Next Fest 25|3 Day 6

My marathon is coming to an end, and it's spiraling a bit out of control as I try some games that weren't all the best of quality. Thankfully it's usually not major problems, and there are still good demos to try

Highlights: Winter Burrow, HAMSTERMIND

Confidential Killings

Confidential Killings - A Detective Game on Steam

A series of murders is shocking Hollywood! Use your detective skills: search the crime scene, find clues, solve the mystery. Who is pulling the strings behind these Confidential Killings?

STEAM

A murder mystery about a series of crimes in Hollywood. It seems to take inspiration from the Golden Idol series, but with a comic-book aesthetic and lower difficulty, at least in the demo. There are some places where the English translation feels off, which is definitely not good when what characters say is important, but it's otherwise okay

HAMSTERMIND

HAMSTERMIND on Steam

Play as the legendary explorer Hamster Jones and explore a mysterious pyramid while solving the enigmas hidden within.

STEAM

An archeological puzzler about rotating passages, freeing scarabs, and translating glyphs. It features a good variety of puzzle types and difficulties, both with plenty of gimmicks to keep things fresh. The solutions are never super challenging, but I most certainly found myself overthinking some of them

Jackal

Jackal on Steam

Execute ultra-violent raids in 1970s casino hotels. Become a drug-fueled Vegas hitman that takes down the mob in unforgiving top-down close combat. Betray bosses, rob casinos and steal the dames

STEAM

An extremely violent top-down shooter. Your goal is to paint the town red with the blood of anyone and everyone. There is definitely a great surreal aesthetic to it all, and your partner in crime is Anubis himself, but I found myself having a hard time adjusting to enemies spawning, especially in the bonus level. Probably a skill issue though

Musical Maze

Musical Maze on Steam

A relaxing escape game with moving walls. Escape from the maze by manipulating the platforms. Listen to the notes, take part in the symphony. Be careful, sometimes there are enemies who want to silence you. Would you like to discover the harmony between music and the labyrinth?

STEAM

Musical Maze is a half-baked idea at best, a waste of time at worst. Writing this micro-review is taking me more time than finishing the demo, and what little there is requires more polish, justification, and better audio design

Nirih

Nirih on Steam

Fly across worlds in pursuit of tainted souls that will corrupt the realms they inhabit. Boost your speed by following their trails and battling their creations, while dodging obstacles in your hunt.

STEAM

A game all about falling fast. If you want to fall faster you have to go through stamina rings so that you can keep zooming, otherwise you'll limited to a boring old terminal velocity. Features some retro aesthetics, but sadly doesn't feature any of the planned boss battles

Ricochet Abyss

Ricochet Abyss on Steam

Dive into Ricochet Abyss, a unique blend of tactical backpack management, hero-building, and pinball-style combat. Organize your inventory, equip powerful gear, and send your heroes ricocheting through perilous dungeons—every shot and item choice could be your key to survival!

STEAM

A roguelike where numbers go brr about ricocheting around the arena to deal with monsters. Your damage depends on a limited inventory you have to manage, and there are some fun ideas there with regards to buffs and item order. But beyond that, and the weak tutorial and English translation, there isn't all that much to this game other than numbers going brr. Just feels... hollow

Odd Town

Odd Town on Steam

Explore, eat, drink, and investigate in Odd Town — a first-person adventure where a picturesque small town hides something sinister beneath its charm.

STEAM

Odd Town is an odd little sandbox. You're dropped into a small french town and have to do odd jobs to earn money while joining a conspiracy that aims to figure out why people keep disappearing. There is humor and retro aesthetic, but it's lacking something to make the gameplay more than a series of fetch quests

Winter Burrow

Winter Burrow on Steam

Winter Burrow is a cozy woodland survival game about a mouse returning home to restore their childhood burrow. Explore, gather resources, craft, knit warm sweaters, bake pies and meet the locals.

STEAM

A survival game that's a lot more chill than most in the genre, both literally and figuratively. While the hunger and cold are both a constant issue, they're hardly stressful, allowing you to knit your sweaters in peace, decorate your house, or tend to your mushroom plantation. Kinda as if Don't Starve was a lot friendlier to the player