I just played the Painkiller demo, and I think I pulled a muscle from dashing, hooking, and blasting my way through Purgatory. It feels so damn good to have this series back.

I just played the Backrooms: Exit from Supermarket demo for Steam Next Fest. It's a terrifying game of hide-and-seek where making too much noise gets you fired... from life.

I just clocked in for my first shift at the Vanderboom estate in the Servant of the Lake demo. The pay is probably terrible, but the surreal puzzles are to die for.

I just survived a few days in the MISERY demo, a game that feels like STALKER and Lethal Company had a beautiful, janky baby. It's broken in all the right ways.

I just blasted my way through the GAZAR demo and I think my brain is still vibrating. If you miss the days of high scores and relentless alien fleets, you need to play this.

I thought my old retail job was hell, but the HELLMART demo introduced me to a whole new level of terror involving strange customers and a monster that really, really wants to meet me.

I just played the INDUSTRIA 2 demo, and it feels like the lovechild of Half-Life and a German art-house film. It's janky as hell right now, but damn, the potential is off the charts.

Clear your schedule and your hard drive. The October Steam Next Fest has arrived, bringing with it a tidal wave of free demos for upcoming games. Your backlog is about to get a whole lot bigger.