It was some time since the last Demo Dive - there are too many good games to play and as always, too little time to play them all. Nonetheless, I've managed to secure some hours to check some fresh demos out and picked three games that held my attention. And so, without further ado, let's see what those titles are!
THE HORROR AT HIGHROOK
I am not completely sold yet, but I must say, the demo had that Special Something. On the surface, the gameplay was almost painfully rudimentary. There's no real sleuthing involved, no puzzles to solve, no riddles to decipher. It's pretty much a worker placement game, in which you circle through a few locations to generate cards. Those will progress your story and build up a small library of resources for you to use. There wasn't a challenge there, a danger to overcome, nor a time limit to force me to optimize my placements. In short - it was rather unimpressive. Tedious, even. It reminded me a lot of CULTIST SIMULATOR but with limited interactions to the bare minimum.
And yet... I was completely invested. I cannot even say why. I am, of course, a giant Cosmic Horror buff, a big enthusiast of eldritch things that crawl beyond the veil, so the art style and premise got me, one hundred percent. And it's not like the writing was exceptional! It was solid, good enough to pick my interest. So I am not sure what made me play the whole demo in a single sitting, quite content with it, too. The impeccable atmosphere? The slow grind through the narrative - which is spot-on pacing for a horror story? I think it is the promise of More to Come. I can see the potential, I can see how it can grow, and expand... How the dread can manifest with those pesky locked cards and the complexity of the tasks grow with time. I think I like it. And I am now looking forward to biting into the full game.
THE ALTERS
Since the moment I saw the teaser trailer for the game I knew it was going to be a wild ride. 11-Bit Studios cannot miss. Banger after banger, they release games that are innovative, and fresh, always showcasing some unique ideas to the players. This time it's no different, and THE ALTERS bring to the table some outrageous, whacky business. On the surface it's a survival game - tossed on a near-barren, hostile planet, you need to survive by crafting tools, gathering resources, and expanding your mobile Wheel Base. Even these rudimentary activities are made engaging by the introduction of some fun mechanics and the ever-present sense of dread. Oh yeah, this game has some horror vibes, but crafted in a very elegant way - no monsters, no cheap shots, just this alien and peculiar planet with its heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
But the real gist is in the title. THE ALTERS, your alternative selves. You will make them aid you through your journey, but they aren't mere 'tools'. They are, well... You. They have their histories, laid out bare before you. Their motives, anxieties, and goals. Your interactions with them will not be purely utilitarian, oh no. This narrative aspect of the game even in the demo was already gripping and keeping me on edge. Excellent stuff. Can't wait for the full version to dive head-first into all the impossible shenanigans of these characters' interactions.
KNIGHTS IN TIGHT SPACES
Now that's what we're talking about! I am a big fan of the Tactics genre and that genre is only alive thanks to Indies. Dark Gods bless Indies, I swear. This game is an extrapolation of the developers' previous title - FIGHTS IN TIGHT SPACES. But this time around we're moving to a run-of-the-mill Fantasy Medieval setting, where knights, wizards and various daring-do's will duke it out in brute combat. The game is deck-driven - cards decide your pool of actions and each character comes with their own 'deck'. Controlling a party of up to three adventurers you'll combat various enemies with fists, weapons, and guile. The combat is the lynchpin of this game and it feels pretty darn great. It's a bit cerebral - positioning is key, and setting up opportunities for combo attacks as well as using enemies' attacks against themselves is crucial to your success.
It helps that the game is very stylish. The music is a superb blend of medieval tunes with some more modern sensibilities. The art style is sharp, unique, and most of all - very readable. There are no confusing situations on the field. Every indicator and every movement is crisp and clear. After playing this demo I am now properly hyped for the full version and I can feel I'm going to have a blast with it.
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