The 93 most exciting games of 2026

The new year is upon us! Actually it's been upon us for a couple weeks now, but listen: this is a very long list, so you'll understand if it took us a little while to pull together.

In what is now approaching an honest-to-goodness tradition, below we've put together our list of the many games we're most excited about for the year ahead. This, of course, isn't a comprehensive list of releases by design - for that we've got a dedicated 2026 video game release schedule, assembled by our ever-dilligent guides team - but instead our curated selection of games we either expect or hope to be worth a proper look. (And yes, so many games come out each year now that a list of 80+ still counts as curated).

Naturally, we're bound to miss some and be happily surprised by plenty more as the year develops, and so if you've spotted a gem of your own that didn't make the cut, we'd love to hear it as ever. Otherwise, here's to another year of wonderful video games.

We've ordered the below chronologically in terms of release date, with a separate section at the end for the (many) as yet undated games due some time in 2026. Enjoy!

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Hytale

Image credit: Hypixel Studios

• Release date: 13th January (Early Access)
• Platforms: PC

Hytale was first announced way back in 2015 as a hugely ambitious-looking spin-off from Minecraft, made by the co-founders of Hypixel, some of Minecraft's own most dedicated in-game creators. After a decade of development hell with the once-backing of Riot Games, expect a rough-around-the-edges - but very exciting - fresh start. - Chris T

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition

Image credit: Eurogamer/Nintendo

• Release date: 15th January, 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2

Years after the last major update, our patience has finally been rewarded. Cram up to 12 players into one session, yell out a Villager's name through the Megaphone Tool to locate them and enjoy an increased resolution as well as new mouse controls perfect for Custom Designs, all alongside extra free content - a nice way to kick off 2026! - Marie P

Highguard

Image credit: Wildlight Entertainment

• Release date: 26th January
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Huge Overwatch vibes from this one. A "raid shooter" made lots of former Apex Legends people. Colourful, slick, punchy - the action looks great. Is it a kind of MOBA? I'm not sure. Is it a hero shooter? I'm not sure. But I am certain it'll be worth a look. -Bertie

Cairn

Image credit: The Game Bakers

• Release date: 29th January
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

The developers of the rather lovely Furi and Haven are behind this one, a mountain climbing simulator-slash-survival game. A pure concept with some unexpected beauty, seemingly quite hardcore challenge, and above all gangly limb physics that look just delightfully awkward. Baby Steps, watch out. - Chris T

2XKO

Image credit: Riot Games

• Release date: 20th January
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

After a stint in early access on the PC, Riot Game's fighting game is finally getting properly released. With an innovative 2v2 tag system, expertly constructed online infrastructure and features, and beloved characters brought lovingly from League of Legends… It's one all fighting game fans must play. - Connor M

TR-49

Image credit: Inkle

• Release date: 21st January
• Platforms: PC, iOS

Anything Inkle is worth getting excited about, and I'm doubly excited for this World War 2-era codebreaking game because it's unusual and it reminds me a lot of Sam Barlow's Her Story, in how it's an elaborate keyword-searching mystery. That game was great. Will this be? - Bertie P

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined

Image credit: Square Enix

• Release date: 5th February
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Dragon Quest 7 has always been considered something of a masterpiece by fans of the genre and series, but it is also doubtless a game with a complicated ownership of that title. That which makes it special - a unique episodic structure that sees the narrative play out through a series of enclosed vignettes rather than the usual overarching world-saving - is also something of a weakness. To be blunt, the original game is paced like molasses, and no matter how good it is, there's almost certainly too much of it.

In stems Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined. The reimagining is largely to the game's structure - where developers have been brave enough to take a scalpel to a classic in order to try to excise some of the bloat and give a classic some brevity instead. It's a delicate operation to perform, but if they succeed this could be something really special. - Alex D

Nioh 3

Image credit: KOEI Tecmo

• Release date: 6th February
• Platforms: PS5, PC

I played Nioh 3 towards the end of last year, and I've not really been able to stop thinking about it since. All the hardcore action-RPG bells and whistles of the first two games, compounded by a solid 'open field' design philosophy, a dual set of loadouts (samurai and ninja) and more enemy variety? It's everything a Team Ninja sicko like me could ask for. I just hope you've got the patience to spend as much time menuing as you do in combat. - Dom P

Mewgenics

Image credit: Edmund McMillan / Tyler Glaiel

• Release date: 10th February
• Platforms: PC

The duo of Edmund Mcmillen and Tyler Glaiel are bringing out a freakishly fun turn-based RPG with Mewgenics. Collect, breed, and clash with a host of nasty cats in a game lathered with crude humour that ties a stinky bow around the whole package. A deep delve for true cat lovers - Connor M

Romeo Is A Dead Man

Image credit: Grasshopper Manufacture

• Release date: 11th February
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5

Grasshopper Manufacture has built a reputation for bold, bright, and bombastic action games and Romeo is a Dead Man looks no different. Gory and narratively ridiculous, Romeo looks to be a must play for those out there looking for something truly fresh in 2026 - Connor M

Mario Tennis Fever

Image credit: Nintendo

• Release date: 12th February
• Platforms: Switch 2

While obviously I would like Camelot to be let out of the Sports mines to make a Golden Sun again, I do admit I always eagerly await their Mario Sports offerings. I felt 2018's Mario Tennis Aces was pretty sound, and it does appear that Fever is simply going to build on that game in smart ways, offering up more characters and options than any Mario Tennis title before. I really hope the Adventure Mode is RPG-like, and channels the all-time-great Mario Tennis Game Boy Color story mode. - Alex D

Reanimal

Image credit: Tarsier Studios/THQ Nordic

• Release date: 13th February
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Reanimal is being brought to us by the original developers of Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2, promising us yet another eerie co-op adventure that follows two siblings as they face real horrors in an attempt to be reunited with their friends.

Despite the initial dark impressions you'll no doubt get from Reanimal's trailer, Tarsier Studios' prior Little Nightmares games - which look undeniably similar to Reanimal - also possess a lot of charm throughout them, mainly via their characters and their interactions with the beautiful but haunting worlds they find themselves in. This is one world I really can't wait to immerse myself in, especially after the sore disappointment that was Little Nightmares 3 (which I must mention was developed by Supermassive Games, rather than Tarsier Studios). - Kelsey R

Styx: Blades of Greed

Image credit: Nacon

• Release date: 19th February
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles

What do you get when you cross a grumpy git of a goblin with stealthy infiltration? Styx: Blades of Greed, that's what. Blades of Greed is the the next entry in Cyanide Studio's Styx series, and takes place after the events of Shards of Darkness (though the developer has said you won't need to have played any of the previous entries to still enjoy the upcoming release). I know I won't be any good at this game, I have never been the best at 'subtle', but dammit I am going to give it a bash anyway. It looks like a hoot! - Victoria PK

Tides of Tomorrow

Image credit: THQ Nordic

• Release date: 24th February
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

A fluorescent post-apocalyptic water world action adventure with a startlingly novel twist: multiplayer ghosts that affect your world. Exactly how they work is unclear, but following other people's progress has the ability to change your game. Looks good, sounds interesting, and has pedigree from the studio that made narrative adventure Road 96. - Bertie P

Laysara: Summit Kingdom

Image credit: Future Friends, Quite OK Games

• Release date: 27th February
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Switch

Look at this gloriously intricate city-builder coming out of Early Access this year. It's from Quite OK Games (back yourselves folks!), a new indie studio, and published by Future Friends, who we reckon have more than Quite OK Taste (they also handled Exo One, Europa, Clover Pit and Summerhouse). Looks smack bang in the taxing-yet-relaxing sweet spot of management sims. - Chris T

Resident Evil 9 Requiem

Image credit: Capcom

• Release date: 27th February
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

Having bounced off Village having got just a couple of hours in around launch, I went back to it early last year and had a brilliant time. I also really enjoyed the Resident Evil 4 remake, even if it couldn't possibly have the same impact the original did way back in 2005. Add in the brilliant Resident Evil 7, the wonderful Resident Evil 2 and the perfectly decent Resident Evil 3 remakes, and Resi fans have been eating well for a long time. Leon being in Requiem has raised my anticipation level quite dramatically, and I can't wait to go back to Raccoon City. - Tom O

The Legend of Khiimori

Image credit: Mindscape

• Release date:
• Platforms:

The rule goes that every year must now have a semi-viral Horse Game. Last year we even got two - what a treat! - and this year we're declaring it to be The Legend of Khiimori, a game where you play as a 13th century Mongolian courier. Its mix of horse-management depth and the subtle beauty of a real place and moment in history looks to be a winner. - Chris T

Pokémon Pokopia

Image credit: Nintendo

• Release date: 5th March
• Platform: Switch 2

What happens when you bake Animal Crossing and Pokémon together? Well you get Pokémon Pokopia of course, with a side helping of 'that Ditto child certainly looks creepy'. We haven't had a properly strange Pokémon spin-off title in a while, but thankfully Pokopia looks like it will be filling that void just in time for Pokémon's 30th anniversary. - Lottie L

Fatal Frame 2 Remake

• Release date: 12th March 2026
• Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Survival horror series Fatal Frame (AKA Project Zero in Europe) has had a bit of a resurgence in recent years, thanks to remasters of 2008’s Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and 2014’s Maiden of Black Water. And while they’re entertaining enough entries, neither comes close to matching the impressive chills of 2003’s acclaimed Fatal Frame 2: The Crimson Butterfly. Tracking two twins as they become lost in an abandoned village where vengeful spirits roam, it's a phenomenal slice of survival horror, and a whole new generation of fans will finally get a chance to experience its masterful camera-snapping frights, courtesy of a full-scale remake arriving in March. The original’s an absolute classic, so here’s hoping the remake can do it justice - and perhaps even usher in a proper series revival - Matt

Monster Hunter Stories 3

Image credit: Capcom

• Release date: 13th March 2026
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

I'm not the biggest fan of the Monster Hunter Stories series in general, however everything I've seen from the third entry in Capcom's spin-off RPG so far fills me with optimism. It looks a little more series, a sidestep away from some of the daft churn that defined the previous titles. It also introduces some darker themes, bigger monsters, and (it seems) more interesting mechanics than some of the arbitrary battle ideas that beefed out the previous two games. Capcom is on a roll at the moment, and I trust it with this. - Dom P

Coffee Talk: Tokyo

Image credit: Chorus Worldwide

• Release date: 5th March
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Coffee Talk Tokyo is the third installment in the visual novel series where you brew drinks while helping supernatural beings solve their problems. As the title reveals, this game has switched the previous Seattle setting for Tokyo - a change that will bring a host of characters inspired by Japanese folklore and mythology, such as kitsune and kappa, to your little coffee shop. - Lottie L

Replaced

Image credit: Thunderful

• Release date: 12th March
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S

After a number of delays, 2.5D retro-futuristic sci-fi platformer Replaced is now only a couple of months away from release, and oooh I am excited. Set in an alternative version of the 1980s, Replaced has all the trappings you would expect from the cyberpunk genre. A dystopian neon-lit setting? Check. A corrupt corporation? Check? Flying cars? You betcha! Developer Sad Cat has promised a blend of "cinematic exploration with fluid, free-flow action" on the game's release, which all sounds delicious. This is definitely one to keep an eye out for. - Victoria PK

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando

Image credit: Focus Entertainment

• Release date: 12th March, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

It may be John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, but it can also be yours in March if you like the sound of a bloodsoaked mis-mash of Left 4 Dead style zombie horde action and Spintire's mud-mushing driving mechanics. Toxic Commando is an unashamed, turn your brain off co-op shooter where up to four players enter small, swampy, sandbox maps to shoot, drive and explode hundreds of onscreen mutants into glorious fountains of body bits. The story may be comic book nonsense but the gameplay is solid, thrilling and it will absolutely cause loads of arguments between you and your friends as they drive off into the distance while you're left alone and surrounded by a mosh-pit's worth of sludge infected shamblers. - Ian H

Solasta 2

Image credit: Eurogamer / Tactical Adventures

• Release date: 12th March (early access)
• Platforms: PC

All the Solasta 2 comparisons are to Baldur's Gate 3, and it doesn't take long to see why. It's a faithful fantasy Dungeons & Dragons game presented from an isometric kind of view. But this is not a copycat. Solasta 1 was well regarded in 2021, so there's a very solid foundation, and Solasta 2 ups the ambition with a new engine and a voice cast including Ben Starr, and Devora Wilde and Amelia Tyler from Baldur's Gate 3. It's also one of the first D&D games to use the recently revised ruleset. This is an early access release so it's only a beginning, but this is one to watch. - Bertie P

Crimson Desert

Image credit: Pearl Abyss

• Release date: 19th March
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Reading the name might still make me think of red velvet cake before a video game (maybe a black forest gateaux?), but Crimson Desert looks set to make a big old splash when it finally lands next year. It's an open-world fantasy-medieval RPG with a dashing-if-generic protagonist called Kliff, and it has capital-G Graphics in abundance. It's bound to do well, and we're very keen to find out what new twists, if any, Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss might bring with it. - Chris T

Mouse: P.I. For Hire

Image credit: Fumi Games

• Release date: 19th March
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

A Geoff Keighley showcase favourite, Mouse: PI's distinctive definitely-not-Mickey classic cartoon style - mixed in with actual 3D spaces - is an immediate eye-catcher. It's also, despite the name, a first-person shooter rather than a detective point-and-click, I really hope I'm not the only one to have first assumed it to be. In motion it's strangely unncanny. Hopefully it turns out this mouse is the cat's meow, see! - Chris T

Screamer

Image credit: Milestone S.R.L.

• Release date: 26th March
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Look, I am not overly sold on this being great, but it's a new arcade racer from a series I loved way back when 3D graphics were taking off. The original is a proper PC classic that only real ones remember. New Screamer, with anime-stylings and a story centred on a big racing tournament, isn't really old Screamer in anything but name, but it does have a control/power-up system that might give it an edge. It's broadly similar to how the underappreciated Inertia Drift placed drift on the right stick, but also includes mechanics tied to gear changes, boosts, shields, and powerful attack barges. OK, this sounds great - I'm more in than I thought! - Tom O

007 First Light

Image credit: IO

• Release date: 27th May
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox ROG Ally X, Xbox ROG Ally and Nintendo Switch 2

007 First Light, coming from Hitman developer IO Interactive, is an origin story for James Bond, popping us into the shoes of an inexperienced and somewhat reckless MI6 agent. As you would expect from IO, the game promises some spectacularly opulent settings, along with gun fights, car chases, and - of course - gadgets. Soon, it'll be time to dust off your DJ, ready your Aston, and head to the nearest casino for a shaken martini (or two). - Victoria PK

Marathon

Image credit: Bungie

• Release date: March
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

OK, hear me out. Yes, the development of this game has been cursed. Yes, Bungie is a shadow of its former self. But with all the attention Arc Raiders has garnered since its barn-storming release last year, it looks like the extraction shooter genre has finally barged its way into the mainstream, and people may actually be willing to give this one a chance. Bungie has been, traditionally, best-in-class when it comes to gunplay and production value, so maybe - just maybe - Marathon can shake off its horrid pre-launch legacy and really make a splash in 2026. - Dom P

Slay the Spire 2

Image credit: Mega Crit

• Release date: An as yet unspecified Thursday in March (Early Access)
• Platforms: PC

The roguelike deck-building card game that birthed a genre. Slay the Spire 2 isn't going to reinvent the wheel but present a very similar experience with more variation. Presentationally, it's also been spruced up a bit, and there are major new features such as alternate acts to mix-up runs. Details are thin but the expectation is huge. - Bertie P

Mistfall Hunter

Image credit: Skystone Games

• Release date: March 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S

You've heard of extraction shooters (hopefully), but how about extraction RPGs? The latest to come for the sort-of-new trend is Mistfall Hunter, a PvPvE dark fantasy job where you do action RPG things against other people and some gnarly eldritch monsters. There's potential - can it come together? - Chris T

Planet of Lana 2

Image credit: Wishfully Studios

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch

Lana and Mui are returning later this year, in Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf, where players will once again be plopped into the series' picturesque 2D world. On its release, developer Wishfully promises another profound sci-fi story, but this time with more challenging puzzles to solve along with a deeper narrative to unravel. Planet of Lana 2 will also feature refined stealth mechanics, new underwater sections, and fresh abilities for Lana's sidekick Mui. Planet of Lana 2 essentially hopes to take everything that was praised on the original's release, and make it even better. - Victoria PK

1348 Ex Voto

Image credit: Dear Villagers

• Release date: Early 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Strong Plague Tale and Kingdom Come overtones here. A historical action adventure based in Italy that follows a wandering knight who's on a quest to save someone who means a great deal to her. I'm particularly excited to explore a time and place I haven't before, and to see it from a female point of view. Co-stars Jennifer English. Another potential success from leftfield? - Bertie P

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Image credit: Nintendo

• Release date: Spring 2026
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch/Switch 2

The original Tomodachi Life is a Nintendo 3DS game that has you managing your own island of Miis, and despite its simple nature, it possessed many hilarious and outright bizarre interactions which made it as beloved as it was, and still is. I was one of many who always hoped for a sequel or remaster of this game but after years of waiting, frankly never thought it would happen, yet here we are!

Once again, it looks like Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will follow the same suit as its predecessor: you get to play God with an island of Miis, and will help shape their lives, looks, and relationships however you see fit. Even if Living the Dream brings nothing particularly new to the table, I am excited to ride the nostalgia train more than anything here (and play it on Switch 2 rather than my 3DS no less), but I do also hope same-sex relationships will finally be present in-game. - Kelsey R

Tankrat

Image credit: Kepler Interactive

• Release date: Spring 2026
• Platforms: Steam, Epic, and PlayStation 5

If it feels like you've played Tankrat before, it's probably because you have! Tankrat is a revamped and evolved version of Tankhead, an Epic exclusive game which launched at the end of 2024. Tankrat features epic tank on tank action across a variety of post-apocalyptic maps and it has a rather unique twist to accompany its mecha-Ghibli visuals - any tank you destroy can be salvaged for parts which can then be placed directly onto your own tank! As a lover of action shooters and roguelites, I thought Tankhead so I'm excited to see how Tankrat has evolved the game's already unique formula - Ian H

Pragmata

• Release date: 24th April
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

Experimental Capcom is hands-down the best Capcom. This is a publisher that has a pretty fabulously high batting average for when it steps outside of its franchise IP comfort zone to make something new. We got Dead Rising and Dragon's Dogma out of this sort of experimentation. Even when such games haven't been commercial hits, they're almost always interesting - like 2024's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. I will always sit up and listen when Capcom says they have something new and unconventional that isn't another run-out of an established property.

Pragmata has Capcom at its experimental best written all over it, as far as I'm concerned - esoteric, strange, unique… a bit weird, probably rather wonderful. I've loved every hands-on opportunity I've had, and I can't wait to experience the final thing. - Alex D

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred expansion

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

• Release date: 28th April
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

For a game that you can play happily for hundreds of hours, with regular season updates, dozens of end-game modes and an almost overwhelming amount of #content, Diablo 4 still feels unfinished. Lord of Hatred promises a new campaign and classes, but the most exciting prospect is a fitting conclusion to a storyline that always seemed to stop just when it started to get interesting. - Will J

Saros

Image credit: Housemarque/Sony

• Release date: 30th April
• Platforms: PS5

One of my favourite games of the PS5 era, Returnal, finally gets a sequel this year. Except it's not actually a sequel but it might as well be a sequel because it's basically a sequel even though it's allegedly a new IP. That's right, Housemarque's third-person, bullet hell roguelike game Saros with its mysterious sci-fi horror narrative, moody visuals and epic audio design might sound identical to 2021's Returnal but in terms of storyline and characters, it's completely different. With Rahul Kohli in the leading role, Saros combines star power with Housemarque's signature rock-solid arcade action and I cannot wait to explore its worlds and uncover whatever mysteries lie within - whilst also doing a bunch of swears because it's really fricking hard, probably. - Ian H

inKonbini: One Store. Many Stories

Image credit: Nagai Industries, Beep Japan

• Release date: April 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

It's hard to think of a more fitting setting for a 'cosy' management game than a small town Japanese convenience store, or konbini. With key art referencing that one (in)famous Lawson that had to put up a screen to stop the flood of tourists looking to photograph it in front of Mt. Fuji, it's pretty clear what developer Nagai Industries is shooting for here. And fair enough, it looks like a gloriously tranquil game - one described, enticingly, as being about "the quiet beauty of everyday life". - Chris T

Half Sword

Image credit: Game Seer Publishing

• Release date: Q1 2026
• Platforms: PC

Half Sword is one of those games that seems to have been flittering about the social media algorithms for years, but never actually released. But anyway, if you've ever spotted two semi-naked medieval mannequins battering the absolute snot out of each other in a square pen, then you've seen Half Sword, a physics-based dueller that seems to be trying to solve the riddle of what happens when you cross Bennet Foddy with a slightly worrying amount of gore. But which could, Chivalry-style, turn out to be an absolute riot when played in teams. - Chris T

Paralives

Image credit: Paralives Studio

• Release date: 25th May (Early Access)
• Platforms: PC

With The Sims 5 still seemingly forever away, enter a new wave of avatar-management life sim games, of which Paralives might be one of the most exciting. A perfectly pitched art style - sort of eerily realistic but also pastel-hued and cutesy too - an appropriately thorough character-creator and an intriguing Patreon-funded development model, before it even reaches Early Access this year, all add to the interest. And there's never been a better time for EA to have some proper competition. - Chris T

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Image credit: TT Games

• Release date: 29th May, 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

Build up your legacy as Batman from the very beginning, making memorable allies and enemies along the way. Delve into battling the iconic criminals causing havoc around Gotham, from the Joker to Bane. Help Bruce Wayne become a symbol, someone Gotham's criminals fear - the Dark Knight. - Marie P

Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game

Image credit: Supermassive Games

• Release date: First-half of 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

I'm a sucker for the Supermassive formula, the choose your own horror story which works surprisingly well as a social experience when played with other people in the room. Directive 8020 is a big step for the series. It's an upgrade visually, a move to more standalone settings for the games, and mechanically it's got a new 'turning point' system whereby you can go back and change pivotal decisions you made. There've been a few wobbles, Directive 8020 suffering a big delay last year, but here's hoping it's stabilised in the months since. - Bertie P

Outbound

Image credit: Square Glade Games

• Release date: Q2 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

Good vibes: the video game this one. Fancy going camper vanning in a sunny open world with a very friendly looking collie and a seemingly magically expansive amount of storage? Me too! A bit of crafting and a bit of just happily hanging out with friends - it's co-op up to 4 players - looks like just the ticket. - Chris T

Super Mario Bros Wonder Switch 2 Edition

Image credit: Digital Foundry/Nintendo

• Release date: Spring 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is probably my favourite 2D Mario game. No, it's not just recency bias - there's something about this wonderful little game (no pun intended) that just plastered a smile on my face from beginning to end. It's so playful. It's so musical. It's so knowing. Getting the chance to play it again, on better hardware, makes me more excited than most of the games on this list, to be honest. Even the obnoxious flowers yelling at me as I trample over them can't dull the shine of this beautiful little platformer. - Dom P

Phantom Blade Zero

Image credit: S-Game

• Release date: 9th September
• Platforms: PC, PS5

If you like to look at incomprehensibly fast and complex action choreography and yell PHWOARRR, this is the game for you. I've played a bit of it, back at a Summer Game Fest of yore, and that combat is deeply impressive in person too. The boss fights are where it shines - if it can lace those together with equal intricacy, this'll be a winner. - Chris T

PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant

Image credit: Bippinbits, Kepler Interactives

• Release date: Q3 2026
• Platforms: PC

Listen, they know exactly what they're doing with that name. But video games' mouthful of the year also looks like a, ahem, blast, as it's your job in PVKK to man a whopping great planetary defense cannon from behind one of the medium's loveliest bits of tactile dashboard design. We do love a good button. - Chris T

Grand Theft Auto 6

Image credit: Rockstar

• Release date: 19th November
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Well then. GTA 6 is coming this year, and you can absolutely not count on that because who knows at this point whether Rockstar's latest release date (at the time of writing) will stick. Alleged union-busting has cast a shadow on the usual megahype-cycle, just as serious issues with crunch did back with Red Dead Redemption 2, but this game will be bigger than big, whenever it arrives, and we expect it to be spectacular. - Chris T

Coming 2026, but no release date yet

Valor Mortis

Image credit: Lyrical Games, One More Level

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

The Ghostrunner devs know how to make a game that feels good in the hands, all momentum and spectacle. Pushing you into a doomed European wasteland armed with a sabre, a pistol, and a handful of magic (think Dishonored or BioShock), One More Level has absolutely nailed the grimdark vibe I'd expect from Ghostrunner-goes-Napoleonic fantasy. It's hard, it's compelling, and it's janky in a way that's charming and interesting. I can't wait to see what monstrous bosses await in the trenches of a doomed France. - Dom P

Dave the Diver: In the Jungle

Image credit: Mintrocket

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, Xbox, PlayStation

I was late to the Dave the Diver party, only playing it last year via PlayStaion Plus. But when I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. A sumptuous celebration of food, community, and the importance of balancing ecological responsibility and sustainability with keeping small, indie businesses alive, the game has such a sweet, pure heart. More of that, but set in a jungle and moving from sushi to a grill!? Count me in. A game that appeals to both my inner Bourdain and my inner Indiana Jones, what a treat. - Dom P

Marvel's Wolverine

Image credit: Insomniac

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PS5

Look, I really enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine - so much so that it was one of the most fun films I saw in 2024. Counter point: I don't love Insomniac's Spider-Man games. Counter counter point: I love the studio's Ratchet & Clank games. Which brings us to Marvel's Wolverine, a game I might love or find a little dull. No matter, if it releases in 2026 it's going to be huge on PS5. - Tom O

Control Resonant

Image credit: Remedy Entertainment

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X / S, PC, Mac OS

Control Resonant is the sequel to Remedy's hit 2019 game, Control. This time round you'll be playing as Dylan Faden as he searches for his sister Jesse, the original game's protagonist, after the Federal Bureau of Control fails to prevent a supernatural force from escaping their clutches. (I'm starting to think that the FBC aren't very good at their job.) Let's just hope Ahti the janitor is around to offer some good advice… - Lottie L

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra

Image credit: Skydance New Media

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: TBC

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is the next game from Amy Hennig, a name you may recognise from PlayStation's Uncharted series. In the upcoming superhero romp, players will be able to assume the role of four central characters. Those characters? First, we have a young Steve Rogers, so yes, Captain America himself. Then, we have the World War 2 era's Black Panther, which is to say T'Challa's grandfather Azzuri. Joining these two iconic Marvel heroes are Gabriel Jones - a US soldier and member of the Howling Commandos - and Nanali, a Wakandan spy who is embedded in Occupied Paris.

We still haven't seen a huge amount from the game, though we have had a peek at Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra's take on Wakanda, as well as a look at its use of Epic's MetaHuman Creator, which gives each character remarkable detail. Hopefully we will hear more about what's coming soon (and, for that matter, when it is coming). - Victoria PK

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave

Image credit: Nintendo

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2

I reckon recent Fire Emblem games have something of an on-off thing, at least for me. Discounting spin-offs and remakes, I reckon 2012's Awakening was a genre-defining masterpiece. Then 2015's Fates was an interesting evolution, but ultimately not really as good. Then 2019's Three Houses was, again, a genre-shaking and franchise-altering classic. But in 2023, Engage just couldn't ignite the same spark. And now, in 2026, we have Fortune's Weave. My hope, my dream, is for a return of that feeling Three Houses and Awakening gave me. If that's there, this could well be a GOTY contender for me. - Alex D

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

Image credit: Crystal Dynamics

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Guess who's back, back again. Lara's back, tell your friends! 2026 is the Tomb Raider series' 30th anniversary, and to celebrate we are getting a from the ground up remake of the original 1996 game, known as Legacy of Atlantis. This chap has been developed in Unreal Engine 5, and promises fans old and new a game that will 'honour the spirit' of Lara's debut adventure. While those who have played the original will have a pretty decent idea of what lies ahead, developers Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog have said there will still be plenty of surprises to uncover on Legacy of Atlantis' release later this year. Personally, I absolutely cannot wait for this one! - Victoria PK

Gears of War: E-Day

Image credit: Xbox Game Studio

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S

I will not apologise for being a card-carrying Gears of War fan. I've loved or enjoyed every game in the series, and it's been an absolute age since we got Gears 5 (2019) and Hivebusters (2020). I am ready for a big comeback. A prequel set 14 years before the original game didn't please some, but I'm onboard with the idea of seeing Emergence Day play out alongside Marcus and Dom. It should be part of a big year for Xbox's key franchises, and its success may well determine what the future holds for the series. No pressure, then. - Tom O

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 4

Image credit: King Art Games / Plaion / Deep Silver

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

One of the great real-time strategy series is back from the dead. The sadness at it being away from its home with Relic is mitigated somewhat, too, by the fact my first hands-on impressions with it were fantastic. DoW 4 is a booming, immensely satisfying take, at least from the one mission I've played many times over. Suitably dark and suitably camp, if it all comes together in the full game I expect the entirety of my free time to disappear into the Warp. - Chris T

The Blood of Dawnwalker

Image credit: Rebel Wolves

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

A Witcher-like role-playing game made by people who made The Witcher games, including Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaskiewicz. That heritage is plain to see. But there are differences. You are a part-human, part-vampire hero whose abilities change in the day and night; and there's a brave, open-ended approach to the game that The Witcher 3 didn't have. I get tremendously excited when people get an opportunity to rethink RPGs, and Rebel Wolves is doing this with Blood of Dawnwalker. Will it rival the series it heralds from? We'll see. - Bertie P

Big Walk

Image credit: Panic

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

It's the Untitled Goose Game devs' new thing! That alone should be enough. No? Alright fine: it's a game about some very odd Morph-from-UK-kids-TV-style bird characters who must all work together - in co-op! - to solve environmental and traversal puzzles, using proximity voice chat and scribbling on signs and more. This is one of those that's going to be tough to sell on the page, I'm realising at this very moment, but almost certainly a joy in the hands. - Chris T

Orbitals

Image credit: Kepler Interactive

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2

Corrrrrrrrrrrrr. I first got a super-secret look at Orbitals some time ago and have had to suppress all memory of it since, simply because it would've been far too exciting to sit around waiting for otherwise. Classic 90s anime style, split-screen co-op, guitar solos, space battles, sold! - Chris T

Neverway

Image credit: Coldblood Inc.

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

What if Stardew Valley was bleak as all sin? That's more or less it with Neverway, a life sim horror action RPG genre-magpie with very nice pixel art and very horrible sound design, if the trailer's anything to go by. I sense a very specific subset of witchy-cosy-farming-fans being absolutely laser-targeted here, and why not? The result looks like a (horrible) treat. - Chris T

Neath

Image credit: Cellar Door Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

Super-chewy pixelated tactical roguelike RPG anyone? That's Neath. It's a grid-based affair where positioning in combat - and manipulating enemy positioning in combat - is paramount. Inspirations include Into the Breach, which is always a good sign. Looks dense; looks delicious. - Bertie P

Ace Combat 8

Image credit: Bandai Namco

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

Enough with the flight simulations already - let's get some arcade dogfighting going again. I love it when an iconic series is resurrected at exactly the right time. We haven't seen much of the game yet but the debut trailer was very handsome. Big, brash and beautiful. It's exactly how I'd want someone to describe me. - Bertie P

Ontos

Image credit: Frictional Games/Eurogamer

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Philosophy and sci-fi have always been perfect bedfellows, as have the sinister vibes and dark mystery we've come to expect from the developer of Soma, Penumbra and Amnesia. As for pitches, that'll do it, and if that wasn't enough: Stellan Skarsgard's in it, which is a bit of a coup. And it's published by Kepler Interactive (Clair Obscur, Pacific Drive, Rematch, Ultros, several others on this list…) which as a publisher-collective has been on an absolute tear. - Chris T

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Image credit: Fuse Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

While Galactic Racer doesn't seem to be a pod racing game, as per the classic game developed to tie into the racing sequence in Star Wars: Episode One, a new Star Wars racing game of any kind is a very exciting thing (I'd even be mildly interested in a new Super Bombad Racing, but very mildly), and this one could have the juice (Force?). In development at Fuse Games, the studio created by former Criterion leaders, the racing pedigree should hopefully shine through. I'm not expecting a huge game, but fast, technical racing set in glorious Star Wars locations will be plenty. - Tom O

Out of Words

Image credit: Epic Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

The idea for Out of Words came from a Danish poet, Morten Søndergaard. It's a co-op-only game - by couch or cross-platform online - about the first time its two protagonists held hands. Hand made and animated into stop-motion it looks utterly striking. If the playing can match the vibes, it'll be quite something. - Chris T

Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus 2

Image credit: Kasedo Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

The beloved Warhammer 40,000 strategy title is getting a sequel, throwing players back into the mechanic arms of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Once again, red-robed technological fanatics will trade blows with seemingly endless waves of Necron forces, while the Votann make their video game debut. Exciting stuff! - Connor M

Spine

Image credit: Nekki

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

A John Wick-style 'gun fu' single-player shooter, Spine looks ferocious. Rapid, kinetic animation and some extremely cool choreography meet a bit of good old punk attitude and lots and lots of very nice whapack punching sounds. And the enemy's an evil AI regime! How not-at-all timely. We're in! - Chris T

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

Image credit: Hooded Horse

• Release date: 2026 (Early Access)
• Platforms: PC

It never fails to amaze me how influential Heroes 3 was and still is as a game. Olden Era is a newly made prequel to the turn-based strategy Heroes series, but it's clearly serving game number three. The styling is the same, the gameplay is broadly the same - though as a modern interpretation it can use improvements made to the genre since. The question is, can it recapture the magic? - Bertie

WitchBrook

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S

Originally teased way back in 2016, Witchbrook had its release date pushed back to 2026 late last year. After ten years of development, we'll hopefully see the doors of Witchbrook College open so we can learn spells, ride broomsticks and craft magical objects in this life-sim RPG. - Lottie L

A Starfield 2.0 update

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

• Release date: 2026 (rumoured)
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (rumoured)

Rumours abound that Starfield is getting a Cyberpunk 2077-style '2.0' update some time this year, and with the PS5 release still to come there's a nicely pre-aligned marketing beat sitting there ready to go if that were to happen. Bethesda is in a very interesting place at the moment, with the Oblivion remaster reigniting The Elder Scrolls excitement and Fallout riding a TV-boosted high. Starfield remains its albatross for now - can the legendary studio make it truly fun? - Chris T

Mixtape

Image credit: Annapurna

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

I've played Mixtape and I will tell you right now, it is funny. Trailers, being trailers, have largely focused on the general overall vibe, but the brilliance in this one is going to be in all the little beats of attention to detail. Like any great coming-of-age story it'll be equal parts raw and awkward, goofy and sincere. It's a whip-smart narrative game. It's nostalgic and autumnal and bittersweet. It's very West Coast. It's from the team behind the cult favourite The Artful Escape. And it is, from what I've played, really very good. - Chris T

Forza Horizon 6

Image credit: Xbox Game Studios

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S (PS5 later)

This is a funny one for me. I'm a Forza Horizon fan, for sure, but my interest has waned a little as the series has gone on. I also really enjoyed Ubisoft's The Crew Motorfest, which sort of scratched that open-world racer itch, and I am not one of the vocal crowd that was calling for a game set in Japan. But, I think back to the Tokyo tracks in PGR4, the hours I spent time-trialing for medals, and the excitement builds. I do think FH6 will need to shake the formula up a bit rather than just offer what FH5 did in a new location, but if Playground Games can do that we might well get one of the best games of 2026. - Tom O

High Above

Image credit: Unikat Label

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

An exceptionally tranquil-looking game about building and hanging out on small rooftops amongst the clouds, High Above looks like a (re)treat. A lovely mix of architectural styles, textures and relentlessly tasteful colour palettes, plus plants and cats, has me absolutely sold. Lovely stuff. - Chris T

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy

Image credit: Focus Entertainment

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X

I've got a soft spot for the Plague Tale series and this is a big departure. The story of Hugo and Amicia, brother and sister, is done. Resonance is the story of Sophia, the person you meet in Plague Tale: Requiem, but told 15 years beforehand. There's an intriguing-sounding dual timeline that flashes back to a Sophia of ancient times, and there's puzzling, buried treasure, curses, and more. I'm fascinated to see what the series feels like away from its original sibling duo. - Bertie P

Subnautica 2

Image credit: Unknown Worlds

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S (EA)

Once upon a time, it was easy to get excited at the prospect of more Subnautica - the original underwater survival adventure is a gem; an enormously compelling blend of often terrifying exploration, scavenging and crafting, and propulsive sci-fi storytelling. Developer Unknown Worlds’ standalone expansion, Below Zero, didn’t quite reach the same dizzy heights (depths?) but the studio seemed to know where it had gone wrong when it hinted at a more back-to-basics approach - plus a few cooperative knobs - for Subnautica 2. The problem? The acrimonious legal battle between Unknown Worlds’ ousted leadership (including original Subnautica director and designer Charlie Cleveland) and studio owner Krafton, which has gone some way to tainting enthusiasm for the project - Matt

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Image credit: Capcom

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

I think this might be the best 'power fantasy' pick of 2026. Miyamoto Musashi is a famed swordsman, and perhaps one of the most influential folk heroes of Japanese history. Capcom knows this, and isn't shy about making you feel that way in this game. With swordplay and motion-capture that felt best-in-class last year when I previewed it in the summer, I think more time in the oven can really show off what Capcom can do in the RE Engine when the scope is narrowed down a bit and presented in a super cinematic way. I just hope there's enough to it to keep us all engaged for a full campaign. - Dom P

Over the Hill

Image credit: Funselektor Labs

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Switch

Over the Hill - properly styled "over the hill" but we can't be having that - is the follow up from the equally-lowercased Art of Rally studio Funselektor. A mix of nice driving mechanics and even nicer atmosphere are added to this time by a focus on exploration and survival. If you never quite managed to fill up that "quit your job and drive a Defender across the world" piggy bank, this might at least take the edge off. - - Chris T

Nivalis

Image credit: 505 Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

You might remember a game called Cloudpunk from a couple years back, which had you drive (pilot?) a flying taxi around a quite breathtaking cyberpunk city of the future. Nivalis is the name of the city, and a smartly opportunistic follow-up from the developer that instead focuses on the narrative side of getting by, slice-of-life style, in a typically noiry, neon-rich voxel-style world. - Chris T

Chronicles: Medieval

Image credit: Raw Power Games

• Release date: 2026 (Early Access)
• Platforms: PC

A lavish medieval sandbox action-RPG, Chronicles: Medieval is a winner if we're going purely by back-of-box descriptions. Gameplay details are thin, and it's only coming to Early Access this year, but from the lone trailer it's certainly an eye-catcher, with promise of 'visceral large-scale battles' and bowl cuts galore. - Chris T

Wanderburg

Image credit: Randwerk

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

Something a bit different, this: castles! On wheels! Why didn't we think of this sooner?! It's from Randwerk, the developer-cooperative being a game called Abriss, which you might've spotted from back in 2023 as the one about big buildings falling over very impressively. (No really - it's great!). In this one a different kind of building looks to get destroyed in a different kind of way, but still. We love a dev with a signature. And in all seriousness, this looks pretty, silly, and kind of smart all in one. - Chris T

Game of Thrones: War for Westeros

Image credit: PlaySide

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC

Real-time strategy is a perfect fit for the army-based warmongering and political conquest of A Game of Thrones / A Song of Fire and Ice, and this looks like a glossy and satisfying realisation of this. Will the Winds of Winter, the next book in the series, ever be released? Who knows? But I can play this and pretend to be Tywin Lannister all the same. - Bertie P

At Fate's End

Image credit: Thunder Lotus

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

At Fate's End is the next from Thunder Lotus, developer of the excellent Spiritfarer. A lavish cutscene animation style and very snappy-looking combat are the big sellers here, alongside some good old sword-maiden pazzazz, in an action-adventure game which promises a no less "intimate" story than the studio's previous. Looks rad. - Chris T

Fable

Image credit: Microsoft

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S

At the time of writing there's still a fair bit of uncertainty over Fable's 2026 release date, and to be honest until I see a date appear at the end of a new trailer I'm operating on the assumption this one might get bumped into 2027. I really hope not, though, as I love Fable. Playground Games knows how to make big hits, but this action adventure game will need to capture the magic of the original games and then some in order to make a big impact some 16 years after Lionhead released Fable 3. - Tom O

Earth Must Die

• Release date: Q1 2026
• Platforms: PC

After strange dalliances in other realms - namely fast-paced stealth action in The Swindle, arcade football in Behold the Kickmen, and at least half a platform game in Lair of the Clockwork God - developer Size Five Games is properly returning to the point-and-click genre where it made its name in this year’s Earth Must Die. Or is it? This time around, the comedic point-and-clickery is hampered by an alien protagonist - specifically a “fascist dictator bellend” - who refuses to pick anything up. So, much of the time, you’ll be attempting to get things done by coercing other characters into doing your bidding. It sounds fascinating, looks great, and has an impressive Brit cast, including Alex Horne, Tamsin Greig, Matthew Holness, Stevie Martin, Sally Beaumont, and (inevitably) Ben Starr - Matt

Toem 2

• Release date: Q1 2026
• Platforms: PC

Developer Something We Made’s original Toem was a lovely thing; a charmingly quirky handdrawn puzzle adventure with a photography twist. So word of a sequel was a very pleasant surprise - and it’ll finally be with us this year. As before, you're touring a whimsical world to snap pictures of strange phenomena, and by making friends and completing quests, you’ll upgrade your camera with tools like scissors for snipping stuff and a hammer for smashing things. On top of that, you’ve got expanded mobility options, a new artstyle that adapts the original’s striking black-and-white looks into more detailed 3D, and more, suggesting fans of the laidback original are in for a good time - Matt

Denshattack!

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass

What if Jet Set Radio but runaway trains? It’s easy to imagine that was the pitch for developer Undercoders’ eye-catching debut Denshattack. Its nods to Sega’s Dreamcast classic, from its striking cell-shaded aesthetic to its trick-based grinding action, are undeniable - even if it does swap inline skating for graffiti-strewn, gravity defying trains. As you rail-ride across a vibrant dystopian Japan, you'll ollie and kickflip to rack up points and win over rivals in a bid to thwart the sinister Miraidō corporation. It looks like an absolute riot, and that’s before we get to mechanical worms, roving castles, and magical mech girls - Matt

Professor Layton and the World of Steam

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: Switch 2, Switch

Oh how I’ve missed you Professor! It’s frankly been far too long an absence for developer Level-5’s esteemed puzzle solver and his sidekick Luke, but finally - well over a decade after the series’ prequel trilogy wrapped up with Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy - Hershel Layton and his magnificent hat are back. Sure, we’ve had spin-offs and crossovers since then, but this year’s Professor Layton and the World of Steam looks like a proper return to the wonderfully compelling world that started it all. Picking up after 2010’s Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Luke and the Professor this time face a new mystery - and a whole bunch of new puzzles - in the American town of Steam Bison. I can’t wait - Matt

Moves of the Diamond Hand

• Release date: 2026 (EA)
• Platforms: PC

Cosmo D might not be a name on everybody’s radar, but the musician and game designer has been releasing fascinating, richly atmospheric oddities for over a decade now. His most recent effort, 2022’s Betrayal at Club Low, took the exploratory narrative adventuring of his earlier games and infused it with table-top style dice rolling as players, in the role of a pizzaiolo-spy, attempted to infiltrate the titular club. And dice are back in this year’s Moves of the Diamond Hand - a noir RPG set to the backdrop of a “surreal dystopian jazz-drenched city”. Expect a return to the first-person exploration of Cosmo D’s earliest games, alongside deeper dicing, and a richer, grander narrative. All of which sounds fab - Matt

Dosa Divas

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC and unspecified consoles

Two years after impressing with its cooking-and-skating mash-up Thirsty Suitors, developer Outerloop Games is back with another high-energy culinary adventure in Dosa Divas. Officially a "spicy RPG", it sees players embarking on a chaotic road trip filled with evil corporate goons and communities in need of help as they attempt to bring down their sister’s fast-food empire. You’ll ride mechs, reconcile relationships, and battle enemies using a timing-based turn-based combat system reminiscent of Paper Mario, but with a flavour-matching twist. Consider me intrigued - Matt

There are No Ghosts at the Grand

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass

Developer Friday Sundae’s There Are No Ghosts at The Grand is one of those games that feels like it’s somehow been designed specifically to cater to my interests. It's part musical, part home renovation sim, and part ghostbusting mystery adventure, that even squeezes in a malevolent talking cat. Amid all this, you’ve unexpectedly inherited a dilapidated hotel in the British seaside town of Kingswood-on-Sea, and have 30 days to do it up. By day, you’ll demolish rooms and redecorate them, or perhaps you’ll explore the town’s cobblestone streets, take a boat out to sea, or a scooter into the countryside in your search to uncover the hotel’s secrets. By night you’ll bust ghosts as something evil draws nearer, and throughout it all you’ll encounter songs, a cast of eccentrics, and a protagonist with motives so secret he’ll even try and hide them from the player. Frankly, it sounds brilliant - Matt

Phasmophobia 1.0

Image credit: Kinetic Games

• Release date: 2026
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2

I’ve played Phasmophobia for a grand total of about 20 minutes in my lifetime, ten of which I spent hiding in the van. As much as I love horror, Kinetic Games’ co-operative ghost hunting adventure is just a little bit too intense for me. That said, I might finally be tempted back to brave its much-expanded haunts when it finally leaves early access and gets its eagerly awaited 1.0 launch later this year. Phasmophobia had a busy 2025 update-wise, and it sounds like the road to 1.0 will be all about finessing, with talk of map reworks, character model overhauls, and loads more. So much, in fact, that Kinetic has said 1.0 will almost be like “playing a new game”. Hopefully my nerves will hold up - Matt