Steam Next Fest Diary | Magical Villages, Cozy Bakeries, and Things That Go Bump in the Night | Part 2
When I sat down yesterday to write Part 1 of my Next Fest diary, I thought I had a pretty good idea of which games would end up on my wishlist.
Then I played a few more demos...
And as it turns out, Next Fest had a few surprises left in store for me. From managing a village with the help of hidden spirits to running a cozy bakery and getting hopelessly stuck in a puzzle platformer, the second half of my Next Fest adventure turned out to be just as memorable as the first.
Spiritstead 🏘️
Spiritstead was one of those demos that completely stole my sense of time.
Unlike some of the shorter demos I played during Next Fest, I spent several hours building up my settlement and experimenting with the game's systems. Before I knew it, I was checking the clock and wondering where my evening had gone.
The game offers both Adventure and Creative modes, allowing players to choose between a more structured experience and a relaxed sandbox approach. As you build your village, you'll manage resources, care for your residents, and discover helpful spirits hidden throughout the world.
I loved the gameplay loop, the art style, and the soundtrack. It's exactly the kind of game that encourages you to say, "I'll stop after one more task," until suddenly several hours have passed.
There are also 24 Steam achievements available within the demo. I only managed to unlock 8 of them, but I can absolutely see myself returning before Next Fest ends to see how many more I can collect.
Play the demo here.
Little Herbal Baker 🍞
Out of all the games I discovered through Steam's personalized recommendations, Little Herbal Baker might have been the biggest success story.
You play as Lilia, a novice baker living in the town of Milkywood. Instead of farming ingredients yourself, you'll venture out into the world to gather them, interact with spirits, improve your baking skills, and open your bakery each day.
One of my favorite parts of the game was exploring the forest maze while searching for ingredients. It made gathering resources feel more adventurous and helped distinguish the game from other cozy sims I've played.
The baking mini-game and I had a bit of a complicated relationship. At first I thought I had it completely figured out. Then, for reasons I still don't fully understand, my bread started coming out consistently undercooked.
I'm choosing to blame the bread.
The art style is charming, the gameplay loop is relaxing, and I found myself immediately evaluating the romance options. I was torn between Dylan and a mysterious character who reminded me of Itachi from Naruto whose name I somehow failed to write down.
I also know some players may be disappointed by the lack of character customization, but personally that didn't bother me. I found myself far more invested in the world and its characters than I was in customizing my avatar.
You can check out the demo yourself here.
Deer & Boy 🦌
Deer & Boy was probably the most challenging demo I played this week. I had been interested in this game after seeing the trailer in the Wholesome Direct, but I needed to see more. Or in this case play a little more.
This cinematic puzzle platformer follows a runaway boy and the deer companion he befriends as they attempt to navigate a dangerous world without being captured.
What immediately grabbed me was the art style. The environments are beautiful and do a fantastic job creating a sense of atmosphere and adventure.
Unfortunately, some of the puzzles proved to be a little too clever for me.
There were several moments where it wasn't immediately clear what I needed to do, and I found myself repeating sections while trying to figure out the intended solution. Eventually I reached a point where I decided to step away rather than continue frustrating myself.
That said, I still came away with a positive impression. I enjoyed the world enough that I'd happily revisit the game after watching a few guides and learning how to approach some of the trickier puzzles.
Sometimes a game can frustrate you and still leave you wanting more.
Check out the demo here.
Welcome to Elderfield 👁️
And finally, we arrive at my favorite demo from this Steam Next Fest.
I've been keeping an eye on Welcome to Elderfield for quite some time now and have played multiple versions of the demo as the developer continued to update it. At this point, it almost feels more like an Early Access title than a traditional demo.
Welcome to Elderfield combines two of my favorite genres: farming sims and horror.
The art style immediately reminds me of Junji Ito's work, which is one of the highest compliments I can give a horror game. The world feels unsettling in all the right ways while still managing to remain strangely inviting.
The soundtrack is fantastic, the atmosphere is memorable, and every update has made me more excited for the game's future.
What has impressed me most is seeing how much progress has been made since I first discovered the project. Comparing older versions of the demo to the current build makes it clear how much care and attention the developer has poured into the game.
I've even considered creating an entire Let's Play series centered around the demo alone, which should tell you exactly how much I've enjoyed my time with it. Would you watch it?
Out of every game I played during this year's Next Fest, Welcome to Elderfield remains the one I'm most excited to revisit.
Play the demo here.
Final Thoughts
And that's going to wrap up my Next Fest diary.
What I love most about events like Next Fest is discovering games I might never have found otherwise. Some of these demos were already on my radar, while others—like Little Herbal Baker—appeared thanks to Steam's recommendation system and ended up becoming some of my favorite discoveries of the week.
From building magical villages in Spiritstead to baking bread in Milkywood, getting hopelessly stuck in Deer & Boy, and revisiting the wonderfully creepy world of Welcome to Elderfield, this second batch of demos reminded me why I enjoy Steam Next Fest so much in the first place. It's a chance to step outside of my comfort zone, discover hidden gems, and fill my wishlist with games I can't wait to revisit.
If any of the games I've talked about in these diary entries caught your attention, there's still time to try them for yourself. Next Fest runs until Monday, June 22nd at 10 AM Pacific (1 PM Eastern), which means there are only a few days left to download and play these demos before they potentially disappear.
So tell me: which demo was your favorite? Did I miss any hidden gems that deserve a spot on my wishlist?
As for me, I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend telling myself I don't need to download any more demos while quietly downloading just one more.
Current Wishlist Status: Dangerously Overcrowded
