When it happens
Next Fest runs every February, June and October. Exact dates and each edition's deadlines are on the Upcoming Steam Events page in Steamworks. Check there rather than trusting a date you read somewhere, because the deadlines are what catch people out.
Eligibility
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Never been in a Next Fest | One Next Fest per game, ever. A different edition, prologue or "chapter one" of the same game doesn't count as a new game. |
| Unreleased | Releasing before or during the Fest makes you ineligible. Early Access and free games are fine, as long as they haven't launched yet. |
| Public store page | The base game's page must be published and visible. |
| Public demo | Playable by everyone by the time the Fest starts. There's no rule on demo length or exclusivity. |
| Account in good standing | Your Steamworks account(s) must be in good standing. |
Registering
Register from the base game, not the demo. For most titles the option appears on the base game's App Landing Page. Complete the registration checklist, save, and confirm you see a green checkmark. You'll choose one or two primary categories; Valve uses those plus your Steam tags to decide where your game shows up.
Plans changed? Cancel from the same registration page, and do it before Press Preview starts, because every registered game appears there.
The workback timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5 weeks before | Developer Preview opens, so you can see which sections your game lands in. If you want your demo live for Press Preview, submit it for build review by now. |
| 3 weeks before | Last safe moment to submit your demo for build review. Later and you risk missing the Fest. |
| 11 days before | Press Preview: selected press browse all registered games. If your demo is already public, they can play it. |
| 4 days before | The official Next Fest trailer launches. |
| Day one | The Fest begins and runs for a week. |
| After | A wrap-up page features the most-played demos. Valve emails the games that made it. |
Setting up the demo
Create a demo-type app attached to your base game, with its own store assets and build. If you publish a separate demo store page, republish the base game afterwards so Steam links the two.
Demo build review checks that it runs and has the features you promised. It's not QA and won't catch your bugs. Submit early enough to fix and resubmit.
You can push demo updates after approval, but Valve won't review them. Don't ship a game-breaking bug on day three.
Release the demo at least 30 minutes before the Fest starts, so you have time to catch problems.
Getting into the official trailer
Valve's curation team picks a varied set of games for the Next Fest trailer shortly after registration closes. To be considered, before registration closes you need to be registered and eligible, have at least one public trailer on your store page, be on track for a public demo, have up-to-date assets, descriptions and tags, and be sure you won't cancel. If you're picked, you get about two weeks to give permission, and Valve uses a trailer that's already public on your page.
How visibility works during the week
For the first few days, placement is randomized everywhere except named lists and personalized rows, so every game gets a fair start. After that, logged-in players see carousels personalized by what similar players have been trying. Your categories and tags decide which sections you can appear in, so make sure your tags are accurate before the Fest. Only games with a released demo appear at all.
Common mistakes
Miss the three-week build review deadline and you can miss the Fest entirely.
It's allowed, but it splits your players across two builds. During the Fest, send everyone to the demo.
Inaccurate tags put you in sections your players aren't browsing. Compare your tags with the Developer Preview categories.
Most players try a lot of demos quickly. If yours doesn't show its hook fast, they move on.