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RPGamer Checks Out Steam Next Fest Winter 2026, Pt. 2 With so many RPGs releasing each year, it can be hard to keep track of which ones to keep an eye out for. Steam Next Fest offers players a chance to try out some of the many upcoming games ahead of launch and figure out those worth paying closer attention to. Here at RPGamer, we looked at a few of the publicly available demos during the winter 2026 edition of Steam Next Fest. In this two-part feature, the first of which is available here, we picked out some titles we felt were worthy of shining a spotlight on. --- No Vacation for an Executioner Release Date: March 2026 Publisher: JayO Developer: JayO Steam Page After two attempts (and as many misses), it seems the “executioner” genre is not for me. True, No Vacation for an Executioner is a third-person action RPG centered around a melee combat system rather than a torture-based visual novel with RPG elements (see my previous experience with The Executioner in 2019), but the overall experience wasn’t much better during this outing either. The eponymous executioner is having a rough day at work, culminating in running away during the middle of his latest public execution, which inexplicably results in the gathered townspeople becoming infected by some sort of disease and becoming featureless abominations. There wasn’t a whole lot I comprehended during my forty-five minute play session with the demo, other than that it was now my task to take out these mutated wretches. But a sluggish camera, lack of a lock-on system, and an inconsistent success rate of the parry-riposte combo actually working or even stopping the damage-sponge enemies from hitting me during the middle of it made short work of my quickly waning enthusiasm. Add to that a fairly ugly world (disguised by the marketing phrase “retro PS2-style”), and it was high time for that particular executioner to take a permanent vacation. - Pascal Tekaia --- Roulette Dungeon Release Date: To Be Announced Publisher: Hooded Traveler Games Developer: Hooded Traveler Games Steam Page Balatro burst onto the scene two years ago with an unconventional marriage of Poker with deckbuilding roguelite mechanics. Hooded Traveler Games hopes to capture some of that same magic with their new roguelike Roulette Dungeon. This game incorporates the titular roulette wheel as you spin it to determine how much damage your feline character does to the enemies as they try to escape the dungeon in which they have been jailed. Thankfully, combat isn’t completely random, as players have abilities such as the skill to stop the roulette wheel in its tracks to guarantee that big hit on the boss. Much like Balatro, the key to progression involves modifying the three different roulette wheels that the player can choose between in combat. At the end of each level, players can use their accumulated chips — earned through betting on the wheel results in battle and completing side events — to skew the wheels with different numbers or special abilities to tilt the results in their favor. At least in the demo, it isn’t completely subverting the way the roulette wheel works, but even in this introduction, bosses have abilities to modify your wheel or force you to use a specific wheel. With different characters to choose from that have distinct strengths and abilities, it seems like there’s enough depth here to make for an interesting take on the Rogue genre. - Joshua Carpenter --- Spaceman Memories Release Date: To Be Announced Publisher: NerdyPunkDev Developer: NerdyPunkDev Steam Page While the demo for Spaceman Memories shows some potential for the final game, my experience trying to play through it was hindered by glitches and balancing issues. Among these were softlocks, items not respawning after reloading saves, and at least one situation where I didn’t have enough of the items needed to help me get through a combat encounter. Thankfully, the developer seemed to be taking feedback and was able to fix these problems. As for the game itself, the first thing that caught my eye was the visual aesthetic; the mix of 2D sprites and 3D environments calls to mind the HD-2D style that has been in vogue for the past several years. What really makes it stand out is the fusion of futuristic sci-fi and Japanese mythology that is an inspiration for the game’s enemies. Even the game’s save points take the form of maneki-nekos. My player character was the astronaut Ichiro 94, who had just woken up from cryogenic sleep in the future year of 2049, and after landing back on Earth, turned out to be plagued by monsters from Japanese myths and legends. Beyond the premise, there hasn’t been much in the way of plot development, as the majority of the demo consisted of running around, talking to NPCs to figure out what I had to do, and getting into combat with enemies. Combat encounters are 1v1 affairs as both the player and the enemy take turns. On my turn, I select the option to attack or defend, which costs me a small amount of PP. I can also use certain items such as health kits to heal myself, batteries to recover PP, ofudas to stun the enemies, or grenades for dealing a stronger amount of damage. These items are also used out of combat, with ofudas and grenades able to remove barriers and rock formations. The combat is pretty simplistic from what I was able to experience from the demo, but the use of items did lead to some strategy against a frog spirit that I had to fight in the demo’s singular dungeon. While I wish my experience with the demo was less frustrating, I’m still curious to see how the final result turns out, as the aesthetic presentation definitely grabbed me. - Ryan McCarthy --- STARDUST: Wish of Witch Release Date: Q2 2026 Publisher: Kniv Studio Co., Ltd. Developer: Kniv Studio Co., Ltd. Steam Page STARDUST: Wish of Witch was a very pleasant experience. The bright, expressive pixelated graphics do an incredible job of showing off the personality of the characters, and the music is bright and catchy. The battles are very easy to get used to, the story picks up pretty quickly, and by the end of the demo, you’re given just enough information to entice players to get the full game. Battles are fairly standard; square based maps, abilities with different ranges, turns alternating from friends to foes. The skills in the game are presented as cards, which have their own costs, effects, and cooldowns. The only nitpick I have with it is that sometimes the cards interfere with targeting and map visibility. It’s only mildly frustrating and probably the only downside I could see. Other than that, playing the game is very easy and accessible. I played with a single hand using a mouse. If you’re into SRPGs, I think this one should be on your radar. With there being only eight battles in the demo, it can easily be enjoyed in an afternoon. - Robert Sinclair --- Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors Release Date: To Be Announced Publisher: poncle Developer: poncle, Nosebleed Interactive Steam Page To say Vampire Survivors is one of the most addictive video games I’ve ever played would be an understatement, so when I learned that the developers were making a spinoff, I was ecstatic. Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors is a roguelite deckbuilder executed with that incredibly compelling flair that made the original Vampire Survivors so addictive. The remixing of the original soundtrack is incredible, and the first-person dungeon crawler format is a really good fit for the format this game is going for. Visually, the game is very much the same as the original Vampire Survivors in art direction, but seeing familiar locations from a new perspective is a genuine treat. The gameplay is, fittingly, addictive as all-get-out. The game’s emphasis on speed is a real delight, and makes every battle feel both strategic and action-packed. Perhaps the most impressive element is just how much content is packed into this small demo. Five hours in and I haven’t unlocked everything yet, and given the frankly startling amount of content in the original, I shudder to think about what the full game might include. - Ezra Kinnell --- Vapor World: Over The Mind Release Date: Q2 2026 (Early Access) Publisher: ALIVE Inc., Boltray Games Developer: ALIVE Inc. Steam Page I was not surprised to find in my research that Vapor World: Over the Mind appears to be the first project from Korean developer Alive Game Studios. There were some issues with the demo that felt amateurish: a mangled English translation, the voice actors were monotonous, if you fail a section in the tutorial, it takes a while before you’re allowed to try again, and the UI is bare bones. The game begins by noting that this current demo is based on a beta build and is incomplete, so many of these could be easily rectified before release. Even in this state, the game does have its merits; Vapor World is brimming with style. The developers clearly do have a creative vision, and the parts of the game that work really shine. Combat feels responsive and satisfying, the unique art style gives the game a strong identity and feel, and the little drips of story in the demo are intriguing. It feels like its major influences are Dishonored and Bloodborne: you are a fragile killer fighting an inner darkness, and you need to use stealth and careful combat to traverse this mysterious dreamscape. Vapor World isn’t going to revolutionize gaming, but it could become a solid, enjoyable game with a unique flourish. I’ll continue to follow its development because I’m curious to see what it will become and how much of its potential is realized. It could be a frustrating flop, or it could be a solid game; it all depends on what the developers choose to focus on as they continue development. - Kay Vandivert --- Withering Realms Release Date: May 2026 Publisher: Moonless Formless Developer: Moonless Formless Steam Page While Capcom’s Resident Evil series is celebrating its latest release, indie developer Moonless Formless is harkening back to a much earlier iteration of the survival horror formula with Withering Realms, itself the sequel to 2024’s Withering Rooms. Players take on the role of Clover, the ghost of a young girl who awakens from death only to discover that it is far easier to get around riding on the back of a large doll whose movements she can control. As Clover’s doll, players must first explore the rooms of a decrepit mansion before heading out into the randomly generated world around the town of Penwyll, traversing its fields, caves, and graveyards while fighting the monsters that haunt it. At least Clover is able to lock on to these “rotters”, making the hand-to-hand combat not exactly fluid but manageable, if fairly rough around the edges and unrefined. Expect to die a whole lot while coming to grips with the slash-and-dodge combat progression, always sapping the doll’s stamina gauge. Things quickly become far more unwieldy, though, as Clover comes upon pieces of equipment, costume parts, new weapons like a pistol and an arm-mounted rifle, a lantern, grenades, and even magical spells, all of which are found in such quick succession that becoming familiar with them is not an option. After nearly an hour, I’d pretty much had enough – deaths were far too frequent, and combat not nearly refined enough to make repeatedly going down against the same group of enemies remotely enjoyable. Moreover, I’m not convinced that the randomized nature of the game is a good fit for the storytelling or building of tension needed for the survival horror genre, and the one hand-crafted environment I did find – the starting mansion area – was nothing but two overhead shots of hallways with a series of rooms branching off on the left and right sides. As much as the game visually apes Capcom’s juggernaut series, I think I’ll stick to my actual Resident Evil. - Pascal Tekaia --- Yami Kids Release Date: 2026 Publisher: Yanako RPGs, Silverbook Games Studio LLC Developer: GameDevTosh, Yanako RPGs Steam Page Creature collecting tends to boil down to collecting cute monsters for use in combat against one another. Yami Kids doesn't reinvent that wheel, with oni being used against contractors or going to a Battle Center for experience and loot. Where Yami Kids differs, though, is in its use of Shadow Duels. The demo only shows the protagonist and their sibling watching helplessly as the antagonist battles their guardian offscreen, but, unlike fights where only pride is lost, this guardian is killed. But that's only one of the fights; otherwise time is spent exploring the slums where people are barely surviving. Opening chests provides currency and a small chuckle as they all say something about the player committing theft. Discerning combat is not always easy, as enemy levels are not shown on screen, and abilities for one oni may be different for another oni of that same type and name. All-in-all, it's not an easy game to predict for survival. Beyond this quick exploration and the option to sign contracts with and then build up a few oni, there's the Battle Center, which in the demo felt like a random dungeon, but in a few attempts, the placement of enemies and treasure stayed in the same spot. This makes it a useful place to grind for experience, but not a fun one to spend a lot of time in. The demo ends with the protagonist's sibling sacrificing themselves and time jumping to the protagonist graduating from university and learning about how their family has kept oni continuously pouring into the world. There are a lot of fun directions Yami Kids can go, making this an easy recommendation to look into for turn-based creature collecting fans. - Ryan Costa --- We hope you enjoyed reading about our staff’s Steam Next Fest summer 2025 experience. Check out part 1 as well, and please let us know what games you played during the event through the comments, social media, or our dedicated Discord server! The post RPGamer Checks Out Steam Next Fest Winter 2026, Pt. 2 appeared first on RPGamer. https://rpgamer.com/2026/03/rpgamer-checks-out-steam-next-fest-winter-2026-pt-2/