The Bench Coming to February Next Fest

I’ve joked off and on that based on my gaming choices like Supermarket Simulator, Powerwash Simulator, and Lawnmowing Simulator that I am a “childless father”. I like a good dad game, the kind of old-man experience that’s just relaxing. Now, I think my evolution might be close to completion.

Coming to the February Steam Next Fest is a new game called The Bench. We’ve all seen the old man at the park, feeding pigeons and just enjoying nature. Now, this mixture of simulation and puzzle game lets you experience that life firsthand. Here is what the press release says about The Bench.

“Italian Indie Development Studio VOXEL with the support of now publishers Noovola are proud to unveil The Bench, sitting players onto the bench of an elderly man spending his remaining days at his favorite park, surrounded by squirrels, raccoons and lots of imagination!

The Bench will be playable for the first time as part of the Steam Next Fest in February 2025 and will be inviting peace seekers to control flocks of pigeons, tease park maintenance staff, search for hidden treasures, solve puzzles in the daily newspaper all the while fending off a variety of quirky (and rather hungry) animals.

The Bench is designed for players who enjoy casual simulations and puzzle games with a wholesome twist. The game is playable alone or whilst streaming, as it is enhanced with Twitch integrations, allowing viewers to interact with streamers by spawning in-game events like pigeons, raccoons, and NPCs that can either assist or hinder gameplay. Either way, it’s going to be chaotic!”

Since the February Next Fest demo will be the first time folks get to play The Bench, I imagine we’ve got a while before it releases. Regardless, I’m excited to live my best old man life, and I’m excited to check out the demo. The Bench looks like something I never knew I wanted or needed.