Spooky season is soon upon us, dear readers, which can only mean one thing – me (Miles) rambling about various indie games I’ve come across in the October 2026 Steam Next Fest. Trick or treat, give me more games. Is that how it goes? I can’t remember. In any case, we’re back to bring you the sweet treat of 10 games we think you should have a gander at. As per usual, there are literally thousands of demos available to play, so we can only offer but a morsel of the bountiful harvest on offer. Nonetheless, we endeavour to spotlight those we come across. So, without further ado, let’s get to the games.
Bad Magpie
What better way to kick off this iteration of Next Fest than by being a mischievous magpie? Hop around, set trees on fire, light fireworks, terrorise mice and be an all-around menace. What good are video games if you can’t pluck terrified flowers with your beak? The demo of Bad Magpie features a level that takes about 10 minutes to romp through, chock-full of little details, mini puzzles to overcome and plenty of diamonds to collect.
It’s pretty straightforward, as far as sandbox puzzlers go. But what really sticks out is the cutesy art style and laid back audio that accompanies your non-flying journey. The full game promises an open world with lots more to uncover (including disguises!), but the sampling here offers a rather tasty bit of feed for what will come with the full release.
Bad Magpie will be deviously hopping on to Steam in 2027. It’s being developed and published by Milktooth.
The Big Suck
I hope you’re more mature about the title of this one than I am. The Big Suck is a weirdly addictive game, one where you play as a fledgling tornado, seeking to consume farms, swine and civilisation en masse. The more you draw into the eye of your storm, the more money you accrue, the more upgrades you can purchase from a frankly ridiculous pool of wind-shattering trees. As you grow, the map expands, and you’ll go from gobbling up sunflowers and cows to literal metropolises and, probably, the entire globe.
I genuinely wasn’t sure The Big Suck had the kind of star power to keep its seemingly gimmick-like gameplay from losing its suction power like a dusty old hoover. Alas, 20 minutes of being unable to rip myself away from it, and I can safely testify that driving towards this storm will indeed lead to you being unable to escape its grasp too. Absolutely wild but very fun indeed, the game actually struggles to keep up with the audio of the amount of destruction you’re causing. I hope Sharknado ends up an option.
The Big Suck will be engulfing Steam on November 9th. It’s being developed and published by Critics Arcade.
Coldline: Disconnect
It’s safe to say I’d make a terrible secret agent. Coldline: Disconnect is an espionage puzzler where you must infiltrate your enemy’s ranks, repair various trinkets, plant bugs, and most importantly, not get caught. Really can’t understate that last part. Each device will have faults that trigger one of many head scratchers. Manually pull apart pieces, unscrew bolts, and, if you’re anything like me, struggle with the might of a Cold War vendetta to figure out DIP switches.
I spent about 20 minutes with this one. While it verified my long-standing belief that I’m an awful puzzler player, the sense of tension is prevalent throughout Coldline: Disconnect’s design. Getting caught meant my capture on more than one occasion, but with the right mix of puzzles and increasing challenge, there’s a real Papers, Please! feel about the game that’s sure to attract some worthy attention. Just make sure to look cool about it when the eyes are on you.
Coldline: Disconnect will be infiltrating Steam’s ranks in Q4 of 2026. It’s being developed and published by Grawire Studio.
Fleshgrinder
Isometric tactical horror and action, in a dystopian future brought about by augmentation and accelerated evolution? Just the way to kick back after a long day. Fleshgrinder is a tense and slower-paced experience, one which prioritises being very careful about opening doors, lest you be avalanched with ravenous humanoid monsters seeking dinner in the shape of your innards. With three classes to choose from and a more open-ended approach to levels, it’s a compelling gambit.
I blasted through a few rooms and nervously explored what the demo had to offer, dying a couple of times in the tutorial no less. The tension is most apparent through the lighting and camera position, which kept me on edge and vigilant towards threats. The action feels intuitive, though there is a lot of exposition and pop-up tutorials to work your way through initially. Even so, Fleshgrinder looks like a promising isometric survival horror, one that may tempt more than a few fans to skulk through its halls.
Fleshgrinder will be augmenting its way onto Steam in Q1 of 2027. It’s being developed and published by hainalcode.
Graveheart
Ever wanted to batter undead William Wallace with a brick before firing an RPG at him? Course you have, haven’t we all? Graveheart is an absolutely bonkers game that opens with a driving sequence where you can ram into everything, sets into an OG Doom rhythm by letting you fling actual faeces at your Scottish enemies, before ending on one of the most humerously random boss encounters I’ve come across.
It reminded me a lot of Medievil, if that game was a Quake-inspired FPS, and swapped skellies and monsters for moustache-twirling Brits and raging Scots. Graveheart is wild, unexplainable and most of all, pretty hilarious in both concept and execution. The two levels available in the demo give just a glimpse of what I’m sure will be unbridled madness. Oh, and the easy difficulty icon has your character donning a dummy – can’t be having that.
Graveheart will be bricking its way onto Steam in Q1 of 2027. It’s being developed and published by 9000 Legends.
Grindworm
How do you like your claustrophobia? Buried under the earth, trapped in a giant mining contraption with your only route to the surface caved in? Blissful times. If being trapped in enclosed spaces with limited oxygen, the constant risk of overheating your engine and potentially hallucinogenic rock formations throwing off your sense of direction are your jam, well, I’d query your sanity. Oh, and you may also really like Grindworm.
The demo begins with me late to my shift (we’ve all been there, right?), all geared up and ready for subterranean exploration, only for the entire underground complex to cave in. Took me about 15 minutes of carving through the Earth, repairing a rather dubious power core and avoiding red-hot and suffocating green rock formations to reach the end. All I can say is that the tension is palpable and the mystery of what’s lurking is both intoxicating and nerve-shredding in equal measure.
Grindworm will be carving its way onto Steam at some point, though the date is merely “Coming Soon”. It’s being developed and published by Snail Bite.
Kingfall
Simply wouldn’t be one of our Next Fest pieces if it didn’t feature a rogue-like deckbuilder of some descript, would it? Kingfall satisfies a smidgen of that Gwent itch I’ve never been able to scratch since the console version was discontinued (no, I’m clearly not still bitter about it). Command your troops via card-based combat, only this time, they follow chess piece actions. The Gallant Knight strikes in an “L” shape, while your Pawns attack diagonally.
I’m most shocked this concept hasn’t been done before (that I’m aware of), as it’s such a compelling loop. I reached the final battle of my run, only for my opponent to have a queen that royally slaughtered my poor soldiers. But I had a great time along the way. With a full suite of upgrades, card variations and power-ups, there’s a lot to like about Kingfall, and it’s one to keep an eye on going forward.
Kingfall will be commanding its way onto Steam at some point in the future. It’s being developed by Legendary Pixels and published by DryGin Studios.
Springs, Eternal
Haunting yet peaceful in equal measure, Springs, Eternal is a retro-inspired walking sim dripping in atmosphere and introspection. As you explore this seemingly quaint hot springs resort in the dead of night, you’ll have time to soak in the baths and ponder the past. The demo offered a small chunk of the resort, with a semi-open hub to walk or run around, with your trusty flashlight in tow (and boy, is that thing powerful).
I really dig the sense of place and retro, horror-esque visual style, even if there are no actual scares (yet, anyway). Springs, Eternal has a strong sense of identity, and I think it could have some real promise in the genre. A lot more will depend on the storytelling and development of its main theme, but the demo does just enough to get you intrigued. Did I mention it’s from the same developers as Gone Home? Some pedigree, that.
Springs, Eternal will be going on a retreat on Steam, coming November 11th. It’s being developed by Fullbright and published by Serenity Forge.
Tiny Harbour
Everyone needs a break from the hustle and bustle of slaughtering demons, running from ethereal phantoms, defending castles and solving dilemmas. Sometimes, it’s nice to just kick back, set up your own harbour, and fish to your heart’s content. Tiny Harbour is the peace and solace from a video game world filled with violence and excitement. Cosy fishing management that can idle in the background while playing some lovely lo-fi tunes? Just the bliss I needed.
I spent a decent chunk of time stocking up my fishing areas, tapping my little workers and basking in the joy that is my feline ship captain that baits and hooks my catches. Tiny Harbour is an adorable pixel-art game that’ll have you caught on its relaxing bait in no time at all. With a wealth of unlockables and upgrades to uncover, there’s also plenty to keep you entertained and chilled in equal measure. I may love me some action and horror, but now and then I need a palate cleanser just like this.
Tiny Harbour will be setting up near Steam, though this harbour is still at the Coming Soon stage. It’s being developed by Galago Group and published by EdCorp.
There Are No Ghosts At The Grand
Written by Ross Keniston
It’s been a moment since something at an Xbox Indie Showcase excited me as much as There Are No Ghosts At The Grand. Friday Sundae’s bonkers adventure restoration simulator that has you renovating rooms of a hotel – among others – whilst being very much inside a full-on musical, a crossover of genres you don’t see all too often. It’s a very British ghost story. With songs!
Fortunately, it absolutely works. The Grand’s level of humour and self-awareness leans into itself hard, and it’s a delight to spend time with a veritable bustling company of characters that will burst into song at any moment – ‘I’m sorry I crashed the boat I was too busy singing’.
Keeping you in line throughout is your trusty gun buddy, providing you with a bunch of tools including a paint gun, a sandblaster, a vacuum and more, all in the guise of weapons you would find in the likes of High On Life. Fortunately, the AI inside your weapons – who talks you through the entire demo and is furious when you go off course – is far more bearable than High On Life’s talking weaponry. Throughout it will offer plenty of good advice – ‘f**king RUN for f**k’s sake ‘- so it’s best to listen. They say the Scottish accent is the most trustworthy, and it certainly works in this instance.
The Grand’s visual style is cartoonish but loud, brash and eccentric, very much like the game itself. It feels a little BioShock-ish, if BioShock finally removed the 20-foot pole that’s very much stored within its anus. It’s super fun, full of funny moments, easy to navigate, and one of your pals is a talking cat. Hard to argue, really. Bring on the early access release in December 2026, with a full release due on PC and Xbox Series X|S.
All together now…’There are no ghosts at the GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND’
There Are No Ghosts At The Grand plans to release December 2026 on Xbox and PC (Steam) and is developed and published by Friday Sundae.
Devious magpies, Undead William Wallace, big cow tornadoes, claustrophobic underground psychological horror and relaxing trips to the hot springs – must be a Steam Next Fest. There’s your lot for this year’s edition (so far, anyway). It’s been a pleasure to jump back into the October edition, and most of all, to bring some attention to the indie space. It’s been a rather humungous month for AA and AAA releases, not even accounting for the monsters coming over the hill in November, so let’s give the indies their flowers before the big guns start landing again.
As usual, I implore you to spend any amount of time you can playing some demos, adding to your wishlist, and leaving feedback wherever possible. The video game space is literally filled to bursting right now, so your input on someone’s passion project could be the nudge of inspiration to keep a small team or solo dev pushing through to the end. Video games are art, and nowhere is that demonstrated better than in the indie space, so show them some love.
If there are any games you’re particularly thrilled about, or if you’re a publisher/developer with a game you’d love to be spotlighted, let us or the world know by heading on over to our X or BlueSky pages! We may be but a Tiny Harbour in a storm of thousands of games, but we like to offer a port of positivity for games. Steam Next Fest will be running until October 26th, and I hope you have a wonderful time chowing down on all the content it has to offer.
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