Steam Next Fest, a different flavor of The Witcher and other new indie games worth checking out
Source: Engadget
Steam Next Fest Roundup
Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s happening in the indie game space. It’s Steam Next Fest week, with literally thousands of demos for upcoming games to dive into. I’m trying to check out as many as I can before the event wraps up on Monday.
Note: I made a near‑critical error in my planning – I opted to try the Raccoin demo first. I could have happily played that all week.
Raccoin
Developer: Doraccoon
Publisher: Playstack (also behind Balatro)
Release date: Steam, March 31
Genre: Coin‑pushing roguelike deck‑builder
- Core loop: Earn a target number of points each round; the target rises each round.
- Bosses: Every three rounds a “boss” appears – a few negative‑effect coins that must be cleared.
- Shop: After each round you can buy/sell special coins and upgrades.
My First Successful Run
- Electrify the coins – charge them to boost their score.
- Use passive abilities and special coins to spread and amplify the electrical effect.
- Replicated a cyclone coin that pulls nearby coins together; water‑based coins inside helped spread the electricity.
Some rounds required virtually no input – the cyclones dumped enough coins over the edge for me.
This was only the first way I’ve figured out how to break the game. Six hours in, I’m eager to find many more.
The Eternal Life of Goldman
Developer: Weappy Studio
Demo status: Available (wishlist‑ready)
Genre: Hand‑drawn platform adventure
- Play as Goldman, an elderly gentleman who swaps parts of his cane on the fly to hook onto floating rings or pogo off springs.
- Length: ~75–90 minutes, demanding focus.
- Constant visual activity in both background and foreground.
The game looks poised to be a standout title when it launches on PC, Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S later this year.
Vampire Crawlers
Developer: Poncle
Demo status: Available on Steam and Xbox
Genre: Turn‑based deck‑builder roguelite (Vampire Survivors spin‑off)
- Navigate first‑person maze‑like levels with a map showing enemies, chests, and bosses.
- Encounter enemies → play cards in a strategic order to deal damage or boost stats for that battle.
- Cards have mana costs; you can rearrange your hand before committing.
- Weapon evolutions add depth.
Turn‑based games aren’t usually my bag, but this demo hits right. I can already see dozens of hours ahead when the full game releases on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, iOS, and Android this year.
Other Demos I’ve Tried
- John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando – co‑op shooter in the vein of Left 4 Dead (a bit rough but enjoyable).
- Croak – precision platformer.
- Windrose – PvE pirate adventure.
- Replaced – cyberpunk platformer.
- Wax Heads – record‑store simulation.
- Titanium Court – match‑three/tower‑defense hybrid.
- Dragon Care Tarot – dragon‑petting game (yes, you can pet dragons).
I plan to explore the rest of the Next Fest demos over the weekend.
New Releases
Reigns: The Witcher
- Series: Reigns (Nerial & Devolver Digital)
- Platforms: Steam, Android, iOS
- Price: $6
Play as Geralt of Rivia in a narrative‑focused swipe‑based game. It’s a fresh take for Witcher fans and may even draw longtime Reigns players into the Witcher universe.
Bread and Fred
- Developer: SandCastles Studio
- Platforms: PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5
- Price: $15 (20 % launch discount on consoles; PS Plus required for PlayStation discount)
Co‑op platformer starring two adorable, tethered penguins. The goal: ascend a mountain by swinging each other to reach tricky spots. Miss a jump and you can plummet, losing progress. A single‑player mode replaces the second penguin with a rock. The pixel‑art aesthetic is super charming.
Towerborne (Stoic)
- Developer: Stoic
- Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox (PC), Steam, PS5
- Price: $25 (20 % launch discount on Xbox; also on Game Pass Ultimate & Premium)
Side‑scrolling RPG brawler that finally left early‑access after a major 1.0 update, now offering a full offline campaign for solo play.
Towerborne (Online Multiplayer)
Online with friends.
Stoic has added fresh biomes, enemies, and bosses, and there are said to be hundreds of missions, side quests, and bounties. I really dig the fluidity of the animations in the trailer, though the action is a bit hard to parse at first glance. Still, I’m curious enough to try out Towerborne.
Dice A Million
I’ve been a little too occupied with other Next Fest demos (plus Overwatch challenges, I’ll admit it) to play Dice A Million yet, but this roguelike deck‑builder looks pretty interesting. The aim is to find the right combination of dice and rings (i.e., passive abilities) to roll a million points in one go.
As with the likes of Balatro, it’s all about figuring out powerful synergies between dice and rings to break the game and rack up ridiculous scores. I did quite enjoy a line on the Steam page that reads:
“Cutting edge next‑gen graphics (not really, I drew all of them on Paint).”
- Developer: Countlessnights
- Publisher: 2 Left Thumbs
- Platforms: Itch, Xbox on PC, Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
- Price: $13 (20 % off on Steam until Mar 11)
- Demo: Available on Steam
Upcoming
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
“MOUSE: P.I. For Hire will now launch on 16 April 2026.” – Twitter post
The game continues to look rad, but Fumi Games and publisher PlaySide have delayed it by a few weeks to polish the title.
Teardown (Multiplayer Update)
I love the voxel‑based heist game Teardown, so I’m jazzed for the online multiplayer update. Tuxedo Labs revealed it will go live on Steam on 12 March.
- Co‑op campaign: Up to 12 players
- Multiplayer modes: Hundreds, including Prop Hunt, Battle Royale, and Floor‑is‑Lava (studio‑ and community‑created)
- Console rollout: PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions receive the update later this year
Stardew Valley – 10‑Year Anniversary
ConcernedApe (Eric Barrone) marked the 10‑year anniversary with:
- Early gameplay footage and stories from the game’s development
- Two new marriage candidates in the 1.7 update: Sandy (welcome!) and Clint (questionable)
“An orchestra will deliver a one‑night‑only performance of Stardew Valley music at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado, on 25 Oct.”
The Symphony of Seasons tour has already passed for many, but an official recording of a previous concert is now available.
Minimap Indie Showcase
Minimap, a social platform for gamers, ran its first indie game showcase this week. Highlights include:
- Thrifty Business (Spellgarden Games) – a cozy thrift‑store management sim coming to Steam this year; demo available now.
- Please, Watch The Artwork – an anomaly‑spotting game (no jump scares or monsters) from developer Thomas Waterzooi.
- Lily’s World XD – a psychological horror title from SonderingEmily where you investigate a teenage girl’s early‑2000s laptop; trailer evokes screen‑life films like Searching and Unfriended.
- Ikuma – The Frozen Compass (Mooneye Studios) – a coming‑of‑age adventure where you play as cabin boy Sam and husky Ellie (or hand one to a friend) trying to get home from the Arctic; slated for Steam later this year.
Tombwater
Originally slated for November, Tombwater was delayed by Moth Atlas and Midwest Games for further refinement. It is now set to arrive on Steam on 31 March.
- Genre: 2D Souls‑like with a Western setting, inspired by Bloodborne and early Legend of Zelda games.
- Gameplay: Face eldritch creatures while searching for a missing friend.
- Features: 7 playable classes, >50 firearms & melee weapons, >20 spells, ~20 hours of content.
- Demo: Available now (Next Fest).
Solarpunk
No release date yet, but the trailer is soothing. This co‑op base‑building and exploration game from the two‑person team at Cyberwave (publisher rokaplay) offers:
- Up to four players exploring floating islands, gathering resources, and building a shared homestead.
- Renewable‑energy tech to power tools that automate harvesting, watering, etc.
- Cool airships for island travel.
Steam launch: Later this year.
Demo: Available now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget.