A week of free demos, hidden gems, and upcoming games worth checking out. I’ll be sharing my hands-on impressions as I work through this year’s lineup.
The Demo Lineup
Hop’s Awakening!
A colorful, hand-drawn shoot ’em up with playful visuals, collectibles, and plenty of charm. Played on the AYN Thor using DroidDeck.
Raging Blasters 2
TERARIN GAMES returns with a more polished and vibrant shoot ’em up. I enjoyed the new FUSION system, but preferred the colorful chaos of fighting alongside the automated support ship. The demo played great on the AYN Thor using DroidDeck.
Wirehawk
An old-school arcade shooter with glowing neon vector graphics inspired by the classics of the ’80s. Blast through alien waves, dodge bullet storms, collect power-ups, and chase high scores. I played the demo on Steam Deck, where it ran great and felt right at home for quick handheld gaming sessions.
ERLIK
ERLIK takes the familiar Vampire Survivors formula and adds enough of its own ideas to stand apart. Inspired by Turkic mythology, this pixel-art roguelite lets players embrace corruption for greater damage or lean toward the light for healing and protection. Those choices influence weapon evolutions and how each run unfolds. I’ve played the demo, and this one is definitely worth checking out.
Warhammer Survivors
Warhammer Survivors might be my favorite game of Steam Next Fest. Leveling up your Space Marine can be a slog, but keep your head down, commit to the grind, and over time, you’ll be rewarded. The game really clicked once I rescued my first soldier and watched him join the battle. A few hours in, and I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of this demo. This is my jam. It’s a day-one purchase!
Geometry Rift: Apocalypse
Some games just click, and Geometry Rift: Apocalypse had me hooked almost immediately. This neon-soaked arcade shooter combines frantic twin-stick combat with roguelite progression, unlockable ships, and increasingly powerful builds. After a couple of hours with the demo, I’m already looking forward to more. It’s got that one-more-run magic.
Cataclyzm
Heavy metal, bullet hell, guitar pedals, and beer! This chaotic vertical shoot ’em up doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of its charm. Swap weapons using guitar pedals, unleash Fuzz bombs, and collect beer to rack up points. An absolute blast for fans of over-the-top arcade action. Lemmy would approve.
Mini Mart Survivors
What happens when your neighborhood convenience store becomes a battleground? Mini Mart Survivors puts a quirky spin on the survivors formula, sending waves of enemies your way as you collect upgrades, strengthen your character, and try to survive the chaos. I spent more time testing this demo than I originally planned, including seeing how it performed on my Android handhelds.
Guns ‘n Goblins
Imagine Minecraft meets Call of Duty: Zombies. Guns ‘n Goblins combines colorful, blocky visuals with first-person horde survival, weapon upgrades, and base building. Ring the bell to summon waves of monsters, earn gold, and strengthen your Bastion. It took a few weapon unlocks before the game really clicked for me, but once I had some serious firepower, it was game on!
Go Next!
Bullet heaven meets ridiculous parkour in this chaotic 3D survivors game. Battle endless enemy hordes, collect upgrades, and leap across rooftops while building increasingly powerful weapons. Fast, fluid movement and plenty of absurdity make this one worth checking out.