demos Archives

BetaBeacon

March 14, 2026

Google confirms: Free-to-play demos are coming to Play Store games

- Google Play is enhancing its platform for gamers by introducing Game Trials for select titles. - Play is introducing "buy once, play anywhere" pricing for certain games, allowing players to access the game on both PC and mobile platforms. - Google is focusing on bringing more premium, paid games to Play, including indie games like Peaks, Sledding Game, and Low-Budget Repairs. - A dedicated tab for discovering new PC games has been added to the Play Store. - Google is expanding the Sidekick AI system for offering advice during games to select paid PC games. - Play's Community Posts forums are being expanded to support more games and discussions in additional languages.

BetaBeacon

March 12, 2026

Try before you buy: Google Play is adding game trials

Google is introducing game trials on Google Play to allow users to try out paid games before purchasing them. The trials will start on mobile and will eventually be available on PC as well. Additionally, Google is adding new paid indie games and the AI-powered Sidekick feature to select paid games on the platform.

AppWizard

March 4, 2026

Skateboarding train game Denshattack! is out on June 17

Denshattack!, a skateboarding game, will be released on June 17, as announced by Fireshine Games during the Nintendo Indie World event. The game features vibrant visuals and dynamic animations, allowing players to navigate a tiny train through various environments while performing tricks. The soundtrack includes contributions from composers such as Tee Lopes, Ryo Nagamatsu, Richard Jacques, and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. Demos are available for download on PC and Switch 2, and the game will launch on multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S, with availability on Xbox Game Pass.

AppWizard

March 3, 2026

Android’s March update is all about finding people, apps, and your missing bags

Google's March Pixel Drop introduces several enhancements for Pixel devices, including: - Integration of live location sharing in Google Messages, allowing users to share real-time location within chats. - Introduction of short app preview videos in Google Play for users to quickly assess app functionality before downloading. - Enhanced Find Hub app for recovering lost luggage by generating a secure tracking link for tagged bags, which can be shared with participating airlines. The tracking links expire after seven days and can be stopped at any time. Over ten major airlines, including Ajet, Air India, and Lufthansa Group, support this feature, with Qantas expected to join soon. Google collaborated with SITA and Reunitus to integrate this feature with baggage systems used by many airlines worldwide.

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Almost all the cozy games of March have demos to try and I’ve been snapping up as many as I can

Cozy games often shift their release dates shortly before launch, which has been particularly noticeable in March. The anticipated titles include: - The Legend of Khiimori: An open-world game set in 13th century Mongolia focused on horse taming and breeding, developed with input from horse game critic Alice Ruppert. - Cupiclaw: A vibrant pixel art adventure that simplifies the claw machine experience, where players aim to scoop high-value prizes like a lost engagement ring. - The Abbess Garden: A gardening fantasy set in 1643 France, where players restore a neglected abbey garden, emphasizing ecosystem care and creativity. - Bubblegum Galaxy: A tile-based building game featuring a cat with a house-shaped hat, tasked with rebuilding a galaxy in a corporate setting. - Collector's Cove: A farming simulator where players start their farming life on the back of a large aquatic dinosaur, exploring various islands without enemies.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

One of my favorite Next Fest demos turned out to be this speedrunner’s delight modeled after 3D Sonic games, which just added ranked multiplayer races

The Rollin' Rascal demo was recently updated during the Steam Next Fest, appealing to fans of Sonic the Hedgehog's early 3D adventures. It features a vibrant world with expansive levels, momentum-based physics, and online modes, including ranked multiplayer competitions. The races include item boxes similar to those in Mario Kart, but the online community is currently sparse. The demo has some imperfections, such as camera glitches and a lack of enemy variety, but shows promise for future development.

AppWizard

February 25, 2026

Steam Next Fest is full of Balatro-likes: here’s 7 demos I think you should try

Steam Next Fest features various new game demos inspired by Balatro, including: 1. Gambonanza: A strategic game set on a miniature chessboard where players use chess pieces to battle against the computer, with options to enchant tiles and acquire gambits after mini-matches. 2. Raccoin: A coin pusher arcade game where players drop coins to create chaos and push additional coins into a basket, featuring special coins with unique interactions. It is set to launch on March 31. 3. Coinsweeper: An enhanced version of Minesweeper that allows players to bail out mid-game, offering purchasable items and modifiers for bonuses. 4. Ultrapool: A pool game where players can upgrade and combine pool balls and increase pocket multipliers for higher scores. 5. Rogue Hanafuda: A game using hanafuda cards similar to poker, where players unlock more card plays as they accumulate wealth and can purchase stackable items for bonuses. 6. Capsulitas: A game combining gashapon mechanics where players buy capsules and manage inventory to enhance scoring chances in future rounds.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Ambitious developer showcases slick triple-level Quake-like game stored in tiny 64KB executable — every game asset tucked inside what could be a ‘rounding error’ in modern app payload terms

Developer Daivuk has released QUOD, a 64KB 'boomer shooter' similar to Quake, featuring 3 levels, 1 boss fight, 4 unique enemies, 4 weapons, and power-ups. The entire game, including textures, sounds, music, and animations, is compressed into the 64KB file. Daivuk demonstrates the game's development in a video, discussing optimizations that reduced the file size by an additional 2KB. The game requires modern hardware, with minimum specs of an Intel i5 or equivalent, GTX 770 or equivalent, and 8GB RAM. QUOD can be downloaded and launched quickly. Today marks the 30th anniversary of id Software's Qtest demo of Quake, which was released on June 22, 1996.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Steam Next Fest is back and you’ve once again got just 7 days to find your favorite demos among hundreds of choices

The Steam Next Fest is currently taking place, offering a week-long celebration of game demos. It features a wide variety of upcoming titles, including: - Prime Monster: A card-based political roguelike where political leaders are depicted as monsters. - All Will Rise: A narrative deck-builder focused on seeking justice for a slain god. - Vampire Crawlers: A card-based dungeon crawler from the creator of Vampire Survivors. - The Last Gas Station: A game where players control a red panda running a gas station in an electric vehicle-dominated world. - Windrose: An open-world PvE pirate survival game with "soulslite combat" and sea shanties. - Tap Tap Loot: An action-packed game featuring a character reminiscent of Bongo Cat. - Phonopolis: An adventure game from Amanita Design. - Titanium Court: Highlighted as the "first must-play demo" of the event. The Steam Next Fest runs until March 2.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

Steam’s Latest Free Game Is a 10/10 Adventure That Won’t Hurt Your Backlog

DJ Bunny is a free game developed by Alison Loke Mern Nyee, available on Steam. Players assume the role of a DJ navigating Kelody Lane and the Hippity Hop Music Festival, solving musical puzzles to fulfill song requests from townsfolk. The game features a vibrant art style and combines point-and-click elements with grid-based challenges. It can be completed in under an hour and has received a 100% user score on Steam. Player reviews highlight its engaging puzzles, art, and soundtrack.