We likely all have plenty of video games in our backlogs we could be playing at any given time, but the temptation of new games is just too strong. Getting excited for that next game is one of the best parts of being a gamer, and there are few better ways to find your next games than the Steam Next Fest. With hundreds of demos available for games of all shapes and sizes, there are bound to be a ton of delightful titles just waiting to be discovered regardless of your taste.
More than any other genre, the games that get my heart racing the most are usually 3D platformers. In recent years we’ve been getting more and more of these, but it never quite feels like enough for a platform junkie like myself. So I decided what better time to search for new ones than the Next Fest, and here are five I’m now particularly pumped for.
Ruffy and the Riverside
This game is the reason I decided to make this list, because after watching a trailer I simply had to play it. Ruffy and the Riverside is a colourful and charming platformer with gorgeous 2D character models in a luscious 3D world. For those of you who love collectibles this is absolutely one to watch, but it has much more up its sleeve than just these shiny doodads.
The main way you solve puzzles and collect those all important stars in Ruffy in the Riverside is by using your Swap ability. This allows you to take a texture from one object and put it on another. By placing vines on a waterfall you can climb it with ease, or to break a metal box you might have to change it to wood before whacking it. Even in the short demo there are so many creative ways that this is used, and every single time I solved a problem by swapping I couldn’t help but smile. We only have to wait until April for the full release of Ruffy in the Riverside, and thank god for that.
Once Upon a Puppet
We are all used to playing 3D platformers that are bursting with colour and friendly faces, which is why Once Upon a Puppet stands out. Oozing atmosphere, the dark world of this platformer is full of mechanical menaces and eerie locations. Protagonists Drev and Nieve are a puppet actor and the hand that helps control him, and are both controlled like a sort of creepy version of Banjo and Kazooie.
Unlike the other games on this list, Once Upon a Puppet features a linear stage to complete and has a little more of a puzzle focus. You’ll mainly need to use your strings to solve problems, like to slingshot across gaps or pull open doors. There are still collectibles too, which are particularly cool as they take the form of shards of a stained glass window. The vibes in this demo are simply immaculate, and I’m ready to be guided by the strings controlling me back into this world later this year.
The Knightling
Okay this one is slightly cheating, because I already wrote a full-on preview based on the Steam Next Fest demo of The Knightling. But it’s absolutely brilliant, and all of you platformer fans should give it a go.
As a young knight in training, it falls on you to help out the citizens of a fantasy world when their hero Sir Lionstone goes missing. With his trusty shield though you can use some of his power, and more importantly slide across the kingdom on it. There is a lot of content in The Knightling demo, with multiple quests, collectables and even upgrade trees to start unlocking skills on. The platforming feels great too, and there’s even combat complete with parrying to dive into as well. I think when the full game comes out The Knightling will be a really special game.
Isopod
I couldn’t resist trying out a game where you play as an isopod, and not just because we have some as pets. As a little pill bug (or woodlouse if you’re from the UK) called Winston, you’re trying to fight back against evil ants taking over the garden. In the demo this means rolling around an open garden level, turning pipes off that are pumping out pollution, and occasionally even beating up some bugs.
Winston is fairly floaty to control, but rolling at top speed around the garden is a lot of fun regardless. You are also equipped with a magnet that you can use to grapple around the stages, which I was a big fan of. With multiple collectables, objectives and even a race against a rival bug, it’s well worth checking out. I’ll gladly roll through more of Isopod when it releases in full.
Demon Tides
After playing Demon Turf long ago, I was fairly certain that I’d enjoy the demo of its upcoming sequel. Demon Tides is a huge upgrade on the original game, with massive open environments to explore and all new 3d character models. Some things stay the same though, like the fantastic movement and slapstick charm.
In the first game our hero Beebz took on the Demon King, and now as royalty herself is off to visit a nearby ocean kingdom. When her ship breaks down though it’s time to explore the seas for parts to fix it, the keyword being explore. This world even in the demo is massive, but a blast to move around thanks to your ability to boost between islands at breakneck speed in your snake form. With other platforming abilities too like your bat form for double jumps and your spin form to maintain aerial distance, it’s so fun to master your abilities to take on the challenges thrown your way. Demon Tides feels like the most feature complete platformer of everything I’ve played this Steam Next Fest, and will almost certainly delight all the platformer fans who play it later this year.
