Next Fest 26|1 Day 7

And time for the final set of demos! As always slightly earlier than usual so that you can still have time to try something if you're interested in any of it before the Next Fest finishes in 21ish hours (though often demos will stay out for longer, but it can be a gamble)

Highlights: Enter the Chronosphere

CHASM SHIFT

CHASM SHIFT on Steam

A 2D pixelated platformer journey through a mysterious and vast maze of puzzle box dungeons. Solve puzzle-infused platforming challenges and uncover new abilities as you plunge into an atmospheric adventure.

STEAM

A pixelated platformer through a slumbering superstructure. Pretty standard gameplay-wise, but I heavily enjoy the atmosphere and visuals, and just wish there was a bit more content in the demo, in a good way

Lost Call

Lost Call on Steam

Lost Call is a top down pixel art 2D Zelda inspired game with a metroidvania style map. Take off on a quest through an abandoned and ruined town to stop your phone from ringing all the time, and learn more about the characters who still remain within it.

STEAM

A top down mix of action-adventure and a metroidvania, in a very simple monotone style. It's not super high complexity, but it has everything it needs and despite the seemingly fiddly movement there are quite a few skips strewn about for those that like to speedrun. Has a cute and relatable foxy protagonist and a straight forward gameplay loop with various gimmicks to keep you engaged

H.A.I.N

H.A.I.N on Steam

H.A.I.N: Heir of the Ancient Immortal Necromancer is an asymmetrical co-op horror/thriller game for 1–4 players. Explore hostile regions, collect ancient artifacts, and begin the final ritual. But one of you will become H.A.I.N, the betrayer, and trust will collapse.

STEAM

I know the devs behind this one, so it's up to you how objective you think I can be, but to me the demo isn't that great. The game idea itself is fine, good even, carving out its own niche in asymmetrical horror co-op, in a way that could interest those that like Dead by Daylight or the like. But the demo doesn't really do the idea justice. Not only is it a singleplayer experience imitating a multiplayer game, it also has rubberbanding without being online, pointless jumpscares that actually ruin an otherwise creepy atmosphere, and animations that are both simple, and yet beyond the skill/budget of the animators. The game can be great, the demo is not

The Bold Bogey

The Bold Bogey on Steam

The Bold Bogey is a 3D golf adventure that combines open exploration with satisfying platforming. Explore a vast world filled with dungeons to dive into, bosses to fight, and new ways to upgrade your ball in a golf game unlike any other. Do you have what it takes to become the Boldest Bogey?

STEAM

An... open world golf platformer? Yeah, sure, why not. There is a bit of a lack of a distinct visual style to really tie this game together, but gameplay is good, split into dozens of tiny platforming challenges and some side activities like time trials, parkour, and, gasp, golfing. Unusual mix, but a good platformer

Enter the Chronosphere

Enter the Chronosphere on Steam

Everything moves when you do in Enter the Chronosphere, the turn-based bullet hell roguelike. Each chronosphere is procedurally generated with defenders and biomes from the worlds it has consumed. Break in, find exotic weaponry and gadgets, outsmart hostile aliens, and fight your way to the core.

STEAM

A turn-based bullet hell roguelike. And yes, that combination does somehow work. Each "turn" everything in the world moves at the same time, and you have to pick between dodging bullets, shooting bullets, or standing still to buff yourself or reload your weapons. It's mostly slow and methodical, but can get insanely chaotic the more targets spot you and start barraging you with all sorts of attacks. Just don't accidentally nuke yourself like yours truly