Dead as Disco doesn’t just flirt with the beat-em-up formula; it remixes it into something effortlessly stylish and easy to pick up, even in its early-access state. Its blend of music-driven combat, eccentric boss fights, and pick-up-and-play accessibility makes it a standout for both casual players and genre fans alike. While it’s still finding its footing in areas like depth and progression, what’s already here is bursting with personality and promise. If the developers can build on this foundation, Dead as Disco has all the makings of a cult-favorite brawler that’s as fun as hell to feel as it is to play.

Wax Heads is a fun, but short, cozy narrative sim that puts you into the world of physical media via selling vinyls, which is actually seeing a resurgence in the real world. What starts as a charming new job with friendly coworkers turns into the story of how hobbies have to be balanced with real-world obligations and the reality of how corporate practices often hurt small businesses the most, taking away beloved features from towns. It's cute and a bit of a puzzle game, but I wish it lasted longer and gave me more options when speaking to characters, especially to ask follow-up questions regarding record requests.

Saros stands tall as a bold evolution for Housemarque, proving the studio wasn’t content with simply recreating the magic of Returnal. Instead, it refines and expands on it in meaningful ways by pairing its punishing bullet-hell combat with smarter progression systems, broader accessibility ideas, and a narrative that trades clarity for intrigue. Arjun’s relentless, emotionally driven journey through Carcosa gives the experience a fiery contrast to Returnal’s isolation, while the “come back stronger” philosophy is felt in every run, every failure, and every hard-earned breakthrough back at The Passage. It can be overwhelming and at times unforgiving, but that tension is exactly what makes its victories so intoxicating. And by turning struggle into growth and persistence into something deeply rewarding, Saros cements itself as a serious GOTY contender and a lot more than just a sequel in spirit.

Gambonanza is a Roguelike that absolutely feels like a team taking what made Balatro incredible and applying it to chess. This might seem derivative at first, but it's pulled off so well in the end that it ultimately feels like its own amazing thing entirely. Initial pacing at the beginning can feel a little slow and repetitive, but once you start unlocking new items via progression and simply learn the game, it becomes a deep and surprisingly intense loop of incredible and different-feeling chess action. Imitation or flattery, I don't really care. Gambonanza rules.

Bus Bound is the type of game that you'll love if you love simulators, but you might enjoy how peaceful it feels even if you don't usually play this style of game. It's a polished game that delivers what you expect and more. The world alone is beautiful to look at, and the number of pedestrians and other cars makes it feel alive. Aside from a few issues with handling and passenger feedback, the only complaint I have is that I didn't get to try the game with multiplayer or while using a steering wheel controller.

Neverness to Everness delivers a stylish, lively city packed with plenty to do, and its generous gacha system makes it easy to enjoy everything it has to offer without constant frustration. But beneath all that charm, the bloated gameplay formula starts to show, especially in its story and combat, which struggle to stand out in an already crowded field of other known gacha giants. If you’re already invested in similar games, this can be a fun, low-pressure addition to your routine. Just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel since it’s more of a comfortable, content-rich ride with a few slightly annoying bumps along the way.

Invincible VS is a brilliantly brutal extension of the comic and Amazon Prime cartoon, offering up visceral, fluid battling and a genuinely entertaining single-player mode. The AI feels incredibly smart, adjusting its strategies mid-fight and creating a fluid pace for combat. It is missing a few key actors, but everyone does such a wonderful job, it doesn't hurt that badly. If you're looking for a way to pass the time until season 5 of the show hits in 2027, Invincible VS is a bloody good time.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a superb entry into the series and brings the game back to what works. While the complex gameplay might not be for everyone, it offers a lot of freedom in how you go about making your playstyle for each scenario. The games are long, but there are also plenty of other modes to hone your skills, which is greatly appreciated. It's still in development, so there are a few kinks to work out, but whatever the future holds for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will undoubtedly be incredible.

MotoGP 26 continues on the legacy of this series being the best racing sim on two wheels, and yet it's also more approachable than ever with its refined and tweaked "Arcade" options as well as a shift in focus to a rider-based handling system. The racing itself is thrilling, straightforward enough, and has a high skill-ceiling that feels rewarding to work towards. An overall presentation package that isn't quite as good as some contemporaries is really the only "blemish" on another exciting and slick MotoGP experience. Oh, and the bikes look awesome in Photo Mode.

Aphelion is a cinematic masterclass in storytelling. From the very beginning, you can tell that every moment of the game will be important. While it can't seem to keep up that same sort of engagement in the moment-to-moment gameplay, it works well enough to keep driving you forward. A short and enticing space-age mystery thriller that can satisfy from a story standpoint, but leaves a little to be desired in terms of gameplay.

Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth does what it came to do: criticize the injustice of winter existing at all. The game makes you reflect on existential dread, dedications to your partner, chores, and the adorableness of life as a whole. Some controls and mechanics could have been explained better, but this is a great, snowy, cozy game that adds some variety to a genre that's oversaturated with farm life.

After five games, the Sudden Strike series has established itself as one of the best real-time strategy titles available, and Sudden Strike 5 keeps this legacy alive and well. The large maps give you plenty of tactical flexibility, unit pricing is well-balanced, and the new smart management features are a lifesaver for anyone allergic to micromanagement. This is not a revolutionary release, and I have some gripes with durability and effectiveness of certain unit types, but Sudden Strike 5 remains a welcome take on a winning formula.

While Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream isn't the full-blown life simulator some people may have been hoping for, fans of the original will feel right at home. Despite lacking any concrete depth, I'm still impressed by the wacky scenarios, conversations, and relationships that blossom. It's been a smash hit in the Valentine household, and that won't change for quite some time. I never thought we'd see another Tomodachi Life game, and I'm so happy that we did.

Pragmata is endlessly cool, visually sharp, and a testament to the fact that Capcom is really cooking with their IP these days, old and new alike. The combat system along with the hacking gameplay are incredibly intuitive, and it's fun puzzling out each encounter to handle it most efficiently. I do think the core loop of each level is a bit basic in terms of moment-to-moment action, and the game's story, while serviceable, doesn't quite capture the emotions I think it wanted to. Regardless, at the end of the day, this is a very entertaining and impressive video game, and what's been pulled off is worthy of celebration.

With some intriguing world-building and phenomenal choices, Tides of Tomorrow is a game that warrants some real investment. It isn't perfect by any metric, but it is good enough to draw you in and reward your time. Seeing everything through, even when it's tough, gives you a sensation of completion that very few games can achieve. With the innovative Social-Link system, there's a real opportunity to create a new sort of way for players to interact, but it hasn't been perfected just yet. Tides of Tomorrow isn't the next big game, but it is a game that will stay with people long after they finish it.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is a furiously-paced action JRPG that has a big world to explore. It's a world that feels great to explore, and you'll often feel rewarded for doing so. Finding little alcoves and secret areas is always enjoyable, and the way the game urges you to do so is incredibly natural. The bosses are a little weak, and it is a bit on the shorter side of the JRPG spectrum at twenty hours, but I feel like that's a genuine strength of the game. If you've never played Ys before, this is a great entry point for any newcomer.

OPUS: Prism Peak feels like one of those rare titles that quietly lingers with you long after the credits roll. It’s a game that demands patience, asks you to pay attention, and occasionally frustrates with its pacing and lack of convenience, but there’s a clear intent behind it all. Every mechanic, every quiet interaction, every photograph ties back into a story about memory, regret, and making peace with what lingers. It won’t land the same for everyone, and it definitely isn’t built for rushed playthroughs, but if you let yourself sit with it, there’s something undeniably affecting about Eugene's self-discovering journey. And by the time it reaches its final stretch, Prism Peak becomes a game that'll make your chest tighten up from all the moments of adorableness, earnestness, and empathy between its cast of characters.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is a mediocre beat 'em up that tries its hardest to capture the spirit of Kevin Smith's filmography. In many ways, it does do that, and has elements that feel like they are right out of a View Askewniverse movie. Sadly, the combat in Chronic Blunt Punch is so bland and lifeless, and is an absolute technical nightmare. Fans of View Askewniverse will likely crack a smile at the game's absurd story, but that's where the good times come to an end.

Replaced is a visually stunning 2D platformer that ambitiously strives to give a thrilling and emotional experience in the still relatively exclusive cyberpunk niche. Alongside its numerous incredibly detailed, hand-crafted backdrops, its splendidly fluid combat system feels dynamic and addictingly fun to play from one encounter to the next. That said, the game evidently still needs some polishing in terms of combat balance, along with notably disjointed character movement when traversing through each zone's platform mechanics. However, that doesn't diminish what the game has accomplished from its years of development and clear commitment to detail. It's a truly memorable indie experience that you shouldn't miss out on this year.

Vampire Crawlers is a strong contender for my 2026 Game of the Year. If it weren't for some difficulty issues that need tweaking, it would already have taken that spot, Grand Theft Auto 6 be damned. The gameplay loop is fun and addictive, rewarding experimentation and offering countless opportunities for different builds. Exploring dungeons has never been more fun, and I'm far more eager to see more Vampire Crawlers content than a sequel to Vampire Survivors.

ShantyTown is a cozy game that can easily make you lose track of time as you set up each location however you like. It isn't this big game that you'll play for hours on end, but it is a game that you'll feel really honors the time you spend with it. This is a game you can play in one evening, or for hours if you want to dive that deep. It's fun, well-made, and gorgeous when you finish a location. ShantyTown is a cozy town builder you can enjoy at your own pace, and that's something incredible.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss successfully nails the elements I love most about cosmic horror: the crushing weight of thalassophobia, a dense atmosphere, the chilling descent of humans into madness, and Cthulhu himself. I mean, we usually watch civilians become his victims in most stories, but in this one, we have scientists losing their grip and believing his mad cult, on top of some investigative systems that are genuinely clever. So it is very interesting! However, there were some stumbles along the way that were hard to ignore and ultimately took some of the shine off the overall experience. Ultimately, the game did make me lose my sanity, but not always for the reasons I expected. While the atmosphere is great, the lack of technical polish in the latter half of the game is a significant hurdle. If Big Bad Wolf can iron out the performance following launch, this will be an indispensable title for fans of the genre. For now, it's a brilliant but bruised descent into the abyss.

I'm sad that Gecko Gods didn't ultimately resonate much with me. It's a game with clear indie charm and care poured into it, but also one that never clicks in terms of puzzles, platforming, or exploration. The presentation is nice, but it's also held back by many technical hiccups, both cosmetic and core progression-based alike. The devs do seem eager to keep improving this one, but it unfortunately wasn't quite ready for release.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire embodies a magnificent triple-threat of retro stylings, managing a careful balancing act between noir theming, cartoony visuals, and vintage FPS gameplay. The gameplay is fast, responsive, and above all else, fun as all get out, while the story and characters manage to be intriguing in that classic pulp novel fashion while also being entertaining to watch and talk to. It draws you in like a detective magazine, getting you invested in the state of the city, while keeping you merrily chugging along with good ol’ cartoony violence. It’s not a revolutionary game as far as the FPS genre goes, but considering its adherence to multiple kinds of retro aesthetics, I don’t think being revolutionary was the mission statement here.

Pokémon Champions feels like a work in progress, in a bad way. While the battles are fine and the QoL improvements are a godsend, there's a distinct feeling that the product is unfinished and lacks vital content that will be rationed over time. Throw in the bugs, and the result is a game that I might want to check out in six months or a year, but doesn't have enough quality content to attract me now.​​​​​​​

Gunboat God feels like a game caught between flashes of brilliance and moments of frustration. It absolutely nails the things that make shmups so addictive: slick gunplay, a strong sense of style, and a surprisingly charming narrative that gives the whole ride a bit more personality than you’d expect. But that enjoyment is often held back by its rough balancing, and (occasionally) overwhelming level design, especially early on. Still, there’s a solid, entertaining shoot-'em-up underneath it all, and the more you unlock and experiment, the more it starts to come together. It’s not a perfectly smooth sail, but for players willing to stick with it, there’s enough charm and chaos here to make the journey and fight back to the Citadel worthwhile.

Regions of Ruin: Runegate is what I wanted from Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. However, it also has refreshing features that set it apart from a number of games I'm used to playing. The story is easy to jump into and doesn't get unnecessarily complicated, and the gameplay is well-explained and straightforward. This is the kind of game that I would recommend even to people who don't go for 2D games normally, because it still has the feeling that you get from exploring in 3D games, thanks to its design. Overall, Regions of Ruin: Runegate is an adventure that you can play at your own pace, as it respects your time.

The PlayStation 5 release of Starfield was the game's second chance, one where it could have been shaped by player feedback, kept out of Baldur's Gate 3's shadow, and shown to a whole new audience in a fresh light. That chance has been wasted, as what's here isn't that much different from the 2023 release. Starfield is somehow bloated and yet empty, overly complex and yet lacking. It's a universe of wasted potential, one that struggles to get the player invested in its reams of content. It's not a bad game by any means, but it's definitely lacking in substance, and anyone seeking an experience with the same level of depth and engagement as Bethesda's previous outings will want to look elsewhere.