Finding any FPS games in this year’s Steam Next Fest demos celebration has been a bit of a nightmare. It’s one of the few genres that doesn’t have a proper category, minus a rather vague first-person tag that applies to any videogame that uses the incredibly common perspective, and not shooters specifically. That’s why we here at PCGamesN have put together the best FPS games at Steam Next Fest and beyond in October 2023, and I played eight different games that you should download while you still have the chance.
As FPS games come in all shapes and sizes, I’ve highlighted a broad range of games from ones that combine the puzzle genre, boomer shooters, high-octane action, co-op, and more. I’ve stretched the definition slightly for some of these games, but playing something new and exciting is the whole point of Steam Next Fest anyway. You can download these demos until Monday, October 16 so act fast, and keep in mind that the list is in no particular order and not reflective of overall quality. A lot of these demos were also released before Next Fest, but the event has brought them back to the forefront.
The best Steam Next Fest FPS games October 2023
The best Steam Next Fest strategy games to play are:
- Anger Foot
- Echo Point Nova
- Forgive Me Father 2
- Ghostrunner 2
- The Last Exterminator
- Relentless Frontier
- Sentry
- Snap the Sentinel
Anger Foot
More of a first-person shoe-ter, Anger Foot channels the quick and difficult levels of Super Meat Boy while combining it with the broader design of a game like Neon White. You can kick in both enemies and doors while using an array of guns with low ammo, as you navigate through short-burst levels to complete challenges. It’s difficult, it’s fast, it’s funny, and most of all it’s a total joy to play.
You’re on a quest for a stolen shoe, and while completing challenges nets you new sneakers for your left foot, nothing beats the shoe you lost. If you want a game with a challenge that nails how quickly it drops you back into the action, with plenty of levels and replayability for 100% completion, Anger Foot is for you.
Anger Foot can be tried on Steam right now.
Echo Point Nova
I’ve already talked about a previous Echo Point Nova demo build at length, so here’s the elevator pitch: what if you could play an FPS that has an open-world, grapple shot, skateboard, and co-op that channels Doom, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Titanfall all in one?
The skateboard and level design is what sells Echo Point Nova to me, as the movement shooter from the team behind Severed Steel (which is superb) shows how the team has already evolved from an excellent corridor shooter to a more open-ended setting. It’s great, please play it.
Echo Point Nova can be tried on Steam right now.
Forgive Me Father 2
Another FPS we here at PCGamesN have played and loved, Forgive Me Father 2 is a Doom-style boomer shooter with absolutely fantastic callbacks to the genre and its visuals.
We even got to talk to Byte Barrel CEO Ernest Krystian, who understood the core of what makes a boomer shooter tick: “A boomer shooter needs to be touching your heart and reaching into your memories as a kid.”
While the visual style is completely different, it channels what makes the worlds of games like BioShock and Dishonored so special, so be sure to give this one a go if you haven’t already.
Forgive Me Father 2 can be tried on Steam right now.
Ghostrunner 2
Okay, Ghostrunner 2 technically isn’t a shooter. It’s a cyberpunk version of Mirror’s Edge where you have a sword, but you can throw shurikens at enemies, so I’m going to count it. You’ll be wallrunning, slicing and dicing, blocking bullets with a katana, and much like with Anger Foot dying and respawning really fast.
This is an FPS game for those of you who want to push what FPS means as far as it can go, as, while it has the skeleton of a shooter, it presents you with something entirely different. It’s also got so much going on that once you master it you truly feel like a ninja, so that’s everyone’s childhood dreams met.
Ghostrunner 2 can be tried on Steam right now.
The Last Exterminator
The Last Exterminator is classic Duke Nukem. It’s got the weird aliens, it’s got the wisecracking, it’s got the UI, and it even has the best uzi I’ve ever used in a game. It’s oozing in atmosphere too. While every other game on this list assaults you with color and sound, The Last Exterminator is a little more subtle, and I think this works in the game’s favor. It might be the slowest of the demos here (but not by much), and I think this helps set the pace of the game.
It’s all about exploration. Finding keys for doors, weapons, and ammo buried around alley corners, and making sure no alien bugs sneak up on you while you’re not looking.
The Last Exterminator can be tried on Steam right now.
Relentless Frontier
Relentless Frontier is the most Doom-like of all the Doom-likes on this list. It’s incredibly fast, brutal, has gorgeous low-poly and 2D visuals, and adopts a more wide-open level design approach.
If you want something like Doom, with the challenge to match, and a little sprinkling of the original Halo, then this is the game for you.
Relentless Frontier can be tried on Steam right now.
Sentry
Tower defense meets FPS. That’s the pitch. So if you want something a touch more methodical that starts with you building a loadout and then placing traps and defenses before all hell breaks loose, Sentry is for you.
There’s even co-op, so grab a buddy and try Sentinel out while you still can.
Sentry can be tried on Steam right now.
Snap the Sentinel
Snap the Sentinel was my biggest surprise Steam Next Fest demo. It’s got the visual and audio stylings of Genesis-era Sonic, as it blends bright colors with 2D and 3D visuals. The soundtrack is banging, you move at the exact right speed and have the exact right weight, and the gun powerups you can find feel distinctly platformer-inspired, and yet they work for an FPS.
A game very much about the vibe, Snap the Sentinel might be one of the tightest shooters I’ve ever played, and it helps that it’s got my favorite visual style of the bunch. I seriously kept thinking I was in a Sonic level, and I mean that wholeheartedly as a compliment.
Snap the Sentinel can be tried on Steam right now.
These are the best Steam Next Fest FPS game demos you need to try, and while I’ve stretched the definition a little and picked games outside of the festival itself, I hope you’ve found your next favorite shooter among these eight wildly different games. We’ve also put together the best Steam Next Fest demos full stop as well, alongside the horror and strategy picks too.
