A few promising places to start as Steam Next Fest returns with "hundreds" of demos

eurogamer.net:

Steam Next Fest, Valve's semi-regular celebration of the gaming things to come, is back for another week of developer chats, livestreams, and an intimidating stack of «hundreds» of demos likely to thwart even the most committed completionist.

Proceedings are now underway, continuing until next Monday, 26th June, and Valve has provided a full list of demos and livestreams for those eager to dive right in. But should decision paralysis strike, you'll find a few potentially promising places to start — based on some of the games the Eurogamer has been harbouring mounting excitement for — below.

The list is far from exhaustive, of course, and all the games I've included are largely known quantities — it'll take a lot more poking around Valve's subterranean depths before Steam Next Fest's latest batch of hidden gems reveal themselves. But in the meantime, while the poking continues, perhaps the following will provide some inspiration, and do feel free to highlight any awesomeness you encounter in the comments.

This striking puzzle-adventure from Life is Strange studio Don't Nod is all about going up, taking players on a «mediative» journey through vastly different biomes as they attempt to climb a immeasurably tall tower in an effort to unravel the mystery behind a long-lost civilisation. Christian has already played the demo and he loved it. [Demo link]

Balloon Studios' Botany Manor is the very picture of tranquility, whisking players to the titular 19th century English homestead for some plant-based puzzling and flora preservation. By exploring the manor and its expansive grounds, they can unearth seeds, pot them, and find their ideal habitat — with letters, newspaper clippings, and other useful information providing clues