February edition of Steam Next Fest has already finished, however we managed to try some few demos of the participating games (you can check them out in Reviews section). Since it’s impossible to cover every production in a form of written preview, I decided to make a list of games that caught my attention during this event. And who knows, maybe you’ll also find something interesting for yourself among these propositions.
Palm Cracker
The first game allows players to go back in time to the late 1990s and early 2000s. Before smartphones, managing contacts, calendars, and notes was associated with a PalmPilot, a revolutionary personal digital assistant. This relic of the digital age becomes a powerful device in Palm Cracker, a free-to-play detective game where you’re the only one who can catch the notorious Crypt Killer, the smartest serial killer of the century. His confession is hidden somewhere in a mysterious PalmPilot, to find it you’ll need to crack codes, solve cryptic riddles, and learn real-world decryption techniques. Engage with brain-teasing challenges set in a nostagic reality of 2000s tech, complete with classic games, vintage apps, and handwriting recognition. Are you ready to decode the truth?
Koira
If you’re up for a heartwarming and adorable adventure then Koira is definitely for you. In this hand-drawn casual game you and your new puppy traverse a musical forest in search of a way home. During the journey you’ll get a chance to solve ancient puzzles, befriend woodland creatures and immerse yourself in a beautiful scenery. Feel the power of friendship by taking care of your puppy and protecting it from ominous hunters using stealth and bravery. In the end, it might turn out that the real treasure is the friends you made along the way.
Wheel World
Buckle up, the ancient cycling spirits have picked you as the chosen one. In Wheel World we take on the role of Kat, a young cyclist with a big mission: to save the world from a total collapse. In order to do so, you’ll have to explore an open world filled with impressive vistas, hidden secrets, and races that will test your skills. There’s also no limit to how you can ride: customize your bike with an endless array of parts, from sleek speedsters to off-road beasts. Recover your stolen Legendary parts to ultimately perform The Great Shift ritual and fulfill your destiny. Remember: the fate of the universe rests on your handlebars.
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game
Here’s another detecitve game on our list, although this time there’s no serial killer. Actually, you won’t even encounter a single crime in Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game. As the title suggests, this production has more casual approach to the genre, offering players a chance to solve mysteries around minor inconveniences, everyday misunderstandings, and of course, little problems. You can use your deduction skills to connect with friends, resolve small issues of daily life, and simply find joy in your work. To all gamer-detectives who want to stay away from gruesome scenarios and complex villainy – this one is for you.
Am I Nima
Are you familiar with Infinite Craft? It’s an endless word building browser game where you combine words to create new ones. Am I Nima elevates that simple mechanic by integrating it into a psychological-horror genre. You are Nima – or are you not? It doesn’t matter: you must convince your mother that you are. You start with nothing, but as you explore, you uncover words and concepts tied to the objects around you. But knowing isn’t enough, you must actively combine words in your mind, experimenting with different pairings to unlock deeper meanings and access buried memories. Get her to trust you. Act like her. Talk like her.
He is Coming
So you better be ready by then. Deep in the forgotten corners of the world, a dark force stirs – the Demon King rises once more. Without a champion to strike him down, the world will surely fall to his corruption. It’s time for you to be a hero: seek out powerful weapons and artifacts by day, stand against king’s minions by night, and prepare to be hunted by powerful entities from ages past in He is Coming, a roguelite RPG auto battler. Sharpen your wits, brace for combat and stand firm in the face of the apocalypse.
Nerd Simulator
How do you kill that which has no life? You may find out in Nerd Simulator, a mix of RPG and life sim where you step into the shoes of a 40-year-old finally ready to leave the nest. However, the road to adulting is not easy: your goal is to cook a meal that doesn’t cause food poisoning, land a job that requires zero effort, and take on life’s chaos with the finesse (or at least try to.) In this hilarious blend of dark humor, absurd challenges, and unpredictable twists, you need to find a way to turn your life around or else mom will kick you out. You’ll have a chance to prove that with determination (and a bit of chaos), you can start fresh at any age.
Ruffy and the Riverside
We didn’t exclude platformers from our list, as the next game we present is Ruffy and the Riverside. This vibrant 3D adventure invites you to join Ruffy on an exciting quest to stop the mischievous villain Groll from destroying the World Core and throwing Riverside into chaos. Possesing the magical power of SWAP, you can use it to transform the game world: change the sun into the moon or ice into lava while overcoming countless puzzles and effortlessly manipulating objects to your will. Explore, fight, skate on straw bales, and unleash your imagination in this quirky open-world action game in which you literally change the world.
Death and Ladders
Life is a game and now it’s your turn to roll the dice. Death and Ladders shows you what could happen if Death gets bored by doing the same thing for eternity – he gives you a chance to win back your life, if you entertain him by playing his board game. Roll the dice, climb the ladders, avoid scythes, take risky shortcuts, use Tarot Ability Cards to improve your odds or trap your opponent. You can either Gamble your soul in a relaxing atmosphere amongst a Skeleton crew, or if you want more of a challenge, try your luck against others in online or local PvP. Reach the end first to win in this dark strategy game.
Pao Pao
For the last game we saved a wild mix of culinary diving and animal madness, which you’ll experience in Pao Pao. It’s a co-op simulator and sandbox for 1–4 players, where cats, foxes, raccoons, and other animals throw down a true culinary fest. Your job is to manage your own restaurant by fishing for fresh ingredients and hustling to complete orders before your hungry customers scatter. You can go solo or rally your crew to conquer mini-games, explore the vibrant night city after a hard day’s work, and boost your business to a level every dog would envy. Jump in and discover a world where every order turns into an epic adventure.
Hrvatski 
English (UK)