Steam nextfest

I have been diving into a bunch of demos during NextFest and honestly it is one of my favorite times of the year for indie games. It is such a good way to discover stuff that would normally fly under the radar, whether it is something completely experimental or just a really polished take on a familiar genre.

So far I have found a couple of surprises that I would never have wishlisted otherwise, and a few that did not quite click for me even though I was excited going in. That is part of the fun though. You get to try things with almost no barrier and figure out what actually grabs you.

What have been your favorites so far? Any hidden gems people are not talking about yet? Also curious about your highs and lows. What disappointed you, and what completely exceeded your expectations?

And what are you still hoping to find before the festival ends? Any specific genres or mechanics you are hunting for?