Steam Next Fest February 2026: Part 2
When checking through the list of games there were a lot of horror games, visual novels, shop simulators, anime games, side scrollers, card battlers, Co op ‘friend slop’ type games, and chill games. It was also the first time I have heard the phrase ‘multiplayer social deduction game’ and there were a lot of social deduction games. There were also a large amount of games with unique art styles that really didn’t appeal to me. In general, there were just a huge amount of games to choose from, the list just didn’t end.
I collated a selection of games that I thought were worth a try. This is Part Two of the games I tried.
Pragmata: Capcom’s newest IP—PRAGMATA. An all-new Science Fiction action adventure with its own unique hacking twist! It is the near future, and protagonists Hugh and his android companion Diana, must work together as they make their way through the cold lunar research station.
This is a major publisher’s game so I feel a little strange putting it in here as most people know what this game is. I do feel the discourse around this game has been a little weird. There seems to be a disconnect between what the game actually is and if the system they described will actually work. This is the main reason I wanted to give it a go.
The game is set on a lunar solar relay station and you as the only human you are aware of find and join forces with an android with the intention of restarting the solar array to contact earth. As you move around the base you are attacked by the droids that are supposed to be doing a lot of the work on the base. There are story elements told through emails, journal articles as well as CCTV footage that you find along the way. There are collectables in a currency that was discovered on the lunar surface and that is dropped by the droids, I assume this works as your money in the game but I don’t think I found a use for it.
The combat is as you would expect from a sci-fi game. There are a variety of guns in the demo and I found 4 including a pistol, a scatter or shotgun, a net gun that immobilises the enemies to make it easier to target them for hacking and after I had finished the demo through once, there was what effectively is a snipper rifle but it needs to charge up. You can run, dodge and after the first run through I was informed of a perfect dodge that slows time for a small time. At the same time you can use Dianna to hack the enemies in order to increase your damage to them, an act you have to do because otherwise you don’t really do any damage. There are also enemy weak point that do increased damage. At the end of the demo there was a boss fight which was fun. There are massive damage attacks the boss does and the need to hack and do increased damage through the canisters at the back of him that are his weal point. I died the fist time I did it because I didn’t see the massive AOE attack that he does towards the end of the fight.
There is hacking for Dianna to do outside of combat and after a series in the boss battle there was also a minor QTE where Dianna performs a manual override if you push the corresponding at all. There are going to be a lot of these kind of hacking game.
This game is what people have been asking developers to make for ages in so much as it is a cool game with interesting mechanics. Now if people actually like what they ask for is a completely different situation. I think it is interesting and some will find it easy but at times it is a little like patting your stomach and rubbing your head (or the other way around). That is not to say that it is impossible to do, but it does take a bit of practice to become accustomed to it. I won’t be playing this game on hard as having to deal with hacking on one side while attacking and dodging at the same time while the enemies have increased health is a different prospect I don’t think I am willing to even consider.
I would strongly suggest people try the Pragmata demo as you will know immediately if you like it. I think people will be surprised by this game and will be thinking of it come release day, hopefully I really hope it does well as gamers keep lamenting that gaming has gone to the route of tried and tested games, but everytime a game that ticks those boxes comes out, they find a way to ignore it. But this is a Capcom game so your never know.
Puzzle Spy: Pursue diamond thieves and a trail of cryptic puzzles in this short ‘60s spy adventure. As Agent Epsilon you’ll choose your path as you chat with (or chat up!) suspicious contacts. Deduce the puzzle rules, decode cryptograms and decipher clues as you solve wordplay & logic puzzles across the globe!
The demo leads you through one puzzle which, as they are making a puzzle game, makes sense as they don’t want to have you complete too many of the puzzles. It gives you an idea of what they game will be. The puzzle wasn’t particularly difficult once I figured it out but in the beginning there was no indication as to what you had to do, just a bunch of words and columns like a crossword. When I tried it it was at the end of a long day and I was a little tired so it may not have been the best time to try a puzzle game that needs you to decipher the puzzle before you can solve it.
Ecto Mercenary Program: Ecto Mercenary Program is a sci-fi looter shooter where you and your friends form a mercenary group to forge a path for yourselves. Rise from a destitute crew fighting raiders for scraps to a feared force on the station. Survival is not guaranteed.
I tried this and just couldn’t get what you were supposed to do. I am not sure if this is a problem with the game or the demo. You are confronted by a menu that when you click play it leads you to new menu with a bunch of options that you have no idea what they mean. You have to hire mercenaries with money you are not sure where it is and then it hires a random mercenary. You are then dropped into a speaceship?? Where you are told to move forward and find an exit. You have no weapons but can punch but the enemies you encounter do a weird lurch attack or have guns. You pick up random things on the side but have no idea what they do. I just think this demo could do with a tutorial level to get you to understand what you need to do. A clearer step by step initial gameplay walkthrough would probably make this demo a better showcase for what the game is.
Pirates: Rogue Fortune: A rogue-lite action and adventure game set in the Caribbean! Explore the ocean depths in search of treasures, survive intense naval battles, and upgrade your ship to reclaim your place as the greatest pirate in a world to discover with every attempt.
This game’s description is exactly what the game is. It is a roguelike where you sail your boat from one point of interest to another, these being either resource gather spots that entail a battle as well or a person to speak to that adds to the story or you can purchase upgrades from. At the resource gathering spot it is a little like Dave the Diver mixed but mining. You descend from the boat and mine out resources (iron gold and so on) while a timer runs out at the top. You have a bag that carries up to three items before you get weighed down and swim slower through the water. There are various power ups that help with this such as increased number of slots in the bag or a balloon that takes up to 2 resources back to the ship (this is on a cool down). There are also run based power ups and chests you can collect that are trapped in rocks.
When the timer runs out at the top of the screen the battle segment starts and you need to ensure you have returned to your boat in order to fight off the enemy boats. Your boat starts off with cannons that have 3 shots before they needs reloading. There is a reload mini game where you need to press space bar when it hits a green segment reload bar to get a perfect reload otherwise the reload still happened but takes longer. The enemy ships vary in size and health and get more numerous and powerful as you move to further points of interest along the run.
There are various people along the run that offer varying items and powerups as well as story notes. Many of the power ups are double edge swords with a bonus and a curse.
Overall this was a fun play and if you enjoy roguelike games this may be of interest as I think it mixes different ideas and could have a lot replayability especially if they have a large variety of items, bonuses and curses to deepen the experience.
A small caviate is that the game will release into early access so if you try the game and like it know that it will not release immediately as a 1.0.
Valor of Man: Forge your party. Master your fate. In this turn-based roguelite RPG, lead four heroes through a fractured realm of danger and destiny. Build synergies, unlock powerful abilities, and face ever-shifting challenges in an epic battle for survival. No journey is ever the same.
Another game whose description is exactly what the game is. It is another roguelike with 4 heroes all with different abilities. The ones in the demo are classic DnD clases, there is a fighter, a healer, an assassin/rogue and a spellcaster. As you progress down the roguelike tree, have different encounters such as battles, different story beats and campsites. Story beats, interactions and campsites give you either new ability, increase your current abilities, give weapons/armour and so on.
In the battles the heroes have Action Points (in the demo they have 2 each) that can be used to move and or attack. You can either move and attack, double move or double attack. Some abilities have other ways to use them (once every turn or 2 turns, once a battle, using mana and so on). The controls are intuitive and if you have played a turn-based game before you will have an intrinsic understanding of the game.
As with all the roguelikes that I have played this could be interesting as long as they add a big variety of abilities, enemies, heroes, synergies and encounters. I did find sometimes it was unclear what the ability would use and then why I couldn’t use it again at a later time. I think the more you play the more you will learn what all the icons mean and it will be a little clearer.
Replaced: Uncover the sinister secrets of Phoenix Corporation, through the eyes of its own creation, R.E.A.C.H. - an AI trapped in a human body against its will.
The premise for this is an AI has been trapped in your characters body. You have escaped or been disposed of outside the city walls. The area is desolate and, in the demo at least, there is no further history of why this is the case. There are journal articles and other highlights you find along the way that give context and more information on what is going on. The game is a side-scroller but there are places where it moves to upper or lower levels and for art 2.5D style there is an incredible feeling of depth and distance to the levels. There is a sequence when you are above some enemies in an airduct and you can really feel the sense of perspective.
This is going to be a special game. The art style is amazing, the pixel art graphics are in that incredible hi-res crisp style that is just gorgeous and the colour pallet they use is vibrant and sharp. The combat is precise and although not difficult as such in the demo at least, is satisfying. It gives you the feeling of being something special without feeling overpowered. The tutorial was clear and gave you enough information to complete the demo without too much trouble. The enemy designs are interesting and although they are similar, there are enough differences to them to make them unique but obviously part of a whole or collective. The one other non-enemy person you meet is clearly stylised and interesting. There is enough in the demo to hook you and want to know more. I think this will be an interesting game and it will certainly be a highlight for the graphics.
Alonitaire: Break the rules of solitaire in this atmospheric roguelike deckbuilder. Unleash forbidden sigils while the Jack of Spades begs for your help in secret. Forge game-breaking combos under the Joker’s watchful eye and uncover the truth behind the deck. Don’t investigate… just play.
This is a fresh take on Balatro with the base game being solitaire instead of poker. The cards are asleep and need waking up as they are being held captive by the joker. When cards are woken up they gain abilities to use to help you win the game against the joker. There are abilities that allow you to move other cards abilities around, one that moves the cards around, one that allows the card to be placed on any card of the opposite colour that is of a lower value, and the initial card that you can use being the one that wakes other cards up. I didn’t play a lot of the game as I am working through the demos I have downloaded, but I will come back to this one when I am done with all the others. Definitely worth a play if you like Balatro.
These are the demos I have tried so far, there were some really good games in there. The Steam Next Fest is a really good celebration of gaming and if I had infinite time and I wasn’t working fulltime, I would certainly play more if games. I whoever is reading this has any suggestions please leave a comment below.
Steam Next Fest 2026 Pt 1
When checking through the list of games there were a lot of horror games, visual novels, shop simulators, anime games, side scrollers, card battlers, Co op ‘friend slop’ type games, and chill games. It was also the first time I have heard the phrase ‘multiplayer social deduction game’ and there were a lot of social deduction games. There were also a large amount of games with unique art styles that really didn’t appeal to me. In general, there were just a huge amount of games to choose from, the list just didn’t end.
I collated a selection of games that I thought were worth a try. This is Part one of the games I tried.
1348 Ex Voto: Brave the harsh realities of the Italian late medieval period through the eyes of a courageous noble whose life is about to change fundamentally. Follow Aeta (Alby Baldwin), a young knight errant, on a brutal journey through Italy to find and save her closest one, Bianca (Jennifer English).
This game is coming out on the 12th March this year. It is interesting but has a lot of rough edges. The combat itself is fluid, but many of the animations are still very wooden and stiff. Hair and clothing physics are a little off putting but they are generally the most difficult to get right. It features a swing, dodge, block and stagger combat system. There is also a perfect strike system where you strike the next blow as the first blow hits and it seems this does more to the enemy’s stagger metre. The voice acting is good with the two lead characters (as expected with Jennifer English) but as the demo was short and to the point, it is hard to tell if all the other voice acting was of the same level. The story in the demo is just through the prologue stage so it really just getting started. It seems the type of game that people will enjoy if they can get past the jank of the animations, that are fine just can be distracting when Bianca’s hair goes through her neck, and I imagine the story will be engaging. Jenifer English is always fantastic as a voive actor but based on the demo I am not sure how much she is in it nevertheless Alby Baldwin was doing a very good job as the lead character.
Wild West Pioneers: Are you tired of the crowded east coast cities? Grab your family and move to the West where there is free land for everybody and claim your future. With fertile soil and abundant resources, you’ll find more than adventure and freedom. This is your chance to be a driving force of the American dream.
This is for all intents and purposes Anno in the Wild West. There are character dialogs, distinct characters with their own individual personalities and the usual base building game buildings and resources to manage. There is an overworld somewhat like Anno and the game requires you to find points of interest on the world map using your scouts. Unfortunately there were some bugs where the tutorial pop ups did not disappear and blocked the screen and after a short amount of time I had a black screen and the game froze. I feel I got a feel for the game in that short time as I have played similar games before. The game has a good feel to it and I think it could become something special if you like the Anno series. It comes to early access this year no date as yet although there is a join the playtest button steam.
GRIMPS: There aren’t any normal weapons, but you can shoot a shark like a gun, hurl stools, and rip your fluffy foes to shreds! Is this the best way to destroy stuffed animals? Probably not. Is it awesome? Hell yeah!
This is exactly as you would think it is from looking at it. It is like High on Life with an annoying pigeon character following you around and unusual guns to fight with. There are enemy arenas with multiple enemies dropping in through portals. You have health and armour to worry about, and ammo drops from most enemies and these are also scattered around the arenas. There are 2 guns I tried a slow gun that you start with and the machine gun that speeds up as it goes along. I didn’t like the shooting as I felt that it didn’t shoot where I was aiming, but rather a little down and to the right. When I adjusted that it seemed to go better for me but it was still off putting.
Starship Crafter: Take on the role of a starship mechanic and repay the immense debt your father left behind. Upgrade your workshop, craft components, build starships, complete contracts, follow unfolding events through the in-game newspaper, and most importantly, repay the debt before the deadline
This game is a Car Mechanic kind of game but in space. You breakdown and repair ships, buy new new recipes to learn, Buy resources on the marketplace and so on. The game was fun, but the lack of universal storage just adds busywork instead of doing things that would be a bit more fun. You owe a debt to some pirates through your father and need to pay it off. I do think it could be fine, but you need to be aware of that it is what it says on the tin.
War for Bryndor: A fast-paced strategy game where cards offer you strategy and dice determine your fate! Conquer provinces in thrilling battles in an attempt to unite the land. Manage your resources and outmaneuver opponents in quick matches filled with tactical decisions and shifting frontlines. With dynamic maps and a blend of luck and strategy, you won't want to stop. Can you claim ultimate victory?
This looks to be a fun little card battler. I didn’t play enough as I feel I had the basic understanding and if I had more time and less demos to try I would have played more. I liked the art style and if I had more time to work through the cards I think it would be a good game.
House and Hand: Building thriving island cities in this addictive match-3 deck-building roguelike! Place forests, mountains, cities, and more on islands using cards from your deck. Match 3 identical features to combine them into a bigger, better features that scores you points.
House and Hand is a match-3 deck building city scape roguelike. You have card with different tiles you can place (including fields, trees, mountains, robbers and so on) that when three or more are in a row, create a new upgraded tile (pastures for fields, towns for trees, mines for mountains and the robbers upgrade). The round ends when you run out of cards in your deck which moves you onto the next island or if you have no spaces left on your island to place cards then the run ends. Each island is purposefully quite small, but they differ in size and when you get to choose the next island to go for, they have bonuses and hinderances attached to them as well as different tile sizes (4X4, 5X5,6X4 and so on.) At the end of the round if you win you are scored on that island and receive money which you use to either add buffs (you can have a few that persist through the islands on that particular run) or to purchase new cards to add to your deck.
It was a fun little game. Hopefully for the full release they have numerous cards and combinations to keep it interesting. This game reminds me somewhat of Dorfromantik in its mechanics and although I loved that game, I found it got repetitive after a while and I don’t think this game will be any different for me. If you like match-3 games and enjoy finding strategies to work your way through then this will be a great game. The sprites are well done, and the game runs smoothly.
Mirealle: A world has split into thousands of floating islands. A forgotten history is hidden in ruins. Mirealle is a touching puzzle adventure set in a cozy universe. It is about the search for hope where a lost part of the world… and of oneself… are hidden in every detail.
Mirealle is a cute little puzzle game. My daughter would probably enjoy the game as the graphics are charming. The puzzles were not difficult on the 3 maps I played. You start on your home island and your pet gets ill. You decide to travel to another island to seek help. On the island you discover a stone that takes you across to further islands. There are sections on the maps that show you past memories that add to the story. As you walk around the island, while rotating them 90 degrees at a time, you get little pop-up speech bubbles that give you context as to why these islands are uninhabited. These speech bubbles change their perspective to keep their facing in order for you to read them which was a nice touch. There have been similar games but this game should stand on it’s own.
Imago Season: A true narrative roleplaying experience. Explore an alien city inhabited by human-insect hybrids. Roll dice, join a revolution, become a mutant yourself. The choices are yours, but so are the consequences.
This was a good narrative game. The characters were interesting and the world was unique. Humans metamorphosing into bugs via a choice system was interesting. The history of the world is something I would be interested in learning more about including the robots that seem to have taken over the world as their leaders.
You start in the world being told a story about what you are felling and where you make choices that direct said story to some small amount. There is much about this game that reminds me of the way Disco Elysium tells its story. There are dice rolls that are affected by your skill set and failure in these rolls does not always mean failure in the game, but rather a different path through the story. As in Disco Elysium there are dice rolls that can be repeated after a skill increase and ones that cannot. I feel the demo was rigged to ensure you passed certain tests in order for the demo to progress. I enjoyed the game, but I am not sure if I would play it when it came out purely down to the number of releases that come out but I feel they have something interesting here that will tickle many people’s fancy. The demo is worth your time if you find it at all interesting.
Commie Block: Survive as the newly appointed manager in an expanding communistic regime where our purpose is to produce more and more resources for the glory of motherland! Manage the workforce & optimize output of buildings to survive against unrealistic demands as long as possible in our own commie block
I think there is a gem of a game here, but the tutorial is minimal and explains what you would already know if you have played any of these games before. There is little information on the buildings you put down. The apartments don’t add workers but add personal storage which I have no idea what it even does. I repeatedly failed my quotas because I just couldn’t get enough resources out of the buildings quick enough. I tried many buildings with few workers and few buildings full of workers. In the end the game became frustrating. I played the tutorial and was trying to figure out how to get more workers and other than research and random rewards for meeting quotas, there wasn’t a hard and fast way to do so. I feel I missed something important in the tutorial but even a second run through of the tutorial did not remove any confusion. Good idea but it needs more direct explanation or a deeper tooltip for the buildings to explain to stupid how they work.
Cursed Blood: Cursed Blood is a brutal 1-4 player co-op melee roguelike. Play as vengeful Samurai Apes fuelled by rage, unleashing a whirlwind of lightning-fast combat. Spill blood, sever limbs, and claim your vengeance!
I really enjoyed this demo. It is a twin stick melee roguelike. It is visceral and bloody fast-moving melee combat with powerups and curses to dictate how you play. I played singleplayer but it is up to 4 player co-op. I only played 2 of the characters and they did not deem to play that different. The second character had kunai but I never figured out how to use them. You also pick up guns with limited ammo along the way that onced empty of bullets you can throw. There are multiple curses along the way that you can collect at alters that give you a bonus in return for the curse. Overall this was a well presented, well thought out well made game. I just wish I didn’t suck at twin stick shooters.