You need to try these demos before Steam Next Fest ends Monday

Plus, Monster Hunter Wilds is out today

Our top pick of the week: Steam Next Fest Under normal circumstances, we'd be talking about Monster Hunter Wilds today. Capcom's latest sequel just came out, and while we have some reservations, it's a technical marvel destined to be a juggernaut.   Or maybe we'd be talking about Pokémon Presents, where The Pokémon Company announced all sorts of news about the future of everyone's favorite critters.   But this week, it's been hard to ignore Steam Next Fest, Valve's semi-regular event consisting of a near-endless list of demos of upcoming PC games. We've been hooked, checking out a bounty of small, weird, quirky games that are everything Monster Hunter and Pokémon aren't.   Like Bongo Cat, a game where a cat sits on your desktop while you go about your day.   Or Haneda Girl, a platformer named after a Japanese airport where you hop in and out of a disposable mech buddy.   Or Mashina, a digging game where you play a robot built out of trash.   The list is almost guaranteed to contain something interesting you've never heard of before, so if you're looking for a game to play before Next Fest ends on Monday, check out the links below. The 15 must-play demos of Steam Next Fest All the 2025 Steam Next Fest demos to check out Sonic the Hedgehog has been quiet since the demo dropped for this running roguelike The most bizarre digging game on Steam is full of love and trash How to name your game after a Japanese airport, twice Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall is going to put my conscience in mortal peril This desktop cat game is the best part of my Monday Tiny Garden is what you get when you stuff a gardening sim into your Polly Pocket Mindwave builds thrillingly on a Nintendo masterpiece What's more fun than crawling dungeons? Designing them first Polygon's Shopkeeper is a weekly newsletter that collects the best deals on games, gaming accessories, Blu-rays, books, and other fine wares. Subscribe here. This week on YouTube | The touchscreen backlash and the power of buttons | We live in a world of buttons, or at least we did, until touch came along. Now, with a touchscreen backlash brewing, Clayton takes a look back at the history of buttons with help from button expert Rachel Plotnick, author of Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing to see why gamers treat buttons and touchscreens a little bit differently. 10 stories to read Everything announced at Pokémon Presents 2025 | News on Pokémon Legends: Z-A, TCG Pocket, and so much more.   The ultimate Monster Hunter Wilds beginner's guide | Give a gamer a monster, and they'll eat for a day…   Why Absolute Wonder Woman's creators rewrote her as a literal witch from hell | Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman on Diana's journey, the Lasso of Truth, and the upcoming Absolute crossover.   Daisy Ridley on 'becoming Spider-Woman' in her new action-thriller Cleaner | 'I was covered in bruises. I'm pretty sure I ripped something in my shoulder.'   'Let's just live here awhile': The Sherman-Palladinos on Gilmore Girls' Twin Peaks reference | 'The less homicidal version of Twin Peaks was Stars Hollow.'   Everything announced at the Annapurna Interactive 2025 showcase | New release dates, demos, and one surprise drop.   Where to start reading Stephen King | He's 65 books in and more on the way — how to choose the perfect Stephen King book for you.   Bruins center Matt Poitras prefers to play left defense in NHL 25 | Center by day, defense digitally.   An abandoned Legacy of Kain sequel put Sam Barlow on the path to Her Story | Are games better without hand-holding?   Inside Paradise's cataclysmic reveal episode | How the Hulu thriller's creative team ended the world in under an hour. 6+ things to watch Sakamoto Days on Netflix | Putting a refreshing twist on double-life hijinks.   Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants in theaters (limited release) | Tsui Hark's stylish new movie puts a wuxia king back on his throne.   The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim on Max | War of the Rohirrim is a mess — but it's still the best future for Lord of the Rings.   Dragon Ball Daima on Crunchyroll | Daima made Dragon Ball feel big by literally making it small.   The Oscars, and more new TV this week | Plus: Mindy Kaling's new sitcom, Running Point. 6+ games to play Monster Hunter Wilds | The franchise has undergone a slow but significant shift. Available on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Big Helmet Heroes | The co-op Castle Crashers clone you've been waiting for. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Sayonara Wild Hearts | The best version of Simogo's interactive pop album just hit PS5, with tech improvements and a new mode. Available on PlayStation 5.   TankHead | A terrific roguelike vehicular combat twist on Shadow of the Colossus. Available on Windows PC.   Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | In true Like a Dragon form, this incredible pirate minigame could stand alone. Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.   Citizen Sleeper 2 | A great book that's better because it's a game. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Monster Hunter Wilds and the other new games out this week | Before you hunt monsters, travel back in time with this week's new games. Shop talk Every Steam Deck deserves a great charger, and this one's 40% off. "The Steam Deck is almost perfect," writes Chris Plante. "Valve's handheld has a beautiful screen, sturdy controls, and enough horsepower to run the majority of PC games. But since it's a handheld, battery life is its achilles heel; If you like playing AAA games, a fully charged Steam Deck will barely last through a long lunch break — let alone a cross-country flight. Ugreen's 20K mAh Nexode power bank is what you need, whether you have a Deck, or any other handheld." Free game of the week Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a must-play immersive sim, and it's free right now... if you have Amazon Prime and a PC | You may not have asked for this, but it's happening. Available on Windows PC. The best of the rest SMASH: Hulking-out faces, ranked. BASH: The Rock's career still hasn't lived up to the magic of The Other Guys' first 15 minutes. CRASH: In Keep Driving, drunk driving is a terrible idea, but driving while high is... fine? BRASH: Here's a 10-minute video about the making of The Witcher 4's 6-minute reveal trailer. CASH: PlayStation VR 2 will be up to $200 cheaper starting in March. This email was sent to reunisoft.cryptonews@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences here: unsubscribe     If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved.