What's the best solution to a dead army? Send some Cajun toads at them.

Steam Next Fest has ended, but there are still a few demos that will be in the spotlight for one final time. Toads Of The Bayou is a great game for those who enjoy deckbuilding, tactical combat, and Cajun toads battling an army of the Dead.

This game is a turn-based, squad tactics game that uses a growing deck to determine your options at each turn. Spend your money on consumables, cards, and squad members. Then, try to hold on for as long as possible, roguelike-style. It's a little Into The Breach with a dash Fights In Tight Spaces.

In most missions, you'll be defending a point or two as waves of enemies come in. The enemies are not aggressive and are predictable. However, unless you use wall-bouncing attacks to increase damage, or call in barricades that replenish over time to block enemy movement, it is easy to become overwhelmed. The demo ends as your squad is just beginning to develop a strategy and build. However, it seems like there is potential for a variety of playstyles.

The aesthetics of the game is one area that has just hit all the high notes. This game has three different art styles, which is unusual for games. The battle maps are a mix of pixel-art with character, cartoon portraits in the hub shop between missions and beautiful semi-realistic artwork for the cards. Each card features a variety of sassy cartoon toads engaging in violent shenanigans.

The music is just as beautiful. The string-heavy arrangements have a whimsical Louisiana feel, but they are complemented by some gamey synths. This creates a unique sound. If given the chance, a fresh look and sound could carry a framework that is perhaps too familiar.

Unfortunately, my time with the Toads was not without its flaws. The UI is responsive and snappy, but it lacks some basic guardrails. You can accidentally click your barricades in the trash, or remove a newly recruited toad without even a 'Are your sure you want to?' pop-up. pop-up. Plus, the chunky card artwork can easily overlap the play-field, unless you manually pan the camera around and zoom out. This makes it difficult to target abilities. Both are not game-breakers, but I hope they're fixed by launch.

It's not too long before we all die. You can play the Toads of the Bayou Demo on Steam before the game's release on November 19.