Demos and game festivals
Try before you buy
Would you pay for a game you had never played? Lots of players won't. Hyper Shards is pay once, so before people buy, they want to know it feels good.
A demo is a free, short slice of the real game. Players try it, and if they love it, they buy the full game or add it to their wishlist: a saved list of games they want. On Steam, wishlists matter a lot, because Steam tells those players when the game launches or goes on sale.
What goes in a good demo
A demo is not the whole game, and not just the tutorial. It is the best 15 to 30 minutes: enough to learn the controls, feel the core fun, and see something surprising.
For Hyper Shards, that might be the first few waves and a first boss. Then the demo ends on a hook, a moment that makes players want more, like a giant mothership appearing. The last screen says "Thanks for playing!" with a button to wishlist or buy.
Bolt says: Polish the demo like the real thing. Players judge the whole game by it.
Quick check
A good demo gives away the whole game for free, so players see everything before they buy.
- True
- False
Show the answer
False
A demo is the best 15 to 30 minutes, not everything. It should leave players wanting more, so they wishlist or buy the full game.
Demo cut
1Wave 1 Learn to fly and shoot2Wave 2 Shield power-up appears3Wave 3 First boss: the Crystal Crab4Wave 4 Nova crystal story scene5Wave 5 Mothership arrives, sky goes dark6Wave 6 Second boss fight
Each wave takes about 4 minutes. Kai wants a demo of about 20 minutes that ends on a hook. Where should it stop?
- Right after wave 1, so players only see the controls
- As the mothership arrives in wave 5, with a "to be continued" screen
- After wave 6, so players see every boss
- Halfway through the wave 3 boss, with no warning
Show the answer
As the mothership arrives in wave 5, with a "to be continued" screen
Waves 1 to 4 take about 16 minutes and include the first boss, so players feel the core fun. Stopping as the mothership appears leaves a question in their heads. Cutting mid-fight with no warning just feels broken.
Steam Next Fest
Steam Next Fest is a free online festival that Steam runs a few times a year. For about a week, many games that haven't launched yet show free demos. Players browse, play and wishlist the ones they like, and studios can stream live on their store page.
To join, a game needs a Steam store page (Steam Direct costs US$100 per game) and a finished demo, ready weeks before. A game can usually take part only once, so studios pick their moment. Check the latest rules.
Jams and showcases
- itch.ioA website where independent studios share games, including free browser demos. Hyper Shards already runs in a browser, so it fits right in.
- Game jamsEvents where people make a whole game in a fixed time, often a weekend, on a theme announced at the start. Many run on itch.io.
- Online showcasesLivestreams where a host shows trailers from many games, often around a theme like cozy or space games.
- Local showcasesMeetups, libraries and game expos where people play at a table, face to face.
Next Fest is the biggest stage, but not the only one. Each of these needs an account that agrees to terms, so a parent signs up together with the team.
Quick check
What is a game jam?
- An event where people make a whole game in a short, fixed time, often on a theme
- A bug that makes a game freeze on the title screen
- A week when a store sells games at a discount
Show the answer
An event where people make a whole game in a short, fixed time, often on a theme
In a jam, the theme is announced at the start and everyone builds a small game before the deadline. It's great practice, and some jam games grow into full games.
Building a booth demo
At a local showcase, a stranger plays our game for five minutes while others wait behind them. So we make a special booth build:
- It starts at the title screen and resets itself after a minute with no input.
- Sessions are short, like two waves and a boss.
- It runs offline, because venue internet often fails.
- Nobody can quit to the desktop or change settings.
Bring a sign with the name, a QR code to the store page, and a spare device.
Booth build
1const booth = {2 startScreen: 'title',3 idleResetSeconds: 60,4 needsInternet: true,5 showQuitButton: false,6};
These are Remy's settings for the Hyper Shards booth at a local showcase. Which line will cause trouble at the event?
- Line 2
- Line 3
- Line 4
- Line 5
Show the answer
Line 4
Line 4 makes the demo need the internet, and venue Wi-Fi is often slow or crowded. A booth build should run offline. The other lines are right: start at the title, reset when idle, no quit button.
Collect feedback and wishlists
A festival is also a giant playtest. At a booth, watch quietly and note where players get stuck, smile or give up. Online, read the comments on the demo.
Count what matters: how many people played, how many finished the demo, and how many wishlisted. Steam shows the studio its demo and wishlist numbers. If many players quit in the same spot, fix that spot. An email sign-up sheet collects personal data, so a parent runs it, with clear permission from each person.
Bolt says: A great demo is news. Next: telling journalists about it, so people who never visit a festival hear about our game too.
Fact-checked 9 October 2026
- Steamworks: Steam Next Fest partner.steamgames.com
- Steamworks: Steam Direct partner.steamgames.com