Henry's Top Demos From Steam Next Fest June 2025
One more day left.
Steam Next Fest comes to a conclusion tomorrow, and I've got a few demo recommendations before that happens.
Considering there are thousands of demos in the latest Steam Next Fest, I can't possibly play them all, so there's likely a few I've missed that would normally be my speed. This is a very specific list based on my own picks rather than the team's wider selections, one that I may further expand before the festival ends on June 16 at 10am PT.
If you're a VR fan, I've got you covered over elsewhere with a full list of PC VR demos. But overall, here are my personal favourite demos from Steam Next Fest.
Baby Steps
Baby Steps is a weirdly compelling yet infuriating game where you manually walk up a mountain, using your controller's triggers to move each leg. It's a strange game with a very niche appeal that's worth investigating, and this demo will immediately tell you whether it's for you or not.
Henry Stockdale
BALL x PIT
BALL x PIT by Kenny Sun and Friends aims to mix Breakout with Vampire Survivors, where we attempt to stop relentless enemy hordes after Ballbylon's fallen. You can read my recent impressions below to learn more, and the demo remains live on Steam.
Henry Stockdale
Downhill
We recently covered Downhill before its recent Kickstarter launch, which has since been successfully funded. Developed by Sisterhood Games, this is a 4th wall breaking action RPG where the character knows you are controlling them, and has her own views on each situation. How your relationship unfolds depends on your choices, and the Steam demo is a promising start.
Henry Stockdale
Formula Legends
Formula Legends takes clear inspiration from Formula 1, offering a cartoony arcade racer with strategic considerations. Set across the decades in a tribute to motor racing's legacy, this one's worth a look.
Henry Stockdale
Ghost Town
OK yes, I mentioned the VR list in the intro, and I've spoken plenty about Ghost Town over on UploadVR, but I'm highlighting it here too because it's absolutely fantastic. The latest puzzle adventure from Fireproof Games previously launched on Quest 3, and a PC VR demo went live before its upcoming Steam launch. If you have a headset, go and play this.
Henry Stockdale
He Who Watches
While technically a part of the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase instead, I'm still counting He Who Watches since this demo left me intrigued. It's a spatial puzzler where your bow and a single recallable arrow are your primary tool, and we'll be bringing you an interview with the studio soon.
Life Below
City builders aren't always my bag, usually because I'm an utterly terrible urban planner. However, Life Below takes a curious aquatic approach where you're instead tasked with resurrecting an underwater ecosystem and reviving coal reefs. I say give it a try.
Mina the Hollower
As a big fan of Shovel Knight, I've been waiting a good while to learn more about Yacht Club Games' next title. Mina the Hollower is a new action-adventure platformer that recently dropped a new trailer at Summer Game Fest, confirming a Halloween launch and a Steam demo. It's jumped high up on my most anticipated games list for this year.
Monument Valley 3
While the game previously arrived on mobile platforms, Monument Valley 3 is heading to PC and consoles next month. Going by the entertaining demo, this colourful indie puzzler from ustwo games will be worth the wait.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault showed up at plenty of conferences the last few weeks, and Digital Sun's clearly confident in its upcoming game. An action RPG roguelike with shopkeeping elements, the sequel's looking great so far, and I recently rambled about the passage of time since the original game.
Henry Stockdale
Possessor(s)
Developed by Heart Machine, Possessor(s) is a stylish action scroller from the Hyper Light Drifter team where you play as a demonic duo taking the fight to the shady organization responsible for your town's demise. I'm enjoying the narrative but found the combat a little basic, and you can read more below.
Henry Stockdale
Quantum Witch
Quantum Witch by NikkiJay is an upcoming 'Plotformer' that's described as a queer "choose your own adventure" story mixed with a point and click. Inspired by its creator's real-life experience being raised in a religious cult, you play as a farm girl caught up in a multiversal conflict. It's a good introduction and worth having a look.
Rogue Eclipse
Rogue Eclipse launched a demo not long before Steam Next Fest, though I'm adding it again because developer HUSKRAFTS updated the build for this event. Inspired by Star Fox, Armored Core and Arabesque Futurism, this spacefighter roguelike provides a compelling first impression on Steam.
Henry Stockdale
Sparkball
I'm not usually someone interested in MOBAs, though the premise of Sparkball has me interested. It's a 4v4 football inspired brawler from Opti Games where you shoot the ball into the opposing team's goal. I didn't have an opportunity to play for too long, so my initial impressions are relatively light, but it's a decent start.
TRON: Catalyst
TRON: Catalyst is the second time we've seen Bithell Games work on the series following 2023's Tron: Identity. Playing as a program called Exo, this brand-new story takes us back to the Arq Grid to defeat Conn, a new malevolent program seeking to undermine this world's stability. The full release arrives in two days and the demo remains live.
Yooka-Replayee
It's strange to think that it's been nearly 8 years since the original Yooka-Laylee first arrived, and I had mixed feelings back then. So far though, Yooka-Replayee looks like a considerable improvement with this enhanced edition. Whether it's enough for me to play through this story again, I'm not sure, but I'm willing to give it a chance.
Anything you've particularly enjoyed from Steam Next Fest? Let us know down below.
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