njamster 
š§µ Played a bunch of #NextFest demos today. Hereās my thoughts!
I liked #GrizzlyGames previous game #Islanders. Sadly their newest title #Thronefall didnāt click with me at all! Admittedly, Iām not huge on #TowerDefense in general, but the execution here is kinda rough! The compromises it makes to be controller playable, harm the overall experience quite a bit. Commanding your troops is fiddly, and the constant back and forth between the front line and your buildings is annoying. Also, why do destroyed buildings magically rebuild after each wave? š¤
Next, I played #WordFactori, which originally saw the light of day as an entry for the #GMTKJam 2021 and is now fleshed out into a full game. If you like managing and optimizing supply chains in games like #shapez, #OpusMagnum or #Factorio, youāll probably have your fair share of fun with this. That being said, the main gimmick (youāre crafting letters of the alphabet) doesnāt shake things up enough for me to warrant a recommendation over any of the aforementioned titles.
With #DiceFolk I was almost certain Iād like it ā and didnāt get disappointed! Iāve a soft spot for tactical, #TurnBased games, and this one certainly has the potential to become one of the staples of the genre! A bit on the easy side, but for a demo thatās probably the right choice. Itās a #DiceGame where you control the order in which the dice take effect ā both for yours and the enemy one's. Battles are fought in teams of three, so proper positioning and thinking ahead are a must. :)
#RoboBeat immediately got my attention with itās high-octane gameplay trailer. Unfortunately, my own gameplay never reached the same heights. Itās fast-paced, sure, but also stuffed with various mechanics and therefore pretty overwhelming at first. Like in #BPM or #MetalHellslinger, you fire your guns to the beat. Or you throw a grenade. Or you charge your shot. Or you parry the attack. Or you stomp the ground. Or...
...
Actually, I *only* stomped the ground. It's completely broken! š
Next on my list was #RunGore, a real time card battler. Yepp: real time! Look: I love card games. And I love innovation. But here the innovation doesnāt add anything but chaos. The fights are just hectic, which means you often end up doing things by accident rather than acumen. And to me, this heavily contradicts the core of the genre without being particularly fun. Speaking of fun: The game unfortunately is a bit to sure about it being funny as well. š Not recommended.
Then I gave #Cataclismo a go. Developed by Digital Sun, the studio behind indie hit #Moonlighter, and published by #HumbleGames. The reveal trailer was fairly vague, so I was curious. The demo however greeted me with the most tedious tutorial Iāve played in a while. It gets better after that, but ātediousā still seems like an apt description for most parts of the game. There are not many new #RTS titles on the market, though, so regardless of that Iāll keep an eye on this in the future.
And lastly, I looted a #NeverLootedDungeon ā and had an absolute blast! Iād describe it as a mix of classic #Thief, slightly toned-down #DarkSouls, and #SupraLand. That being said, the combat system definitely needs some work: fighting enemies is easily the most boring part of the game right now! Exploring the dungeon itself with all its deadly traps and hidden shortcuts was an absolute joy though! This is a game youāve probably missed ā and you really shouldnāt!
Jake in the desert@njamster haha yeah this one has Souls vibes and also fps like Heretic or Hexen - really psyched to try it.
ScarbirGaming@njamster Wow. You didnāt place any game on my wishlist, to put it mildly. š
@ScarbirGaming Haha, I'm sorry! Sometimes it's just like that: You try a bunch of games and nothing sticks.
I'd *really* recommend giving Dicefolk and Neverlooted Dungeon a try, though! Ah nonsense, actually I'd encourage you to play any of those games and form your own opinions: Taste is so subjective!
@njamster Of course, but itās not like there isnāt anything to play with Game Pass, PS Plus and so@many sales and new releases. š