The June 2025 Steam Next Fest is underway, and with it comes hundreds of video game demos to scour and potentially savor.
This iteration of the Next Fest kicked off on Monday, June 9, and runs through Monday, June 16. Not exactly a ton of time to explore! Thankfully, we’ve navigated the storefront and have some recommendations to make your search a little easier.
Here’s a list of the very best Steam Next Fest demos from June 2025:
Honorable Mentions
A bunch of the current Steam Next Fest demos were already showcased at previous Next Fests, on the PlayStation Store, or at industry events such as PAX East 2025.
Rather than retread the past, here’s a list of demos we loved then, and still do now:
- Everdeep Aurora (Read about it | Play it)
- Fresh Tracks (Read about it | Play it)
- Mind Diver (Read about it | Play it)
- MotionRec (Read about it | Play it)
- Neon Inferno (Read about it | Play it)
- Shrine’s Legacy (Read about it | Play it)
- Unbeatable (Read about it | Play it)
Our Favorite Steam Next Fest Demos (June 2025)
On to the new stuff! From genre-blending brawlers to retro callbacks, there’s plenty to enjoy from the June 2025 Steam Next Fest.
Here are the best of the bunch:
Absolum
The idea behind Absolum is so good, it’s a wonder it hasn’t been done before. What if you took the guts of a beat-em-up (combo strings, throwable objects, co-op action, etc.), but applied it to the ever-changing DNA of a roguelike?
Dotemu, makers the excellent Streets of Rage 4, has taken it upon itself to find out. Pulling from its previous expertise, the studio has taken the framework of a traditional brawler and essentially added Hades — to great effect. Like Streets of Rage, you’ll bob and weave through hoards of enemies, either alone or with a friend. However, upon dying, you’ll return to a hub world where you can purchase permanent upgrades, equip new abilities, and swap between characters.
But I’m burying the biggest lede of all. Gone are the crowded streets of the city, instead replaced with the world of fantasy. I’m talking dwarves, elves, and other magical sorcerers. As Kenny Bania always said, “It’s gold, Jerry. GOLD!“
Developers: Guard Crush, Supamonks, Dotemu
Publisher: Dotemu, Gamirror Games
Release date: TBD
Play the demo!
Dead as Disco
No More Heroes meets Arkham Asylum meets Pistol Whip — that’s the best way I can sum up Dead as Disco. Set in a futuristic city dominated by shades of pink, blue, and yellow, Dead as Disco has players beating up thugs and “villainous idols” to the beat of an ever-present backing soundtrack. With your trusty pair of beam swords, leather jacket, and pompadour, your Totally Not Travis Touchdown will build up combos while dodging, countering, and performing executions on hapless enemies.
If you’ve played a Batman or Spider-Man game in recent memory, the controls will feel familiar. But where Dead as Disco differentiates itself is in its unique flow (attacks must sync to the beat for maximum effectiveness) and its unwavering commitment to style. In the demo’s vertical slice, which takes place in an underground train station, I avoided oncoming trains, wailed on foes as the camera transitioned from 3D to 2D, and caught a glimpse of the level’s idol — all to the tune of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac.”
In addition to its campaign, Dead as Disco offers a customizable hub space, an endless mode, and, of course, plenty of tunes. Throw in support for custom music (“Psycho Killer,” anyone?), and this hoedown showdown is shaping up to be quite the groove.
Developer: Brain Jar Games
Publisher: Brain Jar Games
Release date: TBD
Play the demo!
Hirogami
Remember Tearaway? Media Molecule’s cult-classic adventure captivated hearts with its endearing paper aesthetic and easygoing platforming. If you enjoyed that style of game (admittedly a bit of a deep cut), I’ve got some good news: Hirogami is going for a similar vibe.
Developed by a pair of Bandai Namco studios, Hirogami is a storybook adventure come to life. You play as a shapeshifting piece of origami, navigating various levels while battling enemies, collecting items, and performing various platform feats. In one scene, you’ll lie flat as a piece of paper, allowing you to ride wind currents and glide to your next objective. In another, you’ll turn into an armadillo, allowing you to plow through barriers to progress.
The result is a beautiful game with plenty of space for ingenuity. While I wasn’t totally sold on the gameplay (the controls are a bit finicky, and checkpoints are surprisingly scarce), the visuals alone were enough to pull me in. If the level design can match the energy of Hirogami’s excellent aesthetic, this could be one to watch.
Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, Bandai Namco Studios Malaysia
Publisher: Kakehashi Games
Release date: September 3, 2025
Play the demo!
Mina the Hollower
I demoed Mina the Hollower at PAX East way back in 2023, and it knocked my socks off then. So, it should come as no surprise that I came away impressed, once again, after playing the latest demo from the ever-talented Yacht Club Games.
The June 2025 Next Fest demo kicks off right at the start of the game. After receiving a letter from the Marshall of Ossex, Mina returns to the city she helped build 10 years ago. Unfortunately, monsters are afoot, and people are in danger. As a famed Hollower, Mina must take up arms against the evils surrounding the city — with presumably plenty of mysteries lying in wait.
Gameplay-wise, Mina the Hollower plays like an old-school 2D Zelda. Armed with a trusty weapon (either a flail, a hammer, or a pair of daggers), you’ll navigate intricately designed screens while battling enemies, avoiding obstacles, and solving light puzzles. In a neat break from the Zelda formula, Mina can burrow under the ground, allowing her to pick up boulders and access various nooks and crannies.
The demo culminates with a pair of particularly tough boss battles. As always, Yacht Club isn’t letting players off without a challenge — something that might rattle those expecting a breezy Nintendo-esque experience. If you can stomach the difficulty, though, you’re sure to be in for a treat.
Developer: Yacht Club Games
Publisher: Yacht Club Games
Release date: October 31, 2025
Play the demo!
OFF
It’s a good time to be an Undertale fan. Earlier this month, Deltarune just received its much-anticipated third and fourth chapters — both excellent and wildly different — in tandem with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Meanwhile, later this summer, fans will get another batshit adventure in the form of OFF.
For those unfamiliar, OFF is a 2008 RPG created by a pair of Belgian developers. Originally written in French, the game never received an official North American release. However, that didn’t stop fans from translating OFF into other languages, including English. The game has inspired plenty of other creators, including, perhaps most notably, Toby Fox.
Now, thanks to Fangamer, OFF is getting a second crack at Anglophone audiences. Remastered from the ground up with an updated translation, refreshed visuals, and even a new battle theme from Toby Fox himself, OFF is ready to inspire a whole new batch of creators.
The Steam Next Fest demo doubles as the game’s prologue, with players’ data transferring to the full game upon release. Across several hours, you’ll explore a surreal world, do battle with bizarre creatures, solve puzzles, and likely question the purpose of life itself. The narrative is bonkers (as you might expect from a game titled “OFF“), and though the gameplay feels a bit dated, I have a feeling no one’s really going to care. This is a game you play for the vibes alone.
Developer: Mortis Ghost, Fangamer
Publisher: Fangamer
Release date: August 15, 2025
Play the demo!
What Are Your Top June 2025 Steam Next Fest Demos?
Let us know in the comments below, and keep this page bookmarked! We’ll be updating it with new demo impressions as we play more over the weekend.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
