The Best Steam Next Fest Demos We've Played So Far

  <p>Though we’re all still recovering from the recent onslaught of summer showcases and all the announcements that came with them, it’s time for another Steam Next Fest. Like every fest before it, there are hundreds (probably thousands) of great games to check out free demos for, most of them indies, too. We’re doing our best to wade through these demos and check out games we’re excited for, ones to watch, and ones we had never heard of before playing during Steam Next Fest.</p><p>Below, we have a selection of the best Steam Next Fest demos we’ve played so far, and as the week rolls on, we’ll continue to update it with new games we want to surface to our readers. The current Steam Next Fest started yesterday, Monday, June 9, and will run through Monday, June 16, so keep this page bookmarked as we’ll be updating it daily with demos you need to check out. <br> </p>  
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        <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden gi5-field-image gi5-image field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2025/06/10/66c555b8/cast_n_chill.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt class="image-style-thumbnail">

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        <div class="field field--name-field-list-item-title field--type-string field--label-hidden gi5-field-list-item-title gi5-string field__item">Cast n Chill</div>
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        <div class="field field--name-field-list-item-sub field--type-string field--label-hidden gi5-field-list-item-sub gi5-string field__item">Developer: Wombat Brawler</div>
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        <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-copy field--type-text-long field--label-hidden gi5-field-copy gi5-text-long field__item">Developer Wombat Brawler’s idle fishing game, Cast n Chill, has been on my radar since last month’s excellent <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/round-up/2025/05/22/every-game-shown-during-the-six-one-indie-showcase">Six One Indie Showcase</a>. It’s a gorgeous pixel-art fishing game that’s less about objectives (though there are some) and more about enjoying the great outdoors, the serenity of water, great company in the form of man’s best friend, and the sport of fishing. It’s a simple game – move your boat to where you want to fish, cast your line, and reel in a fish when you land one. Fishing itself is basic, but it mixes well with the relaxed nature of Cast n Chill.&nbsp;<br>Finding a spot to fish is about the types of fish you’re after (and adding them to your fishing log), but more than that, it’s about finding a beautiful place to drop a lure and chill. There are plenty of different species of fish, lures, rods, and boats, each with some fun backwoods country descriptions, and coins to collect to buy additional fishing licenses. Those licenses allow you to boat further throughout the game’s beautiful landscape, unlocking more fish to catch. Cast n Chill is, as the name implies, chill, and Wombat Brawler knows this. There’s even an Idle Mode, which lets you keep it open and running beautifully in the background. – <em>Wesley LeBlanc</em>

Check out the demo and wishlist here.