Hi, folks. Thanks for joining me here! This (my very first real newsletter email) is going to contain a bunch of very short reviews from game demos I checked out during the most recent round of Steam NextFest!

Hopefully you’ll find something new and fun to check out that’s already out or coming out soon!

Defrag Incremental from Pollo Arcade Low Bit

Review: Fun for what it is: something to leave up while doing something else nearby/number go up but make it retro and nostalgic for Millennials/Gen X.

Would I buy it: Maybe, for a couple bucks (under $5)

How long did I play the demo: at least an hour/the entire available demo

Business 98 from Five Foot Games

Review: Graphics are a fun nostalgia hit, but the mechanics are a little hard to understand when you first get started. It was fun for a bit, but there's no 'storyline' or anything to really hold it together, so I got a bit bored.

Would I buy it: No

How long did I play the demo: just under an hour

Deck of Potential from Aeongth XVI

Review: An interesting mix of bullet heaven and deck building with a side of roguelike, too. There's also a card merge mechanic to upgrade your spells in different ways and stuff. Pretty fun.

Would I buy it: Yes (under $10)

How long did I play the demo: an hour

The Little Land from RasterCat & Karus

Review: A strategy god-sim where you watch over some lil' guys, trying to keep them safe from danger. Some minor gathering and crafting mechanics to buff your guys etc. This was a cute and fun game.

Would I buy it: Yes

How long did I play the demo: an hour/the entire available demo

Dice Carnival from Phantom Script Studio

Review: A number-go-up roguelike based on dice and tokens and overall upgrades. A variety of play choices and a fun theme, but the graphics style just wasn't really for me and I felt like I got bored quickly

Would I buy it: No

How long did I play the demo: 30 minutes

Alchemist's Arcana from WeaveGameStudio

Review: Similar to Strange Horticulture/Strange Antiquities, but with stones in addition to some herbs. The demo doesn't give access to all the tools to determine what things are, but it's fun and the plot seems interesting!

Would I buy it: Yes

How long did I play the demo: an hour/the entire available demo

Neat from Korova Games

Review: A lot like Unpacking, but with a to-do list. I loved the art style of this one and really had a lot of fun with it. There's really just so many little bits and things to put away.

Would I buy it: Yes

How long did I play the demo: an hour and a half/the entire available demo

Cold Case: The Red Dress Murder from Nessie Games

Review: An interesting take on the investigation/murder mystery genre where you have to scour evidence and reports for keywords (that are all helpfully highlighted but not always relevent!) in order to make your conclusion via fill-in-the-blanks. I really enjoyed this one!

Would I buy it: Yes

How long did I play the demo: the entire available demo

So, that's just a hefty handful of the demos I was able to try during this round of Steam NextFest, but I have a ton more written up here!

Did anything pique your interest? You can reply back to this email and let me know!

Thanks for being here,

Mary 💜