Play & Sign Up: Every Active Demo, Beta and Playtest You Can Join After Gamescom
Gamescom is over — but you can still continue the experience from home.
We checked the current status of the games featured in our Gamescom coverage and separated them into three categories:
🟢 PLAY NOW — downloadable demo available
🔵 SIGN UP — beta/playtest registration currently available
🟡 WAITLIST — you can request access, but participation is not guaranteed
Updated: August 31, 2026
🟢 PLAY NOW — PUBLIC DEMOS
🐕 1. BARKOUR
UPDATED GAMESCOM DEMO — AVAILABLE NOW
The Polish-developed action platformer starring Agent T.H.U.N.D.E.R. received an updated demo for Gamescom.
The developer confirmed that the updated demo became available to everyone on August 26, including new missions and locations. (Steam Store)
Platform: PC / Steam
Status: 🟢 Available
⛏️ 2. BERGWERK — A MINING SIM
GAMESCOM DEMO — AVAILABLE NOW
One of the clearest examples of a Gamescom demo that you can experience from home.
The developers released the demo on Steam during Gamescom and specifically invited players who could not attend Cologne to try it and provide feedback. (Steam Community)
Platform: PC / Steam
Status: 🟢 Available
🌈 3. NEON HYPERDRIVE
PUBLIC DEMO — AVAILABLE NOW
The first public demo of Neon Hyperdrive launched around Gamescom and was promoted through the IGN Awesome Indies presentation.
The demo lets you experience its rhythm-racing mechanics, vehicles and music-driven environments. (Steam Store)
Platform: PC / Steam
Status: 🟢 Available
🌿 4. WILDERINGS: THE LOST SPRING
PUBLIC DEMO + PLAYTEST
There are actually two options here.
The public demo is available on Steam, while the main game page also allows players to request access to the developer’s playtest. (Steam Store)
Platform: PC / Steam
Status: 🟢 Demo
Additional: 🔵 Playtest request
🟡 5. HIJINKS HIGH
PLAYTEST WAITLIST
Important correction from our previous article:
Hijinks High does not currently have a normal public downloadable demo.
Instead, Sackbird Studios is operating a playtest system.
You can:
join the waitlist
enter a playtest code
use a code received at Gamescom
The official website currently provides both options. (Sackbird Studios)
Platform: PC
Status: 🟡 Waitlist / code access
🔵 CLOSED BETAS & PLAYTESTS
🐸 6. ROCO KINGDOM
QUACK QUACK TEST — CLOSED BETA
This is currently one of the most interesting Gamescom registrations.
The Roco Kingdom Quack Quack Test begins:
October 27, 2026 — 02:00 UTC
The test supports:
PC
Android
iOS
The recruitment period is currently running through the official Roco Kingdom website.
Players must complete the recruitment questionnaire to be eligible. (rocokingdom.com)
Status: 🔵 CLOSED BETA — SIGN UP NOW
⚠️ Important
Signing up does not guarantee access.
The developers are selecting participants.
🔫 7. PUBG: DED.NET
CLOSED BETA REGISTRATION
The surprising new PUBG project revealed at Gamescom has an active closed-beta registration.
The official website currently provides:
“Pre-register for the PUBG: DED.NET Closed Beta.”
Status: 🔵 Registration open
This is one of the highest-priority registrations from Gamescom 2026.
⚔️ 8. CHOSEN BY ODIN
CLOSED PLAYTEST
Chosen by Odin was revealed during Gamescom as a 1–3 player co-op action game inspired by Norse mythology.
The developers are planning multiple playtests throughout the year.
The earliest playtest registration is handled through FirstLook.gg. (Steam Community)
Status: 🔵 Closed playtest registration
🤖 9. ORMOD: DIRECTIVE
CLOSED PLAYTEST — REQUEST ACCESS
This one is especially worth adding to your Steam account.
The official Steam page currently has:
“Join the ORMOD: Directive Closed Playtest”
You can request access directly through Steam and receive a notification if the developer opens another wave. (Steam Store)
Previous playtests have already attracted tens of thousands of players, with access distributed through Steam and Discord. (Steam Community)
Platform: PC / Steam
Status: 🔵 Request access
🪐 10. PETIT PLANET
FINAL BETA — SIGN UPS OPEN
This is another major one.
Following Gamescom, HoYoverse confirmed:
Final Beta starts September 20, 2026
The test is planned for:
Windows PC
iOS
Android
The current recruitment period closes:
September 14, 2026
The test is limited-access and data will be wiped afterwards. (Petit Planet Hub)
Status: 🔵 FINAL BETA — APPLY NOW
BONUS: PRE-REGISTER
Petit Planet is also available for pre-registration ahead of its Winter 2026 launch.
PC pre-registration is also available through Epic Games Store. (Epic Games Store)
🌊 11. SEA OF REMNANTS
PRE-REGISTRATION — FUTURE TESTS
The official Sea of Remnants website currently has global pre-registration open.
The previous Wanderer Test has already ended, so this should not be described as an active beta.
However, the developer explicitly says that players who missed the previous test can still pre-register for future test notifications. (seaofremnants.com)
Status: 🟢 Pre-registration
Current beta: 🔴 Closed
📋 THE COMPLETE GAMESCOM 2026 PLAY LIST
Game
What you can do now
Status
Barkour
Download demo
🟢 PLAY
BERGWERK
Download demo
🟢 PLAY
Neon Hyperdrive
Download demo
🟢 PLAY
Wilderings
Demo + request playtest
🟢 PLAY / 🔵 TEST
Hijinks High
Join playtest waitlist
🟡 WAIT
Roco Kingdom
Apply for Quack Quack Test
🔵 BETA
PUBG: DED.NET
Register for closed beta
🔵 BETA
Chosen by Odin
Register for playtest
🔵 TEST
ORMOD: Directive
Request Steam access
🔵 TEST
Petit Planet
Apply for Final Beta
🔵 BETA
Sea of Remnants
Pre-register
🟢 FUTURE TESTS
⭐ OUR TOP 5 — SIGN UP FIRST
If you don’t want to register for everything, these are the five we would prioritise:
🥇 PUBG: DED.NET
New IP / closed beta registration already live.
🥈 Petit Planet
Final Beta begins September 20.
🥉 Roco Kingdom
Closed beta starts October 27.
4️⃣ ORMOD: Directive
Steam playtest access can be requested now.
5️⃣ Chosen by Odin
Early closed playtest registration is available.
🎮 AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY SOMETHING TONIGHT…
Forget the registrations.
Start here:
🐕 BARKOUR
⛏️ BERGWERK
🌈 NEON HYPERDRIVE
🌿 WILDERINGS
⚠️ ONE IMPORTANT WARNING
Be careful with websites advertising:
“Gamescom 2026 beta keys”
“The Witcher: Songs of the Past beta”
“Metro 2039 demo download”
“Alien: Isolation 2 beta”
unless the link comes directly from the developer or an official store.
A Gamescom hands-on demo does not automatically mean that a public demo exists.
We have therefore only included links where we found an active official registration, Steam playtest/demo page or official game page.
🏁 GAMESCOM DIDN’T END — IT MOVED TO YOUR PC
The physical show in Cologne is over.
But now we have something even better:
Gamescom games we can actually play.
Some are available immediately.
Some require a beta invitation.
Some are accepting playtest applications.
And others are waiting for their next testing phase.
The next step is no longer watching trailers.
NOW WE PLAY.
New Format — Gamescom 2026 Coverage
Updated August 31, 2026.
Comments