Five Steam demos out now to get ahead of Monday's Next Fest

On Monday, Steam will be flooded with hundreds of demos. There's only so much time in the day. So to get ahead on this Next Fest, here are five demos out now.

Matt Buckley

February 21, 2025 17:37

Source: Nopopo, DeadToast Entertainment, Moi Rai Games

Steam’s first Next Fest of 2025 starts on Monday. This will be an occasion for developers of upcoming games to release free-to-play demos to give people a taste of what to expect. On Monday the storefront will be swamped with an endless list of demos to try. But if you want to get a head start, there’s some games that have already released a demo heading into this weekend. So, when Monday arrives, you might not feel so overwhelmed.

Five indie games that have demos out ahead of Monday’s Steam Next Fest

Steam’s three annual Next Fests, one in February, one in June, and one in October, are events reserved for upcoming games. During the weeklong fest, developers can choose to participate by singing up and releasing a free demo available at least during that week. Each game is only allowed to participate in one Next Fest, that way you don’t see the same demos taking over three times a year. Many developers choose to use the Next Fest closest to their release date as an opportunity to share a slice of their game with players and hype them up for the launch. However, some of these games were only announced today, so it’s too early to tell if they will be released anytime soon. It’s normal for hundreds of demos to become available during a Next Fest, so here’s a handful of demos out now to let you get ahead of the game.

Five indie games that have demos out ahead of Monday’s Steam Next Fest
Shotgun Cop Man
Castle v Castle
Monster Train 2
Aethermancer
Tall Trails

Shotgun Cop Man

From DeadToast Entertainment, the developers of My Friend Pedro, comes another gun physics-based action platformer. The game is ridiculous from top to bottom. First of all, the title Shotgun Cop Man speaks for itself, then you get a look at the odd character faces, and then there’s the premise. You are Shotgun Cop Man, and your mission is to go to hell and arrest Satan. Seems easy enough. Use guns to propel yourself through 2D challenges, avoiding bullets from demons and other obstacles.

It may not surprise you to hear that Devolver Digital is publishing this one. They also published DeadToast’s previous game and are known for their absurd humor. Devolver has published tons of great indie games, including last year’s Neva and The Plucky Squire, as well as other indie classics like Cult of the Lamb, Death’s Door, and Enter the Gungeon. After trying out the demo briefly, I can already tell this one will join the hallowed halls of these strange but fun indie games.

Castle v Castle

For something involving less guns and hellfire, try out Castle v Castle, a freshly announced debut game from developer Nopopo, being published by Future Friends Games (Gourdlets, Europa) and Outersloth (One Btn Bosses, Clickolding) the publishing arm of Among Us developer Innersloth. Build up your castle and destroy your opponents in a card-based battle. Cards can vary from the basic attack and defend to more complex or magical effects.

The game has charming simplicity, it almost feels like it could be a physical card game with Jenga blocks. But the video game version moves a lot quicker and leaves room for things like giant robots and reflective mirrors, which might be harder to pull off at the living room table. Build a deck of useful cards to keep your castle standing while knocking down your opponents to progress in this turn-based rogue-lite, demo available now.

Monster Train 2

The sequel to the smash hit, Monster Train, Monster Train 2 is finally here, or at least the demo is. Developer Shiny Shoe returns with a new publisher, Big Fan Games. After the original earned “overwhelmingly positive” reviews on Steam, 96% positive out of over 18 thousand reviews, it only makes sense that a sequel would be on the way. Monster Train 2 brings back the same vertical turn-based, deck-building gameplay, but brings two new factions into the mix: angels and demons.

Monster Train 2 was announced a few days ago and revealed the demo at the same time. So, it’s fair to think that this may not be taking part so much in Steam’s Next Fest directly. After the success of the original, it would be shocking if Monster Train 2 were to be fully released so shortly after its announcement. But, even if Monster Train 2 has to wait until 2026, at least there’s a demo to play now.

Aethermancer

From developer Moi Rai Games (Monster Sanctuary) and publisher Offbrand Games (Rivals of Aether 2), comes a new creature-collecting rogue-lite, Aethermancer. Players will take part in turn-based strategic battles, commanding three beautifully animated monsters with varying abilities and powers. Venture into the void and try to stop it from destroying the world, but if you fail, you will always have the chance to try again with more skills and more knowledge.

Collect the souls of monsters to make them available at checkpoints. Build the synergy between your three monsters by leveling them up, choosing abilities and equipment that match their strengths or shore up their weaknesses. This demo has also been out for a few days already, but that just means you have all weekend to dive in. The developer shared on social media that they will be hosting a speed run competition starting on Monday, so now is the time to start practicing.

Tall Trails

If you’re in the mood for something non-competitive, something with no guns or swords, then the last demo on this list might be the one for you. Tall Trails, from developer Brady Soglin, is all about a small golem finding its purpose. Explore procedurally generated islands and use various items to launch yourself into the air. Use rocks to give yourself a boost or use a hot pepper to turn your boot into a makeshift jetpack. As a clay golem, you are invincible, so the only tasks are to explore and find your purpose.

Tall Trails is light, fun, and chill. There is an overall story to follow, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t free to wander and explore at your leisure. The best part of the demo is finding a new item and discovering how it works, whether it’s going underwater to find a starfish or pulling all the petals off of a sunflower. If you need a chill demo to give yourself time between other games, Tall Trails might be just the thing.

After this weekend there will be no shortage of demos to try during Steam’s Next Fest. But thankfully, you are reading this article, which means you can get a head start this weekend. Remember to wishlist any games you enjoy because it goes a long way for these independent developers. I hope you have a great weekend with plenty of great demos to keep you company. Look forward to more demos on Monday!