Valve has introduced the Steam Thriller Fest, a sale occasion devoted to investigative thriller video games. The occasion will function demos and reductions for all issues “targeted on the spirit of investigation and fixing mysteries”, and it is set to begin in February, so get your deductive reasoning hat on.
Within the official announcement for the Steam Thriller Fest, Valve invitations builders to submit their titles for the occasion. The studio additionally supplies standards to verify whether or not or not a recreation suits the meant spirit of the Steam Thriller Fest, together with examples of video games which may not match the invoice.
There are three essential components a recreation can include so as to be eligible for the Thriller Fest: it has to have some ingredient of thriller (naturally), it wants a deal with detective mechanics, and it will also be themed round social deduction.
Noir theming is in style amongst detective video games, too, so when you’re a developer making a noir thriller recreation, you could be in with a shot. Suppose Return of the Obra Dinn, The Case of the Golden Idol, or much more detective-adjacent titles like Spine (the followup for which is now launching in 2023), and also you’re heading in the right direction.
Examples of video games which may not be eligible embody these specializing in fight, in addition to spy video games, easy puzzle video games with out investigative mechanics, and horror video games “which will embody a thriller ingredient however that don’t deal with investigation”. In case your recreation is a strolling sim and it isn’t primarily based on fixing mysteries, you are most likely out of luck, too.
We do not but know what video games will seem within the sale, but it surely’s a secure wager that the likes of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, The Nice Ace Lawyer Chronicles, and another recreation themed round detective work will make an look. You may most likely additionally uncover numerous new demos for video games you did not know you wished, too.
The Steam Thriller Fest kicks off on February twentieth and runs for every week. In case you’re a developer and wish to submit your recreation, the deadline is January ninth. Your recreation does not must be discounted, but it surely’s extra more likely to function on the principle sale web page whether it is. The sport may even want a minimum of one trailer set to public.