Fun swashbuckling combat with sword duels and an emphasis on big showy moves (kicking guards into barrels, throwing buckets at their head, etc.) The little bits of platforming reminded me of PoP Sands of Time, but much shorter and simpler. The tone is light and funny, but the combat is actually pretty challenging; I couldn't beat the big final fight after several tries.
Goofy management sim about piloting a terrible space program. The writing is weird nonsense that manages to stay funny... for now (I feel like it could get obnoxious after a few hours.) The systems seem solid, but the demo crashed during the second mission, so hard to say how well the balance holds up.
The Wicked + The Divine but as a choice-based game? The characters seem fun and very stylish, and I'm always up for a murder mystery with gods let loose in modern society. On the other hand the musical numbers didn't really wow me (well, I have a hard time with musicals in general, so that didn't help.)
(Looks like they removed the demo after releasing the game? That's disappointing.) Very impressed by this one. You're a writer convicted of BOOK CRIMES, and you delve into stories to commit more BOOK CRIMES. There's some Disco Elysium there, some Planescape Torment maybe? Point&click adventuring but in an isometric space with crafting, resources, multiple solutions and ways to fail... The demo included the entire first chapter which had a complete arc and showed some good interplay between the story of the book you're exploring, the goals of your character and the wider world. Big potential for this game, if it doesn't fall flat on its face later on (thinking of you Gamedec).
Dontnod making a climbing game? Huh. It looks beautiful and the controls feel very tactile on the gamepad. Not sure I'm up for several hours of this style of gameplay but the demo was pleasant.
(They removed this one too! Dammit.) Crime investigations aboard a space station. The big dramatic scene was very silly, but I like how the game opens up at the end, giving you access to a big area to navigate to find witnesses and spots to examine.
Minesweeper with a kind of tactical combat and special abilities. The concept is original and the execution felt great, fairly easy but fun and engaging. The second character already plays very differently from the first one, and they seem to have more planned for the full game.
They really go all in with the French slang to make you feel like you're in a Audiard movie! It's very charming in French, though I wonder how well the English translation manages to bring out this specific vibe. Other than that it's a decent start for a laid-back gangster story; the deduction and contradiction interfaces are neat, maybe a little bit too fiddly.
Another fantastic surprise. They've taken a grave, very serious topic and managed to make an engaging period piece that treats the subject matter respectfully without feeling like you're watching a depressing historical documentary. The dialogue is good and setting up interesting, potentially fraught relationships between you and your colleagues. The mechanics put you in control of the investigation: reading the documents, pointing out details during the interrogations, recreating the timeline of events to confront different versions. The blue and orange visual style looks great. Really strong hopes for this one.
A Xalavier Nelson Jr. joint, that's always a good sign. Crunchy retro shooter but you're slo-mo diving while spraying bullets everywhere. It's funny, it's challenging, the music is... weird but kinda amazing (that brain ice cream song???) The vibes are exactly what I wanted, with somber neo-noir monologues in the middle of diving between werewolves and haunted suits of armor in endless hallways. A really fun time.
(Bonus picks: Venba, Thirsty Suitors, Shadow Gambit, Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Imperial Grace, the Invincible; they also look very cool but I already know I'm gonna love them so I skipped the demos for now, they're safely on the wishlist.)