7 free game demos you need to check out during Steam Next Fest

The last Steam Next Fest event of the year is upon us. Valve holds one of these events every few months on Steam and encourages developers to share demos and early looks at their upcoming PC games. Only indie developers participated initially, but more high-profile studios chipped in recently. That’s only makes it harder to find some of the best games on offer, as hundreds of demos are available.

I played several demos featured in October 2024’s Steam Next Fest ahead of the event, and I want to spotlight my favorites. From strategy RPGs to dumb physics-based platformers, these seven Steam Next Fest demos are worth checking out.

Rogue Labyrinth

Rogue Labyrinth Trailer

A common cliché in a lot of fantasy narratives, like Visions of Mana, is some sort of “World Tree” that’s central to the plot. In Rogue Labyrinth, a colonist billionaire has taken over that tree and turned it into a maze for unlucky contestants to fight their way to. That’s the narrative backdrop of Tea Witch Games’ new game, which is shaping up to be the next action roguelike that captures my attention. I particularly like how enemies turn into projectiles and start bouncing around the room after you kill them. The developers call this “a controlled bullet hell,” but I just like how it gives Rogue Labyrinth a more chaotic feel than many of its similar peers.

Rogue Labyrinth will enter early access on PC in January 2025.

Void Sols

Void Sols | Launch Date Trailer

I’ll admit I wasn’t fully on board with the idea of a “minimalist Souslike” when I first spotted Void Sols, but I’ve been enjoying its Steam Next Fest demo more than something more maximalist like Stellar Blade. Earlier this year, Minishoot’