I didn’t think I’d have the time to play a couple of demos from the recent Steam Next Fest, but look at that, I was actually able to!
I tried out Emberville, The Regreening, Abyssal Lapidary, and A Place for Every Potion. Here are my first impressions!
Emberville – Long Wait for Early Access
Cygnus Cross’s action-adventure RPG Emberville has been on my radar (and wishlist) for a while now. There is a lot of hype around it, especially since the game features a roster of well-known voice actors like Matthew Mercer and Ben Starr.
I understood the hype, though, when I played the demo during the recent Steam Next Fest. The game has pixel-graphics but has a lot of features. Your character can equip different weapons, learn skills from using them over time, and unlock move combinations for stronger damage against foes.
You can basically destroy everything, gather a lot of materials, craft weapons and armor, and cook dishes to recover health or get buffs. The demo was relatively short. Extremely short. But the quality is there, I just wish that they waited longer and added in more features than releasing a public demo that was so freakin‘ short.
As for people saying it’s a cross between Stardew Valley and Diablo, I see more of Diablo here simply because of the action in the combat. The Emberville demo still lacks a lot of the crafting, farming, fishing, what not, features, so, if I were you, just wait until the game releases on Early Access this January 7, 2027.
Abyssal Lapidary – Fun, Addictive, Can’t Wait for the Full Game
When I was browsing games to play during Steam Next Fest, Abyssal Lapidary was one of the more popular demos! This game is a workshop management sim, where you have to appraise raw ore and stones, crack them open to find the precious gems and minerals inside, and sell them for profit.
The whole gameplay loop is quite addictive. Each day is different because you don’t know what kind of raw materials or commissions you’ll get from your rotating roster of suppliers, collectors, and visitors. Plus, there’s a whole mystery behind your character inheriting the workshop, which has a whole creepy, steampunk vibe.
I’ve invested close to six hours in this demo, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. There’s still a lot of things to unlock, new licenses to earn (for more features to unlock!), so fully completing the demo might still take a while.
Unfortunately, there’s no official release date yet, but the Abyssal Lapidary demo is very replayable. And even if you already max out everything in the demo, there’s still that urge to crack one last rock open and trying to make the most profit off of it.
The Regreening – Starts Slow, but I See the Potential
Another game that’s been on my radar is The Regreening. I mean, I do love the farming sim / cozy game genre, and I’ve been seeing a lot about this game on other social media platforms.
In The Regreening, you’re tasked to “re-green” a desolate world. This is done by growing plants and restoring wildlife habitats. I didn’t really play this demo too long because you need to go through in-game days to progress or get to other parts of the map. I think I’ll eventually get back to it though, when I find the time.
The concept is unique because it’s not a standard farming sim, it’s a soilpunk simulation game that has heavy environmentalist themes, so if that’s what you’re into, you might like this game. It’s releasing this year, too, on December 7, 2026!
A Place for Every Potion – For You Cleaning, Sorting Freaks Out There
Last but not least, A Place for Every Potion is definitely for the organization freaks out there. It has a little whimsy because it’s magic-themed!
You’re tasked to sort out thousands of differently colored potions into their correct bottles and shelves. AND you have two floors of this to do so. It’s so simple, and so therapeutic, haha!
There are a lot of places to set down the bottles if you need to sort them out before putting them back in their rightful place. Plus, huge vats where you can put same-colored liquids so you can easily fill up bottles!
Unfortunately, the demo only allows you to sort up to 100 potions, but we’re in luck because the full game releases October 28, 2026! YAY!
Anyway, I’ll try to play more of these indie games and demos as time goes by. It’s nice to discover little gems… although I’m not sure if it’s good for my wallet. HAHAHA!
More OMGluie game recos here! Until next time!
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