Steam Next Fest is here, bringing more free game demos than one person could possibly play in a single week. If you only have time to play one demo before the event ends on June 22, make sure you set 30 minutes aside for Penguin Colony<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While that title might imply something cute and lighthearted, that\u2019s certainly not the case. Penguin Colony<\/em> is the latest game from Origame Digital, the creators of 2020\u2019s excellent Umurangi Generation<\/em>. The studio\u2019s unexpected follow-up has one heck of a pitch: a Lovecraftian horror game about penguins. What exactly does that mean? Penguin Colony<\/em>\u2019s free demo offers a glimpse inside what could be 2026\u2019s strangest game.<\/p>\n The snippet drops you into a dark and barren Antarctica circa 1939. Origame Digital calls the story a faithful reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft\u2019s At The Mountains of Madness <\/em>and The Shadow Out of Time<\/em>. Nazis have arrived in Antarctica to uncover something buried in the ice, while the Kaitiaki are there to protect it. Even from the short demo, it\u2019s clear that Origame is weaving its Lovecraftian lore with a story about fascism and colonialism. It\u2019s also about penguins.<\/p>\n You could call Penguin Colony <\/em>a \u201cwaddling simulator.\u201d After an eerie intro, I\u2019m put in control of a penguin who can slowly shuffle across the ice fields. I can get on my belly to move faster, dive underwater, and hop to do some simple platforming. Aside from pulling off those tricks and managing a stamina meter, I can swap over to any other penguin near me. I need to do that at one point when I find a warped fence that\u2019s slightly opened at the bottom. The penguin I was controlling was too big to fit, so I swapped over to a chick to get under the fence.<\/p>\n While there are \u201ccollectibles\u201d to find while exploring, the demo is more about soaking in the atmosphere on a slow-burn journey. An unsettling voice-over teases out the cryptic story, since the penguins themselves don\u2019t have much to say. When I finally do stumble across humans in the icy expanse, I watch in horror as the blocky figures mutilate themselves in front of me. Burning tents, ominous lights in the distance, and more surreal imagery tease a suitable Lovecraft adaptation.<\/p>\n I recommend trying Penguin Colony<\/em>\u2019s demo to see how it all fits together yourself. Steam Next Fest will run until June 22, so make sure to try it this week. Penguin Colony<\/em> does not have a firm release date yet, but it is scheduled to launch this year.<\/p>\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/penguin-colony-dark-sky.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image: Origame Digital\/Fellow Traveller<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Marcus](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/assets_2026_06_1780855024_13_gow_eday_marcuscheers_4k.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=124&dpr=2\"\/)
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