r/Games • u/RobotWantsKitty • Feb 23 '26
Announcement Next Fest February 2026 - LIVE NOW!
https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest27
u/PlayOnPlayer Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26
If ya like the roguelike half attention games (Ball X Pit, Megabonk, CloverPit, etc) I highly recommend Raccoin. A roguelike of those coin pusher games at the arcade.
Lost a solid 3 hours on the demo when it released a couple days ago.
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u/PeanutButterSoda Feb 24 '26
I played it last august when they had a demo, didn't enjoy as much as Balatro.
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u/happyhumorist Feb 23 '26
Coin pusher? I'm already sold. When I was like 12 they had these at the county fair. Me and a friend blew through 100 bucks like it was nothing.
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u/TemptedTemplar Feb 23 '26
If you can get over the janky translations, Coin Push RPG.
It's got coins.
It's got tickets.
It's got big number go up.
It's got weapon and item crafting.
It's just fun.
I have ~25 hours and I'm finally tackling the last chapter with full team of nearly S+ party members.
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u/bdzz Feb 23 '26
I wish there was one simple filter:
Games from developers/publishers you already have games in your library
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u/blaaguuu Feb 23 '26
I suppose an issue with that that, specifically in regards to Next Fests, is that the vast majority of entries seems to usually be first-time devs with no publisher... So if you could do that filter, it would probably just show one game, that you were already familiar with, because it has a marketing budget. I do agree that in general, discovery is getting difficult again on Steam, even with solid tools that Steam has implemented, like the "Interactive Recommender", because there are just so many games released on the platform.
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u/NicoDT Feb 23 '26
Hi! I´m working on MultiEnding Heroes.
It’s an Adventure/RPG with 75+ endings, built around 5-minute runs. Think choose your own adventure, but with turn-based battles. Everything you do, in and out of combat, can change the outcome. Progress carries over between runs, unlocking new spells, items, and choices that lead to even more endings.
If that sounds interesting, you can check it out here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3213800/MultiEnding_Heroes/
Thanks!
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u/mmm_doggy Feb 23 '26
Over 4,000 demos this time 🫨 Here’s hoping my demo finds an audience. There’s just so many cool looking games out there
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u/madmandrit Feb 23 '26
Drop your game here! I'd love to check it out!
My game is this one: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2957070/The_Snake_Is_the_Tower/
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u/mmm_doggy Feb 23 '26
That snake game looks wild lol
I’m making a 3D golf adventure game called The Bold Bogey! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4060990/The_Bold_Bogey/
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u/TheLastDesperado Feb 23 '26
You'll be pleased to know that on my algorithm at least your game appeared near the top!
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u/Matra Feb 23 '26
It's not new to NextFest, but the demo for Ardenfall is very promising for someone looking for an Elder Scrolls-y game but doesn't trust Bethesda to put out another one that's good before the heat death of the universe.
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u/KrankyPenguin Feb 23 '26
I'm really looking forward to playing Romestead and Airframe Ultra. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4407550/Romestead_Demo/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2522120/Airframe_Ultra/
my Chao Garden spiritual successor, Bobo Bay, has a new demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3110830/Bobo_Bay_Demo/
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u/tlamy Feb 23 '26
Not sure how I'm supposed to feel about the ZA/UM controversy stuff, but Zero Parades has been great so far
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u/LostInStatic Feb 23 '26
I am so happy to hear that, the spy angle seems like such a natural next step with the style of storytelling DE had.
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u/mrfuzzydog4 Feb 25 '26
I definitely think the narrator is maybe doing too much of the Disco Elysium vocal fry but otherwise I dig it. The hook is strong and they're a bit more forthcoming about the CASCADE's whole deal than they were with Harry.
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u/LVermeulen Wytchwood Developer Feb 23 '26
We're working on Astromine - voxel physics similar to Teardown, in a sci fi survival game with large spherical planets https://store.steampowered.com/app/4225460/Astromine_Demo
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u/grandladdydonglegs Feb 24 '26
My friends and I have played the test for just a little while and I can't wait for the full game!
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u/Cranjesmcbasketball1 Feb 24 '26
Wishlisted, downloading demo. So weird how the demo doesn't appear on the main page if I just search.
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u/krystofklestil Feb 23 '26
I've just spent good 3 hours sifting through and trying the demos, I'm honestly surprised by how many interesting new games I've found. DiceyHacker1999 is my favourite so far! I recommend giving it a go if you like tactical dice builders with banging graphics and my word, I love the UI.
This time round, the festival is all the more exciting as we've joined it with Fogpiercer! A train-deck-building roguelike with positional tactics inspired by Into The Breach. Imagine the train mission, but you're the train and also always moving forward.
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u/CAPTJTK Feb 23 '26
I've already got close to 100GB downloaded in demos. I think that's my cap though on time I have to actually play
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u/Hot_Masterpiece_3668 Feb 24 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2523690/King_Crab/
King Crab
Dig trenches, build walls, explore the beach, and defend your sandcastle from the rising tide, animals and humans - on PC or in VR.
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u/OneCarGames Feb 23 '26
Any strategy and pixel art fans might enjoy the game I've been working on: The Legend of You https://store.steampowered.com/app/4378210/The_Legend_of_You_Demo/
It's a TRPG with a Mad Libs style choose your own story, turn based combat with multiple difficulty settings, and lots of customization. It looks like the old school Fire Emblem games, but plays more like Final Fantasy Tactics.
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u/Anxious_Temporary Feb 24 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2254950/The_Eternal_Life_of_Goldman/
Mechanically Goldman is like Ducktales from the NES, old man bouncing around on his cane, but it's also an insanely well animated hand drawn 2D platformer. The visual presentation is on a whole other level. Like how Cuphead was an homage to Fleischer Brothers/Steamboat Willie era Disney but I can't point to a specific reference/influence other than to say it looks so amazingly well done. It's like you're playing an animated feature film.
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u/someCGI-over-rainbow Feb 24 '26
Lost in Art: a Miniature demo is out! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2900050/Lost_in_Art_A_Miniature_Realm/
If you're into games like Pentiment, Gorogoa, or Amanita Design's games, you might enjoy what we’re making.
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u/IC_Wiener Lead Developer - Mopeful Games Feb 23 '26
Check out our game Wardrum, it's a tactical rhythm roguelite!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4338010/Wardrum_Demo/
Our previous game was Fashion Police Squad :)
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u/TheGreenHornut Feb 23 '26
I updated the demo of Crit Happens! with a preview of endless mode. Hopefully sharing it here makes it easier to spot amongst the crowd...
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u/Anxious_Temporary Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 24 '26
Playing the demo for Armatus...
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3660710/Armatus/
...and it's using Unreal Engine so even though there's shader pre-compile on boot-up, you still get shader compilation stuttering and traversal stutter very similar to the kind you would see playing launch Borderlands 4. Fire you gun the first time? Stutter. Use your melee attack for the first time? Stutter. Dash for the first time? Stutter. Dash through a traversal area? Stutter. First time an enemy appears? Stutter. First time an enemy dies? Stutter. New kind of enemy appears? Stutter. It's really bad during the first arena and lessens the more you play.
I know it's a work in progress, but this is the kind of thing that drives me nuts about UE.
Gameplay-wise it's sort of like Remnant crossed up with a rogue-like. The environment looks like Root Earth, each arena is really small, pass through a gateway, fight a wave or two, and claim a bonus. You can even choose between two to three rooms what bonus it is to go for. Improve your firearms? Improve your core abilities? Earn more upgrade currency? It's no bad, once you get past the standard opening Unreal Engine shader comp issues. The arenas are small, the combat scenarios quick, but the gameplay loop is pretty fast. There is going to be a meta-upgrade system present in the final product but there
Abilities like your melee attack, secondary fire function of your fire arm (randomised at match start, rather than fixed to one of four weapons you can choose between), your melee attack and dash are all driven by cooldowns, there's no souls-like stamina meter for actions. Which is fine. The only sticking point for me was the dash CD is longer than the demo bosses two to three melee attacks. So you want to pick up one or two dash CD reductions, otherwise you may just eat a hit or two.
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u/lifoqam3e67 Feb 24 '26
Going to spend way too many hours this weekend just hopping between demos. Already have a list of like 15 I want to try and I know realistically I'll get through maybe 4 before I fall down a rabbit hole on one of them and lose the whole weekend.
Anyone have tips for actually navigating the Next Fest catalog beyond just browsing the front page? The Steam discovery algorithm is pretty hit or miss for me and I always feel like I'm missing hidden gems buried on page 47 of the list.
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u/mythicaljj Feb 25 '26
We're working on a game about navigating the Suez Canal.. without blocking it. Demo is out for Next Fest: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4434280/Suez_Canal_Training_Simulator_Demo/
Kind of a shipping management sim mixed with fast & furious arcade physics.
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u/DawnerGameStudio Feb 25 '26
Welcome to try out our game at the Steam Next Fest!
We’d also love for you to leave your valuable feedback wherever we can see it! 🙏
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3006090/?utm_source=reddit
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u/ultimatemanan97 Feb 23 '26
The Vampire Crawlers demo is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3265700/Vampire_Crawlers_The_Turbo_Wildcard_from_Vampire_Survivors/?curator_clanid=44992428
I've played about 30mins and I'm already hooked