Steam Next Fest has kicked off, and once again, this is a fantastic time to get an early taste of upcoming games. Like the previous Next Fest events, there’s a ton to look forward to here as hundreds of developers have gone live with demos that cover a wide range of genres.
Some of the most-played demos during June’s Next Fest included the cozy castle-building of Tiny Glade, the tactical fun of Metal Slug Tactics, and the oddball fun of Duckside. What will October’s standout games be? No one knows for sure yet, but we do know that there are some terrific titles to try out. We’ve listed some of the highlights below, but we’re merely scratching the surface of what’s available right now.
As a reminder, most of these demos will only be available for the week of Next Fest, which concludes on October 21. Here’s a closer look at several of the standout games to try out.
AI Limit
Between Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Black Myth: Wukong, and Stellar Blade, it has been a pretty great year for souls-like games. If you’re looking for something with a heavy anime bend to its design and challenging combat, AI Limit looks like another great entry in the genre.
As Arrisa, an immortal post-human warrior known as a Blader, you’ll get to explore a post-apocalyptic landscape populated with all manner of nasty creatures that you can cut down to size. One of the cool features of this game is a mix-and-match approach to weapons, and when synchronized with a spell system that can enhance your combat style, you can pull off flashy combos as you pivot between defense and attack.
Achilles Survivor
If you’ve been looking for a new game to scratch your Vampire Survivors itch, Achilles: Survivor looks like an interesting new entry in the bullet-heaven genre. Like its primary source of inspiration, it focuses on action, death, and rebirth as you slowly become a force of nature.
What sets it apart from Vampire Survivors is a focus on building useful facilities, as you can erect defensive towers and healing structures, as well as summon allies, to help you mow down thousands of monsters that have escaped the bowels of Tartarus.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Like the first game, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a sci-fi adventure inspired by the flexibility and freedom of tabletop role-playing games. As an amnesiac android on the run from sinister forces, you’ll get a taste of how the demo is aiming to offer players a bigger and more varied experience compared to the original game. If you’re a fan of sci-fi anime like Cowboy Bebop and TV series like Firefly, this might be one to check out during Next Fest.
Polaris
A sci-fi co-op shooter with fully destructible environments, Polaris focuses on guerrilla warfare against a tyrannical regime. You can squad up with up to three other players to smash your way through environments, and this Red Faction-inspired approach means that you can carve a path of destruction through. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5–and by a small studio of just 11 people–and the demolition that you can pull off is looking pretty slick so far.
Iron Saga Vs
It’s a golden rule that mechs make everything better in life–like video games, weddings, and job interviews–and Iron Saga Vs looks like a fun example of giant-robot supremacy. This 2D fighter has a sharp anime-inspired art design, and for retro fans of Japanese animation, the chance to pilot classic mecha from Mazinger Z and Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God sounds like a recipe for fun.
Virballs
Self-described as “Ratchet and Clank meets Kirby,” Virballs looks like one of the more unusual games you can check out during Next Fest. This is a 3D action-platformer where you’re tasked with ridding the galaxy of elementally charged creatures. How do you do that? By collecting them with your trust rocket-propelled claws, combining their abilities, and creating some outlandish weaponry in the process.
The Chronos Event
For some time-bending fun, you can check out The Chronos Event for a fast-paced third-person roguelike shooter. Time is a weapon, and with your chronal-powered arsenal, you can turn back the clock, team up with your past selves, and blast your way through hordes of enemies.
Dieseldome: Oil and Blood
What happens when you combine Vampire Survivors with Doom? You get Dieseldome: Oil and Blood, a frenetic first-person shooter where you have to use parkour and bullets in your attempt to take down hundreds of enemies. The odds are always against you, but you can craft game-breaking builds and run wild with V8-powered weapons.
Midnight Murder Club
For something a little different, you can check out a hide-and-seek game with bullets, as Midnight Murder Club will have a new demo available to try out. This is not for the fainthearted, as you’re armed with a revolver and a flashlight, thrown into a room, and pitted against your friends in this competitive first-person multiplayer shooter. Talk about a shot in the dark, right?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
Originally released as an exclusive on the Apple Arcade in May 2023, TMNT: Splintered Fate eventually made its way to Switch back in July. PC gamers can now check out a demo for the radical isometric multiplayer game, which also has fast-flowing combat, diverse builds to experiment with, and co-op functionality.
Knights in Tight Spaces
A couple of years back, Fights in Tight Spaces hit the scene with a mix of stylish visuals, close-quarters combat, and deck-building strategy. Knights in Tight Spaces continues that idea, expanding on the foundation with dynamic action, action-movie-inspired animations, and using your environment to your advantage. The game also looks stunning, as it plays like a Dark Ages illustrated manuscript come to life.
Delta Force
The Delta Force series is ready to return to duty, and during Steam Next Fest, you can check out an early slice of the upcoming game. The new take on the series will feature large-scale PvP multiplayer modes, a big arsenal of weapons that can be customized, and a campaign mode heavily inspired by the film Black Hawk Down.
Watch Out for Goblins
On the goofy side of Steam Next Fest, you can go goblin mode with this demo. Imagine Goat Simulator or Human Fall Flat–but with goblins–and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect here, as you use slapstick physics to ragdoll your way to victory.
Across the Wonderlands
A lot of survival games have a grim design, but Across the Wonderlands gives players a more whimsical world to explore and craft tools inside of. Set in the world of Sanctuary, this short demo will let you craft your first electric cupcake and take on Snotty the slug as you learn more about this very strange land.
Heartworm
Horror fans are spoiled for choice this month when it comes to spine-tingling games, but if you’re in the mood for something with a retro vibe, check out Heartworm. Featuring PlayStation-era graphics, you’ll enter a world born of memories and defend yourself with a camera in this tribute to ’90s psychological-horror games.
Starvaders
For an interesting blend of deckbuilding and grid-based tactics, check out Starvaders. With an alien invasion on the horizon, it’s up to you to pilot a mech and defend the planet by making cunning use of the cards available to you. Play your hand right, and you’ll find the perfect synergies in your quest to keep Earth safe.
Random Access Mayhem
Roguelike games typically follow a formula of focusing on a character and growing their power during a run, but Random Access Mayhem flips the script on that idea by having no single protagonist to control. Instead, you’ll seize control of diverse robotic enemies as you become the very antagonists that you defeat. You’ll need to master their distinct abilities as you’re able to switch control at a moment’s notice in this fast-paced game.
Supervive
Combining MOBA, hero-shooter, and battle royale elements, Supervive is a stylish team-based game. With plenty of enemies to battle, a massive arsenal, and a roster of 16 unique characters so far, this demo looks like a fun preview of Supervive ahead of its full release.
Aokaki
Retro-themed games have been all the rage lately, and Aokaki looks like it was ripped straight from an NES console. A fast-paced 2D platformer where you play as an isopod ronin, Aokaki is an old-school action game built with modern sensibilities in mind. The pixel-art looks fresh, there’s a dynamic sense of movement in its design, and challenging levels to explore.
The House of Tesla
In the mood to test your grey matter? The House of Tesla is a brand-new adventure from the creators of The House of Da Vinci, so expect new puzzles and beautifully rendered locations as you explore the world through the eyes of electricity wizard Nikola Tesla.
Spilled
For something cozy and environmentally friendly, check out Spilled during Next Fest. You’ve got a cute boat, ocean waste to clean up, and challenges to overcome in this adorable little game. Each area you clean up will reward you with coins that you can use to upgrade your little tugboat, which in turn will let you explore new areas in need of a clean-up.
Battle Train
The only game on this list with “tactical” rail-building combat, Battle Train will let you outfit your choo-choo with powerful upgrades, lay down tracks to your enemy’s base, and deliver an explosive payload. The challenge here is in figuring out just how to outwit and outbuild your opponents, as each foe has powerful cards and wild abilities that you have to account for.
Antonblast
Fast-paced–and explosive–action where you play as the enraged Dynamite Anton, Antonblast looks like a Saturday morning cartoon directed by Michael Bay. After Satan steals his prized Spirit collection, Anton is hellbent on making the prince of darkness pay, and each level will turn you into a demolition man as you run wild through them.
Is This Game Trying To Kill Me?
Maybe? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that this mix of horror and first-person puzzle-solving where you play a game within a game looks like one of the more intriguing demos of Next Fest. There are multiple endings and numerous ways to die, and if you like what you see, the game has a November 13 release date locked in.
Chrono Sword
Another demo for souls-like fans, Chrono Sword is set in a city that has seen better days, as it has become a living hell where monsters run wild. You will travel between the past and the future to uncover the secrets lying under that world’s surface, and your past choices may change the future. When it is time to fight, there’s a rich selection of weapons, skills, and buffs for you to take advantage of when facing off against frightening foes.