The return of a classic strategy game was one of the biggest Steam Next Fest demos

Steam
(Image credit: Firefly Studios)

Steam Next Fest was an excellent opportunity for players to learn about the most exciting and interesting upcoming PC games. However, one game that stood out even among the standouts to become the one of the most-played games from Steam Next Fest was a remaster of a cult favorite strategy game poised to make a solid comeback.

Stronghold: Definitive Edition revitalizes the original 2001 game's strategic take on building a kingdom in Medieval Britain circa 1066. Coming from original developer Firefly Studios, the Definitive Edition aims to recapture the scope and story of the original but with some added flair.

Described as a complete rework of the original game, Stronghold: Definitive Edition revives the original campaign, upgrading it with modern visuals and gameplay systems that most recent series entries have seen. Along with enhanced visuals and added voice-overwork, the Definitive Edition includes integrated multiplayer, a bonus story campaign called The Jewel Campaign, and a new Castle Trail mode that focuses on skirmishes.

The demo that's currently on Steam focuses on two gameplay modes, The Hidden Lookout and First Blood campaign sequences, both offering over an hour of gameplay. As a remaster of the first game in the franchise, which led to sequels Stronghold: Crusader, Stronghold 2 & 3, and most recently Stronghold: Warlords, the Definitive Edition for the original looks to be a revisit that many long-time fans have been hoping for.

For more on the most exciting games from Valve's event, check out our roundup of the best Steam Next Fest demos for October 2023.

Alessandro Fillari

Alessandro is a freelance writer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered the games, tech, and entertainment industries for more than 13 years. Having previously worked at GameSpot, CNET, and various other outlets writing features and coordinating event coverage, Alessandro enjoys playing games on PC, but also gives plenty of time to his Nintendo Switch. You can find him on various socials at @afillari.  

Read more
Conjure
With backing from Slay the Spire and Among Us devs, this Steam Next Fest roguelike inspired by an unlikely classic immediately stands out – even if I am a little confused
After 24 years, classic RPG Gothic returns as a top game in Steam Next Fest with a remake demo that has almost 5,000 reviews
9 Kings armies at war in a green field
The hottest city builder in Steam Next Fest is actually a roguelike deck builder in disguise: "Break the game with thousands of insane builds"
A screenshot of a castle in Manor Lords.
Manor Lords dev confirms "castles and sieges are now in the works" for the city builder, as well as a new map that could get its own game mode in the future
a medieval castle on a steep cliffside
Move over Manor Lords, this cozy medieval city builder is so good it "ruined other builders," and it's leaving early access very soon
Key art for in Grit and Valor - 1949 showing pilots in front of their mechs
This roguelike strategy game puts you in charge of a dieselpunk alt-WW2 mech squad, and its Steam Next Fest demo is wonderfully bite-sized
Latest in Real Time Strategy
Key art for in Grit and Valor - 1949 showing pilots in front of their mechs
This roguelike strategy game puts you in charge of a dieselpunk alt-WW2 mech squad, and its Steam Next Fest demo is wonderfully bite-sized
Command and Conquer: Generals
EA is "releasing the fully recovered source code" for 4 classic Command & Conquer titles, and it's the best thing a major publisher can do for game preservation
Key art for Age of Empires Mobile
The RTS genre "hasn’t changed much" says former Age of Empires developer, "you’re still playing the same game we’re playing 20 years ago"
Kingmakers
"We're obsessed": After quietly dropping the best trailer of 2024, bizarre-o strategy game shows off incredible destruction tech – "If you drive a car full speed into a medieval tavern, well..."
Warcraft 2 just got its "first balance changes in 24 years," including a nerf RTS players have wanted since 1995
Key art for Warcraft: Orcs and Humans.
RTS classics Warcraft 1 and 2 are being delisted from GOG just weeks after Blizzard released remasters for them, but GOG is standing by its commitment to preserve them with updates
Latest in News
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
The surprise theme of today's Nintendo Direct was classic PlayStation franchises getting a comeback without Sony's involvement
Hogwarts Legacy how many spells
Unannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled, partly because the studio wasn't sure it'd be worth players' money
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong