Latest news with #BabySteps
Digital Trends
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
These are the Steam Next Fest demos you need to play before they're gone
Alongside the big Steam sales, Steam Next Fest is one of the most popular events hosted on the PC gaming platform. This specific event comes around three times per year as a weeklong celebration full of exclusive demos for upcoming games, both big and small. But, because these demos are only up during the event, you have a limited time to play them before you need to wait for the full release. Each year more and more games participate in Steam Next Fest, which makes the prospect of playing even a fraction of the games impossible. Even just sticking to the best ones is tough without knowing which ones you should focus on. I've been downloading and testing demos since the event began to pick out these awesome titles you need to try before the week is done. How long is Steam Next Fest? Steam Next Fest started on June 9 and will last for one week, ending on June 16 at 10 am PT. At most, that gives you seven days to play as many demos as possible. Recommended Videos If you miss this event, you can always mark your calendars for the third and final Steam Next Fest of the year. That one is scheduled for the week of October 13 through 20, but there will be an entirely new set of demos for that event. Baby Steps We've waxed poetic about how if you only play one Steam Next Fest demo, make it Baby Steps, but would be remiss not to include it here as well. This is the truest 'walking simulator' there is. Each step is a struggle in Baby Steps as you need to carefully position and place each foot to move forward while maintaining balance. It's hard. It's frustrating. But, somehow, it's incredibly fun to stumble through. The characters and story also manage to evoke some genuine laughs along the way. Ratatan We all miss the Patapon series, but none more than a group of its original developers who Kickstarted its spiritual successor, Ratatan. Just like the original, this game melds rhythm game gameplay with side-scrolling action combat. This time, the gameplay is even expanded with some light RPG elements and 4-player co-op. This little taste of the visual style and killer music is more than enough to get you jazzed for the full release. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound We're living in a bit of a retro 2D revival period right now, and no game exemplifies that more than Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Call us crazy, but we're more excited for this fast, flashy, and brutal side scroller than Ninja Gaiden 4. Even if you didn't grow up with the classic 2D games, the level of polish on display with this ninja adventure supercedes any sense of nostalgia. Eat the Rich Do we really need to say more? Eat the Rich is the perfect bit of catharsis in these trying times. This is a social deception game in the vein of an Among Us, but everyone involved is a billionaire participating in a game show where they must fight for their lives. You and 5 to 9 others will compete in various games for pennies and attempt to vote out whoever you think has the most. There are a lot of clever twists, but the core game is easy to understand and have fun with right away. MotionRec Puzzle games can get a little out of hand, especially in the indie scene. However, MotionRec is one of those prime examples of a simple concept given a ton of depth. The entire idea here is that the only way you can make it through a stage is to perform actions, rewind, and then play them back in different locations. This gets much more complex than it seems, but at just the right pace where you always feel like you are on the verge of figuring it out. Morbid Metal Anyone looking for a new stylish action game should dive right into Morbid Metal. You play as a robotic warrior who transforms into different characters mid-combo to take advantage of each one's weapons and moves. We're already addicted to putting together the longest, flashiest combos we can. The game is also a roguelite so the final game will offer endless hack-and-slash fun. Dead as Disco Finally, we're shouting out Dead as Disco. This game is essentially a mix between Sifu and DDR, where you need to time your punches and kicks to the beat. The best part? You can import any song you want to set the soundtrack to your own fight scene. There's a story to follow with some progression hooks, licensed tracks, brutal bosses, and even a co-op mode.
Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
If you only play one Steam Next Fest Demo, make sure it's Baby Steps
If you play a lot of games, you've probably heard the term 'walking simulator' before. It's generally a backhanded term used to describe games that don't have much interactivity beyond walking around and interacting with things. If you picture a game like Gone Home anytime you see those two words together, I'm going to need you to go ahead and wipe that incorrect image from your brain right now. That's not a walking simulator. I'll show you a real walking simulator. Take a look at Baby Steps. Set to launch later this year for PC and PS5, Baby Steps is the latest project from developers Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy. That last name should strike fear in your heart, as that's the creator behind cult hits like QWOP and Getting Over It, two games that turn basic movement into a physics nightmare. Baby Steps is a continuation of that thinking, creating an open-world slapstick comedy about learning to walk one step at a time. You can try a demo of it now as part of Steam Next Fest and I urge you to do so as soon as possible. It might just be the ultimate magnum opus for one of the most maddening minds in gaming. Recommended Videos One foot in front of the other The demo wastes no time setting up an elegant story that needs little introduction. A camera swoops through a house as two adults argue about what seems like their kid. We land on a basement-dwelling adult, laid out on his parents' couch midway through a One Piece binge. One remote click later, they are suddenly whisked away into another world far from their bickering folks. It's the start of a grand adventure for a mooch dropped into a fantasy world. Or it would be if they could get this whole 'walking' thing down. As soon as I gain control of the adult baby in question, I realize that the developers have basically made a big budget QWOP. I press a button to move forwards and immediately fall over like a ragdoll. The controls tell me that I need to control each foot as I walk, gradually moving one in front of the other. That's easier said than done. I stumble my way through a muddy straightway as I try to figure out how exactly to remain standing. After a few pratfalls, I begin to carefully hold my balance with very slow and careful steps. I am essentially a giant toddler learning to walk for the first time. It doesn't take long for me to get the target of that joke. After meeting an NPC and engaging in a genuinely hilarious bit of dialogue where my character mumbles his way through an awkward encounter, the world ahead of me opens up. The goal of my demo is simply to get up to walk up a hill and get to a bonfire. As you have probably surmised by now, that is easier said than done. No longer able to simply walk in a straight line, I set out on a perilous journey that requires me to walk up steps, cross over thin planks of wood, and avoid teetering off a cliff into a muddy abyss. If you're familiar with Getting Over It, Bennett Foddy's infamous game about a man in a pot climbing a mountain, this should all sound familiar. Baby Steps is basically an open-world version of that game. At one point I decide to go off the beaten path and see how far I can get. It's all going well until I take a narrow walkway too fast and go flying off the cliff, destroying 30 minutes worth of progress. I felt anguished for just a moment before dusting myself off and getting back on my feet. When I do that, I become more determined to improve. Within an hour, I become significantly more skilled at walking. I'm falling over less and my pace begins to speed up. By the end of the demo, I'm able to walk up a staircase without issue. It all culminates in a small victory where I use some clever footholds to get up to the bonfire after initially deeming it impossible to scale when I first get there. I'm still moving like a baby, but one who no longer needs parents hovering around them every time they move. In that way, Baby Steps feels like the friendliest version of what I'll call Foddy's walking trilogy. QWOP is a brilliant bit of slapstick that's meant to be stumbled through. Getting Over It teaches players to embrace failure amid a Sisyphean quest. Baby Steps feels more achievable than both. It wants players to build up their skill slowly, gaining more and more confidence with each obstacle tackled. I can already sense that I'll be able to power walk with ease eventually. In that way, it could be the most realistic walking simulator ever. When I finished my demo, I wished I could keep playing. I felt like I was just finding my (literal) footing and working up to a successful sprint. At least I'll be ready for the full release now, as I plan to speedrun that opening walkway. Baby Steps launches later this year for PS5 and PC. A demo is available for Steam Next Fest.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
6 Key Signs You're Going To Be Very Wealthy
Maybe you make good money now. Maybe not. The great thing about living in the United States is that anything can happen to anyone. There are a few key signs that, if you keep up with these habits, you'll be very wealthy in the future. And it might even be in the near future. Read Next: For You: For the sake of clarity, it's important to note that, to be considered wealthy, you'd have a net worth of $2.5 million or more, according to Investor's Business Daily. To be in the top 1% of wealthy individuals in the United States, you'd need to have at least $11.6 million, according to Forbes. Below is how you can measure your chances of becoming wealthy. One sign of growing wealth is your ability to bring in multiple incomes. If you're already making decent money and you pick up a side hustle or a second job, you can invest part or all of that second income and really capitalize on it. It doesn't have to be anything that brings in huge amounts either. It could be anything from working as a virtual assistant to substitute teaching. And, of course, investment income streams from things like dividend yields or rental income. Not relying on one single income stream can mean a huge difference in wealth down the line. Discover Next: A side effect of having multiple income streams is that you can live below your means because you can have one income fund your lifestyle and allocate all other sources to investments. Again, the energy around money is interesting. Typically, the more you focus on making money work for you, the more money you'll make. You start making coffee at home or even invest in your espresso machine rather than hitting Starbucks every day and you could save literally thousands per year. You'll choose a smaller apartment that requires less maintenance instead of a large house and you could save tens or hundreds of thousands. It quickly becomes a way of life and the more money you don't spend, the more you can invest and grow. And that's how your wealth really grows. Now, before you can invest heavily, you'll have to divest heavily. That is, you'll have to divest from your creditors. Truly wealthy individuals don't have a bunch of what Experian referred to as 'bad debt.' You should only have debt that essentially works as an investment for you, like a home or piece of property that appreciates. All other debts should be paid off at the end of the month. For example, if you have a credit card that earns you air miles or cash back, you can make purchases on the card and then pay your balance in full before any interest kicks in. You cannot become truly wealthy if you owe a bunch of debt to a bank. If you're not out of debt, get there fast with Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps. Being debt-free is a solid sign you'll be truly wealthy. Invest. Don't save. Far too many people spend years putting money in low-interest savings accounts, watching it stay stagnant, sometimes not even beating inflation. Then, they retire and realize they don't have as much as they thought they would. Why did they never get rich? They had good jobs. They were smart with their money, never overspending or taking on debt. But they didn't invest. They saved. Savings accounts are a little better stashing cash under your mattresses or lockboxes in your house. But, not by that much. The average savings account will not make you rich, typically providing less than 1% APY, which means you'll lose money to inflation, which is between 2% to 7% in recent years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But investing your money over time can earn you 12% annually (according to Ramsey Solutions), which is a HUGE difference. In mutual funds, at 12%, over 40 years, if you put just $500 per month, that would make your investments alone worth $4,602,548.52. That's how the rich get rich. One definite sign of someone who will never be wealthy is a hyperfocus on the short term. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, stressing about paying rent and spending your extra cash on flashy items and vacations, you're not likely to be wealthy until you shift your focus. According to Forbes, wealthy individuals think about how their money can work for them over time. They look at the immediate and consider every purchase before making it, asking, 'Does this serve my long-term goals?' So, if you're not in a position to consider long-term goals, that's your work right now. Get that side hustle, ask for a raise, switch jobs and do what you have to do to start investing some money and watching it grow. Finally, one of the biggest investments you can make is an investment in yourself. You should always be learning. Sometimes, you'll find free resources online that teach you about wealth, health and habits that will make your life better. In other cases, you may need to pay for a college education or extra courses to improve your position and pay at work. But learning is never wasted time or money and the vast majority of truly wealthy people are lifelong learners. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard 3 Reasons Retired Boomers Shouldn't Give Their Kids a Living Inheritance (And 2 Reasons They Should) 8 Common Mistakes Retirees Make With Their Social Security Checks This article originally appeared on 6 Key Signs You're Going To Be Very Wealthy Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Top Gear
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Top Gear
PlayStation State of Play: packed with games, but lacking real star power
Gaming New Bond and old Mortal Kombat made for a serviceable showing, but nothing more Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading You might well disagree with our assessment of last night's State of Play, the latest in a series of Sony livestreams in which upcoming games strut around to catch your eye. Whether you do or not probably depends on how much you love James Bond, samurai swords and fighting games. If you do like those things, you sound pretty hard, so we're happy to just defer to whatever you think and then buy you a new pint. Sorry. Have a good evening. Advertisement - Page continues below To us, though, it felt like a decent showing that lacked a real hype machine. There was a big new IP reveal in the form of 007 First Light , some admirable screen time given to more niche propositions like Baby Steps and Grasshopper Manufacture's Romeo is a Dead Man , and an exciting reveal from Nioh 3 . Still, if you find yourself watching an extended reveal of an official PlayStation fightstick at one of these livestreams, a nagging sense emerges that this probably isn't one for the ages. You might like No, fair enough. 007 First Light has a bit of triple-A glitz and glamour about it. And handing that franchise over to Io Interactive, the Danish studio behind the Hitman games, makes all the sense in the world. It was probably the biggest moment of the show, but seeing James Bond as a young floppy haired man who might easily have walked on from an Uncharted game left us neither particularly shaken nor stirred. Maybe we're just being harsh because of what they've done to Thief . Advertisement - Page continues below You'll want to take a seat: they've turned it into a VR game. No disrespect to the project or the platform, but this is a seriously respected series of immersive sims from the late Nineties to early Noughties we're talking about. The 2014 reboot suffered for having been pushed through the square hole of triple-A blockbuster conventions instead of being allowed to retain its aloof, slow-burning, hardcore qualities, so watching footage of someone waggling their hands cartoonishly around the screen while they pickpocket guards and shoot water arrows into fireplaces doesn't exactly quell the fears that might happen again. It's like hearing your favourite band have reformed, but only to appear on The Voice. Enough moaning, let's hear about some good games. Quite right, those exist too. Romeo is a Dead Man is the latest project from Grasshopper Manufacture, the legendarily idiosyncratic studio who made No More Heroes , Let it Die , and, in a supreme act of irony, No More Heroes II & III . This one sees you fighting hordes of undead, Dead Rising -style, and the combination of slick combat and a hyperactive mashup of visual influences makes it punch through the noise. It ought to be a lot of fun. Capcom's Pragmata looks like some imaginative sci-fi action with a faint whiff of Death Stranding to it. And speaking tangentially of Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid Delta will be too, and although that's a rather more known quantity at this point (it's MGS3 running in Unreal Engine), it's a nailed-on part of our gaming diet this year when it arrives on 28 August. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Glad you noticed. Nioh 3 and Ghost of Yotei provided a one-two punch of feudal era Japan swordplay, and demonstrated two distinct approaches to that time, place, and activity. The Nioh threequel will offer more ultra-demanding duels that reward deft inputs and quick reactions, while Sucker Punch's follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima will do that, but with a bigger health bar and more narrative choices. Anything else worth keeping an eye on? Now that we've had a cup of tea and put the Thief VR thing behind us, yes there is. The show might have been missing that 'Hold on, what ?' reveal moment, but its smaller beats were very pleasing. Like the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection , which takes an archival approach to the first four classic beat 'em ups plus their various spinoffs, bundling them all into one place where they're super complete – sorry, Komplete – and playable on modern hardware. And Silent Hill f , a horror spinoff from the famously misty mainline series, which invites you to 'find the beauty in horror'. At first sight this one seems to be about the worries of a girl in adolescence made manifest as gore-drenched nameless horrors with blades all over them. Um, is it ok if we have a go at finding the beauty in that while the lights are still on and we keep pausing to decompress with restomod Tiktoks? Ok, deal. This is only the start of all the big announcements and trailer-spamming though, with Summer Games Fest 2025 due to start in earnest on Friday 6 June. You can keep abreast with all its happenings by checking the official schedule.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
State of Play has officially returned to PlayStation- updates for June 2025
The gaming video show has finally returned with a series of exciting updates and announcements. PlayStation's State of Play has officially returned, with the newest updates for the upcoming gaming season shared via a livestream by the gaming giant that took place on June 4. Gamers were on the edge of their seats throughout the 40-minute show, which announced game reveals, surprise updates and world premieres. Several new trailers were shown on the program, teasing upcoming releases for later this year, such as Lumines Arise from Enhance and Monstars. Other games announced for next year included Pragmata, which was teased with its first trailer since way back in 2020. But if you missed the June edition of the show, which was last broadcast back in February, we've rounded up all the biggest updates below. Here are some of the exciting announcements in the latest edition of State of Play, as shared by PlayStation Blog. State of Play- updates for June 2025 Pragmata Capcom's new science fiction adventure received a new gameplay trailer during yesterday's State of Play, and will be released in 2026. Astro Bot New levels are coming to Astro Bot this summer, it was announced on the gaming livestream. Baby Steps Baby Steps toddles onto PS5 September 8, finally having been given a release date. Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement The 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG returns with a new dark chapter with two new heroes – Leo and Alex. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Cairn Climb like never before in survival-climber Cairn, which will be released onto PS5 November 5. Digimon Story: Time Stranger After being announced in the last State of Play this past February, Digimon Story: Time Stranger launches on October 3. Everybody's Golf Hot Shots Landing on PS5 this September 5 is the return of the classic golfing series, with a surprise appearance from Pac-Man. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Originally released in 1997 for PlayStation, Final Fantasy Tactics is known for its rich story and deep, strategic gameplay. This September 30, it returns on PS5 and PS4 in the form of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles. Lumines Arise A brand-new entry into the iconic puzzle series launches later this year on PS5. 007 First Light This spy game based on a new James Bond origin story launches on PS5 next year. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Ninja Gaiden's upcoming metroidvania-style adventure Ragebound saw a new trailer premiere during the State of Play, and has a July 31 launch date. Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection Digital Eclipse and NetherRealm Studios are partnering for Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection, which will feature arcade, console, and handheld versions of multiple Mortal Kombat games. The collection is due for release in 2025. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater The remastered Metal Gear Solid 3 from Konami followed Project Defiant with a new gameplay trailer ahead of its August 28 release, which showed a deeper look at the Snake Vs. Monkey minigame. The full list of PS updates and announcements can be found at PlayStation Blog.
