From the ghostly Shutter Story to the road trip adventure Outbound and the strategy puzzler Titanium Court, here are the titles that stood out most during this year’s Steam Next Fest showcase.
Currently, it’s easy to assume that most new indie games fall into categories like co-op extraction shooters or roguelike deck-builders. However, that is not entirely the case. Each February, the week-long Steam Next Fest presents a broad and diverse collection of upcoming titles, all offering downloadable demos. Only a small portion conform to those popular genres. This event provides an excellent opportunity to explore the sometimes overwhelming Steam store and discover unique games. Here are five of my favourites.
Titanium Court
This game is already nominated for four awards at this year’s Independent Games Festival and is gaining significant attention for its surreal humor and stylised pixel art visuals. It is a strategy match-three puzzler where players move tiles to defend their castle against rival armies. Water tiles block enemy soldiers, while hills slow their advance. Matching tiles also yields resources like stone and food, and allows the acquisition of military units. After arranging the landscape, a battle sequence begins where your troops invade nearby strongholds. It’s a ridiculous but incredibly clever mashup that could become this year’s breakout hit.
Shutter Story
As a horror enthusiast, I have had many options this year, but Shutter Story by Frostwood Interactive has been a standout. Players assume the role of an amateur photographer whose best friend, Eli, suspects his family is haunted, with evidence appearing in photos and home videos. Using a software tool called SpectralAware, players analyze images by adjusting exposure and contrast and examining negatives to detect any lurking apparitions. The experience is genuinely tense and unsettling, reminiscent of cult horror titles that similarly use family photos tainted with eerie images.
Don’t Panic! It’s Just Turbulence
If you enjoyed the mult bomb disposal game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, you will likely appreciate Don’t Panic! It’s Just Turbulence. This cooperative flight simulation puzzler requires a pilot and an air traffic controller to collaborate to land a plane safely. The challenge lies in decrypting all controls and cockpit displays before they function, with neither player having complete information and numerous alarms sounding simultaneously. Featuring various aircraft with distinct features and challenges, the game is both hysterically funny and panic-inducing as players argue their way either to safety or disaster.
For a more relaxed vehicular experience, I enjoyed the demo of Outbound, a camper van survival adventure set in a serene post-human utopia. Players drive through rolling rural landscapes, gathering resources, crafting tools, and preparing meals while enjoying wildlife and completing side quests. Unlike typical survival games, there is no danger, only a gentle sense of exploration and discovery as you maintain and upgrade your electric vehicle and encounter picturesque views. It is no surprise that this demo became one of the most downloaded during Next Fest – a welcome dose of quiet escapism.
Wanderburg
Finally, yielding to popular trends, I selected one roguelike game to recommend: Wanderburg. This game combines elements of Nuclear Throne and Howl’s Moving Castle. Players drive a wheeled castle across a procedurally generated battlefield, attacking enemies with cannons and mortars while upgrading their modular fortress with new weapons. I appreciate that you can drive directly over trees and sheep to collect resources, adding a playful Monty Python-style humor to the experience. Unsurprisingly, this was another favourite at Next Fest.
