11 Fascinating Next Fest Demos For Games You’ve Never Heard Of Before

It’s Next Fest yet again, and Steam’s Wishlist-tempting festival of demos has swelled to 8,764 entries. That abundance brings plenty of AI-riddled drivel and a cavalcade of nonsense, so I plunged into the piles to pluck out some true gems. Anything that takes your fancy: stick it on your Steam Wishlist, as that helps those games get better attention and reminds you to grab them when they come out.

Well Dweller, a new metroidvania from Kyle Thompson (Islets, Crypt Custodian), stands out for its stunning artwork, competent controls and boss art that feels unlike anything you’ve seen before; its darker, tougher tone inevitably draws Hollow Knight comparisons.

Unshine Arcade offers a super-scratchy, super-creepy arcade experience built around a UFO-like ship that switches into twin-stick shooter segments and a weird ticket-and-robot loop.

steam, next fest, demos, wishlist, well dweller, kyle thompson, metroidvania, hollow knight, unshine arcade, ufo ship