The October 2025 edition of Steam Next Fest was packed with brand-new demos of every kind. Obviously, I only had time to try a few things, but even in that small window, I managed to spotlight some interesting turn-based RPGs.
Yesterday, though, I took a look at Steam’s recap of the 50 most-played demos overall during the event, every genre included, no filters. But since I’ve basically got a turn-based filter hardwired into my keyboard and mouse, my curiosity kicked in to see whether any turn-based titles broke into that Top 50, and which ones did.
Amid platformers, adventure games, first-person RPGs, and action titles of all stripes, these four racked up the most downloads and playtests, and the good news is you can still try them, because the demos are still up.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
Both the demo and the game itself were among the most anticipated of the event, and fortunately, they seem to have lived up to the hype.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era’s Steam Next Fest demo feels like a careful bridge between III-era nostalgia and a modern ruleset. The demo teaches the basics with a string of tutorials, then lets you test routes through three modes: arena for quick scraps, single-hero for a tighter push-and-pull, and a multi-hero “Classic” setup across three map templates.
Four factions are in, and they play differently enough to matter: Temple’s armored line and griffins, Necropolis’ attrition and life-drain, Dungeon’s heavy hitters, and the new Schism with its eldritch twists.
Movement points, map control, and build orders still define the mid-game; in battles, a Focus meter fuels unit abilities, so timing a teleport, a summon, or a heal can flip a round without slowing the pace. It’s immediately readable and, more importantly, gives you space to learn without a time limit.
The full game targets PC on Steam in 2026 with online co-op and PvP, but the demo stays solo and sticks to Jadame as a proving ground. Under Unfrozen and Hooded Horse, this “official prequel” leans into six-faction variety for launch, while the demo’s four give a clear sample of economies, tech paths, and unit synergies.
It’s also a legit festival standout, Ubisoft’s recap highlights the demo’s breadth, and it’s been well-received on Steam, so if you’ve been waiting for a modern take that respects this glorious series, this is worth the install. Wishlist if you want pinged for Early Access; otherwise, the demo already delivers a solid weekend’s worth of routing, rerolling, and “one more turn.”
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
Next one is Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, which plays like a friendly pick-up-and-play tabletop night, just without a DM.
The Steam Next Fest demo starts with a short tutorial and then drops you into two encounters from the Embers of Chaos campaign: a skirmish in Neverwinter Wood followed by an early dive into Mushroom Hollow.
It also introduces Jessix, a human ranger added just for the demo, and a later update unlocked Tharok, the dwarven fighter, so you can feel how the roster shifts your tactics.
Clear turn order, card-based abilities, and positional play keep the pace brisk, and finishing the demo grants a special dice skin that carries into the full game via account linking.
Resolution says the demo has remained available after the festival and even landed in Next Fest’s top-50 most-played list, which tracks with how approachable this slice feels.
The full release targets November 20, 2025 on PC (with flatscreen and SteamVR), PlayStation 5 and PS VR2, and Meta Quest, with cross-platform co-op for up to four players. It’s a DM-less tactical campaign set in the Forgotten Realms, built around classic classes like paladin, sorcerer, ranger, and rogue, and two-story campaigns at launch, including locations like Neverwinter Wood and Cragmaw Castle, with replayable runs that remix challenges.
Resolution has set the price at $29.99, and the team frames Battlemarked as “social strategy” first: coordinate turns, chain abilities, and manage the board together, or command the whole party solo in skirmish mode if you prefer to go it alone.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II’s Next Fest demo is a clean, tutorialized slice that lets you play both sides of the war from the start.
You run the Adeptus Mechanicus prologue and then flip the board to the Necron opener, with the new environmental rules doing a lot of work: the Mechanicus benefit from taking cover, while the Necrons can simply tear that cover down.
It’s readable, with early skirmishes built to teach positioning and resource flow; series veterans will notice the Cognition economy has more ways to earn and spend points, which gives you extra routes to set up shots and pushes.
Outside the demo, the sequel promises two full narrative campaigns told from each faction’s perspective, territory control on a strategic layer, and a larger unit roster, with Bulwark Studios developing and Kasedo Games publishing.
The demo went live on October 2 and was featured during October’s Steam Next Fest; the full game’s release date is still TBA, but platforms are confirmed as PC (Steam/Epic), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
If you want a quick read on the asymmetry, cover play versus demolition, and how the new rules change tempo, this demo does exactly that. Here you can find our hands-on preview.
MENACE
The last turn-based game to make it into the Top 50 Most Played Steam Next Fest Demos is MENACE, the new sci-fi strategy RPG from the minds behind Battle Brothers.
MENACE’s demo does a good job of showing the core loop without wasting time. It drops players into a multi-mission operation where squad building matters, kit leaders with armor and accessories, pick rifles or specialist weapons, and decide when to spend on vehicles like tanks, walkers, or artillery.
On the field, suppression pins targets, flanking, and cover destruction open angles, and poor positioning get leaders killed for good. The Next Fest update expanded the slice with a second “Thwart Invasion” operation that adds ten new missions and more toys to try, while also tuning balance (that nasty pirate flame truck is less of a brick now).
The full game is set for Early Access on February 5, 2026, from Overhype Studios and publisher Hooded Horse. Platforms include Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, with day-one availability on PC Game Pass (Game Preview).
Expect operations that branch across multiple missions, relationships with local factions that affect access to gear and ship upgrades, and a mobile HQ, the strike cruiser TCRN Impetus, that acts as both base and battlefield support.
If the demo’s blend of squad loadouts, vehicle choices, and high-lethality firefights clicks, the broader campaign is aiming to scale that decision-making across the whole Wayback system.
