7 puzzle games to keep an eye out from Steam's Next Fest October 2023
This October 2023 edition of Steam's Next Fest, an event where lots of upcoming games release demos for people to try, came with a fair amount of puzzle games.
I've done my best to try out as many puzzle games as I could and here are a selection of known and less known puzzle games from the event.
Paper Trail
Paper Trail is a unique puzzle game where you can fold the screen to reveal new paths and secrets. You can grab any edge or corner of your current screen and fold it to reveal what's underneath. You can then position the elements from the other side of your screen to cross gaps and reach locations that used to be out of reach. I had a lot of fun with the demo and I will definitely be picking it up at some point.
Paper Trail releases in 2024.
Buy Me Some Soup
Probably the most unique game I played during Next Fest. The game plays on an old computer operating system and you just received an email. Your friend is asking you to buy some soup. You have access to a rudimentary browser and file system. From those simple tools you need to figure out the website to buy the soup as well as login details and more information to ultimately succeed in ordering a can of soup.
The demo ends with a twist that makes me yearn to play more. The game has no release date at the moment.
American Arcadia
This game's production value are surprisingly good. The game starts by following Trevor who has unexpectedly become Arcadia's most wanted man after a woman tried to help him escape. The woman has access to surveillance cameras and can control the environment while Trevor tries to escape. You also get to control the woman outside of the 2D puzzle-platforming sections. The tiny bit of story I got to play through got me interested enough to want to play more.
The game releases on November 15, 2023.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
Not knowing anything about Snufkin, I wasn't sure what to expect from this game. What I got was a wholesome adventure about Snufkin trying to find his friend while saving the park from the Park Keeper by destroying anything out of place. The puzzle elements were quite light, but this might be the perfect game for a cozy break.
The game is planned to release in Q1 2024.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley on Steam
Jusant
I'm not quite sure what makes Jusant a puzzle game yet, but I'm eager to find out. From what I've played and seen so far (I try to avoid looking up too much about puzzle games I intend to play), it's mostly a game about climbing a very tall tower and figuring out the path up. The demo didn't have any puzzle elements, but its environment makes me want to keep exploring.
Jusant's release is just around the corner, it will be available on October 31, 2023.
The Talos Principle 2
I'll have to admit that I haven't played the demo for this game. I really liked the first game and that automatically qualifies its sequel for my wishlist. The Talos Principle is a more than excellent puzzle game with a unique concept. I'm looking forward to seeing the new mechanics this second game will introduce.
The Talos Principle 2 releases on November 2, 2023.
The Talos Principle 2 on Steam
Little Locked Rooms
I'm less convinced about this one than the other games on this list and the only reason is because the demo is so short. You barely get a taste of what the game is about, but what you get is enough to grab my attention. You're tasked with figuring out what happened to a criminal who apparently drove to a cabin, got in, and vanished. You can inspect a diorama of the parked car and cabin. Once you think you know what actually happened, you have to answer a few questions to show that you truly understand. There's a scoring system if you answer correctly, I'm not sure if the game simply moves forward if you fail to provide the right answers, but I can imagine that not feeling fun. I'll keep an eye out for this one, but I'm not raising my hopes up just yet.
The game's planned release is in Q1 2024.
That's all, I hope you found the list interesting. Did you discover anything you weren't aware of? What did you play that you're looking forward to? Please share in the comments.