Jun 21, 2023
Aside from the sales Steam puts on throughout the year, Next Fest is probably one of my favorite times of the year. Steam Next Fest happens three times a year and is often the first time a demo is available for a game. Plus, it’s always chock full of various demos to grab, and this round has been no different. I think I downloaded over 20 different demos! I won’t bore you with all of them, though. Instead, here are my top five favorite demos I played.
Moving In
Moving In is a cozy, relaxing interior design game. You’ve just moved to a new house, all of your belongings are out front by the moving truck, and now you get to take them inside to arrange them however you wish. Arrange the bedroom to make it comfy and perfect for sleeping. Decorate the living room to be as inviting as you can. Even load your groceries into the fridge! With item locking, surface snapping, item rotation, and a variety of decor items, Moving In offers a place where you can let your creativity flow. And, with no challenges to complete, no specific goals to meet, and no timers to compete against, it is the perfect game for just hanging out and decorating a home.
I enjoyed the simplicity of Moving In. You pick up an item, you put it where you want. Maybe rotate it some to get a better angle, but that’s it. You’re not pigeonholed into placing things in a specific way to meet a goal. You aren’t rushing to do it as fast as possible. You just get to decorate and relax. Even the color palette is pleasing. It’s not too dark or too bright. Everything works together to make a beautiful game.
Heading 2: Everafter Falls
Everafter Falls is a humorous little farming and life sim where you awaken in a new town. You’re surrounded by anthropomorphic animals, who explain to you that the past life you remember was all a simulation. You’ve supposedly been here before, but you have no memory of the place. That’s ok, though. Your neighbors are more than welcoming, and patiently explain things to you, including how to restart your farm!
With the help of your pet, till the earth, plant some seeds, water them, and eventually you’ll have crops to sell. You’ll even be able to employ the help of drones to automate your farm, too, so you can adventure through the dungeons with no worries about your farm. Of course, you’ll be able to fish for a variety of fish, which you can donate to the aquarium to revitalize it. Or, go forage for a number of different items to use. Maybe complete some quests while you’re at it, too.
I found Everafter Falls to be just gorgeous and adorable all at once, but what really drew me in was the humor. It immediately throws out hilarious dialogue and cements the animal townspeople are quirky and entertaining. It helps set it apart from other farm and life sims. Of course, the beautiful scenery and cute villager designs help set it apart too. Having a demo is a great way for people to decide if they like the game and will buy it, but not all demos achieve greatness. Heck, I played some that left me bewildered and unimpressed. However, Everafter Falls quickly made its way to my Wishlist with its refreshing characters, but familiar gameplay. I’m always chasing that cozy farm sim feel that Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley left me with.
Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City is about a little black cat who gets lost in the big Japanese city it lives in, and they’re trying to get back home. You play as this adorable kitty as it explores the charming neighborhood alleyways and the bustling thoroughfares of their city, all while trying to make it back home. Befriend other animals and complete quests for them. Nuzzle up to strangers or even trip them and steal their phone! Hunt down cute little hats to wear, and knock over people’s potted plants. Cause chaos or simply find your way home, the choice is yours.
I have been impatiently waiting for this game for a while now. Unfortunately, it’s not set to release until 2024, but I’m so excited that a demo has released for Steam Next Fest. And it was awesome. Wandering around the streets between homes, finding vending machines and a busy walkway full of business people was all very nostalgic. It is exactly how I remembered many areas of Japan when I lived there. Nevermind that this game gives Untitled Goose Game vibes, but you’re a mischievous little kitty. I had an absolute blast with this demo.
Paleo Pines
Next up on my Steam Next Fest list is Paleo Pines, another game I’ve been anticipating for a long while now. You’ve recently moved to a charming little island called Paleo Pines, where you find a small town alongside herds of friendly little dinosaurs. Of course, you’re not unfamiliar to people living alongside dinos. You have Lucky, your trusty parasaurolophus. With Lucky at your side, you’ll not only revitalize your rundown farm, turning it into a lush dino paradise, but you’ll explore the island and uncover the mysteries of Paleo Pines. Make friends with the quirky townspeople, as well as the friendly wild dinos, while you’re at it. Each dino has a skill that can be helpful to you on your farm.
Paleo Pines seems to be all I’d hoped for. It’s adorable, it’s beautiful, and there are friendly dinosaurs, who have a function beyond just getting to look at them! I absolutely adored this demo, and getting to see a hint of what’s to come. The island has some breathtaking views and easy gameplay, making for a perfectly cozy, relaxing play through.
Sticky Business
Sticky Business is the perfect opportunity to run a sticker business without the pitfalls of running your own real business. And it has the added intrigue of character stories! In this game, you get to design different stickers from thousands of design elements, including sparkles and holo effects. Set a specific niche for yourself, or go wild and sell all kinds of different types. Each sticker attracts all kinds of different customers, and each of those customers have their own stories and backgrounds to discover. Once you’ve designed your stickers, print them out, and lovingly pack them up for each order. Listen to your customer’s story as you choose the perfect paper and filling to keep the stickers safe in the mail.
The demo for this game was wonderful. It’s calming, relaxing, and has an easy to use interface. Designing stickers was as easy as dragging and dropping elements onto the design area. Even packing orders wasn’t stressful. You see how many of each sticker you have, how many stickers an order wants, then get to choose from several different paper colors, as well as filling options. I’d love to get the full game so I can see the upgrades you can buy, and what goodies there are to add to each box!
Want To Give Them a Try?
This round of Steam Next Fest is currently going on, and will be until June 26th. Head on over to Steam to grab the demos for these games, and so many more. And while you’re at it, add your favorites to your Wishlist to get notifications for them.
And of course, if you’re looking for even more cute games, checkout Pixelshire, Dinkum, or even Coral Island.
- Jun 15, 2023
Explore, Use Magic, and Decorate
REKA is the perfect addition to the witchy video game genre, but even more perfect because it has that dark, mysterious atmospheric feel to it. In it, you play as an apprentice witch to the legendary Baba Yaga. You’ll venture across a mystical landscape with your chicken-legged cottage companion to develop your magic, and help, or hinder, villagers you encounter
Start your new and enchanting journey by fully customizing your character with the REKA creator tools. Then, set out to explore a land of beautiful forests, moist swamps, and spread-out villages. Gather materials and other supplies for your potions and quests as you run around this beautiful procedurally generated world. Brew medicinal potions to help heal ailing villagers, or conjure up some nasty poisons to hinder them. You’ll also encounter different wild animals that you can tame and take home with you.
When you’re not being benevolent or causing chaos, take some time to practice your magical skills in the safety of your cottage, which follows you wherever you go. Make the cottage your personal sanctuary with furniture, decorations, and new crafting stations. REKA has complete placement freedom, making decorating your home easy and perfect for unleashing your creativity.
Coming Next Year
REKA comes out sometime in 2024, with no specific release date listed. However, it’ll be coming to Steam, where you can add it to your Wishlist to keep an eye on updates.
Want more witchy fun? Check out Magical Delicacy and Little Witch in the Woods.
- Jun 14, 2023
Welcome to Everdream Valley, an inviting and cozy little piece of the world where your grandparents have a farm. Unfortunately, Grandma and Grandpa went on vacation for a while, and the farm has fallen into disrepair. They need help restoring the farm, and your parents have volunteered you! You’ll get to spend the whole summer with your grandparents, restore the farm, take care of adorable animals, and experience the magic that comes out at night!
An Abundance of Animals
I’m not sure I’ve played a game with quite so many animal options. Stardew Valley has a handful of the barnyard staples, Wylde Flowers has recently added more options, and so on. Everdream Valley, though, has a heavy focus on the animals, and I love it. There are pigs, cows, chickens, horses, ducks, deer, geese, alpacas, sheep, bees, wild boar, magpies, beavers, frogs, beetles, butterflies, mice, snails, and different kinds of fish. Nevermind the different variations of the farm animals. Each one has several different breeds, which makes for a colorful barnyard. Nevermind that they’re round, and you can pet them. You’ll even get to choose from a variety of dog breeds, and have a cute little kitty running around
At the time I played this beautiful game, the only way to get new animals was by visiting the merchant, then pet them to make them follow you, and run to the farm. Chickens you can carry, thankfully, as petting only makes them follow you for a whole 20 seconds.
Pair the 20 second time with the fact that they’re essentially feral unless they’re on your farm with their wooden sign. So they run if the 20 seconds is up, and you need to chase them to pet them again. This mechanic made some of the quests where you fetch critters, well, annoying. However, the Everdream Valley team listened to the constructive criticism and introduced a magic flute that makes animal following SO much easier. Play the flute and they’ll follow. Play the flute again and they stop following.
The Map
The map is HUGE… and lifeless. There are quite a few areas to run around and discover new animals, useful items to grab, and bushes and trees to take back to your orchard. From a beautiful forest, to lush fields, and winding rivers, Everdream Valley has a beautiful atmosphere, but the map is almost too big. You can’t walk through the rivers (which look more like shallow streams), so you’re stuck using a single bridge to access each area past the farm. Unfortunately, the bridges are usually not in a convenient position, so trekking across the map is a time-consuming undertaking. It is nice to just wander around and take in the beauty of nature, though.
That said, things feel a little empty, too. There’s you, Grandma, Grandpa, and the merchant at the farm. That’s all you have to interact with, besides the animals. It makes for a lonely experience, though it does allow you to focus on farming and quests instead of running around to build relationships with people. So, maybe it’s more of a nice little break from the norm.
The Minigames
Every night you dream of a talking scarecrow who shows up with a handy roulette wheel. Spin the wheel to see where your dreams take you. Perhaps you’ll be a duck fighting to get her ducklings in a row, or a goat jumping across an obstacle course, or even your trusty dog defending the farm from thieving wolves.
The way these minigames are used make for an interesting change from the usual. What minigame you play will be different night to night (unless you have bad luck like me), and you can even skip them altogether. You forfeit any rewards you would have gotten from them, but I really enjoy having the option to just not do the minigame when I’m not feeling like completing them. Some of them are a little annoying, too
I’ll admit I’m not the most dexterous gamer, so maybe it’s on me, but I felt like the goat minigame was difficult when simply walking knocked over obstacles, which reset the game. Or the magpie game was difficult to maintain an appropriate flying height without crashing to the ground. My biggest complaint is the wolves not only stealing your sheep if you don’t chase them off in the dream, but they break SO many fences. I dreaded spinning that minigame, but much like the addition of the magic flute, the Everdream Valley team listened and added a mode that made the wolves a lot more lenient.
Final Thoughts
I know I brought up a few issues I had with the game, but overall the game is nice. There’s no pressure to complete quests as soon as possible. Run around and explore, farm, and decorate your treehouse whenever you wish, and complete those quests as you feel like it. And we can’t forget Grandma and Grandpa. Aside from giving out quests, they’re not just there for random conversation. Every morning Grandpa actually gives you crops and animal products they’ve collected, which you’ll need to sell to earn money to buy more animals.
What’s really great about this game is their development team. It’s not a perfect game, but instead of ignoring player feedback, the devs accept it graciously, then actually implement changes. From the magic flute for easier animal following, to the more lenient dream wolves option, Everdream Valley has seen quite a few excellent quality of life changes in their recent update. There’s now object rotation to make decorating easier and better. You can now turn off animal breeding, too, if you’re being overrun by babies. And for those of us who get motion sick, a crosshair has been added to give us a visual anchor for smoother, more enjoyable gameplay.
There’s a LOT of great work going into this game, it seems, and I’m excited to see what new features get added.
Overall, I’d give Everdream Valley
You can find Everdream Valley on Steam and PlayStation, with an upcoming release on Nintendo Switch.
Want more reviews? Check out this Roots of Pacha review, as well as this one on Ooblets.
- Jun 8, 2023
Explore a Peaceful Forest and Meet New Villagers
Congratulations! You’re a newly minted Mail Scout in the cozy forest of Grumblewood Grove. It’s your first day on the job, and you’re full of unbridled enthusiasm for your new adventure. With your cute little mushroom hat and a bag full of mail, it’s up to you to deliver all of the letters to the inhabitants of Grumblewood Grove.
Start your new adventure by fully customizing your Scout! With over 46,000 combinations, you’re sure to find a unique character just for you. From skin tone to backpack type, you’re in control of it all. As for the recipients who are eagerly awaiting their mail, you shouldn’t dally, but Mail Time is a relaxing adventure. Run through the forest, jump over obstacles, and even use letters to glide your way around the forest to reach your destinations. Explore 8 different colorful areas and meet 15 unique characters with their own stories and charms.
Mail Time even has upgrades. Collect Mail Scout badges while you’re out delivering mail. Those badges will allow you to upgrade your gliding ability, and with upgraded jumping abilities, imagine the heights you can reach! Don’t worry about fall damage, either. There’s no fall damage, so if you fall, just pick yourself back up. There’s also no time limits or other pressures to complete this beautiful game. You can play as fast, or slow, as you want.
Relax and enjoy delivering the mail!
Available Now!
This cozy little cottagecore adventure is currently available on Steam. It’s coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, too!
Want more mail delivery goodness? Check out Lake, Flying Neko Delivery, and The Courier!
- Jun 7, 2023
Renovate, Decorate, Plan, and Manage the Town
Congratulations! You’re the new mayor of Go-Go Town, a declining, rundown tourist destination. One short phone call was all it took, and now it’s up to you to not only take care of this crumbling place, but return it to the vibrant tourist town it used to be. Can you make Go-Go Town prosperous again?
Luckily, you’re not alone in your endeavors. The aging population of Go-Go Town will help teach you the ins and outs of being the mayor, starting with construction. Part of your job will be to collect materials and repair current buildings across town, or build new structures and shops. You’ll also have a number of power tools at your disposal, from chainsaws and drills to leaf blowers and trimmers.
Once you’ve repaired the town, you’ll get to decorate it, as well as plan how you want the town laid out and what shops will populate the streets. It’s your job to decide which types of shops to build, who will run the shops, how those shops will bring in money for Go-Go Town, and how to manage the supply chain. Will a new arcade with neon lights do well? Or perhaps a burger joint for tourists to grab lunch at will be better? Oh, but what about a souvenir shop? Everyone loves taking home a memento of their vacation!
Running a whole town will keep you busy, but the residents will help you out. Expand the industries in Go-Go Town by hiring miners, fishermen, lumberjacks, shopkeepers, and more. With the right combination of tools and people, the town will run smoothly. When you run out of room in your now prosperous town, you can expand. Unlock useful new tools and skills in the tech tree so you can build bigger houses, terraform the land, and much more.
Make Go-Go Town an incredible place to visit, and some of the tourists may even decide to stay!
Coming Soon!
Unfortunately, Go-Go Town! doesn’t have a release date available. However, you can Wishlist it on Steam!
For more cute life sims, check out Dinkum, My Time at Sandrock, and Wylde Flowers!
- Jun 1, 2023
Reshape Reality With Photographs, Paintings, and More
Viewfinder will challenge your perceptions, as well as redefine reality, and reshape the world around you. Armed only with your instant camera, you will embark on a mind-bending first person adventure. Play through hours of interesting and fun experiences and uncover the mysteries of the world.
Masterfully utilize your instant camera to solve puzzles by filling in the blanks, but don’t stop there! Also make use of the paintings, sketches, screenshots, and postcards you find in your adventures to reshape the world and solve puzzles. As you explore, you’ll learn about the world, as well. Discover the secrets of Viewfinder and why the world was created as you engage in a player-driven narrative.
Experience as much as you want, when you want, too. There’s no pressure in Viewfinder. It features an approachable gameplay experience for everyone. Do you just want to complete puzzles? You can! Or are you the type to explore every little bit to learn every tiny detail about a game? Well, you can do that, too! The game is thoughtfully built for both types of players in mind.
So, step into the world of Viewfinder, and find the answers to the impossible.
Coming Soon!
This perception altering puzzle platformer is coming to Steam sometime this year, as well as PlayStation. You can Wishlist Viewfinder on Steam now.
For more puzzle games, check out A Little to the Left and Marbelous Animals.
- May 31, 2023
Frenetic co-ops are nothing new. In fact, some of the funniest co-op games are these chaotic co-ops like Overcooked and Moving Out, where you need to work together with other players. However, you’re often creating more obstacles by being in each other’s ways. And Abracadabrew isn’t much different. This game just offers a fresh new take and setting to the genre.
Become the Best Witch!
Abracadabrew is a charming and adorable local couch co-op game. Gather up to four players and experience some frenetic fun. You and your friends will need to use your memory skills to brew as many potions as possible before dawn. Frantically run around each level to find the necessary ingredients hidden around the room, and be sure to communicate with each other to be successful!
Experience the fun and chaos of running around for ingredients to brew potions in 25 unique levels. Each level has its own environments and layouts, with more levels to come. Every Abracadabrew level is randomly generated to provide limitless replayability, also. Unlock 20 different playable characters as you play through the game, too. You’ll even engage in intense boss battles where you’ll need to brew the correct potions in order to win. Prove you’re the best at brewing potions and battle for the top spot on Abracadabrew‘s leaderboard.
Abracadabrew is an especially great game for families and friends to play together as it is made up of entirely family-friendly content. It’s perfect for all ages to play!
Available Now!
This adorably charming couch co-op game is available now on Steam!
Want more co-op games? Check out Farm Your Friends, Camped Out!, Tools Up!, and the old favorite Overcooked.
- May 25, 2023
Explore and Take Pictures
Flutter Away is a short but cozy nature adventure game that lets you explore the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest. You are a butterfly researcher on a five-day camping trip to study the butterflies in the rainforest. You will explore the mesmerizing tropical forest while searching for butterflies, other creatures, and important plants.
Set up your tent in a cozy little spot in the rain forest so you have somewhere to call home for the trip. Take relaxing walks down the trails and embrace the beautiful sights of a waterfall, towering trees, and sweet little flowers. You will even search for the different types of mushrooms and frogs Flutter Away has to offer. Build a flourishing friendship with a shy little capybara to learn her secrets. And don’t forget to take pictures of your adventure! Add pictures of all the flora and fauna you encounter to your journal to document your findings and your journey.
Flutter Away is a relaxing and educational game that is perfect for nature lovers of all ages. It is a great way to learn about the Amazon rain forest and its inhabitants.
Coming Soon!
Unfortunately, the super cute Flutter Away does not have a release date available yet. However, you can find it on Steam, where you can add it to your Wishlist!
Want more creature collection or photography games? Check out Alekon, Alba: A Wildlife Journey, The Beasts of Maravilla Island, or Petit Island.
