With PAX West 2024 squarely in the rearview mirror, it's time to take a look back at some of the most memorable, impressive, and exciting demos on display at the event. Taking place in Seattle, Washington over Labor Day weekend, PAX West is one of our favorite events of the year at LukeWarmGames. From the amazing sense of community among the gathered gamers, to the spectacle of the elaborate booths on the showfloor, to the games themselves, PAX truly is a unique experience, and one I am so grateful to have had this year.

As always, the stars of PAX are the games. I was able to play 29 game demos this year between games that were on the showfloor and at the adjacent, unaffiliated event, The MIX. There was an incredible variety of games this year, providing fresh takes on old genres, compelling stories, stunning art styles, novel gameplay concepts, stirring soundtracks, and much more. In the list below, I count down my top ten games of the show. Be sure to check out any that pique your interest on Steam—many have demos that you can play from home!

10. Croak

Coming in at tenth place on my list is Croak, developed and published by WoodRunner Games. Croak is a precision platformer with a vibrantly-colored storybook art style crafted by some of the artists behind Cuphead and the Rick & Morty show. Play as a prince-turned-frog as he hops, bounces, and grapples with his tongue through the 2-D environments.

Croak's fast-paced platforming is what makes it stand out. The platforming is challenging, but not punishing, as the quick checkpoint system allows you to hop right back into the action when you die. Failing to execute the exact maneuver needed once or even twenty times doesn't detract from the fun of the gameplay experience. The controls are also smooth and responsive, which made the gameplay all the more enjoyable. Between the fast checkpointing and precise controls, Croak felt approachable despite being quite challenging.

Croak's colorful world is full of quirky characters and beautiful landscapes. The full game will feature a variety of biomes with their own gameplay twists as the prince travels through the kingdom. I am intrigued to learn more about the mysterious curse at the heart of the game's narrative. Croak is coming soon to Steam, with releases on additional platforms to follow.

9. Feltopia

Boasting the most unique video game art style I have ever seen, Feltopia, developed and published by Wooly Games, is a stop-motion animated sidescroller completely hand-crafted from felt. Popular felt artist Andrea Love is Feltopia's Creative Director. She, along with her team, created a visually stunning game in which everything is felted, from the player character, to the enemies, the collectibles, the weather, and even the animations that pop when you defeat enemies and collect items.

Feltopia's storybook feel is delightful. The art, narrative, color palette, and music all immerse the player in the game's world. Playing the demo, I truly felt as though I had stepped into a beloved children's book. This coupled with Feltopia's approachable gameplay could make it a delightful family-friendly adventure, or perhaps a child's introduction to the sidescroller genre. Feltopia will be coming soon to Steam.

8. Honeycomb: The World Beyond

Developed and published by Frozen Way, Honeycomb: The World Beyond is an ambitious open world survival sandbox set on the distant planet of Sota7. The player-character is a bioengineer named Hennessy who has been tasked with finding the key to reviving a dying planet Earth. Honeycomb: The World Beyond drew my attention because of its apparent resemblance, both in its art style and its gameplay loop, to Subnautica. The world is vibrant and full of interesting flora and fauna to scan and interact with. However, unlike Subnautica, a key gameplay mechanic in Honeycomb is the growing and crossbreeding of the plants and animals on Sota7.

Between the specifically-timed nature of the bioengineering aspects of the game, and the goal of finding usable information for Earth's rehabilitation whilst having a minimal impact on the ecosystem of Sota7, I am very intrigued by what Honeycomb: The World Beyond has to offer beyond the familiar gameplay systems of previous survival sandbox games. I appreciate the game's apparent focus on pacifism and maintaining a low environmental footprint, unlike so many survival crafting games that require the player to fundamentally alter the world and destroy nature in the process. I am also intrigued by the narrative, which will reportedly take 10-15 hours to complete and contain several plot twists.

That said, as much as I was interested to hear about all of Honeycomb's unique features, I was also drawn in by the familiar scanning, foraging, crafting, and base-building (fans of LukeWarmGames know that these are a few of my favorite things). The base-building is aesthetically pleasing, seems fairly intuitive, and contains a variety of possibilities for customizing your space. Some of the controls when foraging and crafting weren't quite so intuitive, and there were several moments when it wasn't clear what the game wanted me to do, which I did find slightly frustrating. However, these kinds of issues aren't uncommon for demos, and they may get ironed out before the full game releases next year. I am eagerly awaiting the full release of Honeycomb: The World Beyond, coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.

7. White Waiting

White Waiting is a gameplay experience unlike any other. It is the only game I have ever played that you can win by not actually doing anything. Developed and published by Optillusion, While Waiting follows its protagonist from the beginning of his life to the end as he waits through a variety of everyday situations.

On paper, a game about waiting to get to the front of a line, for your boss to finish a boring presentation, or for the traffic to clear, sounds maddeningly dull. But While Waiting's cheeky humor—emphasized by the classical music soundtrack one expects to hear in an elevator or while on hold—and hidden easter eggs captivated my attention. I found myself chuckling at the demo station, and wanting to play each level again to unlock each secret objective. Because even though you can simply wait out the invisible clock on each level's waiting experience, figuring out all of the quirky ways you can interact with the environment was much more compelling.

Similarly to Untitled Goose Game, While Waiting gives you a list of objectives for each level. These objectives are optional, and some are mutually exclusive, creating replayability for each level if you're interested in earning all of the objective stickers. The objectives are worded like Achievements or Trophies, though, so trying to figure out how exactly to earn each sticker adds a fun puzzle element to the gameplay. I found myself getting so sucked into doing the most absurd things possible within each waiting scenario, that I was disappointed when whatever it is I was waiting for actually happened. While Waiting is coming soon to Steam and Nintendo Switch via the eShop, and I, for one, can't wait.

6. Tears of Metal

Tears of Metal, the latest game from Paper Cult, is a hack-and-slash roguelike set on a medieval Scottish island. Inspired by Braveheart, Tears of Metal has you fighting off hordes of enemy British invaders to reclaim your homeland. The combat is fluid and weighty, with satisfying combos and delightfully animated special attacks. And the graphic-novel art style, with hand-drawn character models appearing in dialogue scenes and critical combat moments, only adds to Tears of Metal's charm.

Tears of Metal has a beautifully drawn, strategy-based map that serves as the jumping off point for the game's combat encounters. As you clear levels, you collect abilities that alter the combat and make each run distinct. You also recruit more people to your army as you rescue them within the levels in a way that is surprisingly reminiscent of Pikmin. The game's setting is also dynamic, changing as you progress due to a fantastical cataclysmic event at the center of the invaders' ambitions. This mysterious apocalyptic twist on the game's genre promises a compelling narrative to unravel.

Tears of Metal also offers up to 4-player co-op, wherein each player brings their own army to team up and take on the invaders, capturing the feeling of Risk of Rain 2. As you progress, whether in co-op or single-player, you can customize your army's composition and abilities, in addition to your own powers. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Tears of Metal's gameplay is its blend of strategy-based army management and third-person action; you aren't simply directing troop movements, you're leading the charge. Between its story and its polished gameplay, Tears of Metal promises to be an engrossing, delightful experience. Tears of Metal is coming in 2025 to PC.

5. Rooster

While the one thing every game on this list has in common is a visually striking art style, the art of Rooster stands out among the rest. Gorgeously hand-drawn and watercolored, Rooster's art is inspired by traditional Chinese art and folklore. This point-and-click adventure game, developed and published by StickyBrain Studios, follows Rooster from the Chinese Zodiac. After misbehaving at the Zodiac animals' Lunar New Year's Eve party, Dragon sends Rooster back in time to Ancient China to teach him how to be better.

Rooster's journey begins with the birth of the baby boy named Little Dove, and follows him in 13-year increments throughout his life. Each level features a different member of the Zodiac that Rooster must help in order to learn his lesson. Each level is also a different type of game, including a hidden object level, a cooking game, a dating sim, and more. The varied nature of the gameplay experience, combined with the beautiful world and charming characters, all led to a compelling demo. I'm excited to see how everything ties together in the full game.

So much care and detail has gone into crafting the world of Rooster. The beginning of the demo incorporated art and fashion history into the story. From historically-accurate pottery and clothing, to the specific foods appearing throughout the game, to the highly stylized brush painting and watercolors, Rooster feels like a love letter to Chinese cultural heritage. The team behind Rooster is mostly comprised of East Asian women and nonbinary people, and is meant to be an accessible adventure that anyone can enjoy. The gameplay, art, and beautiful soundtrack make Rooster a relaxing and cozy game to unwind with. Rooster has a target release date of early 2025, aiming to be playable in time for Lunar New Year!

4. Herdling

Another visually striking game, Herdling is an adventure game in which you guide a herd of lovable beasts up a mountain. The world of Herdling, developed by Okomotive and published by Panic, is simultaneously beautiful and forlorn. Between the melancholy vibes, vibrant colors, mysterious creatures that are both beastly and endearing, and staff that gives you supernatural control over the creatures, it is hard not to compare Herdling to Pixelopus's Concrete Genie. The gameplay of Herdling, however, is its own beast.

Using your staff, which gains a flower for each creature you tame, create a trail that the creatures—called Calicorns—follow, thus guiding them in the desired direction. The game calculates the path that the staff forges by creating a line between you and your herd, and extending that line forward, meaning that you must remain behind the herd and change your position to influence the direction they take. This unique geometry-driven approach to movement really hooked me, though I heard from some other players who found it off-putting as they couldn't quite figure it out. While the game could have had a clearer tutorial for how to influence the herd's movement, once I figured it out it was wildly fun. Directing the herd of creatures to manipulate objects and navigate narrow paths and obstacles was engaging, but the first stampede moment was truly joyful.

The second half of Herdling's demo featured a stampede sequence, in which a special power-up allows you to charge your staff and send the Calicorns hurtling at breakneck speed across a beautiful mountain valley. The power-up sends ripples of colorful light through the Calicorns' fur and horns, as well as through your staff. This moment also triggered a musical cue that added to the liveliness of the sequence. The music is beautiful throughout, but this was one of those really powerful musical moments, alongside the musical development that occurs as you progress through levels in Terra Nil.

Beyond the visuals, vibes, and music, I am excited to see where Herdling's narrative leads. Described as a "wordless tale," and set in a world that seems sparsely populated and devoid of characters to interact with, Herdling will seemingly feature a narrative told through environmental storytelling that unfolds as you progress through the world and learn more about your surroundings. I love games in which you discover the story incidentally throughout your journey, and I am curious to know more about this wistful world. Herdling does not yet have an announced release date.

3. Winter Burrow

Developed by Pine Creek Games and published by Noodlecake, Winter Burrow is a delightful cozy survival game in which you play as a mouse restoring their home in the midst of a bitter winter. With its beautiful storybook art style and charming music, Winter Burrow presents such a pleasant gameplay experience. While there are enemies within the world, defeating them isn't too challenging. Instead, the true enemy is the cold.

Explore the world surrounding your burrow. Gather resources to craft tools, knit clothing, and cook food to help you survive longer and go farther in the cold. But return to your burrow before you get too cold, or you will freeze to death. If you do die, you respawn in your burrow and have to return to where you fell in order to retrieve your items. However, there is no map in Winter Burrow, and you must use your footprints in the snow to navigate (and they do fade over time). These gameplay mechanics center the wintry setting in a way that juxtaposes the coziness of the home with the harsh brutality of nature. There is no comfort without fear. But Winter Burrow definitely leans more into the comfort than the fear.

As you progress through the game, you unlock new areas, each featuring new forageable materials, tools, and characters with their own side quests. The ultimate goal is to discover what happened to the player character's aunt, who was supposed to be caring for the burrow and has gone missing. But even as you travel farther afield, you always return to your burrow, where you can craft, decorate, and create outfits for your character.

Playing Winter Burrow feels like cuddling up with a blanket and a cup of tea. With autumn in full swing, nothing sounds better than digging into Winter Burrow, but we'll have to wait a little longer for this charming game, coming in 2025.

2. Usual June

Usual June, a rare in-house development project by Finji, is a delightfully haunting third-person action-adventure that combines the snarky wistfulness of college summer break with the intrigue of solving paranormal mysteries with the help of the dead. The animation is beautiful, featuring vibrant colors and intentionally-crafted character animations reminiscent of Into the Spiderverse. The characters and their stories are compelling, and I connected with the protagonist, June. Between the character interactions and the supernatural events mixing with themes of real-life young-adulthood, Usual June hits on a lot of the same notes as the Life is Strange games.

The PAX demo for Usual June featured a brief section exploring an old observatory, followed by a longer section traversing and fighting through a paranormal world. In the observatory section, character dynamics and puzzle-solving take center stage. I enjoyed the dialogue and was invested in the characters. But the highlight of the demo was definitely the paranormal section.

Bright neons and deep hues of purple and blue give this world a distinct and spooky feel. Populated with crystalline enemies, the paranormal world offers enticing combat that feels as good as it looks. Between the varied projectile options and the weightiness of the melee hits, the combat in Usual June is so satisfying and fun. Each combat area offers slightly different challenges, and the options for buying different projectile ammunition between areas allows the player to tailor their experience to their playing style. The combat also hits that sweet spot of being challenging enough to be engaging, without feeling punishing or frustrating.

I can't wait to explore the worlds of Usual June, meet more of the characters, and destroy some brightly-colored baddies when it releases next year.

1. Symphonia

Closing out this list is the game whose demo stood out to me the most out of everything I played at PAX West this year, Symphonia. Developed by Sunny Peak and published by Headup and Beep Japan, Symphonia began as a student project and has blossomed into a truly delightful game. Between its stunning visuals, breathtaking orchestral soundtrack, and smooth precision platforming, Symphonia is a feast for the senses.

In Symphonia, you play as a mysterious violinist, using your bow to traverse and platform through a ruined, musical world. Playing the violin unlocks areas and skills, and the violin bow is the central platforming tool. Use it to jump, skip, or even stick to surfaces before catapulting yourself over hazards. The platforming itself is smooth and tight, earning it a top spot among the slew of impressive platformers that seemed to make up the bulk of the best games at the show this time around. But what made Symphonia stand out even among those other titles were the richly-crafted world and music.

Each section of Symphonia is based on a different orchestral instrument family—woodwinds, strings, and brass—and culminates in a concert with a prodigy musician you must recruit in order to revive the fallen world. I love the clever twist of replacing traditional combat with musical collaboration. I also appreciate how deep the game's lore is, and the care that the developers took to reflect that lore in every aspect of the world, from the background music to the world itself being crafted out of instruments and music. From lamp posts made from flute keys and platforms made from harps, to beautiful romantic architecture inspired by the shapes of the instruments, Symphonia's visuals are a love letter to the symphony orchestra.

As a musician, I am so touched by the care that went into crafting this world, and of course I adore the soundtrack, composed by Olivier Esman and his partners Alexandre Bucas-Français and Lou Corroyer and recorded by the Scoring Orchestra Paris. But you don't need to be a musician to appreciate how thoughtfully-crafted the world is, and the gameplay certainly speaks for itself. I can't wait to experience the full game.

As always, PAX West was a needed reminder that there is a lot to look forward to, with so many amazing games coming our way in the next couple of years. Developers' artistry was on full display, and getting to experience the fruits of their efforts and their passion was a privilege and a joy. I am so excited to see more of these games soon. In the meantime, if any of these games strike you as much as they struck me, please Wishlist them on Steam to support the developers—it is so important, now more than ever, to support real artists. After all, events like PAX wouldn't be possible without developers and their dedication to their craft.

Dec 16 Claire's Top 10 Games of PAX West 2024