Hand-picked essential games by genre — soulslike, metroidvania, JRPG, and more.
82 picks
Minecraft Dungeons II launches today on PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and Day One on Game Pass. Pre-launch reviews land firmly in 'excellent' territory, with Destructoid awarding it a hallmark of excellence and Polygon calling it 'junior Diablo done right' at just $29.99.
Mojang revealed the Ice Caves Holiday Drop at Minecraft LIVE 2026 — a new underground biome with glowing ice crystals and the first zombie variant with a ranged attack. Bigger still: The Sift, Minecraft's first new dimension since The End in 2011, is confirmed for Java and Bedrock in 2027.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave launches on Switch 2 with an 89 Metacritic score, tying Three Houses for second-best in franchise history. Here's the full picture: scores, the viral Walmart banana moment, and the Act 3 'gacha' claim debunked.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave launched September 17 on Switch 2 to an 89 Metacritic and 10/10 from IGN. A four-protagonist SRPG that places the series back at its Three Houses peak — with a Fodlan twist.
Nihon Falcom's remake launched September 17 on PS5, Switch, and Steam. OpenCritic 92 makes it 2026's best-reviewed game, beating Forza Horizon 6 and Mina the Hollower. Full review breakdown.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave launches today on Nintendo Switch 2. Critics score it 89 on Metacritic, tied for the series' second-best ever. A four-path story you can switch between freely, Blaze Arts combat, and 200+ hours of content make it 2026's most ambitious SRPG.
Marvel's Wolverine lands September 15 on PS5 with a 77 Metacritic score — Insomniac's lowest yet and Sony's weakest first-party PS5 result so far. Critics praise the visuals and story, but flag dated, repetitive combat. Here's what you need to know before buying.
Nintendo confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches November 5 exclusively on Switch 2, putting it head-to-head with GTA 6. Here's every gameplay change revealed at the 40th Anniversary Direct.
Edmund McMillen's cat-breeding roguelike SRPG Mewgenics launches today on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. With a Metacritic 88 and cross-save from Steam, the console version closes the last gap for players who skipped the February PC release.
Sony's September 2026 State of Play confirmed Final Fantasy VII Revelation for April 8, 2027 — simultaneous across PS5, Switch 2, Xbox, and PC — alongside Until Dawn 2, Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition, and two GTA 6-themed DualSense controllers.
Bandai Namco's Code Vein 2 gets its first expansion DLC Mask of Idris on September 9, adding the Forsaken World, new character Liv Voda, and a simultaneous free Ver. 2.0 update delivering 90+ character customization parts to all players.
Ex-Witcher 3 developers at Rebel Wolves score an 83 on Metacritic with their vampire RPG debut. Reviews highlight rich world-building but split on pacing and repetition.
CD Projekt Red showed 13 minutes of Songs of the Past gameplay at Gamescom 2026. The third Witcher 3 expansion heads to Letten in 2027 — and the free remaster drops September 29.
CD Projekt Red closed Gamescom ONL 2026 with its biggest surprise: a free Witcher 3 Remaster dropping September 29, plus both expansions now free for all owners. Here's what changed and who gets what.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is out now on Nintendo Switch 2, bundling the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree, two new classes, and Torrent skins. Critics score it Metacritic 91.
CD Projekt's Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3 got its first full reveal at Gamescom ONL: new region Letten, a chain weapon pulled from Witcher 1, and Gwent returning. Witcher 4 is officially targeting 2028.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is coming to PC, Xbox, Switch 2, and PS5 on August 27 — its first platform port since the original 2008 PS3 exclusive. Here's everything in Vol.2 and whether to buy now.
FromSoftware and Bandai Namco's Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition arrives August 28 on Nintendo Switch 2. It bundles the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree, two new starting classes, new armor, and Torrent customization. Priced at $79.99 in the US.
Square Enix confirmed Kingdom Hearts 4 launches late 2027 on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC. D23 revealed Pixar's Coco as the first Disney world and a new anime series for Disney+.
Team NINJA's first Nioh 3 DLC arrives August 19 on PS5 and PC. Hell Rising adds a Keian-era Edo stage, the hoko and shield weapon set, the Enlightened One's Journey difficulty tier, and the Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scroll endgame system. Season Pass holders play at no extra cost.
Wild Wits Games' medieval management RPG Sovereign Tower launched August 6 to a Metacritic 86 and 91% Very Positive on Steam. At $16.99 through August 20, it's the best-value deep RPG of the month.
House House's Big Walk launched August 4 with a Metacritic 94, the highest score of any 2026 release. The co-op adventure for 2–12 players is free on PS Plus Essential through August 31, and 25% off on Steam until August 18.
Pocketpair's creature-collecting survival game hit full 1.0 release on July 10, 2026, peaking at 1 million concurrent Steam players and crossing 30 million lifetime sales. Critics range from PC Gamer's 70 to Game8's 92, while Steam users hold a steady 95% positive across 170,000+ reviews.
The Pokémon Company confirmed August 5 as the launch date for Pokémon Pokopia's first paid expansion, Bubbly Basin. The underwater town brings new Pokémon including Popplio, Totodile, and Mudkip, alongside buoyant-block building, deep-sea exploration, and a free Dive ability update for all owners.
GSC Game World has confirmed August 20 as the release date for Cost of Hope, STALKER 2's first paid story expansion. New regions include the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Iron Forest, alongside a free 2.0 engine update upgrading the game to Unreal Engine 5.5.4.
CD Projekt Red confirms Songs of the Past, The Witcher 3's third major expansion co-developed with Fool's Theory, with Blood and Wine-level scope. First footage reveals at Gamescom Opening Night Live, August 25, 2026.
Santa Monica Studio confirmed God of War Laufey's PS5 release date as February 16, 2027 at SDCC 2026, with Cory Barlog also announcing a new Kratos-led God of War game coming after Laufey. Here's everything revealed at the panel — cast, story, combat, and what it means for the franchise.
Splatoon Raiders is out today exclusively on Switch 2 with a Metacritic score of 81. Here's a breakdown of what critics agree on, the one outlier review worth noting, and whether the franchise's first solo spin-off is worth your $50.
Red Hook Studios surprised Darkest Dungeon fans by announcing The Fire's Edge, the first DLC for the original game since 2020. Two heroes from Darkest Dungeon II — the Duelist and the Runaway — cross over to the classic gothic roguelike, bringing the new Burn mechanic and three Hamlet Districts. Release: August 18, 2026 on PC, Mac, PS4/PS5 and Nintendo platforms.
Undercoders' Denshattack! launched July 15 to a Metacritic 90 and 97% Steam positive — one of the sharpest critic-to-user alignments for an indie release this year. We break down every score, the trick system that earned them, and what the game's success says about the 2026 indie market.
Palworld launched version 1.0 on July 10 with an 855K Steam concurrent peak — the highest of 2026 and a Steam all-time top-10 entry. New content includes the World Tree endgame zone, Sunreach, Sky Islands, Wing Pack traversal, Genetic Recombination, PvP, and 20+ Pals.
DOOM: The Dark Ages' first major DLC launched July 7. The new Chain Spear and returning dash inject Eternal-style mobility into Dark Ages' heavy combat, backed by 10–12 hours of campaign, classic DOOM remasters, and Ripatorium 3.0.
Ubisoft Singapore's ground-up remake of Black Flag lands today on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC with an 84 on Metacritic. Critics agree the Caribbean pirate fantasy has never looked or played better — with a few Ubisoft caveats.
DOOM: The Dark Ages' first major DLC Revelations drops July 7 with the new Chain Spear weapon, 10-12 hours of content bigger than both Eternal DLCs combined, and the return of Khan Maykr.
Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven returns after 11 years with Groove — 80+ solo mini-games, 30+ multiplayer modes, a hidden RPG mode, and a Metacritic score of 82. The Switch's final first-party game lands exactly as fans hoped.
id Software's first major DLC for DOOM: The Dark Ages drops July 7 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Revelations adds 10-12 hours of campaign and endgame content built around the new Chain Spear — bigger than both Eternal DLC packs combined.
DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations DLC drops July 7 with the return of Khan Maykr, the new Chain Spear weapon, Ripatorium 3.0, and new demons. Base game sits at 88% Positive on Steam with 1.26M copies sold. Premium Edition at $99.99 includes DLC.
Shiro Games (Northgard, Wartales) launched SpaceCraft on Steam Early Access June 11 — a multiplayer space exploration, building, and automation sandbox with 400K+ wishlists. Priced at $29.99 with a 10% launch discount for 14 days.
Remedy Entertainment's Control sequel Control Resonant drops September 24 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Hands-on previews rave about its melee-focused action RPG combat set across open-world Manhattan. Full Korean language support confirmed.
Solarpunk, a cozy survival crafting game built by just two developers over four years, launched on PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch 2 on June 8. Day-one Xbox Game Pass inclusion means subscribers can play for free right now.
Yacht Club Games (Shovel Knight) returns with Mina the Hollower — a top-down action-adventure scoring Metacritic 91 and Steam's Very Positive rating. A gothic horror world, a burrow mechanic unlike anything in the genre, and a Dark Souls-inspired structure make this one of 2026's best indie games.
Square Enix's critically acclaimed Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles — TGA 2025 Best Sim/Strategy winner — receives an official Korean language update on June 17, 2026. Here's everything new players need to know about one of the finest strategy RPGs ever made.
IO Interactive revealed 007 First Light's Year One roadmap at SGF 2026. Lenny Kravitz returns as Bawma in a new story mission, alongside a new gadget, New Game+, Photo Mode, and TacSim expansions. The game has sold 2.7 million copies in its first week.
Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine launches PS5-exclusive September 15, 2026. Full breakdown of the Rage meter, real-time healing factor, Jean Grey co-op combat, Sabretooth rivalry fights, and why Insomniac went 'unapologetically violent' for the ultimate Logan fantasy.
SEGA and Creative Assembly officially revealed Alien: Isolation 2 at Summer Game Fest 2026 with first footage. New setting: Weyland-Yutani colony world Kurosaki Station. Confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Switch 2. No release date yet — but the wait is finally over.
IO Interactive's James Bond origin story scores 88 on Metacritic and 9/10 from IGN. 1.5 million copies sold in first 24 hours. Is this really the best Bond game ever? Full review roundup + the Amazon sequel rights controversy explained.
Remedy Entertainment has confirmed CONTROL Resonant launches September 24, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam/Epic), and Mac. Dylan Faden takes over as sole protagonist. The Hiss has escaped the Oldest House. Digital Deluxe Edition includes 48-hour early access.
CD Projekt RED confirmed a third Witcher 3 expansion, Songs of the Past, co-developed with Fool's Theory for a 2027 release. Geralt returns 11 years after Blood and Wine in what could be the franchise's grand finale before The Witcher 4.
The conversation around Baldur's Gate 3 at The Game Awards 2023 wasn't really a competition — it swept GOTY, Best RPG, Best Multiplayer, and four other categories.
Steam reviewers overwhelmingly place The Witcher 3 among the greatest RPGs ever made.
A one-person studio built the most addictive roguelike of the decade for under five dollars. Here's why Vampire Survivors is one of the most important indie games ever made.
Undertale is one of the longest-running highly-rated indie games on Steam, and its review stream shows no sign of slowing.
From Elden Ring to Remnant 2 — the definitive soulslike ranking for newcomers and veterans. Every pick verified for current availability. Know what you're getting into before you start.
MegaCrit's deckbuilding roguelike didn't just popularize a genre — it perfected one. Slay the Spire remains the gold standard for strategic card games and the benchmark every competitor is measured against.
This is not Dark Souls. It's not Elden Ring. Sekiro is FromSoftware dismantling its own formula and rebuilding it from scratch — and the result is the most singular combat system the soulslike genre has ever produced.
From Hades II to Balatro, the greatest roguelike games ever made — ranked for newcomers and veterans alike. Die, learn, repeat. These 10 are worth every run.
Housemarque's magnum opus fuses third-person bullet-hell combat with roguelike progression and a haunting psychological mystery — a punishing, exhilarating loop you won't be able to stop.
Capcom's 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4 doesn't just update a classic — it redefines what a remake can achieve, delivering one of the finest action games ever made.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is frequently cited in the Steam community as the most compelling argument that video games can be genuine art.
A 100-hour game that never feels like work. Phantom Thieves, Palaces, Confidants, the Royal additions — here's why Persona 5 Royal is the generation-defining JRPG that wins over everyone, genre fans or not.
Somewhere between PlatinumGames' relentless action and Yoko Taro's nihilism, Nier: Automata asks what the point of existence is — and lets you feel the weight of that question through every fight, sidequest, and ending.
Steam reviews describe Monster Hunter: World not as a game but as a 'lifestyle.'
From Hollow Knight to Prince of Persia — the definitive ranking of the genre's finest games, with every pick verified for current availability, platform, Metacritic score, and Steam rating.
Joel and Ellie's brutal, heartbreaking cross-country journey through post-apocalyptic America arrives on PC with a full visual overhaul — one of gaming's most emotionally resonant stories, rebuilt for a new generation.
From Persona 5 Royal to Final Fantasy X — the definitive JRPG list organized by playtime, difficulty, and what kind of story you want. 10 essential picks, all in one place.
A $15 game made by three people in Adelaide rewrote what a metroidvania could be. Here's why Hollow Knight remains the genre's benchmark in 2026 — and everything new players need to know before descending into Hallownest.
Hades swept the 2020 Game of the Year conversation so thoroughly that the debate was essentially over before December.
On Steam, God of War commands review scores that hold their own against any PC exclusive.
Square Enix didn't just remake a classic — they rebuilt Midgar from the ground up, married real-time action to classic ATB strategy, and delivered one of the most ambitious JRPGs of the modern era.
Where George R.R. Martin's myth-building meets FromSoftware's uncompromising design philosophy. Here's why Elden Ring remains one of the greatest games ever made.
The Steam community has broadly crowned Doom Eternal as a landmark for the FPS genre in the 2020s.
The Steam community consensus on Divinity: Original Sin 2 is unusually unified for a game this complex: it is the high-water mark of the CRPG genre.
Across Steam and the broader gaming press, Disco Elysium draws reactions that go beyond conventional praise.
Four dwarves. One alien planet. An inexhaustible supply of bugs and beer. Deep Rock Galactic is the gold standard of co-op gaming — and its community is the most wholesome in gaming.
Motion Twin's masterpiece fuses the permanent progression of a Metroidvania with the randomness of a roguelike to create something greater than both — a game that stays brutally satisfying no matter how many hours you've put in.
The definitive version of the game that invented a genre, Dark Souls Remastered remains a masterclass in hostile world design, punishing combat, and the quiet joy of eventually winning.
From catastrophic launch to undisputed masterpiece — how CD Projekt Red turned Cyberpunk 2077 into one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
The Steam community simultaneously bestows Cuphead two honors it has earned completely: 'one of the most visually stunning games ever made' and 'one of the hardest games I've ever played.'
A pixel-art platformer about climbing a mountain turned out to be one of the most honest examinations of anxiety and self-acceptance in any medium. Here's a full breakdown of Celeste's mechanics, narrative, Assist Mode philosophy, B-sides, C-sides, and Lena Raine's score — and why a small indie stood at the center of the 2018 GOTY conversation.
One developer. One viral demo clip. A genre nobody saw coming. Balatro took poker's skeleton and rebuilt it into something the gaming world had never seen — earning a 90 on Metacritic and a Game Awards 2024 GOTY nomination in the process.
Terraria came out in 2011. At the time of writing, it has over 600,000 reviews on Steam at 'Overwhelmingly Positive' — a rating maintained across a decade of free updates.