Appearing as part of Steam Next Fest: June 2025, the demo for LAN Party Adventures speaks to the proverbial “90s kids” in a way no other game I’ve experienced does. From the first moment in the main menu, a familiar hum and static of early 2000s technology form a UI that looks like it could have been a screenshot.

LAN Party Adventures is developed by LEAP Game Studios and published in collaboration with Pchujoy Games. As the developers are based out of Peru, there is a distinct South American style to the aesthetic that meshes well with the overall Y2K vibe they went for.

There are two primary game modes available in the demo. A succinct glimpse at the story, and an open-ended sandbox mode.

A Chillaxing, Sketchy Narrative

The game opens on a quick bit of exposition from your character, explaining just enough to understand the world. In a matter of seconds, you’ll learn that your old computer burned out, literally, and you took a job setting up LAN parties to afford a new one. Your friend Pedro hasn’t reached out in a while, and the new PC is finally here and ready to be hooked up.

At its core, LAN Party Adventures is a first-person exploration puzzler. This demo does a phenomenal job of showing it off as every tutorial, every hint, and every control quirk is explained via bulky paper manuals left to discover and read within the world itself. A journal shows your immediate objectives so they’re easy to keep track of. There are several collectibles that serve to showcase just how much of the world you can move and interact with.

As you start to play and hook up your new computer, you’ll quickly notice that each cord connection feels like a sort of pseudo mini game. Manually screw in your VGA cables, twist your modem wires to the correct order, and make sure you manage your cords, or you’ll end up in a mess of wires.

A Sick Aughts Room Designer

The sandbox mode is shockingly in-depth for a demo, even if it isn’t jam-packed with content right now. A completely empty version of your room is free to decorate to your heart’s content.

Every decoration and piece of furniture you see in the story is available to place and rearrange at your leisure. Want posters covering every square inch of your walls? Done! How about a pristine retro gaming den? Sure! Bare walls with nothing but a chair and a baseball bat? Upsetting, but you do you!  

At release, I could easily see the sandbox mode being a fantastic way to kill time. In the brief time the demo gives us, it’s easy to get fully immersed in setting up a teenage dream room. It might not be on your radar, but don’t sleep on this relaxing game mode.

Take a Chill Pill

When you finish a demo that only leaves you wanting more, you know it did a good job. LAN Party Adventures sets up an intriguing narrative in a fascinating world. If you were a teen in the early aughts like me, it will draw you in with the familiarity. If you were a bit younger, it serves as a sort of time capsule with the accuracy it presents.

It’s relaxing, mysterious, cozy, and fun. The perfect mix for a quick download during this month’s Next Fest. I can’t recommend it enough, so give it a whirl! And sorry for the egregious Y2K slang.

LAN Party Adventures is developed by LEAP Game Studios and published in collaboration with Pchujoy Games. The full game is planned for release later this year, and the demo is available on Steam as part of the June 2025 Next Fest.