I’d normally include new demos in the “upcoming” section since the full games aren’t out yet. But since there’s so much to talk about this week (and so many demos popping up ahead of Steam Next Fest), I’m featuring them in an extra-special bonus section this time.
Pixel Washer
Developer: Valadria
Publisher: Acclaim
Demo: Steam
Here’s one for folks who dig 16-bit aesthetics and can’t get enough of PowerWash Simulator. In Pixel Washer, you play as a piggy called Pigxel and use a power washer to clean up a town.
The full game will have more than 40 levels, with settings that include parks, arcades and movie theaters. In the demo, you can play through half a dozen stages as well as a mini game. There are two different power washers you can use to clear away all the grime. It looks cute! I’m into it.
Moonbrella
Developer and publisher: Jett Williams
Demo: Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC
Moonbrella is a platformer without a jump button. Instead, you’ll propel yourself with an umbrella, just as you would in Getting Over It, Bennett Foddy’s rage-inducing game that sees you climb a mountain using only a sledgehammer.
You’ll use the hook to grab onto ledges and descend slowly by opening up the umbrella. This is a Metroidvania game, which indicates that you’ll gradually unlock abilities and gain access to more areas. Developer Jett Williams suggests that there are several ways for you to take on its challenges. The game was built with speedrunning in mind too.
While the demo is currently only available for Steam and Xbox, Moonbrella is also in development for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Ballgame
Developer and publisher: Human Computer
Demo: Steam (full game slated to arrive in 2026)
Ballgame is a puzzle platformer built around the rules of golf, though developer Human Computer says it works at the speed of pinball. You’ll wallop a sentient golf ball around an interdimensional hotel to which it’s been banished. There are lots of obstacles as well as elements you can use to your advantage, such as grindable rails.
You can tackle the levels in tournament mode, in which the aim is to reach the hole in as few strokes as possible — perhaps even as low as zero strokes, somehow. The heist mode is all about speed. Here, it doesn’t matter how many strokes you play. You just have to complete nine holes as quickly as possible to rise up the leaderboards. Either way, I just know I’m going to annoy myself by shouting “ballgame!” every time I get the ball in a hole.
Invokyr
Developer and publisher: Ludogram
Demo: Steam
You can gather up to three of your friends and take a cursed journey together in the world of Invokyr. This horror adventure seems very much inspired by Jumanji. You’ll play board games that offer up new surprises with every roll of the die. There are deadly traps to overcome and enemies looking to hunt you down. You’ll need to work together to survive these nightmares.
The demo features two boards: a classic one and a jungle-themed option, which are said to increase in difficulty. Dice effects and game modifiers will affect your runs too, keeping things fresh and encouraging you to come back for more. Some of the things in the trailer seem a bit scary, though the alligator made me laugh since the animation looked a bit goofy.
Defrag Incremental
Developer and publisher: Pollo Arcade Low Bit
Demo: Steam (full game slated to arrive in 2026)
I don’t remember the last time I saw a game that felt quite as Engadget-coded as Defrag Incremental. I couldn’t possibly leave this one out of the roundup. Here, you’ll be defragging messy disk drives using an MS DOS-style interface. It’s an incremental roguelite, which may as well be catnip for a bunch of Balatro sickos.
After analyzing a disk, you’ll pick an algorithm that will go through it and clean things up. Factors like heat, wear and disk health will come into play, and of course there are bad sectors to deal with. You’ll also be able to earn permanent upgrades, which involve rebooting the BIOS. Since you’re taking on the role of a technician, all of this is in service of doing a decent job and earning enough money to get by. Beep boop.
Offbeat
Developer: Whetstone Games
Publisher: Pantaloon
Demo: Steam (an early access release is slated for 2026)
Offbeat is a music production game in which you’ll be turning sounds that you record from your environment into sick beats, samples and songs. You’ll plug various noise-making objects into a sequencer and work from there.
The game is designed as a legitimate audio production tool. You’ll be able to export your creations as WAV files and do whatever you want with them. I’ve never really explored making music with sequencers, but it’s always something I’ve been interested in trying. I am very much looking forward to checking out this demo when I have a chance.
Ultrapool
Developer: Icedrop Games
Publisher: Offbrand Games
Demo/playtest: Steam, iOS, Android
Release window: Q3 2026
Pick up your cue and some chalk, because here’s another billiards-based roguelite. Ultrapool is all about getting high scores by pocketing balls, earning points and cash, buying new balls with various augmentations, and repeating that loop. As you might imagine, you’ll need to earn a certain number of points to win each of the 10 rounds.
Finding synergies and pulling off trickshots will help you reach the targets. It seems like you can merge balls, so Ball x Pit fans, that might catch your interest. I don’t quite understand everything that’s happening in the trailer, but there are lots of visual effects that look very satisfying, so I’m in. Along with a demo on Steam, there are beta playtests on Android and iOS.
