Next Fest 24|3 Day 6
Micro-reviews for Day 6 of Autumn Next Fest 2024, exploring Observe, Mini Mini Golf Golf, Chicklet, Mythic Merchants, and ∆
This post was originally on Discord, and as such does not contain additional information 2025+ posts have
Almost done with the fest, so not many more games to go. Today some more atypical games that may not all be the best, but most are at least trying to be the best they can
Highlights: Observe
Observe
An extremely intriguing puzzle game about solving small puzzles, and synchronizing solutions of those small puzzles to solve the future small puzzles that keep appearing after you solve each one. This step-by-step approach generates very interesting set-ups where you constantly need to go back to previous puzzles and think about them in a different light. The interesting part is that you can't just redo previous rooms with moves that help your alternate self, you also need to ensure to solve the puzzle you're in for your movements to save. This gets much trickier than it seems at first, and I'm all for it
Playtime: ??h
Mini Mini Golf Golf
This game is an experience. Golf-wise it's not too different from regular 'puzzle golf', however where it excels is with the experimental storytelling that blends gameplay, cutscenes, real video, and who knows what else. It is a lot and is a bit overwhelming/confusing at times. I think the one major downside there is that it might not be clear what's the objective or why you're failing (because you fall through the letters on the ground), but sometimes such is the cost of being different
Playtime: ??h
Chicklet
Chicklet is a good puzzle concept: Going off-screen right/left will move you to the next screen, or loop back to the first one. However you can activate and deactivate most screens with levels somewhere in the level, so the actual configuration of levels is much more complex while your movement option remain limited. Overall good, however the massive number of layouts and positions in those layouts you can find yourself in makes it incredibly easy to softlock yourself, which is not really a fun thing in puzzles whose solutions involve so many steps
Playtime: ??h
∆
∆ has you explore around a massive, and massively empty, facility. Throughout the 9 minutes of the demo I spent more time thinking about the forced cinematic aspect ratio than what's actually happening on the screen. Sure, it's pretty, but it's made with Unreal 5 so of course it's gonna look great. So far the most interesting thing about this game is its unusual name...
Playtime: ??h
Mythic Merchants
Inspiration? Overcooked, but you're making RPG items. Execution? There was an attempt. It's not that the game is bad, it's just not in a state ready for release. I'm pretty sure my character did a zombie t-pose while sliding to one of the clients at one point. I found myself battling a bit with controls, and had to repeatedly check the ESC menu for the recipe book, as they're very unintuitive (though they're simple too). And as a cherry on top, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to complete some orders in the time they provide when you're playing solo. I do think with some elbow grease this can be polished up to a better state, but right now it's underwhelming at best