Tails by the Foxfire

What I Played During Steam Next Fest

Every so often, Steam runs their week-long Next Fest event that shows off countless demos for upcoming games that players can try out alongside exclusive developer livestreams and chats. It’s an amazing opportunity to see what’s fresh in the indie scene, and many developers also keep their demos available for play after the week is over, meaning exhausted 9-5ers like me still have something to try at the end of the week and beyond. Unfortunately for me, October came with a very high-intensity workload at my job, so I missed out on a lot of time I could’ve dedicated to demos thanks to my daily energy crash, but I did manage to get through a couple of sneak peeks when I found the occasional moment to breathe. Keep reading as I list which titles I had fun with, and watch this space for updates! There are still plenty of demos installed on my computer even a week later, and I’m excited to talk about those too!

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Welcome to Chirpvenience!

First off the bat is Welcome to Chirpvenience!: a short visual novel from independent artist Miicheer, which sets you to work in a convenience store in the fictional Taiwanese town of Larktown. It’s very slice-of-life, with peppy music and a bright, colourful art style that I found very comforting while under so much stress during my day-to-day life. If you like simple stories and organizational games like A Little to the Left or Unpacking, then you’ll probably have a great time with Welcome to Chirpvenience!, which is more than just your basic click-through story. I found the restocking activities especially relaxing, and scanning each customers’ items was engaging without presenting the stress of handling actual money.

The demo showed off Welcome to Chirpvenience!’s multiple choice dialogue options as well, though some were a bit odd, like ‘Grab his clothes’ being a frequent option available when talking to Yuwen for… reasons? To each their own, I guess. Overall, Welcome to Chirpvenience! is a feel-good visual novel that doesn’t look like it’ll throw you any curveballs as far as story goes. It’s cute, it’s happy, it’s fun, it’s anime, and short of some glitches with its translation that broke the immersion at times, I found this one very satisfying. Give it a try on Steam if you have some time to spare, and make sure to fill out Miicheer’s feedback form at the end to let them know what you think! You can also bring a taste of Chirpvenience to your real-world social media interactions while supporting the game by grabbing Miicheer’s very affordable sticker-pack for LINE!

DODORI

You know I love Bocchi the Rock!, so when I saw DODORI–a roleplaying rhythm game about a high school girl band–you bet I downloaded it in a snap. While there’s not much to it yet, it shows real promise in the scale of the city, the characterful and funny minigames, and the adorable chibi models.

You play as Sara: the lead singer of the Soun High School Band, who has a dream about a stage in flames on the same morning her bandmates plan to resign to focus on their studies. It’s all very ominous, and shows off Sara’s character immediately as the headstrong friend who many be pushing her bandmates too hard as a result of her passion for music. From what little I saw of the story, I’m really interested to experience more of the group’s dynamic and get to know each girl better, because I was very charmed by the town sequence. The only potential issue I noticed was how empty the town felt, which will hopefully be addressed in the full game.

As you would expect of a rhythm game, the music is where DODORI really shines. Bright instrumentals craft complex and emotional compositions, with challenging rhythmic prompts using moving lines to create an ever-evolving gameplay loop. In the background, unique images tell a wordless story about different moments in the girls’ life, from their frantic rehearsal preparations to reminiscing on their time together. These factors combine to shake up the rhythm genre with levels that feel fresh, meaningful, and alive.

It’s early days for DODORI, but if the care put into the rhythm sections is anything to go by, then it’s going to be a real treat once it’s ready.

The Berlin Apartment

Changing gears a bit, we leave the realm of the feel-good and step into the poignant, starting with The Berlin Apartment: a retrospective first-person exploration game that takes place over the span of a century and dives into the history of an apartment being renovated by Malik and his daughter Dilara.

Beautifully visual, highly atmospheric, and effortlessly moving, The Berlin Apartment instantly establishes itself as a deeply important game that delves into Nazi Germany and beyond through the eyes of the apartment’s previous inhabitants. It’s a short demo, but one that grabs you immediately with its amazing ability to draw out empathy and make you feel for whichever character you happen to be controlling. Sight unseen, you look for items and perform activities around your apartment while history unfolds around you, with feelings of foreboding and helplessness lingering as you listen to each character’s inner thoughts and concerns with the current state of the world. I’m so interested to see how The Berlin Apartment unfolds, as our short time together left me with the feeling that it’s exactly the story we need right now.

Taste of the Wind

I love a management sim, whether it’s running a city or a café. Taste of the Wind puts you in charge of a family restaurant of the same name. After closing its doors as a result of rumours and disgrace, it’s reopening now under the new management of the family’s young daughter. Taste of the Wind offers the player granular control over investments, upgrades, and more, so there’s plenty for players to sink their teeth into. Additionally, its gorgeous soft colours and bold lines create a wholly unique visual style that reminds me of sumi-e or ink wash painting, thrusting you firmly into the atmosphere of running a traditional Chinese restaurant in a picturesque city.

That said, don’t go into Taste of the Wind expecting a chill walk in the park! The restaurant is fighting fiercely to claw itself out of debt, so you’ll definitely want to bring your best manager mindset to ensure it doesn’t go under. Fight hard for survival and you’ll be rewarded with a sweet, heartfelt story of inheritance, hope, and family honour with a soundtrack that spills over with authentic, traditional sound. A small note for the developers: some dialogue is too long to fit into the boxes, so it gets cut off without being split up into multiple pages and without a way to scroll and read the rest.

Irene the Window

Irene the Window reunites you with an old friend, reminding me of Emily is Away to some extent for the believable gap it manages to put between you and Irene, creating the illusion that you have history that has languished with how you have each changed over the years you’ve spent apart. Irene is a complex person who gives the impression she’s hiding something big, and the new relationship you build with her is reflected by an evolving add style that adds visual complexity alongside the thickening plot. Fun minigames add some day-to-day between the video calls, with players making tea, playing clicking games to while away the time, or meditating to avoid a barrage of bad thoughts. It’s a fascinating piece of art that I just know will be emotionally devastating, and you know how I love a game that’s cute on the surface but unafraid to shine a light on the human experience. I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one!

Starsand Island

Let’s round out our list with something sugary. In the leadup to Next Fest, I heard some rumblings about Starsand Island and stumbled across the completely adorable trailer that felt like a love letter to Harvest Moon and My Time at Portia, and embraces the best aspects of both. From its magical anime art to its sweet music and generally relaxing vibe, Starsand Island was an absolute joy from start to finish, and I sank hours into it without even realising–the mark of a truly quality game, in my opinion.

My particular brand of neurodivergence can mean sandbox games are stressful for me. It’s really a coin flip if I’ll get hooked, or if I’ll get overwhelmed out of the experience, especially if there are lots of mechanics I need to learn. Starsand Island really feels like it was made for me, as its structured tutorial walks you through cleaning up your homestead, crafting items, harvesting materials, rescuing and befriending animals, and decorating your home. Speaking of decorating, Starsand Island shines with an in-depth system that feels a little inspired by the Sims. Additionally, the nearby town feels full of life with plenty of characters to meet.

Starsand Island is a delight that scratches the MMO itch, as its journal feature is crammed with materials, animals, and more to collect, and lots of missions that grant you rewards when completed while also encouraging you to engage with the game’s many mechanics in a way that feels natural. This is another one I’m highly anticipating the release of, and is probably my favourite demo that I’ve played so far.

That’s a Wrap on Steam Next Fest! So, What’s Next?

Steam’s Next Fest came and went in a flash, but there are still plenty of demos to get to. As well, I’ve been playing around with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Final Fantasy XIV (check out my Bluesky for pics!), and I’ve been thinking a lot about both. Watch this space!

As always, thank you for joining me by the Foxfire! It’s always a delight to spend time with you, so please subscribe to be alerted as soon as I drop more content, and leave a comment to share your faves from this month’s NextFest! Our next big event will be The Game Awards in December, so I’d also love to hear about your most anticipated World Premieres and your top picks for Game of the Year!

Until next time!

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