Steam SlopFest: Has Next Fest Lost the Plot? (Ep.104)

For our two year anniversary and 104th episode, Nuno, Adam, Drexy and Al look at Steam NextFest and ask whether it has become Steam SlopFest. With over seven thousand demos, unreliable tags and a lot of obviously AI generated filler, we ask whether last week’s democratisation verdict still holds. We talk about Greenlight, entry fees, verification and Valve’s AI disclosure rules, and why they are so hard to enforce. We also cover the Shogun 2 remaster row, the games we did enjoy, and a few worth putting on your wishlist, including Steel Company, Steel Wolverines, Arch Rebel, Red Recon 1944 and Stronghold 4.

More from Critical Moves Podcast:

Web: https://criticalmovespodcast.com

Forum: https://criticalmovesforum.com

Newsletter: https://criticalmoves.beehiiv.com

Spotify: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/spotify

Apple: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/apple

Amazon: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/amazon

Discord: https://criticalmovespodcast.com/discord

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalmovespodcast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CriticalMoves_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/criticalmovespodcast

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CriticalMoves

Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and the occasional video essay. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.