Steam Next Fest is set to bring a week-long deluge of game demos, developer talks, and update news starting on June 16th. Steam will be hosting around 20 playable VR game demos over the course of the event, and there’s some real gems in there we’ve just been itching to play.

We’ve rounded up our 10 most anticipated demos coming to Steam Next Fest, including trailers, descriptions and links so you can make sure to try out the demo when all of them officially go live between June 16 – 22, 2021.

I Expect You to Die 2

  • Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
  • Studio description: Be the elite super spy we’ve been waiting for! The popular escape-the-room virtual reality franchise is back with new missions, more villains, and ingenious puzzles.
  • Developer: Schell Games
  • Link: I Expect You to Die 2

Seeker: My Shadow

  • Genre: Action, Adventure, Puzzle
  • Studio description: Seeker: My Shadow is a VR adventure that utilizes the versatility and possibilities of VR, sending players of all ages to an immersive adventure! You control a Giant Spirit while assisting Kippo, a small and adorable Seeker, through various puzzle levels. Go solo or solve the levels in co-op mode!
  • Developer: Jestercraft
  • Link: Seeker: My Shadow

AGAINST

  • Genre: Action, Rhythm
  • Studio description: AGAINST is a combat rhythm VR game that will immerse you in a noir crime nightmare. Follow the beat to shoot and slice your way through Mafioso forces. Empowering modern music is your only way out from the bleak streets of 1930’s New York.
  • Developer: Joy Way
  • Link: AGAINST

Arcade Legend

  • Genre: Simulation, Arcade Games
  • Studio description: Arcade Legend is an arcade simulator and management RPG. Clean up your run-down venue, add new games and customize the layout and look. Build your reputation to continue unlocking content and play officially licensed, modern arcade titles as you unravel the secrets the venue holds.
  • Developer: LAI Games
  • Link: Arcade Legend
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Sentenced VR

  • Genre: Simulation, RPG
  • Studio description: What does it mean to become an agent of authority? Master the art of beheading, become an agent of authority, and enact a divine drama of justice, death, and redemption.
  • Developer: Samuel Gordon
  • Link: Sentenced VR

Detour Bus

  • Genre: Adventure
  • Studio description: Snap together inconvenient road pieces to build ridiculously convoluted highways, and guide the dysfunctional Flowers family on a psychedelic road trip across post-infrastructure America.
  • Developer: Late Stage Interactive
  • Link: Detour Bus

ARK-ADE

  • Genre: FPS, Action
  • Studio description: Have you ever dreamt about being inside an old Arcade Machine? ARK-ADE is a fast-paced VR First Person Shooter. Plunge into the retro vibes and shoot your way out through an evocative low-poly 80’s Sci-Fi setting to protect ARK and defeat ADE.
  • Developer: Castello Inc
  • Link: ARK-ADE

Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder

Image courtesy VRKiwi
  • Genre: Action, Adventure
  • Studio description: Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder is a VR adventure game for 1-4 players, taking place in an alternative, weird west dieselpunk world. The player excavates the mountains of their claim, and encounters many mysteries along the way. The North is cold and the Frontier guards its secrets well!
  • Developer: VRKiwi
  • Link: Cave Digger 2: Dig Harder

Squingle

  • Genre: Puzzle, Casual
  • Studio description: The spiraling psychedelic puzzle – Grab revolving orbs and guide them through twisting liquid crystal mazes to create the Universe! A refreshing, relaxing and satisfying “one more go” experience, only in VR.
  • Developer: Ben Outram
  • Link: Squingle

Into the Darkness VR

  • Genre: Action, Adventure
  • Studio description: Into The Darkness is a VR action-adventure game built on physics mechanics. Near future. Humanity is trying to achieve immortality by transferring consciousness to machines. Navigate through environments, solve the puzzle, engage enemy… to find out the dark secret behind the experiments.
  • Developer: Cosmos Games
  • Link: Into the Darkness VR

We’ll also be checking out these titles:

Steam Next Fest goes from June 16th to June 22nd. You can sign up for an official reminder here, which can send you either an email or push notification from the Steam mobile app.

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Some other demos were previously confirmed, although we haven’t seen them show up in our press preview bundle just yet. That includes: Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual! from Happy Giant, Outlier from Joy Way, and Undead Citadel from Dark Curry. We’ll be keeping our eyes out for when these demos drop!

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Cl

    So is this something everyone can participate in online or is this event in person?

    • Sven Viking

      Should be the latter. I think it’s just a new name for the Steam game festival when a lot of developers launch limited-time public demos.

  • Adam Broadhurst

    These games could easily be replaced with games from 5 years ago. It’s quite disconcerting how little progress VR games a making.
    We really need the big hitters like Valve and other AAA studios to makes VR games not small indie studios.
    I’m hoping PSVR2 will raise the standard and quality of the average VR game.

  • Sentenced intrigues me

    • Kristie Salinas

      I am earning 85 dollars hourly for freelancing at home.^gr369^ I never thought I’d be able to do it but my good friend earns $18000 every month working this job and she told me about it. It’s a great opportunity for anyone… >>> https://meumessage.com/J05PWVz

  • Grateful Fred

    Into the Darkness will do me nicely.

  • oomph2

    Skyrim VR is best
    if could load it on quest