Steam Next Fest is an event that happens three times a year. It’s a week where tons of developers give us the opportunity to try their games out a little early. Out of the sea of demos that were available I was able to narrow my choices down to a few from a few different genres. Here are the games I played and some early opinions I have, the list I have put together is just in the order I played them there is no ranking system.

Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is another installment from the hugely popular Steamworld series, developed and published by Thunderful. One thing that the developers have done with each title is that they create the next game in a different game style. This title comes in the form of a quaint little working city builder.

In Steamworld Build you are trying to escape a dying planet by building up a mining town made up of Steam bots. You build your working town above ground to get money and supplies to eventually make an underground mining system where you will have to carefully manage your resources or else you might find yourself in a sticky situation. You’ll meet the ever-growing needs of your citizens, trade resources, and defend your mine from creatures that may lurk below.

When you start up the game it starts really simple, build your town and get to the mine. I was a bit disappointed at first, but then it started to add to itself and as soon as I got to mine I was pretty hooked. I wanted to keep exploring I wanted to make my town huge and I wanted to decorate to make my town how I wanted to. But unfortunately, the demo came to an end. With some very simple controls and not a bunch of mechanics you’ll need to keep track of this game is easy to get lost in. After playing the demo, I couldn’t help but want more, I have this on my wishlist and I think you should too!

Steamworld Build is set to release later in 2023 for PC via Steam. The title will also be released for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Lunacy: Saint Rhodes

Lunacy: Saint Rhodes is a horror game developed by Stormling Studios and published by Iceberg Interactive. This is a horror game down to its core, but I have to say it does do much to stand out from the sea of horror games available on Steam. It’s a first-person survival horror game where you walk around and get jump-scared.

When I started this game up the vibes felt vaguely familiar, it was dark I was in a forest walking towards my impending doom. You reach the town of Saint Rhodes and there are some abandoned buildings and all I could think was, “Something scary has to happen right?” After exploring a bit, you get a crystal to scare off the spookies and show you “inter-dimensional items” or keys is what it seems like. It’s a creepy game and I’m a little intrigued but I’m not sitting on the edge of my seat for it after the demo. After playing the short demo, I don’t have any real connection to this game so I will not be wish-listing it.

Lunacy: Saint Rhodes is set to release on July 27th for PC via Steam.

While the Iron’s Hot

While the Iron’s Hot is a blacksmith simulator game developed by Bontemps Games and published by Humble Games. It comes baring a pixel art graphic style with a bunch of different mechanics. It starts off a little slow in the beginning but I could see the game becoming addicting.

Reforging a blacksmith’s village on an aisle of the land’s finest artisans, you will step into the boots of an expert smith for a crafty adventure full of charm. You will gather supplies in the mines, craft all different kinds of gear and weapons, and deliver orders while completing quests. All the while you’ll be upgrading your village and exploring the world! You’ll fine-tune your skills as a blacksmith and provide only the best quality gear.

The game is a simulator game, so if you have the patience for simulator games then this one is something you should keep an eye out for. There are other blacksmith simulators on the market but this one is actually trying to step up the game and add more beyond just making and selling weapons. Though that could be a double-edged sword that turns it into a chore simulator, there seems to be a charming little mystery afoot with all the small details that I saw in the demo. I personally would be a little weary of this game just because I don’t know how much time I would put into it, but I would recommend that anybody with the simulator itch check this one out and wishlist it.

While the Iron’s Hot is planned to release in Q4 of 2023 for PC via Steam.

Space Trash Scavenger

Developed by SquarePlay Games and published by Paradox Arc, Space Trash Scavenger is a space-themed open-world crafting survival game. Grab your jetpack and explore the procedurally generated asteroid fields, broken-down spaceships, and abandoned outposts. You will build your very own space rig using materials from the space trash that you will collect. Craft, trade, and fight your way to success starting with only one block with a computer on it.

I could see myself getting lost in this game for hours. My issue that I have with it, is that the controls make it very disorienting. When you flip upside down or you’re trying to fly your jetpack there were a few times I had to step away for a second because it’s a quick movement and it’s hard to find your center. The gameplay itself is fun and it is definitely one of those games that can become addicting. After the demo, I can totally see the complete game having a lot to look forward to. I would love to create some huge elaborate space rig. I hope that they fix the controls a little bit to be less disorienting but other than that, I will be wishlisting this one, and I think you should too!

Space Trash Scavenger is coming soon, keep an ear out for updates on a release date by wishlisting on Steam.

With all the games available during Steam Next Fest I was able to narrow it down to just a few, and I enjoyed most of them! I’m excited to see what these developers have in store coming forward. Did you get a chance to try anything at Steam Next Fest?