The 20 Most-Played Steam Next Fest Demos Features Troublemaking Students, Farting Hippos

Steam Next Fest is still ongoing, and developers from all walks of life have unveiled new demo games for players to explore. Valve has announced to Polygon the 20 most-played demos out of the 8,000+ showcased at the event. Multiplayer games lead the pack, as usual, alongside a few shopkeeping simulators. In descending order, here are the most-played games at Steam Next Fest in October 2026.

Worst Class Ever, developed and published by Funcore Games, is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that sees students trying to disrupt their classroom while the teacher-controlled by another player remains oblivious. Over 300,000 players have taken part, and it is set to launch in Q4 2026. Players who enjoyed this game might appreciate Shopkins in Shops, a shopkeeping sim from Questing Goose Studio and tinyBuild, which blends traditional shopkeeping gameplay with elements akin to Papers, Please. The game will launch on October 28th, with a sequel, Probably Stolen, following on October 29th.

For fantasy enthusiasts, ArcheAge Chronicles, an MMORPG from XL Games, is a notable demo. Featuring fluid combat similar to Phantom Blade Zero rather than the typical World of Warcraft experience, its Steam Early Access launch date is yet to be announced. Needle In A Haystack Simulator, which went viral on social media, has inspired a multitude of clones.

One such game, Find the Needle, has gained popularity during Steam Next Fest and will be released by FindTheNeedleDev and Needless Games in Q4 2026. Lastly, the physics-based game Fart Together, where players collaborate to navigate hazardous levels using their farts, is set to launch on Steam Early Access on October 29th.