In fact, much of my time with the demo was spent getting slaughtered by them.

They might shoot your troops through a slim line of sight that you could never have predicted.

RIP… that guy.

The Steam Next Fest artwork for February 2023

These little troops barely stand a chance.

But, after months of having superhero strength inMarvels Midnight Suns, thats exactly what I need.

Download thedemo on Steam right here.

Cover image for YouTube video

Who are the other blobs with legs in Mr Moon’s employ?

This is a platforming roguelike that feels both tightly controlled and wonderfully chaotic in the hands.

It’s entirely unpredictable, and I absolutely love it.

An image of soldiers infiltrating an office in Xenonauts 2. There’s a big patch of rubble and blood in the centre of the image.

Honestly, I should have guessed from the name ‘Bandages’ Alvarez.

Not all traits are bad, though.

That’s right - not even the crimes are scripted.

Several blob characters have a fight in an underground warehouse in Mr Sun’s Hatbox

Saitou, a game set in the same universe as Rakuen.

Just going by its short demo, I’m convinced it’s going to be equally as special.

Despite Mr. Saitou’s early irritation, it’s clearly the start of a healing process.

An NPC holds his umbrella in the rain in open world city mystery Shadows Of Doubt.

He even cracks a smile.

After falling asleep, Mr. Saitou awakes in a fantasy version of his corpo-life as a… llamaworm?

Wait, everyone is a llamaworm?!

A man named Mr Saitou looks at a drawing of llama worms all called Saitou in the game Mr Saitou

Straight on the wishlist.

There are some clever curve balls in the design that force you to balance your garden space very carefully.

It’s both smart and cute.

A vampire waters flowers under a sheet in Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire

Its A Wrap!

Its such a smart idea for a platformer, and one that also works incredibly well in practice.

It’s such a fun and smarty idea!

A man gets electrocuted by a giant shadowy mech in It’s A Wrap!

I loved this demo and am definitely keeping my eyes on the Steam page for a release date.

Youre physically powerful, but that doesnt stop everything feeling very scrappy.

Theres a lot of scrambling up walls, here.

Armoured enemies leap toward the player in the abstract hellscape of Shady Knight

Grappling to hard to reach ledges.

Kicking a man repeatedly against a wooden crate until he drops his sword.

Fights are tense and tough, death is frequent and success must be earned.

A red robed player character fires bullets at crates atop four skyscrapers in City Of Beats

If anything, its encouraged, as City of Beats laser weaponry is itself part of the soundtrack.

A fitting and quite literal crescendo to twenty minutes of tuneful, nicely atmospheric blasting.

To be clear, I’m not accusing DreadXP of pigeonholing themselves or the developers under their banner.

Four martial artists fight evil hogs in a forest in Wandering Sword

Outside of sharing a broad premise, Amanda The Adventurer plays out very differently toMy Friendly Neighborhood.

All activities appropriate to pre-school edutainment programming.

Cook Serve Forever

Liam:The act of playingCook, Serve, Delicious!

Monsters line up to do battle in a mountainous landscape in Super Auto Battlemon

By comparison, the demo forCook Serve Foreverfeels borderline relaxing.

The games refreshed cooking mechanics certainly make a difference.

Dishes are now prepared by pressing a sequence of buttons for each step of a recipe.

A CG girl and sheep look at the player through a television screen in Amanda The Adventurer

Mash A four times.

Thankfully things arent too easy.

Tape To Tape

Ollie:Am I really so simple?

Preparing a fruity donut dish in a Cook Serve Forever screenshot.

It works well because they really lean into the silliness of the abilities your team can employ.

At one juncture I even bribed the referee so that they would occasionally body check my opponents.

The demo is the first level and it’s the most utterly charming thing I’ve seen this year.

An ice hockey goalie ties themselves to the goal in Tape To Tape

Beatrix Potter eat your bloody heart out.

The demo starts with you literally burning at the stake.

It’s a horrible, gross thing.

A disembodied hand scuttles over office chairs in Super Adventure Hand

But a grisly part of me relishes the game’s fast-paced movement and explosions of gore.

There’s something a bit Soldier Of Fortune about it all.

You’re able to shoot flung axes in mid-air, causing them to plop to the floor.

An isometric top down view of a cell-shaded coastal village in Outlanders

Boxes can be lifted to create makeshift platforms.

Wheels of cheese can be consumed.

I’ll be following this game with a morbid curiosity.

A bird compliments a wood sprite in Mail Time

Heads and other body limbs lie on a blood-splattered floor in a dark village in Coven