The October chapter of Steam's Next Fest 2026 brought us over 8,000 game demos to check out. While many of them are infamously fully made with AI, there are some true gems on the list. 

We've compiled our favorites across different genres, styles, and game types. You might recognize some of the titles from our previous articles and developer interviews. Let us know in the comments which ones you've tested out and enjoyed.

Loftia

Loftia is a cute multiplayer game where you build a whole new world in the sky. It's a relaxing yet beautifully executed lesson on eco-consciousness: while crafting your cozy corner, you will learn to use renewable energy sources and master sustainable farming techniques. You will build community by befriending the NPCs and helping them out by accepting various quests. Plus, of course, you will meet adorable animals you can take care of and adopt, and they, in turn, will accompany you on this journey.

Hela: Of Mice & Magic

Continuing the topic of nature-inspired cozy adventures, we have the endlessly adorable story about mice who take matters into their own little paws to protect their forest, once guarded by a witch who fell ill. In Hela: Of Mice & Magic, you will collect ingredients, brew magical potions, solve environmental puzzles, and help your forest community by completing exciting missions. The breathtaking locations you explore in the game are inspired by the landscapes of Northern Sweden.

Reshine

If you like to look for beauty in details and enjoy hand-crafted pieces with history, you'll love this relaxing cleaning simulator. In Reshine, you have to take care of vintage objects that have gone through a lot and need some love, cleaning, and polishing. In a quiet, cozy attic full of instruments, you will take old pieces apart, clean them with different tools to remove dust and chipped paint, repair them if needed, reassemble all the details, and apply a shiny, fresh coating to make them look as good as new.

Haunted Paws

We've been eyeing this cozy horror co-op for a while now. In Haunted Paws, you play as two puppies who are on a mission to rescue their owner from a haunted mansion. Together with your friend, you will explore dark environments full of secrets, defeat scary creatures to set them free, and solve puzzles. You can pick your favorite dog breed to play as and customize the puppies to fight evil spirits while staying fresh and cute.

UNFROST

This co-op survival horror set in Antarctica is an intense, atmospheric shooter where you fight enormous Lovecraftian creatures. In UNFROST, not only do you have to survive extreme conditions in this frozen land, but you also need to study the behavior of the Riftborne, the mysterious giant monsters, to attack them efficiently and make sure they don't get you first. You also need to monitor weather conditions, because when brutal blizzards take over, your chances of survival are next to none. Read our interview with the developers to discover how they built the world of UNFROST.

Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy

Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy is a cinematic, story-rich survival horror game full of mystery. In the third chapter of the dark story of Remothered, the main character's daughter has been kidnapped, and now you have to do everything in your power to save her. For those who love all things supernatural, this game is a gem: you'll have to use retrocognition, mirror abilities, and moth manipulation to access what's beneath the surface and warp the environment to find hidden paths and clues.

Inkblood

Inkblood is not quite what you expect from a point-and-click detective game. In this occult puzzle, you take on the role of an investigator traveling the gloomy land filled with dark secrets in a carriage. You observe everything around you from the carriage window, and a special tool helps you uncover more than you'd expect. A magnifying glass that reveals events of the past will help you compare what you see to what happened before or, better yet, catch someone trying to conceal their deeds. Read our interview with Inkblood's developers to find out how they built this intricate visual puzzle.

Demi and the Fractured Dream

In this stunning action-adventure reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you play as Demi, a Voidsent creature. The curse of the void can both weaken you and help you unleash great powers. On your journey through the world of Somnus, you will have to defeat the Accursed Beasts to save the world. As you travel through the deep dungeons in Demi and the Fractured Dream, you will solve puzzles and use a whole arsenal of attacks, spells, and tools to fight ferocious monsters.

Alchemortis

It would be impossible to complete this list without a retro-style pixel-art game, and Alchemortis is a perfect one to fill this spot. It's an absurdly stylish roguelike inventory management auto-battler. Like a true evil alchemist, you will transmute and combine items to merge their stats, properties, and forms. If you organize them wisely in your inventory, you'll unlock powerful effects and create killer combinations. You will also discover new characters who will, in turn, give you access to entirely new playstyles.

Guns of Eschaton

This soulslike FPS with Dune-style environments and giant creatures is an emotionally charged apocalyptic Western from Viktor Antonov, the art director behind Half-Life 2, Fallout 4, and Dishonored. Guns of Eschaton became Antonov last title, as he passed away in February 2025.

The environments in the game are mind-blowing, the monsters you need to fight on your way through this hell are unbelievable, and the combat mechanics are surprisingly tricky to master. Unlike your usual shooter, where grabbing a heavier gun and blasting bigger bullets is enough to carry you through the game, here, it's not enough. You need to study the weaknesses of each creature you encounter and the specifications of each weapon to carry out precise, intentional attacks.

While these are our picks from Steam's Next Fest, there are, of course, a lot more games that deserve your attention. Let us know which you tried and which would make it to your personal top-10. 

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