It’s that time of the year again, when video game developers are gearing up to give people an early taste of multiple titles that are in development. The February 2026 edition of Steam Next Fest has kicked off. Like previous Next Fests, there’s a wide variety of games across multiple genres to try out, ranging from spooky delivery games to blood-soaked tactical-RPGs and stylish assassination adventures.
We’ve highlighted 30 demos in particular to try out–all available for the low price of absolutely nothing–and this is just the tip of the iceberg, as hundreds of other studios will take part in the demo showcase.
Steam Next Fest starts on February 23 and runs through March 2. Once it wraps up, there’ll be a few more events to look forward to. The upcoming Steam Spring Sale 2026 will run from March 19-26, and you can also look forward to sales focused on tower defense, hidden object, and medieval games over the coming months.
Atre: Dominance Wars
It’s a great time to be a fan of 4X strategy games, and Atre: Dominance Wars offers just that and a little something extra for anyone with a god complex. Not only do you get to explore a dynamic world populated by unique races, but you can also rise to godhood and conquer the land before dark magic rips it apart.
Shutter Story
Hereditary horror and old-school computer programs collide in this spooky game, as you have to help your best friend find out if he really is being haunted. Using the latest in spectre-detecting software, you’ll analyze Eli’s family photos and home videos as you explore strange phenomena in each image and sort them into the correct category. Just remember, there are consequences for making mistakes, and your investigations will determine the fate of Eli and his family.
Ex Sanguis
A stylish turn-based strategy RPG, Ex Sanguis puts you in command of an elite squad of Stillae soldiers who protect a dying world from the nefarious forces of Stasis. The game is aiming to offer freedom to experiment through procedurally generated levels, giving players a vast arsenal of abilities, traits, builds, and synergies tailored to how they want to carve their own bloody path across a battlefield.
Wild Blue Skies
You know what there just isn’t enough of these days? On-rail shooters with a cuddly cast of anthropomorphic animal pilots, that’s what. Fortunately, Wild Blue Skies looks set to fill a certain cosmic-vulpes hole in life, as Bowie Stray and the Blue Bombers take to the skies to save the day in this modernized take on the classic on-rail adventures of the ’90s.
ZeroSpace
Imagine the gameplay of StarCraft with the storytelling of Mass Effect, and you’d have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this old-school sci-fi real-time strategy game. What could be the main selling point for ZeroSpace is its Galactic Warfare mode: a series of co-op missions where friends battle to claim control of the galaxy for their chosen faction.
Collector’s Cove
Are you in the mood for a cozy farming adventure on the high seas? Then you’ll want to check out Collector’s Cove for a chill expedition. There are no enemies to worry about in this world, as it’s just you, your adorable animal pal, and an ocean that hides numerous secrets and surprises.
Voidling Bound
We’re almost 20 years removed from the days of EA’s Spore and its suggestive creations, but Voidling Bound looks like a spiritual successor to Will Wright’s fabled creature-creation game. With some pocket monster DNA thrown into the gene pool, Voidling Bound lets you create and shape colorful critters that are the last line of defense against a devastating parasite threatening all life.
Ruin: Beast City
Sure, you’ve played a game or two where you’ve been tasked with assassinating people, but Ruin: Beast City wants you to execute targets with style. An action game inspired by dark anime and horror films, you’re armed with a katana and a revolver loaded with silver bullets as you set off on a mission to slay a group of mythical immortals.
Tombwater
The Old West had no shortage of outlaws, bandits, cattle rustlers, and snake-oil salesmen, but Tombwater pits one gunslinger against Eldritch horrors in a town overrun with monsters. A 2D souls-like where you can wield firearms, blades, spells, and apothecary items, you’ll need to dash and slash through the cursed streets of Tombwater and its surrounding areas to get to the bottom of a dark mystery.
Sunken Sky
In case you haven’t had your fill yet of 2D metroidvanias featuring elegant hand-drawn illustrations, check out Sunken City this week. With several protagonists, challenging bullet-hell enemies, and an interconnected world to explore, it looks like it’ll check multiple boxes for fans of the genre.
868-Back
Billed as a computer-hacking strategy game, 868-Back is a sequel to 2013’s acclaimed 868-Hack and is inspired by roguelike dungeon-crawlers. As a legendary hacker, you can engage in some high-stakes cybercrime, steal valuable data, and expose megacorps in this cyberpunk adventure.
Town of Zoz
Food is the greatest ice-breaker, and in Town of Zoz, you’ll get to use your magical culinary skills to forge bonds and power up. As the new food shaman on the block, Ito sets off on a quest to master the soul-infused machete and his magic-enhanced recipes so that he can learn about the town, help people overcome their personal nightmares, and discover ancient secrets.
Titanium Court
A surreal strategy game, Titanium Court features puzzles, secrets, and at least one giant mouse lying right in your path. Developer AP Thomson (Consume Me and Fortune-449) has cautioned that the game requires a lot of reading, but doing so will qualify you for one of several positions in the titular Titanium Court.
A Game About Sucking (Up Ghosts With a Vacuum)
You’re not going to believe this, but A Game About Sucking (Up Ghosts With a Vacuum) is indeed a game about sucking (up ghosts with a vacuum).
Wardrum
Barbarians might be looked down upon by “civil” society, but in Wardrum, these loincloth-wearing warriors know how to keep a beat going. A turn-based rhythm roguelite where you plan and execute your tactics to the beat of primal pounding, Wardrum puts you in charge of a warband in a dangerous fantasy world that requires you to master flawless rhythmic skill.
The Ratline
Inspired by the real-life hunt for Nazis that took place in the decades after World War 2, The Ratline is a gritty detective game where you have to analyze evidence, follow leads, and make sharp deductions so that history’s greatest monsters can face justice.
You Know the Drill
Addressing the human need to dig really deep holes just for the sake of it, You Know the Drill is a relaxing mining game about digging underground to harvest ores, buy upgrades, and use them to upgrade your drill into a high-powered mining machine armed to the teeth.
Deadliest Pigeon
The animal kingdom gets deadlier by the day, and this week, you can unleash the feathery fury of a pigeon with a gun. Deadliest Pigeon arms the scourge of any freshly washed vehicle with powerful firearms and a grappling hook, all in the name of vengeance.
Wild City
If a Steam Next Fest list appears with no mention of a roguelike deckbuilder on it, can it truly be called a Steam Next Fest list? While we grapple with that existential question, you can check out Wild City, where deckbuilding meets tile placement and wild stuff happens.
Trading Card Inspector
If Logan Paul can make $16 million off a fancy piece of cardboard, then maybe there’s something to the trading card game hobby after all. Described as Papers Please meets the high-stakes world of trading-card grading, Trading Card Inspector puts you in the shoes of a rookie who becomes involved in a tale of friendship, corporate espionage, and murder while doing quality-control checks on limited-edition cardboard.
Damon and Baby
Part Monsters Inc. and part twin-stick shooter, Damon and Baby stars the unlikely team of a demonic king and a wee baby as they take on all sorts of monsters in this cute anime-inspired adventure. Between battles, you can upgrade Damon to make him more effective at all ranges, and boss battles will require you to use gimmicks in each stage to triumph over your foes.
Table Flip Simulator
Science has proven that any problem can be solved by flipping a table, and as you’ve surmised, that’s exactly what you get to do in Table Flip Simulator. The physics-based puzzle allows you to blow off steam by wrecking the world, as you’ll master the fine art of flipping tables during pivotal moments.
Rewind 99
VHS rental stores may be relics of a bygone age, but you can step back in time and see what it was like to run one in Rewind 99. The nostalgic simulator puts you in charge of a dying video rental store just in time for the arrival of streaming giants RentNet down the road, but by renting tapes during the day and hustling at night, you might just be able to keep the lights on in a cruel world.
Guardians of the Wild Sky
A survival-crafting adventure where you can sail through the skies on your trusty airship and explore a massive world, Guardians of the Wild Sky is teeming with mysteries, cute critters that have the potential to be your greatest ally, and flying castles. The core gameplay loop revolves around building, crafting, creating, and sailing across the endless skies.
Truckful
There’s a town that needs supplies, and as the owner of a reliable pickup truck, it’s up to you to get the cargo to its final destination in one piece–while also avoiding an ancient forest that could turn your ride into scrap metal if you stay too long on its haunted roads. This is the second demo for Truckful, and developer MythicOwl estimates that it’ll offer up to an hour of new content for potential delivery drivers to try out.
The Eternal Life of Goldman
We’re suckers for any whimsical-looking platformer that offers cute vibes and handcrafted art, and The Eternal Life of Goldman looks like it’ll check all of those boxes. It’s not entirely cozy, as disturbing imagery and chilling narration give this intriguing game a dark edge.
Denshattack
All the style of a Y2K cel-shaded game mixed with the extreme sports focus of that era, Denshattack gives you a rebellious train and miles of tracks to speed through while performing some sick tricks. It’s an on-rails game, but in a good way.
Wax Heads
We’re still a few weeks away from Rex Manning Day, but until then, you can live the Empire Records dream with Wax Heads. Just like that classic film–and let’s drop High Fidelity in for good measure–it’s a simulator that goes behind the counter of a record store, and it’s up to you to cater to the musical tastes of your clientbase, ring up some sales, and keep the lights on.
Australia Did It
Join a mercenary team, protect cargo trains, and cash in some low pay for this high-risk job in a game that blends the turn-based tower defense genre with reverse-bullet-hell gameplay. Between waves, players can merge units to create powerful new types and variations, all in the pursuit of getting a train to deliver its goods on time.
Fogpiercer
In case you haven’t had enough of trains yet, you can also check out Fogpiercer during Next Fest. sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder that also has turn-based tactical gameplay at its core, you’ll need to cleverly position your train carriages and create explosive chain reactions to fight through the deadly fog.
