13 potential Steam hits of tomorrow: These are the games that saw the biggest crowds at Next Fest

1st Place: Mecha Break

About the demo: No surprise at the top. The demo for Mecha Break was so successful that it was even played by more people than some of the biggest titles on Steam. At one point, over 300,000 people were thrown into mech battles at the same time.

Is it any good? Although the demo was so successful, the game is currently highly controversial. On Steam, the demo has received disastrous ratings, which is due to both the lengthy tutorial and the controversial anti-cheat system. But at least in terms of gameplay, it seems to be on the right track.

2nd Place: Among Us 3D

About the demo: The original Among Us became a worldwide phenomenon virtually overnight in 2020. In this social deduction game, everyone has to repair a spaceship while a few sabotage it or even kill other little astronauts. The 3D version offers the same experience, only from a first-person perspective.

Is it any good? Among Us 3D will most likely not completely replace the original and probably won’t provide many new impulses apart from the change of perspective and proximity voice chat. But a game that is already well known, like Among Us, doesn’t need that to be successful.

3rd Place: Roadcraft

About the demo: In Roadcraft you get behind the wheel of some heavy vehicles to rebuild crisis areas after natural disasters. So you have to steer various vehicles through rough terrain and get the infrastructure back up and running.

Is it any good? We tried the Roadcraft demo ourselves and had a lot of fun with it. We particularly liked the creative freedom in road and bridge construction. But on Steam, there are also many old fans of Snowrunner and its predecessor who don’t really warm to Roadcraft.

4th Place: Gothic Remake

About the demo: It is the remake of one of the most legendary German role-playing games of all time. You play a nameless hero who goes down into the mine valley again, where you work your way up. In the demo, however, you play a prologue to the well-known story.

Is it any good? It will be really exciting to see if this remake is any good when it comes out. Expectations are naturally sky-high, and especially technically, the demo did not make a solid impression. However, we remain hopeful that this venerable series will not be disgraced by the remake.

5th place: Fellowship

About the demo: Fellowship is reminiscent of classic MMOs, but Fellowship shortens the gaming experience to tackling one dungeon after another in groups of four. Each dungeon is supposed to be more difficult than the last.

Is it any good? Even though the game comes from a new studio, it is backed by industry professionals. Among others, people who were previously employed by Blizzard are involved. This raises expectations that there is definitely quality here.

6th place: Solarpunk

About the demo: For a change, in Solarpunk you have to survive in a beautiful, green world that offers more opportunities than pitfalls. A German project that already has many fans on Steam.

Is this going to be good?Solarpunk not only looks chic, but also seems to have a lot to offer in terms of gameplay. We think this could be a little survival hit for you.

7th place: Dune: Awakening

About the demo: The actual game releases you into an open world set on the desert planet Arrakis. But the demo for Dune: Awakening only included the character editor and a benchmark mode, so people couldn’t play it yet.

Will it be good? We were able to test the game for quite some time and were extremely impressed by the survival game in the Dune universe. Like the team’s previous project, Conan Exiles, Dune: Awakening also looks good, offers cool survival concepts, and remains gripping throughout. Let’s see if the finished version continues this in the long term.

8th place: Haste: Broken Worlds

About the demo: This year, Sonic has some competition from a girl called Zoey. She can run just as fast as Sonic and you have to help her by demonstrating lightning-fast reflexes.

Is it any good? On Steam, the Haste demo has been extremely well received. 97 percent of the reviews are positive. The catchy gameplay, great visuals and upbeat soundtrack have been praised. An insider tip for Sonic fans!

9th place: Shape of Dreams

About the demo: Shape of Dreams is a mix between a moba and roguelite. It takes the controls and some mechanics from the former and the randomly generated worlds that you traverse with a self-created hero from the latter.

Is it any good? Apparently, the mix strikes a nerve, because the demo is already being praised to the skies on Steam. If you like moba or roguelike games, you should keep an eye on this one.

10th place: Schedule I

About the demo: Even in the demo, you lay the foundations for a drug empire in Schedule I. You start out as a small-time dealer and then work your way up the criminal career ladder.

Is it any good?Well. The people who are interested in it are very satisfied with the demo. But of course it remains an all in all deliberately shoddy-looking production, which doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.

Platz 11: Game of Thrones: Kingsroad

About the demo: This action role-playing game, which was originally intended primarily for mobile devices, lets you gather allies as a member of the lower nobility in the world of Westeros to support Jon Schnee and the Night’s Watch at the Wall. It is actually a real open-world role-playing game in which you can roam the world of Game of Thrones relatively freely.

Is it any good?We tried the demo ourselves and were surprised at how well the whole thing plays on the PC. It certainly won’t be a masterpiece, but if you really want to play an RPG set in the world of Game of Thrones, you can keep an eye on Kingsroad.

Platz 12: 9 Kings

About the demo: An interesting combination of strategy and roguelike. You choose your king and build your empire, but at the same time you have to fend off attacks from other kings and find clever combinations of buildings to do so.

Is this good? The demo is very well received on Steam, but nobody seems completely thrilled by it either. It’s a functional, nice little game. It can probably motivate for quite a long time, but it certainly won’t reach any great heights.

13th place: PUBG: Blindspot

About the demo: The big name alone will have attracted a lot of people here, but PUBG: Blindspot offers a completely different gaming experience from the Battle Royale. It’s a tactical top-down shooter where you approach your mission strategically, like in Rainbow Six: Siege.

Is this good? People seem to like the fast-paced but tactical rounds with the blind spot. It’s not likely to rival Rainbow Six: Siege, but it’s definitely a creative new perspective on the genre.

Feel free to tell us in the comments which demos you watched and whether they convinced you!