Top 10 Best Steam Next Fest Demos to Play Now

CNET

16 hours ago

It's nearly time for the Steam summer sale, which is one of the biggest retail events for patient PC gamers.
It's also the perfect time to find new and innovative indie games to add to your wishlist: Before each big Steam sale, Valve runs a Next Fest event to let developers show off their projects, get feedback and build hype before their big release.
Summer 2025's Next Fest has been chock full of Hades-likes, co-op hack-and-slash adventures and other reliably entertaining games but some of the best stuff in this event is what the algorithm doesn't show you.
I've played dozens of demos, ranging from games that are featured on the front page of the store to hidden gems that take some digging to find. Here are the best PC games from this Next Fest showcase that you absolutely need to have wishlisted.
Dead as Disco
A groovy beat 'em up to the beat
Brain Jar Games' Dead as Disco combines Hi-Fi Rush's rhythmic combat with Sifu's brutal beatdowns. It's up to you to pilot Charlie Disco as he braves neon-soaked city streets to take out his ex-bandmates in an '80s-themed revenge quest.
As you punch, kick, parry and dodge through throngs of thugs, fights transform into carefully choreographed dances, with every blow landing to the beat of the music. Did I mention that the demo's featured song is a cover of Michael Sembello's Maniac? Dead as Disco embraces the cheesiness of the movies it's obviously inspired by but the game is built on the solid foundations of a kinetic and satisfying combat system.
Dead as Disco doesn't have a release date yet but this is one Next Fest demo that has converted me into a day-one customer.
Platforms: PC
Voidbreaker
A breakneck FPS with a focus on environmental destruction
I'm a sucker for first-person shooters and developer Stubby Games' Voidbreaker (styled as Void/Breaker) is scratching my itch for a fast-paced, destruction-heavy shooter romp. You're trapped in a combat simulation to fulfill the every whim of a rogue AI, as it tests and perfects killer robots using your training data. But a mysterious voice in the system tells you there's a chance to escape -- if you play your cards right.
Voidbreaker is a project created by the same solo dev behind The Entropy Centre, and the once-sterile-now-dilapidated sci-fi visuals make a comeback here. Instead of navigating this urban decay, you'll turn it against your foes. In addition to classic movement shooter gameplay, players will force grip and toss environmental objects and blow building supports to smithereens with well-placed grenades. Fully simulated physics objects rain down on enemies, allowing you to weaponize the world around you.
Players can upgrade their grip, grenade or gun with mods found around the map, granting them better odds of successfully completing a run and getting one step closer to escaping the simulation. My favorite find was a legendary mod that turned my pistol rounds into a short-range field of electric sparks but there are dozens of loadout-altering abilities to play around with.
You'll get your shot at breaking out of the simulation soon. Voidbreaker will be released on Aug. 20.
Platforms: PC
Morsels
The Binding of Isaac featuring grungy little Pokemon
When you see Annapurna's publisher seal in a game trailer, odds are good that the demo won't disappoint. And if you enjoy twin-stick shooter roguelikes akin to Binding of Isaac, you certainly can't go wrong with developer Furcula's Morsels.
This game takes place in a world where magical cards fell from space, allowing certain creatures to take on powerful monster forms (it's like a grotesque twist on magical girls). Unfortunately, a gang of hardened criminals rules the world with their superior cards, leaving weaklings -- that's you -- to scurry away from danger and try to scrape by in the muck.
When you discover your own card powers, you realize it's time to take the fight to the baddies. A competent twin-stick shooter in its own right, Morsels' big twist is the ability to find additional monster cards that let you diversify your abilities. Certain Morsels fire streams of low damage bullets, others fire shotgun blasts and rarer Morsels have special abilities that can create powerful damage-dealing synergies as a team.
If you're looking for a dash of on-the-fly strategizing in your action roguelikes, Morsels is right up your alley. The game's cute-but-grungy aesthetic and retro graininess are a neat artistic bonus. Morsels will be released in 2025.
Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Dragon March
A sixth generation console's arcade adventure
GameCube aesthetics are so back. Developer Ambystoman's Dragon March is what you'd get if the classic arcade game Snake was built for sixth-generation consoles. Players guide Cereal the mecha-dragon through twisting and turning levels to find and reboot his friends, with a retro vibe reminiscent of Dreamcast's ChuChu Rocket.
Unfortunately, the cyberspace world is dangerous and there are enemies who'd want to see the adorable polygonal metal lizards shut back down. You'll be able to speed up or slow down the cadence of Cereal's march to avoid slithering centipedes, fireball projectiles and more. Just be careful not to loop around into one of the friendly dragons following your lead. Just like in the original iteration of Snake, it's a surefire way to get a game over.
Dragon March doesn't have a release date yet but it's coming along brilliantly with cutscenes and graphics that remind me of classic Digimon.
Platforms: PC
House of Necrosis
Classic survival horror with a turn-based twist
I didn't realize that I needed a Frankensteined combination of classic Resident Evil and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon in my life and I'm sure you didn't realize you needed this either. But developer Warkus is an absolute visionary so the turn-based RPG House of Necrosis is shambling into our lives nonetheless.
In House of Necrosis, you're stepping into the role of a legally distinct female special agent investigating zombies in a legally distinct ever-shifting mansion but instead of fumbling with tank controls, the entire game takes place on a grid.
You'll have to carefully plan every step to descend deeper into the mansion while staying healthy, conserving bullets and still earning enough experience to level up and get stronger. Each run is a brutal test of your wits and it's easy to get cornered by shamblers, zombified dogs and other nasty monsters. If you're truly unlucky, you might find yourself stalked by a giant zombie with a blade arm -- his presence inspires fear not unlike Nemesis from Resident Evil 3.
House of Necrosis doesn't have a release date yet but the demo is a very polished look at what's to come.
Platforms: PC, Linux
DuneCrawl
Desert freedom fighting in four player co-op
Developer Alientrap's DuneCrawl is a great hack-and-slash adventure that supports up to four-player co-op -- I played solo but this game is definitely built to be enjoyed with your friends. In DuneCrawl, terracotta warriors attack your peaceful village with the eponymous Dune Crawler (a massive crustacean converted into a weapons platform).
It's up to you and your friends to defeat the invaders, take back the sentient ship and pilot it around a massive map to wipe out any other ne'er-do-wells that roam the sandy seas. DuneCrawl's gameplay is split between on-foot combat where players can use swords, bows, bombs and primitive guns to get the upper hand and Dune Crawler spelunking, where your team will explore the world and use cannons to fight massive opponents.
This game has an incredible capacity for co-op chaos but a team of people who often play together will surely move like a well-oiled machine. DuneCrawl will be released in 2025.
Platforms: PC
Hell Clock
Diablo-esque dark fantasy ARPG rooted in real Brazilian history
Developer Rogue Snail's Hell Clock is a dark fantasy reimagining of Brazil's War of Canudos -- introducing many gamers (myself included) to a bloody historical period.
Pajeu is battling the Republic's military forces when the dead rise once again. Now he's forced to fight a war on two fronts to save his friends and comrades from mortal peril and change the course of history.
Hell Clock is an extremely competent Diablo-like action RPG -- it's also a speedrunning game in its own right, because you have a timer ticking down to beat the levels in your run. New buffs automatically apply to your build, keeping you in the action. Once you fail a run, you get sent back to the hub area, where you can unlock new permanent gear and other meta-progression buffs from a massive skill tree.
There's a lot to see and do in Hell Clock and your power will cascade as you unlock more powerful abilities and augments. Even casual action RPG fans will find a game they can spend a lot of time with here. Hell Clock will be released on July 22.
Platforms: PC
1000 Deaths
Psychedelic 3D spelunking through headspace
Developer Pariah Interactive's 1000 Deaths is a surrealist platformer (think Psychonauts on even more psychedelic substances) focused on the big "what if" moments everyone experiences throughout life.
As you get dragged into the headspaces of four separate characters, you'll alter their life's history by completing puzzling platforming challenges. Players will have to fiddle with gravity as they walk around curved levels, with gameplay reminiscent of some of Super Mario Galaxy's best moments.
The decisions you make will alter the narrative and the platforming mechanics of future levels: I sent the rat-like creature, Vayu, to Hollywood with their friend rather than having them stay in their hometown, which opened a diverging branch of levels to explore. I think 1000 Deaths will have a lot of replay value, as most gamers will want to find hidden secrets and explore every branching path.
1000 Deaths will be released on Aug. 7.
Platforms: PC
Passant: A Chess Roguelike
What if Balatro was chess?
Developer Marc Makes Games' Passant is to chess what Balatro is to poker and that's no exaggeration. The big difference is that Passant requires you to put in a bit of work -- you need to have a solid understanding of the tabletop game before you start fiddling with all the bells and whistles this game adds.
As you defeat enemy setups in Passant, you gain cash that you can spend on new pieces, temporary power-ups and badges that fundamentally change the rules of the game. The benefits you gain from a badge can be as simple as adding more turn undos for each game you play or as wacky as letting you promote units like bishops and rooks if you can successfully move them to the other side of the board.
I really suck at chess but I was able to roll through a couple games on the normal difficulty once I put a good setup into play. I'm fond of the dragon bishops, a special unit that can take enemies diagonally or in any adjacent square. Every third round you play, you'll go up against a boss board with buffing badges of their own. I've been able to conquer the first boss a handful of times but that second boss has proven to be a bit of a doozy.
Elon Musk infamously said he doesn't like chess because it doesn't have tech trees. That's pretty on-brand for the Tesla CEO, but at least Passant exists so he can take another crack at one of the most pedigreed board games in history. Passant: A Chess Roguelike will be released on Aug. 11.
Platforms: PC
Under The Island
One teenager's tropical island-spanning Zelda adventure
Developer Slime King Games' Under The Island combines 2D RPG hack-and-slash action with a heaping helping of teen angst, daring to ask: What if a moody teenager was thrust into Link's Awakening?
Nia's parents are moving to Seashell Island to research the local ruins, which means she'll be sequestered on an island with no friends and nothing to do for a whole year. That might seem like a crummy deal, except for the fact that she immediately falls into an undiscovered cave and meets an ancient bird person while her family is unpacking the car. Nia discovers Seashell Island is on the verge of sinking beneath the waves so she has to go on a classical '90s-themed quest for the MacGuffins.
Players will need to brave the deceptively gorgeous pixel art island and its nasty critters, find upgrades and solve puzzles to unearth the mysteries of Nia's new home. This game is classic Zelda through-and-through, and anyone who enjoys Link's original adventures will appreciate this contemporary take on the genre.
Under The Island's release date has yet to be revealed -- but just like with the other entries on this list, the best way to stay updated on a cool-looking game is to add it to your Steam wishlist.
Platforms: PC