The last Steam Next Fest event of the year is upon us. Valve holds one of these eventsevery few monthson Steam and encourages developers to share demos and early looks at their upcoming PC games. Only indie developers participated initially, but more high-profile studios chipped in recently. That’s only makes it harder to find some of the best games on offer, as hundreds of demos are available.
I played several demos featured in October 2024’s Steam Next Fest ahead of the event, and I want to spotlight my favorites. From strategy RPGs to dumb physics-based platformers, these seven Steam Next Fest demos are worth checking out.
Steam Next Fest: October 2024 Editionbegins today and runs until 10 a.m. PT on October 21.
Rogue Labyrinth
A common cliché in a lot of fantasy narratives, likeVisions of Mana, is some sort of “World Tree” that’s central to the plot. InRogue Labyrinth, a colonist billionaire has taken over that tree and turned it into a maze for unlucky contestants to fight their way to. That’s the narrative backdrop of Tea Witch Games’ new game, which is shaping up to be the next action roguelike that captures my attention. I particularly like how enemies turn into projectiles and start bouncing around the room after you kill them. The developers call this “a controlled bullet hell,” but I just like how it givesRogue Labyrintha more chaotic feel than many of its similar peers.
Rogue Labyrinthwill enter early access on PC in January 2025.
I’ll admit I wasn’t fully on board with the idea of a “minimalist Souslike” when I first spottedVoid Sols, but I’ve been enjoying its Steam Next Fest demo more than something more maximalist likeStellar Blade. Earlier this year,Minishoot’ Adventuresfound a way to make a shoot ’em up feel like a The Legend of Zelda game, and nowVoid Solsis doing something similar but with the Souslike formula. You’ll be managing stamina as you attack and dodge, fight difficult enemies, and recover your lost “sols” when you die. Everything is made out of basic shapes and colors rather than a detailed fantasy world, though.
Finite Reflection Studios and Modern Wolf’sVoid Solswill be released for PC on November 12.
Permafrost
IfFrostpunk 2were a typical survival game rather than a city-builder, it would look likePermafrost. This game from SpaceRocket Games and Toplitz Productions takes place in a postapocalyptic world stuck in perpetual winter. Against a snowy backdrop, you’ll be doing everything you’d expect in a survival game: gathering and hunting for resources you can use to keep yourself alive and build structures. The survival game genre is immensely popular, and I thinkPermafrost’sunique setting gives it enough edge to stand out. That’s doubly so if the developers can fix some of the game’s rougher edges before launch, like its AI-generated voices.
Permafrostwill be released on PC in 2025.
Bonaparte — A Mechanized Revolution
After being intrigued by ahands-off preview in August, I finally got the chance to go hands-on withBonaparte — A Mechanized Revolutionwith its Steam Next Fest demo. Everything I thought then still stands:Bonaparteis an approachable alt-history strategy game. The French Revolution is an excellent setting for a strategy game, andBonaparte’ssteampunk and mecha aspects give it a unique flair. It’s partFireEmblem, partCrusader Kings. Strategy game fans should have Studio Imugi’s debut title on their radar.
Bonaparte — A Mechanized Revolutionwill enter early access on Steam in the first quarter of 2025.
Watch Out For Goblins!
Games likeGoat Simulator, Human: Fall Flat, andChained Togetherhave popularized a subgenre of comedic platformers that emphasize wonky physics and memorable moments above all else.Watch Out For Goblins!from SQYD.studio is the latest one of those, and I had a fun, dumb time playing through its Steam Next Fest demo. you may actually run pretty fast and have a lot of control after flinging yourself in the air, which makes this a more enjoyable than some of its jokey 3D platforming peers. At the very least, this game will make for some hilarious Twitch streams and YouTube videos.
Watch Out For Goblins!will enter early access on PC sometime in 2025.
Keep Driving
Somehow, the developers at YCJY Games found a way to turn driving into a procedurally generated RPG.Keep Driving’sdemo sees a young adult lost while traveling to a friend’s house over the weekend. Players have to manage several different resources and partake in “Road Event” turn-based battles where skills are used to overcome whatever obstacle you’re facing, like a slow tractor being in front of you.Keep Drivingfeels like a modern reinterpretation ofThe Oregon Trail’sformula, and I’m excited to see how the full experience plays out.
Keep Drivingis in development for PC.
Achilles: Survivor
Vampire Survivorsclones have been fairly prominent on the indie scene lately. Of all the ones available at this Steam Next Fest, I’d recommend checking outAchilles: Survivor. It’s technically a spi-off ofAchilles: Legends Untold, which came out last year, and is whatVampire Survivorswould be like if it were made in Unreal Engine. It has all of the trappings you’d expect from aVampire Survivors-like, but it makes itself stand out with a building mechanic that lets players build turrets and other objects to help fight off the never-ending horde of enemies. This is some of the best mindless fun you can have this Steam Next Fest.
Achilles: Survivorwill launch on PC sometime before the end of the year.
