Skull and Bones left pirate game fans with an itch it couldn’t quite scratch, leading many to wonder if Windrose might be the solution. [Early Access Review]

Spark in the Dark is a new twist on the old-school dungeon crawling formula, melding Soulslike combat with elements of horror.

Road to Vostok may be a solo-developed indie game, but its future looks extremely bright, and the foundations already in place give it enormous potential. [Early Access Review]

SCREEN JUICE's debut has solid foundations and a killer aesthetic, and could become something truly spectacular over time. [Early Access Review]

Skip The 9th Charnel. It never does enough to feel genuinely fun, engaging, or immersive.

In its current state, The Midnight Walkers also feels quite repetitive. Once you’ve gotten your hands on some decent enough gear, there just isn’t much incentive to keep playing, at least for the time being. [Early Access Review]

Vampires: Bloodlord Rising promises survival crafting with a complete story and a strong focus on social interaction, but does it deliver? [Early Access Review]

Whatever this game attempts to do, others have already done, and done better. It would be a disappointing addition to the gaming libraries of most players, and it’s hard to believe a title could fall this flat in 2026. I wouldn’t recommend this even to someone who’s completely out of options; being bored with nothing to play is honestly preferable to experiencing this mess.

Even in its current state, Creepy Jar's sci-fi base-builder offers a lot to keep fans of automation and exploration busy. [Early Access Review]

A dull reboot of a legendary franchise, Double Dragon Revive mixes tedium with wonky movement, boring stages and annoying bosses for an ultimately unfulfilling experience.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is probably going to be among the year's most notable failures.

At its core, Endless Legend 2 not only satisfies that itch for one more turn but also for proper set-up and preparation for what future turns could hold. [Early Access Review]

If you can deal with its current optimization hiccups, Grounded 2 is an easy recommendation for those new to survival crafting sandbox. [Early Access Review]

Game of Thrones Kingsroad feels like it was made with smartphones in mind in the most obvious ways, from its monetisation to its UI and even its button mashing gameplay. Aside from getting to see some landmarks from the HBO show, there is little to enjoy here.

A mish-mash of genres and convoluted progression dull what's otherwise intriguing art direction and extensive destruction. [Early Access Review]

Bug Bear Studios is back with even more detailed crashes and destructive driving, but it may have jumped the gun a little early. [Early Access Review]

Dragonkin: The Banished offers a unique take on the loot-based action RPG genre, placing a strong emphasis on story and customization. [Early Access Review]

Kunos Simulazioni's new racing sim boasts gorgeous visuals and excellent handling but has a long way to go in so many ways. [Early Access Review]

As it currently stands, however, SCP: Fragmented Minds is a difficult game to recommend. The pacing issues alone means that you’re going to be spending the vast majority of your time with the game just running around and hiding from goofy looking creatures. [Early Access Review]

Heart Machine's early access title tries to combine extraction elements and rogue-like progression to some very mixed results. [Early Access Score = 50]

Pine Harbor's bland quest design and underwhelming voice acting makes it one of the most disappointing early access games of the year. [Early Access Score = 50]

The Forever Winter is an addictive extraction shooter, albeit with a few flaws. [Early Access Score = 70]

Even if The Spirit of the Samurai does little to endear you to its story, the animation provides a decent jumping on point. Unfortunately, it's squandered by the terrible quality of everything else.

Path of Exile 2 is everything you could want in a sequel, providing nearly unmatched build-crafting, stunning environments, and engaging boss fights. Even in its current state, the title of "ARPG King" is only a matter of time. [Early Access Score = 80]

Towers of Aghasba initially made an impression with its striking art style and approach, yet its inherent design and mechanics are frustratingly flawed. It may look radically different in the coming years, but for now, it's difficult to get into. [Early Access Score = 40]

Whatever vision the development team had for No More Room in Hell 2 is squandered by bugs, a dismal gameplay loop, awful permadeath implementation, and more. Even if it's eventually technically sound, the concept needs a lot more work. [Early Access Score = 50]

Level Zero Extraction is a flawed title not worth investing much time in at this point. [Early Access Score = 40]

Stormgate is an interesting new entry in the RTS genre, and while its visuals might be divisive, the gameplay is definitely good enough to get both fans of the genre, as well as newcomers hooked. [Early Access Review Score = 80]