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Ashfield Hollow is marking Steam Next Fest with a free demo challenge: start a new game on the fixed Hardcore Survival preset, leave Permadeath enabled, survive all 50 in-game days, and submit a screenshot of your final scorecard by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 26, 2026. The four eligible players with the highest zombie-kill totals receive $25 Steam Gift Cards.
How to enter the Hardcore Survival Challenge
- Install the free Ashfield Hollow demo on Steam.
- Start a new demo game.
- Select the Hardcore Survival sandbox preset.
- Keep Permadeath enabled and do not alter any preset settings.
- Survive all 50 in-game days without dying.
- Capture a screenshot of the completed final scorecard.
- Submit that scorecard through the event form no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on October 26, 2026.
The event ends with Steam Next Fest on October 26. The announced prizes go to the four surviving entrants with the highest zombie-kill totals, with each winner receiving a $25 Steam Gift Card.
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What the challenge rules mean in practice
| Requirement | What you must do |
|---|---|
| Game mode | Use the Hardcore Survival sandbox preset. |
| Save rules | Leave Permadeath enabled; dying disqualifies the run. |
| Settings | Make no changes to the preset settings. |
| Objective | Reach the end of all 50 in-game days. |
| Proof | Submit a screenshot of the final scorecard through the event form. |
| Deadline | 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, October 26, 2026. |
| Prize ranking | The four highest zombie-kill totals among players who complete the run win $25 Steam Gift Cards. |
Because the preset must remain unchanged and Permadeath is mandatory, this is not a customizable difficulty run. Plan around a single life, and keep the final scorecard visible and readable when you take the required screenshot.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow long is the Ashfield Hollow demo?
The demo covers 50 in-game days and is described as roughly 10 hours of gameplay on default settings. The stated playtime is an approximate figure for default settings, not a guaranteed completion time for every player or for the Hardcore Survival preset. Progress carries into the full game, so the challenge run can also serve as an opening save for players who continue when the full release arrives.
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What kind of game is Ashfield Hollow?
BitQuest Studio describes Ashfield Hollow as a 2D post-apocalyptic survival life-sim RPG. Ten years after an outbreak, the player wakes at Camp Ashfield with no memory and must establish a life in a damaged world. Its systems combine survival pressure and real-time combat with the slower routines normally associated with a life sim.
| System | What the official descriptions establish |
|---|---|
| Combat | Real-time fighting against infected enemies and hostile survivors. |
| Survival and resources | Scavenging, foraging, fishing, farming and crafting. |
| Living systems | Raising animals, building a home and forming relationships with camp residents. |
| Exploration | Forests, abandoned towns, ruined buildings and dangerous sewers. |
| Setting | A post-outbreak world centered on Camp Ashfield, a decade after the outbreak. |
The official Steam community description summarizes the intended blend as: “Build a life in the ruins. Ashfield Hollow combines deep survival, real-time combat, farming, crafting, and fishing in a post-apocalyptic world that nearly didn’t make it.”
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Platforms and access
- The challenge uses the free demo on Steam.
- The demo supports keyboard and mouse, controller and Steam Deck.
- The full game remains in development.
The demo is therefore the available way to play Ashfield Hollow during Steam Next Fest. The developer’s official site directs visitors to the Steam page, Discord, trailer and press kit for ongoing updates.
How to approach a one-life, 50-day run
Prioritize reliable supplies
Farming, fishing, foraging and scavenging are all part of the documented core loop. Treat those activities as ways to stabilize food and materials before taking unnecessary risks in combat or exploration.
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Choose fights deliberately
The score ranking rewards zombie kills, but the challenge is first decided by survival. Hostile survivors and infected both threaten the run, so chasing a higher kill total is only useful while it does not compromise the 50-day objective.
Build for sustainability
Crafting and base building are not separate side activities: they support the home and resource routines needed to keep a character alive over a long run. Relationships with Camp Ashfield residents are another documented part of progression, alongside raising animals.
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Explore with an exit plan
Forests, abandoned towns, ruined buildings and sewers are listed exploration locations, with the sewers specifically described as dangerous. Enter unfamiliar areas with enough supplies to return safely rather than treating every trip as a kill-count opportunity.
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Ashfield Hollow’s full release is still in development. The available official information confirms the survival, combat, farming, fishing, crafting, animal-raising, relationship, base-building and exploration pillars, but it does not provide a formal comparison benchmark against other survival games or a final release date. The 50-day and approximately 10-hour figures apply to the demo description, while the four $25 gift cards and October 26 deadline apply specifically to this challenge.
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