Top 5 games to try out in Steam Next Fest

The all-digital E3 2021 is on the verge of ending, and the latest "Steam Next Fest" has revealed hundreds of demos for its upcoming games.

Playthroughs and interviews with developers have also been live-streamed for fans, and the currently ongoing event will run until Tuesday, June 22. Steam Next Fest includes a variety of games spanning myriad genres. Few games have been showcased before, while many titles were left unspoken about during last weekend’s collection of E3 live streams and keynotes.

Steam Next Fest's six-day digital event allows fans to browse and download demos of many independent video games for free. With over 700 demo choices available to download, this list dives into some of the best options from the Steam Next Fest lot that could be worth experiencing.

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Five Steam Next Fest indie games that could be worth experiencing

1) Lake

Image via Gamious

This adventure game by Gamious boasts a semi-realistic art style mixed with cel-shaded graphics. Lake's storyline is centered around delivering mail in a small, quiet town called Providence Oaks in 1986.

Meredith Weiss, the protagonist, is an expert coder who needs a break from his hectic life schedule. Thus she decided to take up a local mail career in a small Mid-Western town in the USA.

It is a relaxing, story-driven game through which players can experience calmness, just like the in-game protagonist. Lake is undoubtedly one of the best games to try from the Steam Next Fest list.

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2) Sable

Image via Shedworks

Being one of the most popular games in the Steam Next Fest listicle, Sable is definitely one of those indie games worth experiencing. This Open World Exploration Video Game by Shedworks features a young girl named Sable, searching for a fitting rite-of-passage mask to return to her nomadic clan.

The game has no combat missions or pre-set storylines. Instead, it focuses on simple puzzle-solving activities and discovery, traversing dunes and ruins through the path of Sable’s journey. A few significant parts of the game are customizable, including Sable's hoverbike and clothing.

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3) TOEM: A Photo Adventure

Image via Something We Made

This Indie Adventure Game by Something We Made sets the players on a delightful expedition where they can use their photographic eye to uncover the mysteries of the magical TOEM. It is the publisher's first game on the open platform, which mainly focuses on a charming exploration and aesthetic journey through hand-drawn Scandinavian-inspired landscapes.

Players in this game can chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos and make their way through the relaxing landscape.

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4) Wolfstride

Image via Raw Fury

Wolfstride is one of the best RPGs on the Steam Next Fest list. This game about mechs is developed and published by Ota Imon Studios and Raw Fury. It was revealed in 2020 and was recently showcased at E3 2021. In Wolfstride, players can control a giant ten-tonne robot named "Shade" and combat other giant mechs.

Wolfstride's black and white, bold comic-book graphics, unique-styled menus, battle animations, and character portraits are the ones that make the game so much different from the others.

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5) Letters - A Written Adventure

Image via 5am Games

"Letters - A Written Adventure" by 5am Games is one of the best games to try out from the Steam Next Feat list. It is a fun word puzzle game about friendship, growing up, and finding your place in life. Players need to follow Sarah, a shy girl from Switzerland, by moving through her letters and chat messages.

"Letters" was first showcased in E3's dense Wholesome Direct before being featured in Steam Next Fest on June 16. Through this indie game, certain choices will shape the player's path, which they take while growing up, including personality, style, and even relationship with his/her friends. The game is a chilling mind-freshener, with enthralling storytelling at its best

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.