Curious to get the community's thoughts on the demos they loved in the latest Next Fest!
To start things off, here's a few that I absolutely loved and played through as much as I could (or stopped myself if I knew I'd like it).
Viewfinder - A first person puzzle game a la Portal, The Witness, Antichamber, Entropy Center, etc...I played enough to see the hook of using images to solve puzzles and backed away quickly. This was a game I didn't want to spoil too much for myself when I saw how cool it was.
Beyond Sunset - This was a "boomer shooter" recommendation I saw on Lemmy and checked it out because it seemed neat. I got really into the storyline and art style of the game and saw it through to the end of the demo. I almost gave up on the final boss but when I said no and wanted to push through, I knew I was hooked!
Galacticare - In the last few years, "simulation games" seem to have become my preferred genre and managing an outer space hospital was really engaging. I enjoyed designing each room and trying to optimize the flow of patients. The style and humor of the game worked well since sometimes the humor can feel a little "try hard" but it came together nicely. I don't purchase a lot of games Day One any more but this might be one of them.
One Lonely Outpost - I've had this on my wishlist since it was announced during a stretch of time I was playing Stardew Valley, but this was the first time it's been playable. I enjoyed the interactions with the world but I'm not sure what exactly it would build to (since the planet you land on is desolate). It may be about creating the town/outpost yourself. The demo seemed to overstay its welcome a bit BUT Stardew Valley-likes are super slow in the beginning, so I'm in a "wait and see" mode since I did enjoy parts of it and the unique setting.
Anything that ended up on your radar after this Next Fest?
Captain Wayne - Vacation Desperation: A fun little boomer shooter with some absurd premises and humor. Really fun and whacky.
LunarLux: I really like the art style of this one. The gameplay is turn based combat with a bit of some active/QTE elements.
Hammerwatch II: Sequel to Hammerwatch, a top down dungeon crawly twin stick RPG kinda game. Nothing too crazy, but it's a good gamer to relax to.
Eternights: A lot of people say this is just a lowe quality Persona 5 knockoff, but to me I see more Scarlet Nexus. It has some romance stuff in it, and the combat itself isnt anything too special but I found myself really liking what I played, and the music is really really good IMO
Devil Spire: This is a very retro inspired dungeon crawler that is oozing with atmosphere and charm. I really like this one
Sea of Stars: This is the one I've been patiently waiting on. Pixel art indie JRPG (Those are a dime a dozen really), but this one is punching way above it's weight class. The art is incredible, the music is catchy. Combat is engaging and enjoyable, and I need this game to hurry up and launch