5 interesting indie RPGs to check out at Steam Next Fest 2022

The RPG scene in PCs is ripe with countless offerings, from fast-paced action RPGs to nostalgic, JRPG-inspired titles. So what better opportunity than the ongoing Steam Next Fest 2022 to check out upcoming offerings? The live event presents hundreds of indie game demos for gamers to enjoy.

Here are five cool upcoming RPGs from indie studios showcased at the Next Fest that deserve your attention.

Steam Next 2022 Fest is home to countless intriguing RPGs

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1) Weirdlands

Retro RPGs continue to inspire indie teams across the globe. Weirdlands is on such a project that takes after classics like Final Fantasy and Earthbound. Made by solo dev Martin Mejak, it's described as "a story of freedom, control, and oppressive power structures."

A magical portal opens up inside the protagonist's room, leading them to a bizarre universe with friends and foes. This new dimension is also Earth but governed by magic — wizards, spirits, and the supernatural in general.

Armed with a summoning book used to summon spirits, the protagonist must unravel the mystery behind the sudden appearance of the portal. Combat is your typical JRPG affair and backed by beautiful pixel art. The game is planned for a 2022 release.

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2) Gatewalkers

Gatewalkers is an isometric ARPG with survival elements. Think Diablo but with character management like hunger and environmental hazards such as freezing temperatures. The narrative follows a group of people traveling across hostile worlds to save their own.

Studio A2 Softworks also markets it as a co-op game, with up to four players engaging in combat against otherworldly forces. The biomes are procedurally generated and feature fast-paced combat.

Due to the lack of classes, the user builds will entirely depend upon what gear they wear. That, coupled with the game's precision-based combat, seems to lend to a challenging experience.

Concrete launch details will be announced at a future date.

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3) Small Saga

Another retro-inspired, turn-based JRPG-like that's under a one-man studio, Small Saga is touted as an "epic RPG of miniature proportions." Taking place under the streets of London, this pint-sized adventure follows a gang of rodents. They belong to the underground medieval world of Rodentia, the creation of developer Jeremy Noghani.

After one of the members, Vern, had his tail taken by a cat known as the Yellow God of Death, he vowed revenge on the furry, larger-than-mice beast. Setting out on an adventure to retrieve what was unjustly stolen from him, he partners up with a colorful cast of critters that play a crucial role in livening this adventure.

No release window has been announced yet.

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4) Oaken

A mystical tale about a world blessed by the Great Oak, Oaken is a Celtic and tribal-theme inspired roguelike. It also features turn-based deck-building as the combat medium.

After the Oak's voice is silenced, the Lady must control the spirits to save the entity from an imminent threat. Exploration sees gamers traversing nodes across the Great Oak similar to an adventure game, all loaded with different encounters and many secrets to find.

Death is permanent, but users can still start over with learned knowledge and skills. This risk vs reward system also plays into the tactical grid-based combat. Here, players can call forth allies and cast spells to defeat enemies, while collecting bonuses to make their deck stronger.

The title is coming sometime in 2022.

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5) Coromon

One look at the combat screen and the inspiration behind this upcoming RPG is incredibly obvious. It's none other than Nintendo's acclaimed Pokemon series, after all.

Playing as a new trainer employed at the Lux Solis facility of researchers, the protagonist joins to broaden their horizons on the critters and phenomena happening across the region of Velua.

The pixel art drives forth what's essentially a Pokemon game to a tee. From similar openings to pacing and even design elements, it is surprising how much the game borrows from Game Freak's book.

But it does have several unique features, like a unified SP bar for attacks and a smaller but tighter selection of element types that also act differently to the Japanese franchise.

This monster-taming game is from TRAGsoft and releases on March 31.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.