Five excellent Steam Next Fest demos you might have missed

Steam Next Fest is over, but there's still time to catch up on the awesome demos you might have missed. Here are five recommendations to get you started.

Matt Buckley

March 4, 2025 19:50

Five excellent Steam Next Fest demos you might have missed Source: Nopopo, Doot & Zakku, and Chase the Bunny.

The first Steam Next Fest of 2025 is over. There will be two more weeks this year, one in June and one in October, where hundreds more demos become available for players to test out games. One common trend with every Next Fest though, is being overwhelmed with options. There’s only so much time in the day and a nearly unlimited number of demos to try. So now that the dust has settled, here’s a few great demos that you might have missed, and the best part: the demos are still available to play.

The best demos from Steam Next Fest you might have missed

There were quite literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of demos available on Steam over the last week. We are each just one person, so there’s no way we could possibly play them all. But we can help each other out with deciding what is worth our precious time. Feel free to leave a comment with the demos you had a good time with. Other than these five, I’ve also written about a few other demos that are all still available now that Next Fest has wrapped up.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown totally redefines my expectations for how fun a tactical game can be.

But there’s plenty more demos to talk about, and they are all still available to play and , even though the Next Fest has ended. I can’t guarantee how long these demos will remain available, and none of these games have release dates just yet, so jump into these demos while you still can.

Tails of Fate

Tails of Fate is the debut game from developer Chase the Bunny. This pixel-art 2D action platformer includes RPG elements, metroidvania dungeon exploration, and punishing souls-like combat all set in a fantasy world full of anthropomorphized animal characters. For the demo, which unfortunately doesn’t last too long, you play as a crossbow-wielding fox but also get a glimpse of the giant sword-wielding pig knight.

Of all the games on this list, Tails of Fate might be the furthest from a full release. The launch of the Next Fest demo led up to the final days of the ongoing Kickstarter campaign, which will just be wrapping up in the next two days. Fortunately, the game has already more than doubled its funding goal, and even hit a stretch goal to include console ports of the game once it’s developed. Unfortunately, with the Kickstarter just wrapping up, it does mean we are likely a long way out from seeing the full release. The Kickstarter optimistically estimates a December 2026 fulfillment for physical and digital copies of the game, and we’ll have to see if that stays on track.

But Tails of Fate absolutely stands out as one of the most promising demos of this Next Fest. The artwork is excellent, the gameplay is fun and challenging. I look forward to seeing what these developers are able to pull off now that their project is funded.

Castle V Castle

Castle V Castle stands out both in its stylish black-and-white visuals and its rogue-lite gameplay, which feels almost like it could be a physical card game. Build up and defend your castle while tearing down your opponent’s. Play cards from your hand that vary from summoning a giant robot to adding a few layers of blocks. Do what you can with the cards you are dealt and see how many other castles you can destroy before yours comes crumbling down.

If this doesn’t sound interesting enough on paper, it will be good to know that this debut card game from developer Nopopo has a big name ing it. Casey Yano, a developer that worked on hugely popular indie deckbuilder Among Us developer’s publishing arm. It’s safe to say that that guy knows card-based video games. Having tried the demo, I don’t need to take anyone’s word for it, the game speaks for itself.

I appreciate Castle V Castle for throwing me straight into the gameplay right when the demo loads up. There is minimal time spent setting up why you need to destroy the opposing castle or what the story is. Just get to it already. But this is definitely a game that will take time to get a better sense of how to play the best. As with all card games, luck is a factor, but it’s not everything.

Aethermancer

If you’re looking for a new game that scratches that Pokémon-like creature-collecting, teambuilding itch but provides more challenge and complexity, then look no further. From developer Moi Rai Games comes Aethermancer. You play as the titular Aethermancer, venturing into the void and gathering a team of monsters to fight by your side. Command these creatures in three vs three turn-based battles and see how far you can reach into the void before it spits you back out.

Aethermancer is a rogue-lite, meaning that the ultimate challenge is to find the end. The immediate challenge is to learn more about the game world, discover the strengths and weaknesses of various monsters, and build a team that works best for you. The demo only goes so far, of course, so you won’t be able to beat the game entirely. But there are still two environments to explore and a whole gang of NPCs to interact with.

Maybe the best part of Aethermancer is the wonderful pixel-art designs of the various creatures. They are all so unique, fit the game’s aesthetic, and have such creative animations. One of the creatures, Mephisto (they are all based on various folklore and legend), looks like a flaming dog with six red eyes. Then when it casts a spell, its color shifts, it raises up on its hind legs, and a ghostly/demonic face emerges above it. I don’t know whose idea that was, but the effort to animate that was well worth it. I’m excited to see what else Aethermancer has in store past this demo.

Is This Seat Taken?

There’s always room in my life for another creative puzzle game. Is This Seat Taken? from Poti Poti Studio is a game where you help people find the right seat. The demo takes you through various scenarios like a taxi, a bus, and a movie theater. Meet the various characters who each have different desires about where they want to sit and drag them over to the best spot. Some characters will want a window seat, others will want to sit with their friend, and some won’t be able to sit next to the guy that hasn’t showered in a few days.

Is This Seat Taken? is a cute interpretation of something we all go through. This isn’t a highly challenging puzzle game; it’s just about taking the time to figure out what works best for everyone. All the other games on this list are great, but they can be intense sometimes. Taking a break to drag and drop some cute simple characters into the seats that make them happiest is a much-needed change of pace.

Personally, the simple challenge of slowly putting together a puzzle is oh so satisfying. When I’ve placed everyone in the right seat on the bus and it drives away full of smiling characters, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. If you’re playing some of the other high-stress, fast-paced, violent games on the market right now, you can always make time for ten or twenty minutes in a cute puzzle game.

Kabuto Park

Speaking of relaxing games, I’ve saved another for last. Kabuto Park, from developers Doot and Zakku, who worked on last year’s cozy indie hit Minami Lane, is all about catching bugs in the park. The demo is immediately adorable as your mouse is the pointer finger of your character, pointing at locations on a crudely drawn map, deciding where to go next to find some cool bugs. I don’t use the word “cool” lightly either. Rather than the usual “Ok” at the bottom of prompts, Kabuto Park chooses to substitute the word “Cool” instead.

It's not all sitting in the park looking at cool bugs though. If you want to earn the cash to afford a trip to the lake to find more cool bugs, you’ll need to win some bug battles. Nothing violent. Just pick a team of three bugs and try to push another kid’s group off the stump. Different bugs have different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities that you can activate mid-battle to give yourself an advantage.

In the demo there are only a handful of bugs to find and capture, but I felt immediately compelled to try to find them all. Visiting an area gives you a few options to explore. By the lake you can check the tree trunk, its roots, the reeds by the water, and more. When you find something, you must time your net swipe. The more common bugs are easier to catch, while the rarer ones will more easily avoid your net, making the sight of it flying away all the more heartbreaking. But much like when I explored nature as a kid, I’m determined to keep trying until I find something cool. Maybe that’s what Kabuto Park was trying to make me feel the whole time?

Let me know what other demos you’re playing or what games you’re looking forward to. There is absolutely no shortage of great games to play this year, it’s just a matter of finding the right ones for you.