters whose cute designs mask darker themes,Chicory’s tone is somewhat reminiscent ofUndertale.Even in the first few minutes of the relatively short demo,Chicoryplays a handful of tricks on the player, subverting established tropes and doing the exact opposite. The game also offers a co-op mode for players who want to paint the world together.
Loop Hero
Releasing next month,Loop Herois a fantasy rogue-litethat tasks players with rebuilding the world following an apocalyptic event. Players don’t control the hero of this story, but rather the shape of the world itself. The hero automatically travels around a loop and fights enemies as players add towns and geographical features to the map, passively harvesting resources and outfitting the hero with scavenged gear. These resources can then be used to create buildings like farms and a smithy at the player’s camp. The pixelated art style is reminiscent of classic RPGs, and the dreary color palette evokes the same sense of harsh finality as the future presented inCrono Trigger.
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Gamers tired of saving the world might enjoyPotion Craft: Alchemist Simulator. The surprise hit from niceplay games lets players run their own potion shop, catering to the myriad needs of their customers in afantasy setting straight out ofDungeons and Dragons.Players brew their own potions by using various herbs, each of which creates a uniquely-shaped path on a map that contains multiple effects. Over time, players improve their skills and discover new effects, developing a specific relationship to each herb along the way.
Unbound: Worlds Apart
Developed by Alien Pixel Studios,Unbound: Worlds Apartis a puzzle platformer similar toindie classics likeBraidandLimbo. The gorgeous art style masks a terrifying world, forcing players to master a new mechanic for each area in the game. Players can summon different portals around the protagonist, adding features to the 2D map. Since these portals only cover a limited area, players are often forced to make a leap of faith into certain death, hoping they can conjure their next portal in time. The innovative gameplay promises a challenging experience once the full game launches this June.
TheSteam Game Festivalwill run between February 3 and February 9.
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