5 – ERA ONE
By the hands of Team Complex LTD comes ERA ONE, a distinctive real-time strategy (RTS) game that looks massive, and extremely complex! Everything in this game is customizable, and everything is modular and can be created to answer your specific needs. But building is just part of the gameplay, the other one is making sure that the complex structures you’re building and having them fight in space also have the necessary resources to operate to their full potential. The same is also true for every ship you decide to create. The best part, for me, apart from its uniqueness and unlimited depth (I’m interested to see what people will come up with), is the fact that the game is also going to have a proper single-player story.
4 – Mecharashi
The gritty, mech-riddled, and tactically complex world of Mecharashi is waiting for you at the Steam Next Fest. This title thrusts players into intense turn-based mecha combat, where strategic deployment, unit synergy, and on-the-fly decision-making are crucial for victory. Its unique selling point? The fact that it’s up to players to assemble their own mechs as they want. This is also where the game’s damage system comes in, as the combat will allow players to target what systems to strike at, allowing them to gain a tactical upper hand. There’s also a single-player story where players will command a mercenary unit and fight all over Milkhama Island. Oh, and you can also color your mechs too!
3 – Becoming Saint
This is probably the wildest title on this list, and I love it. In Becoming Saint, players will embark on a profound journey of faith and strategy (yes, really), to guide a budding community toward spiritual enlightenment, and to make sure all others follow suit and understand that your way, truly is the way! You define your creed, which serves as a basis for whatever actions/resources/political moves you have available. As you can expect, going against the grain in Medieval Italy is seldom a good way of making friends, so expect to be fought along the way and to die plenty of times. But being a roguelike, you’ll always be learning, and unlocking new cool stuff to play around with.
2 – Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
Stronghold is not only one of my favorite real-time strategy (RTS) games of all time, but it’s one of the best games ever made, period. If you want to relive the golden age of castle-building and medieval warfare, you can do so with the demo of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, a highly anticipated remake of the classical game that immortalized the franchise into gaming history. This definitive version brings back the classic real-time strategy gameplay of the beloved Stronghold Crusader, enhanced with modern visuals and improved quality-of-life features, new content such as new AI Lords and Berber units.
1 – Every Day We Fight
Having played the preview for Every Day We Fight, and after surpassing my first-impression blues, I needed to acknowledge the fact that this is a gripping turn-based strategy game and one of the games I’m most excited about to play in 2025. It’s turn-based mechanics with first-person shooting and an immersive and gripping story about a last stand against an alien menace with time-bending elements, and it has me anxiously waiting for its release, later this summer! You can get a small taste of what I’m talking about in this Steam Next Fest by taking its demo for a spin. Every Day We Fight promises a high-stakes, challenging experience where every decision matters, offering deep tactical combat and a compelling narrative for fans of XCOM-like strategy and sci-fi warfare.
Conclusion: The Future of Strategy Gaming Starts Here
The Steam Next Fest serves as an invaluable window into the future of PC gaming and strategy games, and this year’s collection of strategy game demos stands out by being rather different and unique, and that’s great. From the logistical puzzles of managing a global shipping empire to the intense tactical battles of medieval strongholds, and XCOM style mechs and aliens, these titles offer a diverse and compelling showcase of strategic depth. I encourage you to download these demos, experience their unique mechanics firsthand, and wishlist the games that you think might be worth your time and money.
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