Steam Next Fest has launched for another season, bringing with it a host of shiny demos for new and upcoming video games made around the world. It’s a fantastic online event for discovering games of all genres and flavours, with real gems hiding in Steam’s curated pick.
It should be said that it’s tough to find everything that may appeal, as while Steam does a decent job of sorting out its demos by genre and style, it does also tend to surface weird and wonderful games from all over, in varying degrees of quality (and unfortunately, the rise of GenAI has also made it harder to find creative human-made games).
If you’re keen to find your next favourite game, but sorting through hundreds and hundreds of demos doesn’t appeal, then read on. While it’s by no means a comprehensive list – the depths of Steam Nest Fest are vast and unknowable – here are all the big new game demos the ScreenHub team recommends.
The games here chart a range of genres, and all brim with unique concepts and ideas.
Steam Next Fest demo highlights – quick links
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch)
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch) is a game from the Brisbane-based team Fuzzy Ghost, best known for the experimental adventure Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg. Where this game was all about the freedom to explore a strange and surreal world, Janet DeMornay is somewhat the opposite.
It’s all about being trapped in a horrifying rented apartment that’s ruled by a landlord who is also a witch. As you chart this strange and uncanny apartment – which expands to comprise various areas and realms – you’ll be attempting to escape and/or survive by solving environmental puzzles.
Renting is a horror story. Janet DeMornay makes that horror real.
The demo for Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch) is available during Steam Next Fest. It does not currently have a firm release date.
Montabi
Montabi is a twist on the creature collecting genre that combines taming mechanics with roguelike deckbuilding. While we’ve seen all manner of roguelike deckbuilding games recently, this game stands out for its bright, cartoonish approach, its fun monster designs – like the escaped octopus dish creature – and its event-based progression.
If you’re looking for a bright and colourful creature collecting game that takes something from Pokémon or Cassette Beasts and twists it all around with new elements, then Montabi might be the breath of fresh air you need.
Check out Montabi during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches on 7 August.
Penguin Colony
Penguin Colony is the next game from New Zealand and Australian-based studio Origame Digital, following up from their award-winning Umurangi Generation. What makes this adventure so compelling is its core premise: it follows a penguin colony which is witness to cosmic horrors.
Imagine the events of an HP Lovecraft novel – all disembodied eyes and monsters from beyond the stars. Imagine the people encountering these horrors, or perhaps seeking them. Then imagine how the nearby penguins might feel. That’s the crux of Penguin Colony, and why it’s so worth playing.
Check out Penguin Colony during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches later in 2026.
Screenbound
Screenbound is another game with a very strong, very original premise. From developers Crescent Moon Games and Radical Forge, this game is all about exploring a world on a virtual screen – but also exploring that world in real-time 3D.
You’re essentially playing through a Game Boy-inspired adventure, with a magical cartridge transporting you physically to those same worlds in ‘real life’ with every action you take on the smaller screen reflected in the world outside it.
There have been no games like Screenbound before. It makes jumping in feel all the more worthwhile, particularly in seeing just how cool and innovative its core mechanics are.
Check out Screenbound during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches on 11 September.
Milki Delivery
If you enjoy a good cosy game, and particularly if you enjoyed Blibloop and Doot’s Minami Lane, you should check out Milki Delivery. This next game from the team lets you ‘rebuild a community one bottle at a time’ as you wander through peaceful locales delivering milk.
Minami Lane was particularly cosy in its slow-moving, moreish gameplay loop, and Milki Delivery is inspired by similar principles. Take your time in this game, gather ingredients, upgrade your resources and barn, and eventually you’ll be able to use your skills to foster friendships, and keep your new virtual community together.
Check out Milki Delivery during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches later in 2026.
Cutout Village
Cutout Village is another game that’s entirely compelling in its originality. This is a narrative city-builder from DevilishGames that tasks you with creating and developing a city using papercraft skills. You’ll actually need to sit down to cut and paste your new city together, putting out all sorts of decorations, furniture, and locations using careful movements.
The resulting effect is lovely – you’re basically creating a virtual village with a wholesome handmade effect. The more effort you put in, the bigger your cities will grow. Eventually, you’ll have a thriving town filled with little papercraft people, all with their own personalities and desires.
Check out Cutout Village during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches later in 2026.
Silver Pines
If you’re looking for something a bit spookier in your Steam Next Fest perusal, then Wych Elm’s Silver Pines might be the game for you. This is a survival horror metroidvania game with shades of Twin Peaks and Alan Wake. It’s all about exploring a small American town, and discovering nightmarish horrors hiding in its heart.
As you confront enemies of all kinds – both imagined and real – you’ll learn more about the mysterious town you find yourself in, what it has to do with a missing musician, and even how your own dark past (or at least, that of protagonist Red Walker) plays into the eeriness.
With a strong sense of atmosphere and a unique, muted colour palette, Silver Pines is shaping up to be a strong new entry in the survival horror genre.
Check out the Silver Pines demo during Steam Next Fest, or when it launches on 9 October.
Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell
Once you’re done with Silver Pines, you might need something a bit brighter and more wholesome to remind you of the goodness of the world. That’s where Topotes Studio’s Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell comes in.
This is an upcoming stop-motion inspired puzzle game where you play as a cutesy little detective searching for a missing bell in an idyllic village. Beyond its premise, Ambroise Niflette immediately catches the eye with its stunning aesthetic, bringing to mind classic children’s TV of the 1990s and 2000s. There’s something of Thomas the Tank Engine here, with its adorable dioramas and lively locations.
Check out the Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell demo during Steam Next Fest. It does not currently have a firm release date.
