Steam Next Fest took place last week. For those who don’t know, Steam Next Fest is a full week of upcoming game demos available to play on PC (via Steam). This past weekend I had the chance to play a few of the game trials and demos. I wanted to highlight some of my favorites. Here are a few games that I will be watching for their full release.

Boundary

Boundary is an exciting astronaut in space first person shooter (FPS). The demo only featured some online multiplayer modes: Capture and Purge. I’m hoping that the full release will include a campaign or some type of single player story mode.

Starting out, the controls felt familiar thanks to current FPS games (Call of Duty, Battlefield), but due to zero gravity there were some added controls and features. Some of which I needed some time to get used to.

Boundary was expected to be released sometime last year (2021), but has been postponed to some time in 2022. I’m excited to learn more and see how the full game turns out.

FAR: Changing Tides

I first saw this game during a Nintendo Direct or an Indie World Showcase. I loved the look of it.

After playing the Demo I learned that this is a slower, “take your time” kind of game. FAR: Changing Tides features simple controls: move, jump, interact. The game also features a helpful system that shows you which object to interact with next.

I think this is more of a story game than anything. The simple controls and little puzzles are a way to keep you invested in learning more about the story.

FAR: Changing Tides is out now, as of yesterday, on all consoles (Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PlayStation) and PC.

Neon White

Neon White is another game I had seen during a Nintendo Direct, Indie World Showcase or maybe both. I was a bit curious because of the look and characters, but I wasn’t sure about the parkour-style of gameplay.

Neon White sort of reminds me of Mirror’s Edge, another game I was excited about when seeing previews and trailers, but it never fully pulled me in once I did get the chance to play. I like that this game has a speed running quality to it. Each level keeps track of your times and scores. There’s also the puzzle aspect of finding the best way to complete each level in the shortest amount of time.

After playing a couple of levels in the Neon White demo I am more interested in this game. The game mixes the first-person parkour styles of the recent Ghostrunner and previously mentioned Mirror’s Edge, with card-based combat. It’s not your normal card-based battle we see so much of today though. In Neon White you can either use your cards as intended or discard them to gain other abilities.

Neon White is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch later in 2022.

Super Catboy

This demo was definitely one of my top favorites of the weekend. Super Catboy is an action-packed 90s-style platformer. I love the pixel art style of the game.

Even though Super Catboy features a retro game aesthetic, it still plays very much like a current game. This side-scroller even features some classic retro game alternate levels, like a side-scrolling motorcycle chase.

As Super Catboy you get the chance to punch, claw, shoot and pounce on your opponents as you explore these different environments.

Super Catboy is set to release on PC and Mac in the summer of 2022.

Tinykin

When I first heard about Tinykin, I was excited by the art style. This game looks like it’s straight out of a Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon cartoon.

I once watched my buddy play Pikmin 3 for a little while and this game seems to be something like that. You explore and have your little buddies move objects and unlock objectives for you.

Tinykin is coming to all consoles (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox) and PC later in 2022.

Turbo Overkill

What I liked about Turbo Overkill is how it merges the classic old school Doom and Duke Nukem style with a cyberpunk aesthetic. The art style features a pixelated world and backgrounds, while the characters are 3D models.

It’s a fast-moving, quick-killing, first-person shooter with a banging cyberpunk soundtrack. The opening menu had five difficulties to choose from, which is great, since I usually find myself wanted to switch between Easy and Medium in many of these fast-paced FPS games. Within each level there are tons of collectibles to uncover, which will lead to some great replayability.

Turbo Overkill releases soon on consoles (Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PlayStation) and PC.

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Those are just a few of the games I got to play during Steam Next Fest. At least, those are the few that I enjoyed the most and will be watching until they release.

What games did you get to play during Steam Next Fest? What are you most looking forward to?