SUMMER NEXT FEST 2025 - Don't Miss More Cool Games!

STEAM NEXT FEST continues! And with it a deluge of games. You know my song and dance by now, and I am sure I don't have to introduce anyone who stumbled here upon my humble blog what's STEAM NEXT FEST is so... Yeah, let's just dive into the next three games I managed to take a gander at, because we have a vast selection of them to go over before the weeks runs out. Let's roll!

LET THEM TRADE

I will admit that I wasn't too entrhalled by the core concept of this game. Oh my, an ANNO'esque supply and demand game about a simulated economy? Yawnfest supreme. Don't get me wrong, if you're a fan of such titles, godspeed and more power to you! Let the eternal Sun bathe you in its golden rays. But for me, once I beat one ANNO to a bruised, groaning carcass, I found no joy in any other title following that formula. Not the fault of the games, just... For me, once I did it, every other attempt felt hollow and joyless. So yeah, LET THEM TRADE didn't spark a shiver down my jorts.

But then, I saw it. And my jaw politely dropped. The whole aesthetic of the game is just, mwah, chef kiss. No other game I ever played simulated a tabletop luxury board game like this. The whole environment is a nice, cosy room. Slippers on the floor, cat snoozin' on the furniture... The vibe is so relaxing. And the tiles, buildings, peasants, knights - every bit and bob of this game is crafted with love and imbued with artificial life. It's simply delightful to witness and play with. Add to that a stellar user interface, supremely intuitive and crystal clear, which isn't a simple thing to achieve with a game that contains graphs! And bam. Gorgeous game.

And so, on that visual impression alone, I gave it an honest try, and I must say, I am loving the experience. It's so... how to put it... Well curated? Expertly paced? It gives you proper bits of information to digest, to fidget with. But at the same time, keep showing you that behind those simple interactions, there is hidden depth that you will uncover and play with, in due time. Playing through the demo was a delicious appetizer, a tasty morsel to whet your appetite, and I will admit - I am hungry for more.

MY CARD IS BETTER THAN YOUR CARD!

Do not be fooled by the game's superbly cute aesthetics. Yes, the art style is full of cheerful whimsy. Yes, we play as happy-go-lucky kids, digging for stickers in the sand of the playground and battling other tiny nerds with our made-up card game. And yet, the first boss battle absolutely smeared me and my puny, pathetic deck of shoddy cards with contemptuous ease. The darn game lulled me into a sense of cosy comfort by its colorful visuals and upbeat tone, only to show me that yeah, it is a rougelike deckbuilder, and you better be ready to get spanked.

The baseline concept here is brilliant in its simplicity. Instead of pre-made cards, like lots of other games of the genre would propose, you make them yourself via stickers. Each sticker placed onto a card adds its ability to it, and technically, there are no limitations on what you can combine. Other than the prohibitively rising cost of said card, slowly creeping into the realm of 'this is impossible ever to play, but if I manage to, it wins the game'. It's a fun system, full of potential and experimentation. And heck, a lost run is hardly a big deal, as you unlock new decks and stickers to mess with, expanding your options for future attempts. Right and proper.

I don't feel like this game is smashing any mind-boggling new grounds here. Sure, the core concept has a nice waft of innovation behind it, and he style of it adds a lovely veneer of comfort and fun. At the same time, I do believe, sadly, that this extraordinary child-friendly aesthetic will keep some deck-builder hardcores at bay, not willing to dive into a 'childish game'. I feel sorry for them because the fun factor of the game is robust, and as I mentioned before, it isn't exactly easy to beat. The challenge is here, and I am happy to overcome it!

TIC TACTIC

I am still somewhat impressed by the push BALATRO made in the world of gaming and how now, it seems, every game ever invented by humankind will be turned into a roguelite. Despite the tone of the sentence above, I actually mean it, with maybe the slightest coating of jaded sneer. After all, thanks to this banger of a formula, we've got plenty of fantastic games, so clearly repurposing well-known and venerable pieces of ancient entertainment can work! I just can't wait for when someone finally programs a Hide and Seek roguelike... But, back to the title at hand.

At first, I was adamant that tic-tac-toe could not work as a roguelike battler. Just, how...? There are obvious strategies to win every single encounter, especially if you start with initiative. These fears were rapidly squashed, and it shows that the developer knew well what needed to be cooked here. Two crucial systems prevent this game from falling into the tic-tac-toe simplistic formula. First, each round you score, your winning line vanishes from the grid... but other placed symbols remain. So you can be leaving yourself open for counterattack. Solid. But the crucial part is that the blocks you and your enemies! - can lie down on the grid, comes with additional effects. They can move, drop, and switch places. They can destroy other blocks by adjacency. They can inflict statuses, switch with blocks in your hand, add extra oomph, shield, healing, you name it. In short, it very quickly evolved from its core formula to become a proper battle of wits, of knowing how to use your blocks and how to counter enemies' attempts and fumblin' your plans. Neat!

The game, therefore, is fun. It's a nice twist on Tic Tac Toe, as silly as typing that sentence feels. A proper handling of the ancient game to bring it into the Modern Age! Pixel Art is a little rudimentary, a little muddy here and there, but heck - I will concede it adds to the simple charm of the simple game we are rolling with as a base concept. My only visual complaint would be that UI, and especially the map we traverse, is not great. I had no clue what option I was picking, so I reckon I just have to try blindly and learn what the difference is between white chicken, crow, and frog on my run between stages. Not a huge issue, but it feels a little strange. It would be great if these icons at least indicated what I am getting by picking them. Other than that, it is an engaging romp, packed with potential - as long as the challenge level, unlockables, and variety of blocks will be there in the end product to keep players feeling fresh run after run.