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The number of free demos included in Steam Next Fest has been getting higher and higher through each event, and with only so much time to play them, finding what's worth your time can be tough. We offer some tips in our Steam Next Fest guide, but if you just want some pure recommendations, then stick around. Even running alongside Summer Game Fest, I've still made the time to check out some great demos, and below I highlight the ones I really think you shouldn't miss.
Ranging from blockbuster demos you can finally try at home for yourself like Onimusha, to a Lovecraft adaptation you play from the perspective of a penguin, the great thing about Steam Next Fest is how so many unique experiences of any size and scale can stand alongside one another. It's the perfect time to try something new. Ending on Monday, there's still time to dip into some potential new favorites before it's over.
Read on, and allow me to run through the best Steam Next Fest demos from this June 2026 event that you should be downloading, playing, and wishlisting!
12. Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Developer: Capcom
Release date: September 25, 2026
The GamesRadar+ team are massive fans of all the best ARPGs, so Onimusha: Way of the Sword has been on our list as one of our most anticipated games for quite some time now. And, the good news is that, after playing through its demo, Capcom's latest entry to the beloved historic fantasy series doesn't disappoint. Playing as Miyamoto Musashi in a fictional version of Edo-era Kyoto, in Onimusha: Way of the Sword you are charged with defeating monsters (known as Genma), slicing through them with your blade. The demo really does give you a great window into the atmosphere of the title, lets you face a boss fight, and the combat also gives us God of War vibes during our time playing. Basically, it's an adrenaline-filled marvel, and ahead of its September release, I highly recommend downloading this one before Steam Next Fest ends.
Play the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo here
11. Valor Mortis
Developer: One More Level
Release date: October 13, 2026
Our Summer Preview 2026 special is here to spotlight the biggest games of the year with hands-on impressions, dev access, and more!
Out of all the demos currently available at Steam Next Fest, Valor Mortis is the best Soulslike that I've played so far. From the creators of Ghostrunner, this first-person action game has you taking on the role of an undead soldier, now a member of Napoleon Bonaparte's new supernatural army. The game is set in an alternate version of 19th century France with a zombie virus running rampant, forcing you to slay your brothers in arms. Along the way you'll see plenty of gore, unsettling but oddly pretty environments, and even get some story hints around Napoleon's true intentions. Personally, I was always a fan of that supernatural concept, but the demo fully sold me to add this game to my wishlist after experiencing its slick combat. In fact, we mentioned how the demo gave us flashbacks to the first time playing Dark Souls 3 and Shadow of Mordor, high praise indeed.
Play the Valor Mortis demo here
10. Virtue and a Sledgehammer
Developer: Deconstructeam, Selkie Harbour
Release date: TBC 2026
"Most people resort to therapy. But you chose the brave option. A sledgehammer." Virtue and a Sledgehammer's anger isn't subtle, entirely based around using the controller's trigger to lift and strike with a massive sledgehammer to smash apart your woodland hometown and the machines that now populate it. Somehow sporting the personalities of those you grew up alongside, you're taking revenge for the deaths of everyone you knew. With an abstracted and strikingly told story told through fragmented flashbacks, the satisfaction of going ham on robots, objects, and houses is sold through the crunchy feel. This generous demo allows you to play from the beginning, through a sizable starting area that you can wreck to your heart's content.
Play the Virtue and a Sledgehammer demo here
9. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!
Developer: Strange Scaffold
Release date: July 29, 2026
When Carissa is struck down by a delivery truck days before her big promotion in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World's opening, she's actually transported to a fantasy world of swords and sorcery instead of dying, in typical isekai anime fashion. But, you play as the hapless delivery driver accidentally did the deed, and she's able to guilt-trip you into helping her revive back to the real world by causing even more havoc, wrecking the city with outlandish stunts to 'isekai' even more people as low level monsters so she can cheat through her experience and resurrect. The result is an oddball mix of Crazy Taxi and Grand Theft Auto as you juggle police chases, deliveries, and monster combat, all within a colorful world. This demo lets you off the leash to try out some timed, arcade-style runs for yourself.
Play the Truck-Kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! demo here
8. Screenbound
Developer(s): Crescent Moon Games, Radical Forge
Release date: September 10, 2026
Screenbound is an upcoming puzzle platformer that will no doubt capture the hearts of any retro fans out there. Brilliantly combining a 2D and 3D world, you as the player are tasked with navigating and beating levels with the help of a very Game Boy Advance SP looking device called a Qboy. The world is reflected in 2D via your Qboy screen and you need to alternate between using your handheld and moving through the 3D world to progress. I won't lie to you, juggling the changing perspectives is a lot at first, but it does soon become second nature, especially once you surrender to the fact that Screenbound is all about timing, logic, and just a little bit of luck as well. From what I've played so far, the game is super comfortable to play and easy to get into too. It's also one of those titles that will have you itching for more.
Play the Screenbound demo here
7. Mistfall Hunter
Developer: Bellring Games
Release date: July 29, 2026
If you like Elden Ring Nightreign but wish the Soulslike formula was more of a pure Extraction experience, then Mistfall Hunter is aimed squarely at you. With considered, dangerous combat against monsters and rival players alike, this is a fantasy twist on the Extraction Shooter genre where you take up sword and shield, magic, bows, or other weapons instead of guns. Starting out weak, you have to team up in co-op or go solo to enter deadly Gyldenmist-afflicted lands, extracting before you become corrupted in order to bank gear or precious Gyldenblood. Even surviving an excursion requires you to kill a bell creature in order to magically return. If the genre isn't usually your thing but you're a Dark Souls diehard, you may find the loop compelling here anyway, so it's well worth giving this demo a try before its full launch to see if you like it.
Play the Mistfall Hunter demo here
6. About Fishing
Developer: The Water Museum
Release date: TBC 2026
Ever since the release of Dredge we have seen an influx of fishing games with a dark twist. However, even with a bunch of titles in the genre, About Fishing's demo had me hooked (pun intended) thanks to its tactile fishing gameplay and the promise of a creepy mystery linked to our discovery of a dead body and, um, a mermaid? Sporting some very nostalgic visuals, the game follows a woman in a yellow raincoat who ends up uncovering secrets via the powers of fishing. The demo is very simple, and only gives us the opening chapter, however, it's still very effective in keeping us intrigued about the story. I also love how the meditative act of fishing is paired with such a sinister undertone, giving me big David Lynch vibes. I do wish that there was a release date for the game, but for now I highly recommend checking out this demo, especially if you are a Twin Peaks fan.
Play the About Fishing demo here
5. Tanuki: Pon's Summer
Developer: Denkiworks
Release date: TBC
The Tanuki Festival is one month away and it's up to the lazy tanuki, Pon, to fix up the shrine before time runs out. Tanuki: Pon's Summer is an adorable game that follows Pon working in his part-time post-office job. Speed around on his BMX, develop friendships with residents, and decorate the shrine – all the ingredients are there for a new cozy game icon. During this demo you get the chance to play through multiple days in-game, letting you experience some odd jobs and giving you a charming introduction to the characters. Since our goal is to get as much cash as we can for the shrine, mini-games are the star here. I'm expecting that we'll probably see more at the full release, but so far the gameplay loop has me in a chokehold. Tanuki: Pon's Summer may not have a release date but its demo is already hilarious, fun, and also runs pretty great on the Steam Deck as well (always a bonus in my book).
Play the Tanuki: Pon's Summer demo here
4. Penguin Colony
Developer: ORIGAME DIGITAL
Release date: TBC 2026
2026 has seen a ton of Lovecraftian horror games, however, something that we haven't seen is Lovecraftian horror through the eyes of a penguin. That is until now. Penguin Colony is a strange but also faithful adaptation of HP Lovecraft's novellas, At The Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Out of Time, but in this version you are a cute low-poly penguin belly sliding around Antarctica. In this take on At The Mountains of Madness, it's Nazis who are trying to uncover something buried in the ice, while the Kaitiaki work to stop them. But, our job is to waddle through the story, doing some light platforming and watching humans in horror whenever we encounter them. And, trust me horror is still very much present even in the demo. While playing through it ourselves we got to see someone's head explode next to our cute penguin, and I'm sure that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the virtual trauma that is in store for us.
Play the Penguin Colony demo here
3. Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths and Ashes
Developer: Revive the Spark
Release date: TBC 2026
Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths & Ashes' Steam Next Fest demo is a prologue to their visual novel RPG, so it's a breezy narrative adventure that sets the stage and doesn't fully showcase all the mechanics on offer. But, like any good vampire tale, the blood has me itching to taste more already. Playing as powerful Ventrue vampire Alice as she's on the cusp of getting her fangs into her dream job as Archon serving under the Parisian Justicar, she's sent on the unenviable task of sowing discord in Berlin, controlled by a rival vampire network. While the action has yet to really get going, the politicking as the prologue progresses has compelled me, and I like the idea of this narrative-heavy game still having you manage spending blood to use your powers, hunger, and the keeping up the titular masquerade in front of mortals. The full game promises deeper systems and a second thinblood protagonist. Now my appetite has been whetted, I hope it can pack a punch beyond this prologue – but I'll be patient as I stalk this particular quarry.
Play the Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths and Ashes demo here
2. Fractured Blooms
Developer: Serenity Forge
Release date: TBC
From Doki Doki Literature Club publisher Serenity Forge, Fractured Blooms has been on my radar for ages, and thankfully the Steam Next Fest demo doesn't disappoint. In fact our senior writer and fellow horror fan Ashley Bardhan, has stated that it is "better than anything you'll play" during Valve's event, and if you love psychological horror, I fully support that stance too. Stuck in a timeloop, you follow the teenage Angie in a world brimming with Appalachian mysticism. During said loop you'll need to manage Angie's resources and get her to perfect her chores from farming, cooking, and cleaning to the point of pain. Each day something will shift and slowly you'll begin to remember and see things that will put your hair on end. Fractured Blooms seems like it will be a narrative goldmine and its demo will stick with you long after this Next Fest ends, trust us.
Play the Fractured Blooms demo here
1. Mortal Shell 2
Developer: Cold Symmetry
Release date: TBC 2026
Mortal Shell 2 follows the Soulslike playbook, but isn't afraid to scribble in the margins, either. One such doodle – a granite-like cuboid shotgun, is one of a number of new tools your 'Shells' can wield that make this feel like a metal album cover come to life as much as it is a challenging combat gauntlet. Slick and reactive in a way few in the genre manage to be, clashes with deadly foes – ranging from hulking, caged brutes to weird witchy women with accordions that actually make music – feels incredible. While the fundamentals are nailed throughout what becomes at least a semi-open-world quest, there's a lot of customization on offer, even in this generous demo. That includes Seals, gear that can alter your parry button to become, say, a petrification block that freezes you mid-animation, or allows your gun to break enemy stun meters. And, of course, Shells themselves, class-like roles that are actually the bodies of named, specific undead characters. This is the most excited I've been for a Soulslike in a long time.
Play the Mortal Shell 2 demo here
