Looking for a change from your usual gaming routine this weekend? Check out these 5 demos from Steam Next Fest.
The October edition of Steam Next Fest 2024 is shaping up to be a vibrant and exciting showcase, with a wide range of games from various genres for players to explore, wishlist, and enjoy. However, sifting through the vast selection can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
To make it easier, we played a few games earlier this week and uncovered some of the most interesting titles. Here are five games with demos you can try out this weekend during Steam Next Fest.
AI Limit
The most popular Soulslike in this year’s lineup—and for good reason. Developed by Sense Games, AI Limit doesn’t rewrite the formula but refines it beautifully.
Set in the last human city of Havenswell, you play as The Blader, a synthetic lifeform navigating a world in the throes of collapse.
Along the way, you’ll meet humans and other Bladers, sharing their stories and uncovering the hidden truths behind the city’s downfall. Think Lies of P, along with the post-apocalyptic vibe of NieR: Automata.
Combat in AI Limit rewards aggression and precision, akin to Bloodborne. Your attacks generate a resource that powers spells and parries, but here’s the twist—you lose it when taking damage.
This mechanic pushes you to stay on the offensive without reckless abandon. The parry system is proactive, encouraging you to strike just before enemies land their blows.
AI Limit’s demo hints at a gripping post-apocalyptic narrative, and we can’t wait to see where the full release takes us. It’s set to launch in 2024, both on PC and PlayStation 5, although the exact date is still under wraps.
Cursebane
Cursebane, developed by Flyway Games, a KRAFTON studio, stands out as one of the most notable roguelikes in October's Steam Next Fest.
With its beautifully animated pixel art, it might seem like a retro throwback at first glance, but don’t be deceived. Cursebane blends fast-paced combat reminiscent of Hades with sprawling, randomised maps. Its open, detailed environments evoke the exploration of classic Diablo-style ARPGs, offering a modern twist on the genre.
Every time you re-enter the map, you could find yourself in a snow-covered landscape battling Yetis and ice goblins, stumbling across a grave filled with corrupted spirits, or even duelling a rival samurai.
But the true heart of Cursebane lies beyond its hack-and-slash mechanics. The real highlight is the thoughtful choices presented at key moments during each run, which shape your journey and influence how each run goes. For each run, you encounter a lot of NPCs or even abandoned items that present you with choices that are high risk and high reward or even dramatically alter your playthrough.
The story may not be entirely fresh (at least for now), but it’s still intriguing. Combined with the combat, exploration, and encounters, you’ll find yourself fully immersed before you realise two hours have flown by. With all the decision-making involved, each run feels different from the last.
Cursebane's demo is available now on Steam, though the release date for the full game has yet to be announced.
Windblown
Windblown is a lightning-fast action roguelike from Motion Twin, creators of Dead Cells. In this game, peaceful life on The Ark—a floating village orbiting the deadly Vortex—is disrupted as warriors known as Leapers must fight to save their kind or become another casualty of the Vortex’s emissaries.
The game delivers rapid, fluid combat across sky-bound, ever-changing islands, where players dash through relentless battles and face brutal bosses. As Leapers absorb the memories of fallen warriors, they unlock new weapons and adaptive combat styles. Success requires mastering timing, learning from each death, and embracing Windblown’s tough-but-fair challenges.
However, with the game’s fast pace and flashing lights, players with photosensitivity may need to proceed with caution or steer clear.
Windblown enters Early Access on 24 October 2024, and a demo is available on Steam.
Supervive
Supervive comes from developer Theorycraft Games, a studio made up of ex-developers from Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games and Bungie. This is a PvP MOBA battle royale game with over 16 playable heroes, ranging from a flamethrower-wielding fox to a lightning-summoning anarchist.
Matches will take place in a wild, open-ended combat sandbox where players have to jump, glide and bounce their way around environments to explore the map, pick up loot and put together the perfect build.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced multiplayer game to try during Next Fest, Supervive is a great pick. With chaotic combat and multiple ways to return to the fight even after death, the game offers a solid twist on the battle royale format players have become accustomed to.
Squads (four players) and duos battle royale will be available as game modes, along with 4v4 arenas and other special event modes.
Supervive is set to launch sometime in Q4 2024, but you can try its demo right now during Next Fest.
Knights in Tight Spaces
Developer Ground Shatter is back with an unusual twist on its previous game, Fights in Tight Spaces.
Knights in Tight Spaces is a standalone tactical deckbuilding game that takes place in medieval times, concentrating the fun of Fights in Tight Spaces’ action-packed gameplay into a deck of cards. Now, players will fight their way through levels of enemies using ability cards, while watching action movie-like visual effects and animations play out onscreen.
To win a combat encounter, players have to learn to control their environment, position characters carefully and constantly maintain a tactical edge over their foes. Special moves can be unlocked once players have racked up enough momentum and combo points. You’ll also have to recruit new characters and assemble a party as you make your way through the procedural map, but some of them may be villains rather than allies.
Knights in Tight Spaces has 300 cards, different classes and gear to play around with. The game has no release date, but a demo is now available via Steam Next Fest.