We’ve covered a few Steam Next Fests here on the site throughout the time they’ve been around, offering demos for a limited time. The time the demos are available is hardly ever enough. I can complain all I want, but I can’t help but make a short list of games to check out every time one comes around. One that has just shot to the top of my list as of yesterday morning is something I am supremely excited about, Mimimi’s upcoming tactical pirate RTS (with pause), Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew.

I covered the announcement of the stealth-focused fantasy adventure title a short while ago, and ever since, I’ve been excited for any news that I’ve received. Yet yesterday’s email was a happy little surprise; What Bob Ross called accidental trees. For the June 19th through 26th Steam Next Fest, you’ll be able to check out the upcoming Pirate ’em Up with supernatural powers in a “short” demo. I say “short” that way because the press release notes, “In the demo build, players will be able to experience the first act of the game, which equals to about ± 2-4 hours of playtime, depending on the experience in the genre and playstyle.”

Set in an alt-history twist on the golden age of the pirate, you’ll have a chance to play a couple of missions on the first two islands. You’ll also be able to return to the hub (your ship, Red Marley), and get hands-on with the game’s intro ahead of release. Given we’re focusing on the intro or first act of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, I’d hazard a guess we might start out with pirate navigator Afia, the woman with the sword in her chest and Dishonored-style blinks everywhere. Though we won’t know until the 19th, as we wait for the demo to become publically available.

Set to release later this year, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew still doesn’t have an exact release date yet. Coming to Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, one can expect the PC requirements to be high in comparison. Steam lists 970GTX/RX 570 and 8GB of ram is the minimum for both graphics cards and ram, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes a little bit closer to release. Either way, I am excited to get hands-on with Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew later this month.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!