If there is a time to play demos, it is during the Next Fest. And especially in this particular Next Fest. Many of the most anticipated titles of 2026 have released a demo, but there are also other titles that we didn’t know about and have left us intrigued. That’s why we are going to make a selection of the games that you cannot and should not miss. Because the Next Fest is always interesting, but this first edition of the year is being especially spectacular.
Denshattack!
In Spain, excellent video games are made. The latest example of this is Denshattack!, a skate-style game where instead of doing tricks with our scooter, we have to do them with a train while trying to win insane races in a post-apocalyptic future. Aesthetically impeccable, easy to play but hard to master, it is the kind of game that is easy to get obsessed with. Whether it’s for its fascinating world building, the excellence of its artistic design, the complexity of its combo system, or how well everything combines together. Because yes: good games are made in Spain.
Titanium Court
Connect 3 games are always fun. They are simple puzzle games that can be as complex or as easy as you want to make them. If you also add resource management, they can be really interesting. But if you also add references to Shakespeare, hilarious humor, a beautiful neon pixel art aesthetic, and surreal worldbuilding, you have a strong candidate for game of the year if you like thinking games. Because its name is Titanium Court, it claims to be a game for clowns and criminals, and if we haven’t sold you on it yet, what more do you need?
Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
If you like Vampire Survivors, you’re not alone: there are many people out there who also enjoy it. There are plenty of reasons. The creators applied everything they know about slot machine design to a game that is as addictive as it can be and then a little more. Many have tried to imitate it, but none have succeeded. Now they have created their second game, in the same universe, and it is a deckbuilder. A card game. Sounds complex? Don’t worry: it isn’t. It rewards you for scaling numbers, there are still constant stimuli, and the runs are quick and frantic. It feels like Vampire Survivors, but in a different format. Because if anyone can replicate the success of the formula, it’s poncle.
Dungeons of DUSK
Vampire Crawlers is simple, accessible, but Dungeons of DUSK doesn’t mess around: it wants you to get involved, grit your teeth, and suffer. If you want. You can take it easy too. But this is an old-school dungeon crawler. Things only move when you move, and exploring and knowing when to move or when to pass a turn is important. Unless you have scythes and shotguns to fight. A spinoff of Dusk, one of the most popular boomer shooters in recent years, it is a delicious dungeon crawler, as frantic as it is intense.
The Last Salvage Squad
Do you know the classic science fiction movies from the 50s with cardboard sets and giant alien invaders? Can you imagine if it had an anime aesthetic, but with the special effects and physics you expect from a production from the 50s? Well, that is exactly The Last Salvage Squad. A tremendously fun and original Japanese FPS, with exquisite and spectacular art, that puts us in combat against a tremendously retro alien invasion. Very fun and different in a way that will captivate fans of science fiction and shooters alike.
