Fantastical 2026 Steam game gets free demo about punching gnomes in the face

Steam users simply must try this medieval beat-em-up game where you pummel wave after wave of hostile gnomes. Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds.

While browsing the Steam store, you’re going to find some excellent games, but with such a high quantity, you’re going to miss some hidden gems along the way.

One such gem is Fight-Quest, which is oddly one of the most cathartic freebies we’ve found on Steam for quite some time.

Developed and to-be-published by Carl Carpenter, Fight-Quest is a first-person action game with roguelite mechanics.

Set in a fantasy world where you’re definitely not a hero, you storm through magical environments punching a variety of mythical creatures, mainly gnomes.

Big gnomes, small gnomes, there’s no difference really. They’re all equally punchable. It’s like if the Doomslayer was dropped into the world of Fable and just went to town.

The game’s description states you’ll “stack game-changing upgrades to slay thousands of fantasy foes, discover sinister secrets in a colourful world, and bank your hard-earned gold”.

Carl Carpenter

What drew us to this title was the gameplay footage alone which looks utterly absurd. The gnomes swarm around you, attempting to punch, kick and leap at your face and while they’re pretty easy to take down, their numbers alone make them formidable.

The full game isn’t due for launch until later this year. An exact release date hasn’t been shared as of yet, but Q4 2026 is listed on the store page. Perhaps it’ll be another unexpected competitor for Grand Theft Auto VI in November?

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In the meantime, you can play the free demo on Steam right now. Its compatibility with the Steam Deck isn’t mentioned, but we’re sure it’d work in some capacity.

Definitely give this one a go if you’ve got nothing else to do. It’s one of the best demos we’ve found on Steam in quite a while and it’s endlessly entertaining.

Below are some other free Steam demos that are well-worth your time!

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve discovered some excellent games on Steam that all have free demos to enjoy.

Take Creature Kitchen for example, a ‘cosy-creepy’ cooking simulator about feeding bizarre creatures from a cabin in the woods.

Then you’ve got My Cozy Cube, a nice and chill game that we’re confident will bring back some fond childhood memories.

Finally we’d like to highlight Inkwellers, which is a must-play if the wait for Hogwarts Legacy 2 is becoming unbearable. This magical adventure is an eerie title about exploring a magical castle, and it’s very, very good.

All of the above games have free demos you can play on Steam right now, perfect for when you’re looking for something new to play, but don’t want to risk buying something you may regret later.

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