On October 13, Steam launched a new festival of upcoming novelties called "To Be Played," where you can try out demos of upcoming releases. This time, more than three thousand projects are participating in the event, and it's easy to get lost in such abundance. To save you time (and nerves), we've selected several particularly interesting demos that you should pay attention to right now.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
I'm sure most of our readers have heard about this game, whether they wanted to or not. But the epochal status of the event does not allow us to miss the chance to remind you: the legendary Heroes of Might & Magic series returns with a new installment subtitled Olden Era. The development is being handled by the St. Petersburg studio Unfrozen with the blessing of Ubisoft and with the support of Hooded Horse.
Our author Maxim Ivanov played the demo thoroughly and has already noted that we have before us a worthy successor to the great ancestors — a game that does not break the usual mechanics, but returns to its roots, takes all the best from the "folk" third and fifth "Heroes," and at the same time adds new features to rightfully bear the title of a new chapter in the legendary series.
Among the shortcomings are the small interface (have you also seen jokes about the fact that UI designers are waiting for a separate tiny cauldron in hell?) and a slight overload of mechanics, which are initially difficult to keep track of. However, this is a matter of habit. Moreover, next year we are only waiting for a release in early access, which means that the guys from Unfrozen still have a lot of "heroic" work ahead. In the meantime, the demo allows you to try out the gameplay for three classic factions — Temple, Necropolis, and Dungeon — as well as newcomers from the Schism, as if they came from the Mountains of Madness. Link to the demo.
PowerWash Simulator 2
The developers from FuturLab decided that it was time to stop feeding players with endless add-ons and collaborations, and prepared a full-fledged sequel to the methodical simulator of washing everything in the world. They took all the best from the original, improved the controls, and supplemented the game with a new campaign and locations.
According to the creators, players are waiting for thirty-eight new objects that need to be not only washed, but also properly explored. The game has stage-by-stage missions — for example, first you clean the roof while being on the same level with it, and then the whole building "grows" completely, and cleaning turns into a neat and logical process. If you still can't do without height, improved scaffolding with full-fledged ladders and lifts come to the rescue, which can now be precisely adjusted in height. And these are not all the innovations for those who are not afraid to work above the ground.
In addition to the usual high-pressure washing, a rotating surface cleaner has appeared in the arsenal. It is ideal for quick work with flat areas, but useless against textured walls and dried dirt. But floors will no longer haunt you in nightmares. Dirt, as before, is highlighted with one press of a button, which helps not to miss a single speck.
Fans of joint cleaning will also not be left without a gift. Now the campaign can be completed not only online, but also on one screen — in a local cooperative. In addition, the sequel has the ability to equip your own home, invite friends there, and even get cats, so that life finally becomes truly clean and cozy.
The demo presented at the festival includes two missions from the new campaign and can be a great way to pass the time while waiting for the release, which will take place on October 23. Link to the demo.
Painkiller
Painkiller returns after more than twenty years. But is this the same Painkiller that fans remember? Disputes around the new version have not subsided since the first gameplay trailer was shown, and the demo presented at the festival only confirms the fears of the old guard. All this is more like an inexpensive attempt to make a cooperative Painkiller Eternal than a real reboot of the legendary shooter.
According to the plot, the player was imprisoned in Purgatory for crimes against Heaven, but the Voice of the Creator gives a chance to atone for guilt. As one of the champions, you have to stop the fallen angel Azazel, who is ready to plunge the Earth into chaos. Ahead are endless waves of enemies, giant nephilim, and a frantic pace of battles that does not allow you to catch your breath for a second.
The demo only partially justifies these promises, offering to try out only a couple of guns and basic cooperative mechanics — healing, resurrection, giving orders, and the ability to deal with a handful of blockheaded demons. Platforming, colorful confetti, faceless finishing moves, and the lack of impact from weapons have not gone anywhere. Although, I admit, thanks to the triggers on the DualSense, tactile sensations at least partially compensate for the sluggish shooting.
However, the demo is available to everyone, so you can form your own opinion before the release on October 21. I only warn you — it's as short as the life of a demon who fell under a hot hand. Link to the demo.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
The publishing house Dotemu continues to single-handedly pull the strap of the ambassador of the beat 'em up genre — "beat them all." And if you are suddenly a connoisseur of this direction, it's time to get acquainted with Absolum. But today we are talking about another game. This time, the new project is presented by Tribute Games studio, responsible for the hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge — and this is perhaps the main thing to know about Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
In fact, it's the same formula in pixel-comic aesthetics, only now with Marvel heroes — from Spider-Man and Venom to She-Hulk. Good old-fashioned fighting, signature humor, signature moves and phrases of superheroes, up to four people on the screen and two characters under the control of each player — a simple, understandable and, most importantly, fun ageless formula.
The demo allows you to try out nine heroes and complete two levels, and we are still waiting for the game itself "sometime" in 2025. Link to the demo.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II
Bulwark Studios returns with a direct sequel to one of the best tactical games in the Warhammer 40,000 universe — and the Mechanicus II demo proves that the creators have not lost their form. This time, the conflict flares up between the tech-priests of Omnissiah and the ancient legions of necrons. Both sides will receive full-fledged story campaigns with their own styles of play and new combat mechanics, but in fact it will be a single story told from two points of view. To find out completely, you will have to complete the campaign for both factions.
The demo features a prologue. In the first half, we meet an old acquaintance, Scevola, who has turned from an advisor into a full-fledged fighter, and in the second, we take command of the vargard Nefershah, who has to protect her phaerons and prepare the awakening relatives for the upcoming conquests. In both cases, the player will have to destroy enemies, relying on the unique abilities and mechanics of each faction.
Our author Maxim Ivanov notes that the project has every chance to become another masterpiece in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, so we highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the demo. Link to the demo.
The Legend of Khiimori
What happens if you cross Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, and Red Dead Redemption, but throw out all the battles, pathos, and pretentiousness? The result is The Legend of Khiimori from Flying Ants studio — a meditative simulator of a 13th-century courier traveling through the vast Mongolian steppes. Players will have to explore the world, map routes between settlements, and survive in harsh conditions.
The heroine's main companion is a faithful horse, and caring for it is not a simple formality: whether you reach the next stop directly depends on this creature. The horse needs to be fed, watered, cleaned, treated, monitored for endurance, and subsequently even bred to get a stronger and more stable horse.
The demo offers a couple of hours of measured gameplay, during which you can explore the surroundings, try out the route building and cargo distribution system, reminiscent of Death Stranding. The terrain and type of terrain determine how quickly your horse gets tired, and the weight carried must be properly distributed among the bags.
So far, the game looks frankly raw: the animations are jerky in places, the graphics are blurry and noisy. But the project is only preparing for release in early access on November 4, and who knows what all this will turn into — it will definitely be interesting to watch its development. Link to the demo.
Sleep Awake
If you know who Cory Davis and Robin Finck are, this game is a must-have on your wish list. The author of Spec Ops: The Line and the guitarist of Nine Inch Nails have teamed up, founded their own studio, and are preparing to present their debut project — Sleep Awake, a psychological horror created with the support of Blumhouse.
The action takes place in the last city on Earth, where people disappear in their sleep, and refusing to sleep has become the only way to survive. But some have found such terrifying methods of staying awake that you involuntarily wonder — is it worth it? The demo lasts about half an hour and introduces us to a heroine named Katya, whose consciousness balances on the verge of sleep and madness, allowing you to explore this strange and frightening world a little.
Anxious ambient, expressive visuals, and a constantly changing surreal reality, torn between sleep and reality, create a truly hypnotic atmosphere. I recommend it to all fans of the genre "nothing is clear, but very interesting." No release date yet. Link to the demo.
Tavern Keeper
After eleven years of development, the Klug brothers from Greenheart Games, the creators of Game Dev Tycoon, are finally ready to open the doors of their new game. Already on November 3, 2025, the tavern management simulator will be released in early access, and for now you can try out the latest demo — now without time limits.
At first glance, Tavern Keeper looks like a typical tavern simulator, but under the hood there is a real creative workshop. The game allows you to design the interior down to the smallest detail, create your own items and share them with other players. At the same time, you have to assemble a team of the most demanding employees and do everything so that they do not strangle each other in the process.
The project combines elements of management, simulator, and role-playing game. You will find random events, unexpected decisions, and consequences that will affect not only visitors, but also the fate of your establishment. Link to the demo.
MENACE
Overhype Games, known for Battle Brothers, has presented a new project — Menace, a turn-based tactical role-playing game in science fiction settings. The developers abandoned the medieval setting and offer to lead a strike squad of marines, mercenaries, and criminals in a galaxy far, far away to confront pirates, corporations, and some as-yet-unnamed, but much more serious threat looming over the entire system. With each mission, the player makes moral decisions, chooses where to direct forces, which distress signals to respond to, and whose lives to sacrifice for strategic advantage.
Tactical battles take place on randomly generated maps, taking into account weather conditions, terrain, and weapon range. At your disposal are tanks, walkers, infantry, and a wide arsenal of equipment. Losses here are inevitable, but commanders who survive the battle develop and gain new abilities and traits that affect further operations. Now these are not faceless dummies, but full-fledged characters with their own history and character.
The demo offers a solid portion of content, allowing you to spend from five to several dozen hours in the game — at your discretion. The full release of Menace will take place on February 5, 2026. Link to the demo.
Pathologic 3
The cult series "Mor" returns. The Moscow studio Ice-Pick Lodge is preparing the third part — a philosophical psychological horror, where you again play as the bachelor Dankovsky, a doctor who found himself in a city engulfed in a mysterious epidemic. You have only twelve days to save its inhabitants — or at least understand what is happening here.
Pathologic 3 retains the atmosphere of doom and despair, but shifts the emphasis, building the gameplay not around survival, but around full-fledged medical practice. You will have to examine patients, make diagnoses, and figure out where the truth is and where the lie is. Your decisions will affect not only the trust of the population, but also the moral state of the hero, which, in turn, can change your further actions.
At the same time, time in the game is non-linear — you can rewind it to change the course of events and try to save as many doomed souls as possible. The release is scheduled for January 9, 2026, and the demo already allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of a city dying not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Link to the demo.
Of Ash and Steel
Another domestic game that cannot be missed. Fire & Frost studio, with the support of tinyBuild, is preparing to release Of Ash and Steel — a role-playing game with an open world, inspired by the classic Gothic and Risen, but made according to modern standards. The full release is scheduled for November 6, 2025, and the demo presented at the festival already allows you to evaluate the beginning of the adventure.
As a wandering cartographer, you will go to the island of Greyshaft — once a flourishing land, now plunged into decline. You will find free exploration without markers and hints, where a secret, reward, or death may be hidden behind every turn. The combat system offers several stances and styles, allowing you to choose the path of an agile fencer or a knight clad in heavy armor.
The demo introduces the plot, basic combat mechanics, and allows you to test your strength in the arena, absorbing a little of the spirit of the old school — with a touch of modern gloss. If the developers manage to realize everything conceived, Of Ash and Steel has a chance to become one of the most notable RPGs of the near future, especially against the background of the upcoming Gothic remake. Link to the demo.
Skate Story
A game with an unremarkable title, behind which lies a surreal adventure from a lone developer Sam Eng, comprehends through movement and skateboarding the fragility of being and the search for harmony in chaos.
Demons don't sleep in hell — the Moon doesn't let them rest. One of them, exhausted and hungry, decided not just to look at the Moon, but to get to it and eat it. You can't get there on foot, so he took a skateboard. All that was needed was to sign a four-page contract — and now, in order to come to life, the demon must devour every Moon. The skate became part of his soul, and the body turned into a glass vessel of pain.
In the role of this demon, the player has to go on a journey through the nine circles of Hell, created from neon and glass, to a pulsating soundtrack from Blood Cultures.
But the game is not just a creative experiment. It is a full-fledged arcade skateboarding simulator with a rich arsenal of tricks, a development system, and customization. The demo allows you to try out the first chapter, and the full release is expected on December 8, 2025. Link to the demo.
Goodnight Universe
If you appreciate unusual gaming experiments, you should pay attention to Goodnight Universe — the new work of the creators of Before Your Eyes. The development is being handled by Nice Dream studio, which includes the key authors of the original — screenwriter Graham Parkes and composer Oliver Lewin. Skybound Games is once again the publisher, and the release is scheduled for November 11, 2025.
In Goodnight Universe, you play as Isaac, a six-month-old baby who suddenly develops telepathic abilities. He only wants the love and acceptance of his family, but a mysterious corporation sees him as a valuable object for study. The game is once again experimenting with control: with the help of a camera and a gaze tracking system, you interact with the world not through keys, but through your own attention and facial expressions.
Although the project will be fully revealed after the appearance of a full-fledged VR mode, even now, having a regular webcam, you can get acquainted with the twenty-minute prologue of Isaac's story. The full release will take place on November 11, 2025. Link to the demo.
Reanimal
Little Nightmares 3 has already been released, but it was not the original developers who worked on it. Therefore, if for some reason the game left you indifferent, it's time to pay attention to Reanimal — a project that many call a real continuation of "little nightmares." This is the new work of Tarsier Studios, the creators of the first two parts of Little Nightmares, once again immersing players in a bizarre world of not-so-childish dreams and fears.
The demo features the first chapters — about forty minutes of gameplay, during which you have to go to an abandoned mill in search of one of the missing friends. At the time of writing, the demo has already collected more than 1700 reviews, of which 96% are positive. Players note the incredible detail, expressive animation and voice acting, a dense, gloomy atmosphere, and at the same time a frightening, but mesmerizing musical arrangement.
Many also believe that the short demo looks and feels closer to Little Nightmares 3 than Little Nightmares III itself from Supermassive Games, which was released on October 10 and scored only 47% positive reviews based on almost five thousand ratings. Reanimal has not yet acquired an exact release date. Link to the demo.
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown
Star Trek — that says it all. But if in a little more detail, Voyager: Across the Unknown from Gamexcite offers a look at the cult story through the prism of survival strategy with moral dilemmas, where the player becomes the captain of the legendary Voyager.
In the demo, you can experience all the key mechanics — from repairing damaged compartments to exploring new systems, battles, and landings on planets. You will have to monitor the condition of the crew, make difficult decisions, and choose whether to take risks for the sake of Borg technologies or maintain the principles of Starfleet. Each action affects the fate of the ship and its crew.
According to reviews, which have already accumulated over three hundred, players note that, despite the modest scale, Across the Unknown accurately conveys the spirit of the original — attention to detail, the atmosphere of science fiction, and a sense of responsibility for those who follow you into the unknown. The game not only gives you the opportunity to relive the story based on the series, but also allows you to lead it in a completely different direction. No exact release date yet. Link to the demo.
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era
Painkiller (2025)
