Steam Next Fest February 2023 is finally live and we have tons of new demos to jump into during this event. This is the very first Steam Next Fest for 2023 and so far, the demos we have played are nothing sort of amazing. The February 2023 Steam Next Fest begins today February 6, 2023, and will run until February 13, 2023, during which you can try out thousands of free demos of upcoming titles.
While it can get pretty overwhelming to choose which demos to play out of the bunch, here we have listed some of the best demos that we have played so far. Each demo listed here has been played by us personally before the event or during the event and we will continue to add more demos as well so make sure that you keep checking back for more demos added to this list. Without further ado, let’s check out the best demos featured in the Steam Next Fest for February 2023.
Johnny Chainsaw
One of our personal favorites, Johnny Chainsaw gives you a completely unique take on platformers as the game does not have any sort of jump button. Instead, you use a massive chainsaw for all of your platforming needs. You jump with it, you cross gaps with it, and you move around with it. Try out the free demo on Steam and see if you can play a platformer without a jump button.
Townseek
The latest title to be revealed under the Super Rare Originals publishing umbrella, Townseek is a relaxing exploration and trading game developed by Whales and Games. In Townseek, you will take to the skies and explore the beautiful world of Explora. You will discover exotic landmarks, trade with faraway towns, fish, mine, and farm as you complete your journal. The free demo of Townseek is now available and you can try out the game right now.
Holstin
Developed by Polish indie developer Sonka, Holstin is a psychological survival horror game that might not impress you with its gameplay but the unique 3D camera in pixel-art environments, thanks to Sonka’s in-house engine, is a great mechanic featured in the game. This coupled with an eerie art style delivers a good horror experience that is definitely worth checking out.
Pixelshire
If you love building cities and communities filled with lovely people, Pixelshire might be the game that you are looking for. Set in the adorable pixel-art world of Arcadia, Pixelshire is a charming life & farming sim where you will terraform the world around you, build, and then farm and fish to sustain life. There is a lot more to Pixelshire than just building a community and this is what makes this such a great title to check out this week.
Full Metal Sergeant
If you have always wanted to train your very own platoon of recruits and lead them in battle, Full Metal Sergeant is the game for you. In Full Metal Sergeant, you will train your soldiers in just 12 days, prepare them for war and then lead them through a final battle mission. Increasing or decreasing their morale is your main goal here and the higher their morale is before the battle, the better they will perform. You can try out the demo right now on Steam.
New Cycle
New Cycle is a unique city-builder where you must inhabit the planet after 50 years of a devastating solar flare that destroyed everything. You must now try to establish a new civilization and rise from the flames as you create a world that not just focuses on survival but also on the growth and expansion of the human race as you transform your small city into a huge industrial metropolis. A great demo to try out if you love complicated city builders.
Alchemist: The Potion Monger
Alchemist: The Potion Monger is a potion-mixing game with a twist as it comes with RPG mechanics and you can mix potions, sell them for money or keep them for your own use as you can get different buffs by consuming them such as super jumps, start fires randomly or even launch people into the air. Check out this cool game on Steam right now.
Volley Pals
If you love adrenaline-filled sports games, Volley Pals by NAISU might be the demo for you. Volley Pals is an arcade volleyball game that features local multiplayer for up to 4 people. Designed to be a party game, in Volley Pals, you will play volleyball with your friends on different levels designed with different themes and mechanics. You can try it out on Steam.
Welcome to Goodland
Welcome to Goodland is a strategy/adventure game where you must try and survive in a world ruled by a ruthless Mexican cartel as their ordinary salaryman. You will do their money laundering and make tough choices by acquiring additional businesses and also making new friends who you can trust in this cutthroat business. You can give it a shot on Steam right now.
Sanctuary Saga
Developed by Boomer’s Workshop, Sanctuary Saga is a unique classic party-based RPG set in the dangerous worlds of Untamed Wilds. You will assemble your guild, maintain good relationships with one another and explore dangerous lands while trying your best to survive. Sanctuary Saga is inspired by classic pixel RPGs, and you can try out its free demo on Steam right now.
Brewpub Simulator
Another unique demo that you can download and play right now is Brewpub Simulator by publisher Movie Games and developer Star Drifters. The Brewpub Simulator will allow you to brew your own beer, be a bartender and decorate your pub to your own personal liking. After you are happy with it, you can open your doors and greet your very first customers into the pub as well. Depending on your needs and requirements, you can brew different types of drinks such as lagers, stouts and IPAs. If this is something you would like, you can download and play the demo right now from Steam.
Dynopunk
Dynopunk is set in an alternate universe where an asteroid never hit the earth and dinosaurs have now evolved to create their own societies and cities. You are the last surviving T-Rex and you run your very own electronics repair shop. You also want to build a time machine and travel to the past in order to find love. You can experience this unique adventure right now on Steam:
Glitch Busters: Stuck on You
Developed by Toylogic, Glitch Busters: Stuck on You is another great demo to try out during the Steam Next Fest. The latest demo for Glitch Busters: Stuck on You allows you to travel to Tube City, the heart of Interland where the most creative online content exists. It is currently over-run with Glitches, and you will need to clean up this mess alone with 3 other Glitch Busters. The free demo is now available on Steam.
1000xRESIST
1000xRESIST is a hyper-cinematic narrative adventure developed by sunset visitor 斜陽過客 and published by Fellow Traveller. In this game, you are a Watcher, a clone who lives at the world’s end and you worship the last surviving human: the ALLMOTHER. After a dangerous rumor makes you question your faith, you phase through time and memory to expose a 1000-year-old lie. This is one of the coolest demos to try in this list. Make sure you do not miss it.
Flame Keeper
Flame Keeper is an excellent action rogue-lite where you spend your own life in order to progress in the game. You play as a small burning ember who must collect lost fire and bring it back to the Eternal Flame to ensure its survival. We also previewed Flame Keeper earlier so make sure to check it out as well. You can download and try out the free demo right now:
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
Developer and publisher Frogwares has released their own demo for Sherlock Holmes The Awakened which is slated for release later in 2023. It is a remaster of the original title and has been built from the ground up featuring modern visuals and gameplay mechanics. The Steam Next Fest demo will allow you to try out a small chunk of the full game before its official release.
Wandering Sword
Wandering Sword is a wuxia-style RPG where you transform into a young swordsman caught in a deadly feud between rival sects in ancient China. You will travel through beautiful locations, charming towns, and dangerous terrains while making friends with like-minded pugilists and completing different quests to help needy people in order to become a kung fu grandmaster. You can try out the free demo on Steam.
DROP
If you love hacking, this next demo is for you. DROP is a hacking rogue-lite game where you will step into the shoes of a freelancer who is trying to gain fame in DROP, an anonymous system for hackers. You will break into digital enclaves and leave without a trace but if you get caught, you will be done for. Developed by Etherfield Studio and published by MicroProse Software, the free demo of DROP is now available as part of Steam Next Fest.
Paranoid
Paranoid is a new psychological horror game by Madmind Studio, the studio behind Succubus and Agony. Paranoid follows the story of Patrick Calman, a 31-year-old man who lost his entire family in mysterious circumstances. Losing his family caused him severe trauma and his own apartment turned into a prison for him. After 10 years of his sister’s disappearance, he receives a phone call where the caller sounds like his sister and now he must try to find her as his sanity gives way. You can check it out on Steam Next Fest.
Gazzlers
If you are looking for a cool VR demo then the frantic locomotive VR shooter Gazzlers is here for you. Gazzlers is a roguelite ‘on-rails’ shooter where you use a large variety of randomly-generated weapons to fend off little meatball monsters called Gazzlers. This is the first time that Gazzlers is publicly playable and if you have a VR headset, you can download the demo and try it out now.
Publisher Spotlights
This section of the list features publishers that are taking part with more than one demo. These demos all come under their respective publisher umbrellas but each of these titles takes you to a different genre filled with fun.
HOOK
Indie publisher Hook is showcasing two amazing demos during the event. You can try out The Magical Mixture Mill which is a game about mixing potions, and selling them to villagers by creating your very own automated potion-mixing facility. Download the free demo and mix the potions that you want right now.
The second demo featured by HOOK is the standalone spin-off game of the acrobatic roguelike shooter Madshot, Madshot: Road to Madness. In Madshot: Road to Madness, you will complete procedurally generated levels as you slaughter waves after waves of enemies with unique weapons, ultimate abilities, and tons of upgrades. Check it out on Steam.
Hooded Horse
Hooded Horse is also participating in the Steam Next Fest with two amazing demos. First off, we have Xenonauts 2, the sequel to the original Xenonauts. In Xenonauts 2, you are given control of a multinational military organization that is tasked with eliminating an alien invasion. While working from the shadows, you will establish covert bases all around the world, send your fighter wings on interception missions and gain a strategic win over the aliens. Check it out on Steam.
The second demo by Hooded Horse is the amazing game Sons of Valhalla. Sons of Valhalla is a unique hybrid of combat and base-building game that plays out like a sidescroller. In Sons of Valhalla, you will travel to England, build your very own Viking fort and lay siege to enemy strongholds, and loot everything that comes in your way. If you love Vikings and want to pillage and loot just like them, you can give its demo a shot on Steam Next Fest for February 2023.
Games Operators
Publisher Games Operators is known for titles such as Rustler and 911 Operator however it is now participating in Steam Next Fest to showcase four brand-new titles with demos. The very first demo is for Infection Free Zone which will be greatly loved by fans of zombies. In Infection Free Zone, you will control a group of survivors from your city and after selecting your base of operations, you will rebuild and readapt the buildings around you to create a self-sustaining settlement while keeping the zombies at bay. The game features real-world maps and you can play in any region of the real world that you would like. Its demo is now live.
Next, we have the King’s Order in which you will step into the shoes of a medieval monarch and dispatch envoys all along Europe to wage war with other kingdoms. You will need to find a strategy that will allow you to avoid the prying ears and eyes of your enemies and ensure that your dynasty reigns overall. Check out the demo and jump into it for free.
Next, we have Delivery INC where you will build your very own fleet of delivery cars to transport passengers, packages, and meals to any city in the world. Time is not on your side and you have to decide in the last seconds about which driver should handle each delivery. Every time your delivery gets delayed, and you get a one-star review, your ranking will take a beating. Its free demo is live as well.
The final demo released by the publisher is Sorted! where you will go through people’s trash and sort it out. You will explore people’s trash, look for valuables and fight against the clock to sort out each material type. The game also offers co-op and combos by hitting the conveyor belt rhythm. You can try out this unique game right now as well:
There are still tons of more demos to try out in the Steam Next Fest for February 2023, and we will be adding more demos that we like to this list later so make sure to keep checking back.
Which of these demos are your favorite and that you would like to check out while the Steam Next Fest for February 2023 is currently active? Let us know in the comments section below.
