The Steam Next Fest is well and truly underway and my Inbox has been working overtime. This particular email caught my eye about Ashes – a murder graphic novel. I do like games with a good story. As there is a demo available, I thought I would try it out. My device of choice: the Steam Deck.
Developer and Publisher: Plot Twist Australia is a Melbourne‑based narrative production studio. Known for its work across games, interactive fiction, audio drama, film, and TV. It has a strong focus on story development. Which is why its projects stand out for emotional depth, character‑driven writing, and grounded settings.
Ashes is a visual novel set in Victoria, Australia. It follows Azar Warren, a 16-year-old skater hiding out at her estranged grandfather’s rural compound after witnessing a gruesome murder.
“Blending graphic novel panels with interactive puzzles, Ashes sees Azar fight not only to keep herself safe but also to reveal dark truths about people she thought she could trust.”
Ashes Steam Page
Navigation
I was intrigued. The demo is short and took no longer than 20 minutes to play through. This does include trying to work out how to navigate the game without having to tap the screen. It is difficult to play through because of this. I know point and click games on the Steam Deck can need a bit of tweaking; but I decided to plough on.
Click and drag did not always work. I conceded defeat in the end and dragged my finger across the screen. Much to my annoyance.
The demo takes you through the first three chapters and to be honest I found the whole experience uneventful. It falls short of even saying it is a good read. It was not until Chapter 3 that I was required to do anything.
Art Style
Graphic‑Novel / Visual‑Novel Aesthetic. The game presents its scenes much like panels from a graphic novel, with strong linework, deliberate framing, and a focus on character expression rather than complex animation. This creates a sense of intimacy and narrative weight.
Cinematic Framing. Scenes are composed with dramatic angles and close‑ups. It reminded me of comic panels, to highlight key moments and plot twists.
Stylised Illustrations. Rather than aiming for realism, the art leans into simplified shapes, expressive faces, and mood‑driven compositions. This helps the story feel more personal and emotionally charged.
Muted, Atmospheric Colour Palette. Colours were soft, desaturated, or shadowed, reinforcing the game’s themes of loss, memory, and emotional tension. The palette supports the tone rather than distracting from it.
Static or Semi‑Static Scenes. Like many visual novels, the game uses still or lightly animated backgrounds and character portraits. This keeps the focus on dialogue, choices, and emotional beats.
Music
The game is set in the rugged, rural landscape of Victoria, the music is designed to feel:
Isolationist: The score uses “lonely” electronic synths to emphasize Azar’s solitude as she hides out at her grandfather’s compound.
Gritty & Textural: It matches the “low-fi” and gritty aesthetic of the graphic novel panels. You’ll hear a lot of ambient noise blended into the music—think wind, mechanical hums, and the rhythmic sound of Azar’s skating.
Building Unease: The music acts as a “slow burn.” It starts off relatively grounded but becomes increasingly distorted and “unnatural” as the plot twists begin to reveal that the grandfather’s compound isn’t the safe haven Azar hoped for.
Performance
CPU: 11%
Battery 7w
FPS 60
In Summary
I had high hopes for the Demo. In truth, I found it uneventful, uninspiring, and I expected more.
It ran well on the Steam Deck, but navigation was cumbersome.
It was far too short a demo. Preventing me from fully engaging with the story. I was hoping for something thought-provoking. This may well occur when the game is fully released. However, for a demo, it was lacking, in my opinion.
Ashes is due to be released into Early Access on Steam in April 2026, with a full release later on this year. You can check out the game’s website here or on theSteam store.
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