Check out these Next Fest demos and see for yourself!
There’s no better time to be a PC gamer than during Steam’s Next Fest. For one glorious week, the platform transforms into a treasure trove of playable previews, surprise hits, and future favorites waiting to be discovered. With hundreds of demos competing for attention, finding the true standouts can feel overwhelming – but that’s where I come in. After diving into this year’s lineup, I’ve narrowed it down to give standout experiences that deserve a spot on your wishlist.
EverRail – Icebird Studios/Aesir Interactive GmbH
EverRail is a singleplayer, and up to 4 player co-op open world survival craft odyssey set in a frozen procedural world. Ride the rails! Glide through the air! Brave the cold on foot! Craft, upgrade, explore lost places, gather resources on expeditions, and build your train from the inside out.
In EverRail, the world has frozen over, and humanity’s last hope is a massive battery-powered train roaring across an endless icebound frontier. Players must build, scavenge, and survive across a fast, procedurally generated wasteland where mobility is everything, and momentum means life. If the train stops for too long, the cold closes in and the line ends for everyone the moment the train’s battery and the manifest hit zero.
At the heart of EverRail is a simple rule: move or freeze. The train runs on a battery that recharges only while driving, and drains whenever it stops, turning every expedition into a race against time. Players must weigh risk vs. reward as they decide when to halt for supplies, push forward into the unknown, and how to allocate energy across the train’s expanding systems.
Every rescue matters. Every loss lingers. And every decision affects the fragile ecosystem aboard the train.
Bobo Bay – NewFutureKids
Bobo Bay is a pet simulation game where you collect, mash (breed), accessorize, and train little creatures called bobos to compete in races and other competitions.
At the heart of Bobo Bay is its deep customization system: Bobos come in thousands of combinations of body shapes, colors, patterns, eye styles, stats, and mood traits, allowing players to craft truly one of a kind companions. Throughout their lifecycle, Bobos evolve from saplings into full-grown buds, and players may even unlock new opportunities to help them sprout into evolved forms with different features and competitive strengths.
Whether traversing serene environments in search of new Bobos or strategizing which traits and outfits will give them the edge in competition, Bobo Bay emphasizes player choice, community engagement, and replayability. Its cozy vibe, vibrant visuals, and blend of simulation and racing elements make it appealing to fans of both creature collecting games and relaxed, creative worlds.
There is a competition taking place on the Official Discord server, whoever sends in a screenshot of the cutest Bobo wins a real life plastic standee prize, so don’t miss out!
Saint of Chains – MystiveDev
Saint of Chains is a psychological single player, first person horror. Explore dark environments, fight with melee weapons and guns, and solve puzzles in this retro 2000s-inspired nightmare where the truth is more terrifying than the monsters.
Built to feel like the early 2000s, you will need to keep pushing, down through apartments, into weeping sewers, and into places you didn’t know you remembered. But the walls don’t stay still. They shift. They bleed into something else.
Keys, healing items, tools, puzzle pieces… all take space in your limited inventory. You’ll be managing what little you have, making uncomfortable choices, and trusting your gut when you decide what stays in your pockets.
The monsters feel personal, as if they were born from sleepless nights and broken promises that you tried to ignore. Beings that don’t want you to see what’s waiting at the bottom. Saint of Chains is a love letter to Silent Hill 3, Condemned: Criminal Origins, Cry of Fear, and Lost in Vivo.
Towers Saga – Wise Up Games
Guide humanity by building grand towers in Towers Saga, a 3D match-3 falling blocks puzzle game. Recall the greatest tale of them all and witness the wonders of the ancient world in Babylon, Egypt, Atlantis, and much more.
Towers Saga reimagines the beloved falling-block puzzle formula within a fully realized 3D environment. At its core, the game challenges players to strategically manipulate falling blocks to create match-3 combinations, clear layers, and construct legendary towers inspired by ancient civilizations. Precision, timing, and spatial awareness are key as players balance fast decision making with long term planning.
Towers Saga draws inspiration from humanity’s most awe-inspiring moments. As players advance, they will encounter environments influenced by ancient cultures and legendary landmarks, blending myth, history, and stylized artistry into a cohesive world. The result is a puzzle experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly innovative.
Climb your way up the leaderboards and show off your score to your friends!
Hell Architect: Survivors – Leonardo Productions
Hell Architect: Survivors is a darkly ironic action roguelite set in Dante’s Hell, where sin is power. Play as a demon architect hell-bent on overthrowing Lucifer, rebuilding the underworld, and unleashing forbidden powers with an unholy arsenal.
Begin in Limbo, Hell’s lobby, a soul-crushing waiting room of endless lines, no Wi-Fi, and elevator music on loop, before descending into the Circle of the Heretics, where takes were too hot, shamans have gone wild, and the smoke-filled chaos is ready to peel your face off.
As you play, you unlock some slightly familiar faces, such as Sir Lance, and Kleeopatra. They take inspiration from historic and mythological figures, each with their own unique weapons, sins, and passive combos to utilize on the hellish battlefield.
Dark humor and satire fuel every corner of the experience, from sharp hero quips to over-the-top upgrades. Feline telekinesis. Infernal protein powder. Upside-down crosses. The deadly Snak’n’gels… and most importantly: LASERS. Yes, even Hell loves lasers.
Steam Next Fest always reminds us why the indie and AA space is so exciting. Bold ideas, creative risks, and future classics hiding in plain sight. These five demos stood out to me from the crowd, but they’re only a glimpse of what’s coming next. If any of them caught your eye, don’t forget to wishlist them. Support the developers, and dive in before the festival ends. The next big hit might already be sitting in your library.
