Here’s my guide to RPGs, Strategy Games, and Roguelites you absolutely should try before the Festival ends.
Yesterday (October 13), the fall edition of Steam Next Fest kicked off, honestly, one of the events that draws me in the most, given the huge number of new titles that usually debut with playable demos.
The party’s already underway and runs through October 20, and this morning I took a quick look at what’s new to try out. Obviously, there are thousands of titles; narrowing it down to what interests us means fewer, of course, but it’s still a very rich selection.
In this list, I’ve gathered 20 RPGs, strategy games, and roguelites I recommend trying before the festival ends, even though the demos often stick around after it wraps up. Among these are major, well-known projects, but also plenty I only discovered today.
I’ve already tried many of them, and I’ll be checking out the rest over the next few days.
That said, let’s start with a game I didn’t know, but it looks very interesting. It’s called Rising Army, an indie RPG with an autobattler combat system where you build a medieval military base, train your troops, and then send them into battles where you watch them clash with the enemy.
The art style is compelling, and it also looks like you’ll manage the individual soldiers that make up your army. But above all, the ability to freely roam the game world is what grabs me most in a sort of Battle Brothers–style with a release window slated for Q4 2025.
If you prefer something more immediate but still with a strong tactical core, you need to try Smash It Wild.
It’s a roguelite that mixes volleyball with dodgeball, serving up gameplay where picking the right skills is key to beating your opponent. Anthropomorphic creatures and a striking art style, with a launch window set for Q4 2025.
One of the heavy hitters in this piece is definitely the new mash-up between Demeo and Dungeons & Dragons, called Battlemarked. It sports fantastic miniatures and a classic tabletop vibe, with pacing and battle outcomes driven by dice.
It’s a must-try demo at the top of my personal list, also because the game is slated to launch on November 20, 2025, on PC and VR platforms.
Another interesting demo to check out is Paraside: Duality Unbound, which features a very compelling combat system. At first glance, the battles call to mind Into the Breach thanks to the small grid-based maps, but the real twist is that you’re actually fighting across two separate planes.
Essentially, the battlefield flips so you can act on one layer that influences the other and vice versa. There’s also an exploration component that’s just as intriguing, and the art style is nothing to sneeze at. As of today, there’s no release date, so the demo is absolutely a must-try.
Now, another of the most interesting titles with a playable demo, one I had the pleasure of testing early and even wrote a preview about, is Aether & Iron. It’s a story-driven RPG with a unique setting that drops us into the streets of an alternate 1930s New York floating among the clouds.
There are plenty of branching choices and quests shaped by your decisions, and a combat system built around vehicle engagements that really sold me. It’s definitely worth your time. The PC release is slated for 2026.
Many readers who follow TBL know what Battle Brothers has been and what it has meant, so the hype for Overhype Studios’ new title, MENACE, was almost inevitable.
The setting is completely different: we’re shot into space, traveling across multiple planets to resolve all kinds of situations involving pirates and rival factions, with a mysterious threat operating in the shadows.
With tactical combat and a strategic layer defined by managing your mobile base, the TCRN Impetus, the demo offers a real taste of varied battle scenarios. The game is planned for February 5, 2026, on PC in Early Access, and I can’t wait.
Next up is the new entry in the Disciples series, which, honestly, was announced with a bit of surprise, and just as surprising, there’s already a demo available.
It’s called Domination, and it appears to bring back the series’ hallmark mechanics: a structure in the style of Heroes of Might and Magic, but with a stronger narrative focus. This new chapter also introduces a throne mechanic, where you’ll make kingdom-level decisions like a true ruler.
Another title I stumbled across, and didn’t know (or remember) anything about, is Next Run. It looks like an intriguing mix between an RPG and a 4X. You pick a class, roam the world to capture points of interest, and grow your character by leveling up and finding new artifacts.
This strategy game offers a narrative mode where you’ll push back demonic forces, and a separate sandbox mode in full 4X fashion. It looks neat, and the demo is perfect for gauging its real potential ahead of the imminent launch on November 6, 2025.
You can’t skip the demo for the new, highly anticipated entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series, Olden Era. It’s also among the Steam Next Fest demos and might just be the star of the show.
This new chapter promises to bring the series back to glory, and early feedback looks very positive, though I haven’t tried it myself yet. In the meantime, the release has slipped to 2026.
As you can see from the screenshot, the next game on the list oozes style. It’s called Ledgerbound, a tactical RPG that looks to feature a Fire Emblem–style combat system, but on slightly smaller maps.
Colorful characters, a lighthearted vibe, and the freedom to spend your day on everyday errands rather than saving the world from the villain of the week, backed by progression systems and relationship-building. In short, something a bit different from the usual fare. No release date yet, so the demo is a must-try.
Another title whose art style and concept grabbed me at first glance is The Eldritch Ascent.
The Steam page doesn’t share much, but the trailer shows a strong anime-inspired style, and the combat looks like classic JRPG fare, with a greatsword-wielding warrior, blade drenched in crimson, taking on towering creatures. There’s no release date yet, but it’s one to try and add to your wishlist.
Now, for a game I tried over the past few days. It’s a narrative RPG set in a mysterious manor where the digital and real worlds intertwine to create something very intriguing.
It’s called Dissimilar, an RPG arriving in December 2025, offering a point-and-click adventure layered with tactical battles where you deploy clones on the field, more like robots with defined attributes. The standout is the storytelling, which already grabbed me hard in the demo.
Continuing our tour of the festival’s demos, we hit one of the most anticipated tactical RPGs for a bunch of reasons, chief among them the setting: feudal Japan fused with steampunk tech that seems to come out of nowhere, yet fits surprisingly well.
I’m talking about Shadow of the Road, a game I tried a while back that won me over both for its tactical gameplay and its narrative. There’s a new demo to try now, and I think you should. No release date yet.
Another tactics title, this time with a management layer, is NORSE: Oath of Blood, a Viking-themed RPG that lets you avenge your father’s death as Gunnar.
To pull it off, you’ll manage a small village, upgrade it, assign roles to production sites, and unlock new units, alongside exploration and grid-based battles. No release date for this one either, and the demo is absolutely worth playing.
Now for something a little different: Shards of Order. It’s an RPG that uses cards, but not the traditional deckbuilder that’s everywhere these days; rather, it’s an original adventure with a Dark Souls vibe in both mechanics and setting.
I tried it about a month ago and even wrote an article on it. The world design won me over: exploration unfolds through classic roguelite nodes, but you can traverse them freely and in any order.
Combat is deckbuilder-style, but with slightly different mechanics, and you won’t be drowning in a million cards. Instead, you gradually unlock new ones that map to different skills for the various playable characters. I strongly recommend giving it a shot even if deckbuilders aren’t your thing.
And to close, a shout-out to a few indie demos you shouldn’t sleep on. There’s Dead Weight, which casts you as a sky-pirate crew with tactical combat and lovely pixel art.
There’s also Chains of Sand, a brutal roguelite RPG that drops you into the sandals of gladiators chasing fame while trying to stay on your own two feet. And Curse of Dominion, an SRPG that, beyond classic genre combat, layers in grand strategy where you conquer territory and try to hold it, a project that’s also on Kickstarter in the meantime, and one I urge you to seriously consider.
Sticking with roguelites, a shout-out to Conquer Lands, a medieval roguelite deckbuilder with very promising gameplay mechanics.
And finally, another title that immediately reminded me of Battle Brothers. It’s called Cosmos Point, an RPG dungeon crawler that gives you a very simple brief: explore, and try to bring as many items and your soldiers alive back to base. It does it with plenty of style and sharply designed miniatures.
That’s everything I felt like recommending at first glance, but as I mentioned at the start, there’s a ton to check out, so I’m looking forward to your recommendations too. Ciao
