MMO Pokemon rival Temtem has a new roguelike in Steam Next Fest, and without even trying the co-op it's already one of the best demos I've played

gamesradar.com:

The reveal of Temtem: Swarm, a new Vampire Survivors-style roguelike based on the Pokemon-adjacent MMO Temtem, was slightly divisive among fans of the main game. Some players worried the MMO-lite would lose support despite assurances from developer Crema that co-developer GGTech would help ensure the spin-off doesn't hog all the resources. Both games will be updated going forward, though Temtem is indeed done with massive updates after many years, and after playing the Temtem: Swarm demo in Steam Next Fest I can tell you which one I'm most excited for. I've played a lot of so-called Survivors-likes, and based on the demo, this one is going on or near the top shelf – and I haven't even tried the co-op yet. 

The formula will feel familiar. Temtem: Swarm is an isometric action roguelike where you run around while your collected weapons automatically fire off to cleave through thousands and thousands of enemies. Collect the XP they drop to unlock new weapons, supporting items, and upgrades, and after each round take a separate currency back to base to buff your character and improve your odds for future runs. Repeat until it's 1:57am on a work night despite your plans to only play one quick round. The Survivors rhythm works, and it works here. What Temtem: Swarm brings to the genre is a lovely wrapper as well as some clever milestones and objectives that shift that rhythm in fun ways. 

The point of these games, as far as I'm concerned, is to combine the satisfaction of making numbers bigger and popping bubble wrap – truly one of the most devilish and unassailable game loops ever devised. Pop go the dudes, up go the numbers, shing go the glossy new items, oooh goes my gamer brain. So far, Temtem: Swarm nails that and does it in a cute, characterful way by leveraging a roster of colorful creatures. The Temtem universe brings more than aesthetic strength, too; the ability to evolve your not-Pokemon during a run is a massive, visually obvious, and just plain cool upgrade –