Steam Next Fest June 2025 Recap: What Indie Devs Should Know

Steam's June 2025 Next Fest wrapped up with a showcase of over 2,600 playable demos, providing developers and players alike with a glimpse into what the indie scene has in store. For aspiring and independent game developers, understanding what cut through the noise can be a valuable tool for shaping game design, marketing strategies, and demo presentation.

Here's a breakdown of what stood out, what trended, and what lessons devs can walk away with:

Most-Played Steam Next Fest Demos (Unique Players)

Valve released its list of the top 50 most-played demos, measured by unique player counts. Some of the key titles that led the charge include:

1. Vindictus: Defying Fate – A polished soulslike/action RPG from Nexon, notable for its fast-paced combat and mythological themes.

2. Wildgate – A co-op FPS with Sea-of-Thieves-style traversal and teamwork, set in a vibrant sci-fi world.

3. Jump Ship – A standout for its crew-based roguelike FPS gameplay. Personally, this was a highlight: traversal felt smooth and purposeful, and the balance of tension and player agency was particularly well-executed.

4. MIMESIS – An online co-op horror title with an experimental aesthetic.

5. Dead as Disco – A rhythm-action beat-’em-up that proved genre hybrids still turn heads.

Other high performers included PIONER (a Stalker-like MMOFPS), Starlight Re:Volver (anime-style co-op roguelite), and creative curiosities like Escape from Duckov.

Check the rest of the top games here: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfestmostplayed

Or, if you want to see them all in one go, check this video out by Game Mojo:

Genre & Tag Trends

A few patterns emerged from the top demos:

• Multiplayer and Co-op: Games with shared experiences—whether FPS, horror, or exploration—consistently led in engagement. It’s clear that players want to discover new worlds together, even in short-form demos.

• Rhythm Meets Action: Titles like Dead as Disco successfully fused beat-based timing with traditional combat, showing continued appetite for genre experimentation.

• Short and Sweet: Several high-performing demos offered one-sitting experiences that were easy to start and rewarding to finish. These lower-friction entries punched above their weight.

Discoverability & Wishlist Dynamics

GameDiscoverCo, which tracks performance metrics across Steam events, provided some insight into how demos converted to wishlists:

• The top 1% of demos generated ~30,000+ wishlists.

• The top 10% reached ~3,000.

• The median demo saw ~300 wishlists.

In other words, visibility matters—a lot. But so does design: the more immediate and clear your hook, the better your odds of converting players quickly during the Fest.

Checkout GameDiscoverCo's Next Fest 2025 Newsletter here: https://newsletter.gamediscover.co/p/who-won-june-2025s-steam-next-fest

Developer Takeaways

Here are some practical insights drawn from this year’s Fest:

Area	What Worked	Takeaway for Devs
Co-op mechanics	Wildgate, Jump Ship, MIMESIS	Co-op remains highly popular—well-executed co-op not only attracts attention, it also naturally multiplies your exposure by requiring more players per session. It’s also more likely to be shared among friend groups and content creators.
Niche genres or gameplay	Dead as Disco, Dispatch	A compelling twist on familiar mechanics helps you stand out. Smart mashups generate curiosity and attract niche fans from overlapping communities.
Fast onboarding	Escape from Duckov, CloverPit	Short, well-paced demos improve completion and conversion. Limit friction—teach the core loop early and make the first few minutes shine.

As a dev, especially in the indie space, the data reinforces what many already suspect: polish your hook, pitch/test early, and offer a tight, memorable demo.

Final Thoughts

Steam Next Fest remains a vital barometer of player interest and platform dynamics. For developers, especially small teams, it offers both exposure and a reality check. Not every demo will hit the top 10%, but the event still delivers feedback, data, and often a spike in wishlist momentum that can’t be ignored.

Don’t chase trends, but do learn from them. Especially if your game is weird, heartfelt, or collaborative—players are showing us they’re very much ready for all of it.