Sunny Demeanor Games runs 3 Steam festivals throughout the year, each with an accompanying Direct.

1. The Love, Romance, and Heartbreak Debutante Ball (LRHDB)
2. The Spy Video Game Rendezvous (SVGR)
3. The Let Freedom Ring Jubilee (LFRJ)


1. The Love, Romance, and Heartbreak Debutante Ball (LRHDB) - a Steam festival and Direct for games about that tricky thing called love (or about a desire to remain single), taking place in February around Valentine's Day


Please submit if you have games about the following themes:
  • Romance
  • Courtship
  • Marriage and/or Divorce
  • Heartbreak
  • A desire to be/remain single

The festival is open to released games as well as to upcoming games.

I expect this first iteration will focus solely on "safe for work" (SFW) games to keep the scope manageable on my end, but I encourage "not safe for work" (NSFW) games to apply as well so that I can gauge interest from NSFW developers/publishers.

Please note that games specifically about avoiding relationships will be considered as well.  In addition, games where romance is included but not necessarily the main gameplay loop will be considered, too (e.g. Stardew Valley-like farming sims).

Submissions are due by July 31, 2025 to gather initial interest before bringing this concept to Valve for approval.  If you signal interest by the end of July and are accepted, you can expect to hear back by September 30.  The form will remain open until the selection of games is finalized around November 2025, a few months in advance of the festival in February 2026.  Due to an anticipated high volume of submissions, emails will likely only be sent to accepted games.

If your game(s) sound like a good fit for this theme, please fill out this form to submit for the Love, Heartbreak, and Romance Debutante Ball Steam festival: https://forms.gle/ShS7VqRs6PG9oQqq8



2. The Spy Video Game Rendezvous (SVGR) - a Steam festival and Direct for spy video games, taking place in May around Memorial Day


Criteria for games to be included:
  • Does the player feel like a spy or secret agent by playing this game?
  • Does the game involve espionage and/or subterfuge?
  • Does the main character work for a clandestine agency?

If any of the above apply, then the game may be a good fit for the theme.  Games that involve sneaking but not espionage may not be a good fit.  It is completely fine for games to be serious, humorous, or a mix of the two.  The festival is open to released games as well as to upcoming games.

The selection of games be will finalized in February, a few months in advance of the festival in May.

If your game(s) sound like a good fit for this theme, please fill out this form to submit for the Spy Video Game Rendezvous Steam festival: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0kfDep_i4r4lp73yOb6EPRXemnCdp_GinF8614IMatAbc6w/viewform





3. The Let Freedom Ring Jubilee (LFRJ) - a Steam festival and Direct for games about history and freedom, with the first edition taking place in July 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence back in 1776


Criteria for games to be included:
  • Is the game about the USA?
  • Is the game about history? Preferably American history
  • Does the game teach the player about history or are key events from history involved?
  • Is the game about fighting for freedom (either in the US or elsewhere)?
  • Is the game about indigenous peoples or refugees?
  • Does the game take place in Ancient Greece (the birthplace of democracy)?
  • Alternatively, is the game about baseball (America's pastime)?

If any of the above apply, then the game may be a good fit for the theme.  In addition, games about indigenous peoples or refugees in any part of the world (USA or elsewhere) are encouraged to apply, as are games about other fights for freedom besides the American Revolution (e.g. games about Mahatma Gandhi, the French Revolution, etc.)

Games may not be a good fit if:
  • The game takes place within the past twenty-five years (e.g. if you have a war game containing fighter jets, then the setting is probably too modern for this festival)
  • The game is about alternate history (e.g. the Cold War goes hot)
  • The game takes place in the past but does not touch on historically important events of the era (e.g. a game doesn't qualify as being about American history just because the story is set in 1980's USA)
  • The game's focus is on conquering others rather than on fighting for freedom
  • The game takes place during a war involving the USA, but you either play against the USA (e.g. a game about controlling a German submarine in World War 2) or the USA is not involved in the game at all (e.g. a game set in World War 2 depicting the Eastern front battle between Germany and Russia)
  • The game involves many sports besides just baseball

The festival is open to released games as well as to upcoming games.

Submissions are due by July 31, 2025 to gather initial interest before bringing this concept to Valve for approval.  If you signal interest by the end of July and are accepted, you can expect to hear back by September 30.  The form will remain open until the selection of games is finalized around April 2026, a few months in advance of the festival in July 2026.  Due to an anticipated high volume of submissions, emails will likely only be sent to accepted games.

If your game(s) sound like a good fit for this theme, please fill out this form to submit for the Let Freedom Ring Jubilee Steam festival: https://forms.gle/k7cPE2oBK6LcfnTd8