My Most Anticipated Games of 2026
After the phenomenon that was 2025 in video games, I find myself feeling terribly underwhelmed by what’s to come in 2026, especially considering Grand Theft Auto VI continues its delays and is one more away from becoming a 2027 game. I imagine a lot of my 2026 will be catching up on games I missed in 2025 and previous years. I also envision myself stumbling suddenly across multiple indie games that come out this year. Hopefully, 2026 will defy my expectations. The following are those expectations to be surpassed (in no particular order):
Nivalis - 2026
This was on my list a year ago. Not only has it still not released, it still doesn’t even have a release date. The development team continues to release updates (although, there hasn’t been one since before the holidays in November). Back in October, 2025, the word was that the team was focused heavily on voice over work after adding a substantial number of new roles to the cast. They seem hopeful for a release this coming year after they get some more time for polishing.
No matter how many times this game gets delayed, I can’t quit the whole premise. I know every person has their own taste, but who wouldn’t be interested in a life sim with business management elements in a detailed, cyberpunk setting? Enter Nivalis.
Grand Theft Auto VI - November 19, 2026
Duh. GTA VI continues to get delayed after an original release date set in this past fall season. Another game that appeared on last year’s list. In the simplest of terms, GTA VI is the game to get, and it has been for the better part of a decade. Initially, reporting began for it back in 2018. I still remember working part-time for Screen Rant and reporting on GTA VI’s supposedly massive map in April of 2021; by far my most read article. It’s a phenomenon.
My delectable memories of zooming through Los Santos in GTA V and the jaw-dropping storytelling of Read Dead Redemption 2 drive my excitement for Rockstar’s next masterpiece.
Pragmata - April 24, 2026
What a weird journey this game has had before its release. It was announced over five years ago. Since then, multiple delays, including an indefinite one, with little information about what the game actually is led to a lot of confused gamers. Now, it’s more alive than ever, including a new demo that I still haven’t gotten around to playing. I wouldn’t place this high on the list of the games I’m looking forward to at this point, but the concept seems so out there that I’m interested in being able to judge for myself by giving it a shot.
Replaced - March 12, 2026
The more time that passes, the less I remember why I added this to my list in the first place. However, whenever I go back to the Steam page to remind myself, I always feel a bit reinvigorated. Enough so to keep this on my list. The perspective, premise, and setting heavily resemble game’s I’ve enjoyed in the past, especially Tales of the Neon Sea. Hopefully, all of the wait for Replaced won’t be in vain.
Deer & Boy - 2026
Deer & Boy strikes me as a short and sweet, cute, story-rich game that manages to have a lot going on, almost akin to Oxenfree (one of my favorites). Unfortunately, I can see myself leaving this on my Steam wishlist for years, never truly pulling the trigger. A lot of games end up this way for me, many of which I was more excited for that Deer & Boy. A lot of the determination will be made by the time of year it releases at and its price point. For example, if it releases during the football season when I’m spending a large percentage of my time officiating, it’ll be hard to convince myself to spend $30 on something that I wouldn’t have much time to play in the first place.
Transport Fever 3 - 2026
If you know me, you know my love of simulation games. I haven’t tried this series before, but it’s the type of game I’ve been interested in playing for many years. I didn’t know of its existence until more recently, but I don’t want to spend the money on the first or second installments knowing that the third one is on the horizon. I’ll bide my time and give this one a shot for the latest and greatest experience in the genre.
Mixtape - 2026
Mixtape just couldn’t manage to get out in 2025, but I’ll continue to wait for it. It so closely resembles Life Is Strange that I can’t give up on it just because development is taking a bit longer. These shorter, narrative-driven experiences are the types that can leave a lasting impact. Just look at Dispatch from this past year. What an incredible game that I considered my personal Game of the Year and cracked my top 20 games I’ve ever played.
Mixtape has that sort of potential, and I’ve been looking forward to it patiently. Hopefully it’s not another year of delays for this one.
Coffee Talk Tokyo - May 21, 2026
Why can’t I quit the Coffee Talk series? I tend to feel that these games drag and have frustrating dialogue. I keep coming back, though. These are just such good games to relax with and experience some well-developed characters, despite their dialogue writing not being up to par. Maybe Coffee Talk Tokyo can buck the trend for me and really stand apart from the previous two. I guess I’ll find out in May.
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros - 2026
Color me surprised if this game actually releases in 2026. A year can flash by like a lightning bolt, and no release date coupled with no gameplay trailer leads me to think the game is far from ready to be put in front of anybody. I could absolutely be wrong; plenty of studios keep their cards close to the chest, meanwhile they hold a royal flush. That is not the norm, though.
This is particularly frustrating as a perspective for me because you better believe I want my grimy little hands on this one. I’m such a huge Game of Thrones fan, and the cinematic trailer really got to me with its photorealistic demonstration of Jon Snow and the Night King dueling. Real-time strategy isn’t really my genre, but for Game of Thrones, I’ll make an exception.
Out of Words - 2026
Co-op games are all over my radar lately. My girlfriend and I over the course of our relationship have introduced each other to games that we can play together, and in that time, Hazelight has released two absolute gems that have kept us busy. In between Hazelight games, we’re always on the lookout for exciting co-op adventures.
Out of Words holds a lot of promise in this regard, demonstrating in its trailer humor, narrative complexity, and brain-teasing puzzles. I view this game as part of the wave of co-op games that I estimate suddenly and almost certainly not coincidentally started development around the time It Takes Two released and won a slew of awards, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards. I’m all for it! I’ve always thought that this adventurous form of multiplayer was video games unlocking their potential. Just like watching a movie, playing games is undeniably more fun with friends to witness it with you.
Fable - 2026
Fable is another one that I wouldn’t be surprised to see on next year’s list. Will it actually come out this year? I believe it to be unlikely. No release date, no gameplay, and ambitious to boot.
If we set that aside for a minute, I’m surprisingly anxious to see this come out. The Fable series is something that grew to prominence prior to my “gaming awakening,” if you will. The setting and style of game, though, certainly fall into my wheelhouse. I’d love for my introduction to the series to be this sort of modernized reboot. It certainly worked with God of War.
Aphelion - 2026
I’m always interested in anything Don’t Nod is doing despite the fact that I haven’t purchased a Don’t Nod game in many years. The last three games of theirs that I bought were 2021’s Twin Mirror, 2020’s Tell Me Why, and 2018’s Vampyr, all of which thoroughly disappointed me. The characters and overall narratives all felt shallow, a far cry from what they accomplished with the Life Is Strange series.
However, I continue adding their latest releases to my wishlist where they sit and collect dust: Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, Jusant, Banishers: Ghost of New Eden, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, and now Aphelion. Perhaps it’s time for me to dust some of these off and see if there are some returns to form in here.
The Incident at Galley House - 2026
By far, the game that came out of left field in 2025 for me was The Roottrees are Dead. Its polished design and audio drove the whole experience home, making it a fantastic game. I’m now very excited to see what the next game from the team, The Incident at Galley House, has to offer. Similar to The Roottrees are Dead, this new game is a remaster of another game, Type Help. I’m hoping they can capture the same amount of mystery and intrigue that they did with their previous game.
Paralives - May 25, 2026
I’m still on the hunt for my Sims replacement. Paralives appears to be trying to do that. The last game to try was InZoi, a game that released into early access (just like Paralives is slated to) to crickets due to its rough state. Unfortunately, I’m getting fed up with early access titles. I know I’m late to this opinion, but I’m just so tired of the concept. The tipping point for me has been Tavern Keeper. I fell in love with Game Dev Tycoon quite a while ago. The team behind that proceeded to release nothing for 13 years. When they finally released Tavern Keeper… it was to early access on Steam.
Imagine waiting that long for their follow up only to have it release in an incomplete state. That’s what Cyberpunk did, and they caught a lot of flack for it and had to spend literal years afterwards turning it into a decent product. Early access has become a way to do the same thing Cyberpunk did with the hope that people won’t get so mad because it’s “early access” and “not complete.” Games then proceed to be in early access for a year… three years… five… ten. It’s absurd.
So mark me skeptical about this title actually being something I pick up this year. If the reviews are good enough, I’ll give it a shot. I’m not interested in playing something half-baked, though.
Contraband Police - Crimson Fall - Q2 2026
This is the only DLC I’ve included on this list. Contraband Police spoke to the Not Tonight and Papers, Please part of my brain, and while I didn’t enjoy it as much as either of those, it certainly scratched an itch. Additions to the game are more than welcome in my book, and I’ll certainly be going back to it.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies - 2026
I just recently found out this was even a thing. I know next to nothing about this game. I haven’t looked a whole lot into it. All I know is that it’s developed by ZA/UM, the team behind Disco Elysium. And that’s all I need to know. Give me more.
Life Is Strange: Reunion - March 26, 2026
This was a surprise, last-minute entry to my list. Not only was this just announced the day I’m putting this post up, but it’s arriving so soon. I’m not going to lie, I’m skeptical about this one. I’ve mentioned Life Is Strange in this post multiple times already because of how much I connect with the franchise, but this one scares me a bit.
The fan service here is palpable. The return of Chloe Price appears to make some sort of narrative sense based on the live reveal that they had for it, but it’s really hard to see how it was necessary. They’re also building off of the last game, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, and seeing as this game is coming out so quickly after that one (less than 18 months), I’m guessing it’s been in the works all along. That likely means we can expect a similar quality, particularly with all of the same characters returning in the same setting. Seeing as Double Exposure was by far the least-liked game in the franchise, Reunion has an uphill battle to fight.
I for one watched the stream of the reveal, and the voice acting is not hitting my ear right. I didn’t particularly dislike Double Exposure, but it was definitely my least favorite in the series, and the voice acting was a small part of that. And as much as I enjoyed Before the Storm, Chloe’s “back talk” ability was by far my least favorite mechanic across the franchise. Deck Nine has decided to bring that mechanic back, though. Finally, the apparent unwillingness by Deck Nine to bring back Ashley Burch as the voice of Chloe really hurts. Her replacement, Rhianna DeVries, does a serviceable job, but it’s just not the same. Supposedly, Ashley Burch had a scheduling conflict for Before the Storm, but did that seriously happen again, or did Deck Nine just stick with who they know?
Does any of this mean I won’t buy the game on launch day? Of course not. I’m coming into the experience very nervous, though, about how the Max and Chloe saga will end.