The October edition of Steam Next Fest is happening right now. Unfortunately, discussion surrounding the event centers on the abundance of AI slop games dominating through sheer quantity. For every game that’s actually an indie title, 10 hastily made AI games seem to take its place.
It’s unfair that a bunch of bad apples are crowding the basket. While changes are needed going forward, shining a light on games that deserve the spotlight can make a world of difference for indie developers who worked hard to create unbelievable games. The best of the best on Steam Next Fest deserve a shot before the event ends.
1 Godzilla Roams Again in This Remaster
Digital Eclipse is back at it with another remaster that’ll have Godzilla fans excited. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered isn’t just a remaster; it's built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. While the gameplay and mechanics haven’t been touched, they still hold up today.
The demo offers an amazing taste by showcasing the fighting and destruction. While the character roster is limited, all players need to know is that Godzilla controls fantastically. It’s the perfect time to try out the demo before Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered comes out on November 3 for PC and consoles.
2 Hela of Mice and Magic is a Gorgeous 3D Platformer
The demo shows a witch giving her mice a backpack so they can go out into the world and be her eyes and ears. What follows is a short experience that highlights a gorgeous world from a mouse's perspective. The ambient sunlight in particular looks stunning when trying to find a way out.
The demo showcased all the traversal methods, including climbing that’s very similar to Breath of the Wild. As long as stamina doesn’t run out, players have plenty to explore. Hela: Of Mice and Magic comes out at the tail end of the year on December 1 for PC and consoles.
3 My Arms Are Longer Now Is Surreal and Hilarious
My Arms Are Longer Now has the same cheeky sense of humor as Thank Goodness You’re Here and Untitled Goose Game. Like the latter, players' job is to cause mischief with super-stretchy arms. Players will have a set number of tasks to complete before the level ends.
The demo shows how funny the game is, blending the styles of Adult Swim and dry British comedy. The voices, in particular, will have gamers chuckling to themselves constantly. Anyone looking for a good laugh will have to wait until 2027 with My Arms Are Longer Now.
4 Splatchinko is Fascinatingly Weird and Absurd
Splatchinko is a pachinko roguelike that’s a lot of fun, with simple, easy-to-learn gameplay. The different abilities players can acquire make it fun to eventually strategize a build. That holds, but the story is something else. We don’t mean this in a bad way, but Splatchinko is so weird.
When a three-eyed chicken says, "I’m your mom and an egg is the universe," players quickly learn what they’re getting into. Once the game starts, it becomes alluring enough to hook players. Splatchinko is slated to come out next year.
5 Apple Crumble is a Fun Murder Mystery
Apple Crumble was revealed at the Summer Game Fest Day of the Devs showcase and excited viewers. This is the same team behind the charming Duck Detective series, and Apple Crumble is their new mystery game. It centers on a mysterious family, similar to ones we’ve seen in Knives Out.
Happy Broccoli warns that the demo is about 30 minutes, but the full game is an hour and a half. Even with that warning, it doesn’t deter players from enjoying a fun mystery.
6 Mr Records Moves to its Own Beat
Mr. Records centers on an older man who owns a record shop and can transcend himself while listening to music. These sequences aren’t just great because of the original music and colors, but also because of the fun gameplay.
Another incredible aspect of this demo is how players can test out the level editor. Players don’t have to use the original music; they can import their own songs and create a level from them. It’s a great excuse to test out the demo and see why everyone is excited for Mr. Records.
7 The Wolf Among Us Remastered Brings Back a Classic
While players wait for The Wolf Among Us 2, the gaming world will soon have the classic The Wolf Among Us Remastered coming out on October 29. In the meantime, new and old players can play the demo which is the first episode. It does a brilliant job of setting up not only the Fables world, but also the eventual murder mystery.
The modern enhancements help make the noir elements stand out even more. There’s even a noir black-and-white mode that looks gorgeous. If anyone hasn’t played The Wolf Among Us, it’s time to rectify that mistake by playing the demo during Steam Next Fest.
8 Tearoom of Terror is a Darkly Funny Mystery Mixed With a Teashop Sim
Tearoom of Terror combines a murder mystery with being a teashop sim. The game centers around the player's aunt getting murdered and leaving them with not only a mystery, but a teashop to run. While running the shop, figuring out what happened to the player's aunt becomes a primary objective.
The deadpan horror along with its gothic quirks make it an easy standout. The demo for Tearoom of Terror does a phenomenal job of making players want to jump into the full game despite it coming out next year.
9 Grimkeep Changes Things Up by Adding Dice
Like the twisted fairy tales presented here, Grimkeep makes a big change to the deck builder roguelike. Instead of a deck of cards, players use a bag of dice. Players start with a standard set of dice and upgrade it to gain new abilities and unlock new synergies.
Even with a short runtime for a single run, this demo has a lot to dig into. Players will get hooked on the different possibilities at play in Grimkeep and that's just during Steam Next Fest.
10 There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is Delightfully Bonkers
Since its reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase back in 2025, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand has always gotten our attention. This demo for Steam Next Fest shows why, with all the elements at play. This game is part house cleaning, supernatural mystery, comedy, and a musical.
Fore those still in doubt after reading that, the demo is the perfect excuse to see why so much attention has been attached to it. There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is set for early success in the near future.
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