Steam Next Fest June 2026 Is Live — Here Are the Demos Worth Playing Right Now
CtrlQueen
Steam Next Fest
Event: Steam Next Fest — June 2026 Edition
Dates: June 15–22, 2026 (10am Pacific start)
Format: Hundreds of free playable demos across all genres
Platform: Steam
Steam Next Fest: June 2026 Edition kicks off today at 10 a.m. Pacific and runs through June 22 — one week of free playable demos from developers around the world, spanning every genre on Steam. The event gives upcoming games their best pre-launch visibility and gives players the chance to try before wishlisting. There are hundreds of demos available from the moment it opens.
As always, Next Fest is one of the best events on Steam’s calendar — not because of a handful of marquee releases, but because of the sheer volume of smaller and mid-sized games that surface during the week with demos that wouldn’t otherwise get attention. If you have a Steam account and spare time this week, it’s worth browsing. Your next favourite game might be in there.
A handful of games on our radar have demos live right now as part of Next Fest — here are some worth checking out.
TANUKI: Pon’s Summer
Life Sim · BMX · Japan
Play as Pon, a part-time postman in a Japanese town. Deliver packages, pull BMX tricks, and restore a shrine before the end-of-summer festival. Save data carries to the full game.
Order of the Sinking Star
Puzzle Adventure · Jonathan Blow
The first-ever playable demo for Jonathan Blow’s decade-in-development follow-up to The Witness. Over 1,000 handcrafted puzzles across four converging worlds.
Voidling Bound
Creature Collector · Action RPG
Third-person creature-collecting action RPG — harvest body parts from enemies mid-combat and evolve your Voidlings through branching evolutionary paths. Already out of Early Access.
ReStory
Y2K Japan · Electronics Repair Sim
Run a chill electronics repair shop in early-2000s Japan. Restore retro devices, uncover customer storylines, and airbrush-customise your restorations. 400,000+ wishlists.
Forensics: Crime Scene Detective
Investigation Sim · Real Police Collaboration
Investigate crime scenes and analyse evidence in a lab simulator developed with Germany’s State Criminal Police Office Rhineland-Palatinate. Launches July 13.
Drillbound
Incremental · Mining
Drill toward the planet’s core, gather ore, smelt it into upgrades, and unlock machines that push you deeper. Extended demo live now. “Just one more layer.”
PengPong
Roguelite · Physics · Hockey Stick Combat
Strike pucks and weapons at enemies with a hockey stick instead of shooting directly. Roguelite progression, 100+ items, 1960s rubber hose animation aesthetic.
King’s Well
Roguelike Deckbuilder · Steampunk
Feed steampunk machines with cards to trigger powerful attacks and combos. Poker-meets-roguelite with a distinctive mechanical aesthetic.
Steam Next Fest runs June 15–22, 2026. All demos are free. Wishlist anything you try that appeals — you’ll get a notification when it launches. Browse the full event on Steam.
