Dear Laureates: what to add to the wishlist after the fall Steam Next Fest

The autumn Steam Next Fest is over! This is a week-long platform festival dedicated to new games. Players can download the latest demos and watch broadcasts of only released and future projects directly from the developers. During the festival, Steam users get a chance to replenish their viselists and join new gaming communities to support the release of their favorite games opened during these few days. The Izvestia digest contains a list of things worth paying attention to.

Half Sword

Developer: Half Sword Games
Genre: action, adventure
When can I play: it will be released before the end of 2025
What to play on: PC

Photo: Half Sword Games

It seems that thanks to the success of Kingdom Come Delivery, there are more and more interesting projects inspired by the Middle Ages. Half Sword is positioned as an exciting simulator of medieval battles with realistic physics, in which players will be able to go from a commoner to a knight in a series of brutal tournaments in Europe of the XV century. Moreover, the realism of physics is not stated for the sake of marketing — the player will really need, for example, to calculate the force of a sword strike in order to hit an opponent in heavy armor.

YAPYAP

Developer: Maison Bap
Genre: online cooperative
When can I play: in the next six months
What to play on: PC

Photo: Maison Bap

This year, one of the undisputed stars of the cooperatives was R.E.P.O., a game about a company of funny robots circling locations in a post—apocalyptic world from which all people have disappeared, but monsters have appeared. YAPYAP claims these laurels: a company of up to five people can play as henchmen of the evil wizard. The boss sends minions on sabotage missions to destroy the towers and castles of rival wizards. You will have to create chaos with the help of ridiculous spells and, of course, escape from the guard monsters.

The Midnight Walkers

Developer: Oneway Ticket Studio
Genre: action, shooter
When to play: November 2025
What to play on: PC

Photo: Oneway Ticket Studio

Hardcore extraction shooter in a zombie-infested world. Players will have to search for prey, hunt zombies and other survivors and save themselves. If you successfully complete the loot, you can craft weapons and various upgrades, and death threatens with the loss of everything you've earned through backbreaking work.

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THE CUBE, SAVE US

Developer: XLGAMES
Genre: action, shooter
When can I play: it will be released before the end of 2025
What to play on: PC

Photo: XLGAMES

After a nuclear war and the fall of civilizations, giant cubes appear above the Earth, which begin to "absorb" the survivors. The players, as one of the few survivors, are involved in the challenge of passing through the "gate of the Cube" and finding out its true nature. The session is designed for 63 players simultaneously in one "zone", and each "zone" is randomly formed from 27 fragments — structures, environments, and mutants.

MISERY

Developer: Platypus Entertainment
Genre: action, co-op, survival
When can I play: it's already out
What to play on: PC

Photo: Platypus Entertainment

For those who don't have enough of "Stalker". MISERY indie co-op will allow you to plunge into the harsh world of post-nuclear survival. Every day here is a struggle: you have to fight for resources, build your own safe bunker and, of course, face anomalies, where without them.

Star Trek: Voyager — Across the Unknown

Developer: Gamexcite
Genre: Strategy
When can I play: 2026
What to play on: PC, PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S

Photo: Gamexcite

A strategy that will fulfill the dream of many fans of the Star Trek series. The player will become the captain of the legendary Voyager starship. The mechanics will repeat the serial realities exactly: they will have to monitor the welfare of the crew, the ship's health, manage landings on planets and explore unexplored corners of space.

PowerWash Simulator 2

Developer: FuturLab
Genre: Simulator
When can I play: it's already out
What to play on: PC, PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2

Photo: FuturLab

The famous washer simulator is back! The game promises a new story campaign, even more locations and orders, as well as an abundance of new tools — a surface cleaner, a scissor lift, a tower and effective detergents.

Carnival Hunt

Developer: Crytivo, Beer Night Studio
Genre: action, multiplayer, survival
When can I play: 2026
What to play on: PC

Photo: Beer Night Studio

In the world of gloomy carnival, some players will become a monster hunter, while others will become little clockwork rabbits. The monster must catch the rabbits and "absorb" their wind-up keys in order to maintain its power. Rabbits need to survive, escape, or hold out until the monster's "charge" expires.

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MARVEL Cosmic Invasion

Developer: Tribute Games Inc.
Genre: bitmap, arcade
When to play: December 1, 2025
What to play on: PC, PlayStation4, PlayStation5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

Photo: Tribute Games

Juicy bitmap with retrography. The villain Annihilus begins a large-scale space invasion, and only the heroes of Marvel comics are able to stop him. Players will take control of the X-Men, Spider-Man and other legendary heroes and set off together to save the world.

Anno 117: Pax Romana

Developer: Ubisoft Mainz
Genre: Strategy
When to play: November 13, 2025
What to play on: PC, PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S

Photo: Blue Byte

The eighth game in the Anno series, a historical urban strategy simulator dedicated to Ancient Rome. For the first time, players will be given the choice of a starting province: the Roman Empire or the Celtic Kingdom in Albion. The governors will be able to decide whether they like the path of Roman or Celtic influence, compete for power and think through complex strategies for economic development.

The Legend of Khiimori

Developer: Aesir Interactive, NightinGames
Genre: Adventure
When can I play: 2026
What to play on: PC

Photo: NightinGames

In The Legend of Khiimori, as in Death Stranding, you will need to play as a courier. Not in a strange post-apocalyptic world, but in the vast expanses of beautiful Mongolia of the third century. The central theme of the gameplay will be horses. Mongolia is the birthplace of the best riders in history, and players will have to plan delivery routes across endless steppes, snow—capped peaks and scorching deserts, as well as take care of their horses.

LORT

Developer: Big Distraction
Genre: action, roglike
When can I play: it's already out
What to play on: PC

Photo: Big Distraction

A comedic fantasy action roguelike game that can be played by up to eight people at the same time. At the start, players will have three adventurers at their disposal — the heiress of a glorious family of warriors, an elf, a pyromaniac magician and 22 challenges to unlock new powerups, weapons and heroes.