Well, the latest Steam Next Fest event is set to arrive next week, meaning things are going to be rather hectic, and as such, everyone included is doing everything to get their demos noticed. This includes The Arcade Crew and French developers Assoupi, who have now announced that a demo of their upcoming platformer, MainFrames, will be available during the event. First announced a couple of months agoback in August,the game is now preparing to show off its cozy, quirky, computer-themed action to the public, even preparing a little tounge-in-cheek trailer to try and build up a little hype, as seen below.
Navigating Windows
What’s set to help make MainFrames stand out as a platformer is that the whole game plays out entirely on a computer monitor’s fictional desktop. The game centers around our main character, an anthropomorphic digital floppy disk appropriately named Floppy, who sets out on a journey of self-discovery in order to learn just what exactly their place in this world is. Doing so requires having to navigate through a series of windows, which can be manipulated in various ways in order to help Floppy get across. As seen in the clip, this includes finding ways to move windows around, use icons to give Floppy a way to bounce upwards, switch tabs to change scenery, and much more, all accompanied by a pixel art style evoking classic PC operating systems of the ’90s.
…All accompanied by a pixel art style evoking classic PC operating systems of the ’90s.
However, all of that is just a teaser, as the video then cuts to a discussion between two people and the trailer itself, with one wanting something elaborate with explosions and shouting, only to be reminded that they’re a bit hindered by a lack of budget, as well as format that’s free of any voice action. It’s cute, funny stuff, but there’s one particularly notable thing mentioned during this bit: That the demo for MainFrames will apparently have an exclusive story. It might just be for a short demo, but any sort of exclusive content just might be the thing needed to help the demo for MainFrames stand out among the crowd.
The demo for MainFrameswill be available on Steam during Next Festfrom October 14 to October 21, with the full version eyeing a release in early 2025 for PC and Switch. It joins Sleepy Mill Studio’s puzzle/strategy hybridDrop Duchyas part of The Arcade Crew’s current 2025 lineup, which itself was in the news recently due to its inclusion inthe first-ever Convergence Showcase.So it certainly looks like MainFrames will be in good company when in comes to unique games, and we can’t wait to see more of it, be it next week or next year.
