17 Free RPG Demos to Play Before Steam Next Fest Ends (October 2026)

Steam Next Fest is on, and it is a great week to be an RPG player: a long list of upcoming role-playing games have free demos you can play right now, no purchase and no sign up beyond a Steam account. We went through the RPGs and MMORPGs we follow and picked the demos worth your time, starting with five we think you should download first.

When it ends: Steam Next Fest runs until October 26 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. That is 1:00 p.m. EDT, 5:00 p.m. in London and 6:00 p.m. in Central Europe (Europe moves to winter time on October 25), and October 27 at 1:00 a.m. in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei and 2:00 a.m. in Tokyo and Seoul. Some demos stay up after the festival and some come down, so play the ones you care about before then. Every game here is on PC through Steam.

Our top 5 RPG demos of Steam Next Fest

Dinghai: The Ocean Pillar

Action RPG roguelike, from Justdan

Our first pick. You play the Abyssal Dragon, an exiled general reborn in the body of Yi, in the world of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the ancient Chinese book of myths. Two weapon types you switch between freely make up the combat, and the latest demo adds a new stage, Heyang, the boss Xingtian and a hidden boss, Zouwu. Best of all, demo saves now carry over to the full game, so nothing you do this week is wasted. Get the demo on Steam.

ReBlade: The Death Spiral

Cyberpunk action RPG roguelite, from ChillyRoom, published by Spiral Up Games

A condemned Synthetic stuck in endless resets, in a city built on Chinese mythology, cutting through beasts reinforced with machinery. The demo has three weapons, one main trial, two side trials and three extra difficulty tiers; the developers suggest the Shield Axe if you are new to timing based combat. It focuses on combat, with no story yet, and it stays open until November 10, past the end of the festival. We played it and loved the combat: read our ReBlade demo impressions (8.0 out of 10). Get the demo on Steam.

XENOFALL

Anime action roguelite, from HDMT Games

Earth is overrun by aliens and you are what is left. Five fighter classes at launch, from single sword and dual swords to dual pistols, shotgun and rifle, each with two skill loadouts, and an item system where every pickup stacks. The demo is generous: two fighters, two stages with two bosses and 32 items. Steam lists the full game for January 2027. Get the demo on Steam.

Angelfall

Reverse horror roguelike action RPG, from The3rd.One Games

For once you are the monster. You play an Archdemon against the endless armies of Light, harvesting souls from hordes of humans and holy warriors, building from skills, runes and passives, and spending what you collect at the Hellforge between runs. Steam lists online and LAN co-op, rare for a game like this. Be warned that it is gory. Get the demo on Steam.

Aera in the Ink Realm

Dark fantasy action RPG, from Mr.O

A solo developer's third person action RPG about a young woman who follows her friends into five cursed storybook worlds. Aera fights with a katana and switches to hand-to-hand martial arts against cursed samurai, corrupted knights and ink creatures. It is an early look at an ambitious one-person project, so expect some rough edges, but the idea is a lovely one. Get the demo on Steam.

More RPGs in Steam Next Fest

These four have said on Steam that they are part of the festival.

ArcheAge Chronicles

Online action RPG, from XLGAMES

The biggest name here, open worldwide with servers in North America, Europe and Asia. The demo has about two to three hours of quests, all four classes, a hard hidden dungeon called Throne of Hinnon and an early PvP channel. Our demo guide has every detail, and our ArcheAge Chronicles demo impressions (7.5 out of 10) tell you how it plays. Get the demo on Steam.

Emberville

Action RPG, from Cygnus Cross

The demo is the game's prologue, about 90 minutes, and your progress carries over to Early Access, which starts on October 27 at $29.99, with 10% off at launch. You wake in an underground dungeon where death does not last, fight its creatures and rebuild the ruined town of Emberville. Get the demo on Steam.

Kitaria Fables 2

Action RPG with farming, from Secret Level Studios and Twin Hearts, published by PQube

More than four hours of content: the prologue and main story mission, 22 side quests, 11 job quests, mini-bosses, the farm and Whitewall Town, and drop in, drop out local co-op for two players. A cosy pick that is easy to share on the couch. Get the demo on Steam.

Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens

Action RPG, from Everflux Games

Play Venya, a shapeshifter switching between human, wolf, raccoon and raven forms to find new routes, solve puzzles and chain combat across forms. The developer has posted a full play-through of the demo on Steam, and the store now lists a December 8, 2026 release. Get the demo on Steam.

More free RPG demos you can play this week

These RPGs we follow also have a free demo listed on Steam right now.

• DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Withered World: monster collecting and synthesis from Square Enix, out December 3, 2026. Steam page.

• Shadow of the Road: a turn based RPG in 1868 Japan with yokai and steam powered machines, published by Owlcat Games, out March 10, 2027. Steam page.

• Scramble Knights Online: a light online action RPG with puzzle dungeons for up to four players and optional faction PvP. Steam page.

• Grimrain: an indie MMORPG heading to Early Access in November 2026, with dungeons, crafting and player housing. Steam page.

• Helrift: a free to play MMORPG where two rival towns fight over a world changed by the Rift, with classless progression. Steam page.

• Forge of the Fae: a pixel art RPG inspired by Celtic folklore, with fast turn based battles, published by Deck13. Steam page.

• Tactics of Scarlet: a Japanese style tactical RPG in the spirit of the Game Boy Advance classics, planned for 2027. Steam page.

• UNDEFEATED: Genesis: an open world superhero action RPG with free flight on an alien planet, planned for 2027. Steam page.

No demo yet, but one to wishlist

Void Soul Awakening from VisRay Studios is not in the festival and has no demo yet, but it belongs on an action RPG fan's wishlist: a roguelite that mixes swords, guns and sorcery, with more than 30 bosses and classes you can swap in the middle of a fight. Steam lists it for 2027. Steam page.

How to play a Next Fest demo

Open the game's Steam page and press Download Demo, or search the Steam Next Fest hub on the Steam store. You need a free Steam account and nothing else. If you like what you play, add the game to your wishlist so Steam tells you when it launches or goes on sale, and leave the developers a note on the demo page: for small teams, that feedback really shapes the final game.

NEXTARCA's take

This is one of the strongest Next Fests for RPG players in a while, and the best part is how different the picks are. Dinghai and ReBlade bring Chinese mythology to fast roguelike combat, XENOFALL and Angelfall are pure build-crafting fun, and Aera shows what one developer can dream up. If you only have one evening, start with Dinghai, because your save carries over, then ArcheAge Chronicles while its servers are open to everyone. Play now: once October 26 passes, some of these demos will be gone.