Here are the 10 Steam Next Fest demos you need to play before they disappear

2024-10-18

PlatformsPC GamingHere are the 10 Steam Next Fest demos you need to play before they disappearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Attu Games)

A woman in Scarlet Deer Inn walking along a bridge and sunny field, where a guard waits on the other side

Steam Next Festis back again, which means it’s time to dive head-first into hundreds of demos ofupcoming PC games. As always, there area lotof demos so we’ve made a list of the 10 best Steam Next Fest demos that are worth checking out.

The festival kicked off Monday, October 14th, and is running until Monday, October 21st. That’s not a lot of time to rummage throughValve’s seemingly endless demo pile, let alone play them. We’ve whittled that number down for your reading pleasure, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy in the festival’s last weekend. Each is fantastic in its own right, and we’ve tried to keep our list as varied as possible too.

So scroll down our list and see if anything takes your fancy. We’ve included links with each entry that will take you directly to that game’s page. And lastly, don’t forget to go to town on that Wishlist button, as it really helps out the developers and is the best way to keep track of game releases.

10. Loco Motive

(Image credit: Robust Games)

A screenshot of Loco Motive with characters standing in a train carriage

Developer:Robust GamesRelease date:Q4 2024

9. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

(Image credit: Jump Over The Age)

A dialogue screen in Citizen Sleeper 2

Among the stars(Image credit: Fellow Traveller)Inside Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, the indie RPG sequel with Mass Effect in its sights

Among the stars

(Image credit: Fellow Traveller)Inside Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, the indie RPG sequel with Mass Effect in its sights

(Image credit: Fellow Traveller)

Citizen Sleeper 2

Inside Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, the indie RPG sequel with Mass Effect in its sights

Developer:Jump Over The AgeRelease date:2025

The first Citizen Sleeper game was an incredible sci-fi adventure that focused on a discarded cast of interstellar nobodies.This follow-uplooks to be everything the first game was – with more fantastic writing, evocative character art, and tension so thick it’ll feel like you’re gasping for air in a space vacuum. You’ll once again be spending your dice to scrounge together money and supplies in the game’s ruthless gig economy but a new feature in this sequel is the introduction of contract work. These contracts are high-risk jobs that present new challenges, and you can hire crew mates (with their own dice and skills) to help out. The contract your Sleeper tackles in the demo is a perfect example of how this will play out in the game’s full release: it’s the perfect combination of nerve-shredding and electrifying.

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8. Rift of the NecroDancer

(Image credit: Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games)

A screenshot of Rift of the NecroDancer’s Steam Next Fest demo

Developer:Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc GamesRelease date:2024

7. Scarlet Deer Inn

(Image credit: Atty Games)

A woman and small goose in a woodland grove in Scarlet Deer Inn

Developer:Atty GamesRelease date:TBA

I wanted to check out the demo forScarlet Deer Innbecause I saw on the game’s socials that all the character animation and models have been meticulously created with embroidery – which is wild – but beyond that, I fell in love with its steadfast protagonist and creepy mid-demo story twist. Taking place in medieval Europe, you play as Elise, a hardworking mother of two children and owner of her village’s local inn. She’s strong and willful, a woman who echoes many of the maternal figures from the Studio Ghibli film roster. What at first plays out as Elise doing errands around the town turns into a nightmare as she discovers a bloody sight in an underground dungeon. The demo feels a little rough around the edges (the platforming could be tightened up), but from what I’ve seen in the demo, Scarlet Deer Inn is definitely one to watch.

6. Great God Grove

(Image credit: LimboLane)

A character called Bug Wurth saying “I got a BIG OL' crush on you” in Great God Grove

Developer:LimboLaneRelease date:November 15, 2024

Great God Grovehas the coolest game mechanic on this list. Using a megaphone, you can suck up a character’s speech bubble and then fire it at someone else to solve puzzles. It’s the most bizarre game of telephone I’ve ever seen, and the setup is just as whacky. You’re playing as a mail carrier (complete with cowboy hat and boots) helping deliver messages around a strange island filled with weird characters and even weirder gods. Turns out there’s an apocalypse brewing – one that the gods could stop, but they’re all currently in a giant spat. You need to suck up and deliver messages in the form of speech bubbles around the island, helping reunite the Gods and try and stop the upcoming calamity. Great God Grove is bursting with personality and thankfully we won’t have to wait long to play the entire game as it’s out in a couple of weeks.

5. Keep Driving

(Image credit: YCJY Games)

Driving past a petrol station in the Steam Next Fest demo for Keep Driving

Check your mirrors(Image credit: YCJY Games)This Steam Next Fest RPG about lonely road trips gets my recommendation after I chugged 2 liters of soda to survive an all nighter with an N64 game in my trunk

Check your mirrors

(Image credit: YCJY Games)This Steam Next Fest RPG about lonely road trips gets my recommendation after I chugged 2 liters of soda to survive an all nighter with an N64 game in my trunk

(Image credit: YCJY Games)

Keep Driving

This Steam Next Fest RPG about lonely road trips gets my recommendation after I chugged 2 liters of soda to survive an all nighter with an N64 game in my trunk

Developer:YCJY GamesRelease date:TBA

A management RPG roguelike road trip is a wild combination of genres, butKeep Drivingpulls it all together in a car adventure like no other. Bag packed and fuel tank full, you set off in your old station wagon to a festival on the other side of the country, but this adventure is all about the journey, not the destination. You need to plan your route across a map, work odd jobs to buy supplies, fix up your battered station wagon, and pick up hitchhikers, all in the name of overcoming challenges on the road. There’s turn-based ‘combat’ where you can use your skills to solve whatever roadblock you come up against – whether it be a herd of sheep blocking the road, or being stuck behind a tractor – and together with an indie rock soundtrack (compiled of local Swedish bands), this is one nostalgic road trip.

4. Wormhole

(Image credit: Pocket Moon Games, ThanaThan)

A screenshot of the Steam Next Fest Demo for Wormhole

Developer:Pocket Moon Games, ThanaThanRelease date:October 31, 2024

No other demo on this list got me hooked faster thanWormhole, which takes the classic Nokia game Snake and launches it into space. You play as a giant space worm who likes to snack on bite-sized planets, race around the cosmos, and shoot projectiles from its mouth. The presentation is incredible in this demo, there’s so much happening on screen – planets exploding, objects hurtling through space, wormholes that transport you to the other side of the screen – it almost feels like a pinball machine, but on hyperspeed. There’s a level-up system after each run and during your playthrough, you can gobble up spaceships for extra resources and perks. It’s a fun, frenetic arcade game with mesmerizing 1-bit visuals and catchy chiptune music.

3. Is This Game Trying to Kill Me?

(Image credit: Stately Snail)

A skeleton asking players to pick where the joker card is in Steam Next Fest demo Is This Game Trying To Kill Me?

Developer: Stately SnailRelease date:November 13, 2024

A short but fun demo,Is This Game Trying to Kill Me?is a first-person horror escape room adventure that, yes, is trying to kill you. You wake up in an old cabin and quickly find out you’re trapped in there with only skeletons for friends, but it’s not long until a cackling phantom appears and forces you to play a video game on a computer in the center of the room. As you begin to play the game, your actions in the game will affect the shack you’re in and vice versa. Clues can appear on the wall in blood, a strange owl clock on the wall could hide a secret code, and a mysterious button in the room might help you with an in-game puzzle. It’s a fantastic blend of Inscription and Pony Island. As I said, the demo is short, but its smart puzzle design surprised me, and I can’t wait to play the whole thing when it’s out next month.

2. Sorry We’re Closed

(Image credit: à la mode games)

Firing green bullets at a monster in horror game Sorry We’re Closed

Speaking of Sorry We’re Closed…(Image credit: à la mode games)13 horror games coming in 2024 that prove this is the year of weird

Speaking of Sorry We’re Closed…

(Image credit: à la mode games)13 horror games coming in 2024 that prove this is the year of weird

(Image credit: à la mode games)

Sorry we’re closed

13 horror games coming in 2024 that prove this is the year of weird

Developer:à la mode gamesRelease date:November 14, 2024

Another demo with a nearly-here release date,Sorry We’re Closedis a survival horror game with effortless style and iconic fashion. It’s basically Paradise Killer meets Resident Evil. Dressed in her fluffy pink jacket and leather mini skirt, Michelle finds herself in a strange subway station and discovers that she can open her ‘third eye’ and see the demon realm. Switching from third person to first person when you fire your Hellhound pistol, you need to fight monsters lurking around every corner while attempting to escape the station. It’s not quite clear what direction the story will take from the demo, but it’s safe to say that when Sorry We’re Closed releases next month, it’ll be one of the most stylish games of 2024.

1. Wilmot Works It Out

(Image credit: Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg)

Putting together jigsaw pieces in the Steam Next Fest demo for Wilmot Works It Out

Developer:Hollow Ponds, Richard HoggRelease date:October 23, 2024

Ending our list is a laid-back puzzler from the creators of Wilmot’s Warehouse.Wilmot Works It Outsees our little square friend take a well-deserved break from the stresses of warehouse logistics to relax at home with jigsaw puzzles. Playing as Wilmot, you’ll get postal deliveries to your house that include jigsaw puzzles, and you’re tasked with putting the pieces together to create pretty artwork and then hanging it on the wall when you’re done. Puzzle box deliveries will come with multiple pieces from different pictures though, so you’ll need to sort through and organize the pieces as you go. This is a cozy puzzle game with zero time pressures and zero challenge. Just laid-back jigsaws with a lovely, soothing soundtrack.

When Steam Next Fest ends, here are theupcoming indie gamesyou should be keeping an eye out for.

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”