Welcome to a new monthly feature in which AndresPlays gives a couple of new demos the spotlight and describes which are worth playing.
One of my major goals in life is for like-minded gamers to look up to me for good indie recommendations. This is not new, but being so brazen about my intentions is. This has been the goal since the beginning. Always keep an open mind; never reject any kind of video game regardless of how it may look, and give them a fair try. That is why I decided to make a monthly demo roundup of a couple of games sent my way.
It is no pleasure for me to say that I do not often get the time to attend to every single inquiry I get on my email, but I should. When you consider that ten thousand games a year are released on Steam, this becomes a little bit trickier. I hear you. Removing the AI slop, shovelware, and low-quality games may reduce that to a somewhat feasible number. I guess only time will tell if it really is. So, welcome to the AndresPlays Demo Roundup of August 2026.
I love this month. Not only because my birthday is the 31st, but also because it is Pixel Byte’s on the 8th! Hot on the heels of celebrating our third anniversary, I believe now more than ever we have to double down on our coverage of independent games that need that extra oomph. I will not pat myself on the back and say that only reading will help, so I have a favor to ask. If you wishlist a game I have brought to your attention, you will make an indie dev happy. Isn’t that the best reward of them all?
Without further ado, let’s get into them.
Traveling At Night
This is one of those games that I cannot think of any other adjective for than life-affirming. I received two emails to cover it, and I assumed that if they were so insistent, it was because the game must really be worth it. My hunch was correct. Traveling At Night is a literary-inspired video game that emulates its European roots with impeccable writing. It could remind you of other heavy narrative games, but it works just right to distance itself from the crowd.
Yes, you have that stunning isometric art style and familiar isometric that captures your attention from the first moment you glance. The game’s interface looks straight up from a post-World War 2 postcard, imbued with the prosperity of the era. To conclude, a solid hook to keep you entranced makes it not just a top-tier demo but shoots it straight up into my most anticipated list.
To not get caught in the minutiae, I will keep it short. You play as Mr. Spencer Hobson, a hollowed shell of a man who is looking for one Nina Lagasse in Antibes. A narrative-driven skill tree and an intriguing Passion system that is defined based on how you roleplay. It is shaping up to be a true indie gem if I have ever seen one. Try it out for yourself here.
Medimon
This creature collector is one I wanted to give a try for one simple reason: it is an educational game. Every “monster” that you capture in this Pokémon-inspired adventure is basically a medical term. Basophil is a type of white blood cell. You will catch it. A CAR T cell that fights cancer? It can be your best friend.
Medimon is so committed to its concept that just about everything is related to medicine. The small bridge that connects to your hometown? It’s called Ligament Bridge. Honestly, the fact that a literal Colon monster can get stressed out and develop ulcers tells you all you need to know about this game. I will concede that it is not for the faint of heart. Some of us would just actually love to forget about our human condition, as impossible as that is. And yet, it’s such a labor of love that I hope it finds its audience.
I can definitely see this game becoming a favorite to play in the first year of medical school. It presents its medical terms matter-of-factly and with even a bit of humor. Maybe that could help a diligent student learn what an anaphylactic shock means.
Aera In The Ink Realm
I will talk about what the game is about in a moment. When Aera In The Ink Realm arrived to my inbox, I was extremely conflicted. First, because if you look at any image of the game, you can clearly see that the voluptuous female protagonist is blatantly used as eye candy to attract a certain type of player. No matter, I said; after all, I would give all games a fair chance. What almost made me not even mention this game was the fact that it used generative AI for its key art and images. Not for its programming, character and level design, or any other element within the game. Before I brushed it off, I decided to ask the solo dev from Mongolia why he used it.
The dev, known as Mr. O, confessed that he is not skilled enough in drawing to create the artworks seen in-game. He promised that these are just placeholders for when he actually can collaborate with professional artists for the full game’s release and is not fond of using the technology himself. To be candid, I do vehemently hate any kind of generative AI art used in any game. We live in a world with so many talented artists, some of whom I am sure might not be too costly depending on the project. But I can at least try to understand his position, even if I do not agree with it. Regardless, his sincerity was sufficient for me to at least try it.
The game itself is in the early stages. The combat seems moderately responsive, but the fact that there is no controller support makes it a bit difficult to act quickly on a mouse & keyboard. A parrying system needs foes to telegraph their attacks with ample time for the player to react, which it unfortunately did not feel that way here.
As Aera moves fast and so do her enemies, swiftly pressing keyboard buttons under pressure was not my idea of fun. The ugly male demon design and other sexy female enemies still feels off-putting to me. That said, there might be something there with the right amount of focus and inspiration from other action RPGs such as Valkyrie Elysium, Nier Automata, or Bayonetta. The demo is available now.
Beastfolk Barber
Let’s finish with my favorite of the bunch: Beastfolk Barber. What a beautiful game. Publisher SIGONO really knows how to pick them, considering how OPUS: Prism Peak also had its heart on its sleeve. The title pretty much describes what you will be doing in this one. You are a barber in a city full of anthropomorphic beasts. They need haircuts. The rest is history.
What stands out in Beastfolk Barber is how much care is put into every little detail. For starters, the hand-drawn art style is gorgeous. As any good barbershop worth its salt knows, gossip is where it’s at. And trust me when I say there’s plenty to go around here. Each character has a lot of baggage to spill for you. And it is all rather intriguing, delving into their idiosyncrasies without forgetting what makes this game special. For instance, one of the first clients is a two-headed dragon with different personalities.
In the gameplay department, it works much like a memory puzzle. There are three possible haircuts to choose from in the front and back of the beasts’ head. Thanks to a magical mirror that allows them to “preview” their haircut before actually doing the cutting, you need to remember which one they like the most. It’s a rather simple approach, but in a game that focuses so intimately on the comings and goings of a lively city, it works perfectly.
And there you have them! Glad to finally start this new demo roundup feature. As I mentioned earlier, if any of these caught your attention, give the demos a try yourself, or better yet, wishlist them to stay up-to-date. I would like to say that it is very likely I will review most of these, so do keep an eye out on Pixel Byte as well. Excited to see what the next month’s demos bring. Thanks for reading.
