2026 sure is one of the years of all time for video games. Plenty of not great things are happening between layoffs, studio closures, and even the end of physical discs being announced. At the same time, the impending arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI is driving those who are still in the industry to release some real bangers in the year. As such, there’s plenty of candidates for the best games of 2026 so far.
Games are starting to find new ways to thrive
As we put together this list, it becomes clear that in spite of the hurdles that the business of games, those making them are still working towards a future. The Early Access release method has matured and evolved past the days where scammers would sell people a barebones pile of assets and never update it. This method allows developers to secure necessary funding directly while also soliciting and leveraging player feedback away from focus testing.
Meanwhile, other games are choosing to break more from the traditionally believed wisdom of graphical quality being the selling point of games. Even games that didn’t make this list like Meccha Chameleon are embracing distinctive aesthetics and specific experiences, to the point of even being intentionally janky.
It can be difficult to look away from many of the struggles the industry is facing. But focusing only on those things risks forgetting why they matter at all. So, for a moment at least, let’s look at the best games of 2026 so far and celebrate the medium’s resilience.
007 First Light
The character of James Bond is no stranger to video games, but 007 First Light is something new and unique. The creators of the Hitman games, IO Interactive took what they learned from those games and created a truly entertaining and cinematic entry in the 007 mythology. The game follows a young James Bond in his training to become the 007 agent we all know him to be.
With a mix of stealth, weapons, some new Q gadgets, hand-to-hand combat – which is honestly most of the gameplay – and very exciting action set pieces, this game feels more like you’re watching a very well put together Bond film that occasionally asks you to take the wheel and feel what it’s like to be the most badass spy ever. While a new Bond actor has yet to be chosen for future films, I wouldn’t be surprised if Patrick Gibson gets a shot at the role after his solid performance in this game. [Tyler Carlson]
007 First Light is available on PS5, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store.
Alabaster Dawn
It is very rare for the first iteration of an early access title to play like a final product. That’s exactly the case for Radical Fish Games’ Alabaster Dawn. The CrossCode makers iterate on their vibrant pixel design and pair it with the mechanics and atmosphere of a fantasy action RPG. There’s quite a few elements from familiar games in the genre, but Radical Fish very clearly understands the fundamentals in order to make these ideas their own.
Equally promising is the thoughtful long term view being taken in regards to early access in general. Radical Fish is planning on an extended period with reasonably flexible milestones that set expectations for both those that want to see every step of the mechanical evolution of Alabaster Dawn versus those mostly interested in storytelling. That story does have an interesting mystery at its center that creates a reason to come back as that mystery is explored. This is one whose development will be worth keeping an eye on. [Travis Hymas]
Alabaster Dawn is available on Steam Early Access.
Deltarune Chapter 5
Every single update to Deltarune has been a delight, and Chapter 5 may be the most delightful in the literal sense. As the kick off to the second half the narrative, Chapter 5 hedges the closest the game has gotten yet to its predecessor, Undertale. Thankfully, that’s also where the chapter radically pivots in a way that Undertale could never.
Part of the joy of each chapter is discovering what strange new way Deltarune will zig instead of zag. Getting each in the form of individual chapters improves the experience of each one. The genre bends and twists that Undertale could never do – because Toby Fox needed a team – is what truly makes Deltarune something special in its own right. Chapter 5’s mechanical shift in particular stands out as a short but sweet love letter to another classic game genre that Fox previously hasn’t had a chance to pen until now. [Travis Hymas]
Deltarune is available on PS4/5, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, and Steam.
Don’t Stop, Girlypop!
Just one look at Don’t Stop Girlypop!, from Funny Fintan Softworks, should provide a clear enough idea of what kind of unique experience it is. A Y2K-inspired bubblegum-hued boomer shooter with inspiration from Doom and Ultrakill is a special kind of blend that certainly won’t be for everyone. The lo-fi textures and somewhat janky movement mechanics can definitely be an acquired taste. But at the core of Girlypop is a game that understands the fundamentals.
Don’t Stop Girlypop! incentivizes speed and hyper mobility by throwing walls of enemies and projectiles at the player. Maintaining momentum is critical because one missed jump can mean bad results. It would be easy to dismiss this game as just another boomer shooter; but between the sticky pink visuals and classic pop soundscapes is a beautiful narrative being told about resistance, community, and the necessity of the disenfranchised to take power back. Take a chance on this one and let the magic wash over you. [Mark Wesley]
Don’t Stop, Girlypop! is available on Steam.
Far Far West
A western first person shooter that takes inspiration from games like Deep Rock Galactic seems like a no-brainer. But the real experience is better than perhaps even the biggest skeptics could anticipate. Even in its early access state, Far Far West‘s core gameplay loop is solid and rewards repeat playthroughs to find all of the secrets hidden throughout the various worlds. Those worlds themselves are sprawling, dense spaces with plenty of peaks and valleys to explore with your friends.
There’s nothing quite like riding your horse around these environments at incredibly high speeds, going from objective to objective. The spell-slinging and gun-wielding hybrid gameplay feels amazing. It shines in particular in the heat of a more tense battle and those happen very frequently even at the medium difficulty levels. And it’s even possible to mix certain spells together to create even more chaos during runs. Call it friendslop, call it whatever you want, Far Far West is the best kind of party game. [Mark Wesley]
Far Far West is available on Steam Early Access.
Marathon
Marathon is not just an extraction shooter or even just a good one. Marathon is a vibe, one that Bungie commits so much to that it’s deserving of respect just for that. From its first frame, Marathon blasts the player with vibrant color, difficult to parse footage, and a sci-fi mystery that piecing together is going to require a lot of work. Then, it plops the player into a rented robot body and sets players to work doing exactly that. Each run opens up more missions which opens more contracts, naturally building out the new take on Bungie’s original IP in some of the coolest shots they could every muster.
Those runs down to Tau Ceti IV don’t just move the story and world building forward. Runs tell real time stories. A Runner could encounter enemy NPCs or other players at any moment and thanks to proximity chat and thoughtful map design, how those encounters play out can radically change from moment to moment. All these factors make it very easy to enter into a Marathon flow state: where only one’s thoughts are of doing whatever it takes to play more Marathon. [Travis Hymas]
Marathon is available on PS5, Xbox, and Steam.
Mario Tennis Fever
If there’s one thing you can count on besides death and taxes, it’s Nintendo always making new Mario sports games. This year, we get Mario Tennis Fever, which takes the classic Mario Tennis game mechanics and adds the new element of rackets with special abilities that can cause advantages in each match. Some cause ice to form on the court that can slip your opponent, some cause lightning and fire, and some cause black holes and ghosts; because why not.
These rackets add a fun element to each match and of you use them strategically, it can mean almost certain victory. Along with the usual roster of fan favorite characters and the Nintendo Switch 2’s gorgeous visuals and smooth gameplay, this is my favorite Mario sports game in recent years. [Tyler Carlson]
Mario Tennis Fever is available on Nintendo Switch 2.
Mina the Hollower
Mina the Hollower, this year’s best Metroidvania and Yacht Club Games’ first original IP since the smash hit Shovel Knight, makes no effort towards hiding its influences. Opening with a direct homage to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (both in story and aesthetic), Mina quickly establishes herself as a protagonist with personality and talent, embarking on a quest to restore power to the island that ends up being more nuanced and complicated than it originally lets on.
Featuring a robust RPG system with unique and upgradable weapons, each of which satisfy wildly different play styles, Mina the Hollower is addictive and challenging. The game also shines finest in its platforming sections through the ingenious use of the Hollowing mechanic in which Mina burrows underground for a few moments and pops out with a boosted jump, a feature that each biome plays with in drastically different ways. With its narrative surrealism and quirky cast of NPCs, its variety of traversal tools and a map with tons of clever shortcuts, Mina the Hollower is both a homage to one of gaming’s most popular genres and specifically a love letter to Zelda’s beloved Game Boy era. [Quinn Parulis]
Mina the Hollower is available on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam, GOG, and Humble.
Perfect Tides: Station to Station
Perhaps to some, the sequel to Meredith Gran’s 2022 Perfect Tides is unassuming in its presentation. But to judge this book by its cover would be a grave error. The beauty of a game like Perfect Tides: Station to Station lies within its general themes and immersive character moments. It’s a story of always chasing and never finding. The continuous search for one’s identity in an ever changing landscape, both digitally and physically, plays an incredibly important role in this game’s narrative.
Creator Meredith Gran captures the essence of youthful discovery and of the importance of a specific period of a young person’s life where their ideas are gestating. Seeing Mara’s development as a creative form through the player’s own curiosity and conversations with others feels very akin to how we weave our lived experiences into our art. It is, in many ways, a story about people and the individuals who shape us as we grow into ourselves. [Mark Welsey]
Perfect Tides: Station to Station is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and itch.
Pragmata
Capcom’s victory lap doesn’t seem show any signs of slowing down. After massively successful sequel releases such as Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil: Requiem, Pragmata is an entirely original IP. New IP is risky bet in 2026 and, despite their wins, could be a tough sell. Despite that, the game delivers on all fronts. Pragamata plays like a game from a bygone era. The design harkens back to a window of time right around the Xbox 360 period where single player games weren’t afraid to get weird and experiment.
In Pragmata, a third person shooter wrapping comes one of the most addicting combat mechanics ever put in this genre. Combat in Pragmata is centered around Diana’s hacking matrix and when you open the enemies up through a successful hack, the window opens for Hugh to lay down some firepower. It’s in this relationship between Hugh and Diana that Pragmata really shines. Hugh’s everyman personality fits wonderfully with Diana’s desire to learn about humans and their quirks. Through combat, exploration, and conversations, their bond strengthens and the result is one of the most enthralling games of the year and an instant classic in Capcom’s already stellar catalog. [Mark Wesley]
Pragmata is available on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.
Ribbit
One of the best games of 2026 can’t be found on a console or Steam. Instead it’s a simple word game found on the crossword puzzles website Puzzmo. Ribbit is a simple idea: You are given a grid of connected letters and you need to find all the words that you can make with those connections. Many of them are just four letters long, but other longer words are hidden in the puzzle too.
The goal is to find them all, and as each letter is exhausted, a frog is uncovered. Find all the words and all the frogs and you might be able to unlock a secret game with those frogs. It’s a simple idea that can run on basically anything with a screen and access to the internet, but it’s one that Puzzmo executes fantastically. Like their crossword, and games like Circuits, Flipart, and Typeshift, it’s become a daily part of my morning clearing out words like QUIZ or CUING to find all the froggies on the board. [Ryan Gibbs]
Ribbit is available on the web via Puzzmo.
Slay the Spire II
Slay the Spire II is one of those sequels that is “just more of the first game, please.” And that works just fine with a game cycle as well refined as the original game. What the sequel adds is two new characters with different play styles with playstyles that feel like genuine new twists to the formula. The Regent attacks using Stars, a resource that works differently from the usual energy, and Sovereign Blade, a unique attack that can be built upon with Forge cards. The Necrobinder’s deck revolves around her familiar Osty, who acts as a second party member with cards in the deck that can build up its separate attacks, and Doom a mechanic similar to the Silent’s poison.
The three returning characters from the original game have a mix of new and old cards, providing a fresh playthrough with the Ironclad, Silent, and Defect. Slay the Spire II is still in early access, and there’s been lots of changes to the play since it was launched in March. So far, however, STS II has been just as much of a time sink as the original. The new paths, settings, monsters, and bosses mean that veteran players can’t rest on their laurels with a deck they’re used to from the first game. As the sequel to the game that kicked off the roguelike deckbuilder trend, Slay the Spire II has a lot to live up to, and so far, it’s succeeding. [Ryan Gibbs]
Slay the Spire II is available on Steam Early Access.
Titanium Court
Very few kinds of games are as enjoyable as the kind that resists description. Titanium Court is one such game. It’s possible to define what kind of games Titanium Court is taking after: it has block matching gameplay mixing with rougelike mechanics. But that doesn’t remotely do justice to what actually playing Titanium Court is. A traditional instinct would be to match as many blocks as possible, but that doesn’t help the court as much as one would think. In fact, often what sets Titanium Court apart is how it teaches the player what not to do.
The strange anti-gameplay pairs with some truly absurd characters and events, many of which would come off as ad-lib if this were any other medium. There’s a level of chaos to the story that Titanium Court tells that obfuscates just how straightforward it is. Instead of handing players resources and abilities and leaving them to piece their use together, Titanium Court ensures that at no point is a player loses their way by not just explaining what something does, but why it matters to the gameplay. That way, it can focus on confusing in more funny ways, like encountering lessons in self-offence.
Titanium Court is available on Steam and GOG.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
The era of the Nintendo Switch (and now the Nintendo Switch 2) is one in which Nintendo can give a lot of their most niche IP a second wind. Tomodachi Life is one such franchise in their library of quirky properties that maintains cult status amongst the fans of weird Nintendo games. For its return in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Nintendo compromised to retain the freedom players enjoy in the series. A large caveat is that the game locks out the ability to share screenshots and videos of the game off of a local console storage without extreme measures. That means that the capability for this game to catch like wildfire across social media was significantly shot in the foot.
Despite this, the fanbase has endures via a myriad of custom websites, forums and item creation innovation. It’s admirable and recalls the early days of solving feats of creativity on the old internet as I watch people produce miraculously designed or even lifelike art on Miis and items across the world. It also helps that Living the Dream is outrageously funny; although your mileage may vary depending on your ability to spontaneously muster your own sense of humor to impart onto your Miis. The relationship system a few months in has promising variety. Anyway, I’m going to go check and make sure Dragonball’s Krillin isn’t undermining his marriage with Samus Aran and that Piccolo’s confession to Nico Robin doesn’t go so poorly she burns down Ringo Star’s house. [Evan Griffin]
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is available on Nintendo Switch 2.
Vital Shell
In a long line of Vampire Survivors inspired survivatons, Vital Shell stands out thanks to its incredible concept: mechs and art design evoking the Sega Dreamcast. An admittedly simple pitch, sure, but the execution of this premise is so well done that its directness is a boon rather than a mark against it. Vital Shell‘s nostalgic visual style lends itself well with this type of bullet heaven title with each mech and enemy looking distinctly unique and interesting.
Not to mention the music, which features incredible drum & bass and jungle artists like Pizza Hotline and LOMAJI. When in the thick of battle, the actual piloting of each mech is consistently engaging. Movement feels smooth and there’s a finger dance of sorts when maneuvering through walls of oncoming enemies. Also present is a huge variety of abilities and passives that each one carries into battle. Interested in an elemental damage build with a focus on crit chance and increased weapon potency? Or perhaps a block build focused on dashing into enemies and absorbing hits while putting upgrades into movement speed? It’s all doable and seeing how your mech progresses into this wall of bullets, bombs, and rockets never gets old. [Mark Wesley]
Vital Shell is available on Steam.
