Steam Next Fest Summer 2025 | Demo Reviews
Demo reviews from Steam Next Fest Summer 2025! I played over 20+ demos and picked my favorites—check out my thoughts on these must-play upcoming indie games!
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Steam Next Fest Summer 2025 Demo Reviews part one where I played a ton of new demos and want to share the best of the best with you. Make sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss out on part two coming this Friday.
Morsels
Morsels is one I have been highly anticipating since the trailer that dropped last year. What's not to like? Cute slimy creatures, Survivors-style action roguelike gameplay, wildly designed upgrades that, surprise, sometimes are a downgrade, all set to the musical stylings of the legendary Sam Webster. Honestly, if you're not familiar with Sam Webster, leave now and go listen to his music. Thank me in the comments later. Morsels is slated for a 2025 release date, and I can’t wait to play the full experience. Hell, here is a song I love by Sam Webster 🤣
🎮 Morsels | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Furcula
📢 Publisher | Annapurna Interactive
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Öoo
This cute pixel metroidvania’s unique gameplay style is creative in how you use bombs to project the protagonist around to solve puzzles and reach new secret areas. It has minimal hand-holding and gives the player some creative thinking on how to get to the next area. The demo is live now and is a perfect 20 minutes of gameplay to fully understand the witty exploration. If you want to fully understand Takahashi's skills in the puzzle department, look no further than their work on the recently released Chapter 3 of Deltarune. No release date yet, but it's slated to be coming soon.
🎮 Öoo | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Nama Takahashi
📢 Publisher | Nama Takahashi
🗓️ Release Date | Coming Soon
Henry Halfhead
Is one that has also piqued my interest. It feels like a natural successor to Katamari in the style of gameplay and design. In the demo, I had a chance to live through Henry becoming everyday household items like pots and pans, kids' toys, and more—all to complete small challenges before moving on to the next area like the kitchen or living room. If you see it, you can become it. The story narration is calm and relaxing, giving a chill experience. No release date yet, but from the smooth gameplay and polished design, I’m hoping it comes soon!
🎮 Henry Halfhead | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Lululu Entertainment
📢 Publisher | Popagenda
🗓️ Release Date | Coming Soon
The Lonesome Guild
This ARPG reminds me of Crystal Chronicles in an odd way because it’s not exactly the same, but it feels like a sequel to that genre of games. This single-player action adventure is as cute as it is difficult, with small puzzle-solving throughout to get your party to the next area. The fighting is fun and uses a party-based system to make every encounter new and fresh. The demo is over an hour long, and even with the amount of time I spent playing, I was begging for more. They streamlined many of the upgrade systems to make it quick and easy to get you back into the game and not stuck in menus. I can’t wait to get back into the world, building on the friendships when it releases. No date yet, but it's being teased to be coming soon!
🎮 The Lonesome Guild | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Tiny Bull Studios
📢 Publisher | DON’T NOD
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Mina the Hollower
In the last week, Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo released a Zelda-like metroidvania that is as nostalgic as it is fresh to the genre. Then we get the demo for Mina and I swear nostalgic brains for Zelda-likes are eating good. Yacht Club Games, known for the Shovel Knight series, has a fresh new IP filled to the brim with great platforming and designed to look like a Game Boy game in high definition. The story is engaging, and I can't wait to fully immerse myself when it releases this year on October 31st, 2025—on Halloween.
🎮 Mina the Hollower | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Yacht Club Games
📢 Publisher | Yacht Club Games
🗓️ Release Date | October 31st, 2025
Gecko Gods
I recently co-streamed the Wholesome Direct 2025, which you can find a link for here. One of the standouts was Gecko Gods. We were introduced to the demo and I immediately streamed the playthrough after the show. The exploration as a gecko—sticking to every surface, finding hidden areas, and solving puzzles—leads you to the end of the demo where you unlock a small boat, which you will use in the full game to explore the world. Imagine Zelda: Wind Waker, but you are a gecko. I AM SOLD! Another fantastic published game coming from Super Rare Originals. No exact date yet, but the window is Q4 of 2025.
🎮 Gecko Gods | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Inresin
📢 Publisher | Super Rare Originals
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Herdling
If you are a fan of the channel, then you know Panic-published games are a staple at Good Game Lobby, and they do not miss. Once again, a gorgeous game by Okamotive where a young homeless person begins their journey herding Calicorns across a vast world with hints of the industrial world woven into the landscapes. Stampeding through open fields and taking in the whimsy of the wind arrangements, the soundtrack lifts you to an intoxicating state of relaxation and wonder. Controlling the herd takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s tough to say goodbye to my Calicorns while waiting for the full release. No hard release date yet, but Herdling is scheduled for release in 2025.
🎮 Morsels | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Okamotive
📢 Publisher | Panic
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Baby Steps
Baby Steps is going to be the funniest game to release this year. I laughed out loud multiple times trying to get the hang of the controls and ultimately falling on my face many, many times. The jiggle physics—the man’s breasts and butt alone are something you need to see. My wife walked into the room watching me play Baby Steps and immediately said, “Damn, that's a fat ass.” Not sure why they caked my boy up so much, but hey, whatever works! Nothing about the story makes sense, but I don't care because it's funny and I can't wait to play it when it releases September 8th on PC and PS5.
🎮 Baby Steps | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, and Bennett Foddy
📢 Publisher | Devolver Digital
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Egging On
Okay, maybe playing Baby Steps and Egging On back to back wasn't the best idea, but it did make for another hilarious and frustrating time. You are an egg that is fragile, of course, and rolls and jumps up and makes your way higher and higher using different techniques to avoid falling and breaking your shell. Rest assured that even when the egg breaks, it will turn into an egg again—ready to do it all again. Full disclosure: I played the demo for 45 minutes and didn't finish it. I only stopped because I was enjoying the game and didn't want to get mad anymore haha. I can’t wait to try it again when it releases on August 7th, 2025.
🎮 Egging On | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Egobounds
📢 Publisher | Alibi Games and IndieArk
🗓️ Release Date | August 7th, 2025
MotionRec
MotionRec is the BEST demo I played during Steam Next Fest. The 1-bit visual style reminds me of a matured Gato Roboto, and the recording and playback gameplay mechanic is fun and new in a way that makes puzzle-solving a breath of fresh air. I immediately spent my time looking for secrets and different ways to move around and get to checkpoints. Let alone the visual style—the game's soundtrack was also a hit throughout. No release date yet, but it's slated for a 2025 release, and I can already feel this will be a top 10 game of the year.
🎮 Morsels | Steam
🧑💻 Developer | Handsum
📢 Publisher | Playism
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Thanks for checking out my Steam Next Fest Summer Demo review! I've played quite a few demos, and if I can, I’ll try to put together a part two.
What did you think? Have you tried any demos from the Steam Next Fest? Let me know in the comments what you’ve played or which games have caught your eye from the summer showcases.
Did you know I have a Steam Curator account? Want bite-sized reviews of games then follow me there! Here is the link.
Whoa, big flashback to the Amstrad CPC464 with MotionRec. Cool!
Gecko Gods looks SO GOOD.
That one is going on my wishlist for sure!