Steam Next Fest has returned with a mountain of demos for upcoming games to try, so my GPU has been getting a workout.
Last year, I discovered some of my favorite titles of all of 2025 thanks to Steam Next Fest, including Ball x Pit and Absolum. It’s worth perusing through the lists of countless demos to find your next top indie game.
I’ve been playing some demos over the past few days, and here are my picks for a handful you should try out immediately before scrolling when June 2026’s Steam Next Fest begins on June 15 at 12pm CT.
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June 2026 Steam Next Fest – Best demos
Mexican Ninja
This is a 2.5D roguelite hack-and-slash where you play as, you guessed it, a Mexican ninja, picking up power-ups and abilities as you slice your way through enemies. My favorite ability I found was an AoE fart attack that burns enemies and causes damage over time.
Mexican Ninja already launched back in October, but it’s a game I hadn’t heard of until recently. Steam Next Fest isn’t just for upcoming games, because it can also sometimes help you discover some fun ones you may have missed.
Mistfall Hunter
Dark Souls meets Escape From Tarkov. That’s the elevator pitch for this game launching next month on July 29, and the demo is worth your time if you’re a fan of third-person action games, the extraction genre, or both.
Mistfall Hunter features multiple classes, looting, and gear fear all wrapped up in a dark fantasy setting. I feel like this one has a chance to be a big summer title while many of the biggest publishers wait for the fall to release their games.
Deploy to a map, fight both AI and player enemies, loot their corpses, and get out.
Pixel Washer
This game’s premise is that it’s literally just a 2D version of Power Wash Simulator where you play as a pig and wash pixels. It scratches that same sort of itch, but with a cutesy and retro art style that’s undeniably charming. Plus, look at that cute piggy go.
EMPULSE
The new movement shooter from the makers of Splitgate is actually pretty awesome. It’s inspired by Titanfall, and that can be seen in both the mechs that spawn in during matches and the wall-running and “cracked” movement that is sure to attract FPS sweats.
The skill gap is likely going to be wide, but I can’t deny how good the gameplay feels.
over the hill
Some days, as a gamer, I really do feel over the hill. But with over the hill, it’s definitely more my speed: part racer and part cozy explorer, this game’s all about driving through a pretty area called Emerald Lake and enjoying the sights.
Washington Prime
I’m a sucker for a good boomer shooter, and this one’s visual style is one of my favorites I’ve seen in some time. The 90s aesthetic glows in this demo, and the synopsis has me wanting more:
“Step into the shoes of former special agent turned real estate agent Blake Kincaid, dragged back into the game to save a friend,” it says. “Fight your way through office buildings in downtown Washington D.C., October 1998, and uncover what happened over the course of one long night.”
Dearbnb
To break up the intensity of shooters, something like Dearbnb might grab you. In it, you’re tasked with buying and renting out apartments like an Airbnb, but the fun comes with the cozy and relaxing decoration part. It seems like a pretty deep management sim, too.
Let us know your favorite Steam Next Fest demos below, and I’ll try them out whenever I get time.
