Steam Next Fest demos: three metroidvania demos you need to play
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — Steam Next Fest. This is an annual event where developers from around the world all upload demos of their upcoming games to Steam for everyone to enjoy. There are dozens of games with demos available, from just about every genre under the sun.
We thought we’d check out the platformer section, and more specifically the metroidvania tag, since indies have been doing some really wonderful things in the genre in recent years that bigger publishers are only just catching up on with games like Metroid Dread and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. What we discovered was a huge amount of metroidvanias, and while many of them are good, we had to narrow it down somehow.
Of the few dozen metroidvania games with demos at Steam Next Fest, we’ve picked out three standout demos that you absolutely need to check out before Steam Next Fest ends on February 12, 2024.
Crypt Custodian
Crypt Custodian is cute and satisfying.
Kyle Thompson
Crypt Custodian is an interesting little game in which you play as a recently deceased cat thrown into the afterlife and left to fend for yourself. Unlike pretty much every other metroidvania we tried during Next Fest, Crypt Custodian has more of an isometric-ish viewpoint than a 2D sidescrolling view, making it look and feel like games such as Cult of the Lamb. It’s got some fairly decent platforming, a lot of puzzly elements to the environment, and enemies that are both adorable and interesting, making for a well-rounded experience that feels fresh while still treading familiar ground.
Biomorph
Being able to turn into an enemy is a really fascinating hook for a metroidvania.
Lucid Dreams Studio
Biomorph is by far the most unique and exciting of the games played. Imagine Hollow Knight, but once you take down an enemy, you can then turn into it and go on a rampage. That’s what Biomorph tries to go for here, and it absolutely delivers. It has its own unique art style that is absolutely gorgeous, a story that, while not particularly engaging, does drive exploration, and sharp, crisp controls that go toe-to-toe with Hollow Knight. My biggest concern right now is that the dialogue is a teensy bit on the cringey side, but with a little bit of polish and some good marketing, Biomorph has almost everything it needs to be the next big metroidvania.
Awaken - Astral Blade
Sometimes a strong art style and mirror-polished gameplay goes a long way.
Dark Pigeon Games
Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to make a good game, and Awaken - Astral Blade is proof of that. There’s nothing it does that other games haven’t done before, save for its interesting 2.5D art style and futuristic aesthetic, but what it does do it does very well. It’s a very polished experience, with very snappy combat and, thankfully, a double jump that’s earned quite early on in the game. I truly can’t pick at a single fault here, it’s just an absolute blast.
