TINYBUILD CONNECT: New Trailers, Big Reveals, Playable Demos

Earlier this week, mid-tier and indie publisher TinyBuild wrapped up Memorial Day weekend with its annual livestream event, TinyBuild Connect. This packed showcase—clocking in just under a half hour—was packed with game reveals, trailers, and featured plenty of hands-on opportunities. With fourteen titles covered, many of which already playable via demos or public play tests, the showcase highlighted TinyBuild’s continued focus on quirky, inventive and accessible games across multiple genres and platforms.

FEROCIOUS

Kicking off the event was a new trailer for Ferocious, a first-person shooter survival game that blends the dinosaur encounters of Jurassic Park with the high-octane mercenary action of Far Cry. Set on a lush tropical island, players must survive threats both prehistoric and heavily armed. A public playtest is available now on Steam.

SAND

Sand is a PvPvE first-person mech shooter set on a desolate, open-world desert planet. Picture towering war machines clashing in gritty extraction zones, with players battling fiercely for resources and dominance—all under a steampunk/dieselpunk aesthetic. The game is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year.

TRAINFORT

Trainfort offers a fresh twist on survival crafting — players take on the role of dwarf nomads building a mobile fortress aboard colossal steam-powered trains. This co-op open-world adventure encourages creativity and teamwork, and a public playtest is currently running on Steam.

HOZY

For something more cozy, try Hozy, a decorating sim focused on transforming abandoned spaces into inviting homes. Armed with cleaning, painting, and decorating tools, players craft their perfect sanctuary. Think of it as something in the vein of House Flipper or Hotel Renovator. A new publishing partnership means the game is available now in a public play test on Steam.

ALL WILL FALL

In All Will Fall, survival meets physics-based city building in a post-apocalyptic setting, where structural integrity is key as your city literally fights to stay standing. The game’s open beta kicks off June 9th on Steam, with a demo available now to try your hand at stabilizing this crumbling world.

THE KING IS WATCHING

The King Is Watching combines roguelike kingdom building with divine powers that keep your subjects in check. Its new trailer reveals a July release on Steam, and players can download the demo today to experience the blend of strategy and dark humor.

OF ASH AND STEEL

This third-person open-world RPG, Of Ash and Steel, promises sweeping landscapes and epic battles. With a fresh world overview trailer, the game has opened sign-ups for a closed play test launching later this summer, inviting players to step into its rich fantasy realm.

STREETS OF ROGUE 2

Chaos reigns in Streets of Rogue 2, where the unpredictable open-world sandbox gameplay shines with humor and mayhem. The new gameplay trailer teases the havoc players can wreak, with a demo currently live on Steam and Early Access slated for later this year.

VOIN

The first-person hack-‘n-slash Voin heats up with its “Permafrost” update, featuring frozen landscapes, ice monsters and new challenges. The update also revamps character progression with a brand new skill tree system, available now.

SPEEDRUNNERS 2

Speedrunners 2: King of Speed cranks up the competition in this fast paced 2D platformer with a new 64-player tournament mode. Fans who are eager to race again can sign up now for a summer play test, ready to dash through frantic platforming chaos.

DUCKSIDE

Duckside puts a quirky spin on survival shooters with its hat-wearing ducks…yes ducks!…battling for territorial supremacy in a persistent world. Following its Early Access run on Steam, the game is set for a console launch this August for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

DRILL CORE

Drill Core is a roguelite mining game where strategy meets underground resource management. Set to exit Early Access on July 17th with fresh content, it’s also coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. A demo is available now on Steam.

HELLO NEIGHBOR 3

Fans of the eerie Hello Neighbor series got a nice treat with new gameplay footage from Hello Neighbor 3, along with a surprise play test, available now on Steam. Explore and experience the game’s creepy new world firsthand.

KINGMAKERS

Closing out the event was a new trailer for Kingmakers, the wildly ambitious action-strategy sandbox game that’s gone viral for its absurd blend of medieval knights clashing with modern-day soldiers. With over-the-top moments like mowing down armored foes in a pickup truck, it’s been making serious waves online. Kingmakers is set to launch in Steam Early Access on October 8th.

The Unofficial Kick-Off of Summer

With its diverse lineup, playable demos, and a few viral surprises, tinyBuild Connect was a fitting kickoff to the summer gaming season. Taking place just after Memorial Day weekend, the showcase serves as an early precursor to Summer Game Fest, both the official event and the broader collection of publisher livestreams that now occupy the space formerly known as E3 season. If this presentation is any indication, it’s going to be a packed and unpredictable summer for gamers.

My Thoughts

Of all the games shown, Ferocious is easily the standout for me. The idea of Far Cry meets Jurassic Park has me practically salivating. It’s the kind of  frenetic, high-concept chaos I love to see in a shooter. Giant dinosaurs, mercenary firefights, lush island backdrops? Sign me up.

That said, it’s a bit of a bummer that so many of these games are currently PC-only, especially with public play tests and demos launching exclusively on Steam. As someone without a capable gaming rig, I’ll be missing out on most of these experiences—at least for now. Here’s hoping more of them make the jump to consoles down the line.