I’m half-way through Turok, and I am pleasantly surprised by it! While I’m old and played several classic OG FPS’s when they released, I had never played this one. So I was expecting it to disappoint, and that it was only appreciated those who played it as kids, due to nostalgia. But it’s actually a pretty fun game to play! Graphics are a weak point. But difficulty is well tuned, and gameplay is fun and engaging, with interesting level designs. A few parts are a bit too platformery for my taste (I usually hate first-person platforming), but it’s manageable and the rest of it is well worth it.

BTW, I haven’t played any of the FPSs you mention. I’d like to play some of the newer DOOM’s soon, and maybe even replay the OG Doom. Got a Steam key for it recently.

Hope you don’t mind me asking, but where are you from? No need to answer if you don’t want to :)

Yay, tabs for life! :)

Balatro was nice, and pretty addictive. I didn’t want to play the demo too much, to spend the time trying other demos instead, in case some of them got removed after Next Fest. But I wouldn’t rule out playing the game at some point. Although I have so many other good endless roguelikes to play… it’s a tough competition.

I did plan to play a lot of demos in this Next Fest. I love the change of pace of trying many little varied morsels of gaming for a while. And since I can enjoy all sorts of games, that opened up many interesting ones to try. I would highlight the following:

Shapez2 really hooked me! I hadn’t played any factorio-likes yet, even though they really call at my soul. And I really got into this one! Wishlisted.

Pacific Drive was also intriguing, and the run-looter risk/reward loop is spot on what I’m craving right now, with extra points for the low-combat and weird mood. Kinda the recipe I miss since I completed Dredge. I might buy it, but I need to upgrade my graphics card first (or seriously try out a streaming service), to really make the most of the beautiful visuals.

Pepper Grinder felt and looked awesome! A very nice and refreshing twist on classic sideways 2D platforming. And the art style is gorgeous pixel-art. Sometimes leaning towards the precision side, but not too hard or frustrating, just enjoying the flow and vibes of it most of the demo time. Wishlisted, hoping that the full game doesn’t lean too hard on the precision/difficulty side.

Patrick’s Parabox’s demo is a puzzler delight. After playing it, I had to pounce on the top-tier of the Humble Bundle that included it, just for that one game (I was going to get the mid-tier for a couple other games I had my sights on: Superliminal and Talos Principle).

Classified: France ‘44 was a nice surprise too. Mix of two of my darlings: turn tacticals à-la-xcom, and WW2. It seems pretty well executed, and shows potential for some very interesting depth. I’m curious about the strategic part of it (resources, and managing territories and such, between missions), not very present at all in the demo. Wishlisted.

Dungeonborne is also intriguing. Once again, the run-looter risk/reward hooked right into my cravings. The meta-driven PvP, not so much. II would have played it more, but I had a hard time finding randoms to play with, and couldn’t get any of my few gamer friends to try it out. Tentatively wishlisted it, waiting to see how it evolves.

Thank you Zelrune! It’s always so rewarding to get your comment to my monthly reports. I love that ASCII kitty cat! :)

I did joyfully throw myself into the Demo trap, splayed out and laughing like a madman. :D

And yes, the sale on Stardew Valley (plus the 1.6 update, which a friend told me about) was a clear signal that it was time. I’m trying to split-screen play it with my partner, at first, see if I get her hooked. But I will still play through it alone, at some point, if I have no other choice.