Beethoven & Dinosaur's Mixtape is a deeply nostalgic, coming-of-age masterpiece that beautifully captures the emotional weight of three friends facing their last day of high school. Through its inventive gameplay, stop-motion-inspired visuals, and stellar soundtrack, it delivers a profound and unforgettable experience about growing up and the bittersweet nature of goodbyes.

Saros serves as an excellent spiritual successor to Returnal, delivering an intriguing cosmic horror journey combined with an addictive roguelite loop.

Dead As Disco is built on a solid foundation of beat-based combat that feels responsive and enjoyable, and it's elevated by a truly great soundtrack. However, with run-of-the-mill levels and not much else to engage with aside from said combat, Dead As Disco runs out of steam incredibly quickly and becomes quite repetitive. [Early Access Score = 60]

It’s been 24 years since the last great Heroes game, but Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era is proving to be worth the wait, even in early access. Combat is fluid, the maps are beautiful and fair, and everything just works as it should right away. The bones are here, and then some, for a franchise that’s risen from the ashes like a Phoenix. [Early Access Review]

I can't help but wonder what could have been with Tides of Tomorrow. The choice of following another player and being impacted by their choices had the potential to be a truly memorable experience, but it doesn't go anywhere near as deep as it should. As a result, I've struggled to form any sort of connection with the game.

With fun gameplay and some unique mechanics, Last Flag is a fun take on a classic children's game, but a lack of content and variety in matches at launch might turn away some people after a few matches. Still, at this stage, it's a fun game with a strong foundation to build on in the coming months.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a new IP shooter at a bargain price. It boasts a stunning rubber hose art style and bombastic soundtrack that compliments its fun level design and solid gunplay.

Marathon is a tense, addictive extraction shooter that pairs Bungie’s best-in-class gunplay with a rewarding progression loop that keeps you coming back for more. While it’s held back slightly by limited variety, its high-stakes design makes it one of the strongest entries in the genre.

Super Meat Boy 3D is equally addicting and infuriating, resulting in me swearing like a sailor but unable to tear myself away as I watched Super Meat Boy sliced, diced, and suffer repeated deaths as I worked tirelessly to finally overcome each level, but the sensory overload it brings with it can be too much at times.

Crimson Desert is a game of extremes. At its best, it offers a breathtaking world filled with meaningful exploration, impressive scale, and genuinely thrilling battles. However, that brilliance is occasionally weighed down by an overabundance of unfocused systems, a weak narrative, and combat that struggles to maintain consistency.

With satisfying, yet challenging, parry combat, stunning visuals, and flexible skill builds, Solateria shows that there's still room for another standout must-play Metroidvania.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a blast with a full squad, offering clever class mechanics and fun vehicular segments that keep the missions moving. But once the initial adrenaline wears off, the shallow story and basic progression become hard to ignore. It’s a fun distraction that lacks innovation, struggling to stand out in an overcrowded genre.

The Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is an excellent example of how to remake a beloved classic. It keeps what made the 2003 original special, whilst adding to it in meaningful ways, even if the source content can heavily weigh it down at times.

With chaotic racing and AI that shows no regard for those around them, iRacing Arcade has its moments of fun on the track and in career mode. Unfortunately, it's held back by limited options and a poor multiplayer experience.

Sixteen years after the original game, Scott Pilgrim EX builds upon what made the first one so great. From challenging and unique boss fights to a fun story that fits in the Scott Pilgrim universe, this is a game that's not only a love-letter to the source material, but does a great job of standing out on its own.

MIO: Memories in Orbit stands out in a crowded field of Metroidvanias with beautiful art direction and an engaging narrative. The rewarding gameplay loop and amount of character upgrades provide plenty of replayability for the first standout indie game of 2026.

Ebola Village is an homage to classic Resident Evil games, but don't expect a hell of a lot from the $10 price tag. It's short, (kind of) sweet, and janky as heck, but it has heart, and it should keep you entertained for a few hours.

Quarantine Zombies is a strange replication of a much more successful game that launched almost at the same time, and while it has bold promises, it fails to deliver much more than an AI-ridden, jank-fuelled few hours of basic gameplay.

Eldegarde has potential as a fantasy extraction game with MMO elements and is generally enjoyable, but it's held back by a lack of players, a confusing rebrand, and an indication that there might not be much meat on the bones for evolution to take place.

Earth Must Die offers a weird, funny point-and-click adventure worth experiencing. A stellar voice cast shines, but some frustration with puzzles and load times may lead to you wanting to enjoy this game in shifts rather than in one shot.

World War Z x The Walking Dead is a perfectly decent representation of the show's most iconic locations and characters, and at just $9.99, the hours you get to explore the DLC are more than enough and very entertaining.

The Midnight Walkers is a poor stab at a unique concept that falls flat because of glaring design flaws and an unappealing makeup. There are few redeeming features for this zombie-based extraction title, and despite being one of the cheapest entries in the genre, it's almost certainly not worth your time. [Early Access Score = 20]

I hope this is the moment where Team Ninja is finally acknowledged as not only a driving force in the Soulslike genre, but for its name to be ranked amongst the best. Nioh 3 is an unbelievable game from start to finish and excels in all aspects of game development.

HumanitZ is about as open, free, and brutal as it gets for a post-apocalyptic sandbox. The depth of this title is stunning, and anyone who loves an overwhelming zombie nightmare will probably fall in love with it, just as soon as they get to grips with the at-times complex mechanics. Every time you think you've learned everything about HumanitZ, something else is guaranteed to surprise you.

Romeo Is A Dead Man is a fever dream of a title that you'll want to wake up from. It starts off strong, but before long, it falls victim to a repetitive nature that even its flashy and bloody combat can't save it from.

REANIMAL is a co-op great that is well-worth checking out and is a must-play for couch co-op players, but don't expect to have any clue what is happening in the narrative.

High On Life 2 builds on the original with faster, more creative gameplay, stronger writing, and inventive traversal, delivering a vibrant and frequently hilarious sci-fi shooter. While technical issues and a divisive ending might hold it back, its memorable characters and varied missions make it a standout sequel.

While God of War Sons of Sparta doesn't do anything special to reinvent the genre and comes with some definite unwanted baggage, it's a pretty good game that will cater more toward God of War fans than Metroidvania enthusiasts seeking the next big thing.