During Steam NextFest 2025, I shared 18 demos during three live streams, and played some additional games off stream. I’ll share my first impressions of the demos I explored. This post covers the games I played during my Friday night stream:
- Wholesome: Out and About
- Bathhouse Creatures
- Bao Bao’s Cozy Laundromat
- Sugardew Island – Your cozy farm shop
- Squirreled Away
Wholesome: Out and About
A cozy foraging adventure game, Out and About challenges you to forage wild plants and fungi, as well as help rebuild a town devastated by a storm. I adored this game demo, and I went back to it again after playing it on stream. Learning about plants and their properties and uses, all while relaxing in vibrant surroundings, was both relaxing and rewarding. The soundtrack and NPC interactions are pleasant and hit just the right note for the game.
As you help rebuild the town, you learn to cook the foraged materials and match your creations to your customers’ needs. I wishlisted and followed the game to keep up with news about additional features – and the release date!
Visit Wholesome: Out and About on Steam.
Bathhouse Creatures
Bathhouse Creatures is a time management game that quickly led to me racing from tub to tub trying to keep up with the line of ducks coming in the door. I had a great time playing in the 2D bathhouse, and purchasing a variety of decor to improve the customers’ experiences. The dialogue was cute, charming, and as adorable as the little animal customers let me know how much they loved the bathhouse being open again.
One of my favorite parts was the little fire-breathing critter that heats the water. Each tub came with one, and you can have them heat the water even when a customer is in the bath. (The dev kindly gave me that tlp during the stream… I’d been afraid of scorching duck feathers before learning that!) Bathhouse Creatures is definitely a cute option for players who enjoy a fast-paced management game.
Visit Bathhouse Creatures on Steam.
Bao Bao’s Cozy Laundromat
Next, for a big change of pace, I jumped into Bao Bao’s Cozy Laundromat. This cozy pixel graphic management idler allows players to manage a laundromat. The player’s job is purchasing machines and decorations, as adorable pandas provide the labor in the laundromat. So, so cute!
I did find the default sound effect levels way too loud for my personal preferences. Once I adjusted the settings, the laundromat became a relaxing visual delight. I enjoyed watching the pandas carry armfuls of laundry from place to place. I can easily see running this idler while I’m working, watching it for a bit as a break, or purchasing a new set of washing machines for the pandas to operate.
Visit Bao Bao’s Cozy Laundromat on Steam.
Sugardew Island – Your cozy farm shop
From there, we headed to Sugardew Island – Your cozy farm shop. This is a game I’ve been following for a while, so I was looking forward to finally getting a little peek at the game play. With the game’s release scheduled for shortly after NextFest, I figured this was a terrific chance to get a feel for how the game will look and play once it is available for purchase.
The game is adorable, just as I expected. The island’s backstory focuses on repairing the balance of nature, and I enjoyed meeting the various NPCs and chatting with them as I learned about my new home.
Unfortunately, the UI and controls were not as polished as I hoped. I had a difficult time pointing my character where I wanted. The game has a built in workaround for more precise movement, but it involves holding down the control key while you move, and that’s painful for my hands if I do it very often. I hope the controls and UI get a little more love – I do plan to keep an eye on the game, though I’m not ready to purchase it on release.
Visit Sugardew Island – Your cozy farm shop on Steam.
Squirreled Away
The final game of Friday’s stream was Squirreled Away.
Picture how cute a game where you play as a squirrel would be in your mind. Now turn the cute dial up two more notches and you’ll be closer to how adorable this game is.
The default movement is a frantic scamper (although you can slow walk if you desire.) I was climbing trees and running through fallen tree trunks seeking acorns and other items. At points in the game, you pause and meditate… and the meditation pose of the squirrel is off the cute charts.
I played this game beyond my intended stop type because it was so much fun. Near the end of my play session, I hastily did some building, but I want to play again soon and try to experiment more with the building options. I highly recommend checking this game out (but only if you think you can handle the cuteness!) This was my favorite game of the evening, and I’ve got it wishlisted and am following it for further updates.
Visit Squirreled Away on Steam.
Watch the stream VOD of Steam NextFest game demos, part 2:
Read all of Ravvy’s Steam NextFest 2025 Game Demos posts:
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