Tails by the Foxfire

Cozy Restaurant, Cafe, and Farming Demos

My NextFest started with some really strong restaurant, cafe, and farming sim demos right out of the gate, and man, there were a lot of them to choose from. My track record shows I’m generally pretty weak for games in this genre (see my obsessions with Pokopia, Stardew Valley, Coffee Talk, Kemono Teatime, and the Hungry Hearts mobile game series to name a few), so as you can imagine, it was a trial in itself to narrow down my picks to only a handful. These are the top 4 restaurant, cafe, and farming sim demos that stuck out to me during the June 2026 NextFest:

1. Maid Café Simulator by Accelix

Maid Café Simulator by Accelix is exactly what it says on the tin: a sugary-sweet first-person café simulator game in the same vein as Supermarket Simulator or My Little Café Nightmare. Order ingredients and furniture, mix drinks, upgrade your menu, serve customers, clean up, kick out unruly visitors, work checkout, and befriend ‘kemomimi’ girls (i.e. girls with cute fluffy animal ears) who you can dress up, hire, and assign tasks in the café to help with its day-to-day operations. Unlike previous games I’ve played in this genre, Maid Café Simulator actually features an ongoing story as you improve your café, which I found encouraged me to root for the main character and the maids in making the business a success. By the time the demo ended, I was fully invested in giving the maids a safe, happy place to work, as their animal features had caused them to face difficulty blending in with the rest of society.

According to the Steam page, Maid Café Simulator is ‘Coming Soon to Early Access’ and I’m really excited to play more!

2. Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim by Coffee Beans Dev

Tailside: Cozy Cafe Sim by Coffee Beans Dev has been on my radar for quite some time now, and I was so happy to finally find time to sit down and take its demo for a spin. In Tailside, you run a coffee shop as a very cuddly-looking fox and serve drinks, step by step, with no time crunch like you might feel in other food service games. You even carefully sort your own beans to ensure you’re serving top-quality drinks, and draw latte art using a variety of different stencils! Over time you’ll interact with plenty of adorable villagers and collect new furniture types for decorating your cafe to your liking. There are even multiple plant types that you can place on tables, floor, and counters! Tailside is a hug in game form, it’s a safe space that you can carve out to your own liking, with a soundtrack and visual style that feels nostalgic in the same way as Spirittea.

Needless to say, I bought it immediately.

3. Dungeon Hotpot by Renala Games

Dungeon Hotpot by Renala Games was on my Top 6 list of indies mentioned during Summer Game Fest and its demo 100% lived up to my expectations. In Dungeon Hotpot, you run a dungeon-based restaurant that adventurers can stop into on their way to and from exploring. It’s got a look and gameplay style that reminds me of Coffee Talk, where you listen to what’s on each customer’s mind and then serve up a dish that will support them in facing down their troubles. Pixel art, gorgeous food, immaculate atmosphere, and a fantasy setting: I knew I was going to love it! You can also buy upgrades for your restaurant to make the place more inviting. Additionally, the demo hints that there’s more to the cook than one might first expect, as chefs who know how to work with monster ingredients are very hard to come by. Interesting!

Dungeon Hotpot is still listed as ‘To be Announced’ on Steam, but it’s officially on my wishlist and I’ll eagerly be watching for more news!

4. Moonlight Peaks by Little Chicken

Moonlight Peaks by Little Chicken has been gaining traction as a gothic alternative to Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, so of course I was going to try it sooner or later! Following the standard 12-hour cycle, you (a vampire, who you get to customize fully) perform all of your actions at night and interact with fantastical characters like Death, other vampires, witches, and more. It’s got everything: an adorable chibi art style, a talking cat, dreamy & moody purple-pink aesthetic that’s totally Foxfire-coded, mining, a talking cat, farming, fishing, fun villagers with pretty portraits, flower arranging, potion mixing, and A TALKING CAT!

Answering the real questions: yes, you can pet the kitty! You can pet all the animals! As well, heterochromia squad assemble: Moonlight Peaks lets you give your character different-coloured eyes, which I always appreciate in a game with character customization.

Feel-Good Delivery Service Demos

If I had a nickel for every adorable delivery game I played during NextFest, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot and I really want more nickels. It’s not just about delivering stuff, either: both of my picks have optimistic undertones about doing your part to help your community, with character development and hope for the future rolled into getting to know (and caring for) the people around you.

And, you know, BMX.

1. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer by Denkiworks

Tanuki: Pon’s Summer by Denkiworks follows a BMX-loving tanuki who is ordered by his ancestor to stop lazing around, get a job, and restore the shrine he’s been living in ready for the upcoming Tanuki Matsuri: an upcoming festival that unites the community, and that the townspeople are all looking forward to very much (so don’t disappoint them!). As luck would have it, the post office is understaffed and Pon’s BMX is just the thing for getting packages and letters to their owners in no time! Pon even knows some fancy tricks that players can perform for fun and profit!

In addition to his deliveries, Pon can help the townspeople and earn extra rewards by listening to their requests and helping them out: take photographs, pour drinks, and even train under the local sumo champion! I had a great time getting to know the town and its characters, helped by the fact that Tanuki: Pon’s Summer shares the vibes and humour of games like Spirittea, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, like being razzed by your ancestor for resting after a long, hard day of doing nothing. Fantastic stuff. I love it when an ambitious project like this hits just right.

2. Milki Delivery by Blibloop

So this is a little random fact, but I love the cartoon ‘glass milk bottle’ aesthetic like you see in Pokémon for Moo Moo Milk. It’s one of those images that makes me smile. It’s such a cute image, in fact, that Blibloop (developers of Minami Lane, which is also a solid recommendation) have turned into a wholesome game about bringing a community together one delivery at a time, which is why Milki Delivery really works for me. In Milki Delivery, you take on the role of Neha: owner of the last cow since the rest of them have mysteriously disappeared. Track down feed like hay, apples, and berries, feed your cow (the titular Milki), make upgrades to your bike and business, and deliver milk to villagers spread out all over the map. As you get to know them, you’ll learn more about their lives and how things have changed, and you’ll gradually help them improve their lives and community one step at a time.

A couple of things that made Milki Delivery feel like a hug after a long, hard day at work were its simple gameplay loop, its gentle art style that felt like a blend of Tintin & Studio Ghibli, and the hope that someday we will find a friend for Milki in making plenty new ones of our own. If you’re looking for a low-stakes game with a slow-burn story and heartwarming art, Milki Delivery (currently slated for 2026) is a must-play.

Pretty Puzzle Demos with a Story to Tell

As a big fan of games like Glass Masquerade, Broken Sword, Monkey Island, and Scribblenauts, I love a good puzzle: bonus points if there’s a story attached and a world I can immerse myself in. Check out my top puzzle demos from NextFest that belong on your wishlist!

1. Woodo by Tiny Monks Tales

Developed by Tiny Monks Tales, Woodo combines drag-and-drop puzzle solving reminiscent of Glass Masquerade with tactile wooden blocks. From the moment you open the game, Woodo is pure fun; even the game’s menu is a puzzle to be completed, immersing you right away in a relaxed yet playful mindset. The gameplay of Woodo is really simple: select differently-shaped blocks and drag them to the correct place on a collection of dioramas, which will animate and bring an overarching story to life. The game is completely charming, blocks feature details like wood grain and gloss, and click satisfyingly when correctly placed. It’s the kind of game that makes you feel like a kid again, narrated by a warm, gentle voice, and is a prime example of modern video games embracing alternate mediums for their visual style to create unique storytelling experiences (check out my recent interview with Zack Buchman of Furry Puppet Studio for more on this!)

Woodo’s release date is yet to be announced, but I hope we hear more soon, as I’d love to hear more of Foxy’s story! My blood pressure and I can’t wait.

2. Knick Knack Stack by Soft Reverie Studio

Knick Knack Stack was recommended to me directly by Soft Reverie Studio, and I appreciate them reaching out to draw my attention to their demo. You play as Caroline, who travels the world after being laid off from her job. This isn’t your regular backpacking trip, though: Caroline’s chasing the social media trend of cairn-building using interesting objects she comes across on her adventures. The goal is to take your time (there’s no clock working against you), have fun, and zen out building your cairns as high as you can. The higher they go, the more likes you’ll get on social media! Meanwhile, you can chat with Caroline’s friends over text between levels, adding a story element to this very solid physics-based puzzle-builder.

Knick Knack Stack is listed as ‘Coming Soon’ on Steam, and hopefully we won’t have too long to wait before we can experience more of Caroline’s travels!

3. Order of the Sinking Star by Thekla, Inc.

Order of the Sinking Star by Thekla, Inc. was among the Most Played Demos of NextFest, and I get it: directed by Jonathan Blow (whose name you might recognise from Braid and The Witness), Order of the Sinking Star is a vividly beautiful isometric game with character models that remind me of League of Legends (which I mean as a compliment, because the visuals are the part of League that I actually like). Your main character lands in a set of mysterious ruins, torn suddenly from her fellow soldiers, and must find her way out again. While exploring, she will encounter dangerous traps and creatures she must outsmart, and will step into the shoes of three travelling adventurers who interact with their environments in unique ways: a warrior who can only push objects, a thief who can only pull objects (sticky fingers mean she grabs anything she walks past, after all), and a wizard who will magically change places with any object he looks directly at.

There are plenty of puzzles to sink your teeth into in Order of the Sinking Star, but it’s a marathon and not a sprint. Some puzzles have forced me to walk away to clear my head, but those are the ones I find most satisfying when I figure them out. The story is also quite immersive: the main character’s story is still something of a mystery, but the three characters she inhabits the bodies of are on a journey to right an injustice and clear their names. Order of the Sinking Star is still ‘to be announced’, but it’ll be well worth the wait.

4. ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs by Mandragora

ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs by Mandragora was easily among my favourite games of NextFest in concept, vibe, and gameplay. As you might have guessed from the game’s title, ReStory puts you in charge of an independent repair shop in mid-2000s Tokyo. Rather than disposing of old items and replacing them with the latest models, your customers prefer their older devices: they’re important to them, so it’s your job to extend the lifespan of each one to preserve the memories attached. A refreshing mindset to spend some time with, when we’re constantly being pressured and pushed to discard the old and move on to the next shiny thing.

Throughout the day-to-day gameplay loop, you’ll receive in-person and email requests from people who want you to fix their phones, game consoles, and devices. To do this, you take the item apart piece by piece, clean its components, swap out faulty parts for working ones, and then reassemble them. Yes, it’s exactly as satisfying as it sounds. Days pass slowly, so repair jobs are 100% zen as you find the problem and restore each device to good working order. If you’re my age, you’ll enjoy seeing familiar electronics like flip phones, a handheld device resembling a PSP, Atari-like joysticks, and more. All-in-all, ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs is nostalgic, it’s relaxing, and it’s on my wishlist for a very quick purchase once it drops sometime in 2026.

5. The Second Reality Room: Unspoken Truths by Shadow Glove

I could (and might still) write an entire standalone Demo Den review for The Second Reality Room: Unspoken Truths by Shadow Glove. I went into this expecting a pretty visual novel, and what I got instead was a counselling room simulator with beautiful art and music, complex characters, engaging detective elements, and heartfelt messages for troubled characters that will likely resonate with plenty of players too.

Here’s the idea: Visitors under delusions of alternate realities stop by your practice for help. It’s your job to talk to them, uncover new keywords and conversation topics. As the counselling sessions go on, you can read the minds of Visitors to take a first-hand look at their invented second realities, and then use your collected keywords to ‘Translate’ the truth of their troubles. Be careful in your diagnosis, though: too many days and too many incorrect translations will put strain on your Visitors, and risk pushing them to the incurable Stage IV of their condition. Tread lightly though, and listen closely, and you’ll help restore their quality of life so your Visitors can live a happy, healthy life.

The Second Reality Room: Unspoken Truths is set to release sometime in 2026, and I’ll be watching very closely for this one, because I need to know what happens next!

Demos with Musical Stories

Among the RPGs and farming sims, there were a couple of unique titles with music at their hearts. Incorporating rhythm game elements but taking things just a step further, these two games step outside the box and use music to make their stories all the more lively and magical!

1. Songs of Glimmerwick by Eastshade Studios

If you’ve been looking for something to fill the hole in your heart where Hogwarts used to live, give Songs of Glimmerwick by Eastshade Studios a try. What stuck out to me about Songs of Glimmerwick was its quaint, gentle feel and vibrant art style. The fact that you encounter a friendly dragon as soon as you step off the boat to school and it’s not this big epic thing, he’s just there to welcome you, warmed my heart. This is fantasy that isn’t hard-edged or high octane: you’re attending school, meeting your peers & fantastical characters like werewolves and talking trees, shopping in town for magic supplies, cultivating the school’s garden as your part time job, and casting spells using music: music that was, for a time, outlawed because a group of witches wanted to be the only ones capable of casting magic, and so they made the world think it was evil. There’s powerful subtext here and a charming world to explore while uncovering the full story of Glimmerwick, and I can’t wait to enjoy it to the fullest when Songs of Glimmerwick drops sometime in 2026.

2. Aikyam by Thousand Stars Studio Inc.

I love a turn-based RPG, and Aikyam by Thousand Stars Studio Inc. adds the unique twist of being Bollywood-inspired. Traditional sword and sorcery combat is replaced with rhythm-based dance battles where your party dazzles and overwhelms your opponents, empowered by the enthusiasm of the fans cheering for you. Also interesting is the doll-like visual inspiration, which adds a playfulness to Aikyam’s story and gameplay as I found it did when Dragon Quest VII Reimagined released in early 2026. This unique look exactly represents the experimental, alternative mediums in modern game development that Zack Buchman and I spoke about in my recent interview with Furry Puppet Studio. Since the start of the game takes place during a Holi festival where paint balloons are flying, it’s all the more impactful when the plot comes knocking and the presence of demons drains the colour from the environment. It’ll be our job to fight them and return the joy to the village, I expect, and I’m keen to continue the adventure when Aikyam releases in full (currently listed as ‘Coming Soon’).

Demos with Darker Vibes, but Fun Stories

Indie games aren’t all sweetness and light, of course: I also played a couple of standout demos with darker themes during NextFest, like creeping, tongue-in-cheek horror and a post-prohibition murder mystery!

1. XenoFeels by KotaMota Games

XenoFeels by KotaMota Games was another of NextFest’s most popular demos, and initially I was surprised, as I didn’t imagine ‘armed custom guard’ was exactly the escapist fantasy we’re striving for in light of current world events. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is an entirely tongue-in-cheek sci-fi gem where you’re working the planetary customs booth, seeking out shapeshifting ‘Xenos’ trying to cross the border to your home planet to end the world. Think Papers, Please but with ‘we have one at home’ off-brand references to beloved sci-fi characters that will bring a smile to your face. Examine each traveller’s papers, picture, and car against your records, and blow ‘em away, straight into the star system if even one detail is off. Eh, even if you’re not sure, or just kind of feel like it. Your weirdly hot commanding officer will have plenty of praise for you once the job is done… so long as you pay no attention to the distortions taking over your sleeping quarters. You’re probably just tired. Xeno hunting takes its toll on the mind, you know.

Polish your gun.

Go to sleep.

Wishlist XenoFeels.

Ask no questions.

2. Last Night, Last Call by Rogueside

Finally, we have Last Night, Last Call by Rogueside: a bartending sim set in alternate-history Europe and backed by a rich jazzy soundtrack. You used to be a private investigator, and then you settled down and decided to serve drinks for a living instead. You were happy, until one of your friends is murdered and you were one of the last people to see her alive.

Coffee Talk with a side-helping of stakes, anyone?

Using your wits, charm, and drink shaker, you’ve resolved to solve your friend’s murder, which the police are only too happy to rule as a suicide. You believe differently. Mix drinks, talk to your patrons, collect clues, and combine them to work your way to the truth. You have 7 nights to prove your theory. Wishlist Last Night, Last Call now and get ready to crack the case.

Video Game Reviews, Deep Dives, Previews, and Guides at Tails by the Foxfire

Thank you for joining me on this rundown of Tails by the Foxfire’s Top 15 demos from Steam NextFest’s June 2026 edition! If you’ve found some new favourites to wishlist, post them below (or recommend some yourself!) and sign up to be alerted whenever I post new video game reviews, indie spotlights from developer requests, upcoming game previews, quickstart guides, or interviews with special guests!

Are you a developer or PR agent with a game to share? Check out our press kit and get in touch via email, webform, or our official Tails by the Foxfire Steam Group where you can join the conversation and view our curated game lists!