The October Steam Next Fest has arrived, which means that there are plenty of stunning indie demos to hop into - and Luma Island might already be my favorite.
While Feel Free Games' debut title isn't quite here just yet, its demo is now playable and it's got me hooked. The breathtaking visuals are what struck me first – Minecraft-esque textures, crystal-clear ponds, vibrant fruit trees, and comforting designs that make me feel as though I'm a child playing with real-world toys rather than a video game. It's simply a beautiful atmosphere, from the sights to the sounds - and the gameplay is even better.
Think Stardew Valley, but with little magical creatures and a lot more RPG flair thrown in for good measure, and you'll get something close to Luma Island. It's even got a bit of a Fantasy Life kick to it, offering players seven professions to choose from and specialize in. I started the game as a fisherwoman since I tend to love fishing minigames in cozier titles and farm sims, but I also spent a bit of time trying my hand at just about everything.
- The Stardew Valley stan in me is more excited than ever to play this cozy farming sim for real next month, after its Steam Next Fest demo blew me away
- I got tricked into trying this roguelike dungeon crawler after its Steam Next Fest demo used cozy farm sim features as bait to draw me in, but now I'm converted
There's so much to do, it's almost overwhelming - and this is just the demo we're talking about here. From crafting and farming to fishing and treasure hunting, I feel like there's enough content to keep me occupied for hours on end. Between the more typical survival game-y features like chopping wood and gathering materials, one feature stood out to me in particular as relatively unique to the genre: explorable ancient temples.
It's like hopping out of a cozy game and into an Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider title. There are puzzles to solve, traps to disarm, and plenty of treasure to unearth - or jars to break, Legend of Zelda style. Even though I haven't gotten to play for very long, the more adventure and RPG-aligned mechanics like the temples are a big reason Luma Island stands out to me. It's something similar games don't have, and it's a breath of fresh air from most sims' repetitive, if enjoyable mines.
Then there's the Lumas. Collecting fantastical creatures isn't just for Pokemon, and Feel Free Games' potential gem proves as much. Aside from the visuals and gameplay, it's also been a bug-free and smooth experience for me so far. If the full game holds up, this may just end up being one of the best farming games around, or at least a personal pick, and I can't wait to play it with my partner – there's up to four-player co-op – when it launches in full this November. Until then, I'd highly recommend trying the Steam demo.
Check out these other upcoming indie games for even more to look forward to.
