STEAM’s Next Fest 2024 is now live, giving PC players a week to try ‘thousands’ of upcoming games for free.

There are free games to play across all genres, with plenty of indie titles that rarely get into the spotlight.

Fellow Traveller

Citizen Sleeper 2 is a must-play demo for fans of narrative-heavy RPGs[/caption]

TiMi Studio Group

Delta Force reimagines a classic tactical shooter series, and the Next Fest demo will showcase its multiplayer modes[/caption]

Running from October 14 to 21, 2024, at 6pm UK time / 1pm ET, Steam Next Fest also features hundreds of developer livestreams, showcasing upcoming titles.

With so many demos to choose from, we figured we’d highlight some of the best demos from Steam Next Fest 2024.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Citizen Sleeper was one of the best indie games of 2022, and players can finally try a demo of its sequel.

Inspired by tabletop RPGs, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector continues the first game’s story set in a cyberpunk sci-fi world.

While keeping the base dice-based gameplay and well-written narrative of the original, the sequel deepens all existing mechanics and adds new abilities and a bigger world to explore.

Delta Force

The reboot of old-school shooter series Delta Force is also getting a demo at Next Fest, which, unlike previous playtests and betas, is available for everyone to try.

The new Delta Force reimagines the series as an operator tactical shooter with free-to-play multiplayer modes and a new paid Black Hawk Down single-player and co-op campaign.

The demo players can try this week shows off the game’s multiplayer modes.

For more on the game, check out our Delta Force preview from June.

Tavern Keeper

Tavern Keeper is a gorgeous business sim game where you manage your own tavern.

From building it and hiring staff, to decorating the interiors and stocking up on ingredients, the game lets you own the high-fantasy pub of your dreams.

The demo allows you to run a tavern for a few days and get familiar with a lot of the game’s systems and mechanics.

This teaser experience is designed specifically for the demo and will not be part of the full game when it launches sometime in 2025.

Permafrost

Permafrost is a brutal survival game that will put you and your friends in a harsh permanent winter environment.

Solo or in co-op mode for up to four players, the demo lets you learn the ropes of survival by introducing you to the game’s exploration, crafting, building, and hunting gameplay. 

Windblown

Windblown is a new roguelite from the creators of Dead Cells that can be played alone or in three-player co-op mode.

Unlike Dead Cells’ pixel art sidescrolling levels, Windblown features gorgeous 3D levels from an isometric perspective, similar to Hades, another great roguelike.

The game promises lightning-fast action, and you will wield powerful weapons and absorb the memories of fallen warriors to unlock special abilities.

Windblown will launch into early access right after the demo period, on October 24, 2024.

For more gaming news about Valve’s storefront, see a change Steam is making to its checkout process.

THEY brutally gunned down their parents before splashing chunks of their $14million fortune on expensive designer clothes, Rolex watches, and cars worth thousands of dollars.

But following a hit Netflix drama and fresh evidence they were victims of alleged sexual abuse, the campaign to free the Menendez brothers is ramping up.

Netflix

The world was stunned when Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally murdered their parents in their Beverly Hills home[/caption]

Channel 5

Pamela Bozanich, who prosecuted the brothers in their first trial, believes they killed for money[/caption]

AP:Associated Press

Pamela believes their claims of sexual abuse were all a lie to escape the death penalty[/caption]

Lyle and Erik, who slaughtered parents Jose and Kitty at their Beverly Hills home in 1989, have spent over three decades behind bars after being convicted of first-degree murder.

A fresh hearing next month will consider unearthed evidence suggesting they were molested as children by their father, with the pair’s attorneys pushing for authorities to consider resentencing them.

It comes amid a backdrop of high-profile figures including Kim Kardashian – who has visited them in prison – calling for the brothers to be released, with thousands of videos on TikTok backing up the campaign.

However, in a new Channel 5 documentary airing tonight, the lawyer who prosecuted Erik and Lyle in their first court case in 1994, which ended in a mistrial, slams their new status as ‘social media stars’.

She also claims they engineered their legal argument to improve their chances of being convicted for manslaughter and avoiding the death penalty.

Pamela Bozanich tells the show: “The idea that these delicate flowers did this thoughtless act of killing mummy and daddy, it’s nauseating.”

She adds: “They lied and lied and lied. They’ve always been liars. And they planned the murder out meticulously. And they planned out the defence meticulously.

“I don’t think they thought about the cruelty of what they were doing. I think it was just a means to an end.

“And the tragedy is that there are people out there who don’t get that.”

Despite the brothers insisting that they killed Jose and Kitty because they feared that their lives were in danger, Pamela says she had already seen their defence coming even before stepping into court. 

“I was a sex crimes prosecutor,” she says. “I knew that this was such a great defence because a child molester is the lowest form of life. The way that they constructed the defence, it was in order to get a manslaughter conviction.

“Manslaughter is an unreasonable but strong belief in the necessity of self-defence. 

“So what they were trying to do is set up a scenario, which was the night of the murders, where they were in imminent danger. They ran out to the car and got the guns and blew up mum and dad.”

Shocking crime

ABC

The brothers claimed they killed their parents in self-defence as they believed they were in danger[/caption]

Netflix

They also alleged that their dad, Jose, had sexually molested them from an early age[/caption]

ABC

Los Angeles District Attorney

Although Pamela and her team had pushed for the death penalty, Lyle, now 56, and Erik, 53, managed to escape the punishment. 

Instead, the jury in their second trial recommended that they be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Erik was just 18 and Lyle was 21 when they gunned down their wealthy parents in August 1989. 

The pair initially claimed they had no involvement in the murders and even suggested that they thought it was a mob hit. 

But after a taped confession and a handwritten letter were intercepted by authorities, the brothers came clean about what really happened.

They claimed they had lived through their father’s sexual abuse for years and finally decided to escape his clutches on the fateful night of the murders. 

Lyle and Erik recounted horrific details of molestation that started at the age of six.

According to the brothers, an argument ensued, and Jose told them he would raise them in any way he saw fit.

They also allege that their mother had been fully aware of what Jose had been doing to them. 

Under the firm belief that they were going to be killed that night, the brothers, who had purchased guns with stolen identification documents, said they decided to kill their parents before they had a chance to strike first. 

But Pamela never bought the brothers’ self-defence argument.

According to the prosecutor, the case was mostly about two things – freedom and money. 

In the weeks after the murder, Erik and Lyle embarked on a huge spending spree and blew $700,000 (£530,000). 

Erik decided not to go to college and instead hired a $50,000-a-year tennis coach to help him become a pro. He also bought a restaurant near the family’s former Princeton, New Jersey, home.

Pamela tells Murder in Beverley Hills: The Menendez Brothers: “The spending that they did in the weeks after the murder told me that’s why they killed their parents. They wanted the luxury and they wanted the stuff. 

“But they didn’t want to be told what to do. It wasn’t the only motive. It wasn’t a single-motive case. I think he [Jose] was very hard on them. It’s clear to me that he was hard on them. That’s why they blew his brains out.”

They lied and lied and lied. They’ve always been liars. And they planned the murder out meticulously

Pamela Bozanich

Prosecutors believed the boys had gone against what the father wished for them.

Lyle had been suspended from Princeton University, while both brothers also participated in a spate of burglaries in the Beverly Hills suburbs that left their parents ashamed.

Pamela’s team believed that this led Jose to give them an ultimatum – they either had to get their act together or face being cut off from the family’s wealth.

They argued that this was when the boys decided to plan their parents’ murder.

Ultimate victim

Netflix

Pamela relentlessly cross-examined the brothers in an attempt to debunk their claims[/caption]

IMDB

Kitty was dependent on drugs and alcohol and experienced bouts of depression[/caption]

During the trial, which began in July 1993, Pamela emphasised who she believed was the real victim in the case – Lyle and Erik’s mother, Kitty.

At one point, she showed a gory picture of Kitty’s bloodied body to the jury and said: “Look at their mother – this is the woman who gave birth to them. This is what they did to their mother.”

At court, Kitty was portrayed as a wife who was unhappy and depended on drugs and alcohol to deal with her bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts.

Lyle and Erik have described her as a cold and distant mother who knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop their father.

In the documentary, Pamela doubles down and says: “Even if you believe that Jose Menendez was having sex with Erik, what about Mum? How do you explain her?

“Kitty Menendez gave birth to two sons who turned around and absolutely slaughtered her.”

She adds: “As a matter of fact, the evidence showed that she was scared of everybody. She was scared of her husband. She was scared of her kids.

“She, to me, is the ultimate victim.”

She continues: “One of the things they said was that they killed Mum because they knew she couldn’t live without Dad.

“I remember that line and just thinking, ‘Oh yeah, did you give her a vote?'”

Netflix

At one point, Pamela showed a picture of Kitty’s bloodied body and said: ‘This is what they did to their mother’[/caption]

AP:Associated Press

Pamela says the brothers did not leave the home because they wanted their parent’s fortune[/caption]

For years, many people have asked why the brothers did not leave the home, since they were both over 18 when the murders were committed.

While they maintain that they were manipulated into believing they could never leave, Pamela is adamant that was never the case.

“The reason they didn’t leave was because they wanted the money”, she says. “They wanted basically what is called an Italian divorce.

“You get the money, and your partner is gone. And that’s what they did.”

After the jury heard from experts and family members who supported the brothers’ claims and several days of heart-wrenching testimony from Lyle and Erik, they could not decide whether to convict them of manslaughter or murder.

Ultimately, they found themselves “hopelessly deadlocked”, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial in 1994.

Pamela decided to step down from the case and wasn’t involved in the second shorter trial that ended in a murder conviction in 1996.

Cameras were banned in the second trial. Judge Stanley Weisberg also controversially limited the number of witnesses the defence could call, which enraged the brothers’ legal teams.

The brothers were spared the death penalty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. While Pamela says she was disappointed about the ruling, she also understands.

“I was disappointed, but I knew it was going to happen”, she explains.

“For most human beings, the most important decisions they make in their lives generally are who to marry and maybe what house to buy.

“When you’re a juror, you’re deciding, in this case, life and death. That’s a huge responsibility and having a bunch of people in America watching you do that, that’s too much pressure.

“It’s easy to acquit. It’s much harder to convict when everyone is looking at you.”

New support

The Mega Agency

The brothers have received an outpouring of support from a new generation of social media users[/caption]

AFP

They are set to get a new hearing in November after new evidence was uncovered[/caption]

Robert Rand, an author and journalist who has remained a close friend of the brothers, uncovered a bombshell letter from Erik to a late cousin, Andy Cano, which convinced him they were telling the truth and has prompted the new hearing.

He told The Sun: “It’s a five-page letter. I was going through documents in Andy’s dresser, and it was probably about halfway through the second page.

“He wrote a paragraph where he started complaining about the abuse by his father, and that every night he was afraid that his father would come into his room, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

“And I was reading this, and I was shocked to see it because I realised that it was a physical piece of evidence. It wasn’t just somebody saying something, but a real physical piece of evidence.

“And I realized this could have a major impact on the brother’s case and their attempt to reopen the case.”

But Pamela is not amused by the fresh wave of public support – particularly from younger generations like TikTok who were not even alive when the murders were committed.

She says: “Richard Ramirez was the night stalker, and he killed a bunch of people and tore up people’s eyes when they were still alive.

“Ramirez, as evil as he was, had all these babes who wanted him. So, I’m not surprised by the phenomenon. I guess it’s the ultimate bad boy.”

Murder in Beverley Hills: The Menendez Brothers airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5

Robert Rand

Robert Rand, seen here with Lyle Menendez, discovered the new evidence and has been campaigning for their release[/caption]

Netflix

Pamela says it’s a ‘tragedy’ that some people do not see the cruelty in the brother’s actions[/caption]

LIAM CAMERON has warned Ben Whittaker he’ll have to “RETIRE” if he ducks a rematch with him.

The former Commonwealth middleweight champ gave the undefeated Olympian the stiffest test of his career last weekend before a freak fifth-round tumble over the ropes saw their clash end in a draw.

REUTERS

Liam Cameron gave Ben Whittaker the stiffest test of his career last weekend[/caption]

GETTY

The fight ended in the fifth round after both fighters tumbled over the ropes[/caption]

GETTY

Cameron insists Whittaker has no choice but to give him an immediate rematch[/caption]

Whittaker, 26, was taken out of the arena in a wheelchair after claiming to have been injured in the WWE-esque top-rope tumble.

But Cameron and his team have questioned the validity of Whittaker’s alleged injury, especially after hearing that he’d punched a wall backstage.

And the Sheffield slugger believes the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist is now at a major career crossroads.

The 33-year-old said: “To be fair, he shouldn’t take it because it’s going to end his career. But, he’s got to take it.

“Honestly, he’s in a no-win situation. Because if he doesn’t take the rematch, he has to retire.

“If he does take the rematch his career is over.

“If he were in control of the fight, he should take the rematch.

“If he doesn’t take the rematch it just shows he wasn’t in control of the fight and he is worried and wants a way out.”

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REUTERS

Liam Cameron reckons Ben Whittaker deliberately pulled him over the ropes[/caption]

There was no trademark showboating from Whittaker as he did his best to avoid the heavy leather being thrown from Cameron.

“No one gives me enough credit,” he said. “I made him not showboat and I made him tired.

“That’s my game plan and he walked straight into it.”

Whittaker has not publicly addressed his injury, although his team have come out and claimed he suffered a sprained ankle.

But Cameron isn’t buying what his rival and his team are selling, insisting: “He wasn’t injured.

“Real fighters carry on. We’ve seen wars over the years. I got up in the same situation as Ben.’

“Whittaker was 100 per cent looking for a way out. Everyone says it.

“He pulled me and grabbed me, sending us flying over the ropes.

“No one ever does that in boxing.”

GETTY

Liam Cameron believes Ben Whittaker took an easy way out of their Saudi showdown[/caption]

A crestfallen Cameron continued: “I thought I won the fight. I felt like I was robbed.

“Even when other people were tallying the scorecards, they thought I won too.

“There are only a few people from Wolverhampton that thought he won.

“It’s bad because I wanted those belts. But, it could have been even worse.

“They could have totally robbed me and not given me a decision at the end of the fight.

“I am just happy that situation wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”

ACTOR Chris Pine has broken his silence on the brand new The Princess Diaries movie after a third edition of the franchise was revealed to be in the works.

20 years on from the last edition, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, fans have been left over-the-moon after it was confirmed that Disney would be bringing the movie back to life once again with an all-new edition.

Getty

Chris Pine has addressed The Princess Diaries speculation in a new interview[/caption]

IMBD

The second movie in the franchise was his breakout role[/caption]

Whilst rumours have been swirling for the past two years about a new film, Disney insiders have finally suggested that the movie will film next year after signing Adele Lim up to direct and seemingly getting a yes from actress Anne Hathaway about returning to the big screen.

The movie is expected to be a continuation of the existing two movies as opposed to a reboot meaning the door is open for each and every one of the film’s characters to make a comeback.

It has led to rife speculation that Chris Pine, known for his role as Nicholas Devereaux in the second movie, could be set for a comeback.

Appearing on talk show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Chris addressed the speculation for the first time and remained rather coy on the matter.

As Jimmy asked Chris about the film, he insisted it was “incredible” news that bosses had decided to bring it back for another go-around.

Pressing him, Jimmy asked for all the details on “the plot and the script” in a joking manner to a put-on-the-spot Chris.

He further asked him, “are you in it?,” before Chris successfully swerved the question and avoided revealing anything.

The actor said: “What I will say, it’s been 20 years, it’s been a long time – I can’t believe it’s been that long.

“But, I have more people come up to me about that than anything I’ve ever done.”

Chris added: “It was an incredible experience, but I don’t, unfortunately… I really…

“The first time that I heard about it was on the internet when someone sent me a screenshot of Anne lounging in a nice garden with some glasses on.”

It led fans to quip that they thought his trouble with directly answering the questions ensured he ‘knew something’ and as such was likely to have signed up for the hit movie.

Commenting on a clip of his appearance, one fan said: “He totally knows something.”

Someone else penned: “He better be in it.”

Before a third echoed: “He knows, we know!!! This is some marvel level secret…and okay, we’ll be patient, but we ALLLLLL know.”

In another interview on Today with Hoda & Jenna, he once again tried to dance around the subject as he told the daytime talk show hosts: “The answer is honestly I don’t know anything about it. I think it’s fantastic.”

Getty

Anne Hathaway is on board with the new film[/caption]

Buena Vista International

Further details are yet to be revealed[/caption]

GOLF fans have threatened to “boycott” the Ryder Cup after prices were revealed for the 2025 tournament.

Team Europe will hope to defend their crown against the US at the Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York from September 26 to 28 next year.

The Times

Fans have been left fuming at the ticket prices for the 2025 Ryder Cup[/caption]

Getty Images - Getty

With demand extremely high to watch the iconic event, supporters have to enter a “random selection” ballot for tickets and complete a registration by October 22.

If successful, they will then be presented with a chance to book their spot on the course at some point next month.

But fans have been left fuming after finding out the price of tickets they’re applying for.

The “random selection” ballot only includes “Ryder Cup+” seats.

A single ticket to any of the three days of action are priced at an eye-popping £574 ($750) each.

While the cost of a pass to the practice sessions earlier in the week will set you back between £195 ($255) and £324 ($423)

However, “Ryder Cup+” tickets do include “access to unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages at all market concessions throughout the grounds and no extra cost”.

But despite the the added benefit of unlimited food and drink, golf fans are still seething with the astronomical prices and took to social media to react.

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One fan raged: “I would like to go on the record now and say that if Europe wins the Ryder Cup at Bethpage because the crowds were turned into a polite snooze fest by the insane ticket prices, it’s going to go down as a massive own goal.”

While another joked: “I need to sign a LIV deal so I can afford Ryder Cup tickets.”

Some fans weren’t taking such a lighthearted approach to the decision.

One even suggested that the event should be boycotted, writing: “We all need to unify and boycott this. Then we can move on to groceries and housing next”.

The 2023 Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome offered fans a much more reasonable price for general admission.

The Italian event had tickets priced between £38 and £46 ($50 and $60) for practice days.

While weekend tickets were priced at £200 ($264) for the Friday and Saturday and £210 ($275) for the Sunday.

The Times

Fans were able to pack into the stand at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in 2023 thanks to affordable ticket prices[/caption]

The parties reportedly haven't met face-to-face sine November of last year.

'Marvel’s Iron Man and his Awesome Friends' will debut in 2025 and is part of Marvel's "expanded strategy" to introduce the characters to younger viewers.

The author's Substack, 'Hungry Dogs,' will include video interviews with guests like Bill Clinton and Bob Woodward, alongside his takes on 'haters' and Hollywood.

The two tech giants' new deal allows cord-cutters to watch 'Thursday Night Football,' Major League Soccer and Apple and Amazon original series all in one place.

The streaming service has picked up the family drama from the 'This Is Us' creator.