Steam’s NextFest returns again this year, but there are enough upcoming games to justify a second tour. Jam-packed with hundreds of title previews, it was really tricky to select a handful of titles we think you should look at.
But since we also try not to repeat games from our previous festival coverage, the abundance of new choices means that tons of new titles are coming your way over the next two years. We can’t play all the demos, so our impressions are based primarily on the game’s Steam profile and NextFest demonstration streams.
If we missed anything, say so in the comments!
Manor Lords [Steam Link]
Lord over your land as you take charge of a 14th-century mediaeval village, helping it grow from the central marketplace. Manor Lords aims to do two things well. It’s a city builder that emphasises organic designs and an active population. And it’s a military combat experience because you must build armies and send them in if diplomacy fails. The winner takes all in the middle ages!
VELASTER [Steam Link]
You don’t know who you are and why monsters are attacking you. But you are trapped in Mallum, a hidden world built by angels and demons, and you must survive this brutal world that is slowly corrupting itself. Play one of three characters in a dark side-scrolling brawler that won’t go easy on its players.
Desktop Dungeons Rewind [Steam Link]
The cult roguelike dungeon crawler, Desktop Dungeons, returns with a new look but all the gameplay and content that has made it a hit since 2011. Guide adventurers on dungeon runs to bring back trophies you sell to expand your kingdom. See how far you can get by blending turn-based tactics with puzzle and RPG elements. The new version revamps the visuals and adds new gameplay features.
Capital Command [Steam Link]
Many games put you in the cockpit of a spacecraft, dogfighting your way across galaxies. But in Capital Command, you take charge of a giant space battleship. Using realistic physics and fighting across distances that can be hundreds of kilometres apart, take on your enemies with a massive arsenal and salvage their wrecks to upgrade your ship. But make sure you run your crews well and fight battles smartly, or you will turn into just another space graveyard.
Tavernacle [Steam Link]
Protect your brewery in this tower – sorry – tavern defence game that can be played solo or with up to four players. Play as dwarves who scour the nearby lands and gather material to build towers. Then defend against hordes of monsters who target your house of libations. Tavernacle promises to be chaotic fun with online and split-screen support.
Wavetale [Steam Link]
The archipelago of Strandville and its islands are in trouble, but one girl may be able to stop the menace threatening this world. Glide across the open water, discover new locations and explore them for answers in this fun-looking action platform game with a highly distinctive art style.
ARRIVAL: ZERO EARTH [Steam Link]
Aliens might have big ships and fancy weapons. But can they defeat a horde of angry humans? Take charge of townsfolk and train them to fight an alien invasion targeting Norway in the 1990s. They’ll do the fighting, but you must equip and direct them in this roguelike auto battler. The action looks downright mental, featuring huge explosions and giant brawls in a neon snowscape.
Dubium [Steam Link]
Team up to escape in this sci-fi action game where you recover valuable cores from an abandoned space station before the clock runs out. But one of the players works for a rival corporation that also wants the cores, and they must betray everyone else. Dubium looks like a wacky and well-built take on the traitor/social deduction genre: trust no one and stay alive!
Hellcard [Steam Link]
How far can you descend into the paper dungeons, facing hordes of monsters and bosses sent by the Archdemon? Find out in Hellcard, a roguelike dungeon crawler with deckbuilding. Placement matters significantly in your chances to win the tactical turn-based combat, but you can up the odds by playing cooperatively with others.
Unusual Findings [Steam Link]
Unusual Findings bring the magic of mid-Eighties point-and-click adventures into the 2020s with synth soundtracks, VHS parties, and a whole lot of weird stuff that only a bunch of teenagers on bikes can solve. If you want an overdose of nostalgia, this game offers an overdose on tap – and it looks like a lot of fun!
