I usually get overwhelmed with farming sims, but this Steam Next Fest demo hooked me in minutes

As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time once again for the Thankmas charity event, this year once again benefiting World Central Kitchen. Originally begun by Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin, the event raises funds for a single organization over the course of several days in December. McLoughlin will hold a live event on December 2 in Los Angeles.

As another week draws to an end, we're back with another batch of streaming recommendations. We've got a spooktacular selection for you this weekend with Halloween on the horizon, but we've got something for everyone if things that go bump in the night aren't your bag. 

Moonlight Peaks, a cutesy farming sim with a gothic twist, has gotten its own demo, allowing you to sample its spooky-yet-charming world for yourself. 

Stardew Valley’s precious Iridium is a sought-after resource and for a good reason – you can use it to improve each one of your tools and quickly get rich in the game.

Folks, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you all: American Horror Story is good again.

It's hard to say whether one of 's greatest missed opportunities is an oversight or an intentional exclusion. The gamedoes its best to ease players into its lore. They can learn all the basics of the wider galaxy, right up to the nature of the ancient mysteries only solved at the ending of , from the first time they set foot in New Atlantis. However, since most are likely to revisit this major city multiple times across the course of the campaign, players can decide to pace exposition more slowly if they so choose.

The most-played Steam Next Fest demos have been revealed, and I'm not surprised to see what's topped the list. 

Steam Next Fest was an excellent opportunity for players to learn about the most exciting and interesting upcoming PC games. However, one game that stood out even among the standouts to become the one of the most-played games from Steam Next Fest was a remaster of a cult favorite strategy game poised to make a solid comeback. Stronghold: Definitive Edition revitalizes the original 2001 game's strategic take on building a kingdom in Medieval Britain circa 1066. Coming from original developer Firefly Studios, the Definitive Edition aims to recapture the scope and story of the original but with some added flair.

Just finding time to play through the best Steam Next Fest demos, let alone all the promising ones that appeal to me specifically, is a tough task. I've had to get pretty aggressive about my selection process this week. If a demo's screenshots and tags don't grab me immediately, it's not getting a download, and if the first five minutes don't feel right, it's getting uninstalled. Life, like Steam Next Fest, is too short. And I was this close to passing on Noreya: The Gold Project, a 2D pixel art Metroidvania from developer Dreamirl, not because it didn't look good, but because I still haven't gotten to demos for some of the event's most popular games. But I'm glad I gave it a shot. The demo is a little rough technically, but I see huge potential in this distinctly post-Hollow Knight game. 

I've seen such sights in this October's Steam Next Fest, but nothing has piqued my interest quite like the demo for My Work Is Not Yet Done, a lo-fi and cryptic «narrative-driven investigative horror game» where you spend quite a lot of time wandering around nature listening to the wind rustle the leaves before going to bed. Trust me, it's fascinating.

If you've ever wondered what a modern day take on the classic, fixed-camera Resident Evil games would look like, an upcoming indie survival horror called Echoes of the Living is pretty much exactly that.

We know that cozy MMO Sky: Children of the Light is making its way to PC, but now you can experience a taste of the game for yourself thanks toSteam Next Fest.