Developed by Oldways Studios, this title is a high-octane blend of classic side-scrolling shoot ’em ups and modern roguelite progression. If you’ve ever wondered what R-Type would feel like if it had a baby with Enter the Gungeon—and then that baby grew up to owe a lot of money to a space syndicate—this is it.
The Breakdown
The Vibe: Gritty space-opera with retro pixel art and a “snarky drone” sidekick. Think Firefly meets bullet hell.
The Hook: You play as Captain Cole Hunter, an outlaw pilot who is deeply in debt. Every run is a chance to chip away at that balance—or default in a blaze of glory.
Gameplay Loop: 5–10 minute combat runs. You scavenge enemy cores mid-combat to evolve your ship’s arsenal, creating “broken” power combos.
Risk vs. Reward: A dynamic “Heat Map” tracks your debt. The longer you wait to pay, the more elite Syndicate enforcers will hunt you down.
Why You Should Play the Demo
The demo offers a taste of the Implant System, where you can unlock branching perks and synergies. It’s built for “one-more-run” sessions, featuring tight controls that the developers strongly recommend playing with a controller.
Pro-Tip: Keep an eye on your “magnetic pickups.” Scrapping for cores is essential for survival, but diving into a bullet swarm to grab one is how most pilots meet their end.
Platform: PC (Windows/macOS) Full Release: Early Access coming later in Q1 2026.
Find out more here – https://colehunterpayback.com
If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to lead a civilisation, but I wish it felt more like a high-stakes trip to Vegas,” then Spinera is about to become your new obsession. Developed by Arvis Games, the official demo just dropped (January 27, 2026), and it’s a wild mashup of roguelike deckbuilding and civilisation management.
The core gimmick? Your resources aren’t just mined or harvested—they’re spun.
How It Works
Instead of a standard tech tree or worker placement, you operate a massive, empire-themed slot machine.
The Spin: Every turn starts with a pull of the lever. The symbols that land determine your Military, Science, Culture, and Gold.
The Deckbuilding: You don’t just hope for luck; you build the machine. You can add specific resource symbols, multipliers, and “Wild” jokers to tilt the odds in your favour.
The Progress: In the demo, you’ll fight to survive the first 3 eras (out of 9 planned for the full game). You have to hit “Era Scores” to advance before history leaves you behind.
Key Features to Watch For
Historical Leaders: Choose icons like Napoleon or Cleopatra. Each has “Rule-Breaking Traits” (e.g., Napoleon can use Culture to train soldiers).
Wonders of the World: Building a Wonder like the Pyramids doesn’t just look cool—it physically changes the slot machine layout, creating “landing zones” for massive passive bonuses.
Risk vs. Greed: Do you spend your spins on Science to automate your growth, or do you pump your Military symbols to defend against incoming raids?
The Verdict: It’s “Civilization” meets “Luck be a Landlord,” and it is surprisingly stressful in the best way possible.
The demo is currently available on Steam for PC and macOS. It’s a great chance to see if you have the strategy to outsmart the “Cycle of Fate.”
Find out more here on Steam – https://shorturl.at/W7vol
Are you ready for a platformer that doesn’t just feature music, but is the music? Get ready to strap on your dancing shoes (or bat wings!) because Spanky Bat-A-Swing is here to deliver a jolt of electro-swing energy straight into your gaming library!
Developed by Green Flamingo, this game is a vibrant, beat-blasted adventure that brings the charm of 1930s animation into a modern, rhythm-driven experience.
Welcome to Metronopolis: A City That Dances
In Spanky Bat-A-Swing, you take on the role of Spanky the bat, a disgruntled nocturnal resident of Metronopolis, a bustling city where literally everything moves and grooves to the beat. Every platform, every enemy, every trap—it all syncs up to the dynamic, punchy electro-swing soundtrack.
The city’s constant, overbearing noise, orchestrated by the tyrannical Mayor Metrognome, is driving poor Spanky crazy. His solution? Strap on some giant speakers and go give the Mayor a piece of his mind (and a piece of the sonic rebellion).
Key Features That Hit the High Notes:
Rhythm-Driven Platforming: This isn’t your average platformer. The music isn’t just background noise; it’s the metronome of the entire world. To succeed, you must learn the patterns and timing of the beat to navigate hazards, dodge foes, and progress.
A Vintage Vibe: The art style is a clear homage to classic 1930s cartoons, featuring expressive, bold, hand-drawn characters and a vibrant, personality-packed world. It’s beautiful, quirky, and utterly unique.
The Electro-Swing Soundtrack: The heart of the game is its dynamic electro-swing score. It’s the perfect genre—combining the infectious energy of big band swing with the modern thump of electronic music—to keep your feet tapping and the city buzzing.
Rebel Against the Beat (or Ride It!)
What makes Spanky Bat-A-Swing truly unique is the power you have over the rhythm. As Spanky, you can sync up to the city’s tempo for precise moves, or, more thrillingly, you can break the timing rules!
Use your sound-based abilities to turn the city’s own noise against it:
Boost with the Bass: Use powerful low-end hits to propel yourself.
Bounce off the Snare Hits: Time your jumps with the percussion.
Glide on the Horns: Use brass melodies to coast through sections.
Ping Secrets with Bat Sonar: Discover hidden paths and collectibles.
Whether you’re perfectly timing a slide between beats or intentionally going off-grid to create a surprising opening, the gameplay encourages mastering the beat, only to shatter it when necessary.
Final Verdict: Get Ready to Groove
Spanky Bat-A-Swing looks set to be a spectacular fusion of genres. If you love a challenge, have an appreciation for unique art styles, or simply can’t resist a catchy beat, this game is a must-wishlist. It promises a rhythm-action experience that is as challenging as it is stylish.
It’s time to teach Mayor Metrognome a lesson and bring some much-needed silence (or perhaps just better noise) back to Metronopolis!
What are you waiting for?
Ready to start swinging? The demo is available now on Steam, giving you a taste of the action with four unique levels and an angry bat!
Are you excited to take on Metronopolis? Let us know in the comments what your favorite rhythm platformer is!
The highly anticipated prequel, OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0, has just dropped a generous demo, inviting players back to the beautiful, perilous world of Orsterra. For fans of the series, this isn’t just a nostalgic return to the stunning HD-2D aesthetic; it’s a completely new foundation, introducing player customisation, a fresh narrative focus, and a surprising new gameplay loop: town building.
Here’s a look at what the demo offers and why you should jump in—especially since your progress carries over to the full game!
My Story, My Hero: The New Protagonist
The most immediate change is the departure from the eight preset heroes of the mainline games. OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 places you in the shoes of a customizable protagonist, a resident of the peaceful town of Wishvale.
The demo begins with a heartbreaking prologue: a joyous festival is shattered by an attack that leaves Wishvale in ashes. This tragedy sets your new hero on an epic dual-quest: retribution against the mysterious Masters responsible and the restoration of your beloved home. This single, focused story of revenge and rebuilding is a welcome shift from the interconnected, yet often separate, narratives of the first two games, promising a more cohesive emotional core.
A Tale of Three Masters & Town Restoration
The demo offers up to three hours of gameplay with full save data transfer, giving you a substantial taste of the game’s new structure.
Three Paths to Vengeance: Once the emotional prologue is complete, you are free to pursue the first chapter of three different story arcs, each centring on a primary antagonist: the Master of Wealth, the Master of Power, and the Master of Fame. This choice-driven structure immediately offers great player freedom and replayability.
The Kindlers of the Flame: In a brand-new feature for the series, you can also engage in the Town Building arc right away. This involves literally rebuilding your destroyed hometown of Wishvale, placing structures, recruiting residents, and collecting materials. It’s a surprisingly serene and engaging side-loop that provides a calmer counterpoint to the high stakes of your revenge quest.
Evolved Combat: An Eight-Person Frontline
The demo wastes no time in re-introducing the series’ acclaimed Break & Boost turn-based battle system—but with a strategic twist inherited from the mobile predecessor, Champions of the Continent.
In OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0, you can field a party of up to eight characters in combat, split between a four-person vanguard (frontline) and a four-person rearguard (backline).
The Backline Advantage: Characters in the rearguard are protected from attack and naturally recover HP and SP each turn. This new system adds an exhilarating layer of on-the-fly strategy, forcing you to constantly manage your party’s health, resources, and attack rotations.
More Boost Points, More Damage: With eight characters contributing to BP accumulation, the pace of battle is faster, and the satisfying “break” moments—where you stun an enemy by exploiting their weaknesses—feel even more explosive.
Final Thoughts on the Demo
OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 is not resting on the series’ laurels. It takes the beloved HD-2D art style and phenomenal music and pairs them with significant, story-driven improvements. By giving the player a personal stake in the world through character creation and the Wishvale restoration, the narrative feels more focused and intimate.
If you enjoy classic, tactical JRPGs or simply the gorgeous visual design of the series, this demo is a must-play. It offers a promise of a more unified and emotionally resonant adventure when the full game launches on December 4, 2025.
Forget everything you know about stealth games. Forget the silent, grim-faced heroes. It’s time to meet Agent T.H.U.N.D.E.R., the world’s most agile canine operative, and the star of Barkour—the fast-paced action-platformer that blends high-tech espionage with a whole lot of tail-wagging.
Developed by VARSAV Game Studios (the masterminds behind Bee Simulator), Barkour is where Mirror’s Edge meets James Bond, with a four-legged twist.
? A Dog with Flow: Introducing Barkour
The core of the game revolves around “Barkour” (dog-parkour, naturally). You’ll be using T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s natural agility—jumping, wall-running, sliding, and bouncing—to traverse vast, vertical levels. It’s all about speed, rhythm, and finding the most stylish route through a perilous greenhouse complex, a shady amusement park, or an enemy’s secret headquarters.
But this good boy is more than just acrobatic flair:
Stealth, Action, or Canine Chaos? Every mission offers multiple paths. Do you sneak through the shadows, using your low profile to outsmart the villains? Or do you go in “all guns blazing,” making use of your formidable combat skills? T.H.U.N.D.E.R. gives you the freedom to choose your approach.
Unleash the Gadgets: What’s a secret agent without their toys? T.H.U.N.D.E.R. is armed with an arsenal of hi-tech gadgets—think grappling hooks, smoke grenades, and even rocket launchers—all designed to help you complete your missions with maximum style and efficiency.
Sniff Out the Secrets: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. may be a professional, but he’s still a dog. Alongside his grumpy but helpful AI sidekick, A.L.F.-RED, you’ll explore stunning environments full of hidden paths, bonus challenges, and secrets only a keen nose can find.
The Perfect Mix of Agent and Man’s Best Friend
What makes Barkour truly charming is its heart. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. is a top agent, but he still needs to chase his tail, scratch an elusive itch, and occasionally bark at a suspicious sound—even mid-mission. This sense of absurdity and fun ensures that while the action is intense, the experience is never too ruff.
The fate of the world rests in your paws. Are you ready to become the Bark Knight?
? Your Mission Starts Now!
The official gameplay trailer is out, and you can get your first taste of the action very soon!
Demo Date: The public demo for Barkour is coming to Steam on October 2nd, 2025, right on time for Steam Next Fest!
Wishlist Now: Don’t miss out on Agent T.H.U.N.D.E.R.’s debut. Wishlist Barkour on Steam today to be alerted the moment the demo drops!
Get ready to jump, slide, and save the world with a wagging tail!
Bringing a game out can be an expensive project and yet games are still being developed. In the case of Necrofugitive the developers have turned to crowdfunding through Kickstarter and the great thing about that is that those who back to the game will get perks in one shape or another. Necrofugitive is an intense medieval 2D stealth action platform game that can be found on Steam and Kickstarter.
To find out more about the Necrofugitive game, go to the official game website here https://blackgarden.studio/ the game’s page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/4l29f or go to the game’s page on Kickstarter here https://shorturl.at/uVvpl
This is a great opportunity to check out the Re:VER PROJECT TOKYO game by playing the new game demo that is available on Steam right now. As you might guess, the game is set in Tokyo, where a talent agent is accused of murder and must take to the streets of the city in order to clear his name. The Re:VER PROJECT – TOKYO demo game can be found on Steam now, while the game is expected to launch towards the end of the year.
To find out more about the Re:VER PROJECT TOKYO game, go to the official game website here https://revprt.com/ or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/sP3B1
Imagine a game show where contestants go into combat using trains. Then you would know that Battle Train is that game and players will now enter the game and use their destructive locomotives to destroy the enemy. The game is a mix of deck-building and train-based combat. This is one energetic and exciting game. Battle Train is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
To find out more about the Battle Train game, go to the official game website here https://shorturl.at/9CZjc or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/dJksZ
Survive the horde in the Hex Blast game when it comes out later on this year, but for players who just cannot wait for the games launch, there is a playable demo of the game available now on Steam. This game mixes up the classic deckbuilder with surviving a horde of invaders.
To find out more about the Hex Blast game, go to the official game website here https://www.soyboygames.com/ or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/nUlLe
Coming next month is the BrokenLore: Don’t Watch game which is an immersive psychological horror game that will come with two different endings which is going to mix things up a bit. The game explores the mind of someone who is facing some serious issues as the mind begins to play tricks to the point that the player will need to face their demons and confronts a malevolent entity, which all adds to the games horror value. The BrokenLore: Don’t Watch game will be launching on PC via Steam on the 25th of April.
To find out more about the BrokenLore: Don’t Watch game go to the official game website here https://shorturl.at/XHZHo or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/nkJaZ
Enter a dark and mysterious underground metropolis under a dystopian world in the striking and electrifying 2.5 D rhythm-action platform game Antro. This game is fast paced, comes with a great storyline and has a brilliant soundtrack to go with it who can resit a game like this? Well just in case there is a playable demo for PC on Steam, the Xbox and PlayStation available right now so that players can see exactly what this game has to offer.
To find out more about the Antro game go to the official game website here https://gaterastudio.com/ or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/EKYRj
Anyone who is looking for an energetic, chaotic and exciting game need not look further than the Schism game, this is one of those games that will make you tear your hair out. So there is an exciting prospect here for those gamers who are brave enough to take on the challenge to get through a game that comes with so many features that switch the game around, are you ready to take on the Schism game? The Schism game has now left the Early Access phase on Steam and will be launching on the 7th of March or you can play the Demo game on Steam now.
To find out more about the Schism game go to the official game website here https://shorturl.at/Mxbwk or go to the games page on Steam here https://shorturl.at/wvriR
