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Five Unique Demos You Have to Try in the Steam Game Festival

Ghostrunner

The Steam Game Festival is in full swing, but it’s ending soon. You don’t want to miss your chance to try out some of the ridiculous number of demos before they’re gone. I’m not sure what the requirements are for this, but I think these developers should all push to keep their demos running beyond the event duration. The last time this happened, I had several demos disappear before I could even play them. However, this time, I got the chance to sit down with several I found quite interesting.

Ghostrunner

The best way to describe Ghostrunner is a mix between the one-hit katana slashes of Katana Zero and the wall-running parkour of Mirror’s Edge. It almost seems like the developers played both games and said, “let’s make it.” What results is a really well-crafted cyberpunk experience even in the short demo. Even from the tiny taste I was given, it seemed like the story was all about mystery and discovery, which I’m sure will evolve as it progresses. Give it 15 minutes and you might end up looking forward to its release on October 27th.

Everspace 2

The first Everspace game was a visual delight as it explored a slightly different take on the roguelite experience. While the gameplay hinged on that mechanic, some found it a bit frustrating. Everspace 2 takes much of the same incredible visuals and responsive gameplay and removes the roguelite design making it a more traditional space sim adventure. It is still a bit disappointing that it will be releasing first into Early Access, but given that it’s only a couple of months away in December, I’ll be ok with it. In the meantime, check out the demo and enjoy an action-packed space fairing adventure.

Mech Mechanic Simulator

This certainly isn’t a game for everyone, just like any of the many “mechanic simulator” games. However, my love of mechs convinced me to check this one out. After learning the basics of plucking parts off somewhat generic mech designs and fixing them up, I ended up finding it to be relaxing. Without any time limits or notable limitations outside of just doing it right, I could peacefully find, remove, and replace broken mech parts like it was my job. Except, of course, unlike my job I was having fun in the process. Mech Mechanic Simulator is supposed to release this month, so if this sounds interesting you’d better grab it while it’s still available.

Superliminal

Superliminal is a game that was released on the Epic Game Store and consoles last year. Steam doesn’t care about that though and its upcoming post-contract release to the platform is part of this festival. Since I’ve played it to completion, I can recommend the whole game rather than just the demo, but if you’re unsure, try it out. The whole game is an amazing journey through puzzles using only your perspective as a tool to solve them. There were numerous times where I’d get my mind blown by another revelation in the mechanics and it’s something I think everyone should try out. The only disappointing part is that it’s a short game, but it reminds me of Portal in that the mechanics could be used for a more robust sequel – hopefully soon.

Override 2: Super Mech League

This sequel to Override: Mech City Brawl changes up the format a bit. It moves away from the multi-user controlled robots and toward a more action-oriented fighter. I have to say it feels snappier and less weighty than the original game, but it certainly has a lot of potential. The first game suffered from leaning on a multiplayer mode that was underpopulated. I hope that the sequel can resolve that by either offering a more robust/replayable solo campaign or pushing to get the game in more hands. Either way, this chaotic fighter/brawler of giant robots is worth checking out!

There are so many games with demos available now that there’s no way even the most dedicated person could finish them all within this event. As much as I love this industry swing back to providing demos, the overwhelming number of new releases has made a similarly overwhelming number of demos. My suggestion is to look at your wish list (or on the main page where they show you wishlisted demos) and pick something you’re looking to buy down the road. That’s the true purpose of demos, right? There’s something for everyone!

Robert Endyo

Being an avid gamer for most of my life, I always felt like I wanted to be a part of the industry beyond simply being a customer. I've had a lot of hobbies over the years ranging from sports and fitness to astronomy, but gaming has always been a constant. A few years back I decided to try my hand at writing reviews and creating videos and those efforts have grown into something I commit a lot of my free time to and enjoy.