Steam Next Fest June 2026 was the largest edition ever with roughly 4,931 demos. BOMBANANA! topped the charts with over 1 million library adds and 40,000 peak concurrent players. Here is the full top 50 list with stats, genre breakdowns, and upcoming release dates.
Steam Next Fest June 2026 ran from 15 to 22 June and offered approximately 4,931 playable demos, making it the largest edition in the event’s history by a significant margin. The February 2026 record of 3,500-plus demos was surpassed by nearly 40 percent. Valve has now published the official wrap-up listing the 50 most-played demos ranked by unique player count across the festival week.
BOMBANANA! Dominated With 1 Million Library Adds
The co-op bomb defusal game BOMBANANA!, developed by Lefto Studio, claimed the number one spot with staggering figures. Over 1,000,000 players added the demo to their Steam library, more than 675,000 actually played it, and the game surpassed 230,000 wishlists. Its peak concurrent player count hit 40,119 on 23 June, days after the festival officially ended. The premise is simple but chaotic: three monkeys (one blind, one deaf, one mute) must defuse bombs in a converted minivan using limited communication. The full release is scheduled for August 2026.
The Complete Top 50 Most-Played Demos
Valve ranked these 50 demos by total unique players during the festival week. SteamDB data provides additional peak concurrent figures and user review scores for many entries:
- BOMBANANA! (Co-op bomb defusal, peak: 31,660 concurrent during fest, 40,119 post-fest)
- IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator (Dieselpunk artillery sim, peak: 14,827, 95.35% positive)
- Echoes of Aincrad (Sword Art Online action RPG, peak: 14,408)
- Mistfall Hunter (Dark fantasy extraction ARPG, peak: 16,683)
- over the hill (60s-80s offroad sim, peak: 5,954)
- EMPULSE (6v6 movement shooter, peak: 4,316)
- Dust Front RTS (Dieselpunk real-time strategy, peak: 5,922)
- The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (4-player co-op horror, peak: 3,416)
- XenoFeels
- Embers of the Uncrowned (Isometric MMORPG, peak: 9,369)
- Casualties: Unknown (Cave survival sim, 92.85% positive)
- Mortal Shell II (Soulslike sequel, peak: 8,437)
- Double Dealers
- GRAIN ROT
- Order of the Sinking Star (Puzzle game by Jonathan Blow, peak: 2,870)
- ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs (89.62% positive)
- Friendly Steps
- Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD (Tower defense, peak: 2,705)
- Invokyr (89.13% positive)
- No Such Place
- Enginefall
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Capcom action, peak: 10,896)
- Valor Mortis
- Cozy Game Restoration
- The Guild: Europa 1410
- Project: Doors (88.47% positive)
- VOID DIVER: Escape from the Abyss
- DragonSword: Awakening
- Gold Mining Simulator 2
- Nomad Drive
- County of Fortune
- FreeStyle Football 2
- ZeroSpace
- Bus Simulator 27
- Corsair Cove
- As One We Survive
- Trash Day
- Slayblade
- Deep Dish Dungeon
- Sir, We Have an Orc Problem
- 1666: Amsterdam (peak: 8,184)
- Car Mechanic Simulator 2026
- Demon Bluff
- Strikers Club
- IGTAP: an Incremental Game That’s Also a Platformer
- VHOLUME (91.09% positive)
- Trees Hate You
- Dungeon Settlers
- Last Pirates: Die Together
- Train45
Which Genres Performed Best?
Co-op games were the runaway winners. BOMBANANA!, The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, and Last Pirates: Die Together all featured prominently, confirming that shared experiences continue to drive the highest engagement during demo festivals. The soulslike and action RPG category was well represented by Mortal Shell II, Mistfall Hunter, and Echoes of Aincrad, though post-mortem analysis from developers suggests that demos exceeding 60 minutes suffered from low completion rates.
Simulation titles carved out a surprisingly large share of the top 50: over the hill, Car Mechanic Simulator 2026, Bus Simulator 27, Gold Mining Simulator 2, and IRON NEST all fall broadly into simulation territory. Cozy sims like ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs and Cozy Game Restoration earned some of the highest user review scores. Strategy fans had Dust Front RTS, Kingdom Rush 6, and ZeroSpace to dig into, while horror was covered by The Mound and Casualties: Unknown.
Standout AAA and High-Profile Entries
Bandai Namco’s Echoes of Aincrad, set in the Sword Art Online universe, is one of the most wishlisted games on the list with 51,287 Steam followers and a confirmed 10 July release date. Demo progress carries over to the full game. Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword hit 10,896 peak concurrent players ahead of its September 2026 launch, demonstrating strong franchise recognition.
Jonathan Blow’s Order of the Sinking Star, the creator’s follow-up to Braid and The Witness, offered a demo so large it rivalled some full puzzle games in length, drawing widespread praise. Mortal Shell II’s open beta format attracted 8,437 concurrent players, and early impressions from outlets like PurePC noted a significant quality leap over its predecessor. Demo players also received an exclusive Forerunner cosmetic skin for participating.
User Ratings: The Highest-Scored Demos
While Valve’s official list ranks by unique player count, SteamDB’s review data reveals which demos actually impressed players the most. IRON NEST topped the ratings at 95.35% positive, followed by Casualties: Unknown at 92.85% and BOMBANANA! at 92.06%. VHOLUME earned a quiet 91.09%, and ReStory sat at 89.62%. These scores indicate that quality and popularity do not always align perfectly: Casualties: Unknown ranked 11th by players but 2nd by satisfaction.
Demo Length and Wishlist Conversion: Developer Insights
Post-mortem analysis published by Althera Games highlighted important patterns for developers preparing for the October 2026 Next Fest. Demos between 30 and 45 minutes consistently outperformed both shorter and longer experiences in completion rates and demo-to-wishlist conversion. The healthy conversion range sat between 25% and 45%. Below 15% typically signals a capsule art or genre-fit problem; above 50% indicates both a strong hook and well-targeted traffic.
Cozy sims, deckbuilders, and psychological horror demos produced the best conversion rates. Long action RPG demos (60 minutes and above) struggled with completed session metrics, meaning Steam’s algorithmic feedback loop did not amplify them as effectively as shorter, more focused experiences.
Release Dates: When Can You Play the Full Games?
| Game | Expected Release |
|---|---|
| EMPULSE | 24 June 2026 (Early Access) |
| Echoes of Aincrad | 10 July 2026 |
| Mistfall Hunter | Late July 2026 |
| The Guild: Europa 1410 | July 2026 |
| DragonSword: Awakening | July 2026 |
| ZeroSpace | July 2026 |
| Corsair Cove | July 2026 |
| The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu | July 2026 |
| Sir, We Have an Orc Problem | July 2026 |
| BOMBANANA! | August 2026 |
| IRON NEST | Late July / August 2026 |
| Last Pirates: Die Together | August 2026 |
| Onimusha: Way of the Sword | September 2026 |
| Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis TD | September 2026 |
| Bus Simulator 27 | September 2026 |
| Cozy Game Restoration | September 2026 |
| Dungeon Settlers | September 2026 |
| Valor Mortis | October 2026 |
Can You Still Play the Demos?
Although Steam Next Fest officially closed on 22 June, the majority of demos on the top 50 list remain available on Steam. Developers can choose to keep demos live after the event, and most have. Several games are already accepting pre-orders, including Echoes of Aincrad at $69.99 and Bus Simulator 27 at $29.99. If you missed the festival week, you can still download most of these demos directly from their Steam store pages.
With the Steam Summer Sale launching on 25 June, this Next Fest essentially doubled as a pre-sale trial period. If any of these demos caught your attention, wishlisting the game ensures you get notified the moment it releases or goes on discount. For topping up your Steam wallet ahead of the sale, you can grab a Steam USD Wallet Code from GamerMarkt for instant delivery.
What Players Usually Ask
What is Steam Next Fest and how often does it happen?
Steam Next Fest is a week-long event organised by Valve three times a year (February, June, October) where players can try free demos of upcoming games, watch developer livestreams, and build wishlists. The June 2026 edition was the largest ever with nearly 5,000 demos.
How does Valve rank the top 50 demos?
The list is sorted by total unique players who launched each demo during the festival week. It is not based on peak concurrent players, review scores, or wishlist additions, though those metrics are tracked separately.
Which demo had the highest user rating?
IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator led with 95.35% positive reviews on SteamDB. Casualties: Unknown followed at 92.85%, and BOMBANANA! sat at 92.06%.
Will there be another Steam Next Fest in 2026?
Yes. The next edition is expected in October 2026, continuing Valve’s three-per-year schedule. Developers typically begin registering demos several weeks before the event opens.
