RPGamer Checks Out Steam Next Fest Summer 2025, Part 1
With so many RPGs releasing each year it can be hard to keep track of which ones to keep an eye out for. Steam Next Fest offers players a chance to try out some of the many upcoming games ahead of launch and figure out those that warrant paying closer attention to. Here at RPGamer, we looked at a few of the publicly available demos during the summer 2025 edition of Steam Next Fest. In this two-part feature, the second of which will follow in the next few days here, we picked out some titles we felt worthy of shining a spotlight on.
Absolum
Dotemu is gaining a swift reputation for delightful beat-’em-ups. Its latest title, created with Supamonks and Guard Crush, is Absolum, a roguelite brawler with some definite heart and charm. The visual fidelity on the character and monster designs is superb, and there’s just enough of an evolving story to be intriguing.
A tutorial sees the two playable characters Galandra, an elf with a sword, and the dwarven brawler Karl blow up a bridge to save their “mother,” the nature-based high enchantress Uchawi, from being a caged prisoner. In return for freedom, she bestows unlimited life upon them. Providing a reason for roguelite revivals is always a bonus, and they even add that the Sun King Azra revives his evil armies as well. There is a skill learning system that allows each hero to be customised differently during each run.
There are a few routes to choose from, with fun mini-bosses to conquer, trinkets to collect, and even a mountable boar companion that makes dashing around quite fun. There are at least five different elemental upgrades with multiple choices along each element. Combining that with a few different base “Arcana”, special magical spells that take mana built up from regular hits, which allows for a decent amount of customization per character. With multiple paths of customization in routes and skills, co-op capability, and of course, the sense of joy that comes from juggling enemies into the air only to bounce off boundaries for more pummeling, there’s potential for a brawler’s dream to be found here. — Ryan Costa
Ascend to ZERO
In a bold move, the length of the demo for Flyway Games’ Ascend to ZERO feels like it could be a full release in its own right. It is an action roguelike that takes after Vampire Survivors, complete with auto-attacking, levels that are gained by picking up experience, and multiple characters with unique abilities. The main gimmick of Ascend to ZERO is a time limit of 30 seconds for every run and the ability to freeze time and move freely. This, combined with upgrades and items that can extend the timer, allows the game to inspire the feeling of being under the gun while still granting players enough control that a loss feels deserved and not because the game is too punishing.
The presentation is also a highlight. The top-down 3D, blocky, pixelated chibi style is incredibly cute and does a good job of differentiating Ascend to ZERO from its peers, and the amount of voiced lines is surprising for a game of this style. One issue that came up repeatedly, however, is that often it is difficult to read what is happening during the action, making it difficult to decipher what is going on or why a run ended. That said, the foundation of Ascend to ZERO is incredibly addictive and a wonderful take on the Survivors template. — Ezra Kinnell
Battle Suit Aces
Trinket Studios’ first release since the sweet-and-savory Battle Chef Brigade is a card battler that flies the same skies as space fantasy series like Voltron and Robotech. The mecha (called Suits) are unique, colorful contraptions that fit their pilots’ personalities. A Relic Suit like Felix’s Blue Crest, which features organic elements and responds to its pilot’s emotions, is even more distinct due to its connection to lost alien technology. Familiar story beats like this don’t deviate from space opera, found family vs. mysterious horde expectations but they do establish stakes for when it’s time to fight.
Battles consist of playing Suit and drone cards into five possible positions, allocating weapon energy as it accumulates each turn, and attacking the enemy’s corresponding positions. Attacking a zone without a defender damages the appropriate base. Although these conflicts initially feel sparse, they become more engaging after unlocking pilots with abilities like combos and multi-position attacks. Story battles add extra spice with unique conditions: in one skirmish, I suffered from hacked communications that hindered my attack targeting until my chief engineer was able to break the enemy’s codes. The time between scraps is spent aboard the USS Zephyr on light management tasks, including chatting with the crew, upgrading Suits, and taking on puzzle battles. Story missions and side quests provide opportunities to build prestige, with factions to craft themed cards and upgrades.
Unlike many card battlers, Battle Suit Aces has a persistent story. Although upgrades can be switched in the hangar, the plot keeps blazing from one episode to the next. I didn’t see any changes based on the optional conversations I had or the factions I spent time with, but the full release promises a personalized narrative. I’m curious to see more of this human core and how it interacts with the precision steel mechanics. From the first wailing guitars and glowing space crystals, it’s clear the Trinket Studios team loves mecha. But everyone knows that dramatic galactic robots don’t truly shine until they’ve transformed, combined, apotheosized, or exposed their beating hearts to the merciless sea of stars. — Zach Welhouse
Cinderia
Cinderia is a new title in the ever-expanding action roguelite space. It offers combat reminiscient of Cult of the Lamb; however, it is set in a more dark Soulslike world filled with necromancers and zombies. There’s a familiar, yet still great setup to build upon, dazzling the player with a solid art style and a challenging combat system. In combat, players start out with a melee attack and a ranged option, and eventually find more active and passive skills that can massively change one’s play style. This comes with the downside of combat becoming unreadable at some points, due to seeing more and more damage numbers stacked upon each other.
One thing that also might catch veterans of the genre off guard is that while Cinderia has a dodge roll that can be used frequently, this dodge roll does not come with an invincibility frame. As such, it is considerably easier to get hit, especially by boss enemies. This is not helped by the game lacking audio feedback for a lot that is happening, having players rely more on visuals than on sound. When players do fail, however, they find new members for their base, different playable characters, or upgrade elements that help make a new run easier. While this is not full-on base building, there is a lot that players seem to be able to do, and the developer put extra care into making Cinderia replayable. All in all, the game might not be perfect as of now, but there is an interesting theme and combat system present. However, one hopes for a bit more polish both for audio and for combat readability. — Benedikt Geierhofer
Crown Gambit
Political intrigue and an interwoven plot where choices uncover more seedy mysteries by the moment? Sign me up. WILD WITS’ Crown Gambit is a dark fantasy visual novel mixed with a tactical card-battler that has a lot of mysteries within its dark visuals and deeper-than-it-appears combat.
After a secretive trip with the king and his youngest son ends in the the king’s assassination, Aliza the noble vampiric swashbuckler, Hael the naive cleric, and Rollo the pragmatic anchor-wielding warrior all use their wits and combat skills to try and keep the royal prince safe. This trio are newly promoted paladins, enforcers of law throughout the land and keeper of powerful magical artefacts called relics. The king’s death causes a political power vacuum to navigate through, which is made more complicated when a mysterious Bard informs everyone that the holy relics are actually hosts to mentally manipulative eldritch monstrosities.
Players travel through different paths, each with their own choices that can alter the world around them even in small ways, such as the decision to murder a chatty knight to ensure secrecy or believing they will keep the journey a secret. When combat occurs, the paladins and their enemies are represented as cards on the battlefield and can move, use regular attacks, or utilize spell cards. These cards cycle per turn and can be defensive, free actions, debuffs, or special attacks that spruce up combat a lot. There are also superpowered forms of these cards that greatly alter a fight’s trajectory, at the cost of brainwashing its user into making erratic and unwanted decisions from the pressure of the eldritch entities. Juggling the strategic combat with political maneuvering means that Crown Gambit is an always tense thrill ride that will be a lot of fun to complete upon its full release. — Ryan Costa
Elementallis
It’s 1991 and you start up The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, but then you open your eyes and see that it’s actually 2025 and the game is Elementallis. The game wears its inspiration on its cheek, with combat that will feel right at home for fans of 2D Zelda games. Elementallis offers a vibrant and colorful world that is introduced with a lengthy prologue. While the prologue could have been shorter, it does a lot to set up the hero, their relationship with the world, the basic story premise, and the one thing Elementallis adds to the 2D Zelda formula to make it stand apart: Elements. While the demo is content with only giving players one of the elements to play with, it gives a glimpse into some of the other powers, letting players grow plants and dash over gaps.
The game offers insight into one dungeon, complete with two bosses. The fire temple is filled with lava and gives a good impression of the game’s offering of puzzles. While the bosses seemed on the easier side, regular enemies, traps, and rooms definitely required a lot of attention. One can generally expect a slightly harder experience than the games that inspired Elementallis. All in all, Elementallis is a great pick up for people that have an itch for more 2D Zelda that needs scratching, providing a traditional experience with more bells and whistles to make it all feel fresh. — Benedikt Geierhofer
Glaciered
Last year, Another Crab’s Treasure showed us what a Soulslike can look like if viewed through a Disney lens. Now the genre looks set to go full-on Jaws with the darker, more foreboding upcoming Glaciered. The game has players take on the role of Gray, a birdlike undersea creature called a Tuai. Gray is set on the quest to traverse the Sea of Tranquility in search of the Three Wise Ones by a mysterious telepathic voice calling herself the Seeker.
Gameplay-wise, my biggest concern was how Glaciered would be able to handle Gray’s underwater movement, particularly when it came to dodging and attacking during combat, making use of all space both horizontally and vertically. As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised when combat turned out to feel manageable and responsive. I imagine there’s still a good learning curve to contend with, and a thirty-to-sixty-minute demo isn’t long enough for me to really get fully used to the system’s nuances. But based on what I’ve played so far, it works well, and that’s not even taking into account upgrades and new abilities that are acquired later into the game.
Before things wrapped up, I was able to see the game’s creep factor in action when I came upon a dark and gloomy cave, large enough that I couldn’t see the other side through the murky water. Imagine the feeling when the music took on a threatening tone and a large shape slowly and deliberately pushed through the gloom right in front of me: I was about to face off against a great white shark, what the game calls a Guedu, who didn’t take long to turn me into sashimi. After reviving at the rest spot right outside the cave, I tried the fight several more times, and by the fourth or fifth attempt — to my surprise — I noticed I was getting a better feel for the controls and learning the Guedu’s attack pattern. The demo ended right after I finally turned him into a bucketful of chum, with a promise of further mysteries lying right around the next corner. Even though the game’s movement controls seem solid enough, the final product has a bit more work to do when it comes to exploration, before I’m sold hook, line, and sinker. — Pascal Tekaia
Hell Clock
Hell Clock is a new IP coming out soon, and sets players on a path of redemption as they take control of Pajie, a former slave, as he dives into the depths to destroy the oppressors of his people. Hell Clock is set in Brazil during the Canudos massacre that occurred in 1896. Similar to another game set in Brazil, Dandara, Hell Clock also deals with themes of cultural oppression, colonization, and slavery.
Players control Pajie as he fights using a magical pistol and knives along with several abilities to rip, tear, and shred the demons of purgatory. If players die before they reach the end, or they run out of time with the titular “Hell Clock”, then they return to their base where they can get upgrades. The Hell Clock is a timer that forces players to speed their way through the levels. For those wanting to slow down, there is a marketed “relaxed mode”, which turns off the timer, but it can’t be said yet if there’s a way to extend time within levels. Overall, I look forward to purging demons in Hell Clock — Jahwon Corbett
Hotel Barcelona
I’ve played enough of Hidetaka Suehiro and Goichi Suda’s games to know better than to expect an easily palatable experience. I’ve also liked enough about their previous outings to jump in here, no questions asked. But firing up the demo for the upcoming Hotel Barcelona was one straw too many, because my experience was not a positive one, and after bashing my head into that digital brick wall for a good thirty minutes, I was happy to check back out of that hotel and return home.
Swery65 and Suda51 probably rarely, if ever, provide players with the same experience more than once. Hotel Barcelona is a side-scrolling action brawler heavily steeped in a campy slasher-film atmosphere, with roguelike elements and a skill tree progression system thrown in for good measure. Taking control of a federal marshal on the hunt for deranged murderers wasn’t an enjoyable task: movement mechanics felt imprecise, being too floaty for pinpoint jumps yet too sluggish for the fast-paced combat. Dodging enemy attacks didn’t always work as intended, with the player character sometimes dashing in the wrong direction, which was a real deal breaker during the brutal boss battle.
I’ll concede that I should give the game at least a little benefit of a doubt, as a demo simply doesn’t give enough context to fully understand every intended nuance of the gameplay systems or busy user interface. But I feel less charitable about the boss battle that ultimately killed my enthusiasm even more quickly than it did the game’s protagonist. The game gives an option to retry the battle but doing so costs two admission tickets, of which you only have a handful. It didn’t help that phantoms of my previous runs appeared alongside me during each retry, needlessly filling the screen with even more moving objects in an already fast-paced boss battle. My first run would prove to be my best one, and after another half an hour of dying to random mobs, I gladly shut the demo off. I’m a fan of horror, and I’m not against weirdness in my games, but unfortunately the fun factor was not present here. — Pascal Tekaia
We hope you enjoyed reading about our staff’s Steam Next Fest summer 2025 experience. Stay tuned for Part 2 as well, and please let us know what games you played during the event through the comments, social media, or our dedicated Discord server!
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