Steam Next Fest starts on Monday and a lot of games have signed up to take part – far too many for us to even count. Many of these games will be free to play, be they MMORPGs, action games, MOBAs or something else. These are all games that are being prepared for release this year, most of them sooner rather than later. Demos will be available for all during the Steam Next Fest. We decided to take a look at what’s to come and find some of them to share with you. Maybe you’ll find something new to try.

Spot zero

Tarta Tech Limited’s Spot Zero is an anime-style ARPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans and yokai work together. With only a few cities left, it’s up to players to lead teams of humans and yokai into monster-controlled zones and establish outposts. Players assemble and train a team of elite investigators.

Each character has unique abilities depending on their race and weapon type, and players must build their teams to take advantage of them by swapping characters in battle. During combat, players charge up energy to freeze the enemy and prompt the entire party to attack immediately.

Eon Rush

Eon Rush is a game designed for MOBA and ARPG players that features endgame-level combat right from the start. The game stands out because there is no grinding to reach the end game and promises that players don’t have to worry about the level to play with their friends. There is progress, but it doesn’t stop players from teaming up. Instead, it gives players more options for collaboration using the game’s Fusion system.

dream world

In case you missed it, we’ve already written about this game. DreamWorld is a sandbox MMO where players can build (or destroy) anything they want. They will explore different areas, collect resources, build their bases and hopefully just have a good time. The game uses AI text prompts to help players create, so players should come up with some pretty interesting things.

Drone zone

Euphoria Machine, developer and publisher of Drone Zone, describes the game as a mix of tactical shooter and MOBA. The other obvious feature of the game is that players control drones to engage in combat, which probably makes the game much more vertical than most MOBAs or shooters.

Why drones? Since the world is a radioactive wasteland, people have to live underground. So drones take over all combat and resource acquisition. Each drone has different abilities, such as the ability to stun the enemy, create anomalies, and more. Players can use the resources they collect to build their own unique drones and add better engines, armas, and the like.

Destiny Trigger

Speaking of tactical shooters, a new anime-style hero-based version is on the way. Fate Trigger from Saroasis Studios features a cast of characters with different abilities who enter an arena to compete in various game modes. The game features battle royale, team-based defense and more. The Steam description doesn’t specifically mention this, but based on the example GIFs on the page, it appears players may be able to switch between third-person and first-person combat. Anyway, it looks like it will be a lot of fun.

Only animals

Are you looking for something with fewer weapons and more animals? Maybe Only Animals is right for you. The game features a “truly endless world” with ongoing procedurally generated biomes where players can capture and transform into more than 100 animals. Whichever animal the player transforms into determines how they explore the world.

Don’t get the impression that everything is comfortable. The game features huge bosses that players must fight. Not to mention just survival in general. The good news is that you can team up with nine friends to make things easier.

Crystal Fall

Uh. The classic loot-focused ARPG. This is Crystalfall. Players begin the game as a convict trapped in the dungeons of a ruling organization, fighting their way through a world in dire straits following an asteroid impact. When the asteroid hit, it scattered fragments across the world. Now players must contend with mutated beasts and steampunk enemies – because why not steampunk?

The game features a large talent tree as well as lootable skills with their own randomly selected trees. And yes, there is plenty of loot for players to collect, use and sell. The game offers players seasonal content as well as an immersive endgame experience.

This is of course a small selection of all the games that will take part in the Steam Next Fest. If you’re looking for something specific, you should take the time to look through the list when you start.