Steam Next Fest October 2023 special
Short reviews of the games I played during the event
It's time to take a little break from reviewing spooky games for Halloween and post about the latest Steam Next Fest of the year now that it's over. I discovered many fun games, as is always the case in this event, and I'm about to share with you all what I thought about them! Remember that they aren't listed in a specific order aside from being grouped by publisher.
#1 - Heavy Hearts
Heavy Hearts is one of the many games I've been following its development but never played before, and it turned out to be as fun as I imagined. It's a solid Action RPG that grabs your attention with its beautiful art and keeps you engaged thanks to its story and game mechanics.
#2 - Voidbound
Confession time! I meant to write a full review of the game in April when Cursed Atelier released the 0.53 version, but between catching COVID and dealing with unexpected stuff, I decided to wait until the game's release on Steam. Voidbound is a fun TRPG with solid and unique game mechanics, an engaging plot, and eye-catching visuals. It makes it even more impressive that it was done in RPG Maker, and it's impossible to notice unless someone told you that.
#3 - Guilty Force: Wish of the Colony
Guilty Force is like two games in 1. On one side, you have a solid stealth platformer in which you complete missions by exploring enemy bases and going undetected, or else they'll take advantage of you if they take you down. On the other, you have a blackjack mini-game that helps build the MC's relationship with the rest of the cast and have some sweet sexy times with them. Overall, the game is enjoyable and worth playing.
#4 - Under The Hood
Lewd Arkanoid, LEWD ARKANOID! *ahem* Under the Hood is an enjoyable breakout game that features changes in the classic formula to give it its own flavor. Add beautiful art and eye-catching character designs to it, and you get a game you'll keep playing for a long time. Be careful not to nut while tightening those nuts!
#5 - Draken's Shrine
First things first, Draken's Shrine is tamer than the rest of the games featured in this post and doesn't go further than showing scantily clad women. That said, it's a fun platformer worth checking out because of its solid gameplay, eye-catching pixel art and character designs, and decent plot, though it takes a bit to get used to its game mechanics.
#6 - LEWD GYM
I'm a simple man. I see fit chicks, I click. Jokes aside, I've been looking forward to giving Lewd Gym a shot since it was announced a while ago, and it was much better than I imagined. It's an original card battle game with solid game mechanics and pretty art and animations. Trying not to cum has never been this hard!
#7 - The Heroines' Last Anthem
I've been curious about this one since I saw it listed in the previous Steam NextFest, but it was ultimately postponed to this one. The Heroines' Last Anthem is a fun game that reminds me of platformers from the 80s and 90s because of its gameplay, spikes that kill you instantly, and hidden secrets you can only find by hugging walls like a pro. By the way, the full game is coming out in a few days so stay alert if it catches your fancy.
#8 - Yusha Prototype
Talking about retro-looking games, Yusha Prototype nailed this aspect so much that I felt the nostalgia slap me in the face multiple times. The gameplay is solid and not as punishing as one might imagine, and the pixel art is top-notch. I enjoyed playing this one and can't wait to give the full game a go
#9 - The Arrogant Kaiju Princess and The Detective Servant
As you may imagine, The Arrogant Kaiju Princess and The Detective Servant has what made Kaiju Princess so good: top-notch art and animations, an enjoyable plot, and solid and entertaining game mechanics. No wonder I enjoyed it a lot.
#10 - Succubuzz App
Succubuzz App was a bit of a letdown. The minigames were good and added some variety to the game, and the visuals were eye-catching, but I couldn't get into the story at all.
#11 - Kon's Lesson!
Kon's Lessons reminded me of Kaiju Princess quite a bit because the gameplay is somewhat similar, and both games have top-notch art and animations. It's also fun and worth giving a shot if you have the chance.
#12 - Lifeform: Zero
Lifeform: Zero was intriguing, to say the least. It's like a lewd Tamagotchi game in which you take care of a mysterious alien creature that takes a special interest in you over time, sometimes taking a humanoid form in your dreams and riding you non-stop. However, it needs some polishing because the demo was rough around the edges and had untranslated lines.
#13 - Peeping Dorm Manager
Peeping Dorm Manager is one of the highlights of the event. It's an incredibly engaging game that reminded me of Handyman Legend and NTR Legend. Not only it's very entertaining, but also it's gorgeous. I can't wait to play the full version once it comes out in December.
#14 - Whispered Promises ~ 14 Days of Love with Anna
Another gem I found is Whispered Promises ~ 14 Days of Love with Anna, a simulation game in which the protagonist spends 14 days with the bombshell his girlfriend is, and they have to make the most of time to enjoy their summer holidays to the fullest. It reminded me of Robolife since the gameplay is similar and its visuals are a feast for the eyes. Needless to say, I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait for its release in December (Man, a lot of great games are coming out in December).
#15 - Night Stroll
Night Stroll's demo was very short and only covered the introduction, showing how the protagonist got into exhibitionism and an event that takes place halfway into it to give an idea of what to expect. All in all, the game was fine and its 2D art was pretty.
#16 - Turqu-chan in the Hentai Laboratory
I enjoyed playing Turqu-chan in the Hentai Laboratory, even if the demo only covered the game's first level. It's a decent stealth game with pretty pixel art in which you have to reach the goal without being hit by traps or captured by monsters and robots eager to explore the protagonist's body. By the way, the full game is coming out in a few days so stay alert if it catches your fancy.
#17 - NUDOMATIC
Nudomatic's concept is original since it's the first time I've seen a match-3 about a guy with a futuristic visor that lets him see through clothes as if he were Superman. However, the gameplay wasn't enjoyable because it didn't let me move the tiles I wanted at times, and some levels were so hard that it soured my experience with the game.
#18 - Sex Coach: Hot Yoga
You know how porn movies have a paper-thin plot that serves as an excuse to show sex scenes one after the other. Well, Sex Coach: Hot Yoga is that in VN format. It's good enough that anyone looking for a sex-fest will enjoy it, but you might want to look elsewhere if you want a story with more substance.
#19 - Sex of Thrones
Sex of Thrones was one hell of a surprise because I imagined it was going to be yet another parody visual novel with next to no story, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. I mean, it's a porn parody of Game of Thrones loosely based on the series that puts a lot of focus on the sex, but the plot is engaging. Its pretty graphics also help to make the game more enjoyable
*Whew* This post is quite long, isn't it?
Better take a little break, drink water, visit my Steam Curator page and hit that beautiful purple button below to subscribe to the newsletter before we continue.
#20 - Fetish Room 18+
If I could define the demo of Fetish Room 18+ with one word, that'd be lackluster. It's a sex simulator in which you customize the girl to your liking and then have sex with her in a closed room, but only one sex position is available and there isn't much you can do with it.
#21 - Sex City: 2069
Sex City: 2069 left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's a decent third-person shooter with nice graphics, but on the other, the plot was nothing to write home about and the sex minigame was lackluster.
#22 - A Shot in the Dark
A Shot in the Dark was as good as I imagined, knowing it was made by the same dev who made Prince of Suburbia. It's an engaging AVN with branching paths that starts as the typical college story but hints at something bigger going on as it progresses. It's worth giving a shot
#23 - AURA: Hentai Cards
I've been eyeing this one since the devs announced it since I'm a sucker for card battlers, and it was as good as I expected. AURA: Hentai Cards is a solid game with beautiful visuals and a decent plot whose gameplay reminded me more of Chronicles of Forgotten Tears than Slay the Spire. It's promising, but you might want to go straight into playing the full game since it's coming out in less than a week.
#24 - Orc Covenant
Man, if someone told me I'd enjoy this much a bara VN about an elf getting plowed by burly orcs, I'd have told them they are nuts. Orc Covenant is an incredibly engaging—and sometimes unabashedly horny—VN that gets you interested in the plot from the get-go, and its high-quality art makes it a feast for the eyes.
#25 - B.E.S.T
B.E.S.T. is a decent VN with pretty graphics and an entertaining story about a student who got dragged into a physical competition with a prize of half a million dollars and has to make the right choices and alliances to be the winner.
#26 - Blamed
We move from competitive sports to cop drama. Blamed is an engaging AVN about a hypercompetent cop haunted by a recurrent dream about an unknown girl being kidnapped and locked in a cage that tries to discover whether the girl he's dreaming about exists or if it's all in his head. The demo was good, albeit short, and left me wanting more.
#27 - Love n Life: Lucky Teacher
Love n Life: Lucky Teacher is a solid and eye-catching management sim game that reminded me of Handyman Legend gameplay-wise. The demo is SFW, but an NSFW patch will be available once the full game is out.
#28 - Nothing is Forever
Nothing is Forever is an engaging AVN with an entertaining story, multiple choices that shape the MC's personality, an interesting cast, and nice-looking renders. I enjoyed it and can't wait to finish it.
#29 - Late Night Delivery: The Bewitched Collection
Who said we weren't getting any Halloween-themed demos? Late Night Delivery: The Bewitched Collection is a captivating collection of three stories featuring gorgeous succubus that'll drain your balls. The demo only covers the first part of each story, and I can't wait to see the rest.
#30 - Speakeasy
Playing Speakeasy was quite an experience. While the demo only covers the introduction and some tidbits of the protagonist interacting with the many guys who try to woo her, its top-notch art and soundtrack give the game a noticeable 1920s vibe. Keep an eye on this one if you're into otome games.
#31 - Alien Breeding Program: First Contact
Alien Breeding Program: First Contact is an intriguing AVN with a unique art style and a slow but engaging plot about people getting abducted and used for breeding. It needs some polishing since the dialogue has typos here and there, but it's worth giving a shot.
#32 - Having a HARD Time
"Life is like a dick; long and hard" — A wise man, probably.
Having a HARD Time was a pleasant surprise to me. It's an entertaining futanari AVN that starts off as a silly game full of humorous situations, but it gets more and more serious near the end of the demo. The animations could be better, though.
#33 - Sweety Girls
Sweety Girls' demo was average and way too short to get a good feel of the plot, though the visuals are pretty.
#34 - Eleanor's Handmaid
Eleanor's Handmaid is a yurilicious slice-of-life visual novel with gorgeous visuals and an entertaining story about a noblewoman who recently reached adulthood and her horny handmaiden of the same age that's more than willing to teach her anything related to sex.
#35 - Harem in Another World
Harem in Another World is an isekai JRPG with pretty visuals, a decent plot, and game mechanics that encourage you to avoid encounters as much as possible instead of battling every monster you see like a bloodthirsty fiend. It was fun.
#36 - Sassy Girl
I'm gonna be honest here. When I read the game's name, I thought it was a shovelware puzzle game like all those games with "girl" at the end of the game. Instead, Sassy Girl is an office drama with an entertaining plot full of meaningful choices, a varied cast, and pretty renders.
#37 - The Galactic Harem Handbook
I didn't like The Galactic Harem Handbook much. The renders were alright, but the story didn't catch my attention. The demo was very short, though, so there's a chance it picks up later on.
That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more incoming reviews!