Steam’s latest Steam Game Festival is now underway, with some 900 demos available for the next week, and a busy schedule of developer interviews and livestreams.
The festival runs from 10 am on June 16 to 10 am on June 22 PDT (5am, June 17 to 5am, June 23 NZST). Throughout the whole week, there’ll be numerous events running, including developer livestreams, Q&A sessions, Discord parties, and the like. A full event schedule can be found on Steam.
Steam Game Festival also has demos—lots and lots and lots of demos—freely available to play over the course of the event. There’s no comprehensive list of demos that I can see (yet), but the Steam Game Festival hub has featured lists by genre, and will also show you if there are demos available for any games on your wishlist.
Here are a few particular highlights:
- Fae Tactics – “In Fae Tactics, follow a young magic user named Peony on her journey across a vibrant world full of mystery and danger. Summon allies, cast spells, and befriend a motley crew of characters as you dive into the growing conflicts between man and magical beings known as fae.”
- Best Friend Forever – “Ever wanted to raise a pup and somehow navigate the mysteries of human dating at the same time? Meet the colourful cast of Rainbow Bay, date a few cuties, and teach a new dog new tricks – maybe even a flip. With the power of dogs and millennial woes on your side, this isn’t a game to miss!”
- Haven – “They escaped to a lost planet to be together. A RPG adventure about love and freedom. To play solo or co-op with a special someone.”
- Boomerang Fu – “Slice and dice your friends with boomerangs in this frantic physics party game. Join a crew of your favorite foods as you grill, chill and spill your enemies. Discover ridiculous power-ups and stack them together in deadly combinations to become the ultimate Boomerang Fu master.”
- Spiritfarer – “Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying. As ferrymaster to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and guide them across mystical seas to finally release them into the afterlife. What will you leave behind?”
- SkateBIRD – “Grind on bendy straws, kick-flip over staplers, and carve killer lines through cardboard and sticky tape parks. Above all else, skate birds try their best!”
- Calico – “Calico is a day-in-the-life community sim game where you are given an important and adorable task: rebuild the town’s cat café and fill it with cute and cuddly creatures! Build up your café by filling it with cute furniture, fun decorations, yummy pastries, and get it bustling with animals again!”
- Black Book – “Black Book is a dark RPG Adventure, based on Slavic myths, in which you play as a young sorceress. Fight evil forces in card-based battles and explore the world, where humans live alongside mythological creatures.”
- Cris Tales – “Play the debut demo now! Cris Tales is a gorgeous, indie love letter to classic JRPGs with a new perspective. Peer into the past, act in the present, and watch as your choices dynamically change the future — all on one screen as you play!”
- Raji: An Ancient Epic – “Raji: An Ancient Epic is an action-adventure game set in ancient India. A young girl named Raji has been chosen by the gods to stand against the demonic invasion of the human realm. Her destiny? To rescue her younger brother and face the demon lord Mahabalasura.”
- Perfect Gold – “There’s a festival in town, and friends-turned-enemies Marion LaRue and Audrey Clary are stuck in detention. Determined not to miss out, the two escape together. Play as Marion and Audrey as they explore the magical city of Castlecoast and get a second chance at love and friendship.”
- KeyWe – “KeyWe is a cute, co-operative postal puzzler starring Jeff and Debra, two small kiwi birds working in a whimsical post office. They must jump, flap, peck and butt-slam their way across an interactive landscape of levers, bells and buttons to get those messages delivered on time!”
- Paradise Killer – “Paradise Island, a world outside reality. There’s been a murder that only ‘investigation freak’ Lady Love Dies can solve. Gather evidence and interrogate suspects in this open world adventure. You can accuse anyone, but you’ll have to prove your case in trial to convict. It’s up to you to decide who’s guilty.”
- Sail Forth – “Explore beautiful scenery and battle pirates with a fleet of custom-outfitted ships in this procedural sailing adventure.”
- A Space for the Unbound – ” slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixelart set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers”
- Fight Crab – “Welcome to Fight Crab.A new 3D action game where you take control of a crab, and fight off other giant enemy crabs.Physics allows for crabs to move powerfully and quickly in this hardcore battle arena.Freely control your pincers to use weapons and develop your own crab fighting style.”
- Chinatown Detective Agency – “Chinatown Detective Agency is a cybernoir point and click adventure blending stunning retro design with innovative mechanics. Manage your detective agency and use real world research to solve cases as you unravel a global conspiracy.”
- Röki – “Röki is an adventure game inspired by Scandinavian folklore – a dark, contemporary fairy tale underpinned by a touching narrative, an alluring art style, ancient puzzles and atmospheric exploration.”
- Adabana Odd Tales – ” ‘This is a tale of ‘flowers’ that never bloom.’ Shirohime, a girl who has lost her memory, and Kurofude, a mysterious boy, traverse through classic Japanese fairy tales within the land of Adabana, a realm of illustrated books. What awaits them after they mend the distorted tales?”
- Gestalt: Steam & Cinder – “Inspired by 16 and 32-bit classics, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder fuses tight 2D platforming and exhilarating combat with an engrossing, twist-laden narrative in a stunningly handcrafted steampunk world.”
- Builders of Egypt – “Builders of Egypt is a city-building economic strategy taking place in the Nile Valley. Immerse yourself in a world full of pyramids, where you will become a part of the ancient world. Create history, be history!”
- Metamorphosis – “Play as Gregor, turned into a tiny bug, and set out on an extraordinary journey to unravel the mystery of your transformation. Metamorphosis is a first person adventure set in a surrealist world where your newfound abilities are your last and only hope for redemption.”
- Balsa Model Flight Simulator – “Balsa is a detailed Model Flight Simulator with a powerful editor where you can design, build, fly and battle with model aircraft. Developed by the creator of Kerbal Space Program, Balsa is a virtual flight experience like no other.”
- Eldest Souls – “In the beginning, there were Gods. Long imprisoned and forgotten in the Temples of the Citadel, they have syphoned the life essence from the world in their final act of vengeance. A lone Knight embarks upon a quest to slay the Gods and restore the balance. One warrior. One sword. Against them all.”
Have you played any Steam Game Festival demos that stand out to you? Is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
