11 indie game demos that deserve a spot in your Steam library

I get to play a huge number of demos for TNT purposes (as well as simply because I enjoy playing demos), and sometimes I find myself with a staggering number of games to write about but not enough hours in the day to write about them all. However, these games are no less deserving of coverage, and I want to help everyone as much as I can.

That’s where lists come in!

This list is a complete hodgepodge of games across different genres and styles, but all of them captured my attention in one way or another. From retro 2D platformers to epic space-age adventures, here are 11 indie game demos you should absolutely go and check out right now.

Hellbound Inc

Hellbound Inc. is a platformer by Templo and Rewilder that is a platformer that's self-aware enough to know that it has the potential to be absolutely infuriating. You’re the newest recruit in hell, and you need to hop, jump, and leap your way through the bureaucratic nightmare in a fulfilment center owned by Satan. Except jumping in Hellbound Inc. is not a smooth process by design.

Jumping in Hellbound Inc. requires practice, because you have to charge up each jump and use the walls around you to make targeted bounces to access platforms that would otherwise be unreachable with a normal jump. That’s not to mention the obstacles that will wipe you out if you touch them, or the fact that you can fall off the bottom of the map. 

If you’re a fan of platformers and ready to commit to mastering the art of jumping in hell, Hellbound Inc. is out now, and there’s a demo available to try on Steam as well. 

Face the Puzzle: Masked Journey

Face the Puzzle: Masked Journey is a grid-based Sokoban-like puzzle game that tasks you with using special powers to navigate the grid and light candles. Some puzzles have blocks that need to be moved; others require you to uncover hidden paths or hints. The answer to solving the puzzles isn’t always obvious at first glance.

I love puzzle games that force you to give yourself some grace because you need to fail in order to figure out the solution, forcing you to think outside the box. That, combined with the cute visuals and calming sound design in Face the Puzzle, makes this one a lovely little time-sink if you’re looking for something to occupy your time or mind. 

Face the Puzzle is being developed by Rockbench Studio and is set to release in November 2026, with a demo available to try right now. 

For the Cat! 

For The Cat! is what would happen if John Wick was a cat person and, rather than a movie, the whole thing was a roguelike, bullet-hell side-scroller. After the cat is killed, the owner goes on an absolute rampage, destroying everything that appears in front of him using spells that you can upgrade as you play, with new ones unlocking along the way. 

There’s something to be said for the simple loop here; the process is almost mesmerizing in a way, because all you need to worry about is aiming and collecting dropped items and money. The endless side-scrolling allows you to relax and focus on picking the best upgrades, with new enemies constantly spawning and giving you new targets.

For the Cat! is developed by Jasio Games and is set to release on October 12, 2026. If you want to go and give it a try, the demo is available now on Steam.

RetroSpace

Playing RetroSpace for the first time reminds me of my first experience with BioShock, but with a space-based twist, and it is utterly glorious. Developed by The Wild Gentlemen (and wildly different from the previous game I played from the dev team, Chicken Police), this sci-fi exploration FPS is one I can’t wait to see more of. 

You wake up in Aurora 5,  a space station that seems devoid of life other than yourself; people are floating in the endless vacuum of space beyond the windows, the computer systems seem to be against you, and you have to survive against the odds to figure out what the hell is going on. One thing I love about RetroSpace is the revival system: while it brings you back from the dead, it has side effects like Bad Manners, which makes you swear. A lot. 

RetroSpace is set to release on October 1, 2026, and I’m super excited to dive in and see what surprises await aboard Aurora 5. In the meantime, a demo is available that’s more than enough to leave you wanting more.

1daYs

If you’ve ever watched a K-Drama, you’ll know what I mean when I say they have this bizarre ability to suck you in, even if you’re not sure what’s actually going on. By the time you’ve figured it out, you’re already six episodes in and might as well finish the series. That’s how I felt playing the 1daYs demo, and I’m now awaiting the full game so I can try to understand what’s happening. 

In 1daYs, the main character writes a letter and then tries to drop it off in the intended recipient's locker at school the next day, except another girl shows up, steals the letter, and vaguely blackmails the sender before she’ll let the letter reach its intended recipient. The demo leaves a lot unexplained, but I think that’s a good thing, because I definitely want to play the full game to find out more. 

1daYs is in development by solo dev Velupix and is set to release on November 5, 2026. The demo is available to play now, and if you love cute pixel art and slightly strange yet cozy coming-of-age tales, this one is worth a look.

Stories of Somnia

This 3D platformer with 2D characters by Lydian Games instantly reminded me of Paper Mario when I first saw it, and I fell in love with it through screenshots alone because I love that style, but nothing could have prepared me for the joy that is Stories of Somnia. 

You play as Lumia (although you can name her whatever you like), and after being unceremoniously thrown off a train for causing mischief, you land in a forest besieged by something called Gloam. With the help of various colored Loomlights and Dreamkin (party members) you meet along the way, you need to bring life back to the Heart Tree. 

Stories of Somnia is absolutely gorgeous, and the combination of 2D characters and a colorful 3D world scratches a very specific Paper Mario-shaped itch in my brain. I’m super excited for the full version when it eventually gets released. Until then, the demo is available on Steam. 

Slow Roads

Not all games need a central point or a goal you need to chase, and Slow Roads is absolute proof of that. This gorgeous little game is all about driving along country roads however you want to. You can customize the car and the scene to suit you, whether you want to speed along like a rally driver or take a laid-back virtual commute to an office that will never arrive. 

I have to admit, Slow Roads only really started to appeal to me when I figured out you can switch from electric to combustion. I don’t hate electric cars, but there’s something about the noise of a well-tuned petrol engine at full power that gives me tingles. You can also turn traffic on and off, and that’s a power I think we all wish we had in real life. 

Slow Roads is developed by Topograph Interactive and was released on September 23, 2026. Definitely worth a try if you want something low-pressure that offers a break from reality and asks nothing of you except to drive. 

TileShire

TileShire is a tile-merging take on the city-builder genre that feels completely relaxed and carefree while managing to remain just challenging enough to keep you hooked. In a way that reminds me of DoodleGod, you start with basic things like flowers and stones, and merge them to create landmarks and buildings, slowly turning your shire into a home for its new residents.  

While there are goals to meet, TileShire doesn’t feel like a game that puts pressure on you. Instead, the majority of the fun comes from combining tiles to see what you end up with. At one point I ended up with a church and a full graveyard, but I couldn’t even begin to explain how that happened. All I know is that it was the cutest graveyard I can remember seeing, and I want to figure out how to do it again and what else I can do!

TileShire is developed by Boss Blob and is set to release at some point before the end of 2026, but there’s no set release date just yet. There is a new demo on Steam, though, which lets you build up a fairly sizable little town for your adorable little residents. 

The Well’s Blessing

The Well’s Blessing is a game centered around the idea of “starting fresh,” with three animal friends venturing to the recently reopened Old Well to see what they can find at the sanctuary. With retro-style pixel graphics and cute twittering dialogue sounds, The Well’s Blessing manages to feel both fresh and nostalgic in a way that’s difficult to pull off, but incredibly moreish when done right, as is the case here. 

The demo of The Well’s Blessing lets you play through the entire first chapter, which is just under an hour’s worth of gameplay if you don’t rush through the puzzles and fully explore everything the sanctuary has to offer. The puzzles aren’t completely mind-boggling, but they’re challenging enough to make you stop and think. 

This one is by Big Stretch and while there’s no set release date for The Well’s Blessing just yet, you can play through the first chapter now in the demo on Steam. 

Send Them to Hell

Send Them to Hell is another game that puts 2D characters in a 3D world, although the genre could not be more different from Stories of Somnia. This time, you’re a seriously overpowered knight tasked with sending literal demons back to the hell from which they’ve spawned, and things get real bloody, real fast. 

It’s a roguelike auto-clicker that sends you into battle with hordes of demons, varying in size from itty bitty to “good lord what is that,” and the more you send back, the more upgrades you unlock to improve your chosen banishment technique. Send Them to Hell is weirdly hypnotic, and the type of game that I can see myself losing hours to without realizing time is even passing. 

Send Them to Hell is being developed by Sojaplin Studios and is set to release on October 30, 2026. The demo is a real fun time, and I highly recommend checking it out on Steam if you’re a roguelike fan. 

Arcane Dash

Arcane Dash is a brutal retro 2D platformer that does not pull its punches in terms of difficulty. With fast-moving enemies, a need for precision and timing in your jumps, and keys that need to be found before you can progress, Arcane Dash reminds me of being a kid and struggling to get through a level and the immense satisfaction that comes with finally doing it. 

You’re a wizard, and you run through the maze-like levels gathering up gems of different types while avoiding being touched by slime-like enemies to try and get your cat back from your evil counterpart. It seems that cats are a common driving force behind epic quests. The nostalgia is boosted by the CRT filter you can add to the game, and I’d highly recommend doing so if you want to feel old but enjoy the experience. 

Arcane Dash is being developed by solo dev Java Sorcery and doesn’t have a release date yet, but the demo has seven levels to work through.