LudoNarraCon has returned for another year, bringing a host of discounts, developer talks and game demos for the latest and greatest narrative video games.
If you’re looking for a new story-focussed adventure to enjoy, LudoNarraCon is great for discovering your next favourite. Each year, the showcase features a well-curated lineup of diverse, unique games, some of which may have flown under the radar.
Diving into the lineup via Steam, you’ll find so many cool new games to explore – perhaps too many if you’re easily overwhelmed. To that end, the ScreenHub team has prepared a list of highlights, for all the demos we’ve played and enjoyed during LudoNarraCon 2026 so far.
Start your exploration for yourself, or take our tips with you.
Here’s all of our must-play highlights from the demo lineup.
6 big new game demos to play during LudoNarraCon 2026 – quick links
The Dungeon Experience
The Dungeon Experience is one of the most anticipated upcoming Australian-made games for good reason. Developed by Jacob Janerka (Paradigm) and Simon Boxer (Ring of Pain), this narrative adventure follows a young and eager mud crab who has created his very own ‘dungeon experience’ as a playable exhibition for explorers (with only good intentions, and not to fleece them for money).
Beyond introducing your endearing host, the game’s demo reveals your first steps into this dungeon, and the core tone of humour for the adventure: extremely slapstick, silly and over the top.
You’ll know pretty quickly if this game is for you or not, particularly as the demo starts with the requirement to push in hyper-realistic nipples, as gateways into the titular dungeon. From there, it only gets sillier as you meet a man working as a table and an annoying adventurer who just won’t leave you alone.
Beastfolk Barber
Beastfolk Barber is a novel hairdressing adventure game where you must spend time with magical clients to learn what they desire, then give them a transformative haircut that will fulfil their wishes. All the while, you’ll be working towards an earned deal with a demon who promises to gift your heart’s desire if you can serve your community well.
It’s nice to see hairdressing adapted in gameplay form. While it often features as a customisation option in games, it’s rare that it’s the sole focus of a narrative. The game also does well to to immerse you in this world, letting you pick and choose fringe and back combinations for neat hairstyles, as well as participate in activities like cutting and brushing hair.
Pair this novelty with an intriguing story of a human barber serving their magical community and figuring out their place in the world, and Beastfolk Barber is shaping up to be something very sweet.
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch)
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch) is a point-and-click horror adventure haunted by the presence of Janet DeMornay, its titular witch and landlord. The game’s demo, laying tracks for the game to come, is a fascinating one that’s perfect for those who love point and click mysteries and don’t mind a horrible little scare at times.
This opening prologue follows a real estate agent who is also the minion of Janet DeMornay, traversing his agency and attempting to follow her dark will. To ensure she gets her hooks in and that her dark presence spreads, you’ll need to figure out how to hang her painting, destroy magical horse protectors and create shadows enough to spread her strange and uncanny mould.
What works best about this experience is Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (and a witch)‘s janky, analogue art style. It’s rickety in parts, with movement being particularly jarring, adding layers of horror and revulsion to its many fun, challenging puzzles.
Neverway
Neverway is an upcoming farming and life RPG simulator with a core difference. Rather than being typically peppy and lovely, it’s drenched in dour notes, with striking notes of horror. The game’s protagonist, deeply depressed and also recently out of work, moves to a new island in search of some mental peace. What they actually discover is a strange, horrifying world filled with monsters, and a task to become the herald of a dead god.
While the gothic tone may be surprising for those who love the life sim genre, it’s rich ground to explore a new version of this type of story, with layers in how it deals with mental health, horror and the trappings of genre.
As a first taste, the game’s demo does well to reveal much about the tone of this adventure and that it won’t shy away from the impact of depression and how it can transform lives.
I Shall Name The Dead
I Shall Name The Dead likely hasn’t been on your radar just yet, but it should certainly be on there. This upcoming point-and-click adventure game follows a woman who’s tasked with uncovering the forgotten names of the dead and speaking them aloud. Once the name is spoken, they can be at peace.
It’s a novel concept, and one that lends itself well to an artful, gorgeous adventure where every turn around a corner brings some new and bold art. The way developer Tiago Rech uses colour is eye-catching, with deep oranges and blues defining a magical yet grounded world where your morbid task plays out with great beauty.
I Shall Name The Dead is a moving artwork, with the right amount of challenge in its click-based exploration.
The Telwynium
If you played any classic fantasy adventure games on PC between about 1980 and the late 1990s, The Telwnyium will be a beautiful, nostalgic trip. This game from Dave Lloyd (The Drifter) is deeply inspired by this era of gaming, adapting 16-colour EGA artwork and traditional point-and-click adventure gameplay into a sweeping tale of dark fantasy and adventure.
The demo for this game comprises the first book of a lengthy story, buoyed by clever puzzles and intrigue. It sets the scene for the fantasy to come, as you journey alongside your companions to survive the invasion of dark forces and the destruction of your home.
While some of the puzzles in this demo are a bit obtuse – as is tradition for this gameplay genre – there’s plenty of opportunity to experiment and figure out the core, flowing logic at its heart. When you finally make progress, the feeling of satisfaction is unmatched.
