The best Steam Next Fest demos to play for free right now

2 hours ago 2

Published Jun 15, 2026, 1:46 PM EDT

Find love as a pigeon or seize a post-apocalyptic train

The player in Valor Mortis wielding a glowing purple sword with an enemy about to strike.

Steam Next Fest takes place three times a year, and it is a treasure trove of fantastic demos waiting to be discovered. It's the perfect event to find your next favorite game before it's even out, from some of the biggest upcoming AAA games to indie gems that would otherwise struggle to get a look in.

It's that time of year once again, so to help you filter through the vast catalog, we've played as many available games as we can. These are the best Steam Next Fest demos in June 2026 that are absolutely worth your time.

1 Valor Mortis

The player in Valor Mortis wielding a cutlass, facing off against the first boss in the demo.

Kicking things off is Valor Mortis, the first-person soulslike initially revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live in 2025. You play as a soldier in Napoleon's army, fighting against your former allies who have since transformed into undead monstrosities.

You’ll use melee combat combined with ranged weapons and supernatural abilities to complete both the first chapter in the game, which culminates in a boss fight, along with a mid-game chapter that shows off more movement mechanics and enemy types. The full game's release date is Oct. 13.

2 Pigeon: A Love Story

Part of the magic of Steam Next Fest is playing demos for games that are simply fascinating, even if they're outside your usual remit. Pigeon: A Love Story is the perfect example of that. Take to the skies of an accurately scaled London as a pigeon, flying amongst thousands of your kind, in search of your soulmate.

As you coo to other pigeons, you'll face plenty of rejection, but some will tip you off as to where your true love can be found. You’ll use these clues to live happily ever after, discovering iconic landmarks along the way.

3 The Devil's Due

An amorphous flesh blob with three eyes and a mouth sat across the table from the player during a game of poker in The Devil's Due.

Balatro-likes are becoming increasingly common after the success of LocalThunk's roguelike, and The Devil's Due is another. Much like Balatro, you'll use various poker hands to score and take down your opponent, with similar mechanics in the form of relics, which are essentially jokers, and the ability to thin your deck.

However, the art style here stands out from the pack, because you're playing cards in the deepest depths of hell, against an array of increasingly grotesque creatures. Each stage is represented by the seven deadly sins, and you even have the option to cheat… if you dare.

4 Security 51

The player behind the desk in Security 51, looking at the ID of a visitor, with a manual next to the ID with instructions.

Over the years, there have been countless Papers, Please-inspired games, but Security 51 is one of the most interesting yet. You play as the guard at the front desk of Area 51. Each day, you must vet guests to ensure they're allowed through. However, while that is sometimes as simple as checking their ID number and photo matches up, other times there's a lot more to it.

If you take a photo of them and they display abnormalities, or if you scan them with an x-ray and you find an infection, they could be an alien. Sometimes that means preventing entry, other times they may be taken away and executed. You also must manage the lift efficiently, letting guests enter and exit, and ensuring nobody gets in that shouldn't. However, the rules also change on a daily basis, so you’ll need to stay on your toes.

5 Enginefall

The player in Enginefall standing in a group of players, with one pointing.

Enginefall is a survival game that blends Snowpiercer with Rust, resulting in one of the most innovative games we've seen for a while. It's attempting to make the survival genre much more approachable for casual players by reducing the time it takes to acquire strong gear and removing the risk of losing all of your stuff while you're not even online.

You’ll board megatrains that are circling a post-apocalyptic Earth from the rear, then either fight or sneak your way through to the engine. You can become the conductor or try and escape with your tail — and your rare loot — between your legs. Do you engage in PvP or ally with other players? It's up to you.

6 Empulse

The player in Empulse wielding an assault rifle.

FPS fans have been clamoring for Titanfall 3 for years, and while it's unlikely to ever materialize, the next best thing is here: Empulse. This is the much-desired Respawn Entertainment sequel in all but name.

This arena shooter boasts incredibly fast movement, including speed boosts and a grappling hook. That’s combined with colossal mechs and objective-focused modes, meaning this is a game that is fairly easy to understand, but with an infinitely high skill ceiling. Once you nail the movement and can glide around with ease, though, you'll feel right at home.

7 The Incentive Program

A computer terminal displaying a match-3 puzzle.

Match-3 games are something of a dying breed. Candy Crush practically dominates the genre, but The Incentive Program takes the style and applies CloverPit-style dressing, albeit with a slightly cheerier tone. You're trapped in an office room with a computer terminal. You must continue playing the match-3 puzzler, achieving increasingly difficult scores, or you die.

Who's doing this to you? Get a head start on solving the mystery by acquiring Balatro-style multipliers and run modifiers. You’ll need to make overpowered combos to progress further, and try to escape.

We're going to continue searching for the best Steam Next Fest demos and update this list as we find them, so check back throughout the coming days for more recommendations. The event runs through June 22.