The Best Games of 2026 So Far, According to Our Reviews
Halfway through a year that ends with Grand Theft Auto 6, here are the 2026 games that actually earned their scores from us, ranked by our own verdicts.
Aymen Sakouhi//5 min read
© CAPCOM Co., Ltd. Official media via Steam.
2026 has a gravity well at the end of it named Grand Theft Auto 6, and a lot of coverage this year is really just waiting for that. The problem with waiting is that you miss the games that are already out and already excellent. So instead of another predictions piece, here is the honest version: the 2026 releases that scored highest in our own reviews, why they landed there, and who each one is for.
Every score below is ours, calibrated against real player sentiment rather than launch hype. We do not cluster everything at 8, and a high number here means the game earned it. Use this as a shortlist for the back half of the year, or as a way to catch up before the fall rush buries everything.
Resident Evil Requiem, 9.1
The highest-scoring 2026 game we have reviewed. Capcom is deep into one of the best runs in survival horror history, and Requiem does not break the streak. If you want one 2026 game that will still be talked about in five years, start here.
Mina the Hollower, 9.0
The team behind Shovel Knight turning its craft on a Game Boy Color style action-adventure, and the precision shows in every screen. It is the year's clearest proof that a tight, focused game with a strong point of view beats a bloated one. A must for anyone who loves handmade action design.
PRAGMATA, 8.8, and Forza Horizon 6, 8.8
Two very different 8.8s. PRAGMATA is Capcom's long-teased sci-fi swing finally landing, strange and confident. Forza Horizon 6 is the open-road comfort food done at a level almost no other racing series reaches. One is for players who want to be surprised; the other is for players who want the best-in-class version of something they already love.
Schrödinger's Call, 8.7, and the strong middle
Schrödinger's Call is the indie sleeper of the group, an adventure that rewards patience. Just behind it, Nioh 3 (8.5) gives the action-RPG crowd the depth they came for, and Mewgenics (8.5) is the long-awaited oddball from the Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac lineage, finally real and worth the wait. None of these are consensus picks yet, which is exactly why they are worth your attention now.
How to use this list
If you only play one, make it Resident Evil Requiem. If you want something smaller and sharper, Mina the Hollower. If you want to be surprised, PRAGMATA or Schrödinger's Call. We update our full ranking as new 2026 games get reviewed, so the shape of this list will change as the year does. The reviews linked below have the full breakdown, the pros and cons, and the score rationale for each.
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