Shit's about to get even heavier

Publisher Funcom, in association with Swedish developer The Outsiders has announced a release date for Dream of the Beast, a brand new DLC expansion for its hellish shooter Metal: Hellsinger. The new expansion will be ?brin?ging new songs and weapons to the award-winning actioner on March 29.

Two new headbangin' tracks will be included in the DLC. The first will feature the powerhouse vocals of Lacuna Coil frontwoman Cristina Scabbia, who I've super-duper fancied for literal decades, but don't tell her I said that because I'm shy. The second track is performed by Will Ramos of New Jersey's Lorna Shore, who I haven't heard of, but don't tell them I said that because I'm super-duper old. The searing vocals of both artists will so??undtrack your next trip out of the underworld.

//twitter.com/MetalHellsinger/status/1633120??493497??638913?s=20

In addition to the new songs, the Metal: Hellsinger Dream of the Beast DLC will also include a devastating new machine gun "T??he Red Right Hand", as well as a selection of new player skins that will add new modifiers to the game. So, even if you've already run this unique and super-cool shooter into the ground, it seems that the new update will give you more than enough reason to bust out the devil horns once again. And it looks like the lost soul known as "The Unknown" still has a helluva lot more lead to fling in harm's way.

Metal: Hellsinger is available now on P???layStation, PC, and Xbox platforms

The post Metal: Hellsinger ‘Dream of the Beast’ DLC launches this month appeared first on Destructoid.

Groove to the beat

When you ask a rhythm game fan to list their favorite titles, good money says that they'll start rattling off a bunch of games you can't actually play. Many of the "best" rhythm games are available only to those with access to a halfway-decent arcade or expensive peripherals. Most of those expensive and inaccessible games are excellent, but what are the odds that you'll actually play Dance Dance Revolution A20 or Rock Band 3 in the near future?

If you're like me and only have a couple of modern consoles and a halfway decent PC, it can be hard to break into rhythm gaming. Thankfully, there are plenty of top-tier titles readily available on modern platforms. They might not be quite as good as the finest offerings at a Round1, but they d??o have th??e undeniable benefit of being playable.

10. UNBEATABLE [white label]

[caption id="attachment_356563" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via D-CELL GAMES[/caption]

UNBEATABLE, a rhythm game with the panache and style of an anime fighting game, probably won't be out until the end of 2023. Its "demo," UNBEATABLE [white label], is out right now, and beyond being an impressive taste ?of what'??s to come, it's also one of the best rhythm games on PC.

UNBEATABLE [white label] is less of a demo and more of a companion piece to UNBEATABLE. The game has its own story, which is currently incomplete (per developer D-CELL GAMES, it will be completed with a series of episodic releases). More importantly, it's got a killer soundtrack and truly engaging visuals. It's a real treat, especially at the low low price of free. While I'm pretty excited for UNBEATABLE, I'm more than happy to spend more time with [white label].

9. Incredibox

[caption id="attachment_356565" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via So Far So Good[/caption]

I'm not sure if Incredibox counts as a "rhythm game," but it has the "rhythm" tag on Steam and it rocks, so I'm including it. Incredibox is a k??ind of music production toy which involves layering different loops over one another to create awesome music. It's almost impossible to make something that sounds bad.

Incredibox doesn't have a lose state and it doesn't involve tapping anything to the beat, so it might not be a rhythm game in the same way the other titles on this list are. Still, I have often felt that the joy of rhythm games comes from the imitation of "creating" music, and Incredibox is a pretty natural evolution of tha??t concept. If you love music, it's at least worth ch?ecking out.

8. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

[caption id="attachment_356567" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

I really wanted to put a Theatrhythm game on this list. Unfortunately, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and its sequel, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call are both trapped on the 3DS, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival is an arcade exclusive. So, while we wait for the Theatrhythm series to return to modern home platforms in February, I'll give this spot to another Square Enix/indieszero collaboration: Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.

This isn't just a consolation prize - Melody of Memory is great. It's probably the easiest game on this list, but it's got nearly every song from one of the best franchise soundtracks in video game history. Rhythmic "combat" is an idea that's been tried before, and it's not at its deepest here, but it's undeniably very satisfying. There are plenty of games that can rigorously test your dexterity and sense of rhythm, but when you just want to feel good tapping away at some beautiful music, it's tough to do better than Melody of Memory. It's one of my favorite Kingdom Hearts games, and it's also an excellent rhythm game in its? own right.

7. Trombone Champ

[caption id="attachment_356568" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Nothing in Trombone Champ sounds "good," but that's not really the point. This uproariously funny title places you in control of a "tromboner" (the game's word, not mine) and gives you free rein to play whatever music you want. There is a beatmap here, but the game absolutely will not help you hew to it at all, which means that most of your tromboning will consist of playing a note th?at's either just barely wrong or entirely wrong.

There might be a way to get good at Trombone Champ. I've never seen it happen, and I've never tried to do it. I'm hap?py to be the world's w??orst tromboner. It's funnier this way.

6. Metal: Hellsinger

[caption id="attachment_356104" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Funcom[/caption]

Metal: Hellsinger recently found its way onto my list of personal favorites from 2022, and with good reason. This rhythmic first-person shooter actually feels like both a rhythm game and a first-person shooter. What's more, it feels like a good rhythm game and a good first-person shooter.

If you enjoy heavy metal, DOOM (2016), and rhythm gaming, then this game is pretty narrowly targeted at you. Even if you don't like any of those things, though, you probably won't be able to resist falling for Metal: Hellsinger's charms. How many games feature Troy Baker as a talking? skull narra??ting over a Matt Heafy solo?

5. Rhythm Doctor

[caption id="attachment_356569" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Rhythm Doctor is phenomenal. This charming early access rhythm game is deeper and more interesting than most fully released games of the past several years. Rhythm Doctor is set in a struggling cardiac hospital that makes the de?cision to employ a remote intern. Your job is to restart patients' hearts by tapping one button to the beat.

It's not as heavy as it sounds - in fact, Rhythm Doctor is quite goofy. The game's world is vibrant and zany, populated by really interesting characters (not exactly a common thread in rhythm games). It also wrings a very impressive amount?? of mechanical complexity out of just one button, and, of course, the music is amazing.

4. Crypt of the Necrodancer

[caption id="attachment_356570" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Crypt of the Necrodancer is so simple that it hurts my brain. Literally all you do is move around a dungeon to the beat, attacking enemies simply by bumping into them. There are some basic buffs and item pickups, but at its heart, it's exactly what it looks like. It's all about reading and responding to patterns in the most simple manner possible, and it's wildly addictive. Every time I start playing Necrodancer, I lose hours to it.

On its face, Crypt of the Necrodancer is very basic. And yet, there's nothing else quite like it. Necrodancer? ?uses its simplicity to its advantage to create one of the most enjoyable rhythm experiences out there.

3. Beat Saber

[caption id="attachment_356571" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Beat Games[/caption]

Alright, this might be stretching the boundaries of what you can actually play. You do need a virtual reality headset and a decent amount of space to play Beat Saber, which will immediately make it a tough sell for many. But a Meta Quest 2 costs less than most current-generation consoles, and once you're past that (admittedly tall) hurdle, it's tough to do better than Beat Saber.

Beat Saber is a game about hitting blocks with lightsabers to the beat, and it feels great. It's the kind of motion control magic that lights up something primal in the human brain. It's fun to hit stuff, it's fun to feel the beat, and it's fun to ply Beat Saber.

2. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone

[caption id="attachment_356573" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Sega[/caption]

When you hear the words "rhythm game," you probably instantly picture something that looks like a Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA game. Colorful button prompts float across the screen in front of a video of anime girls dancing. You tap the right button when the prompts line up. Occasionally, you hold those buttons, or you slide the analog stick. Yes, this is rhythm gaming perfected.

Every Project DIVA game is pretty similar and pretty great. If you've only got a Switch or a PC, Mega Mix is a fine option, too. I've included Future Tone on this list simply because it's the one I play the most, but it's hard to go wrong with any Project DIVA ??game. These are the rhythm game-iest rhythm games around, and they're good for scratching any musical?? gaming itch.

1. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!

[caption id="attachment_356574" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bandai Namco[/caption]

Like Project DIVA, you can pretty much insert any Taiko no Tatsujin game into this spot. The series hasn't changed a bit in over twenty years. You press one button when the note is blue and another button when the note is red. Mindlessness becomes meditation becomes mastery. This is Taiko no Tatsujin.

The secret to picking your favorite Taiko no Tatsujin game is simply looking at the tracklist. I like Drum 'n' Fun because it's got the best One Piece opening and the best Super Mario Odyssey track, but you can really pick whichever game has your personal favorite songs. This one gets bonus points for being one of the few rhythm games that you can p??lay with just about anybody. The barrier to entry is very low thanks to incredibly simple controls, but true mastery can be extremely difficult.

The post 10 bes?t rhythm video games you can actually ??buy, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

An interesting year

It feels like a bit of a copout to say "2022 was an interesting year for video games," because every year is an interesting year for video games... but, well, 2022 was an interesting year for video games! It was the first year in which I really felt like I could see 2020's production setbacks on the release calendar, but it was also a year for projects that seemed like they would never arrive. Who would have guessed that Dwarf Fortress would reach 1.0 and Live A Live would get ??its official English loca?lization in the same year?

I didn't have to whittle this list down too much - while there were a lot of smaller games this year, I only really loved a few. Personally, I prefer that to a year with a massive wave of just-okay games crowding out the ones I'm actually interested in. 2022 didn't see all that many releases from massive developers, which meant shorter mid-budget titles and indie games had the chance to really stand out, and I had the chance to play a l??ot more of them. There was plenty of chaff in there, but I also got to see some wheat I may have otherwise missed. I might not have even played some of the games on this list in a busier year. So thanks, 2022.

With all that being said, I'd like ??to run down those excellent games that gave me that warm and fuzzy game of the yea?r feeling.

[caption id="attachment_356093" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors showed up at just the right time for me. At the beginning of the year, I contracted COVID-19 after seeing the most recent Scream movie in theaters (the illness was nearly as bad as the movie). Blessedly, Vampire Survivors had entered early access only a few weeks earlier, and, as luck would have it, I had a spare three dollars burning a hole in my pocket. And that's the story of how Vampire Survivors made my quarantine bearable.

This is by no means a difficult game, but it's a microcosm of what I love about RPGs. Watching my character go from a wimpy little single-weaponed loser to a screen-clearing god over the course of thirty minutes is the kind of dopamine hit that I just need sometimes. This is not a joke - I just opened Vampire Survivors to grab a quick screenshot for this ??????????????????????????entry and I accidentally played through an entire run.

[caption id="attachment_356095" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bethesda Softworks[/caption]

Ghostwire: Tokyo

I don't really understand why so few people played Ghostwire: Tokyo. I get that it was never going to be a God of War-sized smash hit, but this is the third title from a studio with a decent reputation, and the pitch is great - explore the haunted streets of Tokyo while slinging Doctor Strange-ish magic at various ghosts and spirits. What's more, the execution of a?ll th??ose ideas is pretty great.

The empty city at the heart of Ghostwire: Tokyo is gorgeous?ly haunting, and the moment-to-moment FPS combat feels great. The banter between protagonist Akito and his ghost buddy KK keeps the middling story from dragging the experience down, and? collecting what feels like one trillion different objects scattered around the environment is a blast. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it rolls along just fine.

[caption id="attachment_356098" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Neon White

Nobody needs to hear me talk about Neon White. I've touched on its cringe-and-proud writing in the past, and anyone who's spent more than a couple hours with it knows how instantly addicting its speedrunning parkour loop is. Neon White is very good, and if you haven't pl??ayed it by now, you really should.

I'm reminded of something like Celeste, a game that made me love precision platforming where other precision platformers could not. I don't care for speed games of this nature, and yet, I cannot stop gunning for those shiny blue medals in Neon White. It's just so great.

[caption id="attachment_356100" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Humble Games[/caption]

Signalis

I have a confession to make: while I love nearly every Resident Evil game released after 2005, I kind of can't stand classic survival horror games. I love the eerie atmospheres and the carefully constructed environments, and every time I start Silent Hill, I become briefly convinced that it will become my entire personality. But I've never finished Silent Hill.

I did finish Signalis, a lo-fi sci-fi sendup to survival horror stories of the PSX era, and I thought it was great. A lot of the things I struggle with in those early survival horror games (esoteric puzzles, poor sense of direction, clunky gunplay, constant inventory management) are present here, but I forced myself to muscle through them, and I found myself really liking them. I was also very taken in by Signalis' setting and its beautiful art style. I guess I should go finish Silent Hill now.

[caption id="attachment_356102" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Bandai Namco[/caption]

Elden Ring

Poet Robert Graves once said, "The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he really is very good, in spite of all the people who say he is very good." That's kind of how I feel about Elden Ring. Often, when a game connects with?? absolutely everybody else, I can't help but look for its shortcomings. I always end up scouting for the seams, the compromises that must have been made to appeal to such a wide audience.

I did exactly that with Elden Ring. I loved the thing on release, and I poured dozens of hours into it, but as soon as I stopped playing, I started assembling my little list of contrarian gripes. It's repetitive, the narrative coasts on being esoteric to mask the fact that it's kind of boring, there are too many damn systems to make "system mastery" feel satisfying, and so on. And then I came back to Elden Ring, and all of those complaints melted away. Because Elden Ring is very good, in ?spite of all th??e people who say it is very good.

[caption id="attachment_356104" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Funcom[/caption]

Metal: Hellsinger

Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm game with designs that imitate 2016's DOOM and a boss fight se?t to a Serj Tankian ?solo. It's great.

[caption id="attachment_356106" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Crows Crows Crows[/caption]

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

The Stanley Parable didn't really need a remaster, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe knows it. It's hard to explain what, exactly, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is without totally spoiling some of its most delightful surprises. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Ultra Deluxe has surprises, though, because it's The Stanley Parable, and that's what The Stanley Parable is.

The Stanley Parable is the kind of game that you should play if you have any interest in video games as a means of telling stories, and that's especially true now, with the Ultra Deluxe pa??ckage representing a reasonably major reinvention of the original concept.

[caption id="attachment_356108" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Immortality

I love Sam Barlow's Her Story, a non-linear FMV mystery game in which new scenes are discovered by searching for specific keywords. Immortality, Barlow's newest game, is even better. It features a similar system, in which new scenes are unlock??ed by searching for specific items found in video clips.

Immortality is the story of a movie star whose three films were never released to the public. The player takes on the role of an archivist, simultaneously assembling those unreleased films from recovered footage and attempting to unravel the mystery of what happened behind the scenes. It's a story about cinema, and the image-matching game system is a perfect match for that narrative. Her Story is a story about language, the words we use and the reasons we use them. In contrast, Immortality is a story about images, a much headier concept in a much more satisfying ?package.

[caption id="attachment_356109" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Raw Fury[/caption]

Norco

Norco is one of those games ??that feels special from minute one. This bizarre point-and-click adventure set in a near-future version of the real-world town of Norco, Louisiana is dre??amy, melancholic, and simply amazing. It's a striking anti-capitalist text, but it's also a love letter to the kind of place that doesn't often receive love letters.

I have found myself considering something new about Norco almost every day since I played it. It blends its near-future dystopia with its current-day problems absolutely expertly. This is the kind of game where a dying mother does gig?? work in order to amass cryptocurrency to pay for her own digital ghost. It's full of tragic sci-fi conundrums like that, and I can't stop thinking about it.

[caption id="attachment_356112" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Devolver Digital[/caption]

Card Shark

I don't know all that much about pre-revolutionary France. I know even less about gambling, and next to nothing about cheating at card tables. And yet, while playing Card Shark, I felt myself becoming an expert at cheating at card games in pre-revolutionary France. Nerial's period piece, which focuses on the pupil o?f the Comte de Saint Germain (history's greatest liar), is a thin?g of beauty.

Card Shark looks amazing, and its story is a charming and touching testament to the proverbial little guy, but where it sings is in its gameplay. The card tricks performed in the game are based on very real cheats, and Nerial has produced something of an interactive handbook for fraud. Every trick is taught to the player carefully, and executing on them feels like playing a very painterly WarioWare micro-game. Part of me wishes it was a little longer, but the narrative itself is very well-p?aced. I just want to play more of the thing, which is a very good problem to have. It's an incredibly specific game, but the one that I loved the most this year.

The post Sorrel Kerr-Jung’s favorite games of 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Scream for me, Cleveland!

The devil really does have all of the best tunes �And anybody who doubts this would do well to check out Funcom's sleeper hit of 2022 Metal: Hellsinger, which is not only celebrating hitting the one million sales mark, (and a Golden Joystick Award), but ?has also launched br??and new ports on last-gen platforms PS4 and Xbox One!

Developed by Swedish studio The Outsiders and released in September of this year, Metal: Hellsinger is a frenetic first-person-shooter that combines the explosive and chaotic action of the genre with the guitar-styled wailings of some of the metal scene's finest. Portraying a lost soul monikered "The Unknown", players guide our hero through the bowels of the underworld in an effort to regain?? her lost voice.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFAFzl_Tr7s

Metal: Hellsinger's hook lies in its encouragement of the player to fight ??to the "natural rhythm of the universe" �shooting, dashing, melee attacking, and reloading to the beat of the game's soundtrack. Power-ups and bonus points are awarded for extended synchronization of soundtrack and action, with soundtrack vocals performed by such screechers as Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquility), Matt Heafy (Trivium), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), and Dennis Lyxzen (the Refused).

Launching on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X, it was thought that the PS4 and Xbox One ports of Metal: Hellsinger had been canceled. But it would appear that The Outsiders has managed to complete its work on the last-gen editions, bringing the boom-boom to the wide audience that the game deserves. In addition, a new update has launched on all platforms, offering a ne??w "Archdevil" difficulty setting and adding a new Elite Seraph demon to the armies of the damned.

Metal: Hellsinger is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platform??s.

The post Metal: Hellsinger hits one million sales, launches on PS4 and Xbox O?ne appeared first on Destructoid.

The (other) Game Awards

And so the sun sets on another Gamescom �and it seems that this year's event was something of a su?ccessful comeback. Making a grand return to Germany's Koelnmesse complex, the first physical Gamescom in over two years saw players, press, and publishers gather together to show off and/or experience some of the top titles currently working their way toward an eager gaming public.

While some, this author included, found the Opening Night Live stream a tad underwhelming, there was a large selection of interesting games and projects showcased both online and on the show floor over the course of the week-long event. As is tradition, a jury of Gamescom's peers and employees has put together an awards list, shining the spotlight on a selection of titles showcased d?uring the event that stood out to the panel as being particu?larly promising, impressive releases.

Now, of course, we don't need to put too much weight on this list. It is, after all, an honors list of Gamescom games as decided by Gamescom. But it's still interesting to see which of the 100+ games in attendance this week have been selected as featuring some special promise, and it may help them find their way onto your own personal radar. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more of Lies of P.

Here are the Gamescom 2022 award winners:

Best Action Adventure Game: Lies of P
Best Action Game: Metal: Hellsinger
Best Family Game: Paper Trail
Best Indie Game: Inkulinati
Best Multiplayer Game: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Best Ongoing Game: Sea of Thieves
Best Role Playing Game: Lies of P
Best Sports Game: AEW: Fight Forever
Best Strategy/Simulation Game: IXION
Most Original Game: Inkulinati
Most Wanted Microsoft Xbox Game: The Last Case of Benedict Fox
Most Wanted Nintendo Switch Game: Tin Hearts
Most Wanted PC Game: Metal: Hellsinger
Most Wanted Sony PlayStation Game: Lies of P
Best Trailer/Announcement: Hogwarts Legacy
Best Booth: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Best Lineup: Plaion
Heart of Gaming Award �The game industry’s solidarity with Ukraine
Gamescom Goes Green Award: Ukie

The post Here are the winners of this year’s Gamescom 2022 awards appeared first on Destructoid.

If you're looking to try something new, here are a few good options

The Steam Next Fest demo party is currently on, with many studios showcasing? their upcoming games. From big to small, solo devs to publisher-backed projects, there's a lot to explore.

I took a browse through the selection over the last day or so, and now I'm back with a list of some demos that seem worth checking out. Keep in mind: this is, by no means, an exhaustive list. There are a ton of demos to find, and if you're looking to fill a specific need like "deck-??building rogu??elike" or something, Steam's tag system will get you there.

These are just the ones that ca??ught my eye, and might catch yours too. Some I've even already played, as you'll see in the writeup, at previous expos and demo fests. But with the selection here, there are plenty of cool upcoming games to try out.

Without further ado, let's start with the spooky.

Metal: Hellsinger

The rhythm-FPS genre is quickly filling up, but Metal: Hellsinger has been garnering some attention for its extremely metal approach. I imagine many people who played Doom (2016) found themselves entering a Zen state of chugging guitars and splattering demons, and Hellsinger is the meeting point of the two. It's currently set to launch in fu?ll on Sept. 15, 2022.

Find the demo on Steam here.

Signalis

Maybe arena shooters aren't your thing. Maybe you prefer your nostalgic, retro-vibes games more in the vein of Resident Evil, with a twist of existential cosmic dread and cyber-horror. Well, Signalis has it in spades. It's atmospheric, moody, utilizes shifts in perspective and audio pips extremely well, and is easily one of my most-anticipated indies headed into later 2022. And it's slated just in time for Halloween, on Oct. 27, 2022.

Find the demo here.

Cult of the Lamb

Okay, so maybe dark-and-creepy is your vibe, but you want a splash of cute. Maybe some isometric roguelite action, and a surprisingly compelling base management system. You should head over to the Cult of the Lamb, Massive Monster's adorably chaotic game about a cute lil' lamb starting a cult. Slay the false prophets, reclaim the forest, and convert the critters to your belief system so they can work while you're away. Cult of the Lamb arrives on Aug. 11, 2022.

You can find the demo here.

Gloomwood

Okay, dark and grimy, but maybe a little more immersive sim. How about a survival horror game with a heavy heaping of the Thief series in Gloomwood? It's set in a dark Victorian city where guards with bright, glowing eyes patrol. Plan your route, escape with stealth a??nd ingenuity, and deploy all kinds of fun tools along the way. Just don't get caught.

Find the demo here.

Escape Academy

Okay, I get it. Let's lighten the mood a bit, while sticking with the escape theme. Escape-the-room games have always been quite popular, but Escape Academy brings a little something extra to the table. It's got a narrative twist, as you're a new student at the titular school for escape artists, learning to get out of any sticky situation and meeting classmates and professors along the way. What I really dug about the demo, which is one of my favorites in the Next Fest lineup, is that it has online co-op. It was remarkably easy to hop into a room with a friend? in another state and play through the demo together, and we had a blast. The release date is right around the corner on July 14, but I can't recommend this demo enough for co-op folks looking to try something new.

Find the demo here.

Potion Permit

Sometimes, you just want to hang out, hunt for some ingredients, and brew some potions. Potion Permit is one of the cozier games in the Steam Next Fest, and I really dug its small-town alchemist sim setup. It's definitely one of the slower starts compared to other games on this list, but if you want to just hang out and brew some potions with your dog, who's a very good boy, then Potion Permit seems up your alley.

Find the demo here.

Terra Nil

This city builder that's actually a nature builder has been top of my to-watch list for some time, and for good reason. Free Lives turns terraforming and restoring the scorched earth into an extremely pleasant experience. With each new installment and fixture, you get some gorgeous animations of grass flowing out across the soil, or water filling desolate canyons. Then, when it's all said and done, you pack up and leave. Terra Nil is bea??utifully serene and definitely worth?? your time.

Find the demo here.

Anger Foot

And now for something completely different from Free Lives, it's Anger Foot. Jordan recently declared this might be Devolver's most unhinged game yet, and after playing the demo, I'm inclined to agree. That's not a bad thing, though. Anger Foot has powerful kicks and speedy runs through brutal, blistering chaos, but its bass-pumping, pulse-pounding pace can really put you in the zo??ne. It's fast and bizarre, and might be a bit much for some, but I have to admit I do love how the gators break it down after bringing you down.

Find the demo here.

Naiad

Okay, wheel it back around. Let's go back to the comforts of nature. Naiad is a gorgeous, almost dreamy game about being a river guardian and hanging out with your river pals. HiWarp has crafted some incredible visuals here, and it makes the whole experience wonderfully serene and flowing in a way that really sticks. Naiad was a Day of the Devs standout, and I'm happy to see it's got ??a? demo in the Next Fest.

Find the demo here.

Goodbye World

Another Day of the Devs standout for me was Goodbye World, from solo developer Yo Fujii. It is a narrative adventure about the life of two indie developers, who struggle to make their hit game while juggling part-time jobs. Interspersed throughout, you actually get to play their game, a cute little puzzle platformer. It's a great concept with wonderful?? art and huge potential?? for drama.

Find the demo here.

Frogun

Another nostalgic surprise is Frogun, a throwback 3D platformer about a girl with a frog gun. This seems like it should be on the?? radar of anyone who dug the Nintendo 64 or PlayStation 1 era of platfor??mers. But the bonus is now, with modern technology, we've got a frog-themed grappling gun. Molegato's game seems both adorable and pretty interesting for platformer fans.

Check out the demo here.

WrestleQuest

I'm sorry, did you think I'd write a whole Steam Next Fest demo roundup and not include wrestling RPG WrestleQuest? I was pretty surprised and entertained by the demo I played at PAX East 2022. Mega Cat Studios is combining the world of wrestling with action figures and Super Mario RPG-style combat ?for something that, somehow, works. Works pretty darn well, actually. Pump up the hype and pin some fools (or be pinn?ed, if need-be) in RPG fashion.

Find the demo here.

Those are all the games I'm keeping an eye on and checking out. But if you've got any cool demos you like from the Steam Next Fest, please shout them out in the comments! Summer showcases are always a landslide of info, but these demo fests are a really great opportunity to test the waters, expand horizons, and add some cool new indie projects to yo??ur Steam wishlist.

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