Best Free Game Demos In Steam Next Fest 2022

Best Free Game Demos In Steam Next Fest 2022

Game demos are nearly always worth downloading, but here are some standouts from 2022’s Steam Next Fest, from platformers to roguelikes.

Steam Next Fest has proven itself a great opportunity for game designers to show off their new games and for people to find out what’s new in the independent PC gaming landscape. Hundreds of game demos come out during this showcase and livestreams run in order to promote some under-the-radar experiences that consumers might be interested in.

Still, with the sheer amount of demos available during such a short period of time, there’s no way to play all of them. Steam has made it easier to curate a list by having the front page of the Next Fest tailored toward users’ specific tastes and different selectable themes. With Steam showing categories for both the most wishlisted games from the festival (so, besides Elden Ring) as well as the most downloaded demos, it’s easy to explore the games getting the most traction.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Related: Steam’s New Sale & Discount Changes Explained

Digging deeper, there are all sorts of game genres represented this year and people may only have time for one or two during the week of Steam Next Fest. There’s a large amount of simulation, city building, and survival games along with some shooters and adventure-based titles that all show promise. Here are some curated games that have great demos that people should try out for themselves during the festival.

Golfie’s Mini-Golf With a Twist is a Surprise Hit of Steam Next Fest

Golfie, a deckbuilding mini-golf game

Golfie takes two game styles that have seen a lot of recent popularity – mini-golfing sims and deckbuilding roguelikes – and mashed them together. Mashing the beloved genre of roguelikes into such a structured and action-heavy genre as golfing might seem like a bad idea at first, but the mechanics are fun and exciting and the levels are surprisingly challenging for being semi-randomly generated. The deckbuilding aspect of Golfie allows players to pull off hilarious shots and makes course evaluation different than the many mini-golf games on offer.

The demo lets players experience a surprisingly large chunk of the game and also provides enough different cards to experiment with different playstyles. While the game is slightly easier than other roguelikes, aim adjustments and vertical terrain make the game a thought-provoking and replayable experience. With the ability to play through three separate worlds and an already active leaderboard, this is a game that’s definitely worth investing some time into.

The Wandering Village is a Colony Sim on the Back of an Animal

The Wandering Village, a PC Colony Sim Game

Colony sims have seen a resurgence lately as Rimworld continues to be popular and some of the best recent RTS games like Timberborn continue to pop up on the Steam storefront. The Wandering Village is a new game in the genre that has the creative hook of the village being on the back of a large beast called an ”Onbu.” The movement of this beast is what changes the seasons in-game as well as the weather and disease effects.

Related: Screen Rant’s 2021 Game of the Year

The demo introduces players to most of the unique mechanics of the game, such as controlling the villagers, protecting them from invasions, and navigating the effects of the biomes the Onbu is walking through. The colony gameplay is something players are probably used to, with farming, mining, and general resource development being the focus. The mix of the cartoony 2D villagers and giant 3D behemoths is wonderful to look at and the backgrounds fit with the epic scale of the game.

Kao the Kangaroo is Bringing Back the 3D Mascot Platformer

Kao the Kangaroo, a 3D Platformer for PC in 2022

Kao the Kangaroo has a fairly short demo, but the game accurately recreates the feeling of the best 3D platformers like Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and the 3D Rayman games before it. The demo showcases the weighty simplified combat and a few platforming puzzle challenges. The story is still the game’s most up in the air aspect, but it has a fair amount of quippy dialogue that captures the aura of the early 2000s.

Rebooted from the original games and redesigned from the PC, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance era, the new Kao the Kangaroo keeps the linear gameplay from the originals but expands upon the levels to create something in line quality-wise with more recent 3D platformers like A Hat in Time. The game has a limited life counter and some of the demo level is blocked off, but overall Kao the Kangaroo has a nice atmosphere and should be enjoyable when it comes out.

Food Truck Simulator is Exactly as Advertised and More

Food Truck Simulator for PC

Food Truck Simulator is a large title but definitely worth a look, as it truly does provide a full simulation experience that’s still popular with streamers and casual gamers alike. Being able to drive around, get ingredients, and cook the fast food makes this game feel like a full tycoon experience rather than another transit or job simulator. There’s already a good sense of progression, with players fixing up the food truck in the tutorial levels present in the demo.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077’s Food Is Begging For Cooking & Vendor Systems

The story feels a bit over-explanatory at times but it doesn’t take away from the customization options and progression that the demo presents. The map is large, and even though only a small slice is available during the demo, finding shortcuts and driving through the city streets is fun and quirky. Filling orders and managing the day-to-day operations of the food truck is quick and skill testing, so for people looking for cooking sims for Elder Scrolls, driving sims like American Truck Simulator, and company sims like Two Point Hospital will all find something to enjoy about the game.

The Steam Next Fest is much like being able to go to a games expo in the comfort of one’s own home. Getting to demo titles that are innovating the landscape of their respective genres while also learning about the developers through interviews can help players understand the artistry and technical skill behind game creation. Demos are not only a great way to spend time gaming during the day, they’re also great practices that allow people a free look before deciding to purchase the full game. Larger games often get more press than even the biggest indie games, so the festival does a great job of filling in that gap.

Even after the festival ends, these demos will most likely still be up, available for anyone who wants to take a chance on a new title. Finding a game to be hyped for and keep up with is easy this year thanks to Steam’s focus on showcasing under-the-radar games. The future of independent games and smaller development studios looks bright, and Steam Next Fest has done a good job of supporting developers who want their games on the ubiquitous PC gaming storefront.

Next: Most Anticipated Games Of 2022

Link Naked Dialog Option

Breath of the Wild’s Shrines are Apparently Easier if Link is Naked

About The Author

Joshua Cole
(69 Articles Published)

Joshua Cole is a gaming writer for Screen Rant and a recent graduate of Emerson College with a BFA in Writing for Film and Television. He’s taken that storytelling prowess and analysis and is applying it to gaming, where stories are aplenty.

He’s based out of San Diego, California, and when he’s not writing, he’s probably looking for another creative outlet in the form of playing Magic: The Gathering or Planet Coaster.

More From Joshua Cole

Author: Deann Hawkins