Which demos were played the most last week? We summarize the top 10.
The Steam Next Fest gives you an insight into upcoming projects with hundreds of demos. Until tomorrow, February 12th at 7 p.m. Europe timeyou can try out the numerous games.
Valve has that now Top 10 most played demos of the past week announced. We summarize the highlights for you. And maybe there will be one or two candidates who have passed you by so far!
10. Rotwood
0:55
Rotwood: New dungeon crawler shows co-op action in the first trailer
- Genre: Dungeon Crawler
- developer: Clay Entertainment
- Release: tba
What’s the matter? Rotwood is a (co-op) dungeon crawler from the developers of the Steam hit Don’t Starve. In it, you hack and slash your way through labyrinthine forests either alone or with up to three friends and defeat numerous creatures to earn new and stronger equipment.
Steam players particularly praise the game’s colorful cartoon look and smooth roguelike mechanics. Rotwood will initially appear in Early Access – although a release year has not yet been determined.
Click here for the demo!
9. Dread Dawn
- Genre: Survival
- developer: Whoops
- Release: tba
What’s the matter? You take on the role of a student who missed the evacuation of his city and now has to prove himself with other survivors against huge h ordes of zombies. The look and top-down perspective are reminiscent of the Steam hit Project Zomboid. Although Dread Dawn made it to 9th place, the players’ assessment of the gameplay was rather sober.
Players report on Reddit also about strange activities in the game. Dread Dawn apparently imposes a high-performance mode and changes the PC settings without consent or opens the game in a second window for no reason. There are also allegations that the developer is using AI art for its game without stating this on the Steam page. Corresponding discussion threads and user comments have been deleted.
If you still want to try it out for yourself: click here for the demo!
8. Balatro
- Genre: Poker-Roguelike
- developer: LocalThunk
- Release: February 20, 2024
What’s the matter? In this extraordinary deck builder you play poker – but with forbidden hands and crazy jokers! Mystical spectral packs, tarot cards, coupons and other boosters increase your high score and turn the game of poker on its head with countless combinations.
Steam players are enthusiastic and praise the exciting flow of the game and the potential to expand the poker game with new mechanics in the future.
Click here for the demo!
7. Millennia
5:10
Millennia: 5 minutes of gameplay from the game that isn’t Civilization but looks like it
- Genre: Strategy
- Publisher: Paradox Interactive
- Release: tba
What’s the matter? Millennia is the new turn-based strategy game from publisher Paradox Interactive and is probably an attempt to take the 4X crown away from Civilization. You lead your nation from its beginnings through (fictitious) human history to possible future scenarios and have to constantly confront the unrest-causing chaos.
Our strategy expert Pascal Buße took a closer look at the supposed Civ clone. He reveals why he’s worried about the game in his extensive preview:
Click here for the demo!
6. Backpack Battles
- Genre: Autobattler
- developer: PlayWithFurcifer
- Release: March 8, 2024
What’s the matter? We all know how terrible inventory management can be. In this auto battler you just deal with that and have to strategically place your items in your backpack. Once you have purchased your items and stored them in your inventory, you can use your builds to compete against other players’ backpacks.
The feedback from players is predominantly positive and builds and strategies are already being shared diligently. The developers also responded to inquiries by saying that the game will completely dispense with micro-transactions and thus pay-to-win.
Click here for the demo!
5. Deviator
1:32
In the gameplay trailer, Deviator is strongly reminiscent of the Metroidvania hit Hollow Knight
- Genre: Metroidvania
- developer: Gami Studio
- Release: 2024
What’s the matter? Do you want to bridge the wait until Hollow Knight: Silksong? Then Deviator could be something for you! Because the Metroidvania’s gameplay and look are very reminiscent of the popular Steam high-flyer. You explore a dark world and demonstrate your counter-attacking talent in tough fights.
The demo is also well received by Steam users – many like the look because it reminds them of Hollow Knight, but also emphasize that this is not just a clone, but that the game has many of its own ideas. When it comes to difficulty, Deviator was also inspired by its great role model: Some demo players are already biting their teeth at the boss.
Click here for the demo!
4. Pacific Drive
9:38
The fascinating survival racer Pacific Drive reveals almost 10 minutes of gameplay
- Genre: Survival
- developer: Ironwood Studios
- Release: February 22, 2024
What’s the matter? With Pacific Drive, one of the most extraordinary survival games will soon be released. Because here everything revolves around your car! In your garage you repair and upgrade your mobile vehicle before you plunge into the wilderness and face dangerous anomalies.
Our author Christian Schwarz has already tested Pacific Drive in detail and explains why the game fascinates him but also leaves him disappointed:
Click here for the demo!
3. Homeworld 3
8:33
Homeworld 3 – Preview video for the space epic
- Genre: Strategy
- developer: Blackbird Interactive
- Release: 13. May 2024
What’s the matter? You can still play one of the most anticipated strategy games of the year as a demo until tomorrow. In the next part of the cult science fiction series, you will once again take part in classic space battles in real time and experience an extensive story campaign.
However, players are currently criticizing the technical condition of the demo, but also gameplay aspects such as the user interface or balancing. The developers are using the feedback as an opportunity to postpone the release again by a few months. You can read more about this in the following article:
Click here for the demo!
2. Stormgate
1:10
Stormgate opens the portal to hell and real-time strategists rejoice
- Genre: Strategy
- developer: Frost Giant Studios
- Release: tba
What’s the matter? The new free-2-play RTS from Blizzard veterans wants to revive the real-time strategy genre and inherit greats like Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2. You can expect two factions, a classic story campaign, a mix of fantasy and sci-fi, co-op and competitive PvP modes. Stormgate is funded through Kickstarter and has already raised over $2 million.
The feedback on the demo is mixed. Some players are happy that the inspirations (Warcraft and Starcraft) can clearly be felt in Stormgate. Others complain that the RTS doesn’t bring enough innovation to the genre. The technical condition, such as pathfinding, is also criticized.
Click here for the demo!
1. Dungeonborne
9:15
Dungeonborne: In the fantasy Tarkov we beat up monsters and collect plenty of loot
- Genre: Dungeon Crawler
- developer: Mithril Interactive
- Release: tba
What’s the matter? Dungeonborne is quite a tongue twister: in the PvPvE first-person dungeon crawler you explore dark dungeons and fight numerous monsters. Our author Dennis Zirkler describes the game as a “fantasy Tarkov” because you put your equipment and loot at risk with every run.
Dennis thinks: In some respects Dungeonborne is a lot ahead of its model Escape from Tarkov, but in other areas it lacks its own identity. You can read more about his gaming impressions in his preview:
Have you already tried any of the top 10 most played demos? Or is one of the titles now on your wish list? Maybe you found more insider tips among the numerous demos? Feel free to share it with us in the comments!
If there is nothing on this list for you, you can take a look at the current free games. At Epic, for example, Doki Doki Literature Club is free. You can also play Ubisoft’s new open world Skull and Bones for a short time or the space epic Star Citizen until February 15th. Further information about the free games can be found in the articles linked above.
Table of Contents
