Introduction
The first major Steam Next Fest of 2026 has begun, and there are nearly 4000 games for you to try! Yes, you read that right, 4000 game demos available, which should be enough to keep oneself busy for an entire lifetime. Since there’s no way one person can try all of them, I have curated a special list of 10 must-try strategy game demos that I personally think are worth your time and attention.
I love this torrent of demos, and I really love giving new games a go and seeing what’s worth keeping my eye on. So, if you’re interested in doing this with me, here are 10 strategy games you have to play during the Steam Next Fest 2026.
The Steam Next Fest 2026 is running from February 23rd to March 2nd, so you’d better get going! If you want to read other lists, you can do so here, and if you’re interested in strategy and wargames reviews, here’s the link for that as well.
10 – Ancient Wars: Sparta
Let’s start with a remake of one of the most well-known RTSs of the early 2000s, Ancient Wars: Sparta. Ancient Wars: Sparta HD has a demo live, and it’s going to bring the twenty-year-old classic RTS back to the modern day with improved graphical fidelity, new maps, a better AI, functioning multiplayer, and a whole host of other improvements, and bring back the beloved unit customization feature. The demo gives players the ability to play 1 mission from each of the 3 campaigns. A pretty hefty demo, if you ask me.
9 – Kriegsspiel ~ 7 Years’ War
The developer behind Kriegsspiel ~ 7 Years’ War has reached out to me after reading one of my lists about the greatest historical myths videogames are often guilty of perpetuating, and how his game avoid such trappings by faithfully recreating the dynamics of battlefield uncertainty during the 18th century, when commanders had to rely on their scouts and couriers to receive reports and dish out new orders. If you’re looking for a new wargame that’s set during a time period that rarely gets the love it deserves, give Kriegsspiel a go during this Steam Next Fest.
8 – 1492 Colonization of the New World
Give me the chance to command the Portuguese, and I’ll instantly be a fan of your game. Well, that so happens to be the case of 1492 – Colonization of the New World, a 4X title developed by Salty Olives where you take command one of 8 European nations as they scramble to make the most of the Age of Discovery and the newfound land that lays beyond the Atlantic by establishing settlements, creating trade routes, cultivating and exporting new resources, as interacting with the people living there. I absolutely love its artstyle, because it takes me right back to my early days playing strategy games with Civilization 2.
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