Steam Next Fest Highlights: The Best Upcoming PC Games from the Event

Steam Next Fest has officially wrapped up, closing the book on a week packed with hundreds of demos. While the event saw some controversy regarding AI-generated content, several titles rose above the noise to capture player attention with high review counts and significant engagement. Whether you are looking for tense extraction shooters or meditative driving experiences, there is plenty on the horizon for 2026.

Action and Extraction Titles

Movement-focused shooters had a strong showing this year. Empulse, arriving on June 24, 2026, drew immediate comparisons to Titanfall 2 thanks to its fluid wall-running and grappling hook mechanics. While the movement is fast, the actual gunplay feels more deliberate, suggesting a potential skill gap between new and experienced players.

The extraction genre also saw a resurgence. The Mound: Omen Of Cthulhu, coming July 15, blends co-op survival with Lovecraftian horror. It feels like a mix of Sea of Thieves and Hunt: Showdown, tasking players with looting islands while avoiding terrifying creatures. Elsewhere, No Such Place offers a top-down extraction experience inspired by Roadside Picnic, focusing on a tense, hostile atmosphere, while Void Diver provides an isometric looter shooter experience centered on managing an antique shop.

For fans of PvPvE, Mistfall Hunter is one to watch. Launching July 30, it channels a dark fantasy aesthetic similar to Dark and Darker. During the playtest, it was a clear favorite, though developers at Bellring Games will need to address optimization issues and balance concerns—particularly regarding the Rogue class—before the full launch.

Indie Gems and Unique Concepts

Not every highlight was a high-octane shooter. Over The Hill, from developer Funselektor, offers a complete shift in pace. Following their work on Art of Rally, this title focuses on 1960s off-road vehicles in a zen, meditative open-world setting. It is currently slated for a 2026 release.

If you prefer something more punishing, Casualties: Unknown is a grim, body-simulation survival game that draws inspiration from Project Zomboid and Barotrauma. Expect to deal with broken bones, infections, and the constant threat of death as you recover cargo from a hostile planet.

Finally, for those who enjoy social gaming, Bombanana!—arriving in August 2026—is a chaotic co-op game about three monkeys with restricted senses (blind, deaf, and mute) trying to defuse a bomb. It serves as a frantic, hilarious take on the "keep talking" puzzle genre. On the more technical side, Iron Nest: Heavy Turret Simulator, also coming in August, has become a fan favorite for its tactile, puzzle-like approach to operating heavy weaponry.

While Echoes of Aincrad saw high player numbers exceeding 10,000 during the demo, feedback remains mixed regarding its overall polish. Fans of the Sword Art Online universe can expect the full game to arrive on July 9, 2026.