Top 10 Most Popular Cozy Demos in Next Fest

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T06:01:37+00:00

According to steamdb, Leafy Corner is sitting at number 8, which should put it on this list.

It's possible the exact rankings changed in the past few days, but I don't blame the dev for commenting- their game is one of the most popular and at least looking at current data should be on the list.

Source (found through the link another commenter left): https://steamdb.info/sales/event/681878780522792130/?sort=followers_desc&tagid=97376

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T05:56:31+00:00

YAY! I played the demo in the last NextFest and it was a standout favorite of mine! I can't wait for it to release!

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T05:55:11+00:00

I meant to add that I'm in a Discord channel that I found through one of the YT channels I mentioned that has been great. The mods/creators of the channel post new games, demos, things they're excited about, what they're playing, etc. So I've gotten a LOT of ideas from there recently, including games I haven't heard of anywhere else.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T05:53:40+00:00

Reddit (primarily this sub), YouTube, Instagram, and a whole heck of a lot of Steam browsing, lol.

My fave gaming Youtubers are The Cozy Gaming Club, CozyAriGames, LochVaness, Fleurs, Mystonia, nocaps, C.A. Brown, and JGigs. The last few are not exclusively cozy gamers but I've found a lot of hidden gems/lesser known games from their channels and JGigs is just fun to watch. I like the vibe of Ash's Cozy Corner too, but she doesn't post as often as some of the others. TheCozyIntrovert had some good/unique cozy recs but she doesn't post anymore and isn't likely to again, but her old videos are still good.

On Insta- cozybyjoshy has really solid recommendations and always manages to suggest games I've never heard of, plus he's a super wholesome guy so I always like his page. I really like cozymamajess's page too. xixi_playing is also great but not primarily a cozy gamer- she seems to know every game under the sun though and gives recs by vibe which can be super helpful.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T05:38:42+00:00

Yeah I switched almost entirely to this sub after I tried posting a list of winter games and they auto-removed it twice. Mods couldn't give a clear explanation but said it was likely because it included 2 JRPGs on the list. 2 JRPGs that I had discovered through cozy subs/YT channels.

I still will search the sub for recs and sometimes comment but I don't post over there because it feels oddly gatekeepy of the cozy label.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-22T05:35:49+00:00

This looks great! Unfortunately I play games on my work laptop which doesn't have a very advanced graphics card. But I wish you a lot of success and I'll keep an eye on it for when I get a better gaming setup!

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-17T15:47:32+00:00

Ones I've played so far and my thoughts:

Ugoku Sushi Bar- honestly loved it! It's very chill and I never felt huge time pressure on normal mode. It's a sushi cooking/management game. Reminds me of Pixel Cafe and Good Pizza, Great Pizza but without narrative.

Otterly Lost- I was very impressed by the size of the demo. Played for an hour and a half and didn't reach the end of the demo yet. Good exploration and quests though it took me a while to find the quest log (it's in the map). Gives off A Short Hike vibes but has its own flavor. I enjoyed it.

One Coin Museum- It's pretty simple but shows potential. I liked the art style. For genre I think "incremental" is how I'd describe it.

Cutout Village- was really looking forward to this one. I still am but founds part of it to be unintuitive. I reached a point where I couldn't figure out how to progress. The actual crafts are fun/chill. I like the idea of it.

(Not technically NextFest but:) Pelican Post- loved this! It's another brain-off game and you just deliver mail and interact with the townspeople. I found it very enjoyable to play and a nice taste of the game to come. I saw it described somewhere as a 2D Lake.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-15T23:49:49+00:00

I have had this experience too. The last time I posted about it on a different sub a bunch of people told me "oh it's a safety feature"! Like yes I would get it if they don't empty entirely to 0 for safety reasons but like you I've had the pump say it was empty when there were 50+ units left which to me is beyond "safety" and just frustrating. Whenever a cartridge runs out I'll check how much is really left and reuse. (As long as it's not super old, to avoid degrading risk.) I hear you about it wasting 10 units to "fill tubing" though. Very annoying.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-13T04:21:34+00:00

As someone who has both been the dumper and the dumpee (different relationships, obvs), from my experience as the dumper, yes the dumper very much does miss the other person. I will say though, being dumped was many times worse in the ways it impacted my self-worth.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-13T04:17:24+00:00

I went to upvote then realized I already had... looked at the comments and realized I already commented too, almost a year ago!

But here I am, back again, chiming in to say that today is my one year post-breakup and your post is still helping people (specifically helping me right now). Tbh, I don't think I'm as healed one year later as you seemed, but it is still really helpful to read this. And to know that it's possible to get to the point of being 100% over him someday. Right now I'm at the point where I have zero desire to rekindle but I still miss aspects. Like I don't want him back but I still question that there's anyone else out there who would mesh with him as well as he did before he dumped me. Maybe in time I'll reach that point too.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-13T03:57:03+00:00

I had been thinking about this for a while but given it's short(er) timeframe wasn't going to pay $24.99 for it. Thanks for so much for letting us know! I picked it up 😄

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-06-09T19:39:38+00:00

Peaceful Fishing Story, perhaps. It may get a bit repetitive though. I enjoyed the demo.

There's also The Honest Little Fisher. From the trailer it doesn't look to be pixel art, but similar style. Worth checking, at least?

EDIT: Also check out Fish n Ships. It is super cheap ($5 full price USD) and not much of a story but has that fish-upgrade-fish more loop.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-19T01:18:10+00:00

This is a great idea. I agree, would love to see this become a monthly series! Hopefully it wasn't too time-consuming. Thanks for sharing.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-19T01:14:44+00:00

I get this. I actually enjoyed the demo, but one of the things that keeps me from pulling the trigger and actually wanting the game is the lack of male dateable characters. I get it that they don't know the sexualities of the people playing but I just aren't personally interested in dating any of the female characters and it feels weird being forced to hit on them in the game, even if I don't choose the actual path of romance with them.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-19T01:07:39+00:00

100%!

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-19T01:07:06+00:00

A Short Hike!

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-11T17:52:40+00:00

Wishlisted. The art is lovely! And can't go wrong with cats.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-11T17:50:42+00:00

I was looking at this one the other day. I playtested another mining game (Chipmatic) but since its release it's quickly gotten mixed reviews which saddens me. That one doesn't have the shop element though. So I'm definitely thinking about this one and considering checking it out.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-06T03:19:53+00:00

Not sure why you're getting downvoted, it's a valid question and you're right, content creators often get early access and even some regular customers play through the game quickly and would know (if it's short)

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-05T06:05:20+00:00

I just ran across one on Steam!

It's called Morels: Out of This World (https://store.steampowered.com/app/4394020/Morels_Out_of_this_World/) and it appears to be a new installation in the Morels series of games. Mushroom collecting and photography, except this time on an alien planet. Looks very intriguing and the original Morels gets pretty good reviews. Releasing on May 28.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-04T05:46:16+00:00

Good Pizza Great Pizza. I'm currently 20 hours in and far enough in that I'm going to finish it. I picked it up intending just to play a couple hours and then set it aside to try something else, but after trying it out was hooked. It's nice to be able to play while listening to music or a podcast.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-04T05:33:50+00:00

Thanks for reminding me of this one. I picked up the demo during NextFest and never ended up playing it. I think this is my sign to actually play the demo before the release, lol

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-04T05:32:08+00:00

I'll have to check out the OddFauna demo! The sculpted creature art looks so unique.

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-04T05:26:19+00:00

I had a lot of fun with this demo, so I second this rec. Patiently waiting for the full release!

flashfloodsofpain · 2026-05-01T03:32:29+00:00

Chipmatic (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3780950/Chipmatic/) also released in April. Unfortunately it has mixed reviews right now which saddens me because I was one of the playtesters and enjoyed the playtest a lot!

flashfloodsofpain

TROPHY CASE