Subsequent Fest is again! The biannual Steam occasion that celebrates demos for lots of of forthcoming video games begins at present, October 13, and runs till 1 p.m. ET on October 20. However with 3,276 demos to select from, it’s an awesome beast. Worry not, for we—just like the courageous knights we’re—are right here to spotlight a few of the greatest we’ve discovered throughout a breadth of genres, from indie to AAA.
I like to think about Subsequent Fest because the video games trade’s demonstration that genres don’t imply something any extra, because the hundreds of demos are categorized by way of a mixture of lies and jazz, and the phrases “point-and-click” are taken to imply “video games that characteristic pointy objects and clicking sounds.” It could make searching for explicit varieties of video games an astonishing headache. So as an alternative, push all such intentions apart: Subsequent Fest is greatest loved by simply scrolling by way of into the deepest recesses and putting in something that catches your eye. Overlook concerning the types of video games you already like; as an alternative plunge in deep and experiment. And to save lots of your scroll wheel, we’ve picked out a collection of video games that might be your new huge obsession.
In fact this under no circumstances definitive! There can be lots of of demos value taking part in, and when you’ve found something you’d advocate your self, then we encourage you to take action within the feedback.
Tingus Goose
Developer: SweatyChairRelease date: This fall 2025Demo hyperlink
Usually with these roundups I like to begin with a well known identify so everybody feels snug, protected, and acquainted, earlier than I then begin including the super-weird delights. However no such easing ourselves into the deep finish at present, as a result of there isn’t a extra essential demo to let you know about than Tingus Goose. I…phrases can’t suffice.
This can be a clicker within the vein of Cookie Clicker, besides you’re…nicely, hear, you’re clicking on the bizarre little baby-creatures known as Tingus that fly out of the beak of a goose. A goose that’s rising out of the stomach of a woman mendacity on a mattress. As you water your goose (you heard me) its neck grows longer, and it reaches for the loving kiss of one other goose hanging down from the sky above. They need to mate, and it’s your job to have them meet. However you want cash to water a goose, and that’s gained by, um, having the infants roll over protuberances that develop sideways out of the goose’s neck. That, as you’d anticipate, earns money. And don’t fear, you’ll be able to click on on the infants, too, to get more cash, however don’t click on too usually or they pop.
That is all a wonderful piece of batshit loopy animation and gibberish sport design, and I am keen on each second of it.
PowerWash Simulator 2
Developer: FuturLabRelease date: 23 Oct, 2025Demo hyperlink
See, in different years this may have been my extra welcoming first entry. We’re all wanting ahead to PowerWash Simulator 2, proper? And now we lastly get to play it! Hooray!
And sure, it’s in fact completely marvelous. It’s extra PowerWash Simulator, however barely prettier and with much less clunky controls. I’m having to pressure myself to cease taking part in to put in writing this, and play the remainder of the demos, and it’s proving difficult, and that’s what PW all the time did greatest: take over your complete life with its demonic pressure-washing powers.
Slots And Daggers
Developer: FriedemannRelease date: October 24, 2025Demo hyperlink
Oh my goodness that is the perfect I need to play it eternally. This being Slots And Daggers, a post-Balatro roguelite slot machine sport that purifies the mechanics to sweetest perfection. You start by selecting the icons that may seem on the slots (beginning with cash, sword assaults and protect) after which cease every dial to struggle a monster. Should you win, cash earned will be spent on new icons (maybe a bow assault, or an improve to your protect), in addition to on power-ups that increase your assaults, protection, and approach. You and the enemy have protect and well being meters, with some assaults capable of do true harm, others protected by your defenses. And, in fact, the second you lose it’s again to the beginning. Besides you additionally win poker chips as you play, and these will be spent on “unlawful” hacks to the slot machine that may completely enhance issues.
It’s all there, proper? All of the substances of an amazing roguelite, within the neatest potential manner. And I can guarantee you that it’s outstandingly moreish.
Mosaic of the Unusual
Developer: Mark FfrenchRelease date: 7 Nov, 2025Demo hyperlink
Mark Ffrench makes a really particular style of sport. It’s Fill-a-Pix puzzles writ massive, the logic puzzle video games that normally fill a small grid in your cellphone now taking over wall-size friezes. Proverbs was my favourite of his, a large rendering of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s portray, Netherlandish Proverbs, become a puzzle. And that may sound pretentious, however rattling it was great. Later got here 2024: Mosaic Retrospective, an unimaginable collage of occasions of the earlier 12 months, and subsequent comes Mosaic of the Unusual, the follow-up to a sport I now understand I solely missed, Mosaic of the Pharaohs. (I do know what I’m doing once I ought to be working tomorrow…) Extremely, this combines the puzzle idea with a point-and-click journey, and my thoughts’s made up.
It’s exhausting to know tips on how to persuade a skeptic to offer a sport like this a attempt, however they’re blissfully absorbing and I actually can’t advocate them sufficient.
Painkiller
Developer: Anshar StudiosRelease date: 21 Oct, 2025Demo hyperlink
I’d in some way solely missed that Painkiller was coming again. As 3D Realms trawls its archives, 2004’s Painkiller is the newest recognizable identify to get a complete overhaul. A decade off has completed it some good, and its return provides it recent new central characters, and it’s playable alone or in 3-player co-op. It strikes extraordinarily rapidly, which is my major want from any 3D Realms shooter, and the AI bots appear to do an honest sufficient job within the demo. It’s additionally gloriously gory and bursting with Quake 3 vibes.
Heroes of May and Magic: Olden Period
Developer: UnfrozenRelease date: 2026Demo hyperlink
Arms up, who’s sufficiently old to recollect the Heroes of May & Magic video games? No, it’s OK, don’t pressure your arm. And let’s not even ask concerning the OG May & Magic followers, because the breath of the query may trigger them to break down into mud. The RPG collection goes again so far as 1986 extremely, with its turn-based technique spin-off Heroes of May & Magic beginning in 1995. Extremely regarded turn-based technique video games proper up till they weren’t, the collection noticed diminishing returns starting with HOMM 5 and 2015’s May & Magic Heroes VII polished the entire franchise off for a decade.
Effectively, it’s again, and its newest entry is coming from Iratus developer Unfrozen. Apparently it has the great sense to not meddle with a beloved components, letting you construct your mythological armies and develop a city, with its emphasis squarely on recreating everybody’s comfortable reminiscences of HOMM 3. And look, I may deceive you and fake I understood this demo, however turn-based technique is a style I’ve by no means gotten my head round. I’m simply excited for all of the May & Magic followers I’ve recognized and cherished that it’s again.
Kingdom of Evening
Developer: Pals of SafetyRelease date: This fall 2025Demo hyperlink
I put in this one on a whole whim, and I’m very glad I did. It’s an RPG by the use of a point-and-click journey, set in Nineteen Eighties Arizona with some heavy Stranger Issues vibes. You play a teenage child at highschool who finds himself embroiled in a weird journey of invading demons and magical powers. The demo instantly exhibits how the traits you choose have an effect on the way you play, with a selection between brains and brawn opening up totally different dialog choices and methods to deal with faculty encounters. It comes with an intricate spell system, real-time fight, and plenty of pretty isometric pixel graphics. And I’m actually moving into it. This was first introduced six years in the past, however is outwardly arriving this 12 months, full with an choice to play the entire journey in co-op.
Servant of the Lake
Developer: Rusty LakeRelease date: 2026Demo hyperlink
The unimaginable Rusty Lake collection simply celebrated its tenth anniversary with a sometimes macabre birthday sport, however now’s again with an upcoming full entry within the long-running Lynchian collection. Servant of the Lake has the participant arrive to the Vanderboom home by horse and cart, there to be a servant to the household for a single weekend. Nonetheless, long-term followers will understand this places us within the period of the primary technology of the Vanderbooms, and thus within the presence of Aldous Vanderboom, the person who turns into the collection peculiar antagonist, Mr. Crow. And, truthfully, you personal it to your self to play each Rusty Lake sport so as, constructing as much as subsequent 12 months’s launch of this one.
Reanimal
Developer: Tarsier StudiosRelease date: TBADemo hyperlink
Reanimal is in fact what Tarsier Studios is making as an alternative of Little Nightmares 3. It’s a complete new undertaking from the crew and, nonetheless a 12 months on from its announcement, it doesn’t but have a launch date. However not less than we will play a few of it now! You play as a sack-headed boy, who begins the sport steering a ship to tug a mask-wearing lady from the ocean, earlier than lastly reaching dry land and starting the journey of their try to flee their hellish dwelling. It’s all extraordinarily atmospheric, however very sluggish to get going for a demo. Nonetheless, persist and also you’ll expertise this horror-themed journey for an honest whereas.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Developer: Tribute GamesRelease date: 2025Demo hyperlink
I’m delighted to report that Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a whole delight. Tribute Video games follows up TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge with one other old-school side-scrolling beat ’em up, this time with a broad forged of Marvel heroes to biff with. You choose two at a time (Spider-Man and She Hulk make for an amazing pairing), then alternate between the 2 of them as you arrange combos and Streets of Rage your manner down these pixel-perfect streets. In actual fact, it’s so Streets of Rage that you just even eat meals you discover by smashing rubbish cans, similar to actual superheroes do.
It’s so colourful and punchy (in each sense) that it feels prefer it might be a basic arcade cupboard hit from the ’80s, rejuvenated for contemporary machines.
