The latest edition of Steam Next Fest has emerged, and there are once again hundreds of game demos to download and play on your PC. According to Steam’s landing page, over 1,200 games are participating in the June 2023 Next Fest, so we thought it would be helpful to whittle that list down to 11 game demos you shouldn’t miss before the event ends on June 26.
Alien Hominid Invasion
- Release date: 2023
Five years after releasing Pit People, game developer The Behemoth is back with Alien Hominid Invasion. This run-and-gun platformer allows you and up to three other players to jump, dive, flip, dodge, and toss your way through dozens of enemies and bosses as you invade Earth. You can also unlock new weapons and powers along the way.
Born of Bread
- Release date: TBD
If you haven’t loved the direction that the Paper Mario series has gone in recent years, you might want to give Born of Bread a try. This turn-based RPG is heavily inspired by the old Paper Mario games but follows a flour golem named Loaf.
En Garde!
- Release date: August 2023
In En Garde!, you play legendary swashbuckler Adalia de Volador as she swashbuckles her way through a series of combat arenas. You’ll have to learn how to parry and when to counter foes, but you can also take advantage of the environment.
Hammerwatch II
- Release date: August 15, 2023
The pixelated open world of Hammerwatch II invites you to choose a character class, build up an arsenal of weapons and items, and venture out with up to three other players to complete quests and save Hammer Island. The sequel will also have full modding support upon release, so you might never run out of things to do in this game.
Lies of P
- Release date: September 19, 2023
We might never get a sequel to Bloodborne, so the bizarre Pinocchio-themed Soulslike Lies of P will have to tide us over for now. As the puppet of Geppetto, you’ll explore the city of Krat and get your ass kicked repeatedly as you learn how to defeat every enemy.
Mind Over Magic
- Release date: TBD
Mind Over Magic is a simulation game that tasks players with designing and building a school for magic users. As your school grows, you will attract more talented students, which means you will have to hire more teachers. You can see how this could get complicated!
Moonstone Island
- Release date: Q3 2023
Pokemon + Stardew Valley + Game Boy Advance graphics = Moonstone Island. I’m not sure what else I need to say to convince you to at least try out the demo for this creature-collecting life simulator with over 100 islands that you can explore.
Nour: Play with Your Food
- Release date: 2023
Developer Terrifying Jellyfish describes Nour: Play with Your Food as “an interactive exploration into the aesthetics of food.” It’s not a game so much as an interactive digital toy, but I can’t stop watching all this food fly across my computer screen.
Sea of Stars
- Release date: August 29, 2023
The long-gestating turn-based RPG Sea of Stars finally has a demo on PC, and it’s totally worth downloading for the stunning 2D visuals alone.
SteamWorld Build
- Release date: 2023
Thunderful continues to expand the SteamWorld franchise with SteamWorld Build, which, as the name suggests, is a strategic city-building game. Once your city is up and running, you’ll need to send workers down to the mines to gather resources, but watch out for monsters. The game is said to take place at the same time as SteamWorld Dig 2.
The Invincible
- Release date: 2023
Finally, we have the first-person sci-fi adventure game The Invincible. You are an astrobiologist named Yasna, and you’ll have to decide where to go and what to do on the planet of Regis III in order to find your lost crewmates and get home in one piece.
