The 10 Best Steam Next Fest Game Demos (October 2026)
I look forward to Steam Next Fest segments whenever they appear throughout the year. While my Steam Deck is not my favorite console/handheld, I will give props to Steam itself for hosting so many games with demos available. It gives us all a chance to check out games coming out soon and things far in the future.
I played well over thirty games while researching this article, and by my account, these were my favorites. They all span various genres, from action RPGs to horror shooters. The demos may be taken down by the time you read this, as Steam Next Fest’s October 2026 has ended, but I do think the following titles are worth putting on your wishlist, regardless.
Derelikt
Derelikt feels like Alien meets Half-Life. You’re a soldier aboard a spaceship, sent to investigate another vessel that has gone quiet. What you find is a bunch of alien crabs and mutated humans all singing the praises of a spiral accompanied by a song. The adoration of this foreign object is reminiscent of Dead Space, but graphically, the game looks like a PS1 game complete with save stations that load into memory cards.
There are guns to collect, notes to sift through, puzzles to solve, and more. It’s right up my first-person survival horror alley, not to mention my love of the PS1. The best part is you won’t have to wait long, as Derelikt is launching in November.
Detained: Too Good for School
Detained: Too Good for School feels like an homage to River City Ransom, perhaps if Vanillaware, makers of brawler hits like Dragon’s Crown, developed it. Set in a sprawling city, you’re bad girl Reika who seeks trouble as if it were her middle name. Punch baddies in the streets, in warehouses, and so on.
Defeating enemies nets you EXP, which can be exchanged for skills and perks beyond other reward systems. The graphics and menu visuals all pop out like a colorful dream, and the combat is pretty noteworthy too. Detained: Too Good for School is one modern brawler to keep on your radar.
Emberville
Emberville is a hodgepodge of genres and games that all somehow gel together. Think of it like a top-down pixelated Diablo experience complete with dungeons and loot, set alongside crafting and building mechanics you’d see in Stardew Valley. What you get is an addictive action RPG that is extremely difficult to put down, as the demo playtest is amazing.
You can create your character, collect materials from mining dumps and trees, fight monsters, level up, craft, and so much more. Emberville was supposed to launch into Early Access already, but it was recently delayed into January 2027. Still, the wait will be worth it, and I will be there on day one when the Early Access starts on Steam.
Gobble Inn
Despite the appearance of a goblin as the main character along with several other monsters, Gobble Inn is a pretty cozy roguelike life-sim. Aunty Val, the elderly heroine, must go into the depths below her inn to find food and other materials for her guests.
Your adversaries are various earth blocks you need to dig through to get deeper into the depths. Destroy enough dirt, and you can level up to choose a perk to move quicker through the caves. On the surface, you can give ingredients to your chef, but temporary tools to assist your next dig, expand the inn, and so on. There are hundreds of games like Gobble Inn, but it is still a blast to play.
Gravity Circuit 2
Gravity Circuit 2 is a dream come true because I never thought the first game, highly underrated, by the way, would get a sequel. The big gimmick of said sequel is a secondary character, Cable, who can shoot instead of the original character, Kai, who was gifted in melee.
If you played the first game, or any Mega Man game, Gravity Circuit 2 will feel right at home as a pixelated homage to action platformers of the past. The music is incredible, the mechanics solid, and the vibrant colors really make this one pop. While you wait for the sequel to launch, play this demo, and then check out the original on the platform of your choice.
Lelu
Lelu is a black-and-white, monochromatic top-down puzzle game, which is indeed a mouthful. You’re a little toy critter who slowly regains power from various screws, like gaining the ability to move up. Other upgrades can be found in the demo, like a wrench to bash switches or deflect attacks.
Lelu has a slow start, but based on what I played, this could become a great Zelda-like. Sometimes simplicity and good core mechanics are all you need to make the dream come true, not to mention a unique art style. This may indeed be the sleeper hit of the entire list.
Neverway
Neverway is another game with a slow beginning. The star, Fiona, is a depressed young woman going through something we are not privy to. She roams around her apartment like a ghost, with no job or friends seemingly at the ready. She soon hears about a remote island and gets the idea to move, followed by a haunting experience aboard a train. Upon moving, something is not right.
At the game’s core, Neverway is part action RPG, part life-sim like Emberville. However, what really intrigues me is the story, which is clearly the focus along with the gorgeous pixel art and color choices in the various environments. I believe this game will enrapture the theorist community out there on YouTube post-launch.
Night Hazard
2D Metroidvanias are all the rage on Steam, but not many indie developers try to make 3D-inspired Castlevania games. That’s why Night Hazard stands out, as it reminded me of a PS1 version of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. You wake up from a coffin, and are troubled by a nightmare developing outside, so you suit up and go to town hacking and slashing monsters.
Defeat enemies, level up, gain powers, explore the castle grounds and interiors, and repeat. The retro vibe is the selling point, like Derelikt, but that’s not a bad thing. Once again, it’s like candy for me, and I have to taste every PS1-flavored indie experience until I’m sick. So, Night Hazard, you have my attention.
Skateboard Knight
Skateboard Knight is a roguelike about, well, a skateboarding knight. On your run, you can switch between three lanes, with travel occurring automatically. At level one, you’ll slash your blade occasionally, but as you defeat enemies and grab materials, you’ll level up to gain perks.
There are waves to get through, followed by a boss, and then it’s on to the next world. Upon death, you can use gathered materials to buy upgrades, craft weapons, and more. It’s a simple roguelike, but the bright visuals and cheery vibes have me wishing Skateboard Knight was already out.
Waltz and Jam
Waltz and Jam is a top-down action platformer starring a little ghost, Waltz, and a pet dog, Jam. After escaping an angel who is interested in you, Waltz falls below to a crumbling world full of dark mystery, not unlike something out of a Tim Burton film. Attack or hop on monsters, use Jam to solve puzzles, talk to an eclectic cast of weirdos, and more.
In the best possible way, this reminds me of the cavalcade of PS2 buddy platformers like Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Ratchet & Clank, but from a different perspective. Be it a 10/10 or 7/10 experience, like Derelikt, you won’t have to wait long to play Waltz and Jam, as it is out in December.
How I’d rank these games from Steam Next Fest 2026
Among these ten games, I’m most excited to get my hands on the Early Access build of Emberville. It’s one of those games where you can tell it’s going to blow up in a big way, or at least I hope it does. Gravity Circuit 2 is my runner-up, as I absolutely adored the first game and rank it as an underrated gem I wish more people would enjoy on the level of Shovel Knight. The other eight games were fun to play as well, so here’s to another Steam Next Fest in the bag.
Also check out: Gears of War: E-Day Game Review: Prequel Sets the Stage for Epic Battles
