Affiliate channels normally keep VODs 14 days, so Next Fest streams from Oct 22 go today and the last day's go on Nov 9. If you still have fest VODs to watch, you have until Monday. A clip of up to 60 seconds stays on Twitch after the VOD is gone. #gamedev

How to save Twitch streams of your game before they expire

Any logged-in viewer can clip up to 60 seconds of a Twitch VOD, and the clip outlives the VOD. For longer parts, ask the streamer for a highlight.

getoverheard.com

Next Fest is over. I checked the Twitch categories of 3,318 fest demos every 20 minutes: 1,658 had a stream, and 926 had 3+ different streamers. Those 926 took 98% of the stream hours I saw. #gamedev #SteamNextFest

Next Fest is over. Checking Twitch every 20 minutes for 7 days, we caught streams of 1,639 of the 7,319 games on the fest list: 913 with 3+ different streamers, 726 with one or two. Most VODs last a week, so the first ones go this week and nearly all are gone by Nov 2. #SteamNextFest

Next Fest October 2026: demos streamers are playing

Look up any Steam Next Fest demo: did Twitch streamers play it, how many, and does it have a Twitch category. Plus the most-streamed demos.

getoverheard.com

If your Next Fest demo got 3 or more Twitch streams this week, I can turn them into a list of where players got stuck, what broke and what they liked, each with the minute in the VOD. $49 per game. Sample report below. Tell me what's missing from it. #gamedev

Sample report · Overheard

A made-up playtest report with generated voices: problems first, each with the player's words and a clip you can play.

getoverheard.com

Of 257 indie game VODs still up when I checked, only 22 were on Partner channels (60 days). 38 were on regular channels, which normally keep past broadcasts 7 days. Watch the streams with the earliest expiry first. #gamedev

How long do Twitch VODs from Steam Next Fest stay online?

7, 14 or 60 days, by the streamer's account. 77% of the indie VODs we checked were on the 14-day clock: watch fest streams during the fest.

getoverheard.com

Next Fest, day 3: I've seen Twitch streams of 1,004 of the 3,037 fest demos I could match to a category. 587 had one or two streamers, so the board doesn't name them. Type your demo into the lookup: it says if I couldn't match it, or none, one or two, or the exact count from three up. #gamedev

Next Fest October 2026: demos streamers are playing

Look up any Steam Next Fest demo: did Twitch streamers play it, how many, and does it have a Twitch category. Plus the most-streamed demos.

getoverheard.com

Next Fest on Twitch, day by day. I'll add one post to this thread every evening with what I counted. Day 2: 808 of 7,236 fest games have been streamed so far. 308 had 3+ different streamers, 500 had one or two. Most demos are still waiting for their first stream. #SteamNextFest

Next Fest October 2026: demos streamers are playing

Look up any Steam Next Fest demo: did Twitch streamers play it, how many, and does it have a Twitch category. Plus the most-streamed demos.

getoverheard.com

Cat Mail Co.: in 2 of the 7 Twitch streams I analysed, players found the package sorting loop relaxing and satisfying. #indiedev

Cat Mail Co.: Twitch stream feedback · Overheard

7 Twitch streams of Cat Mail Co., 3h 30m listened to. Most common problem: matching a package to its correct pair or recipient is… (2 of 7 streams).

getoverheard.com

Next Fest is live, and so is the lookup I built: type any demo on Steam's fest list and see if streamers played it on Twitch. Exact counts from three streamers up. Tonight it mostly shows whether I could match your demo to a Twitch category. Counts update about once a day. #gamedev #SteamNextFest

Next Fest October 2026: demos streamers are playing

Look up any Steam Next Fest demo: did Twitch streamers play it, how many, and does it have a Twitch category. Plus the most-streamed demos.

getoverheard.com

Next Fest starts at 10am PT. For your demo's Twitch streams: 1. List them daily from your category 2. Log channel, day, language 3. Note the minute of each stumble 4. Watch within a week; small channels keep VODs 7 days 5. Crashes: look now. Design: check a 2nd playthrough #gamedev

How to use Next Fest streams as a playtest: a checklist

Treat each stream as a playtest with a player who talks. Only 16% of the confusion we marked came in the first quarter, so watch past the opening.

getoverheard.com

Not knowing what to do or where to go: 51 problems in 28 of the 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams. When a streamer asks chat where to go, note the minute and watch it with your level map open. #gamedev

What do streamers struggle with most in indie games?

23% of 906 problems streamers hit in indie games were unclear rules, controls and item effects. Economy, rewards and grind frustrated them most.

getoverheard.com

94 of the 258 Twitch streams of indie games I analysed weren't in English. Most common: Russian (20), German (19), Japanese (16), French (13). Twitch's language tag is set per channel, so use it as a filter, not as the truth. #gamedev

How many indie game streams on Twitch are not in English?

36% of 258 Twitch streams of indie games we analysed were not in English. In 14 of 46 games, most streams were in another language.

getoverheard.com

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs: in 3 of the 8 Twitch streams I analysed, streamers praised the cozy repair loop itself, not one feature. #indiedev

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs: Twitch stream feedback

8 Twitch streams of ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, 4h listened to. Most common problem: missing parts make repairs feel expensive… (3 of 8 streams).

getoverheard.com

In 23% of 906 problems I logged in 259 Twitch streams of 46 indie games, the player seemed unsure about a rule, control or item effect. It came up in 45 games. Next Fest starts Monday. Watch a stream of your demo; note each time the player asks what something does. #gamedev

What do streamers struggle with most in indie games?

23% of 906 problems streamers hit in indie games were unclear rules, controls and item effects. Economy, rewards and grind frustrated them most.

getoverheard.com

Tedious chores came up in 29 of 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams: 49 problems in total. When a second player sighs at the same chore, count how often your demo asks for it. #gamedev

What do streamers struggle with most in indie games?

23% of 906 problems streamers hit in indie games were unclear rules, controls and item effects. Economy, rewards and grind frustrated them most.

getoverheard.com

Next Fest starts Oct 19. If your demo is in it, we can email you when Twitch streams of it show up, so you can watch them before the VODs expire. Most indie VODs are gone within 14 days. The alerts are free. The full report is $49, only if 3+ streams give us enough: getoverheard.com/go/pin/

Steam Next Fest starts Monday. Is your demo in it? Reply with the Steam link. On Tuesday we'll check Twitch for every demo in this thread and reply to each one: does it have a Twitch category yet, and how many streamers have played it so far. Free, no signup. #SteamNextFest #indiedev #gamedev

In Twitch streams of 46 indie games I logged 256 specific things streamers praised, next to 906 problems. General "this is fun" doesn't count, so it's not a measure of how much they liked the games. The specific praise is your list of things not to cut. #indiedev

What do streamers praise in indie games? · Overheard

Of 256 things streamers praised in indie games, 17% were small touches, secrets and conveniences and 17% strong builds, upgrades and rewards.

getoverheard.com

How do you find Twitch streams of your demo during Next Fest? The category page, search, a tool, or streamers telling you? Asking because I'm deciding what to build next.

Twitch highlights don't expire, but since April 2025 a channel keeps only 100 hours of them, and the least-watched go first. A streamer can also delete one any time. If a streamer highlighted your demo, save what you need from it. #gamedev

How long do Twitch VODs from Steam Next Fest stay online?

7, 14 or 60 days, by the streamer's account. 77% of the indie VODs we checked were on the 14-day clock: watch fest streams during the fest.

getoverheard.com

Funnel Runners: in 3 of the 8 Twitch streams I analysed, players got hooked on the dart minigame in the lobby, and its achievements came quickly. Something to do while you wait for friends to join. #indiedev

Funnel Runners: Twitch stream feedback · Overheard

8 Twitch streams of Funnel Runners, 4h listened to. Most common problem: friends fail to join a multiplayer session due to invite errors (4 of 8 streams).

getoverheard.com

Next Fest press preview opens today. Of 257 indie game VODs I checked, 77% were on affiliate channels, which normally keep past broadcasts 14 days; regular channels, 7. A stream of your demo from today may be gone before the fest ends. Save the link and minute. #gamedev

How long do Twitch VODs from Steam Next Fest stay online?

7, 14 or 60 days, by the streamer's account. 77% of the indie VODs we checked were on the 14-day clock: watch fest streams during the fest.

getoverheard.com

Multiplayer and lobbies: 45 problems in 20 of the 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams. If your demo has co-op, run the invite and join flow with a friend on another network before Next Fest. #gamedev

What do streamers struggle with most in indie games? · Overheard

23% of 906 problems we found in 259 Twitch streams of 46 indie games were about unclear rules, controls and item effects. The largest sources of frustration were economy, rewards and grind, and difficulty spikes and unfair moments.

getoverheard.com

Of 615 moments of confusion I marked in 259 Twitch streams of indie games, 16% came in the first quarter of the part I analysed and 32% in the last quarter. If you skim your Next Fest VODs, don't stop after the tutorial. #gamedev

How to use Next Fest streams as a playtest: a checklist · Overheard

Treat each stream as a playtest session with a player who talks. What to set up before the fest, what to note while it runs, and why to watch past the opening: only 16% of the confusion we marked came in the first quarter of the part we analysed.

getoverheard.com

Hard-to-read screens and menus: 115 of the 906 problems I logged in Twitch streams of 46 indie games. They came up in 43 of the games; only unclear rules, controls and item effects came up in more games (45). Before the fest, one pass on UI text size and contrast. #gamedev

What do streamers struggle with most in indie games? · Overheard

23% of 906 problems we found in 259 Twitch streams of 46 indie games were about unclear rules, controls and item effects. The largest sources of frustration were economy, rewards and grind, and diffic...

getoverheard.com

Free Overheard reports for up to 10 Next Fest devs: where Twitch streamers got stuck, what broke, what they liked, with the minute in each VOD. Streams from Oct 8–26. Register and tick the free report box. In return, a two-minute survey. Needs 3+ talking streams. getoverheard.com #gamedev

Teach My Little Sister How To Drive: in 3 of the 12 Twitch streams I analysed, players were delighted when the sister actually carried out their driving instructions. The reaction came when an instruction landed. getoverheard.com/games/teach-my-little-sister-how-to-drive/ #indiedev

4 of 7 Twitch streams of Species: Unknown we listened to hit the same wall: the flashlight battery drained too fast and left players in the dark. One resource timer can shape a whole stream. getoverheard.com/games/species-unknown/ #gamedev #indiedev #horrorgame

BOMBANANA!: in 2 of the 12 Twitch streams I analysed, players invented their own non-verbal ways to tell each other which wire to cut. Players making up their own signals is a good sign for a co-op puzzle. #indiedev

BOMBANANA! on Twitch: what players struggled with in 12 streams · Overheard

12 Twitch streams of BOMBANANA!, 8h 11m listened to. Most common problem: converting piano module letters to numbers confuses players (4 of 12 streams).

getoverheard.com

I analysed 258 selected Twitch streams of 46 indie games in late September. By the speech, 36% weren't in English, most often Russian, German or Japanese. In 14 games, most streams were in another language. During Next Fest, check your demo's streams in every language. #gamedev

How many indie game streams on Twitch are not in English? · Overheard

36% of the 258 Twitch streams of 46 indie games we analysed were not in English, judged from the first 30 seconds of speech. In 14 of the games, most of the streams we picked were in another language.

getoverheard.com