Hundreds of demos, seven days to play them, and a Steam wishlist that’s about to spiral completely out of control. Yep, Steam Next Fest is almost here, and once again, we’re faced with the impossible task of deciding which games deserve our precious gaming hours.
The big releases will have no trouble attracting attention, but what about the little guys? The developers who’ve spent months building the perfect little game, only to find themselves competing against games with huge followings and marketing budgets that could probably fund their entire development?
We’ve been digging through October’s Steam Next Fest lineup to find 10 underdog rogue games that deserve a little love. From cat-operated drilling cities and surfing deckbuilders to demonic pachinko machines and a claw machine that could ruin your life, there’s plenty here to get excited about. Some look completely bonkers, others have some genuinely clever ideas, and a few might just become your next obsession.
1. CitaDrill
Far beneath the surface of a monster-infested planet, an enormous mechanical city is slowly drilling its way through the earth. Inside its protective dome, a civilization of cats is busy keeping everything running, operating machinery, gathering supplies, and preparing for whatever horrors might be waiting beyond the walls. It’s an ambitious undertaking for a population better known for sleeping in cardboard boxes, and keeping this peculiar little society alive is now your responsibility.
Developed by Studio Moka, CitaDrill is a roguelite citybuilder combining mining, colony management, and tower defense as you guide your mobile settlement deeper underground. Constructing buildings, assigning feline workers to different jobs, gathering valuable materials, and upgrading your enormous drill, you’ll need to balance the needs of your growing city against the dangers lurking outside. Monsters regularly threaten your settlement, making defensive preparations just as important as expanding your infrastructure. Resources are limited, though, and spending everything on bigger buildings won’t help much when something with enormous teeth comes knocking.
2. R.O.G.U.E. Waves
The sun is shining, the waves are rolling in, and a crowd of eager surfers is preparing to battle for the highest score. Out on the water, the competition is fierce, with everyone chasing the perfect wave and trying to pull off tricks impressive enough to leave their rivals behind. Sadly, there’s only so much energy to go around, and securing the best wave could leave you without enough strength to do anything useful once you’re riding it. Nobody said becoming a surfing champion would involve quite this much strategy.
Created by Pomelo Games, R.O.G.U.E. Waves is a colorful roguelike deckbuilder that turns competitive surfing into a tactical battle for points. Players bid energy to claim waves before playing cards to perform tricks, build combinations, and impress the judges. Stickers collected from shops and sponsors provide additional effects, while unpredictable rogue waves offer tempting opportunities for bigger scores. We first covered R.O.G.U.E. Waves back in August, when its demo arrived on Steam, and its unusual combination of deckbuilding and competitive surfing makes it one we’re looking forward to revisiting.
3. Ruins of The Titan
Deep within a dark fantasy world, ancient ruins have become hunting grounds for creatures that would happily tear an unsuspecting adventurer apart. Unfortunately for them, the warrior heading into their territory isn’t exactly an easy target. Swords flash, enemies are sent flying across the battlefield, and devastating attacks turn every encounter into a spectacular display of violence. There’s very little opportunity to admire the scenery when half the local monster population is trying to remove your head.
Developed by Titan Game Studio, Ruins of The Titan is a fast-paced 2D action roguelite built around fluid combat, elaborate combos, and powerful finishing moves. More than 100 skills allow players to experiment with different fighting styles, combining abilities to create increasingly effective attacks as they battle through dangerous encounters. Chaining moves together and executing enemies are central to the experience, rewarding players who learn to keep the pressure on rather than retreating whenever things get messy.
With its aggressive combat and arcade-inspired presentation, this looks like one for players who enjoy turning an entire screen of enemies into a very satisfying pile of defeated monsters.
4. Kingfall
Two armies face each other across a battlefield, their warriors waiting for the order to advance. Knights prepare to leap into enemy territory, pawns hold their positions, and every move could determine whether your kingdom survives another battle. One poorly placed soldier could expose your entire formation, while a carefully planned attack might bring down an opponent who seemed impossible to defeat. It’s a war where charging straight into battle without a plan is an excellent way to lose your entire army.
Created by Legendary Pixels, Kingfall combines roguelike deckbuilding with chess-inspired tactical combat, turning collectible cards into units with their own movement and attack patterns. Knights leap across the battlefield, pawns strike diagonally, and positioning becomes just as important as building a powerful deck. With more than 300 cards to discover, players can recruit warriors, strengthen their existing army, and collect blessings that introduce new strategies. Every encounter challenges you to make the most of your available units, finding ways to outmaneuver enemies rather than relying entirely on brute force. Chess experience might come in handy here, although having a few powerful cards up your sleeve certainly won’t hurt.
5. Amazing Slot Survivor (A.S.S.)
The battlefield is crawling with monsters, enormous hordes are closing in from every direction, and the only thing standing between you and a spectacularly messy death is a slot machine. Somewhere inside those spinning reels are the weapons and upgrades you desperately need, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything useful before the next wave arrives. With enemies pouring onto the screen and very little breathing room, gambling on your survival has never felt quite so literal.
Developed by TWOMENGAMES, Amazing Slot Survivor, or A.S.S. for short, is a bullet heaven roguelite that combines frantic monster-slaying with a slot machine upgrade system. Spinning the reels determines which weapons and improvements become available, forcing players to adapt their builds around whatever fortune decides to provide. Meanwhile, you’ll be dodging attacks, mowing down hordes, and destroying the Spawners responsible for flooding the battlefield with enemies.
Different weapon combinations offer plenty of room for experimentation, although relying on a slot machine to provide the perfect upgrade at the perfect moment is asking an awful lot. Between its chaotic combat and gloriously unfortunate acronym, A.S.S. certainly knows how to make an impression.
6. Overrafted!
Somewhere in the middle of an endless ocean, four unfortunate survivors are clinging to a wooden raft that has absolutely no business being this far from land. The wind is picking up, hungry sea creatures are circling beneath the waves, and supplies are disappearing faster than anyone can replace them. Somebody needs to steer, somebody needs to repair the damage, and somebody really ought to stop fishing long enough to notice that half the raft is falling apart. Surviving the ocean might be difficult, but surviving your friends could be an even bigger challenge.
Created by Studio Rivi, Overrafted! is a cooperative survival roguelite that challenges up to four players to keep their fragile vessel afloat while traveling across unpredictable waters. Steering, fishing, gathering supplies, and repairing damage all require attention, forcing everyone to coordinate their efforts as powerful winds, shifting currents, and dangerous marine life complicate the journey. Procedural elements make each attempt different, while score-based progression encourages crews to travel farther and improve their performance.
With so many responsibilities to juggle, even a well-organized team could find itself in trouble when several disasters strike at once. Of course, if your friends are anything like ours, getting everyone to agree on who’s responsible for the repairs might be the greatest challenge of all.
7. Pegs of Hell
Somewhere in the depths of Hell, the Devil has opened a casino, and you’ve managed to find yourself in the rather unfortunate position of owing him money. Your soul is being held as collateral, the rent keeps climbing, and the only way to avoid eternal damnation is to earn enough money from a pachinko machine to satisfy your infernal landlord. The colorful pegs and bouncing balls might look entertaining, but when every missed payment brings you closer to losing your soul, suddenly those little metal balls are carrying an awful lot of responsibility.
Developed by WOMBEX Games, Pegs of Hell is a physics-based roguelike where players construct and upgrade their own pachinko boards to generate increasingly enormous scores. Magnets pull balls toward valuable targets, splitters multiply them, bumpers send them ricocheting around the board, and elemental pegs create destructive chain reactions.
With 20 different peg types available, you’ll need to experiment with their placement to build a machine capable of meeting the Devil’s escalating demands. Arcana cards introduce additional abilities and strategic decisions, including opportunities to sacrifice cards for permanent powers. It’s an entertainingly cruel arrangement, especially when your landlord is quite literally the last person you’d want to argue with about overdue rent.
8. CLAWSTROPHOBIA
The fluorescent lights of an underground Japanese subway station cast an eerie glow over a lonely arcade claw machine. Somewhere beyond the empty platforms lies the outside world, but you’re not going anywhere until you’ve paid off an enormous debt. Your only source of income is the machine sitting in front of you, filled with prizes that could bring you one step closer to freedom. Every successful grab offers a little hope, while every dropped prize is another reminder that escaping this miserable place might take considerably longer than expected.
Developed by glockblock games, CLAWSTROPHOBIA is an unusual roguelite deckbuilder that transforms the familiar arcade attraction into a game of survival and financial desperation. Players must capture valuable prizes to earn money, using specialty drinks purchased from vending machines to introduce powerful effects and improve their chances. More than 100 vending items can be combined in different ways, while unlockable upgrades provide additional opportunities to develop strategies for extracting bigger payouts.
Its unsettling underground setting adds a horror-inspired atmosphere to proceedings, turning an innocent arcade pastime into something far more sinister. Anyone who’s ever watched a claw machine drop a prize inches from the chute will already understand at least half the horror.
9. Cards after Midnight
Night is falling over a gloomy 19th-century village, and somewhere among its narrow streets and shadowy buildings, a terrible transformation is about to begin. Born as the seventh son of a seventh son, you’ve inherited a family curse that turns you into a savage werewolf every midnight. The villagers aren’t especially sympathetic to your predicament, and with angry hunters determined to put an end to your existence, surviving until morning is becoming an increasingly difficult business.
Created by Boomfire Games and published by Jandusoft, Cards after Midnight is a dark roguelike card adventure built around a supernatural curse that changes how players approach combat. During daylight hours, you’ll fight as a human survivor, relying on weapons and tactical card battles to overcome enemies. When midnight arrives, however, your character transforms into a werewolf, introducing a different approach to surviving the dangers around you.
This shifting identity adds an interesting twist to the game’s deckbuilding systems, encouraging players to adapt their strategies as the situation changes. With its gloomy pixel art, gothic setting, and villagers who would much rather see you dead, this could be an appealing discovery for anyone who enjoys their card games with a little supernatural misery.
10. Dark Rail
At the edge of a crumbling empire, enormous factories belch smoke into the sky while armored trains rumble through a landscape scarred by industry and war. Prisoners are transported between settlements, dangerous creatures roam beyond the city’s borders, and unrest is spreading among a population living under the watchful eye of the Inquisition. Keeping this grim industrial machine functioning is now your responsibility, although maintaining order may require decisions that would make even the most ruthless ruler think twice.
Developed by Steam Veil Games and another one published by Jandusoft, Dark Rail is a turn-based management roguelike combining city building, resource production, and strategic railway expeditions. As commander of the Inquisition, you’ll organize prisoner shipments, hunt dangerous magical creatures, gather supplies, and ensure your settlement continues meeting its production quotas. Punishment, sacrifice, and resource allocation all influence the city’s survival, while unrest, madness, and a reputation system introduce consequences for your decisions.
Maintaining control through fear might solve an immediate problem, but it could create several more further down the line. Between its oppressive industrial atmosphere and morally questionable management choices, Dark Rail looks ready to make even the most routine administrative decision feel rather sinister.
Small Games, Big Potential
There’s a good chance that at least a few of these games will slip past players during Steam Next Fest. With hundreds of demos available and only a week to try them, even some genuinely interesting releases are bound to get overlooked. That would be a shame, especially when the smaller developers are bringing such a wonderfully strange collection of ideas to the table. Where else can you go from managing a city full of cats to paying rent to the Devil, before finishing your evening desperately trying to win a stuffed animal from a murderous claw machine?
Steam Next Fest kicks off on October 19th, and if any of these underdogs catch your attention, giving their demos a try and adding them to your wishlist is a great way to support the people making them.
Which underdog rogue games are you planning to play? Have you spotted another little-known gem that deserves some attention? Let us know in the comments.