Steam Next Fest Select Demo Roundup
By Valve’s own admission, the Steam Next Fest event features literally hundreds of titles, which can make finding what tickles your fancy a bit of a game in and of itself. We’ve sifted through a host of options though, and while we freely admit we couldn’t go through everything in the demo manifest, we reckon we’ve collated a decent list of eclectic demo opportunities for you to explore. Ranging from multiplayer joints, co-op romps, horror experiences, atmospheric detective deep-dives, tabletop-inspired space adventures and everything else we could muster from a perspective of range, below you should find something for you.
Some of these games are actually not too far away from being officially launched, making these demos a good way to learn whether you want to pony up, while others serve as an opportunity to join communities and offer critical feedback to devs to help with their creation process.
Steam Next Fest officially kicked off on October 14 and wraps on October 21 (22 for Aussies), so jump on in and have a look at what might grab you, because you have a limited time to grab it.
Among Ashes Demo
Despite having a fairly cheesy narration, this meta horror experience about playing a horror game, in a game, is interesting to say the least. A first-person survival horror that has seen the demo light before, this latest demo build for Steam Next Fest is updated as the game will also be a part of The Indie Horror Showcase later this month. The premise is simple, a late night messenger ding from a friend links you to a horror game to play on your PC, but the more you play, the stranger things in your apartment begin to appear. Whether or not this can match other metafictional joints like brilliant Inscryption remains to be seen, but the setup sounds cool.
Border Pioneer Demo
This tower defence meets city builder meets RTS hit from China is poised to make an impact on Western shores with its first stop obviously being a demo built for Steam Next Fest. Cute to a fault but deep and chaotic, this little ‘defence planner’ as we’re beginning to call it might just make a huge splash.
Check the demo here.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Demo
Inspired by tabletop RPGs, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, is a management-based RPG where you take on the role of an escaped and malfunctioning android who must gather a crew, a ship and take on contracts in the Starward Belt for… reasons. With a combination of hand-drawn art and 3D models, the game sets you on a course of adventure, tactical decision-making and excellent characterisation in what looks to be a truly unique offering during Steam Next Fest.
The Jackbox Survey Scramble Demo
This survey-based game is an ever-evolving beast as more and more people from around the world play it, and therefore expand its global database. Additionally, however, it is also regionalised for specific countries, so in Australia for example, when talking footy, it won’t specifically be what the Americans refer to, but can rather be the likes of AFL or NRL. Which is actually really cool. It’s also designed to be as humorous as possible for, you know, fun! The full game will be releasing at the end of the month as well, and across all gaming platforms, so a great time to see if it’s your jam via the below link.
Karma: The Dark World Demo
Billed as an “intense first-person psychological experience”, Karma: The Dark World takes its thematic cues from the likes of Twin Peaks, Control, and other unsettling experiences in what looks like an unnerving narrative full of “what the?!?!?” moments. In the game you “mind dive” into the psyche of a suspect to get answers, but instead find yourself traversing insane environments, confronting horrific entities and unravelling potentially more than you bargained for.
Check the demo here.
Kill the Shadow Demo
Another title from China is making its way via incremental demo updates to Western shores, and this one looks a beauty. Kill the Shadow is a “Dark Detective Game” with RPG elements where players are freed up to choose their own style of investigation as they work to solve the case. A completely rewritten script for Western audiences that remains true to the original Chinese narrative base means this team is serious about their game expanding beyond its borders of genesis and from what we’ve played, we’re all the better for it.
Check the demo here.
Legacy: Steel & Sorcery Demo
One look at Legacy: Steel & Sorcery’s trailer ought to be enough for most RPG fans, but upon learning that it’s a game from ex-World of Warcraft devs who clearly wanted to update that formula should push it to another level on anyone’s must have list. A high-fantasy action-combat RPG hybrid, Legacy: Steel & Sorcery is an MMO PvP player’s dream from people who worked on the absolute peak of those elements, but whom now want to take them to new heights.
Check the demo here.
Royal Revolt Warriors Demo
A fast-paced top-down/isometric roguelike with hordes and hordes of enemies, Royal Revolt, is action and mayhem at its finest, playable in both solo and co-op modes. Players can choose from a handful of characters with different abilities and skillsets while the demo serves up three unique environments for you to play in. Cute and ferocious all at once, grab the latest demo build and give it a red hot crack!
Check the demo here.
Skygard Arena Demo
This debut title from indie dev Gemellie Games is a tactical RPG set in a fantasy world where players choose their ‘Champions’ to take on two types of enemy AI unleashed specifically for this demo. Classic AI -- a more traditional challenge designed to have players work out strats and get comfortable with their Champions, or the “Experimental AI” built in-house off chess engines to truly ramp up the game’s challenge stakes.
Check the demo here.
Spirit of the North 2 Demo
Sequel to the critically acclaimed Spirit of the North, this sequel continues the story of a fox and its raven companion as they work together to “cleanse corruption and restore the ancient powers of the animal guardians”. Built in Unreal Engine 5, this sequel also has a high level of character customisation for players to take their fox into a stunning world of snow-capped peaks, crypts, woods and meadows where they’ll solve puzzles and work together to restore balance to the world.
Check the demo here.
The Stone of Madness Demo
Sometimes all it takes is a synopsis to grab you, even without any visual representation of what’s in store which is exactly what The Stone of Madness has done to us here. Thankfully its reveal trailer is just as enticing leaving us champing at the bit for more… oh hey, here’s a demo for it! So what’s the hubbub? Set in the late 18th century, a Jesuit monastery has been converted into something of a ‘mad house’ for the mentally sick and challenged, while a handful of others are held there against their will in an Inquisitorial sense. Planning their escape, players must help them manage their own phobias, traumas and outright fears in this tactical stealth adventure game.
Check the demo here.
Streets of Rogue 2 Demo
This sequel to the phenomenally-successful original promises to offer more chaos, more options for destruction and a new playspace for every session. Ungated, there’s no limit to how you choose to play Streets of Rogue 2, which naturally now has a demo up for Steam Next Fest, though in the wake of a freshly-announced delay for the game proper to “polish the game’s loop, progression system, and of course, those annoying pesky bugs”.
Check the demo here.
A host of these games are on our extended coverage radar, so keep checking back as we not only delve into the demos themselves, but into pre, present and post-launch content.
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