Steam Next Fest — October 2026 (October 19–26)
The biggest indie demo festival of the year is live. Steam Next Fest has brought over 8,000 demos available for free, with games from every genre being tested by the community before their official release. The event runs until October 26 and is the best window to try upcoming titles risk-free.
Among the highlights, ArcheAge Chronicles (action MMO) leads the most-played demo charts, with online PvP mode and an Early Access launch planned for late 2026. In second place is Emberville, a pixel art action RPG by Cygnus Cross launching October 27 — the demo offers the full prologue and is the second most wishlisted game in the festival. Probably Stolen, a cyberpunk shop management sim by Questing Goose Studio, sits in third: its October 19 update added a fishing system (tilapia, eels, and sturgeon), and it is now fourth in most-played demos.
In the horror genre, the festival is particularly strong. Deep Frost (Aeon Games Canada) is a social deduction horror set in a failing 1980s Antarctic research station, where a parasitic intelligence called "Thaw" is infecting the crew. The demo covers the first three days of a nine-day campaign — roughly 15 minutes of gameplay per day. UNFROST (Nord Unit), by contrast, is a co-op survival horror for up to four players on procedurally generated maps, where the team hunts ancient creatures known as the Riftborne with rotating objectives.
In survival, Frostrail (FakeFish) is the standout: over 70,000 players participated in its closed beta, and the demo covers the entire event period. The game combines first-person shooting with train survival, and the studio has crossed 500,000 wishlists. Keelblade (Digital Confectioners), a fantasy pirate RPG for 1–6 players with soulslike combat, has been available since October 8 — before the fest even started — and is due in 2027.
> Summary: Steam Next Fest (Oct 19–26) — 8,000+ free demos. Highlights: ArcheAge Chronicles, Emberville, Probably Stolen, Deep Frost, Frostrail. Free demos while the event lasts.
PlayStation Plus — Remaining October Games
Sony's October PS Plus Essential lineup remains active until November 2 with three titles:
- F1 25 ($69.99, PS5) — The official 2025 Formula 1 racing simulator with all teams, career mode, My Team 2.0, and F1 World. IGN gave it 8/10.
- Hunt: Showdown 1896 ($39.99, PS5) — The grim extraction shooter set in 19th-century bayous.
- Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 ($49.99, PS5/PS4) — The massive action game against giant creatures, now with local co-op for two players.
All three are free for PS Plus Essential subscribers until November 2. After that date, they are replaced by the November lineup.
Xbox Game Pass — October Wave 2 (October 21–29)
The second wave of October arrived today with Sandustry (Game Preview, PC), a mining simulator in destructible worlds with automated production chains — the kind of factory builder that blends Factorio with space exploration. Alongside Sandustry, Microsoft has confirmed Dodo Duckie (October 22), a 2D-to-3D switching puzzler, and two day-one releases: Scramble Knights Online (October 26) and Terrible Lizards (October 29).
The headline titles are scheduled for the coming weeks:
- The Séance of Blake Manor (October 27) — Supernatural investigation mystery, available on Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (October 29) — The complete Remake edition with additional narrative elements beyond Midgar's escape. Available on Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted (October 29) — The reboot of the classic tower defense, Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
- Mouthwashing (October 29) — The horror hit confirmed for Game Pass, all platforms.
Games leaving October 31: Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Dead Static Drive, Deep Rock Galactic, Full Throttle Remastered, Grim Fandango Remastered, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Wartales, and Wildgate.
> Summary: Game Pass Wave 2 — Sandustry (today, Oct 21), Dodo Duckie (Oct 22), Scramble Knights Online (Oct 26), FF7 Remake Intergrade (Oct 29), Mouthwashing (Oct 29). 9 games leave October 31.
Epic Games Store — Next Rotation (October 22)
Epic has confirmed the next free games lineup starting October 22: Sker Ritual and Home – A Unique Horror Adventure.
Sker Ritual (regular price: $24.99) is a round-based survival FPS by Wales Interactive with steampunk aesthetics and supernatural enemies. Playable solo or with up to 4 players online, the title lets you collect Celtic god powers ("Miracles") and face endless waves of the "Quiet Ones." It is a spin-off of Maid of Sker, already well known in the indie horror genre.
Home – A Unique Horror Adventure (Epic debut) is a pixel art murder mystery where the narrative shifts based on your choices. You wake up in a dark house during a storm and must uncover what happened. The game features multiple endings and alternate paths, considered one of the modern classics of indie horror.
Both are free from October 22 to October 29 — still claim Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise and Bad Cheese, which are available until the end of the week.
> Summary: Sker Ritual ($24.99 → free) + Home – A Unique Horror Adventure (Epic debut) — free Oct 22–29.
Steam — Cartomancy Anthology Now Permanently Free
Without prior announcement, the Cartomancy Anthology — a collection of 22 tarot-themed card games — saw its price drop to zero on Steam. The collection, which cost $24.99, was developed by 22 different independent studios and holds over 90% positive reviews on Steam. Each game is an independent experience with unique art and mechanics, and none contains microtransactions. The price change was made silently by Compact/Code Coven with no public explanation. Available on Steam.
> Summary: Cartomancy Anthology ($24.99 → permanently free) — 22 indie games, 90%+ rating. Available while Steam keeps the zero price.
Weekly Summary
| Platform | What | Condition | End Date | |---|---|---|---| | Steam Next Fest | 8,000+ demos (ArcheAge, Emberville, Probably Stolen, Frostrail, Deep Frost etc.) | Free to test | 10/26 | | Epic Games | Agent A + Bad Cheese | Free to keep | 10/22 | | Epic Games | Sker Ritual + Home | Free to keep | 10/29 | | PS Plus Essential | F1 25 + Hunt: Showdown 1896 + EDF WB2 | Free for subscribers | 11/2 | | Game Pass Wave 2 | Sandustry (today!) | Included in subs | No end date | | Game Pass | FF7 Remake Intergrade + Mouthwashing | Included in subs | No end date | | Steam | Cartomancy Anthology | Permanent free | Indefinite |
Sources: PC Gamer — Epic Games Store free games list, GameWatcher — Xbox Game Pass October Wave 2, Steam Next Fest Official Documentation, Steam Store — Cartomancy Anthology, Xbox Wire — ID@Xbox x IGN Showcase Recap
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
