Top 17 Demos Releasing on Steam This Week (12–18th May)

With Steam's recent changes making demos more accessible than ever, it's much easier to find and try them outside of their Next Fest. Considering there are so many games, demos, and DLC coming out every day, we've decided to highlight some so they don't get lost in all the buzz of AAA titles! Without further ado, here are 17 demos you should try out, and I ordered them by release date!

Nina

• Developer: Rookie Pixels
• Publisher: Rookie Pixels
• Genre: Casual
• Tags: Casual, Singleplayer, 2D
• Release date: 11th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Nina is a short narrative-driven horror game where players help a woman who struggles with memory; to be more precise, she wakes up without a single memory of her past. By taking the role of her inner voice, they'll need to guide her, but it isn't without danger: say too much and she'll crumble, too little and she'll forget.

Ikarus Parkour

• Developer: Vanja Aleksić
• Publisher: Vanja Aleksić
• Genre: Action, Indie
• Tags: Action, Platformer, 3D Platformer
• Release date: 12th May, 2025
• Steam link

Ikarus Parkour is a precision platformer set in a game show. Players will need to be quick but careful in this 3D challenge as they climb the 850-meter tower chock-full of obstacles!

Robo Catcher Zero

• Developer: Pixel_Fortress, Pixel-Archipel
• Publisher: Pixel_Fortress
• Genre: Adventure, Casual, Indie
• Tags: Adventure, Casual, Action-Adventure
• Release date: 12th of May, 2025
• Steam link

There are 37 holo-robos to find throughout Robo Catcher Zero, and each one has been designed by comic book authors: Valentin Seiche, Mortis Ghost, Pixel-Boy, and AAA.This is a great title to try out if you're into relaxing, exploring, and collecting!

Hack And Climb

• Developer: Kodachi Games
• Publisher: Kodachi Games
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
• Tags: Pixel Graphics, Difficult, Psychological Horror
• Release date: 12th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Looking for a new Foddian-style game to get into? Hack And Climb might just be it! Instead of a man in a pot or bathtub or a man in anything, you play as weapons. Use the mouse to aim and then jump, aiming to go higher each time! Unlock different weapons and try to master the game.

House Builder2

• Developer: FreeMind S.A.
• Publisher: FreeMind S.A.
• Genre: Casual, Indie, Simulation
• Tags: Simulation, Design & Illustration, Building
• Release date: 12th of May, 2025
• Steam link

In House Builder 2, players will explore a low-poly open world as they go from job to job: load up your truck, drive to the job site, and construct to your heart's content! The best part? You can play it co-op.

Besmirch

• Developer: Gangru Games
• Publisher: Gangru Games
• Genre: Indie, RPG, Simulation
• Tags: RPG, Farming Sim, Survival Horror
• Release date: 13th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Besmirch is a farming simulator like you've never seen: mixed with survival! Plant crops stealthily, avoid monsters and unwanted visitors, and socialise with your neighbours... just make sure you can trust them.

Lakeside Bar

• Developer: BITCOVER
• Publisher: BTICOVER
• Genre: Simulation
• Tags: Simulation, Relaxing, Cute
• Release date: 14th of May, 2025
• Steam link

This desktop idler (or bottom-of-the-screen, as some call it!) will give you a cosy jazz bar to accompany you while you go about your day. Serve drinks and warm meals, care for the customers, play a handful of mini-games, and decorate your yard with what you get from hard work!

Moonsigil Atlas

• Developer: Snake Tower Games
• Publisher: Snake Tower Games
• Genre: Strategy
• Tags: Strategy, Roguelike Deckbuilder, Difficult
• Release date: 14th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Moonsigil Atlas brings a new feature to the deckbuilding roguelike genre: geometric strategy! You'll have no energy to worry about in this game, but you can't play cards endlessly, as you'll need to fit the shapes together!

Neon Highways

• Developer: Flowbit Studio
• Publisher: Flowbit Studio
• Genre: Casual, Indie, Racing
• Tags: Racing, 1980s, Casual
• Release date: 14th May, 2025
• Steam link

Neon Highways takes players to a retro-futuristic '80s with stunning neon-lit cities and synthwave beats. This arcade racer will stay fresh by offering tons of things to unlock — from highways to more cars — as well as different modes to fit your mood.

Machine of the Wasteland

• Developer: UNITE GAME
• Publisher: UNITE GAME
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Racing
• Tags: Action, Adventure, Racing
• Release date: 15th of May, 2025
• Steam link

If you're looking for a more fast-paced experience, Machine of the Wasteland will scratch that itch. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, players will have to survive by outmanoeuvring and outgunning their enemies! Explore the world, challenge faction leaders, and upgrade your ride to win.

Tiny Auto Knights

• Developer: Mumpitz Games
• Publisher: Mumpitz Games
• Genre: Indie, Strategy
• Tags: Strategy, Auto Battler, PvP
• Release date: 15th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Going back to less high-octane games, we've got Tiny Auto Knights! In this PvP autobattler, players will recruit new members, upgrade their strongest heroes, and strategically place them on a 3x3 grid to win against their foes!

Bonfire Barrage

• Developer: tinypunch games
• Publisher: tinypunch games
• Genre: Action, Casual
• Tags: Action, Casual, Action Roguelike
• Release date: 16th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Play as a little bonfire spirit who is trying to fight off the annoying, shadowy foes. In this 2D roguelike shoot-'em-up, players will have dynamic movement and a slew of powers. For those who don't like the grind, there's good news — everything is available from the start! Get upgrades, evolve, and choose power-ups!

Mystic Cleaver

• Developer: 5convert
• Publisher: 5convert
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie
• Tags: Martial Arts, Hack and Slash, Beat 'em up
• Release date: 16th of May, 2025
• Steam link

Mystic Cleaver offers a zombie-infested world, swift attacks, and a unique art style to keep you entertained! Dodge, jump, and slice your way through hordes of enemies... with style!

Frozen Ship

• Developer: Nionetix
• Publisher: Nionetix
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Strategy
• Tags: Early Access, Snow, Survival
• Release date: Q3 2025
• Steam link

Assassins Arena

• Developer: Nightshade Interactive
• Publisher: Nightshade Interactive
• Genre: Action, Casual, Indie
• Tags: Action, Casual, Adventure
• Release date: Coming soon
• Steam link

If you're a fan of party games where you have to hide among a group of NPCs while one of the players plays as the hunter, you'll love this next one! Assassins Arena is of the same ilk as SpyParty or Unspottable, taking a 3D approach with four game modes to experience! Do you think you can blend into the crowd?

My Cozy Room

• Developer: RedDeer.Games
• Publisher: RedDeer.Games
• Genre: Casual, Indie, Simulation
• Tags: Building, Cute, Relaxing
• Release date: Coming soon
• Steam link

From the success of Townscaper comes My Cozy Room, a cute little sandbox title where you design the room of your dreams! Design, decorate, and relax with no goals or objectives: just decorate to your heart's content!

Astra Bestiary

• Developer: Bicho Feo
• Publisher: Bicho Feo
• Genre: Adventure, RPG, Simulation
• Tags: Creature Collector, RPG, Turn-Based Tactics
• Release date: 2026
• Steam link

We can never have too many creature-collecting titles, and Bicho Feo's Astra Bestiary is a great new addition! With over 100 fully animated beasts, you'll be able to train them and watch them grow into three different paths: Tyrant, Monarch, or Archon.