Steam Next Fest, running from February 23 to March 2, 2026, offers players a chance to try demos of upcoming roguelike and roguelite games. The event highlights titles ranging from deckbuilders to bullet heavens, with several promising progress carryover to full releases. Developers have updated many demos for this edition to include new content and tutorials.
Steam Next Fest occurs three times a year and provides limited-time access to demos of anticipated games. This February's event, from February 23rd to March 2nd, focuses on roguelike and roguelite titles, as covered in a guide by Rogueliker.
Among the standout demos is Vampire Crawlers by poncle, a deckbuilding spin-off of Vampire Survivors set for TBD release on PC (Win) and Xbox. It reimagines the original's replayability and accessibility through a card-driven framework, with demo progress carrying over to the full game.
Everything is Crab: The Animal Evolution Roguelite by Odd Dreams Digital, scheduled for May 8 on PC (Win), lets players evolve creatures from over 100 options. The demo introduces a Codex detailing unlocks.
Hordes of Fate by Spitfire Interactive, due in Q2 2026 for PC (Lin, Mac, Win), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, transforms Hand of Fate's deckbuilding into a bullet heaven. Players fight monsters using familiar heroes; the demo adds The Warrior hero, environments like the Wilds, Catacombs, and Caverns, and new enemy types.
Other notable entries include Australia Did It by Rami Ismail and Aesthetician Labs (TBD, PC (Mac, Win)), a tower defense bullet hell with unit merging; Froggy Hates Snow by Crying Brick (TBD, PC (Win)), an action roguelike with survival elements and a new tutorial; and Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes by Alt Shift (Q2 2026, PC (Win)), a story-rich roguelike involving fleet command, with demo progress carrying over.
Further demos cover Cursed Words (2026, PC (Win)), a word-game roguelike with enhanced features; Gambonanza (2026, PC (Lin, Mac, Win)), a chess-inspired title; Feywood Wanderers (Q2 2026, PC (Win)), a tactical roguelike; MÖRK BORG Heresy Supreme (TBD, PC (Win)), a grimdark RPG; Lootbane (2026, PC (Lin, Mac, Win)), an auto-battler; Enter the Chronosphere (TBD, PC (Mac, Win)), a turn-based bullet hell; Abduct ‘Em (TBD, PC (Win)), a sandbox abduction sim; and How Many Dudes? (TBD, PC (Win)), a dude-builder roguelike.
These demos cater to varied preferences, from strategic depth to chaotic action, encouraging players to explore upcoming releases.
