Ruby Recommends: Her Selection Of Steam Next Fest Demos

Ruby Recommends: Her Selection Of Steam Next Fest Demos

Hello again gamers, goblins, and ghouls. I’m back again this week to give you another Ruby Recommends!

This week, it’s a little different. Considering the malleable nature of the name, I had a thought. Why don’t I simply recommend some games? In a topical and timely manner?

Of course, the YouTube era of Ruby Recommends isn’t going anywhere, but with Steam Next Fest running until the start of next week, I thought I would come on here and recommend some of the demos available that I’m giving a red hot go. David’s got his list of recommendations too, which I have lovingly made his very own David Recommends feature image for.

Fellow Kotaku writer Isaiah Colbert also has a great list of game demos from Steam Next Fest that they’re pumped for, so you can check that out here (we have a couple of demos in common, great minds think alike).

So here’s what I’m trying out over the weekend, maybe you can too. All links to the games’ Steam pages will be provided at the beginning of each yarn.

Ruby’s Steam Next Fest Demo Picks

Cult of the Lamb

Image: Devolver Digital

Cult of the Lamb is an action-roguelike dungeon crawler made by Massive Monster. I’ve been hyped for this game for a while now, so you bet your sweet bippy I’ll be giving this a red hot go. You play a possessed lamb saved from death by an ‘ominous stranger’, and now you have to build a loyal cult as a nice thank-you gift.

Roots of Pacha

Image: Crytivo

Roots of Pacha is a Stone Age-era life sim made by Soda Den. As a big fan of Stardew Valley, I was ready to try this game from the second I saw its trailer. You must build up a stone age community, discover regular things that would be incredible new ideas to people of the time, harvest crops, make friends with woolly mammoths, and get married.

NAIAD

Image: HiWarp

NAIAD is a puzzle exploration game made by HiWarp. I am an incredibly high-strung individual that would love nothing more to just go for a swim as a little sweetie with hair of many colours. And that’s exactly what you do in this game. You are Naiad and you simply flow across a river and interact with the lovely flora and fauna you swim by.

Nine Sols

Image: RedCandleGames

Nine Sols is a hand-drawn 2D action-platformer made by RedCandleGames, the creators of Detention and Devotion. This game is giving me big Hollow Knight vibes, and mixed with the lore-heavy nature of RedCandleGames’ work? I’m IN. You play hero Yi in the land of New Kunlun, and you must travel the deserted land to defeat the 9 Sols you have awakened.

Railbound

Image: Afterburn

Railbound is a train-based puzzle game made by Afterburn, the creators of Golf Peaks and inbento. I freakin’ LOVE puzzle games like this. Nice and simple with colourful visuals, and you play a dog? Yes, please! You must go to different areas and fix train connections in order to help everybody get home.

Frogun

Image: Top Hat Studios, Inc.

Frogun is a 3D platformer made by Molegato. This game is an ode to the platformers of the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 era, and has been a most-wanted title for many people for a while now. Myself included! You play Renata, an explorer with a frog gun, and you must travel through the land to rescue your world-renown archeologist parents.

The Spirit and the Mouse

Image: Armor Games Studios

The Spirit and the Mouse is a puzzle platformer made by Alblune. You can’t tell me that this game that’s set in France and follows the journey of a mouse is not at least a tiny bit inspired by Ratatouille. I mean, you can if you want to, but I refuse to believe it. You play a tiny mouse that takes on the role of a magical electrician to help the people of Sainte-et-Claire.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara

Image: Chibig

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a 3D platformer made by Chibig, the creators of Summer in Mara. The game is also set in the same universe as Summer in Mara, a game I loved due to the fact that almost everybody you meet in the game either hates you, finds you annoying, or is trying to cheat you in some way. You play Koa and must explore the lands of Mara with your bestie Napopo to recover stolen pirate loot.

Cursed to Golf

Image: Thunderful Publishing

Cursed to Golf is a golf-based adventure made by Chuhai Labs. This is another game I’ve been hyped for since it was announced, as I love the goofiness of it all and I feel a powerful force inside of me to become a Golfing Legend. You play as the Cursed Golfer, and you must golf your way out of Golf Purgatory, lest you wish to be Cursed to Golf for the rest of your days.

Flying Neko Delivery

Image: Fractal Phase

Flying Neko Delivery is a Death Stranding-like delivery simulator made by Fractal Phase. This game feels to me as if Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service took the week off and demanded that her cat Jiji take over for a bit instead. You play feline witch Onigiri, and you must deliver packages around the world, earn money from it (it’s a living!), and use that money to go full Grand Designs on your little witch cottage.


Those are my picks, and I’m very excited to spend this weekend playing through all of them. Maybe I’ll love them and chuck in a pre-order, and maybe I’ll hate them and not do that. That’s the beauty of a demo, baby!

How about you? Have you downloaded some demos from Steam Next Fest that you’re gonna give a go? Let us know!


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