The top 50 most-played demos from the Steam Next Fest of October 2025 have been revealed, with an eclectic bunch of upcoming games included. While there are some recognisable names in the lot, including Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, Skate Story, and Anno 117: Pax Romana, elsewhere you’ll find a bounty of other unique games that might not be on your radar.
While Steam Next Fest popularity isn’t a key indicator of future success, these roundup lists do tend to reveal trends within the world of gaming, and highlight what games appeal to the PC gaming community in the moment.
Based on the list, we can see an array of emerging themes: there’s some online co-op and multiplayer extraction/survival games in the bunch, as well as many strategy and simulation games. There’s far more representation for horror games than I’d expect, and a particularly high number of zombie shooters.
The headliner, as revealed by Steam, is a game called Half Sword by Half Sword Games – a ‘physics-based medieval combat simulator featuring historically accurate XV-century arms and armour.’ This game isn’t the flashiest of the bunch, but it’s clear the nature of combat, and the game’s focus on historical accuracy has endeared it to a passionate audience. Head on over to Reddit, and you can see the game’s audience breaking down how its combat works, and analysing each sword swing and skirmish.
Another of the most popular games of Steam Next Fest is YAPYAP by Maison Bap. This is an online co-op game where up to six players travel together as weird little wizards, wielding magic to ‘vandalise, break, and steal’ in an arch mage’s tower. All the while, they’re pursued by ‘horrifying magical creatures.’
This particular game appears to lean into current trends heavily – it’s a co-op adventure where you can travel with friends, with light elements of horror speeding your journey and bonding you together. In recent months, games like this have been unfairly branded ‘friendslop.’ What the term really means is that it’s a lighter adventure where friends can travel together and yap, with the game serving as a meeting point to hang out.
Elsewhere, the Steam Next Fest list includes a number of higher profile indie games, including horror adventure Reanimal, Rusty Lake’s Servant of the Lake, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, Cairn, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, and more.
Steam Next Fest – October 2025 Most Played Demos
Here’s the full list of most-played demos from the Steam Next Fest of October 2025. If you’re keen to see the future of PC gaming, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on any of these upcoming games:
- Half Sword
- Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
- YAPYAP
- Final Sentence
- REANIMAL
- Everwind
- The Midnight Walkers
- THE CUBE, SAVE US
- MISERY
- Long Drive North: Co-Op RV Simulator
- Car Service Together
- Roadside Research
- Crashout Crew
- Servant of the Lake
- Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown
- Tears of Metal
- Painkiller
- CarX Drift Racing Online 2
- PowerWash Simulator 2
- Ultimate Sheep Raccoon
- Starsand Island
- Carnival Hunt
- Systemic War
- GODBREAKERS
- Eastern Era
- Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis
- Road to Vostok
- iRacing Arcade
- MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- Quarantine Zone: The Last Check
- Sudden Attack Zero Point
- Master of Command
- Teamfight Manager 2
- Anno 117: Pax Romana
- Cloudheim
- The Legend of Khiimori
- Cairn
- Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
- MENACE
- The Last Caretaker
- Of Ash and Steel
- Storebound
- HELLMART
- LORT
- Skate Story
- ’83
- Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II
- SealChain: Call of Blood
- Desktop Defender
- MOTORSLICE
Notably, many of these games still have their Steam Next Fest demos available, so if you’re keen to keep in the know, this list is a good first place to start.
