Steam Next Fest June 2024: Top 50 Demos Revealed | Valve
The digital dust has settled on another successful Steam Next Fest, and Valve has officially unveiled the 50 most-played demos from the massive June 2024 event. The week-long celebration, which ran from June 10th to 17th, gave PC gamers a tantalizing glimpse into hundreds of upcoming titles. After countless hours of gameplay, the results are in, revealing a player base hungry for immersive horror, grand adventures, and creative simulation experiences.
This season's list showcases a fascinating landscape of player interest, with certain genres clearly dominating the charts. While roguelikes and racing games made a quieter showing, the top spots were fiercely contested by titles promising deep narrative-driven adventures, spine-chilling survival horror, and intricate world-building simulations. The incredible variety on display proves that innovation is thriving, offering something for every type of PC gamer.
Genre Trends: Horror, Adventure, and Survival Reign Supreme
A quick glance at the top 50 list confirms a clear trend: players are craving high-stakes and immersive worlds. Survival horror and extraction shooters had a particularly strong presence, with games like Level Zero: Extraction and The Bornless attracting a significant number of players eager to test their nerve. These titles pit players against both supernatural threats and other cunning human opponents, a formula that continues to resonate deeply within the community.
Adventure and role-playing games also staked a major claim. Titles ranging from the sprawling post-apocalyptic world of Once Human to the stylized action of Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn captured the imaginations of thousands. These games promise not just compelling combat but also rich stories and expansive worlds to explore, a combination that remains a cornerstone of PC gaming.
Finally, simulation and strategy games demonstrated their enduring appeal. Cozy builders like Tiny Glade offered a relaxing escape, while more complex management sims challenged players to think strategically. This diversity highlights the breadth of experiences players seek on the platform, from heart-pounding action to meditative creativity.
Standout Demos That Captured Our Attention
Among the dozens of popular demos, a few unique and highly anticipated titles stood out from the crowd, showcasing clever mechanics and exciting new concepts.
- Once Human: This multiplayer open-world survival game made a massive splash. Set in a bizarre, post-apocalyptic future, players must contend with grotesque monsters, environmental hazards, and the mysteries of an alien substance known as Stardust. The demo gave players a substantial taste of its deep crafting, base-building, and exploration systems.
- Tiny Glade: On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Tiny Glade charmed players with its pressure-free castle-building mechanics. With no management or combat, the game is purely about creative expression, allowing you to doodle castles, ruins, and idyllic meadows into existence with satisfying, gridless construction tools.
- Level Zero: Extraction: Tapping into the popular extraction shooter genre, this title adds a terrifying asymmetric horror twist. A team of human mercenaries must venture into dangerous locations to loot valuable resources, all while being hunted by another team of players controlling deadly alien monsters. It’s a tense, high-stakes game of cat and mouse.
- Final-Sentence: Perhaps one of the most unique concepts in the entire festival, Final-Sentence is a battle-royale typing game. Players must type words and phrases accurately and quickly to attack opponents and defend themselves. As the pace quickens and the pressure mounts, a single typo can spell disaster, making it a thrilling test of both vocabulary and composure.
The Full List: Top 50 Most-Played Demos of June 2024
For those looking to see what they might have missed or which upcoming games have the most buzz, here is the official list of the 50 most-played demos from the June 2024 Steam Next Fest, presented in alphabetical order:
- 33 Immortals
- Airborne Empire
- All You Need Is Love
- Among the Wild
- ASTRA: Knights of Veda
- Battle Aces
- Beasts of Steel
- Blockbuster Inc.
- Cataclismo
- Chemically Bound
- Clockwork Revolution
- Copa City
- DAO
- Deathbound
- Dystopika
- Echoes of Elysium
- Endzone 2
- Fallen Aces
- Final-Sentence
- First Dwarf
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
- G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra
- Guns and Genders
- HARD TO BE A GOD
- Haunted Paws
- Hearts of Iron IV: Trial of Allegiance
- I Am Your Beast
- Iron Front
- JUMP SHIP
- Level Zero: Extraction
- Lorn Vale
- Lost Castle 2
- METALOCALYPSE: The Game
- Monsters Domain
- Necro Story
- Once Human
- PROJECT SURVIVAL
- Riven
- RolePlayer
- Ship of Fools
- Tactical Breach Wizards
- Terror of Hemasaurus 2
- The Alters
- The Bornless
- The Constructors
- The Midnight Crimes
- Tiny Glade
- TRIBES 3: Rivals
- Uncle Nook's Survivors
- VOIN
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Steam Next Fest?
Steam Next Fest is a multi-day event held several times a year on the Steam platform. It's a celebration of upcoming games where developers release free, limited-time demos, host livestreams, and interact with the player community. It's a fantastic way for gamers to discover and try out new titles before they are released.
When is the next Steam Next Fest?
While Valve hasn't announced the exact dates for the next event, Steam Next Fest typically occurs three times a year, usually in February, June, and October. Players should keep an eye on the official Steam store page for the next announcement.
How is the "most-played" list determined?
According to Valve, the top 50 list is based on the total number of unique players who downloaded and played each demo during the week of the festival. This metric provides a clear picture of which upcoming games generated the most initial interest and engagement from the massive PC gaming audience.