Steam Next Fest: a guide for indie developers

Steam Next Fest is one of the few moments in the year when players come to Steam specifically to try games that aren't out yet. If your game has a demo, or could have one, it deserves a place in your plans. Here's how it works, who can take part and how to make the most of your one shot.

What Steam Next Fest is

Next Fest is a week-long event on Steam built around upcoming games with playable demos. Valve runs it three times a year, in February, June and October. For that week, players browse a dedicated festival page, play demos, watch developers stream their games and add the ones they like to their wishlists.

Valve's stated aim is to give every participating game visibility. In the first days the order of games is shuffled so everyone gets a turn; after that, signed-in players see rows shaped by their own tastes. Your categories and your Steam tags decide where your game is sorted, which is one more reason to choose your tags with care (see our guide to Steam tags).

There's no way to buy a better spot. Valve says plainly that Steam has no paid advertising opportunities, for Next Fest or anywhere else. What you bring is your demo, your store page and your own energy.

The next Next Fest dates

Can your game take part?

Valve's rules for each edition are short. To join, your game needs to:

• Be unreleased. Next Fest is for upcoming games only, and your game can't release before the edition you join has ended.
• Have a public store page. Your game's own coming-soon page must be published and visible to players.
• Have a playable demo that is public by the time the festival begins.
• Be the real thing. A prologue or "chapter one" of something players can already buy doesn't count as an upcoming game.
• Come from a developer account in good standing.

Early Access and free games are welcome too, as long as they haven't been released yet.

One festival per game

This is the rule that shapes everything else: each game can take part in only one Next Fest. Once you've used it, it's gone. So the real question isn't "can we make the next one?" but "which one gives our game its best week?"

A few honest questions help:

• Will the demo be the best version of your game you can show by then, or would one more edition make a real difference?
• Is your store page ready to turn a curious visitor into a wishlist: capsule, trailer, screenshots and a clear description?
• How long do you want between the festival and your launch? Valve has no rule here beyond "after the fest", so this is your call. Think about how you'll keep players interested in between.

How sign-up works

Registration happens in Steamworks, from your base game, not from the demo. Each edition has its own page in Steamworks with a full timeline: the registration deadline, the dates for submitting your demo and store page for review, a press preview a little before the festival and the start and end times. When you're registered, you'll see a green checkmark on your game's landing page in Steamworks.

The deadlines come early. Sign-up typically closes weeks before the festival itself, and Valve asks you to submit your demo for review well ahead of the start. Put the dates in your calendar the day you decide which edition to join, and work back from them.

The demo review

Your demo goes through Valve's review like any other build. That review checks that it runs and has the features you promise; it isn't a judgement on quality. Once your demo is approved you can release it whenever you like, including before the festival, as long as it's live by the time Next Fest begins.

Getting your demo ready

For most players, your demo is the first time they actually play your game. A few things make a big difference:

• Start strong. Get players into the fun quickly. Long intros and menus test patience during a festival full of other demos.
• Keep it focused. Show what makes your game special, then stop while players still want more.
• End with an invitation. A closing screen that thanks players and asks them to wishlist the game is a simple, friendly nudge.
• Polish what's there. A short, smooth demo leaves a better impression than a long one with rough edges.
• Test on more than your own machine. Ask friends with different setups to play before the festival starts.

Your store page works hand in hand with the demo. Players often land on it first, so make sure the capsule, trailer and first screenshots tell them at a glance what your game is.

Livestreams: worth it, but optional

During the festival, Steam has a section for livestreams of participating games, and a stream gives players the chance to watch your game in action and chat with the people who made it. Valve is clear that streaming is completely optional. If you do stream, test your setup before the festival begins. If you don't have the time or the experience, Valve's own advice is to put your energy into the demo and the game itself, and that's a perfectly good plan.

After the festival

• Consider keeping your demo up. Valve encourages developers to leave demos available after Next Fest ends, so players who missed the week can still try it.
• Read the feedback. Comments, community discussions and the messages players send you are a gift: they show what players loved and what tripped them up, while there's still time to act on it.
• Keep the momentum. Share what you learned, post an update and keep talking to the players who found you. When your game releases, Steam lets everyone who wishlisted it know.
• Watch the games launching around you. Plenty of other festival games will be picking their launch weeks at the same time. Our guide on choosing your Steam release date walks through it.

Next Fest at a glance

• Three times a year: February, June and October.
• Upcoming games only, with a public store page and a playable demo.
• One Next Fest per game, so choose the edition where your demo shines brightest.
• Sign up in Steamworks from your base game, before the deadline.
• Livestreams are welcome but optional.

Free tools for this step

• Launch Week Checker: Drop in your Steam page and see how crowded the coming weeks are with games like yours, and who you would be up against.
• Games Like Yours: Meet the games players will compare yours with, and what they have in common.
• Store Page Check: See the tags games like yours share, the ones you might be missing, and how your price compares.