Steam Next Fest is upon us once again, and with it comes over 3000 demos to check out on Steam. We’ve rounded up some of the demos we think are amazing, in an attempt to help you wade through the masses. It goes without saying that we couldn’t possibly cover all of the demos we find fantastic, so make sure to head to Steam and browse to see what other gems you can find!
Action Picks
If you’re looking for an action packed co-op pick – Crashout Crew is definitely one to check out! Made by the team behind PEAK and Another Crab’s Treasure you’ll clock in to work at the world’s “most efficient” warehouse. With co-op up to four players, you’ll fulfill increasingly chaotic orders with physics based boxes…what could possibly go wrong?
Enter the occult in the folkloric, hand-drawn action RPG Key Fairy. This unique twist on a bullet-hell game, sees you become a pacifist, grappling and dancing your way through twisting paths. You’ll encounter strange folk, uncover ancient magic, and evade forgotten Gods in what looks like one of the most promising upcoming games.
Skate Story sees you enter the underworld on a seemingly impossible quest. You’ll ollie, kickflip and grind your way through the ash and smoke filled landscapes, skating fast to destroy demons, and maybe even saving some other tortured souls along the way. This one looks set to be an epic action spots game with an intense atmosphere, perfect for action lovers.
horror Picks
A quiet getaway becomes a sinister nightmare in the psychological horror game Whispering Fog. Set in a mountainous forest full of ever-changing fog, you’ll find yourself immersed in a terrifying experience. What started out as a relaxing getaway will very quickly have you on the edge of your seat.
From the creators of Little Nightmares I & II, Reanimal sees you set out on a terrifying adventure as a brother and sister who on a mission to rescue their friends. With co-op gameplay, you’ll explore a hellish island, by boat and on land, working together and using your wits to survive. This looks perfect for lovers of deep atmosphere and is sure to be a wild ride.
6 wizard minions go into an archmage’s tower – what could possibly go wrong? YAPYAP is a co-op comedy horror game that sees you team up with up to 6 players. You’ll use an assortment of magical spells to break, steal and vandalise the tower, but it won’t be as easy as it sounds – you’ll also need to avoid the terrifying magical creatures that roam the halls. This is an absurd co-op horror, perfect for lovers of games like Lethal Company and REPO.
Strategy Picks
Unravel the mysteries buried in the depts of the Wall in Wall World 2. Continuing on from the first Wall World game, you’ll pilot a robospider into the depths, uncovering lost artifacts and technologies. There are some horrors lurking in the dark of the Wall, and you’ll need to upgrade your exosuit and your spider to take on all of it’s challenges. This one is a great roguelite strategy pick, with a decent dose of action in there too.
What happens when you combine slot machine mechanics with a fantasy RPG? You get Slots & Daggers. This minimalistic style game features a slot machine played in a weird fantasy world complete with some drawings of some strange little guys. You’ll steady your blade and spin, attempting to achieve the highest score you can. This is a great strategy pick with a different spin, perfect for roguelike lovers.
Absurd is probably the word I’d use to describe this next game. Tingus Goose sees you help a goose meet it’s mate by helping it grow – sounds simple and completely innocent right? Wrong. This is a whacky game filled with moments that will have your jaw dropping. It’s outrageously funny, mixing gross with strategy that is oddly satisfying. You’ll help your goose grow, merge tingus to make bigger tingus and eventually find true love, or something like that.
Adventure Picks
You’ll find yourself stranded on a tropical island in the survival crafter Oceaneers. This one lets you take control of multiple survivors, setting them each to different tasks like resource gathering, fishing, researching, cooking, and more – but survival is the only thing on your mind. This game has a whole under-arching narrative, filled with twists and surprisingly high-tech turns. The demo is one of the longer ones, giving you more than 2 hours play time, and is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of a good survival game.
Save humanity in the first person survival adventure game The Last Caretaker. You play as a reawakened machine with the mission of securing humanity’s future – no biggie. You’ll care for and grow human seeds, managing crucial systems and recovering more seeds as you set out to explore the vast ocean. With a mix of deep exploration, survival, crafting, and even some action battling rogue machines, this is set to be an epic adventure game.
If you’re looking for a classic 3d platforming adventure game, Big Hops is well worth a look. You’ll play as a young frog, who’s trying to make his way home after being kidnapped by a trickster spirit. Combining some classic platforming with some new mechanics like the ability to plant veggie bounce pads, you’ll collect bugs, meet animals friends, and, hopefully, make your way home.
Cozy Picks
Step into the cozy world of Rita, a colourful platformer game with a word puzzle twist. You’ll play as a cute little chicken, navigating their way around the world to collect letters. These letters are the key to unlocking new skills, but it won’t be as simple as picking up A B and C – you’ll need to solve word puzzles to level up, and make your way through each level. This is a wholesome choice, with a ton of deep narrative in there too, and is a great cozy pick for the puzzle lover.
Play as some energetic sheepdogs in the co-op sheep herding game Sheepherds. You’ll team up with up to four players to guide adorable fluffy flocks of sheep through colourful fields to dye their wool before making cool clothes for you and your friends. There’s no time limits on this one, so you can take your time barking, running, and discovering the hidden magical places in this cute and colourful world. This is a perfect cozy pick for those looking for something to play with their mates.
This side scrolling platformer sees you explore a beautiful, cozy home in the shoes of a well-worn flower pot. Potter About takes a meditative spin on the genre, giving us a cozy adventure, full of wholesome goodness. You’ll navigate through clustered rooms, wield plant-inspired powers, and be charmed by this short but sweet game.
Puzzle Picks
Sculpt sand to create winding streams in the cozy physics puzzler Babbling Brook. You’ll start high in the mountains, inspired to help a flock of rubber ducks escape, and you’ll manipulate sand, water, and rocks to direct the water’s flow and accomplish your goals. Set in a stunning game world, you’ll create beautiful brooks through lush forests and rolling meadows. This is a great pick for the cozy puzzle lover.
It’s the late 70’s and you’re on the job. Someone has crashed their car, but it doesn’t quite seem right. Confidential Killings is a gritty and dark detective game, that sees you journey through different cases, collecting clues to solve them. The crimes in this one hit hard – you’ll see drugs, booze and the crimes of the wealthy in this one – taking a darker turn both in them and in style. With a grungy comic style, and some excellent challenges to your detective skills, this is a great one for the mystery lover.
Enter a supernatural world and investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in The Seance of Blake Manor – a detective mystery game. This one has Scooby Do vibes, taking you back to 1897 and throwing you right into the depths of a creepy hotel set in the middle of no where. You’ll uncover a group of mystics awaiting All Hallow’s Eve, but that’s only the beginning of this mystery. This one’s perfect for the spooky mystery lover.
Simulation Picks
It’s time to grab your apron and dust of those pint glasses as Tavern Keeper has just dropped an updated demo ahead of it’s early access release. This one takes you to a mysterious fantasy land, complete with adventurers and a variety of different customers for you to serve in your medieval tavern. The tavern is where you’ll spend your time, building it up from a run down hovel to a booming pub, where every explorer wants to stop while out on a quest. This is a great management pick with a ton of character in there, and this is the perfect time to try it before it’s release next month.
Build, create, and manage your own island in Oceanic Rails. This farming sim game lets you choose you path: will you embark on a roguelike game where you use modifiers and upgrades to tackle the increasing challenges of running an island? Or will it be the cozy path for you, where you can build and decorate your island with your helpers in a sandbox mode packed with creative freedom. No matter how you choose to play, this one has a lot to love for a variety of different gamers, combining a cool pixel art style with some classic farming sim mechanics.
In what might be the coziest city builder around, Feastopia sees you build up a cozy city, but thriving is not your main objective – feeding your Dango is. You’ll take on contracts to raise up some cute little giants, and to do so you’ll need to feed it and fulfill it’s wishes – ensuring you use the right type of food to make it happy. This one has an adorable art style, and takes a more simplistic view of the city builder genre, but still has all of the mechanics we know and love. Highly recommend checking this one out as a gateway to city builders!
That’s a wrap on just a glimpse of what Steam Next Fest has to offer this October! There is so many incredible games, and demos are one of the best and cheapest ways to get hands on with them.
Until next time, stay caffeinated!