Steam's next Steam Next Fest is now live on Steam

The latest go-around of the nigh-overwhelming Steam Next Fest is live, meaning that you once again have precisely one week to power through literally hundreds of demos of upcoming games on Steam.

It's "nigh-overwhelming" because there's just so much to play, and such a limited amount of time in which to play it all. It's great for getting hands-on time with games you're looking forward to, absolutely, but if you're a "gotta play 'em all" completionist, it's has the potential to be a very rough week. I calculated for the February Next Fest that you could dedicated approximately 12 minutes per demo if you wanted to get through them all, assuming you didn't waste time on food or sleep; that is admittedly not the most precise measure possible, but neither is it realistic so I'm not going to sweat the details.

If you're looking for an assist on deciding what to try first, the Steam Next Fest page can help. Right at the top, there's a rundown of games on your wishlist that are also offering Next Fest demos. For me, it's a reminder that The Invincible, Broken Roads, SlavicPunk: Oldtimer, and Stellar Wandered DX are all taking part in the event, and those alone are probably enough to keep me occupied for most of it.

Not all of the demos will disappear when the Next Fest is over, either. Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive, for instance, pointed out that the Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition demo will be available on a permanent basis. It's a case-by-case thing, but something to keep in mind if you're swamped and want to put something off for later.

Yes, the @RiseoftheTriad demo is NOT TIMED and will stay up FOREVER. We may even update it over time!This is our SHAREWARE version of the remaster. So please enjoy it - AND SHARE IT :)https://t.co/aYoyfSJ9Dq pic.twitter.com/5cmMzaQVXwJune 19, 2023

Of course, we're not going to leave you hanging either. We're digging into the pile ourselves and putting together a list of our favorite demos of the Next Fest, and we'll have it posted for you soon. And if you saw something in the trailer up above that you'd like to check out, here's the full rundown of everything on display:

The Steam Next is live now and runs until June 26.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.