Last Updated on
For the next four days, get free access to a host of exciting demos for upcoming games.
Follow up from December 2019 Steam Game Festival, which coincided with The Game Awards; Valve is offering Steam users another selection of time-limited demos on upcoming games, in the Spring Steam Game Festival 2020. It’s a chance for developers to increase awareness for their upcoming releases, and for players to get a free trial of some games they might be interested in playing.
Many of these games had been scheduled to participate in various events associated with Game Developers Conference, including Indie MEGABOOTH, Day of the Devs, and The MIX. These events were all canned once the conference was cancelled since the health risks of large scale events attracting an international audience were too severe during the coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic.
But just because these games can’t have their public debut at these now cancelled events, doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to show themselves to the world, and for the most part development on these smaller indie games is going ahead uninterrupted. This is despite the restrictions on movement and other public health precautions we’re living under at the moment.
Running until March 23, you can get your hands on titles like:
Carrion
Carrion is a “reverse horror” game, which turns the table on the traditional sci-horror setup.
You assume the role of a hideous tentacled monstrosity and have to bust out of a research facility you’ve been trapped in, tearing guards limb from limb, or consuming them entirely. The animation on your deadly tendrils is excellent, and the developers have landed on an interesting idea then fully committed to it. Lurking in the shadows waiting for the right moment to pounce on your unsuspecting prey is pretty satisfying.
Heavenly Bodies
Heavenly Bodies is a zero-gravity physics puzzle game set towards the tail end of the space race in the 1970s, where you have to navigate a claustrophobic space station and fight to survive. You’ll have to build and repair different equipment in the station, deal with floating space debris hurtling towards you, and try to avoid getting blown out of an airlock. There’s both single-player and local coop modes if you want someone beside you to hear you scream.
Note: Keyboard and mouse are not supported; you’ll need a controller. It’s not clear if that will also be true of the finished game.
Evan’s Remains
A mystery-thriller meets puzzle platformer, Evan’s Remains sees you solving increasingly complex logic puzzles on your path to uncovering the secret behind a child genius who disappeared without a trace years ago. Along the way you will find a trail of clues hinting at his whereabouts. The star of the show is the delightful pixelart backdrops, with beautiful use of colour, and a striking design aesthetic.
Röki
Evoking some of the feeling of classic cinematic platformers like Another World or Flashback, but with a few modern twists like we’ve seen in the likes of Inside. Röki is a side-scrolling adventure set across a backdrop of the frozen Scandinavian wilderness. You’ll encounter a variety of characters and locations taken from Nordic folklore, and solve puzzles as you traverse this imposing and impressive landscape.
Recompile
Recompile sees you enter a techno-digital cyber-tron computer world, full of hard edges and neon hues. It’s a 3D take on the Metroidvania formula, where you play a digital being gradually expanding your traversal and combat abilities to take on bigger and tougher challenges. If you’ve got any love for the Tron films, you’re going to feel right at home with this aesthetic.
Any of these games tickle your fancy? Let us know if you’re giving any of them a try, and how you get on with them. Check out all the available games here.
