It is the Steam Next Fest and there are so many excellent new demos for indie games on Steam right now that it would be almost impossible to play them all. There's far too many to do a full list of all the good stuff I have played, so I've picked ten crackers that are either absolutely exceptional OR a total belter that is off the beaten path and isn't a particularly obvious choice. Give these a go - I've had a great time with all of them. There's quite a few FPS games in this list because THAT'S MY SHIT, so please keep that in mind - your mileage may vary with a few of those if you're not a fan of the genre!

Also: Honourable Mentions are for fucking cowards.

Steam Next Fest - My TEN Demo Picks.

Frogun

A really solid 3D platformer (and a pretty generous demo!) that riffs on early PS1/N64 era titles, specifically lifting a bunch of stuff directly from Chameleon Twist and its underrated sequel. You wield the titular 'Frogun' and by firing it you can use its sticky tongue to grab hold of things, pulling you towards them, which allows for some really interesting platforming puzzles and situations. Every level has a bunch of secret collectibles that require you to really explore every nook and cranny and really master each one to achieve 100% completion and test your abilities. A really enjoyable game and one that shows great promise.

SHINOBI NON GRATA

A mash up of Ninja Spirit, Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden - a fast-paced 2D action platformer that has you battling your way through hordes of enemies and taking on giant, challenging bosses. There's a few different sub-weapons so you can shape your play style and the big, backflipping double jump feels super satisfying to perform. It looks the part - like a NES game with all the console's restrictions removed - and nails the feel and vibe of one of that consoles top tier titles. Can't way to see more of this one.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die

One of two 'Goldeneye-a-likes' in Next Fest, the other being the far inferior Operation: Pinkeye. Agent 64 gets almost EVERYTHING right - it is a near-perfect homage to the N64's finest hour. Near perfect, because although this demo shows that the aesthetic, animations, weapons and the way they feel and mission structure that gains objectives as you increase difficulty are all spot on, it is very combat heavy. I'm hoping that the full game has a bit more of you James Bond-ing your way through scenarios - a bit more gadget use, a touch of stealth and some levels where there are non-combat sections and this one could be absolutely brilliant. It's no doubt just a coincidence that the Q button selects your gadgets but I'm choosing to believe it is an intentional Easter egg.

Kayak VR Mirage

A total surprise, this one. I expected some sort of intense VR workout as in some kind of kayak race and although there is a checkpoint time trial (with asymmetric multiplayer via leaderboards) the real selling point of this to me was the inclusion of a free roam mode. You simply make your way down river - some sort of canyon in Australia in this demo - at your own leisure, taking in the stunning visuals and taking part in a proper piece of VR escapism. The way you control the oars is very authentic and it rarely does anything that breaks the immersion. I can't wait to try out some other locales in the full version, out next month.

Hellscreen

DISCLAIMER: I know the developer of this one and have been listening to him bang on about it in varying degrees of sobriety over the past six or so years.

The coolest thing about Hellscreen is that in a genre that has recently gotten incredibly bloated and is rammed with a lot of identikit titles, it is trying to do something different. The 'rear view mirror' gimmick, which allows you to fire at enemies behind you with a quick glance up at it and a click of the right mouse button works remarkably well once you've reprogrammed your brain to think about it during combat. Some nice verticality in the bigger stages and a progression system lifted straight from Super Mario 64 as well as an aesthetic that channels late period Amiga attempts at FPS games as much as it does the works of H.R. Giger, it is strange to call a game so challenging and aggressively abrasive as this a 'breath of fresh air', but here we are!

CULTIC

Unsurprisingly, this was the 'best of show' for me. CULTIC has always looked like a banger even from the early gifs the developer was posting online, showing a game that looks and feels like the sequel to Blood that we should've gotten, instead of whatever the fuck Blood 2: The Chosen was. The previous demo was fantastic and this demo, with some added refinement, polish and a healthy injection of some Embracer Group money, via the publishing deal with 3D Realms, it has only gotten even better. It just has a total understanding of what made Blood so good and - dare we say it - improves on some aspects in meaningful ways. I love everything about this one so far and is one of my most anticipated games full stop right now.

Toilet Chronicles

There's not much to this one (you can finish it in a manner of minutes once you know the solution) but my word does it leave you wanting to know more! You're trapped in a public toilet with only a mysterious partner, who is locked in a cubicle, trying to help you escape. Within the extremely short run time it bounces from a dumb but endearing escape room concept to feeling like you're in some sort of strange psychological experiment to some sort of cartoon-y but surrealist horror, the whole time having that same sort of self-awareness that The Stanley Parable was built around. I am fascinated to see where this one goes next.

Anger Foot

Easily summed up as Hotline Miami 3D, Devolver Digital (who DO NOT MISS) have found another absolute belter. Intense, flying by the seat of your pants action that relies on finding the sweet spot within all the chaos - the spot between pure skill and total luck. You can boot doors off and one shot any enemy with a big kick but tactical use of weaponry is needed to really master each stage and get the best possible scores. Love the big, bold 'Nickelodeon for adults' aesthetic and the soundtrack that threatens to start a fucking riot when it gets going. Good stuff, right up my street.

Selaco

This actually blew me away a bit. A super-detailed, lived-in world is the backdrop for an FPS that is part classic shooter, part tactical shooter and just a dash of ImmSim to create a game that feels far, far beyond its indie status. This feels like a high-concept AAA title, with loads of brilliant touches that you rarely see outside of those big titles. Chat between enemies that is tailored to what you're doing, every weapon is satisfying and useful - there's no deadweight in the arsenal - and all of the movement options give you ample means of getting out - or diving headfirst in - to combat. Some shotgun, too. A Rizla paper separates this and CULTIC as to what my favourite demo is. The fact that this is all built on the GZDoom engine is astounding.

Deadlink

Sometimes a roguelike leaves me cold, sometimes I can feel it instantly get its hooks RIGHT inside my skin. This is definitely the latter. An action-packed arena FPS that treads the line between Quake 3: Arena and Ghostrunner but with the progression system lifted straight from genre-leader Hades, where after every scrap you can choose which upgrade you wish to take and slowly build your class from what is offered up. The real genius here is in the 'marking' of enemies - enemies are marked by either using your abilities (things like an area effect stun or a grappling hook that can pull your towards targets) or by hitting them with a grenade explosion. Marked enemies spill armour, health and ammo when you kill them, like in modern Doom games, so there's this great balance between constantly moving, blasting enemies and deciding which ones to mark. Properly addictive and, to be honest, dropping Hades' progress structure into a genre I love is an easy win.

THANKS FOR READING.

Please consider chucking a couple of dollars at my Patreon page if you like this or any of the other things I do.

patreon.com/andihero