The best games of 2026, so far

Now over halfway through the year, our best games of 2026 list is looking very healthy. So far, it's been a great year for gaming that's combined fantastic entries in our favorite series like Resident Evil Requiem with brand new surprises like Mina the Hollower. What's wild is that there's still plenty of new games for 2026 that seem like safe bets for this list as well. There's plenty more to come.

Below, we've got our ranked list, which collects together the best games we've played this year so far. To qualify, these games must have scored 4-stars or more in our proper review verdict (you can find our criteria by taking a look at how we score on GamesRadar+). For games that received the same score, we've further refined the ranking below through healthy debate on-team. Though, expect the exact order to shift as the year progresses.

These highly-rated games will be in the conversation when it comes to Game of the Year discussions. Unsure why something is missing? You can take a look at all our reviews to see which ones we gave a full verdict, but we also offer additional curated lists on a genre-by-genre basis, such as the best single-player games, best RPG games, best FPS games, and more! For now, join me as we rundown the best games of 2026 so far!

The best games of 2026, ranked

Licensed fighters can definitely be hit and miss, but Invincible VS manages to land a blow square to the jaw, bloody flecks flying. Built with obvious love for both the source material and fighting games as a genre, this fighter might not push the form forward much but really gets it.

While some of the match-ups feel like they don't make a lot of sense (the curse of any fighting game based on a power-scaling type of media), questions quickly fade into the background as you get hooked on its solid four-button fighter system – similar to the likes of Tekken 8 or Dragon Ball FighterZ. Narratively this is lightweight, and doesn't come close to the source material, but it doesn't have to for this to be a fun fighter in its own right.

Crimson Desert is an open world action RPG stuffed to the brim with just about every game mechanic you can imagine for the genre. It doesn't make for the greatest gaming story ever told, but it does make for a massive open world sandbox that's easy to lose yourself in.

The biggest inspirations seem to be from The Witcher 3 with its gritty world and bloody combat, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's approach to open world freedom and puzzling – and there's a touch of the Assassin's Creed's RPGs to it as well. You can tell developer Pearl Abyss are known for MMOs (they made the massive Black Desert Online), as this has a huge amount of side-content to explore that can feel rewarding to find. This adventure is best taken as your own, so set out into the world and explore.

Gothic 1 Remake is a faithful and luxurious redo of the 2001 RPG classic, which is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The original is notoriously unfriendly to play, but delightfully open. Though this remake has some improvements, it still has that same energy.

But, the more you get into Gothic's strange dark fantasy world, the more you grow to appreciate the hands-off approach to letting you cut loose through its magical dome, in which different human camps and monsters vie for control. At times obtuse, it can feel satisfying to wrangle its systems and come out on top, and despite the bleak setting that can also lead to some great moments of slapstick. Even if that comes at the cost of you getting mauled by wolves just outside of town.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a remake of the iconic PS3 crime drama, centering on former yakuza with a heart-of-gold Kazuma Kiryu as he attempts to retire and run an orphanage in Okinawa. But won't you believe it, he gets dragged right back in as the land his orphanage is on becomes a valuable piece in a political conspiracy.

In terms of narrative, this remains one of the best Yakuza storylines because of how much it really does grapple with Kiryu trying to leave his criminal life behind, and having to grab that by the horns rather than operate from the shadows. Crunchy real-time brawls return too, which is great to see after recent turn-based and floatier entries. While great side content from the original is missing, and replacement bonuses are a bit hit-and-miss – this is still a great adventure and a solid overhaul of one of the best Yakuza games.

Romeo is a Dead Man is a bloodbath-generating time travel hack and slash adventure that isn't quite like anything else, with hyper-violent gunplay and melee. Romeo is plucked out of time just before his death to join the FBI Space-Time task force, coming down on aberrant fluctuations with extreme prejudice, all as he tries to find meaning in this new, strange existence.

The result is an electric experience like little else, with bloody, high-octane clashes, a talking jacket, a mysterious man inside a TV who helps you solve puzzles, and a hub area that shifts perspective from third-person to being in the style of a 16-bit RPG. Creator Suda 51 is known for a certain punk and irreverent style that permeates the likes of Killer7, No More Heroes, or Shadows of the Damned – and it feels like it all coalesces here. So off-kilter is Romeo is a Dead Man, it won't be for everyone, but that feels like a triumph of its own, and only ensures those who are into it will love it all the more.

Rhythm Heaven Groove brings the series back on Nintendo Switch, with more quickfire mini-games to play to the beat. It's a slick production, and while it doesn't make full use of the hardware as a new Wario Ware might (the two series share DNA), this is a solid overhaul that simply feels better than ever to play.

The genius of Rhythm Heaven remains intact throughout, teaching you bizarre rules and throwing you into oddball scenarios at rapid pace – but, all based around timing and rhythm, they're all perfectly fair and learnable, giving a sense of mastering chaos. Absolutely stacked with more content than you'd expect, there's plenty of reason to keep coming back. RPG mode Beatspell is one such excellent addition, a series of battle chapters where you cast spells by adjusting the timing of your dance moves.

World of Warcraft's World Soul Saga continues to go from strength to strength, with World of Warcraft: Midnight being one of our favorite MMORPG expansions in a long time. It's not a complete reinvention of the genre wheel, but small improvements stack up to make this a great time to be invested as a fan.

A great story rewards investment in the saga's characters, while also providing compelling hooks for newcomers, taking you through an RPG adventure that even recontextualizes some old favorite areas. There's a great sense of space to how the tale moves you through each environment, too (and even a few dialogue options). Mini-dungeon Delves are better than ever, and new race Haranir are a great addition alongside the new Demon Hunter Devourer class. For a series now over two decades old, it's great to feel excited about its future again.

We can debate how much Mixtape is a game until the cow's come home, but to do so is missing the point. Like a real Mixtape, it's better to just let the vibe take over and experience what it has to offer: a humorous, emotional, and often unserious montage of coming-of-age teen moments leading to one big bash before college.

Obviously inspired by similar teen movies of the '80s and '90s – John Hughes flicks in particular – Mixtape doesn't evolve much on these concepts except in one big way: it's a video game. Scored by protagonist Stacey's ever-present mixtape (which she breaks the fourth wall to discuss), teen antics become interactive music videos, whether that's busting kickflips to DEVO or joyriding a shopping cart to Rainbow. Another moment has you play out a first kiss by controlling two squelchy tongues with your analogue sticks. This is lightweight but infectious, Mixtape becoming more than the sum of its parts. Just as any good mixtape should.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is, in some ways, a departure for the Lego series, but that ends up making it less of a departure as a Batman game. Leaning on the Batman Arkham series, this combines the series' high-impact action and open-world discovery with the classic Lego humor better than we expected.

The result is a more focused Lego adventure that nevertheless pulls in just about every possible Batman reference across comics, movies, television, and even games to joyfully remix the best bits into what feels like a real celebration. Filled with collectibles to hoover up, a solid storyline to follow, and its fair share of supporting characters (though much more limited than other Lego games), this is a treat for young players and veteran Bat-fans alike.

Dosa Divas sees sisters Samara and Amani reuniting to take on their own third sister, Lina, who has let their family tradition of home-cooked food fester into a mass-produced business. With mech suit Goddess, the pair are able to use flavor profiles to battle enemies, and use its built-in kitchen to whip up street food on the fly.

It's an odd setup that's immediately charming, its fresh world of mech-based food vendors immediately providing a strong hook as you help out the residents of each town to remind them of the love that comes from food culture when it's properly respected. This is a short, snappy RPG (a bit less than ten hours), with lightweight, simple action. But, like the best of dishes, the ingredients all come together to make for something delicious that'll leave you wanting another bite just to taste it again.

Yoshi's big platforming return might not completely rewrite the genre's book, but it does have a good go at it, trading linear levels for more exploratory challenges that have you filling out a living book until it's bursting at the seams with your creativity that you unearth.

In action, that means the colorful Yoshis leaping into Mr E's chapters to encounter new creatures across different worlds, puzzling out how each critter's powers can enable Yoshi to push further and explore more. The goal is more about figuring out what to do, and how to do it, than it is just moving from left to right, and it gives the green dino star a fresh feeling direction that stands apart from Mario's platformers, even if the power-absorbing tips a cap to Kirby.

This might be a remake of the iconic Nintendo 64 shooter that has the Star Fox crew blasting their way to galaxy-saving greatness, but this luscious Switch 2 overhaul makes it feel like it's brand new again.

Sure, at times Star Fox hews so closely to its Star Fox 64 source material that it feels like it doesn't bring that much new to the table, other than a cinematic quality to its cutscenes and gorgeous graphics. But, that respect for the classic game simply highlights how timeless the shooting mechanics remain. With branching paths intact, and a game snappy enough that replays feel like a must – this is as hard to put down as was in the '90s.

Splatoon's first non-competitive-focused game proves that using Squidlings to blast enemies with tactile barrages of ink feels great no matter the form. This is a meaty solo experience, but you can also play a lot of it in co-op too – this is far from lonely.

Stranded in an archipelago with the band Deep Cut, you need to head out on excursions to secure gear in order to stand any chance of making it back to civilization. The problem is all the salmonids and other enemies that stand in your way. Smartly recontextualizing the core set of mechanics that make regular Splatoon great, this Nintendo take on the looter shooter packs plenty of charm.

This Monster Hunter spin-off series isn't an open world action game, but a more traditional turn-based JRPG that leans into creature collecting instead. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a big improvement on its predecessors, with refined combat and exploration, and an almost Game of Thrones-like weaving plot of political intrigue.

In part, it's helped by giving you access to a special Rathalos 'monstie' pal at the beginning of your adventure, this strong and adaptable monster really helping you feel like you're coming into this RPG swinging. The rock-paper-scissors-style combat triangle has more depth than it first appears, and each map is loaded with reasons to poke around. Best of all, while its plot is approachable, it's not afraid to tackle big themes that feel right in-step with the rest of the Monster Hunter world, making you really think about this fantasy ecosystem.

Tides of Tomorrow is a narrative-driven microplastics post-apocalypse that manages to feel like a much-needed fresh take on an end-of-the-world scenario, while giving you and fellow players enough agency to consider making a difference to the almost-doomed world.

Awakening from under the sea, you and other players are part of an old world before the fractured remnants of humanity scattered across mostly man-made islands. Your own story is reactive based around what players before you did, resulting in the vibe of a well-crafted theme-park experience as you make decisions and follow returning characters across each island's episodic-like story. It's a quirky concept that could pay off more, but still makes for a shot in the arm for narrative gaming, and those deadly but colorful plastics do make this bright blue tale look simply gorgeous.

Like if Metal Gear Solid 5 went goblin mode, Styx: Blades of Greed sees the return of the titular fantasy burglar for another quest to nab shiny goodies. This time around, though, the action goes open world, with each act of the story expanding a handful of big, dense maps with more thieving opportunities.

Here, Styx is after magical Quartz on a world-saving mission that just so happens to also be beneficial to him. After all, if the world ended, there'd be nothing left to steal, right? Objectives are broad and available for Styx to tackle in mostly any order, each map connecting together different structures with multiple points of entry, with Styx having numerous fantasy skills to get the job done. From scrambling up chimneys, poisoning food with his vomit, or creating clone decoys, there are loads of ways to get creative with stealth. It's rare to get any big budget stealth games these days, and we didn't expect this one to impress us so much by genuinely evolving the genre like it does.

Demon Tides offers a whole archipelago of platforming levels, each with their own biome, theme, and set of jumping challenges for demon queen Beebz to master. Building on the tricky platforming in Demon Turf, this gorgeous step forward refines the action while adding in loads of customization options that make you feel like you're putting together your own platformer moveset.

Core actions draw from the genre's best, from long jumps to wall runs. Demon transformations add complexity, giving bonuses depending on how you swap between them with each jump, which can then be further customized with talismans. Want extra height on certain moves? More horizontal traversal at the cost of less verticality? Greater speed at the cost of exploding if you stand still? Just strapping on rollerblades? Playing how you want doesn't stop Demon Tides from offering fantastic challenges, even if it ends up a bit easier than Demon Turf. Few 3D platformers feel as joyous as this.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a weird, surreal, and wonderful fishbowl of your own Mii-created oddities that feels like a solid evolution of what's become an iconic social simulator. Filled to the brim with strange events and collectibles, as well as new quirks for your custom characters that really bring them to life, this is better than ever and can be a total time sink as you check in each day.

Still, this can feel more like a much needed refinement than anything truly fresh. If you like the previous Tomodachi Life, you'll love this – but nothing is so new that it'll give you a totally new experience or bring you in if you bounced off the last one. It's hard to complain, though, as this is so shockingly off-the-wall and friendly to true customization that we're surprised, delighted, and feeling devilish with what this allows us to get away with.

This isn't just the best Bond game to date, but the best encapsulation of the complete spy thriller fantasy in gaming form. Smartly combing blockbuster spectacle with stealth elements, this knows when to go loud but importantly when to open up spaces for quiet espionage as well.

Starring a young James Bond (brilliantly portrayed by Patrick Gibson), this is a terrific origin story that genuinely charts the evolution of the character into the 007 we know from across the series' wider media. Loaded with gadgets, slick snooping evolves on the developer's Hitman series without feeling like a reskin, and can break out into some incredible action when the narrative demands.

This open-world racer moves the action to Japan, Forza Horizon 6 delivering one of the series' largest, densest, and most detailed maps to date. Heaving with a base amount of solo content, with oodles of multiplayer and updated seasonal activities on top, this is a rich, racing treat.

Despite that, this is a bit business as usual for Forza Horizon, with fairly straightforward, arcadey racing events that don't push the boat (or, erm, car) out too much, with an almost theme park-like lack of friction to the world's actual construction. Small gripes, for sure. Modern racers don't get more packed with thrills than this, and grumbling about more high-quality Forza is like grumbling about more delicious cake, but we do hope future entries have a bit more tinkering under the hood.

Pragmata can feel like playing two different sci-fi games at the same time, the controller almost split in half between astronaut Hugh and android Diana as they fight through an AI-controlled space station together, the former blasting away like in an arcade shooter while the latter hacks robot enemies to make them vulnerable.

The story is touching, but lightweight. Instead, Pragmata feels like a real celebration of arcade-style sci-fi action. Capcom is the perfect studio to blend that with modern sensibilities, each time you exit the Shelter safe room to plow through robot enemies almost feeling like an arcade run. It'd be easy to get anxious that this is all too much to balance, but somehow Pragmata manages to give you a lot to do without overwhelming, instead helping you feel locked in to playing it at all times. Just, you might struggle to also pay attention to Family Guy at the same time – Pragmata is almost like second-screening already by design.

Saros exists somewhat in the shadow of the incredible Returnal, but manages to find its own groove to its shooting-heavy roguelike adventuring across a new alien planet. More narrative heavy, and with more ways to power-up, this successfully broadens the appeal of Housemarque's former PS5 exclusive.

In fact, it manages to combine some great storytelling that doesn't get in the way with really thrilling, arcade-like gameplay. Hero Arjun is able to use his shield to absorb certain element bullets, a risk/reward that encourages you to get into the fray to truly dominate explosive encounters. So much here is similar to Returnal that it's hard to disentangle the two, but once it clicks, Saros really does manage to feel like an evolution.

Beast of Reincarnation is Pokemon developer Game Freak's most ambitious break from their creature collector yet. This is an ecologically-minded action RPG set in a luscious, overgrown, and corrupted future Japan, with thrilling combat and a lovely wolf companion named Koo.

This pulls from a lot of influences quite obviously, from a touch of Nier with the robots, to Final Fantasy 7 Remake with how you combine real-time sword slashes with tactical commands. But, it results in something unique, especially with how 'bloom arts' feel in combat to enhance combos. Hero Emma's weirdly corrupted hair can be used to grapple around plants in arenas, and synergies can feel super satisfying to pull off.

Marathon is the perfect distillation of everything FPS legend Bungie is great at, combining excellent gun feel with tense player-vs-player combat across truly gorgeous and well-realized sci-fi settings. An extraction shooter, Marathon definitely takes cues from genre titans, but, as ever for Bungie, uses sheer polish to reinvent its vibes almost from the ground up.

With a cyberpunk setting, mixing garish bright colors with a touch of bleakness, you play as a Runner slipping into a Shell on Tau Ceti IV to hoover up goodies and get them out safely on behalf of your contract sponsors. Encouraging conflict, rival players are rarely friendly, but there's still the sense you're all in a mess together, whether that's forging quick alliances out of practicality or simply accepting you've all been thrown into the blender together. Securing gear readies you for big, limited-time events, like the truly brutal yet thrilling Cryo Archive raid. Marathon certainly isn't for everyone, but for those that feel the Shell's calling it's become an obsession for good reason.

The HD-2D masters at Team Asano turn their hand from turn-based JRPG epics to an action RPG, following the titular Elliot as he explores a big overworld and multiple dungeons across different time periods of this fantasy world.

It's not the only game we've loved this year that owes a debt to classic The Legend of Zelda, though there's a bouncy physicality to the combat that reminds us of Nihon Falcom's Ys series as well. Combining an arsenal of weapons with unique fairy spells that can be independently controlled with the analogue stick, this is an adventure that sticks out more for how good it feels to play in the hands than narrative innovation – but that can be just as impressive.

Titanium Court is a bizarre blend of match-three, real-time strategy RPG, and narrative-driven puzzler. What's even more bizarre is how well the game's disparate elements don't just go together, but complement one another.

Before you know it, you're commanding your fairy court to take advantage of shifting market rates, all while carefully merging mountains and cultivating unbroken chains of rivers to provide protection from enemy units. As the battlefield merges and disappears, there's a lot to keep track of as new challenges and story beats emerge – but it manages to be a pleasing brain massage without ever asking too much if you just want to chill. I've not been this hooked on smashing through a puzzler since Balatro.

I never thought that a game centred around the tactical breeding of questionable-looking cats would be so good. But I'm happy that Mewgenics proved me wrong. Developed by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, here we get the perfect mash-up of The Binding of Isaac, Into the Breach, and a touch of Dungeons and Dragons to give us a truly outstanding strategy roguelike. With each run, you'll need to pick a group of cats and assign them different classes that come with their own abilities and quirks.

On said runs, you'll need to win turn-based encounters and often stop by skill checks on your adventures. Basically (if you don't want to get exploded by a cocky rat, or worse), the game relies on your cats having good stats, and you'll want to breed the ultimate crew as you progress to different areas. The gameplay loop is massively fun, but the humor and frankly outstanding soundtrack really tip Mewgenics into being one of the best games you'll play this year.

The Shovel Knight developer returns with their next major project. Mina the Hollower does for classic Zelda and Castlevania what Shovel Knight did for Mega Man and Ducktales, while being a very different type of game in its own right.

The result is a top-down, hardcore adventure that oozes style. Committed to its retro-style principles, Mina the Hollower is nevertheless filled with mechanical innovations that ensure it evolves beyond its inspirations, an echo with a full-throated song of its own, and one that hits all the right notes. This might be hard in places, but deep customization options mean you can adjust it to your liking.

Nioh 3 takes the masocore Soulslike series open world, and manages to make it feel like a huge improvement rather than a gimmick. Each large map is dense with activities, and the wideness means you can poke and prod as you please without feeling like you're stuck on a single challenge. Well, most of the time, that is. Nioh 3 still has more traditional levels you access throughout the map, which makes it feel like the best of both worlds.

Speaking of two worlds, the samurai action of the earlier games is joined by a ninja playstyle. Rather than pick one, you can swap between them with just the press of a button, even mid-combo, creating fluid multi-skill builds that allow you to strike back at even the biggest of yokai demons. Nioh 3 is as challenging as ever, but manages to feel fairly balanced so you have the tools to take on all-comers. This isn't just the most ambitious Nioh yet, but the easiest to get into as well – a great combination.

Pokemon Pokopia isn't just one of the best Switch 2 games, but it's also (in our opinion anyway), a system seller that will have you saying "just one more hour" every time you play it. For years cozy gamers have wanted a relaxing Pokemon title in the genre, and Pokopia delivers a well-balanced and truly addictive answer to our prayers. Here you play as a Ditto that takes on the form of their old trainer after waking up in a post-human world.

The world is truly in ruins, and it's up to you to restore areas, strategically place items to form Pokemon habitats, and make sure all the Pokemon friends you find are happy and thriving. As a completist, filling up my Pokedex and the new Habitat Dex, is beyond satisfying. That, paired with a surprisingly touching story and the absolutely massive amount of building and colossal maps to decorate, creates a winning formula.

Resident Evil Requiem celebrates 30 years of survival horror, tying together plot threads stretching back into series history while also introducing some newer, scarier elements to push the genre forward.

Two heroes help those mesh, with veteran agent Leon Kennedy taking point on bombastic action horror, while newcomer FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft struggles to make it through more classic-themed survival horror. Both are split across one storyline, perspective shifting as the narrative progresses. The detailed environments early game in the Rhodes Hill Care Center really modernize the vibes of the iconic Spencer Mansion, while Raccoon City is the backdrop to cutting through legions of undead. It might not specialize in one form of horror, but this combination manages to feel fresh, making for one of the best Resident Evil games yet.