Steam Next Fest October 2022 Round-Up (Part One)

Welcome to part one of the GAMERamble Steam Next Fest round-up for October 2022. Once again, Steam is hosting its celebration of upcoming games with hundreds of demos to try out. Next Fest started on the 3rd of October and will continue until the 10th, allowing players to get some hands-on time with their most anticipated games. As with the previous Steam Next Fest, the GAMERamble team has been hard at work browsing through what is available and checking out the titles that stand out the most. With so many demos on offer, it is impossible to try out everything, but here are ten titles we think players will enjoy. This is by no means a definitive list, and there are plenty of other great demos, so be sure to let us know which ones you really liked and which ones have got you excited for their releases. So, without further ado, here’s dark_cloud’s Steam Next Fest selection in alphabetical order.

DoubleShake

Developed & published by Rightstick Studios

DoubleShake is a 2.5D platformer, which the developers say was inspired by some of their favorite 5th-generation games. The Sony Playstation dominated this generation, along with the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The influence of games such as Mischief Makers, Klonoa, and Tomba! is immediately apparent, and players take control of a character named Loam. Players must help her as she investigates and grapples with the ensuing Chaos that threatens to toss her humble little island into total disorder. DoubleShake is launching in 2023. 

DREDGE

Developed by Black Salt Games & published by Team17

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Players get to captain a fishing trawler and explore a collection of remote islands and their surrounding depths. The goal is to catch fish to sell to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Players can outfit and upgrade their boat with better equipment, but danger lurks everywhere thanks to sharp, rocks, shallow reefs, and whatever it is that lurk within the fog that cloaks the night-time seas. DREDGE is launching in 2023.

Gunbrella

Developed by doinksoft & published by Devolver Digital

Gunbrella is a noir-punk adventure that is set in a world dependent on a rapidly diminishing natural resource. The player character is a gruff woodsman on a quest for revenge and his weapon of choice is the mysterious Gunbrella. This firearm doubles as an umbrella and can be used for things like gliding, swinging, dashing, and diving. Gunbrella features plenty of action with a focus on maneuverability and close-quarters gunplay as players tangle with everyone from ghouls and gangsters to cops and cultists. Gunbrella will be launching in 2023.

IllWill

Developed & published by Slava Bushuev

illWill is a first-person shooter that mixes together Doom, Quak, Blood, Serious Sam and a bit of madness for a bloody cocktail of all-out action. The game features dozens of monsters and fills the breathtaking locations with hundreds of them. Fortunately, players have a variety of weapons at their disposal, from a double-barrel shotgun to a soul ripper. illWill runs on Unreal Engine 4 and promises polished gameplay that contains all the best of old-school shooters. The game is launching on the 1st of December, 2022.

Paper Cut Mansion

Developed by Space Lizard Studio & published by Thunderful Publishing

Paper Cut Mansion is a papercraft roguelite, where players get to explore a mysterious mansion floor by floor. There are puzzles to solve, enemies to battle, and quests to complete while unlocking new abilities. The protagonist, Toby, is a police detective and each run gives players the opportunity to collect another piece of evidence to add to his Evidence Board. The game features perma-death, but the mechanics are being designed for high replayability and players can customize their equipment before each run to shape their own play style. In total, the game will have 27 different possible endings wrapping up the tale. Paper Cut Mansion is releasing in 2022.

Rhythm Sprout

Developed by SURT and published by tinyBuild

Rhythm Sprout is a fast-paced rhythm action game with original music and a wacky story mode. To succeed, players must step to the rhythm and fight to the beat. All the music is being crafted exclusively for the game with creative beatmaps in mind and goes together with the unique and detailed 3D environments.  The music themes are inspired by different genres so players can expect everything from EDM and K-POP to Drum’n’Bass, Disco, Lo-fi hip-hop, metal, and much more. Players can mix different level modifiers such as Turbo Mode, Mirror Mode, and more and the game will feature unlockable outfits for Sprout as well as skins for his weapon. Rhythm Sprout is releasing early in 2023.

Souldead

Developed and published by Heathen Software

Souldead is a fast-paced dark fantasy first-person shooter with a modern take on the gameplay. Play as a character who has been dead for two hundred years before someone called the Messiah of Hell came and took with him the last piece of your evil dead soul. The game has a great deal of emphasis on action and exploration, so players will have to fight horizontally and vertically. Souldead will have beautiful environments full of secret locations as players explore an ancient dark castle, destroy hordes of enemies in Rome, and even visit Victorian England. It also promises never seen before weapons such as the paladin’s heart and holy cross. No release date for Souldead has been announced yet.

The Knight Witch

Developed by Super Mega Team & published by Team17

The Knight Witch is a metroidvania adventure game with fast-paced, shoot ‘em up combat. It is set in a beautiful, hand-drawn world where players can tailor the game to their level of play. There are plenty of evil foes to encounter and players can choose whether to wield their magic or use weapons and wits to take them down. Players can also customize their own unique playstyle by upgrading their Knight’s abilities for a more fast-paced shmup experience. Alternatively, they can strengthen their Witch magic and explore tons of different deckbuilding strategies with over 30 unique spell cards to choose from. The Knight Witch is set to release on the 29th of November.

Wavetale

Developed by Thunderful Development and published by Thunderful Publishing

Wavetale is a story-driven action-adventure game where players get to explore an open sea and the decaying archipelago of Strandville. Players take control of Sigrid, a young girl who befriends a mysterious shadow that provides her with the power to walk on water. This fast-paced adventure will see players speeding through the open sea and swinging between buildings as they experience a heartwarming story about loss and reconciliation. The game will also allow players to change Sigrid’s appearance with collectible hats, hair dyes, and outfits while filling the pages of her scrapbook with special drawings to learn more about her world. The release date for Wavetale is listed as “coming soon.”

Whalien

Developed and published by Forbidden Folds. 

Whalien is a short adventure based around a focused core mechanic that takes you into a charming world full of little details. Play as Ernest Hemingwhale, who is the last remaining person living inside a mechanical whale named Fin. Ernest has to set out on an adventurous journey through the whale when slimy Squiddies show up and start making a mess. Ernest has gloves that can be used to push and pull all kinds of objects and elements in his proximity and the game is based on this concept. The planned release date for Whalien is listed as “Somewhale in the future.”

Conclusion

Thanks for joining us for the first part of the GAMERamble Steam Next Fest round-up for October 2022. Be sure to join us again for part two, where we will be looking at ten more demos as selected by Mrs. Cloud.