Video game conventions have long been places where critics and fans alike can play the latest and greatest titles before they release. For many though these events are inaccessible, myself included. I’m the full time carer for my husband who’s a wheelchair user, and so few events like this think about wheelchair accessibility. When you combine this issue with neurodiversity and large crowds it’s just not worth attending a gaming convention for us, and there are thousands and thousands of others in similar positions. Endix offers a digital alternative to conventions though, and features a whole lot of demos to play.
At the time of writing the third Endix convention is now live, and you can download the client and join the party here. Once you do you can create an avatar, and then you’ll be free to wander around a whole virtual world with other fans – dancing, chatting, and more importantly playing some awesome video games. There are plenty of things to explore across the virtual city Endix takes place in, but the star of the show is the convention center.
After following the signs pointing to Endix, you’ll find hallways full of virtual booths. These are all decorated by the developers, which generally means you’ll be walking into rooms themed around whatever game is being shown. Whether it’s a pixel art campsite or a disturbing horror nightmare, these are designed to attract attention in the best possible way. A big highlight of the event this time around was the Raw Fury booth, which featured five games to try out showcasing one of the best publishers in the business.
Most of the booths you can explore feature a video of the game in question to introduce you to it, a QR code which will allow you to wishlist it on Steam, and a panel which will send you to play a demo. You can pre download all the demos before you jump into the Endix client at the push of a button, but otherwise you can pick and choose what you’d like taking up space on your PC. I obviously couldn’t resist playing a whole lot of demos after checking out the sights and sounds of the convention, and here are eight of my favourites.
Eclipsium
Eclipsium immediately had my attention with its striking art style, which bled into the Endix booth it was presented in. This first person puzzler is much more than just a looker though, thanks to its mind bending non Euclidian environment and horror theme. I won’t soon forget walking through the forest into a mine shaft, only for the entrance to vanish behind me, trapping me with the skeletons of those who made the same mistake. With fairly familiar puzzles involving torches and valves twisted in new and exciting ways, this demo is a memorable one that you’ll have to experience yourself to understand the magic.
A-Red
A-Red is a rather charming physics based 3D platformer, where you play as a toy robot wandering around a workshop. At the start of its demo you can only accelerate and turn, but as you progress you’ll get access to guns and thrusters. Using all of these you’ll be able to get around various tools and toys, which are littering the mechanic’s haven you’re trying to navigate. If you tip over you’ll respawn back at the last checkpoint, which lends itself to risk reward gameplay where you can either try to be safe or speedy. I can see this being a popular streaming game when it releases in full, in the same vein as Getting Over It or Jump King. More fun than frustrating though, the A-Red demo more than deserves a try.
Liftlands
A city builder that doesn’t require you to take a night class and read a novel to learn how to play it, Liftlands is easy to pick up and still seriously engaging. In Liftlands you simply scroll around and lift resources onto your altar, and a couple of friendly followers will help by doing the same. Eventually you’ll use these resources to create new buildings, which you can assign followers to in order to create new more advanced materials like planks of wood. Although clearly developed with smartphone gaming in mind, Liftlands still feels delightful to play on PC and Steam Deck. I’m excited to grow my kingdom of orcs when it releases in full.
Esoteric Ebb
Esoteric Ebb might just be the next Raw Fury masterpiece that takes the world by storm. Combining D&D style dice rolls with an intriguing point and click adventure story, Esoteric Ebb shows off quite how impressive it is with this demo. With so many ways to build your character to succeed in conversations, so much branching dialogue and simply superb writing, I didn’t want this striking title to end even in demo form. If you try out one of these Endix games featured today then make it Esoteric Ebb, you won’t regret it.
Craftlings
I initially overlooked this as another pixel crafting game, but this is a crafting game by way of Lemmings. Your little Craftlings walk back and forth across the map, and it’s up to you to ensure they don’t tumble to their doom and also do something productive with their time. By slapping axes or picks into their hands you’ll get them chopping trees and mining rocks, which you can use to make new buildings. It’s not just about building a settlement though, each stage has an objective which will see you using dynamite, bridges and ladders to reach new areas alongside the city building. I would’ve definitely played more than two available stages of Craftlings if I could’ve, because it’s such a cool idea for a game implemented wonderfully.
The Knightling
I will find a way to talk about The Knightling every chance I get, because it’s one of my most anticipated games of the year. This 3d platformer is almost certainly going to be something special, with its novel use of a shield as a weapon, its sprawling world full of things to do, and the huge amount of customisation options shown off in the demo alone. I’ve played a couple of different builds of The Knightling at this point, and every time the game gets more impressive. This game feels like a return to the glory years of PS2 platformers, and I’m going to be collecting everything hidden in that world on day one.
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch
The latest game in my favourite new horror series, although BrokenLore: Don’t Watch is already out now it’s still absolutely worth checking out the demo. The BrokenLore games are a perfect example of short form horror, offering loads of scares and sinister moments in a bite size package. This one is about the phenomenon of shut-ins hiding away from life in Japan, and instead living in the online world. It’s a genuinely scary experience that’s well worth playing, and if you don’t believe me then try the demo.
Ballionaire
What do you get when you cross pachinko with a Roguelike? It turns out the answer is a very compelling video game called Ballionaire. This game released late last year, and is unlike anything else I’ve ever played. Trying to manipulate how your balls roll down the pachinko table by placing different pegs is seriously compelling, and makes for an endlessly replayable experience that isn’t as luck based as it originally appears. If you’re looking for something unique to play then this is the demo for you, and if you like it then you can buy Ballionaire immediately.
