The October 2025 edition of the Steam Next Fest is now live. This means that for the next week, you will get to try out a ton of demos for games that are either newly released or aren't released fully just yet.
The Steam Next Fest runs from now through to October 20th at 10 AM PT. As I mentioned before, maybe you'll want to check out some demos for virtual reality titles in case that Valve Deckard / Steam Frame VR headset rumor is true.
In case you missed it last week when we first mentioned the Steam Next Fest, I'll include the trailer for the event below.
Several press release emails have been sent out by studios announcing the availability of their demos as part of this Steam Next Fest. In fact, most of my emails today are about Steam Next Fest demos that were just released. We'll highlight a few of those below.
First up is Alruna: End of History, a pixel-art puzzle-platformer that is not actually a direct story sequel to Alruna and the Necro-Industrialists. You will play as the flower-nymph Alruna as she jumps, slides, and dashes through rotting cathedrals "in her search for salvation - for herself and others."
Those who played Exo One may want to try the demo for Exo Rally Championship. The demo is limited to a single planet with a single rover and a single 10 stage rally campaign plus three "ever-changing daily races with Steam Leaderboards." There is also a training mode and Free Roam to check out. This is billed as "the galaxy's most dangerous off-road racing event."
A demo for Casting Whispers is also available for those looking for a new first-person psychological horror game. In this one, "sound is the key to surviving a malevolent, unseen presence." The game will be out on October 22nd, which is just in time for some Halloween scares.
Step into a 1960s apartment block in small-town America, where something ancient and unexplainable has taken hold. As you search for your missing mentor, you’ll uncover the echoes of a terrible secret and confront the horror waiting in the dark.
A demo for the Painkiller reboot/reimagining just came out today too. The demo does include the ability to play online with friends, just as the full game will when it releases on October 20th.
There is a demo for Maid of Salvation, the dark fantasy adventure "with fast-paced combat, rich exploration, and an atmospheric world." You will play as Shizuka, "a maid of purgatory, on her mission to save lost souls."
Drive a bus around a virtual town in the Steam Next Fest demo for Bus Bound. This is from the creators of Bus Simulator 21 and Bus Simulator 18, so you probably know already if this one is for you or not.
Likewise, Docked is a sim game where you run Port Wake, trying to restore operations after a massive hurricane strikes.
Of Ash and Steel is a "retro-inspired, open-world RPG that blends old-school spirit with modern design." A demo is available now ahead of the November 6th release on Steam and GOG.
Dev studio Mileo.io released a demo for The Beast is Yet to Come today. This is a "chaotic 3D action roguelike where players embody a towering Troll built for destruction." The battlefields are "shaped by fierce weather" and "the game challenges you to crush relentless enemy hordes and survive in a world that adapts to break you."
On-Together is a "cozy virtual co-working game designed to help you focus and stay connected with friends." You can play this in windowed mode while busy working or studying, and "enjoy different playful activities when you need a break." The full game is out on Steam later this year.
And there are a bunch of additional emails I received today. I think I barely made it through half of the "new demo release!" emails just from today's batch of work emails. There are a ton of new demos available on Steam today, as you can probably tell already.
I personally had a few games on my Steam Wishlist that also have new demos available for this Steam Next Fest. I haven't played any of these demos yet, but I can mention them quickly here in case you were curious to see what games I'm at least somewhat interested in trying:
