Next Fest demo reviews
Our hands-on impressions of Steam Next Fest 2026 demos — roguelikes, deckbuilders, and more, in the order we played them. Originally shared on X.
12 analyses
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Well Dweller: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Kyle ThompsonA dark fairy-tale Metroidvania with polished movement, strong atmosphere, and a clear hook for genre fans.
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IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Nick Nieuwoudt & Dominik LatosA brutal dieselpunk heavy-artillery experience focused on immersive controls, tactical problem-solving, and commanding a colossal war machine.
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About Fishing: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
The Water MuseumA surreal fishing mystery game that blends meditative angling with quiet psychological tension and discovery.
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Desktop Explorer: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Recurring DreamAn interface mystery adventure set inside an old computer desktop, unraveling secrets through files, windows, and diegetic puzzles.
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SPRAWL zero: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
MaethA fast-paced first-person arcade cyberpunk shooter channeling 2000s FPS energy with fluid gunplay and modern polish.
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Wax Heads: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Patattie GamesA cozy-punk narrative sim about working in a struggling indie record store, recommending music and uncovering story through dialogue.
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Bulbo's Belief System: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Abstract Digital WorksA puzzle-platformer where beliefs literally shape the world — Bulbo believes everything he is told, turning knowledge into both tool and obstacle.
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Duskfade: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
WeirdBelugaA 3D action platformer capturing the magic and nostalgia of PS2-era mascot platformers with modern touches.
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Good Heavens!: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Nowhere StudiosAn open-world fantasy survival-craft RPG with solo or co-op base building, role-playing, and exploration across mysterious biomes.
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Enginefall: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Red Rover InteractiveA player-driven crafting shooter on colossal post-apocalyptic megatrains — scavenge, craft, build, and fight your way toward First Class or escape with loot.
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Realm of Ink: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Leap StudioA gorgeous ink-wash action roguelite with deep buildcraft, Chinese folklore, and fluid combat that stands out in the genre.
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Arcane Eats: Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis
Wonderbelly GamesA roguelike deckbuilder with a delicious cooking twist, where mythic ingredients and magical kitchen tools create strategic combos to feed hungry hordes.
Read the analysis →Quick X notes
Short posts from the same Next Fest run, originally shared on X.
Enginefall
Red Rover InteractiveA wild player-driven crafting shooter set on colossal post-apocalyptic megatrains, where squads scavenge, craft, and build forward car by car.
Read the full review on X →Good Heavens!
Nowhere StudiosA solid fantasy survival-craft RPG for solo or co-op play, with biome exploration, base building, party roles, and a demo update adding more content and fixes.
Read the full review on X →Duskfade
WeirdBelugaA nostalgic 3D action platformer that channels the magic of the PS2 era while keeping enough polish and responsiveness to feel fresh.
Read the full review on X →Bulbo's Belief System
Abstract Digital WorksA super creative puzzle-platformer where knowledge is both tool and obstacle, because Bulbo believes everything he is told and the world changes around that.
Read the full review on X →Wax Heads
Patattie GamesA vibey cozy-punk record store sim about decoding customer dialogue and recommending the right album from a lovingly odd collection.
Read the full review on X →SPRAWL zero
MaethPure 2000s FPS energy in a cyberpunk wrapper, with fast arcade shooting, fluid gunplay, loud music, and a clear love for Halo and Quake-era momentum.
Read the full review on X →Desktop Explorer
Recurring DreamA brilliant interface mystery adventure with psychological horror vibes, built around exploring old PC profiles to unravel an inherited mystery.
Read the full review on X →About Fishing
The Water MuseumOne of the most unusual demos in the festival: a fishing mystery that starts calm and meditative before layering in quiet dread and stranger implications.
Read the full review on X →IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator
Nick Nieuwoudt & Dominik LatosAn immersive dieselpunk artillery sim from a two-person team, turning the inside of a massive war machine into a tense translation, targeting, and survival space.
Read the full review on X →Well Dweller
Kyle ThompsonA beautiful dark fairy-tale Metroidvania from the developer behind Islets and Crypt Custodian, with a tiny bird, a matchstick, and a very strong sense of place.
Read the full review on X →Demon Bluff
The latest Next Fest build is one of the most interesting single-player demos we played in the run, built around deduction, pressure, and bluff-reading tension.
Read the full review on X →TOWER LAB
Physics-based roguelite tower defense with a refreshing central hook: enemies have no health, so the whole fight becomes about pushing, throwing, and engineering the right kind of chaos.
Read the full review on X →Arcane Eats
We met the dev (a couple) at CourageXL San Francisco this year, the event just before GDC — and we are very glad of their recent performance…
Read the full review on X →Slayblade
Henry's HouseA roguelite take on classic Beyblade battles set in a Y2K city, from the dev behind Kardboard Kings. You collect and merge parts — heads, bodies and tips with different weights and handling…
Read the full review on X →Shroom and Gloom
Team Lazerbeam · Devolver DigitalTeam Lazerbeam (published by the mighty Devolver Digital) starts the festival with roughly 9.5k followers — and it will undoubtedly grow from there…
Read the full review on X →Duo Quest
1+1 StudiosA roguelite deckbuilder built solely for co-op, from a Malaysian indie team (published by Rising Tide): you and one friend team up as two adventurers…
Read the full review on X →Don't Fret
Already a success — just showcased at the Future Games Show. Our own Paradoxical was at this festival too, so we know how hard it is to stand out…
Read the full review on X →Five More Minutes
PurpleTurtle · Zugalu EntertainmentEnters the festival with 433 followers — a nice number. A roguelite deckbuilder that turns the "just five more minutes" loop into its whole pitch…
Read the full review on X →Dice Rogues
Pick Your UniverseA tactical roguelike from a small self-published indie team. It enters the festival with just 7 followers — exactly the kind of underdog we like to spotlight…
Read the full review on X →Dungeon Raid
4CatsA compact card roguelike where every flip of a card drains your hunger bar. Run out of food and you start to starve — sitting at around 304 followers…
Read the full review on X →Forge the Fates
Chaos Logic StudiosWe played through the full demo of this turn-based roguelike. It starts the festival with 177 followers, and there is a lot to like here…
Read the full review on X →Combolands
Crux GamesFrom the two-person South African studio — Sam Alfred (designer of the BAFTA-nominated Terra Nil) and Skye Scott. We think this game might be a banger…
Read the full review on X →Chosen Anyway
Rafael DinizFrom solo dev Rafael Diniz; the game started the festival with 27 followers. You play as Ryn, the apprentice from Ironfield School who gets chosen…
Read the full review on X →Sevenfold
We were intrigued because it reminds us of 9 Kings, with its turn-based strategy, deck-building and fortress construction. It started with 28 followers…
Read the full review on X →The Hollow Alchemist
Starts the festival with only 34 followers. The 3D aesthetic is really nice — tiered graphics from copper to platinum, plus dynamic camera angles in fights…
Read the full review on X →Miraclaws
Starting with only 4 followers. You generate slimes with gel, then gamble (coin tosses, chinchiro dice) to boost their stats — wins skyrocket power and unlock fusions…
Read the full review on X →Scriver
A relaxing roguelike deckbuilder that mashes up Scrabble word-building with Balatro-style boosters and jokers. Scriver starts the festival with 11 followers — we are curious to see how it plays out…
Read the full review on X →Golden Swirl
Kicked off the event with 2,089 followers — already good early interest. We spent a good chunk of time with the full demo and really enjoyed the core loop, a semi-real-time action dark…
Read the full review on X →Follow @WeVennStudios for the next research and review drops.