Demos Worth Trying Out From Steam Next Fest June 2026

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Once again, Steam Next Fest drew crowds of gamers eager to try out demos of upcoming titles. The June edition featured a wide variety of games across different genres, so there was something to suit everyone’s taste. I also checked out what’s in store for this event, and since it’s impossible to cover every production in a written preview, I decided to make a list of the games that caught my attention and that you might also enjoy. 

Hollow Home 

First on our list is Hollow Home, a narrative survival RPG inspired by real-life events from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Playing as 14-year-old Maksym, who lives in a city under occupation, we must learn to adapt to conditions that change from day to day and make decisions that are crucial to our survival. Without any weapons or fighting, the real challenge here lies in making moral decisions and determining what is a priority and what requires sacrifice. 

OFFBEAT 

All aspiring musicians now have the chance to try their hand at composing unique and catchy songs. We get this opportunity in OFFBEAT, a game that is, in fact, a complete audio production tool, in which – using wacky and funny tools – we’re challenged to create soundtracks for corporate presentations, weddings, fantasy movies, or even mysterious rituals. An added bonus is that every piece of music players create in the game is exported and saved locally on a computer as a WAV file, which they can use for whatever they want. 

FISH 

FISH is a title that’s very hard to explain, so to understand it, you simply have to experience it. In this platformer run & gun shooter, we play as an armed FISH violently making its way through multiple levels featuring funny and uniquely stylized enemies and bosses. In this game, players can expect not only a fish with a weapon, but also many other bizarre surprises. 

About Fishing

This is another fishing game on our list, but About Fishing has a completely different vibe. It combines fishing mechanics with a mystery, striking a balance between serenity and unease, as each discovery brings players closer to uncovering a disturbing truth. Lose yourself in the calm of fishing or follow the clues the water offers. 

VHOLUME 

If you’re a fan of parkour-based gameplay, VHOLUME is a title worth checking out. Set in a dystopian, brutalist city where bureaucracy turns a simple task into an odyssey, we set off on an adventure through locations that challenge both agility and creativity. Whether players prefer to play solo or in multiplayer, with each level they have the chance to look for shortcuts, improve their skills, and compete for the best times. 

Vampy’s Big Day 

Can vampires be cute? Vampy’s Big Day proves that they can. In this little colorful adventure, we take on the role of a clumsy vampire learning to avoid deadly sunlight with the help of a sun fairy. Our task is to manipulate shadows to carve a path through the world and to shape how we perceive others and how others perceive us. 

Hawthorn

Players looking for a fairy-tale-like experience in a sandbox RPG will have no trouble finding their footing in Hawthorn. Featuring anthropomorphic animals and fairy creatures, this game takes players to the world of Windermere Valley, where they can farm, craft, explore, and celebrate various occasions with the locals. And the way the woodland shifts, and the strange creatures come and go might even make them believe in the old legends surrounding the village. 

Otterly Lost 

Otterly Lost deserves to be called one of the cutest games of this edition of Steam Next Fest. As they follow a curious sea otter far from home, players have the opportunity not only to explore land and water, but also to meet charming animals, discover hidden places, and use tools to solve light challenges. This cozy, story-rich adventure is a tale of wonder, friendship, and finding your place in the world. 

Chunky JUMP! 

For me, as a fan of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Chunky JUMP! was a must-try. In this survival-horror platformer, we must survive the night by completing levels on the console while defending the gas station from monsters trying to break in. With its story mode, endless mode, and free play mode, the game allows players to both explore the story through day/night gameplay, as well as take on challenges featuring crossovers with rivals from other worlds (such as The Bunny Graveyard, Garten of Banban, Indigo Park, Among Us, and many more). 

Pigeon: A Love Story 

This is yet another animal-themed game on our list, but this time we play as a pigeon searching for its soulmate. In Pigeon: A Love Story, we explore full-scale replicas of iconic cities, searching for that one special pigeon among hundreds of thousands of autonomous pigeon NPCs flying and interacting in real time. It is the perfect game for fans of slow-paced, relaxed gameplay. 

Flipping is Hard

Recently, challenging games with platformer elements that test players’ patience – and, by extension, their sanity – have become very popular. That’s exactly the kind of typical experience we have in Flipping is Hard, in which we play as a lost phone trying to find our way back to our owner. Since rotation is your only motion, we’re in for a lot of climbing, flipping, and plenty of falling across 10 different childhood play areas. 

Endacopia 

For last, we saved a title that might remind some people of the games they played as children, though not in the way they might expect. I’m talking about Endacopia, a point-and-click puzzle adventure reminiscent of early computer edutainment games, but with a surreal and horror-themed twist. In addition to a variety of mini-games and an abundance of animated background gags, players can also expect many unsolved mysteries, hostile monsters, and horrors lurking in the shadows.