Steam Next Fest October 2026: every game we previewed, sorted by what you like to play

A soldier in a heavy coat looks out of a train doorway into a frozen, ruined landscape in Frostrail. — Frostrail was one of Next Fest’s most-played survival demos. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: FakeFish / Shiro Unlimited.

Steam Next Fest ran from October 19 to October 26. [1] We published a preview for each of the games below, plus a five-game roundup on the festival's first weekend. This page brings them together by genre, with a one-line pitch and what happened to each demo once the festival ended.

We checked every Steam page on October 31. Some demos stay up after the festival; others are removed, and a few games have already launched. Demo availability can change without notice, so treat "still listed" as a good sign rather than a promise.

Co-op adventures and horde shooters

Cartoon technicians in white coats work at control panels in Meltdown Crew’s reactor room. — Meltdown Crew turns reactor maintenance into online co-op. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Meltdown Games / Duhndal.

Haunted Paws: Two puppy detectives and a haunted mansion; a gentle co-op pick for pairs. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: May 2027. Steam page
Fart Together: Two to four players share one raft and very little dignity. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Go Next!: A third-person survivor-style shooter that sends the horde up the walls. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 9, 2026. Steam page
Meltdown Crew: Online co-op reactor repairs, where the panic is the point. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: December 2026. Steam page
Dumpster Gang: Raccoon heists for one to four players who like a messy sandbox. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: December 3, 2026. Steam page
Mortuus: Round-based co-op zombie shooting from a solo developer. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: January 11, 2027. Steam page
Deadzone Rogue 2: A sci-fi FPS roguelite for players who want builds as well as aim. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Grr Grr Gnomes: Tiny gnomes sail a very large ocean in co-op. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: January 19, 2027. Steam page
Geometry Rift: Apocalypse: Neon arcade roguelite with two-player local co-op. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: Q1 2027. Steam page

Party games, social deduction and head-to-head

A first-person view of hands opening a school desk drawer full of snacks in Worst Class Ever. — Worst Class Ever casts players as students hiding mischief from the teacher. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Funcore Games / 2P Games.

Worst Class Ever: One teacher, up to five troublemakers hiding among the class. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 9, 2026. Steam page
EVERYONE'S TIER LIST!: Rank things, then find out how well you read your friends. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 2026. Steam page
Tavernia: Trivia claims territory; duels steal it back. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 2026. Steam page
No Body No Problem!: One cop, several suspects and a body that needs to disappear. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Among Shadows: Fantasy action with hidden traitors in the group. Demo no longer listed. Release: Q4 2026. Steam page
just volleyball: Volleyball from one-on-one up to full six-player teams. Demo no longer listed. Release: November 4, 2026. Steam page
Half Grip: A roguelike racer where steering, shooting and gears compete for your hands. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Cranked: Mountain biking for players who care about the perfect line. Demo no longer listed. Release: December 1, 2026. Steam page

Builders, factories and management

Rows of orange-and-white machines line a space-station production floor in Main Sequence. — Main Sequence puts its factory inside ships and stations. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Tumbling Dumpling Studio / Mythwright.

Find The Needle: An incremental automation game about finding one needle in a lot of hay. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 6, 2026. Steam page
Can 'Em All: Shooting, processing and automation in one first-person factory. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: October 30, 2026. Steam page
Main Sequence: Automation in space, with ships and stations as the factory floor. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 12, 2026. Steam page
Log Drop: A physics toy about building contraptions and dropping too many logs. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Traffic Architect: Road design for players who enjoy fixing a junction more than building a city. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 3, 2026. Steam page
Ski-E-O! Ski Resort Tycoon: A ski-resort tycoon where weather and lift placement matter. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 12, 2026. Steam page
Malignus: Run the dungeon: feed the minions, maintain the traps. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 12, 2026. Steam page
Abyssal Lapidary: A gothic gem-cutting workshop in a Victorian-inspired underground city. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Probably Stolen: Cyberpunk shopkeeping where you never ask where the stock came from. Out now (October 28, 2026); the demo is no longer listed. Steam page

RPGs, dungeons and MMOs

Torch-lit adventurers fight shadowy enemies in a dark cave in Expedition: Into Darkness. — Expedition: Into Darkness makes the trip home part of the dungeon. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Antediluvian Interactive.

Melvor Idle 2: The next idle RPG from the Melvor team, for skill-training fans. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 17, 2026. Steam page
Expedition: Into Darkness: PvE extraction: getting your loot home is part of the dungeon. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: Q4 2026. Steam page
ArcheAge Chronicles: XLGAMES returns to its MMO world with an action-focused take. Demo no longer listed. Release: November 3, 2026. Steam page
Dungeonbound: A first-person auto-battler crawl where death just sends you home with loot. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 15, 2026. Steam page
Wyldheart: Bite-sized co-op fantasy campaigns. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Loftia: A cozy multiplayer life sim about farming, crafting and decorating. Demo no longer listed. Release: November 3, 2026. Steam page

Cozy, desktop and quieter ideas

A worn red-and-cream object sits on a cluttered workbench under a cleaning tool in Reshine. — Reshine is about restoring one object at a time. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Quite OK Games.

Character House: A collectible desktop companion that sits in the corner while you work. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: 2026. Steam page
Desktop Dreampair: Two little companions and a focus timer on your desktop. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: 2027. Steam page
Never Sort By Color: An organizing sim that sorts by shape, not colour. Demo no longer listed. Release: November 10, 2026. Steam page
Reshine: Restore one treasured object at a time. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: November 26, 2026. Steam page
Sandcastle: Walls, moats and a tide that always wins eventually. Demo still listed on Steam. No release date yet. Steam page
Hack You: A revenge story told through a fictional desktop and hacking tools. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: January 18, 2027. Steam page

Survival, sandbox and strategy

Everfront’s technology screen, with linked upgrade nodes on a dark panel. — Everfront’s upgrades shape where your territory pushes next. Official Steam screenshot. Credit: Wilhelm Tranheden.

Frostrail: Survival FPS aboard a steam train crossing a frozen world. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: Q4 2026. Steam page
MOLTYN: A pixel-physics sandbox where lava, water and buildings all interact. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: 2026. Steam page
Everfront: Real-time strategy roguelike where territory is your army. Demo still listed on Steam. Release: January 14, 2027. Steam page

How we chose these

These are the games we covered during the festival, not a ranking of the whole event. Our previews draw on developer material and store pages; where a preview says the demo was popular, that refers to Steam's live chart at the time. If one of these turns out to be a favourite of yours, we would like to hear about it.

Playable demo: Each entry above lists its current Steam demo status as of October 31; follow its Steam page link for the download button where one is listed.

Sources and reporting

Steam Next Fest: October 2026 Edition — Valve / Steamworks Documentation. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Festival dates: October 19 to October 26, 2026, 10 a.m. Pacific.
Haunted Paws — LazyFlock / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Fart Together — GamesMrkt / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Go Next! — Mixidev / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Meltdown Crew — Meltdown Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Dumpster Gang — Coyote House Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Mortuus — Hamuno / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Deadzone Rogue 2 — Prophecy Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Grr Grr Gnomes — emolingodev / FireAtacck / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Geometry Rift: Apocalypse — Víctor Vergara / Alex Vergara / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Worst Class Ever — Funcore Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
EVERYONE'S TIER LIST! — bookbook / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Tavernia — Hradba / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
No Body No Problem! — Crime Cleanup Co. / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Among Shadows — TMXN Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
just volleyball — temkosoft / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Half Grip — Half Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Cranked — Session Syndicate / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Find The Needle — Needless Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Can 'Em All — LuisDev / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Main Sequence — Tumbling Dumpling Studio / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Log Drop — Who Nose Studios / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Traffic Architect — Green Signal Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Ski-E-O! Ski Resort Tycoon — Falling Damage Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Malignus — Mossbomb / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Abyssal Lapidary — Light Worm / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim — Questing Goose Studio / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Melvor Idle 2 — Games by Malcs / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Expedition: Into Darkness — Antediluvian Interactive / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
ArcheAge Chronicles — XLGAMES / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Dungeonbound — louidev / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Wyldheart — Wayfinder Studios / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Loftia — Qloud Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Character House -Desktop Companion- — Yinengjie / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Desktop Dreampair — shrimpwarrior / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Never Sort By Color — Bryan Livingston / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Reshine — Quite OK Games / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Sandcastle — Bubblebird Studio / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Hack You — Mahlo / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Frostrail — FakeFish / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
MOLTYN — Hingston Digital / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.
Everfront — Wilhelm Tranheden / Steam. Published or updated: date not listed. Supports: Current release date or window and whether a demo is listed.

About the author

Able, Chief Editor

Able has spent six years reviewing games and following the stories around them. He focuses on what changed, what is worth a player’s time, and the context that gets lost in the announcement cycle.

Read this editor’s profile