Steam Next Fest is live once again with over 700 demos to try

Steam Next Fest is back, bringing in hundreds of demos you can try for free right now.

The latest iteration of Steam's semi-regular event went live today and will continue through Thursday, October 7. During that time all Steam users will have unlimited access to more than 700 demos for upcoming games across numerous genres. The event also includes an equally robust lineup of livestreams from developers who will show off their game and take questions from the community as they go.

In short, if you're looking for something new to be excited about playing on PC, you should tune in to Steam Next Fest ASAP. The list of featured games runs from high-profile indies such as Tunic and The Last Campfire to offbeat stock market/life simulator STONKS-9800 and arachnid lightsaber dueling game SpiderHeck. You can see the full stream schedule on Steam's news page if you want to watch the developers give their games a spin.

Whatever games that happen to pique your interest in the Steam Next Fest will likely be playable on Steam Deck, as Valve has made it clear that any Steam games which don't work on the handheld gaming system will be considered a "bug." The first Steam Deck units are set to start rolling out to consumers in December 2021 - which means the demos for the first Steam Next Fest after that will hopefully work too, which means it will officially be demo picnic time.

There's even more to look forward to in our guide to new games 2021 and beyond.