You’re yanking my chain if you’re telling me it’s been four (FOUR!) months since the last Steam Next Fest already. Time is an illusion and everything is a lie (including the cake). Well, while the concept of spacetime eludes my simple mind, the joy of another Steam Next Fest certainly does not. Running from October 13th to 20th, the final 2025 iteration features the usual smorgasbord of delectable indie games to sample and feast upon, much like a ravenous pack of wolves.
Once again, we here at Finger Guns will be diving headfirst into the primordial soup of in-development titles to find the ones we reckon are worth giving a bash. Strategy games, roguelikes, a pirate-Lovecraftian themed Doom impersonator, heartfelt emotional journeys and setting up your very own pizza cafe. Only the Steam Next Fest can deliver such an eclectic mash-up of games. We love it. I love it. I already have too many demos downloaded, and there’s more to come. Woe is me.
Anyway, welcome to our first post of ten recommendations for games we think you should have a pop at. Be sure to stay tuned over the coming week as we plough through mountains of more demos and unearth the true gems you should seek out.
Earth of Oryn
A medieval-themed city sim-builder being created as a solo dev project? Has to make my list. Earth of Oryn’s demo has two missions available (one of which is the impressively in-depth tutorial), featuring one of the civilisations available. Build up resources, start producing trade, enact policies for tax and ensure your settlement is protected with soldiers. Sounds simple, oh so simple.
I’m most impressed that Earth of Oryn is being created by just a single person. The economy system and AI work well already, while the wealth of potential in research, policies and various upgrades promises a kingdom that’ll have no shortage of futures. I’m normally wary of Early Access titles, but this one is already proving it’s got the nous to build into a rapturous empire… provided the bandits don’t get you first.
Earth of Oryn will be harvesting your time on Steam, though no release date just yet. It’s being developed by Earth of Oryn (yes, really) and published by Stray Fawn Publishing.
Earth vs Mars
Unlike all that furore over Area 51, Earth vs Mars actually has UFOs and Martians. Take on this Sunday morning cartoon adversary in turn-based battles, with emphasis on tactical placement and capturing of command points. Did I mention you can splice up your units with various animals to give them cheetah heads and fly arms? Probably should have led with that. The alien invasion ain’t all bad.
Promising a wealth of modes, including a fully fledged and voiced campaign, online multiplayer, and AI skirmishes, Earth vs Mars will have plenty of conflict flash points to contest. I had a blast with the demo, which includes the first five missions and three splicing options to test out. Nothing beats rolling up to a contested zone with a squad of Sherman tanks to create Martian stew.
Earth vs Mars will be invading in no time at all, as it comes to Steam on October 30th. It’s being developed and published by Relic Labs.
I’m On Observation Duty 8
No, I haven’t played the other 7. No, I couldn’t find a trailer for I’m On Observation Duty 8. Finding a trailer for this thing is on par with detecting a shape-shifting anomaly in the form of a needle… in a displaced haystack. Needless to say, I hadn’t played one of these games before, but I’m certainly intrigued now. Took me about 11 minutes to get through two in-game hours (of six…) and fail.
Your task is to monitor a lighthouse through a series of CCTV cameras, spotting all manner of strange intrusions before reporting them. A bucket suddenly appears where it shouldn’t. The bottom of the lighthouse is becoming a gaping abyss into the underworld. You know, the usual kinds of mischief we expect from the literal encapsulation of evil itself. Anyway, I’m On Observation Duty 8 is surprisingly challenging and a fun horror-themed time.
I’m On Observation Duty 8 will be changing forms onto Steam, though its release date is as elusive as the anomalies themselves. It’s being developed and published by Notovia.
Keep
If there’s one tradition I have for the Next Fest, it’s that I’ve simply got to find an obscure tower defence game, without question. A World War two styled entry into the genre, Keep has you placing your keep and towers, before adorning them with a smattering of turrets, MG nests and flak cannons. Survive up to six waves in the demo, and you’ll have won the day. Spoiler alert, day five is quite ruthless, and will kick your teeth in. With explosions.
While straightforward in its premise, Keep does have an entertaining mechanic that lets you take manual control of any placed weapon and fire away. Turns out I’m not much of a flak cannon operator, but what else is new? Niche to all but me, this is a good time and worth checking out if you’re into some wave-based survival thrills.
Keep will be launching its assault onto Steam, though no word yet on when its campaign commences. It’s being developed and published by Parall Peak LTD.
Kinsfolk
If you’re looking for more of an emotional pull from this Steam Next Fest, then Kinsfolk may be the heartfelt jolt to the jugular you need. The demo only takes about ten minutes to complete, making for a more condensed slice you can whip through quickly. However, despite the short and rudimentary nature of the game, it’s got some pretty hard-hitting themes of loss, moving with time, and memories of what once was.
I want to shout out the music, which is beautifully serene and impactful. For a solo developer project, it’s got decent voice acting and a pleasant visual style that brushes over the rougher geometry effectively too. Tiny titles like this almost always struggle to make waves amongst the slew of action games and walking simulator titans, so it’s wonderful to find something like Kinsfolk through the Next Fest.
Kinsfolk is due to tug on your heartstrings in Q4 of 2025 via Steam. It’s being developed and published by Vinko Kodzoman.
Moonsigil Atlas
Thought I’d quickly check this one out, only to discover I’d spent the best part of an hour synergising my card strategy. Moonsigil Atlas is a real sleeper indie gem, combining esoteric visuals and gloss with an addicting and enthralling deckbuilder rogue-like. This time, however, you can yell “to Hell!” with action points and energy systems – throw out as many cards as you like, provided you can squeeze them in your grid.
It’s such a simple innovation on the deckbuilding genre, but strikes with the power of an astral being beyond our reckoning. I’d never wondered what Hades would be if it were an interstellar card battler, but now I’ll never need to. Moonsigil Atlas is excellent already, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the full release has in store.
Moonsigil Atlas will be discarding convention when it comes to Steam in 2025. It’s being developed and published by Snake Tower Games.
Pizza Slice
Mamma Mia, who knew cooking the perfect pizza could be this hard? I do, now that I’ve played pizzeria restaurant sim Pizza Slice. Managed to miss the dirty plate on my only table after my first customer, causing my second customer to make an obscene gesture at me for failing to give them a delicious margarita. Such a scene.
The Pizza Slice demo will take you through the meticulous details of running your own pizza cafe. Buy the ingredients, manage your storehouse, make and shape the dough, sauce and toppings up the pizza, then deliver the delicious slices to your oh-so-friendly customers (when you actually feed them, that is). I don’t know what it is about simulator games that just scratches that dopamine complex, but Pizza Slice can do it like the best of them.
Pizza Slice will be serving up fresh pies on Steam, though opening times are still coming soon. It’s being developed by Quest Craft and Gaming Factory, and published by Ultimate Games S.A.
Project Warlock: Lost Chapters
Doomguy wouldn’t stand a chance on the high seas with squid-like nightmares gunning for his meaty head with their tentacles. I mean, he probably would, but we can pretend. Project Warlock: Lost Chapters is breakneck in pace and balls-to-the-wall in intensity, like the good ol’ heady days of Doom and Wolfenstein.
Despite my admittedly rocky start to this seafaring gore fest, I had a terribly good time blasting my chain rifle into putrid mulches of foes. Slice ’em with your sword, blast ’em with your pirate shotgun and unleash bigger hell on their hell with spells for good measure. I only spent 10 minutes blasting through this frenetic old-school FPS throwback, and I can say with delight that it was a fever dream throughout.
Project Warlock: Lost Chapters’ release date is lost at sea (to be announced), but is coming to Steam. It’s being developed by Buckshot Software and published by Retrovibe.
Regions of Ruin: Runegate
A 2D hack-and-slash RPG where you must restore a dwarven colony in a Nordic-inspired world? The premise alone is enough to sell Regions of Ruin: Runegate. Venture out into distinct maps, visiting locations to acquire new settlers, gather up resources to rebuild your haven and battle monsters in side-scrolling battles that hit with the force of Gimli’s axe. Seriously, I got buttock stabbed and was bleeding out for the rest of my demo time…
There are a lot of mechanics and systems going on in this one, which lends itself to being as deep and immersive as the mines of Moria themselves. The demo gives you an hour, but you’ll be craving so much more of this pixel-art RPG by the time those minutes tick away. Could be quite a special little game this one.
Regions of Ruin: Runegate will be hacking onto Steam, though no tale of a release date yet. It’s being developed by Gameclaw Studio and published by Raw Fury.
Skate Story
Don’t ask me what I’m doing here; this is Josh’s domain. Despite my complete lack of any knowledge relating to skateboarding, Skate Story was a marvel. Firstly, that aesthetic is wondrous – trapped in a world of shimmer and sheen, our glass protagonist must consume the moons to escape their reflective hell. This is what the underworld would be if Cillit Bang had its way.
The music is overflowing with trance-inducing melodies, and the skateboarding mechanics are intuitive, even to one as cognitively dull as I. Even just from my demo time, Skate Story looks like it fits right in with Devolver Digital’s ensemble portfolio, which is a compliment in and of itself. Having loved every second of Children of The Sun, I couldn’t help but fondly remember my time with that as I breezed through ollies and kickflips here.
Skate Story will be picking up momentum on Steam for a December 8th release date. It’s being developed by Sam Eng and published by Devolver Digital.
Boom. Just like that, Steam Next Fest has begun once again, and what a start. As we are always primed to do, I want to take a moment to ask that you wishlist, give feedback, leave comments and let the developers know how much of a damn good job they’re doing. So many of these games are made by incredibly talented people working in minuscule teams or on their lonesome, and a simple wishlist or positive message can make the world of difference to them.
The rest of the industry may be on fire, cashing in on mass layoffs, gloatfully boasting of profits and pushing up prices, but the indie scene is where the real magic of video games is let loose. It’s a joy to see what passionate people can create when given the freedom, time and backing to craft a project they pour their love into, and we hope you have a simply wonderful time indulging in the gluttony of thousands of demos.
If there are any games you think we should try out and or wish to be featured in our next articles, let us know over on X or BlueSky, or drop us a comment below. We endeavour to play as many as we possibly can, all in the name of public service to you, of course (definitely because of our insatiable appetite for great games and supporting indie devs). As always, have the best of times blasting, deckbuilding, strategising, adventuring and exploring the weird and wonderful universe of indie games, and stay tuned for our next entries.
For more Features click here.
Make sure to follow Finger Guns on our social channels –Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Spotify or Apple Podcasts – to keep up to date on our news, reviews and features.
If you enjoyed this article or any more of our content, please consider our Patreon.