After such a glut of summer game trailers, you’ll be feeling either giddy with excitement or overwhelmed by everything to come. There's a lot to look foward to, but why wait? Following Summer Game Fest, the Future Games Show, the PC Gaming Show, the Xbox Games Showcase, Wholesome Direct, and more, we’ve rounded up 21 demos for upcoming games that you can download and try now – yes, right now! So quit pining for what's to come and scroll down instead to dive directly into the future of gaming.
21 demos to try after 2023’s summer game showcases
The bulk of the demos below are playable on PC via Steam, though a few console demos did make the summer cut. That’s not to say that more games won’t be multiplatform, mind. Steam’s Next Fest events have just made it the most common place for in-development titles to offer an early look at how they’re shaping up. So before you get too excited, please note that you’ll need a gaming PC to give most of the following titles a try.
Final Fantasy 16
© Square Enix
Command the power of mighty Eikons amid an intricate fantasy medieval tale which takes place over multiple stages of protagonist Clive’s lifetime. The generous Final Fantasy 16 demo features several hours of content from the opening of the game. All progress in the demo will also carry over to the final release.
Get the demo on PlayStation
En Garde
Engage in swashbuckling swordplay in the colorful action of En Garde. Outmaneuver and embarrass your graceless opponents by utilizing both your sword skills and the environment.
Get the demo on PC.
Venba
© Visai Games
A narrative cooking game which follows an Indian mom piecing together dishes after emigrating to Canada. Create delectable 2D food and restore family recipes while chatting to your food, life, and more.
Get the demo on PC.
Wizard with a Gun
Partner up with your pals in this cooperative sandbox survival game set in a dark cartoon world of Wild West meets magic. If you’re heading out to explore the arcane unknowns, make sure you bring a trusty gun for the ride.
Get the demo on PC.
Jumplight Odyssey
This roguelite starship colony sim puts you in charge of a spaceship and its crew on a voyage to a distant star. Plan your ship’s layout, then balance the many needs, emotions, and relations of your crew as you try to survive the hazards of interstellar travel.
Get the demo on PC.
The Invincible
© Starward Industries
Search for your missing crew on a harsh alien world in this first-person sci-fi story about humanity’s place and purpose among the stars. It features a distinctive visual style, “atompunk” devices, and important narrative choices.
Get the demo on PC.
Sticky Business
Design your own stickers for sale in this cozy 2D creative shop sim. Combine different elements for adorably cute results that you then pack up and ship off to your customers.
Get the demo on PC.
Paper Trail
A top-down puzzler in which you can fold paper levels on top of themselves to find new paths and solutions. The game's story follows a young academic leaving home for the first time. She’ll need you to rotate, fold, and join the world ahead if she hopes to progress.
Get the demo on PC.
Quilts and Cats of Calico
© Monster Couch
The hit board game Calico make the digital jump, letting you piece together beautiful quilts and pet cute cats while you’re at it. The digital release will even let you dress up the adorable feline friends who’ll patter their way across tapestries you're busy creating.
Get the demo on PC.
Let’s! Revolution!
Minesweeper meets roguelite exploration in this turn-based, tile-flipping adventure. Turn over tiles to uncover a safe pathway through each level and chase down the cowardly king. Stop by shops and interact with entertaining characters to improve your chances of success.
Get the demo on PC.
Lies of P
© NEOWIZ
Steampunk Pinocchio meets soulslike combat in this intriguing action-RPG filled with mechanical marvels. Play as a puppet who can adapt their body and weapons to face the many menacing creatures and creations in the city of Krat.
Get the demo on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox
Fall of Porcupine
A narrative adventure of anthropomorphic animals and issues in the healthcare industry. Follow a junior pigeon doctor attempting to survive an exhausting hospital job in the town of Porcupine. The game is now out on several platforms, but you can try before you buy thanks to the Steam demo.
Get the demo on PC.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom
© Quite OK Games
Forget the flat terrains you’re used to in the city building genre. Laysara: Summit Kingdom will see you developing settlements on the slopes of mighty mountains. Establish supply lines between different altitudes and build preparations against hazards like avalanches as you nurture a thriving community.
Get the demo on PC.
Grimoire Groves
A roguelike dungeon crawler in which you’re a witch trying to regrow a forest of magical creatures and plants. Craft spells and use them to summon cute mystical creatures as you strive to restore the Grimoire Groves.
Get the demo on PC.
Station to Station
Link together railway connections across minimalist voxel landscapes in this relaxing railway management sim. Forging new links will revitalize the land with new communities and environments.
Get the demo on PC.
Road to Vostok
© Road to Vostok
Attempt to cross the border between Finland and Russia in this post-apocalyptic hardcore survival game. Loot equipment and weapons before finding a path into Vostok itself. Once inside, you're far from safe. Vostok is a permadeath zone in which one slip up will see you lose everything, including your save files.
Get the demo on PC.
Word Factori
This letter-based puzzle engine sees you linking together factories which can shape or mix the letter i into other characters. Loop together chains to spell new words and unlock letter recipes that will expand your capabilities. Oh, and try to avoid having a brain meltdown while you're at it.
Get the demo on PC.
The Star Named EOS
© Silver Lining Studio
A narrative puzzle game which features a young photographer following the trail of his missing mother. Capture shots of the world around you, solve relaxing puzzles, and discover the truth of this family mystery.
Get the demo on PC.
Stick it to the Stickman
Stick it to the Stickman brings flash animations of the early noughties to life in a physics-based 2D brawler packed with ridiculous weapons and abilities. Feel no guilt as you vent your frustrations on hordes of unsuspecting stickmen in order to scale the quite literal corporate ladder.
Get the demo on PC.
Sludge Life 2
© Devolver
Grimy first-person vandalism gets even bigger in this larger, gnarlier sequel about tagging a weird, polluted world filled with even stranger people.
Get the demo on PC.
Thirsty Suitors
Jala has returned to her hometown after a breaking up with her partner, and it’s time to confront everything she left behind. How? Via the mediums of skateboarding, cooking, and turn-based battles with her exes, naturally.
Get the demo on PC.
