Article October 15th 2022 Ian Howarth

It’s clear I didn’t get too much done in September for the Dem-OH! Round-up, but with last month’s release of Haunted PS1’s latest demo disc for 2022, Spectral Mall, what we did get are some of the weirdest and unusual demos we’ve ever had the pleasure of trying out! Look down below for more info and links, and here’s to seeing you in October for the #SteamNextFest!!!

Stand-Out Demos

(in recording order)

An Architect’s Adventure– Demo on Steam

Games like this are so hard to recommend. Not because they’re bad, or lack quality, but because so many people simply don’t click with puzzle games. They’d rather be blasting aliens or exploring vast and beautiful locations, and so on. So when a game like this – a game that is completely boiled down, in terms of controls and looks, to its bare core – all too often it’s dismissed before even being given a shot. But this one is special. So few puzzle games can blow my mind with what I would consider aged or well-worn mechanics such a pushing around blocks. Patrick’s Parabox this year already flipped the genre on it’s head and several years before Stephen’s Sausage Roll elevated the concept of tight sokoban games with incredible complexity. Now it’s An Architect’s Adventure‘s time to consistently surprise and delight with every single stage teasing out new possiblities and solutions. A fantastic treat for the mind.

‘Spectral Mall’ Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2022

The Haunted PS1 demo disc 2021 got me into playing horror games. I’m honestly not joking. Before I started streaming demoplaythroughs in earlier 2021 I just couldn’t handle them. Like many people they just stressed me out too much. But, by sort of dipping my toe into the genre via a handful of unique short horror ‘experiences’ I got a taste of something totally new. Their weirdness. Their play on tropes. Their completely unhinged attitude. The creators that take part in this low-poly horror aesthetic are a brand of their own and it’s a spectacle you owe it to yourself to behold. Since then I’ve played everything Haunted PS1, Dread X, and all the other random horror demos I could find on Steam! It’s safe to say I’ve been eagerly anticipating the 2022 demo disc and it has not disappointed. LONG LIVE SKULLY!

Download it on Itch.io – IT’S FREE!

Part 2

House of Necrosis
Gob
Future Reality
Mortal Meal
BÅÅBÖSÅÅNGJÅÅR
Northstar Courier
Perlin Festival

Part 3

Blast Cats
Dead Letter Dept.
THEY SPEAK FROM THE ABYSS

These next couple of games aren’t part of the official demo disc, but they were shown off during the Haunted PS1 stream a while back, so I’ve linked them separately and wanted to make sure they got included here. Little did I know that Mother of Many seems to be the full release! Still, hopefully we’ll see it being expanded on in the future because it was a blast!

Mother of Many

The Nameless City

Dem-OH! Dashes

With the distraction of the release of Haunted PS1’s ‘Spectral Mall’ and several personal trips, September wasn’t the best month for demo dashes, totalling only 12 demos…

Here’s hoping we can make it up during the October #SteamNextFest!

NOTE: Ratings are basically representative of how much I enjoyed the demo and the likelihood that I’ll come back to the title in the future (or even would liked to have continued playing it right then), with regards to gameplay, quality, and (of course) personal preference to genre, etc. A zero represents that the game is too non-functional to really get a feel for it. It is essentially a non-rating.

No. 1

No. 2

Soulstice (4)
Lempo (2)
Final Recurrence (1)
EXP: War Trauma (4)
Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils (3)

Dem-OH! September Round-up