So, without further ado, here are our top picks from February’s Steam Next Fest so far.
It’s the best bits of your favourite JRPGs, without all the extraneous anime nonsense.
A big cyber thumbs up.
I find them overwhelming and my brain short circuits as they build in complexity.
But The Fertile Crescent is different… and not so different.
It’s a classic RTS inspired by those of yore and set in the Near East Bronze Age era.
Its thing is fertile land, as popping farms on decent soil is essential to a strong harvest.
The visuals are also lovely, I should add.
Doors: Paradox
Alice Bee:I’m a sucker for a diorama, me.
I can’t imagine coming up with 58 different themed things, though.
Surely you’d start repeating some?
I lacked the tech expertise to shut down security systems and the brawn to smash it.
Combat is fully optional, the devs say.
Writers Block
Liam:Who doesnt love a good word game?
No one, I suppose, if the incredible success of Wordle is anything to go by.
Thankfully, theres Writers Block, an upcoming roguelike where words are your weapons.
Its Boggle by way of Slay the Spire, basically.
The longer the word, the more damage you inflict.
Its notthatstraight forward, of course.
Enemies retaliate, but not directly.
At the end of a turn your foes transform tiles on your Boggle board into different types of traps.
How have I not discovered this sooner?
Toy Tanks
Hayden:When I saw Toy Tanks, I knew exactly what to expect.
The big difference that I appreciate with Toy Tanks is the speed.
You do this by shifting the floor beneath them, which snakes isometrically around its colourful environments.
Hero’s Hour
Ed:Graham wrote about strategy RPG Heros Hourlast yearand it piqued my interest.
And now having played the demo of the upcoming Steam version, it has left a good impression.
Yes, a strategy game that I, Edders, can get behind.
This is because its part RPG, part auto-battler.
You explore a procedurally generated overworld, conquer towns, and march onwards into the great beyond.
Enter a fight and itll take place in real-time, but your units will take care of themselves.
you could step in with spells or rearrange units if youd like, or just let them crack on.
Whatever takes your fancy.
I like this leisurely approach.
Luckily the demo bears that out.
Sometimes a naughty cat’s paw comes in to mess up your work.
Sometimes your tidy-mind tasks are more complicated.
One level in the demo in particular was a hint of possible things to come: tidy upthatdrawer.
You know the one.
I hope there are more levels like that in the full game, because I was utterly absorbed.
It’s quite quaint to return as someone else; I like it.
