Steam Next Fest: October 19-26

Rotary Knights is taking part in Steam Next Fest from October 19 to 26, 2026. The free demo is available now, so you can begin your pilot's career or jump into a tactical dogfight. Share your experience in the Steam discussions and wishlist the full game to follow development.

About This Demo

Begin a Royal Flying Corps career in the opening months of the First World War. Rotary Knights combines a pilot-life RPG with turn-based tactical air combat, and this free demo lets you try the sortie, battle, and aerodrome loop.

Plot the Fight

On the graphical hex board, use altitude and heading to approach an opponent and line up a shot. Choose a Flight Path card, inspect its projected route, and commit the movement. Combat turns give you time to inspect firing angles, ammunition, and the risks of another pass.

Plan a Sortie and Come Home

Before takeoff, review the objective and its route across the Western Front. Keep enough fuel for the return leg and decide which threats are worth facing. A damaged machine needs repairs, while wounds and stress follow your pilot back to the aerodrome.

Meet Your Squadron

Choose equipment and invest in training between missions. Visit the mess, read your squadronmates' dossiers, and build an opening service record through the decisions you make. The Graphical campaign option presents your career with painted scenes and illustrated panels; Classic keeps the same rules in a squadron-logbook layout.

Ways to Play

• Opening career: Create a pilot through the guided opening, or choose a Fighter, Reconnaissance, or Bomber Quick Start.
  
• Flight School: Learn the tactical loop in a guided battle.
  
• 1914 Quick Dogfights: Fly early-war encounters against a single opponent or a hunting pair.
  
• Black Falcon Gauntlet: Face three consecutive fights with aircraft damage carried between battles.
  
• 1917 Showcase Duel: Fly a Sopwith Camel against an Albatros D.III with fixed forward-firing guns.

Demo Scope

The career ends during the opening tour, with aircraft and training options chosen for that slice. The 1917 duel is a separate exhibition. The wider 1914–1918 career, later aircraft and postings, and expanded squadron systems belong to the full game in development.

Wishlist Rotary Knights to follow development, and tell us about your flights in the Steam discussions.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Portions of this game's artwork were created with generative AI tools under human direction, curation, and editing, including aircraft counter sprites, scene illustrations, character portraits, achievement icons, and some store and marketing images. Some code was developed with AI assistance and human review. The game does not generate any content with AI while running.