Steam Next Fest June 2026 – Capybaras, Dual Dimensions, and Soulslike Swordplay

We're halfway through the year, which also means it's time for the second Steam Next Fest of 2026. In my roundup of the February edition, I got pulled in by several platformers to the point where they were the highlight of my demo fest. This time around, I didn't pull myself away from the genre, but I did make a conscious effort to go beyond my jumping comfort zone. And unsurprisingly, I still came out of Steam Next Fest with several incredibly strong games I'll have my eye on as they near their launch.

Before getting into the demos, one thing that's worth noting, that's been impossible to ignore this next fest, is how many games have a Generative AI (GenAI) use disclosure. None of the games listed here have such disclosures, but regardless of how you feel about GenAI use in game development, seeing more games use it in this Next Fest is just the latest sign of how more developers are starting to bring these tools into their workflow.

Two final things to note before getting into the roundup. Firstly, one game that is part of Steam Next Fest that I've already spent some time with is Among Us Story: On Guard, the new single-player spin-off from Among Us creators, Innersloth. You can check out my thoughts on it here.

Secondly, while this round-up comes as the June 2026 edition of Steam Next Fest wraps up, the recommended demos are all still available for you to download and play, so don't worry about missing out on trying any of these games yourself.

Steam Next Fest June 2026

AGX GP - Typ1 Games - Q4 2026 Release Window

Anyone else out there missing the iconic PlayStation series Wipeout? Developer Psygnosis' futuristic racing series hasn't seen a new entry since 2017's Wipeout Omega Collection, and even that was just a collection of the Wipeout franchise with all the bells and whistles of modern-day (for its time) graphics and technological fidelity.

As a long-time fan of the series myself, AGX GP was almost destined to catch my eye, and while I'm nowhere near ready to tell you that this is the next Wipeout, it certainly feels like it has a shot based on the time I spent with the Steam Next Fest demo. Its gameplay is what sells it, as the boost-focused and fast-paced nature of driving the vehicles that are legally distinct from what you'd see in Wipeout feels incredible.

The problem is that right now it all feels like a bit of a shell. Part of what sold Wipeout to me was the whole world and design of the tracks that went along with its blisteringly fast races. AGX GP's setup is a mostly blank, colourless track on the Moon, converted from a failed Lunar colony by the world's richest man, who could probably do a lot more with his wealth besides operate a new kind of extreme racing league. Still, it's inclusion in this list comes from the fact that it feels excellent to play, and it's certainly capable of scratching an itch for Wipeout fans.

BPM Bitcrushed - Awe Interactive - No Announced Release Window/Date

Shifting gears to something completely different, BPM Bitcrushed is the pixelated, top-down follow-up to BPM: Bullets Per Minute, a first-person rhythm Boomer-shooter released by Awe Interactive back in 2020 on PC. It pre-dates Metal: Hellsinger and, for my money, was the better game of the two despite it lacking Troy Baker's vocal talents.

BPM Bitcrushed takes the world established in BPM, which heavily leans on Norse mythology, and lends it to a totally new aesthetic and gameplay style while keeping many of the dressings and, of course, the core rhythm focus that BPM had. It's not at all what I expected Awe Interactive to do as a BPM follow-up, but I'm also not complaining because it's once again a very well-made and fun bullet-hell time.

StuntBoost - Byting Games - 2026 Release Window

Shifting once again to something different from the game above, StuntBoost is not the kind of skateboarding game you'd expect. Something that's made abundantly clear before you even start playing, when developer Byting Games heavily encourages you to play with a mouse and keyboard rather than a controller. But that's because, as you immediately learn, it's not a skateboarding game about doing sick tricks.

Instead, it's about navigating elaborate toy-sized 3D platforming obstacle courses made of household items and decorated cardboard as fast as you possibly can. If you can get a trick in, then you're just showing off, but kickflips and pop-shuvits are absolutely not the focus. Something you don't really miss, since the grand, small-scale courses feature plenty of massive jumps and opportunities to pull off cool stunts if you can discover all the best shortcuts to the goal.

It's a simple enough game that feels really fun and challenging to play, which is what earns it a spot on the list.

Capy Castaway - Kitten Cup Studio - No Announced Release Date/Window

Capy Castaway is a game I've been following for some time now as a Torontonian. It's an incredibly charming puzzle adventure game featuring a capybara pup and a crow teaming up to find their way home after a massive flood. It's also based off a true story of when a capybara escaped the Toronto Zoo due to a flood.

The demo available now for Steam Next Fest is one I've played before at local Toronto video games industry events (like XP Summit this past May) and it's just as charming and fun as the first time I played it over a year ago. You can play it as a co-op adventure or on your own, and in both cases, it's an adorable adventure with a solid approach to its puzzle design. It's a game that puzzle fans will want to have on their radar.

Screenbound - Crescent Moon Games - September 10, 2026 Release Date

Screenbound was a game that immediately attracted the video game industry's attention with its core hook/gimmick/whatever you want to call it. As you move around in a 3D space, a character in a 2D pixelated world on a device that is a facsimile of a GameBoy moves as well. You exist in both the 3D and 2D versions of the spaces you're navigating in at the same time, and you have to pay attention to both to make it through this simultaneous 2D/3D platformer.

This demo is the first time I've actually sat down and played the game, and it was about as trippy an experience as I expected. It was also incredibly thrilling and extremely well designed, and it made me think for the short time I had with the demo that Screenbound could be the next major accomplishment in the platforming genre.

At least, that's how I felt for most of the demo. By the end of it I was concerned that it's gimmick could become overplayed if the level design didn't keep up to make it interesting, especially after I realized how often I could make it through a section while only paying attention to the 3D world. Still, Screenbound is more than worth checking out.

Valor Mortis - One More Level - October 13, 2026 Release Date

Valor Mortis, the last demo on this list is very likely a game you've heard a lot about already. Not just because we've covered it several times before here at Wccftech, but because it's the latest game from the same people behind the first two Ghostrunner games, which makes it well-worth checking out after those games were very strong action titles.

Though Valor Mortis doesn't provide the same kind of parkour platforming found in the Ghostrunner games, what it lacks in platforming it makes up for in combat complexity and challenge. The studio's approach to first-person melee combat is just as enthralling as it was in the Ghostrunner games, and with its release date now almost around the corner, it's worth giving this game a test drive yourself to see if it's something you'd want to pick up when it arrives in October 2026.

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Those are my Steam Next Fest June 2026 recommendations as the fest comes to a close. It's also worth noting that Valve revealed the top 50 most-played demos of the festival today, one of which was Valor Mortis. The rest of my recommendations did not make the list, but that just shows you how much diversity there is in quality upcoming games.

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