Over the last few years, I’ve grown increasingly fond of playing demos over watching game trailers. Trailers can be fun (as I found myself squealing over the recent Xbox Showcase announcements), but there’s nothing like playing a small slice of a game and seeing your excitement for a game jump massively.
Steam’s Next Fest events are a great source of demos, but the sheer amount can be daunting to sort through. That’s why I’ve curated a list of game demos that are well worth your time. Here are the 10 of what I consider the best Steam Next Fest demos of June 2024.
10 must-play Steam Next Fest demos in the June 2024 event
I’ve listed 10 of my favorite demos from the Fest below, but don’t shy away from trying more if you get the chance. For example, GMTK’s Mind Over Magnet was very close to making this list and is still well worth your time. These merely edged out the competition.
Schim
Shadow-based puzzlers are far from a new thing for the puzzle genre, but something about Schim’s use of narrative combined with its novel take on shadow manipulation works very well for me. You play a small shadow frog hopping from shadow to shadow as you try to traverse the world. This includes people moving about as well, and they won’t wait for you to make a jump before going about their day. It grounds Schim in this semi-realistic setting that offers a lot of promise for the full release. Schim releases on July 18.
Akimbot
When I went into Akimbot, I was expecting a little platformer where you shoot some enemies and maybe toy around with a few weapons. What I wasn’t expecting was a well-put-together Ratchet & Clank-style platformer, equipped with pleasing scenery, weighty movement, and humor that quickly grows on you. It’s even got fluid combat that quickly gains depth. Akimbot is worth any platforming fan’s time and launches on Steam on August 29.
What The Car
I have yet to play the developer’s previous game What The Golf, but What The Car makes me want to pick it up ASAP. This little physics-based adventure game sees you run a car around (with actual legs, may I add) to cruise through levels and avoid numerous obstacles. However, each stage puts a unique twist on your car such as more legs or rocket boosters to switch things up. It helps elevate a rather one-note experience into one that constantly adapts to keep things fresh, and I can’t wait to see how that’s moved further along in the full release. What The Car launches on September 9.
The Operator
The Operator scratches an itch I’ve had since playing games like Orwell and Hacknet. This detective puzzle game sees you scour a government database to help Federal Department of Intelligence agents solve cases. You’ll scan for vehicle details, acquire names & addresses, and even locate discrepancies between witness testimony & real events. Its evidence footage can come across as a bit staged, but it has its heart in the right place and comes with full voice acting along with already challenging puzzles. The Operator is currently planned for a Q3 2024 release.
Wizard of Legend 2
I haven’t jumped into the original Wizard of Legend just yet, but as far as I can tell, Wizard of Legend 2 is already doing great to keep that gameplay style while translating it to a 3D space. It even tosses elements of its contemporaries like Hades into the mix to further its appeal. There isn’t too much in the demo to go off of, but I can already envision plenty of unique builds centering around the random character buffs. Wizard of Legend 2 currently has no planned release window.
Wild Bastards
Strategy shooters like Ready or Not feel right at home for me in their intensity, realism, and attention to detail. While Wild Bastards is nowhere near as realistic, combining strategy FPS elements and boomer shooters works shockingly well. Throw in a cosmic Wild West theme, unique & compelling characters, and more than enough passives, and you have a roguelike that feels almost created for someone like me. I’ve had the previous entry Void Bastards in my backlog for a while, and I’m thinking I’ll be checking that out sooner rather than later. Wild Bastards shoots its way into launch on September 12.
Kill Knight
From the second I saw Kill Knight at the Triple-i Showcase back in April, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. Having played its demo now, that excitement holds firm. This score-based arena shooter is a bit tough to get the hang of at first, but once you do, you feel like a slaughter symphony, weaving various attacks in between each other to wipe out consistently spawning hordes of foes. With plenty more tools in the full release, and more maps to come, this will easily become a great way to kill time while chatting in Discord calls. Kill Knight releases sometime before the end of 2024.
I Am Your Beast
One of Strange Scaffold’s previous games, El Paso Elsewhere, got me lost in its unique and impactful story while leaving much to be desired in its gameplay. Five minutes with I Am Your Beast showed this wouldn’t be the same situation. Each level feels like a sandbox waiting to be mastered, with more than enough weapons, explosives, and elevation to manipulate for a better time. It’s even got Mario-esque Goomba stomping, and who doesn’t want Goomba stomping. With a bombastic soundtrack and solid visuals to boot, I’m excited to see how the team expands on the core ideas with more levels to play with. I Am Your Beast is currently set for an August 15 release.
Tactical Breach Wizards
I went into Tactical Breach Wizards expecting an XCOM-style experience featuring tactical wizards armed with magic .357 ammunition. While what I got was a tactics puzzle game of sorts, I’m still impressed by how satisfying TBW can make setting up and executing a plan. Baiting an enemy into a trap or sending someone flying out of a window is great, and the story-driven aspects are rife with intrigue and some solid banter between characters. If you want to cast a few magic bullet barrages yourself, Tactical Breach Wizards releases on August 22.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
I wasn’t sold on Dungeons of Hinterberg from its trailers, primarily for the art style not jiving with me too well. However, that opinion has done a complete 180 now that I’ve had some time with it. This dungeon-crawler mixes narrative elements with some interesting locales, satisfying combat encounters, and more than enough puzzles. It’s even got some fluid movement through its hoverboard and rail-grinding traversal. It all oozes this sense of style that makes it hard to put down. Dungeons of Hinterberg releases on July 18, and is coming to Game Pass if you want easier access to it.
