When is Steam Next Fest and what are the best free game demos?

Stuck in a gaming rut with nothing to play? Steam Next Fest could be the ideal remedy, with hundreds of free game demos that should have you back to winning ways.

The latest leg of the triannual gaming event is about to kick off on Monday, and we have the lowdown on the best titles to look out for.

From an Astro Bot lookalike to a Stardew Valley -style cosy game that puts you in charge of a boba tea shop, with plenty of hero shooters and roguelikes in between, there’s no shortage of charming games to sample.

Here’s what you need to know about Steam Next Fest, including its start date and the top games to download.

When does Steam Next Fest start?

Steam Next Fest is a week-long event that commences 6pm today (Monday, October 14) and ends on Monday, October 21.

However, some developers have jumped the gun by releasing demos for their participating titles early, which you can view here under the “free demos” tab, or by scrolling down the page.

How to download Steam Next Fest games

If you see something you like, just hover your cursor over the listing and you’ll see a button to install the playable demo.

There’s no limit to the amount of demos you can download, as long as there’s enough storage space on your PC or Steam Deck , of course. You can also wish-list games in order to be notified as soon as their demos go live.

Best Steam Next Fest games

With so many eye-catching games to choose from, we recommend taking a browse for yourself.

But, if you need some inspiration, here are some of the games to look out for:

Supervive is a colourful, comic-book-style hero shooter that lets you play as a fox with a flamethrower.

Popucom looks like a hybrid of Astro Bot, Splatoon and the arcade classic Pang, with a co-op twist. A bouncy, bubbly platformer with match-three puzzles.

Luma Island could be your next fave cosy farming game, if you haven’t had your fill of those already.

Call of Boba is a pixel art cosy game that gives you your very own bubble tea shop to manage.

Delta Force is a military extraction shooter that has already been wish-listed by more than two million players.

Permafrost is a snowy survival game set in the near future that lets you team up to brave the elements.

Whimside is a creature-collecting game in the vein of classic Pokémon that sits at the bottom of your screen.

Hail to the Rainbow is a cold and eerie narrative game that sees you battling rogue robots in what looks like a post-apocalyptic Russia.

Overthrown lets you pick up and hurl virtually anything (from trees to houses) to build structures and fend off enemies.

Netherworld Covenant is a roguelike for fans of Diablo 4 . Collect the souls of fallen allies and pummel skeletons that wouldn’t look out of place in Skyrim .

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