The best free demos to play now in the Steam FPS Fest

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By Robert Jones
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Sample great shooters today.

Turbo Overkill PC gaming FPS showing robots and androids
(Image credit: Trigger Happy Interactive)

For FPS lovers like myself, it's a great time this week to be a PC gamer. That's because the Steam FPS Fest, an event that looks to promote great shooters with free demos and discounts, is taking place.

From exceptional AAA experiences to interesting new boomer shooters, and onto FPS hybrid experiences that introduce roguelike, RPG or immersive SIM elements, there are loads of incredible FPS games playable right now.

And, what's even better is that, if you play the free demo of a game and really like it, then you can pick up the full game during the Steam FPS Fest with a sizeable discount. Here are 10 free playable FPS demos I think it's worth checking out right now.

Soulslinger: Envoy of Death |Play the demo

Soulslinger: Envoy of Death |Play the demo
A Weird West roguelite shooter with serious Lovecraftian vibes, Soulslinger has a devilishly evocative aesthetic and a series of awesome guns that look and sound great. Explosive action: there is plenty.

Ultrakill | Play the demo

Ultrakill | Play the demo
A combination of super-fast acrobatic action, stunning and memorable levels, as well as an anarchic taste for jokes, hidden stages, and secret levels, Ultrakill is an explosive shooter not to be missed.

Voidtrain | Play the demo

Voidtrain | Play the demo
A stylish FPS that lets you become a member of an Interdimensional Express Train. Upgrade the train, build new weapons, and survive encounters with crazy alien monsters in surreal, physics-bending environments.

Turbo Overkill | Play the demo

Turbo Overkill | Play the demo
Apogee's most outrageous FPS since Duke Nukem 3D, Turbo Overkill is a neon cyberpunk fever dream of an FPS. Use a chainsaw, a hovercar, and over 15 weapons to defeat your foes in truly bombastic style.

System Shock | Play the demo

System Shock | Play the demo
If you haven't yet played the generous free demo for Nightdive Studio's full remake of classic immersive SIM FPS, System Shock, then now is the time to do it. An unforgettable fight to the death against AI gone wrong.

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition | Play the demo

Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition | Play the demo
A proper old-school FPS blast from the past, but one expertly upgraded by the master of remasters, Nightdive Studios, this is a fast-paced and bloody boomer shooter with plenty of neat extras, such as controller support.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin | Play the demo

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin | Play the demo
Some old FPS gold here, which neatly still has a free demo despite its age. Loud, fast, violent and spooky, this is a action-filled blast-fest with an oppressive horror tone that keeps the pressure on at all times.

Far Cry 6 | Play the demo

Far Cry 6 | Play the demo
Far Cry as a series has always been a gun lover's dream, and its sixth entry doesn't disappoint, with high-octane FPS gameplay and a huge choice of weapons and customisation on offer. Visually it is a treat, too.

Trepang 2 | Play the demo

Trepang 2 | Play the demo
An exceptionally slick and bloody FPS, Trepang 2 is like playing through a hybrid of your favorite ever action movies. Jump, kick, slide and shoot your way to victory while dual-wielding instruments of death.

HROT | Play the demo

HROT | Play the demo
Don't let the simple, Quake-style look of this FPS put you off, as it is a shooter whose imaginative levels and grim looks belie an off-the-wall sense of humor. It's the star of the Sovietcore boomer shooter genre.

There are plenty more demos to experience in the 2024 Steam FPS Fest. So if you like the look of some of these games then I'd advise heading on over to Steam sometime this week (the Steam FPS Fest runs until April 22), and scoping out what's on offer.

Robert Jones
Print Editor

Rob is editor of PC Gamer magazine and has been PC gaming since the early 1990s, an experience that has left him with a life-long passion for first person shooters, isometric RPGs and point and click adventures. Professionally Rob has written about games, gaming hardware and consumer technology for almost twenty years, and before joining the PC Gamer team was deputy editor of T3.com, where he oversaw the website's gaming and tech content as well its news and ecommerce teams. You can also find Rob's words in a series of other gaming magazines and books such as Future Publishing's own Retro Gamer magazine and numerous titles from Bitmap Books. In addition, he is the author of Super Red Green Blue, a semi-autobiographical novel about games and gaming culture. Recreationally, Rob loves motorbikes, skiing and snowboarding, as well as team sports such as football and cricket.

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