The Steam Next Fest kicked off on the 23rd. Amidst the overwhelming sea of demos, one newcomer, 'WindRose', has already managed to anchor itself at the top of the charts.

Set in a fictional 1700s golden age of piracy, 'WindRose' is a PvE open-world survival action RPG. You step into the boots of a captain challenging the legendary 'Blackbeard', navigating a journey of survival and vengeance that eventually spirals into a wider conflict. It has already claimed the #1 spot for 'Most Wishlisted Upcoming Games' and secured 2nd place in both 'Popular Upcoming Games' and 'Popular Demos' on its opening day.

The gameplay loop involves exploring vast seas and islands, gathering resources, and constructing your own ships and fortresses. The standout feature is undoubtedly the naval combat, which flows seamlessly from ship-to-ship cannon fire to intense boarding actions. It also incorporates a Soulslite combat system, where you will need to master parrying and stamina management to survive.

The current demo offers a slice of the core systems and weaponry, allowing you to captain your first ship across three explorable islands. You can expect roughly 6 hours of gameplay from this taster.

Steam users are already quite taken with the demo, leaving a 'Very Positive' rating with 4,009 participants and a 93% approval rate. Players are noting that the demo feels substantial, with many drawing comparisons to the crafting depth of Valheim or Enshrouded, combined with the naval flair of Assassin's Creed Black Flag and Sea of Thieves. While there are some rough edges, the appetite for the final release is clearly there.

Elsewhere on the Steam charts, ARK: Survival Ascended surged to 3rd place thanks to a 75% discount coinciding with the start of Next Fest. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 also saw a boost, landing in 4th place following a 50% price cut.

In the daily peak concurrent players top 20, Geometry Dash reached 19th place with 87,972 players. It has been riding a wave of momentum for six months, hitting a peak in mid-January and maintaining a solid player base since. Meanwhile, Rainbow Six Siege slipped to 20th place with 85,771 players, down by over 20,000 from the previous day. Expect this fluctuation to continue until the next update drops.