Steam Next Fest has become a highlight for PC Gamer, as developers showcase demos to earn spots on wishlists. The latest event featured a diverse top list, including gnome burglary simulators, vampire-themed deckbuilders, open-world piracy, and robot cowboy co-op.
This variety held until Bungie's Marathon Server Slam test unlocked, immediately claiming the top spot. While thousands flock to its sci-fi shooter matches, other notable demos still drew significant attention.
In second place is 'Burglin' Gnomes,' a co-op game where players control tiny, cigarette-loving gnomes performing risky heists in suburban homes, facing deadly homeowners and cats. Our impressions suggest it has all the ingredients for a breakout hit.
Third place belongs to 'Windrose,' a moody open-world pirate survival game with base-building and naval combat. It has garnered over 5,400 overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews and 1 million wishlists, though a release date remains unconfirmed.
'Vampire Crawlers' takes fourth, transforming the Vampire Survivors formula into a deck-building dungeon crawler. It's already polished and dangerously addictive, offering accessible synergy-based gameplay.
Rounding out the top five is 'Far Far West,' a co-op FPS featuring robot cowboys who are also wizards. Its nimble gunplay shows potential to become a replayable co-op staple like Deep Rock Galactic.