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Splatoon 3’s newest update accidentally includes balance changes meant for a future patch
Splatoon 3’s newest update accidentally includes balance changes meant for a future patchSplatoon received a version 11.0.1 update just a few days ago, fixing a couple issues with the game’s controls and multiplayer. As it turns out, Nintendo revealed that a couple of weapon balance changes were accidentally thrown into the update as well. Nintendo has decided to not to remove the additional changes, as they were meant to arrive in an... The post Splatoon 3’s newest update accidentally includes balance changes meant for a future patch appeared first on Nintendo Everything .
Nintendo EverythingFeb 10
Best Open-World Games To Explore In 2026
Best Open-World Games To Explore In 2026Open-world games offer players large worlds to explore, often with a massive amount of optional content. While these games tend to overlap with the RPG genre , they can also work well with other types of games, like racing or stealth. The common thread through all the games on this list are worlds that you can explore with a large amount of freedom, often with persistent progression to build your character and tackle increasing challenges. That sense of discovery is a key part of what makes open-world games special. Some of the most notable games in the genre are also some of the best-selling games of all-time , like The Witcher 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, touting huge worlds full of side quests, lovable characters, and hidden places to discover. Below you can see our picks for the best open-world games you can play right now. These span a variety of platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, and we've tried to lean into games that are still widely available and well worth playing in 2026. Red Dead Redemption 2 Developer: Rockstar Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: Action-Adventure Multiplayer: Yes Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredibly deep cowboy simulator, touting an expansive version of the Wild West. Made by one of the best open-world developers, Rockstar, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this game is incredibly detailed and full of side stories to discover in its large world. Plus, Red Dead Redemption 2 features a massive narrative about the death of the Wild West, offering an incredible story for you to engage with in between exploring the world. The simulation aspects can't be overlooked either, whether it's slowly riding your horse to the next destination, or taking care of you or your horse's hunger needs, to just stumbling upon a strange situation between NPCs. Plus, it features Red Dead Online, a multiplayer experience set in the same open world, so you can play cowboy with your friends. See at Amazon Dragon's Dogma 2 Developer : Capcom Platforms : PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: RPG Multiplayer: No Dragon's Dogma 2 won't be for everyone, but if you love responsive open worlds and games filled with systems, you will likely love it. The world features tons of NPCs, who can be interacted with in multiple interesting ways, including being killed--either by you, the plague, or roving monsters. The combat and classes offer depth to its RPG systems, and while it contains a fast-travel system, it's designed for you to not use it, emphasizing that this is an experience where the journey is far more important than the destination. That said, these systems create a lot of pushback, so if you are looking for a more relaxed or checklist-style open-world experience, look elsewhere. See at Amazon Forza Horizon 5 Developer : Playground Games Platforms : PS5 (April 25), Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: Racing Multiplayer: Yes One of the few non-RPGs on the list, Forza Horizon 5 features an open-world version of Mexico for you to race around. Sitting somewhere in between arcade racing and simulation, Forza Horizon 5 has plenty of secrets to discover in its open world, along with events like jumps or point-to-point races that you can find and start throughout the world itself. While the main races do happen in instanced versions, the tracks are made up of parts of the open world, creating a seamless racing experience. It's not just one of the best open-world games out there, but also one of the best racing games . Plus, it has two expansions that add new environments to race through, including a Hot Wheels-themed area. See at Green Man Gaming No Man's Sky Developer : Hello Games Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC Genre: Survival-Crafting Multiplayer: Yes Sure, one open world to explore is cool, but what about an unlimited number of worlds? No Man's Sky offers an infinite universe of procedurally generated worlds for you to fly to and explore, letting you seamlessly run around the surface of a planet, fly into the atmosphere, and then move through space before landing somewhere else. You can explore these worlds to find new plants, resources, and creatures, which you can collect and use. You can become a merchant, a builder, or a fighter across a universe shared with other players in multiplayer. Plus, Hello Games regularly releases free updates for the game, so there are new systems being added, offering new ways to interact with the massive universe of No Man's Sky. Fanatical and GameSpot are both owned by Fandom. See at Fanatical Sea of Thieves Developer : Rare Platforms : PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: Action-Adventure Multiplayer: Yes If you've ever thought that a pirate's life was for you, Sea of Thieves has an ocean begging to be explored. A co-op multiplayer experience by design , you can gather your crew and sail the seas, plundering islands and ships for loot. There are quests to take on, and you can even steal treasure from other players you may encounter out on the open seas. (A PvE mode has also been introduced since launch, in case you don't want to contend with hostile players.) Plus, Sea of Thieves is an ongoing game, with updates regularly adding new content to engage with. Who hasn't wanted to gather a few friends, sing a sea shanty, and search for hidden treasure? See at Steam Genshin Impact Developer : Hoyoverse Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mobile Genre: Action-Adventure Multiplayer: Yes One of the few free-to-play games on the list, Genshin Impact offers a massive open world heavily inspired by Breath of the Wild. There are puzzles to solve, monsters to defeat, and a long list of quests to complete. Genshin Impact has received multiple new regions since launch, expanding the open world even further. While Genshin Impact is free-to-play, it does feature gacha mechanics, asking you to roll for new characters who are available for a limited time. You can earn rolls by playing and you can see everything Genshin Impact has to offer without a full roster, but if the idea of gambling for new characters sounds unappealing, you'll be better off with a different open-world game. See at Epic Games Store Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Developer : Insomniac Games Platforms : PS5, PC Genre: Action-Adventure Multiplayer: No While all three Marvel's Spider-Man games developed by Insomniac Games feature open-world versions of New York for you to swing around, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 offers the biggest and highest fidelity version of it. Offering fun exploration via web-swinging, there are side quests, collectibles, and puzzles to seek out across the city and complete. On top of that, there is an excellent Spider-Man story for you to experience as well, offering a complete package for anyone who loves the webhead or just wants to explore a detailed version of New York City. See at Best Buy Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Developer : MachineGames Platforms : PS5 (April 17), Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre : Action-Adventure Multiplayer : No Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn't a traditional open-world game, as it features multiple levels across the globe, but it does scratch that itch in a unique way. While not every level is massive, there are multiple large areas, like Vatican City, which have a variety of secrets to find and collect. These levels are incredibly detailed, letting you experience these places in a way not found in many video games. Discovery is a huge part of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so if that's what draws you to open-world games, it's a great game for exploring detailed spaces. You even get a fantastic Indiana Jones story as the cherry on top. See at Amazon Elden Ring Developer : From Software Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch 2 Genre: Action RPG Multiplayer : No Elden Ring takes the difficult and methodical combat From Software is known for and places it into an open-world setting. Of course, that undersells just how well-realized that open world is and how perfectly it works with the intense combat. You are encouraged to explore, as there are limited map markers and few specific objectives outlined for you, allowing you to discover caves, dungeons, and hidden bosses. This exploration and discovery is what open-world games are all about, and Elden Ring rewards players for finding and scouring new areas, so long as you can defeat whatever enemies are lurking in the space. Plus the horse has a double-jump, something you won't find in most open-world games. See at Best Buy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Developer : Nintendo Platforms : Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 Genre: Action-Adventure Multiplayer: No The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom --and its predecessor Breath of the Wild--are perfect for open-world fans who love exploration. Hyrule is filled with puzzle shrines to tackle, enemies to defeat, and chests to crack open. Building upon Breath of the Wild's foundation, Tears of the Kingdom offers a ton of freedom when it comes to exploring the world, thanks to the Ultrahand ability. This allows you to combine different objects to build flying robots, monster trucks, and long bridges, giving you complete control over how you explore the open world, on top of being able to go in whichever direction you please. Even if you spent tons of time exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, this adds a new dynamic to the world--and there are new areas in the sky and deep underground to check out, too. If you're getting a Switch 2 , you'll be able to enjoy an enhanced Switch 2 Edition . See at Best Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Developer : CD Projekt Red Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch 2 Genre: RPG Multiplayer: No Cyberpunk 2077 may have had a rough launch back in 2020, but the first-person RPG has become one of the best open-world games thanks to updates and the spectacular Phantom Liberty expansion. You get to explore the massive Night City, which is filled with futuristic vehicles, and tons of side activities. You can steal cars, take down rogue criminals, or perform criminal jobs yourself. You can get yourself a ton of cyber enhancements and follow in the footsteps of Johnny Silverhand as you take on the corporation ruling the city in a fantastic main narrative, matched in scope by the large open world. Phantom Liberty adds a distinct story that stands as some of the best Night City has to offer, and which can impact your understanding of the broader story in surprising ways depending on when you engage with it. A Switch 2 version is on the way . See at Amazon See at Best Buy Ghost of Tsushima Developer : Sucker Punch Productions Platforms : PS4, PS5, PC Genre : Action-Adventure Multiplayer : Yes Ghost of Tsushima takes inspiration from Assassin's Creed with its open-world experience. Offering opportunities for both intense samurai sword action and quiet stealth-focused sequences, Ghost of Tsushima excels thanks to a gorgeous open world. It has plenty of side activities, including some less-common ones, like composing Haikus or slicing through bamboo. It also has a visually stunning open world, using saturated colors to decorate its mountain ranges and open fields. While there are a few options for samurai open-world games set in Japan, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best, and its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, is set for release sometime in 2025. See at Best Buy Death Stranding Developer : Kojima Productions Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre : Adventure Multiplayer : No Have you ever felt the urge to explore nature? What about exploring nature while delivering packages? Death Stranding offers just that in a post-apocalyptic America, one where nature has reclaimed much of the world. Yes, you will spend some time shooting enemies and going through the wild story that could only come from Hideo Kojima, but much of this experience is about moving from place to place. You get to construct bridges or use the ones left by other players in a game as much focused on exploration and the journey as any game in the genre. That said, if the idea of trying to take countless packages across unpaved landscapes sounds a bit frustrating, you may want to pick another game on the list. Or if it was exactly your thing and you want even more, its sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, releases on June 24, 2025 on PS5. See at Best Buy Mad Max Developer : Avalanche Studios Platforms : PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre : Action-Adventure Multiplayer : No The middle years of the Xbox One/PS4 generation were filled with middling open-world games, and if you didn't know any better, you might lump Mad Max into the group. It follows a pretty standard structure of exploring the open desert wasteland, completing side activities and struggling to survive amongst the vicious gangs that have survived to this point. Mad Max excels in its third-person combat and it delivers on the car-combat mechanics you would expect from a game based on the film franchise. It's become a hidden gem among open-world games, and one that gives you a vehicle-centric twist that many others on this list don't provide. See at Fanatical Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Developer : Monolith Productions Platforms : PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Genre : Action-Adventure Multiplayer : No Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an excellent open-world checklist game, set in the Lord of the Rings universe. It has great combat, taking inspiration from Arkham Asylum and Assassin's Creed, offering both the responsive brawling and stealth approaches. On top of being set in the Lord of the Rings universe, Shadow of Mordor also has the unique Nemesis system to help it stand out among the crowd. This system makes certain Orc enemies remember your actions, with some moving up the ranks for defeating you or taking the spot of a high-ranking Orc you took out. See at Fanatical Yakuza 0 Developer : Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Platform : PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre : Action RPG Multiplayer : No The Yakuza series feature a unique take on open-world games, using a smaller area like Kamurocho, but still filling it to the brim with side activities and missions. While the series features a ton of games, Yakuza 0 remains arguably the best place to start. It's a more modern entry in the series and, as a prequel, sets up the overall story of the franchise and its characters. Both Kiryu and Majima are playable characters, introducing you to some of the best video game characters in the business. Yakuza 0 has tons of great minigames, like running a cabaret club and racing pocket RC cars (complete with their own storylines that can vary from heartwarming to downright bizarre). See at Fanatical Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Developer : Warhorse Studios Platforms : PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre : Action RPG Multiplayer : No Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an open-world RPG set in a realistic 15th century medieval Europe. Not only does it offer the freedom and depth you would expect from a good open-world game, but it weaves realism into its systems, perfect for those seeking a less fantastic experience. You need to bathe regularly, need a special drink to save, and generally have to deal with a high level of friction, making it an ideal open-world game for people who enjoy that friction. It's got a strong main narrative and a protagonist who is truly just a guy, letting you get a feel for what it would be like to be a normal person in medieval Europe. See at Amazon Ghostwire: Tokyo Developer : Tango Gameworks Platforms : PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre : Horror Multiplayer : No Ghostwire: Tokyo is a divisive game, but there aren't many examples of a real city being remade so intricately in a video game. This version of Tokyo is filled with Yokai, but you can visit real historical landmarks and explore a visually incredible city. If you don't enjoy horror , this may not be for you, but the unique combat system and horror-inspired enemies create a different kind of open-world game, even if it still has all of the side content and collectibles you would expect from the genre. See at Best Buy Octopath Traveler 2 Developer : Acquire and Square Enix Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC Genre : Turn-based RPG Multiplayer : No Octopath Traveler 2 is a gorgeous turn-based RPG made in the HD-2D art style used in games like the first entry in the series and Dragon Quest 3: HD-2D remake. While Octopath Traveler 2 doesn't offer a seamless open space to explore, it does offer a ton of freedom in how you explore the world. Since you can choose any of the eight characters' stories to start with, and you can choose to tackle the different stories in whatever order, you have the freedom that is expected in these genres. You can go to different regions of the map as you choose and discover secret areas and side quests, making it an open-world game in multiple ways. You can also swap between day and night in Octopath Traveler 2, changing the available NPCs and opening up new areas. Each party member also has two unique overworld abilities, one for day and one for night, like pick pocketing or putting people to sleep. Plus, it has a strategic combat system and several excellent stories, making it an ideal choice for anyone that enjoys turn-based combat. See at Amazon Assassin's Creed Odyssey Developer : Ubisoft Platforms : PS4, Xbox One, PC Genre : Action-Adventure Multiplayer : No Most Assassin's Creed games are open-world games, but the modern kind, from Origins onward, takes that to the next level. In this case, we have Assassin's Creed Odyssey on the list for blending a massive open world with a strong narrative throughline. The base game offers over 100 hours' worth of side missions, bounties, naval combat, and so much more for you to sink your teeth into, with multiple DLCs that add even more open-world areas. The RPG elements give you tons of customization for your weapons and armor, and you can still take a stealth-first approach, making this a buffet of great content. It's one of the best Assassin's Creed games in the entire series. See at Green Man Gaming Fallout 4 Developer : Bethesda Platforms : PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre : RPG Multiplayer : No Bethesda is one of the most prominent developers when it comes to open-world games. It has classics like Fallout 3 and Skyrim, and while it has arguably missed with recent releases--looking at you Starfield-- Fallout 4 is a happy medium. It doesn't have as much RPG depth as Fallout 3, but it makes up for it with the size of its open world, which is filled with small dungeons to explore and tons of side activities to complete, and shooting that doesn't feel like an afterthought. There are fun companions, and if you are into it, base-building systems that are surprisingly deep. Fallout 4 also has a great DLC in Far Harbor, which features a strong narrative if you found the one in the base game to be lacking. Those who play on PC can also check out our list of the best Fallout 4 mods , which can further improve and expand the game. See at Fanatical Batman: Arkham City Developer : Rocksteady Studios Platforms : PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC Genre : Action-adventure Multiplayer : No While you might be able to argue that Batman Arkham Asylum is an open-world game, Batman: Arkham City is undeniably one. Significantly larger than the first game, Arkham City takes the hand-to-hand brawling and stealth takedowns and expands them into a large city. Not only is it one of the best superhero stories in a video game, but the expanded world lets you glide and grapple like you're really Batman navigating a city. There are Riddler Trophies galore, along with other side quests and collectibles, scratching that checklist open-world gaming itch. See at Fanatical Sunset Overdrive Developer : Insomniac Games Platforms : Xbox One, PC Genre : Third-person Shooter Multiplayer : Yes Sunset Overdrive had the unfortunate fate of being an Xbox One exclusive, resulting in it being severely underplayed. This open-world game features all of the side activities, collectibles, and enemies you would expect, but what makes it special is the movement, something Insomniac Games nailed long before making the Spider-Man games. There are rails to grind, walls to run on, and buildings to leap off of, coalescing in a fluid and fast movement system that works incredibly well with third-person shooting. It's colorful and silly, making Sunset Overdrive a blast to play. See at Fanatical Satisfactory Developer : Coffee Stain Studios Platforms : PC Genre : Management Sim Multiplayer : Yes Satisfactory might be primarily about building factories, but it is an open-world game at its core. You have a large alien planet that you can explore alone or with friends, along with combat and resources to discover in the world. The vast majority of your time will be spent creating elaborate factories with spider-webs of conveyor belts, but the open-world exploration plays a big enough role to put it on this list, even if it isn't a traditional open-world game. Plus, the factory building is so satisfying that anyone mildly interested in the concept should check it out. See at Humble State of Decay 2 Developer : Undead Labs Platforms : Xbox One, PC Genre : Survival-crafting Multiplayer : Yes State of Decay 2 is an open-world survival game , where you must recruit survivors, build communities, and take down hordes for the undead in one of the best zombie games . Supporting co-op multiplayer and a short narrative story, the main juice in State of Decay 2 involves exploring the open-world and choosing when to take risks--and when to take your toys and go home--to find resources and new survivors. This loop creates stressful situations and tough choices, while offering a deep and extensive zombie apocalypse to play in. See at Steam Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Developer : Konami Platforms : PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC Genre : Stealth-Action Multiplayer : No The final game in the Metal Gear Solid series--no, Metal Gear Survive does not count-- Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain takes place in a large open-world, offering nearly endless opportunities for stealth-action. There are outposts to take down, soldiers and resources to collect via Fultons, and a creative main story from Hideo Kojima. While there are complaints against it, mainly the unfinished narrative, the freedom and creativity you get from combining the intricate stealth-combat mechanics with an open world creates a fantastic game and one of the best stealth-action experiences you can have. See at Fanatical Oblivion Remastered Developer: Bethesda Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: RPG Multiplayer: No Oblivion Remastered was shadow-dropped in 2025 after years of speculation surrounding its existence, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. While a large majority of the Elder Scrolls attention goes to Skyrim, and rightfully so, Oblivion is the game that laid the foundation for Skyrim and an entire generation of open-world games. The remastered version of Oblivion keeps the core game intact while updating its graphics, gameplay elements, mechanics, and user interface to match the standards in 2025. The result is a masterpiece that comes close to, and arguably surpasses, the open world found in Skyrim. You'll go on a grand adventure across the land of Cyrodiil, where every choice you make matters. The world is extremely detailed with a slew of unique and interesting locations. Various factions are waiting for you in different parts of the map, as well as an arsenal of weapon and gear upgrades. Overall, Oblivion Remastered is a fantastic RPG with an open world you won't forget anytime soon after rolling the credits. See on Fanatical Avowed Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: RPG Multiplayer: No We're playing it loose with the open-world term here, as Avowed is considered an "open zone" game. Instead of playing on one contiguous map that's fully explorable from the start of the game, Avowed features five smaller maps that you venture to as the story progresses. You can't advance to the next zone until certain story parameters are met, but you can freely go between any of the zones you've already unlocked. The zones in Avowed are quite large, though, and each one boasts its own distinct environment, unique capital city, and smaller locations. Each zone also has a host of characters, quests, and gear upgrades you can find. Aside from the maps and their content, Avowed is a slam-dunk RPG that features intertwining choices in its story, a party system that allows you to bring along a cast of characters with you, and varied combat where you can mix and match guns and bows, melee weapons, and magic to bring down your opponents. See on Best Buy Valheim Developer: Iron Gate Studio Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Genre: Survival Multiplayer: Yes Survival games play host to some of the best open worlds you can explore, but the world in Valheim is one that especially stands out. Valheim is a Viking-style survival game that thrusts you right into the middle of a Norse mythology-inspired land. You begin with nothing and have to acquire resources from your starting area so you can sustain and protect yourself. Valheim's world is divided into distinct sections, and each section offers new resources for you to acquire. However, you can't loot those resources until you've conquered your current area, as you need tools and weapons from that area to harvest the new resources. You've successfully conquered an area after defeating its boss, and each boasts different attacks, combat styles, and rewards. During this entire process, you'll also build up a true Viking base, which can be continually upgraded with the new resources you acquire. Valheim also offers a randomly-generated map, making every playthrough slightly different. See on Steam Old School RuneScape Developer: Jagex Studios Platforms: PC, Mobile Genre: MMORPG Multiplayer: Yes Old School RuneScape is one of the best MMORPGs on the market in 2025, and it has technically been around since the early 2000s. It offers 23 unique skills you can grind and level up, thousands of different items to use and equip on your character, and, most importantly, a truly massive world to explore. One big caveat with Old School RuneScape is that while it's free-to-play, the free version doesn't offer nearly as much content. You'll be locked to a significantly smaller map, which is still open, and you won't have access to a majority of the gear and items, or to several skills. However, if you're willing to pay or grind for membership, which costs $14 a month or purchasing an in-game Bond, you immediately unlock content that spans hundreds and hundreds of hours. The pay-to-play open world contains dozens of sprawling cities across a map with several unique kingdoms. You'll be able to go on over 150 quests, level up the 23 skills, and complete a truly overwhelming amount of content. Old School is booming in player count in 2025 and still receiving massive updates, so now is as good a time as any to start your journey. See on Steam Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth The Like A Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series had been known for their small but detailed open worlds but Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth elevates this to a whole other level with the addition of Honolulu, Hawaii as a main setting location. The unique spin on the famous vacation destination is given a unique yet authentic representation by studio Ryu Ga Gotoku and in turn becomes their largest world in the studio’s history. RGG’s worlds would be nothing without a bevy of things to do and Infinite Wealth features some of the greatest side activities in the studio’s history from delivering fast food, to karaoke, to the studio’s take on Animal Crossing with DonDonko Island. Buy on Amazon Death Stranding 2 While the first Death Stranding delivered a unique portrayal of a post-apocalyptic United States of America, its sequel expands on the world in smart ways by showing what Mexico and the Australian Outback are like in this world. Picking up a few years after the first game, players have access to a large arsenal of tools and weapons that help transform Death Stranding 2 from a repetitive sequel to a natural step forward for the series. Death Stranding 2 also provides a great deal of player choice and urgency that makes it feel like it had more in common with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain than the first Death Stranding. In many aspects Death Stranding 2 feels like a culmination of the years of gameplay design that Hideo Kojima and his team have reiterated on again and again. Buy on Amazon Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag While the Assassin’s Creed has delivered many virtual historical settings since 2007, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag feels like the high point of the series. Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, Black Flag is set in the Caribbean and features cities such as Havana, Kingston, and Nassau. From British occupied cities to pirate hideaways and sunken caves, Black Flag helped players indulge in the ultimate pirate fantasy. This entry is also infamous for its ship combat that helped inspire a standalone title called Skull and Bones. With recent rumors swirling around a potential Black Flag remake, it’s not hard to see why this particular entry is so popular. See on Steam Grand Theft Auto V There's not much more that can be said about Grand Theft Auto V in 2026. Even after releasing more than a decade ago, GTA V stands out from every angle. You have the incredible story mode that allows you to control three totally different characters whose lives all become intertwined throughout the twisted tale that Rockstar Games weaves. While GTA isn't known for its choice-based stories, GTA V does have multiple endings that are based on specific choices you make with the different characters. If you're not feeling the story mode, though, you can always hop into GTA Online and explore the wide open world of Los Santos. Commit crimes, buy property and vehicles, complete heists solo or in a group, or take part in dozens of unique activities across the map. GTA V remains one of the definitive open world titles on the market, and it won't be surpassed until GTA 6 comes around. See on Amazon Horizon Forbidden West The Horizon series offers some of the densest and most detailed open worlds of any video game franchise. While Horizon Zero Dawn, the first game in the series, is an RPG you don't want to miss, Horizon Forbidden West offers a better open world. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world run by crazed machines and distinct tribes that have formed after humanity managed to rebuild itself after a thousand years of the machines ruling the planet. As the main character, Aloy, you have access to the entire world within the first couple of hours. From there, you can explore thick jungles, open plains, and lush beaches that are all teeming with new machines, cities of interesting sights and characters, and resources you can use to craft weapons, gear, and other items. See on Best Buy
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
The Ultra-Slim Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Power Bank Drops to Just $39.99 (60% Off)
The Ultra-Slim Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Power Bank Drops to Just $39.99 (60% Off)Generous capacity and higher output for handheld gaming PCs and laptops.
IGN AllFeb 10
25 Best Tower Defense Games To Strategize Your Way Through In 2026
25 Best Tower Defense Games To Strategize Your Way Through In 2026Some of the best tower defense games over the past few decades make up the best that the video game industry has to offer. Falling into the strategy genre, tower defense games represent fond memories for many gamers who grew up playing those types of games in school on websites like CoolMath Games or Miniclip. As time has gone on, the tower defense genre has grown to be its own entity within strategy games, spawning numerous franchises and hundreds of games over the years. While the genre may not be one of the most prominent around, there are new tower defense games released all the time, some hailing from classic franchises that have hung around due to their superior replayability. While the general premise of most tower defense games remains similar, some titles have reworked the formula to give players something new to experience. Below, we go through our picks for the best tower defense games you can easily play right now. This list is in no particular order, with easy availability on modern platforms being a factor in determining the entries. For a wider look at the genre, check out our picks for the best strategy games to play right now. Plants Vs. Zombies Developer : PopCap Games Release Date: May 5, 2009 Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC, iOS, Android Let's kick off the list with one of the most-played and -celebrated tower defense games of all time. It's a hit with children as well as adults and has truly stood the test of time. There are several iterations of Plants Vs. Zombies, but we're choosing to go with the original, which you can play on Steam with the GOTY Edition. Plants Vs. Zombies utilizes a variety of plants you can make use of to stop zombies from invading your garden. You're able to grow plants to use as defense tools, but the game requires on-the-go thinking to know which planets to grow at a given time, particularly considering you have limited space to grow them, and the order they're placed will impact which are attacked first. The games can zip by, so quick strategy is something you'll need to master. See on Apple Dungeon Defenders 2 Developer : Chromatic Games Release Date: June 20, 2017 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, iOS Instead of the top-down view that is common within the genre, Dungeon Defenders 2 assumes a third-person POV. The core mechanics of a tower defense game are still in place, but there are also RPG elements at play that add more layers of depth and strategy. The first RPG element you’ll notice is the selection of character classes you can choose from. There are nearly 20 classes to pick from and each grants you different bonuses out in the field. As you eliminate enemies on one of the 10+ maps, you can pick up loot, level up your character, and even acquire some pets along the way. The loot you pick up is added to an inventory that looks straight out of an ARPG. You can then use the loot you acquire to buff up your attacks and defense. Dungeon Defenders has a plethora of weapons to use, including swords, bows, traps, and more, as well as a full gear section to fill out. Upgrading everything about your character is vital to your success, as the game features several bosses that are varied and need different strategies to defeat. You can play Dungeon Defenders 2, which is free-to-play, in co-op with friends or recruit a cast of NPCs to join you in your fight as you progress through the game's various game modes. See on Apple Bloons TD 6 Developer : Ninja Kiwi Release Date: June 13, 2018 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, iOS, Android Bloons TD 6 has been called the ultimate tower defense game by players in the community. It's an improvement upon years of Bloons TD games but still captures that compelling nature that so many of us experienced in the 2000s and 2010s. As with all Bloons TD games, you play as a monkey who's trying to pop balloons, which are the game’s form of enemy, before they reach the end of a battlefield. There are over 70 maps available to play and the developers are frequently adding more content, even in 2025. If you've never played a Bloons game before or it's been a while, it's difficult to state just how easy it is to get hooked. The simplicity of its premise draws you in and the hours of content available keep you coming back for more. Even with dozens of characters and Monkey Towers to power your defenses, you'd be surprised just how difficult popping balloons can be. Bloons TD 6 also offers quests that can be done outside of the normal gameplay loop. These give you some background stories to keep you interested and share some knowledge about the characters in the game. You can also play in up to four-player co-op. See on Apple Kingdom Rush Vengeance Developer : Ironhide Game Studio Release Date: November 22, 2018 Platforms: PC, iOS, Android Kingdom Rush is a widely known franchise in the tower defense community, and Vengeance, the fourth entry in the series, is Kingdom Rush at its best. You have access to 20 types of towers with unique attacks and behaviors to aid the defense of your kingdom, which is being threatened by enemy empires and rulers. As you progress through the game, you'll unlock more towers and gain new abilities and powers to improve your defenses. In addition to the towers, you can deploy 15 different heroes that can be commanded to perform a wide variety of actions. Heroes can also be leveled up and given new abilities to make them stronger and more specialized in how they perform. You’ll be able to equip Trinkets, which offer side bonuses, and other upgrades to aid you in defeating the 35+ kinds of enemies. Vengeance’s main enemies are the three Kings, though, which require meticulous strategy to defeat. Kingdom Rush Vengeance has hours of content to keep you busy, including several realms to explore, a compelling story, and over 30 levels. See on Fanatical Legion TD 2 Developer : AutoAttack Games Release Date: November 20, 2017 Platforms: PC If you're looking for more replayability in a tower defense game or one that supports more co-op players, look no further than Legion TD 2. At its core, Legion TD 2 is another tower defense game where you build an army, defend your ruler, and try to defeat the enemy forces and boss. However, there are a variety of different systems at play that make every single fight unique. It supports up to eight-player co-op as well, so you and plenty of friends can join together. Legion TD 2 also features a ton of content, as the game can go on for as long as you want. No matter how many times you push the enemy back, they'll always keep coming. You can think of Legion TD 2 as a roguelite with tower defense mechanics. To halt the enemy time and time again, you have access to over 100 unique soldiers, each with specialized skills. You also have access to auras and spells that can help you offensively or defensively depending on how you play them. All of this culminates on a battlefield that features several gates where enemies can come out, requiring you to span across the level multiple times to ensure nothing gets through your defenses. See on Fanatical Orcs Must Die 3 Developer : Robot Entertainment Release Date: July 14, 2020 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC The third core installment in the series is the most current and arguably the most popular, as it takes the strong points from the previous games and greatly improves upon them. Orcs Must Die 3 uses a third-person perspective to place you right in the action of your chosen character to dispose of every orc imaginable. The third-person perspective and directly controllable character is where Orcs Must Die 3 separates itself from many other tower defense games. With your character, you'll play through different scenarios that are set on a massive scale where you can send orcs flying in fantastic fashion. The flashiest way orcs can die is by getting trapped by War Machines you place. These are huge traps that can catch dozens of orcs at the same time. You’ll also have access to dozens of other weapons and equipment, such as bows, rocket launchers, and swords, that can be equipped at any time by swapping through them at the bottom of your screen. Orcs Must Die 3 also features a storyline that picks up 20 years after the events of the second game. However, don't let that deter you from playing, as you don't need to play the previous two to enjoy the third. See on Fanatical Defense Grid: The Awakening Developer : Hidden Path Entertainment Release Date: December 8, 2008 Platforms: Xbox 360, PC Defense Grid: The Awakening might be one of the older entries on this list, but it's still one of the stronger games to come out of the tower defense genre in the last 20 years. There's a main storyline you can play through that will last you up to eight hours, but as with most games in the genre, there's much more replayability beyond that. When you start Defense Grid: The Awakening, you'll begin on some fairly easy levels that challenge your basic ability to set defenses. As you progress, you'll unlock new tower upgrades and types, with each tower having three distinct capability levels. The different towers all have strengths and weaknesses and some might be strong on one map while weak on another. Speaking of maps, there are 20 unique ones in Defense Grid: The Awakening, with more available through a paid map pack. The maps can spawn a total of 15 different enemies that become stronger the more you play. The enemy variation and the amount of them that come into play often make every round feel like it’s coming down right to the wire. While your towers might not get overwhelmed at the start of a round, stronger enemies in larger numbers show up as the round goes on and can overthrow your entire strategy. While Defense Grid: The Awakening is an older game, it still captures the magic of what a tower defense game is supposed to be. Pair that with graphics that look straight out of Halo and you have a game well worth checking out. See on Steam Bad North Developer : Raw Fury Release Date: August 20, 2018 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS Bad North's visuals belie the tough tower defense game it is. It's a roguelite with minimalistic graphics that might turn some players away. However, once you get used to what's on your screen, you'll find an immensely brutal experience awaits you. The game puts you in charge of a small kingdom on an island that's being threatened by Vikings. You need to command your citizens to stop the Vikings by using the island's unique design and the tools at your disposal. Every island in Bad North is different and it's your job to determine the best way to use each one's design to your advantage. For example, one island could have a high cliff that you can use to throw cannonballs over the edge to stop invading Vikings while another sees enemies attack from multiple directions, forcing you to adapt. Aside from the islands, which are all procedurally generated, your citizens need you to position them correctly and give them the right defense tools. From there, they'll do the rest, engaging in combat themselves and emerging victorious if you set them up correctly. As you defeat more enemies, the islands you’re placed on are harder to set up and the enemies are much smarter, making you strategize more and more. See on Fanatical Sanctum 2 Developer : Coffee Stain Studios Release Date: May 15, 2013 Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC You don't often think of the tower defense and first-person shooter genres merging, but that's exactly what Sanctum 2 does. The original Sanctum claims to be the first tower defense/FPS hybrid, but the sequel is the better game in almost every way. At the start of the game, you'll select from one of four characters, all of which have different strengths and weaknesses. From there, your job is to protect Cores from aliens with the sole goal of destroying them. To stop the aliens, you get to fully customize your character to become exactly the kind of defender you want them to be. Pick from different character perks and unlock new weapons and towers to stop the aliens at all costs. Your towers are the main line of defense against the aliens, and they can be configured in a way that slows down the enemy by slowing down the enemy. Your character helps to supplement the towers, which is where your chosen strengths and gear come into play. The first-person perspective really gives you a different feeling from the average tower defense game, especially if the enemy overwhelms your towers and you’re left to fend off a horde of them. There's a selection of maps to play on as well as four player co-op, so you and three friends can take on the aliens together. See on Fanatical Isle of Arrows Developer : Gridpop Release Date: September 8, 2022 Platforms: PC, iOS, Android Isle of Arrows mixes the puzzle and tower defense genres into a seamless experience. Featuring a similar graphical style to Bad North, Isle of Arrows sees you build a massive fortress high in the sky, just above the clouds. The main gameplay loop in Isle of Arrows places you on a randomly generated map. The towers use a single-tile design and every tile is hand-placed by you. These affect how the enemy is stopped and attacked on their way across the map. The tiles you place are random, so there's quite a bit of luck involved in developing each tower. You could get lucky and place the exact tile you need while another tile might be ineffective and not conducive to your strategy. Isle of Arrows features endless replayability and the more you play, the more elements you unlock. It's a simple, luck-based tower defense game that also draws on the puzzle genre to figure out how to use tiles to your advantage. See on Apple GemCraft: Chasing Shadows Developer : Game in a Bottle Release Date: Apr 30, 2015 Platforms: PC The GemCraft series has a reputation for being some of the more challenging tower defense games. The best game in the series is the second installment, Chasing Shadows. GemCraft places more of an emphasis on overall strategy compared to other games in the genre, as you need to be extremely purposeful in how you set up your defenses, otherwise you might not make it past the first couple of levels. Chasing Shadows sees you use gems that have different properties to stop an archdemon from destroying your world. You set up your gems across a map and as usual, enemies walk down a winding path to get to the other side. Along the way, your gems need to eliminate the enemies before too many cross to the other side. Sorting and upgrading the gems in GemCraft is easily the highlight of the game. You have access to a plethora of different options that make every encounter with enemies feel distinct. Beating more levels gives you access to new gems to craft. However, not all gems are useful depending on how a map is set up, so knowing your gems in and out is the key to success. See on Fanatical Dungeon Warfare 2 Developer : Valsar Release Date: Jul 6, 2018 Platforms: PC, Android If you've ever wondered what it was like to be on the other side of Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon Warfare 2 gives you the opportunity. You get to be the master of a dungeon and stop adventurers and heroes from getting too far. There are 60 handcrafted levels to go through as well as Endless Mode, where the enemies never stop coming. The levels can be kitted out with various traps to stop adventurers in their tracks. You'll also unlock three skill trees, each with 11 skills, to upgrade your traps and other equipment. Speaking of upgrading, Dungeon Warfare 2 also has runes that can be used to give your defenses various bonuses. You’ll unlock more runes the farther you go and these are the key to keeping your defenses in place over time. There are physics-based defense tools, environmental hazards, and even five separate boss fights to keep you engaged. See on Steam X-Morph Defense Developer : Exor Studios Release Date: August 30, 2017 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC X-Morph: Defense might be the most action-packed game on this list. It blends elements of a top-down shooter with the tower defense genre to create a thrilling experience. The game puts you in the shoes of aliens who are invading Earth, letting you play the villain. To help accomplish that goal, you have access to a wide range of alien towers that can be used to mow down human tanks trying to converge on your position. You can physically control an alien spaceship, which can be upgraded and is able to shoot at enemy tanks from above and cause some massive chaos on the map. The levels in X-Morph: Defense are fully destructible, which can completely alter how a map is laid out and where enemies go. You won’t be the only one doing the destruction, though, as the humans can send out a massive robotic mech to threaten your chances of success. There's always action on the screen in X-Morph: Defense, but the game does a great job of not making it seem too overwhelming at any given point. If the enemies start to overtake an area, you can drive your spaceship back and regroup with the rest of your defenses. See on Steam The Riftbreaker Developer : Exor Studios Release Date: October 14, 2021 Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC The Riftbreaker is designed by the same studio that created X-Morph: Defense, so you know it's also going to be filled to the brim with action. However, The Riftbreaker is a completely different experience from X-Morph or most other tower defense games for that matter. The game blends base-building with survival and ARPG elements as you fend off enemy forces on other worlds. You control a mech-suit that can be kitted out with plenty of weapons and upgrades that make you an unstoppable machine. You're free to traverse large levels to find new research for upgrades, which is where the ARPG elements come into play. You'll find waves of enemies wherever you go, but it's just you out there fighting them. However, in between all the fighting, you can construct a huge base that acts as your primary source of tower defense mechanics. The base you construct is meant to protect all the research and samples you've collected from the worlds you're visiting. Enemies will visit the base and you need to ensure it's well-defended to stop it from being overrun. See on Steam Over The Top Tower Defense Developer : SMG Studio Release Date: May 21, 2014 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Android This is arguably the least well-known entry on the list, but it's quite distinct among tower defense games. Over The Top Tower Defense (OTTTD) sees you assume the role of a commander for a military unit that's charged with using dimensional rifts to blast through enemies and make some money. Your military consists of three soldiers who can be given one of seven different classes. The classes all have varying characteristics that make them an asset in one way or another. Some are more offense-oriented while others are meant to be used defensively. As your squad progresses, they'll unlock active abilities, passive skills, and be able to equip one of 30+ weapons and various armor. The soldiers can also place a dozen tower types to aid them in their defense. One of the best parts about OTTTD is the enemy variety you'll come across. There are dozens of unique enemies to fight and you'll need to implement new strategies to deal with new ones that pop up. The enemies are combinations of various creatures, giving each one a special look that’s usually pretty horrifying. Overall, OTTTD is an underrated tower defense game that has some great qualities and plenty of replayability. See on Apple Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Developer : Capcom Release Date: July 19, 2024 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Inspired by Japanese culture, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a single-player game that takes place at two different times of day. Starting at dawn, your job is to purify villages all across a mountain by visiting different gates with the main character, Soh, and the Maiden of the mountain, Yoshiro. You purify the villages by performing a Kagura Dance in front of them. When night turns to day, an enemy known as the Seethe appears and tries to infiltrate the mountain. Fortunately, Soh has access to a wide array of sword attacks to fend off enemies. Of course, there are also tower defense elements at play as well. You can place villagers in specific positions and utilize their individual roles to help eliminate the Seethe. Battles with the enemy can change on a dime, though, so you have to use quite a bit of strategy to outlast the Seethe until dawn. The graphics in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess are gorgeous, and Soh's sword attacks are beautiful and lethal. The game is well worth your time if you're looking for a newer tower defense game to play. See on Fanatical Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten Developer : Level Up Labs Release Date: October 30, 2012 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Rounding out the list is Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten, which looks like a more primitive tower defense game thanks to its graphics, but it has plenty of depth to it. The game prides itself on not wasting your time with repetitive battles or time sinks. Instead, you'll use the basic tower defense formula to progress through a story with individual characters. In lieu of traditional towers for defense, Valley of the Forgotten utilizes real characters. These characters can be placed around a map just like towers, but each one is able to earn XP and be equipped with different skills and gear. Customizing each character to perform specific jobs or fill a certain role is key in developing the strategy for every level. Each one can also be given strategic commands that dictate things like which enemies they prioritize, which is critical for stopping any from slipping past. Valley of the Forgotten also features an in-depth story that intertwines itself with the gameplay. Don't worry, though, as the story doesn't consider itself to be the main focus, so it's always quick and to the point. See on Steam Cataclismo Developer : Digital Sun Release Date: March 25, 2025 Platforms: PC Cataclismo is an on-the-go tower defense game that requires strict resource management so you can build new structures and defenses as you move around. When you find a new area, your job is to construct a castle that waves of enemies can't break through. Every area presents new obstacles and challenges, and as you progress, you'll unlock new resources to deal with those hurdles. Every structure and line of defense you build in Cataclismo comes straight from you and your inventory of resources, so it's crucial to place them strategically but also make sure you have enough resources to cover the rest of your castle. You also place the pieces one by one, so you need to be strategic in where they go. Cataclismo features three different game modes, with the main one being a single-player campaign that takes you through a story. There's also a skirmish and endless mode, with the latter featuring non-stop waves of enemies for as long as you can hold out. The resource management in Cataclismo and the ever-changing environments in the game make it an enjoyable time-sink that always has you adapting and strategizing to solve new problems. See on Fanatical Thronefall Developer : Grizzly Games Release Date: October 11, 2024 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC Thronefall is a self-described "minimalist" tower defense game that prides itself on simple mechanics. It's not overly complicated, but there's still plenty of strategy in defending your tower. The game features a day and night cycle where you build up a base with defenses during the day and defend it from enemies at night. You use an economy system to manage what you have access to build. However, you can also take control of a character and engage in some hack-and-slash combat to stop enemies from busting down your base. It's a refreshing mix of simplistic and strategic gameplay that combines the tower defense genre with some top-down combat that allows you to fully control whether your base stands or falls. See on Steam Minion Masters Developer : BetaDwarf Release Date: December 2, 2016 Platforms: Xbox One, PC, Android Minion Masters combines the tower defense and card game genres to create an engaging, strategic experience. The game is focused on online multiplayer, where you can play 1v1 or 2v2 battles against other players. However, there is a single-player mode where you can take part in different conflicts happening within the game's world. In the online PvP arena, you can select a Minion Master that determines the deck of cards you have access to. Your Minion Master can then be leveled up to unlock new abilities and powers you can use in battle. The goal of any battle is to capture and hold bridges against an enemy, utilizing the cards in your deck to defend and attack. The matches in Minion Masters are quick, but also thrilling, and require a solid amount of strategy. You need to decide what cards are best for the situation and then unleash them on the enemy to either try to take back a bridge or hold it from being captured. See on Steam Iron Brigade Developer : Double Fine Productions Release Date: June 22, 2011 Platforms: Xbox 360, PC Iron Brigade is another mech-focused tower defense game that allows you to control an oversized and weaponized robot as enemies try to make it through your defenses. You're fighting off walking TVs as they use different maneuvers and tactics to outwit your forces and make it deeper into your base. Along with your mech that's outfitted with various weapons, you can lay a variety of defenses that aim to stop the enemy TVs and other forces. As you progress and fend off more enemy invasions, you'll unlock over 80 pieces of loot that can be used to upgrade both your mech and your defenses. See on Steam Rock of Ages 2: Bigger and Boulder Developer : ACE Team Release Date: August 26, 2017 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch There are certainly some games on this list that stretch the tower defense genre to its limit, but none more so than Rock of Ages 2: Bigger and Boulder. This game is unlike anything else on this list, as you're competing against an AI enemy to see who can stop their opponent from rolling a boulder down a ramp more effectively. Across a wide variety of levels, the goal is to put up defenses along a downhill ramp that's cluttered with different obstacles. After you're done placing your defenses, you take control of a boulder and try to make your way past your opponent's defenses that they have placed on their ramp. The boulder that makes it to the enemy base at the end of the level wins. It's a fascinating spin on the tower defense genre, but it can be quite enticing to play as you get more into it. See on Steam Tower Dominion Developer : Parallel 45 Games Release Date: December 13, 2024 Platforms: PC Tower Dominion is another tower defense game with roguelike elements, making it great for replayability. It's also a hero-based game, and you have the option of 30 heroes to select. Each hero comes with different abilities that affect how you go about setting up your defenses. Of course, at the end of the day, you'll still have to upgrade towers and other defenses using XP and resources you gain from defeating enemy waves. Tower Dominion offers plenty of map variety to consistently shake up your experience, and the addition of the heroes adds another layer of strategy. See on Steam Gnomes Developer : DYSTOPIAN Release Date: April 4, 2025 Platforms: PC Gnomes takes the graphics back to a simpler time, but keeps the core tower defense gameplay in place. You'll also find plenty of unique elements to the game, including procedurally-generated biomes that serve as the basis for the levels you're trying to defend from waves of enemies. Gnomes allows you to continue building out the same base, steadily improving on its defenses and capabilities through farming resources. Upgrading various elements of your base and expanding into a large-scale village as you attempt to push back the goblin horde is the initial premise of Gnomes, but the randomness of the biomes and how they affect your gameplay is what will keep you playing. See on Steam Arknights Endfield Developer : Hypergryph Release Date: January 22, 2026 Platforms: PC, PS5, iOS, Android Arknights Endfield is a sequel to the game Arknights, which was released in 2019, but it takes on an entirely new setting, story, and features from the original. Endfield sees you embark on a journey on Talos-II, a planet humanity has been trying to conquer for decades. Your job is being the Endministrator, essentially the commander, of a large group of forces tasked with setting out to expand humanity's presence on the planet. You'll begin with small wars against easy-to-defeat enemies, but you'll need to devise tricky traps, collect new resources, and lay out intricate strategies the farther you explore Talos-II. Arknights Endfield features automated construction systems and a cast of characters that can be tailored to your preferences, allowing you to focus on the more enjoyable parts of tower defense games. See on Epic Games
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
The Best RPGs To Play In 2026
The Best RPGs To Play In 2026The best RPGs can be hard to find. The long-running staple of the video game landscape is home to some of the most memorable games of all time, but by their nature, role-playing games tend to be a big time investment compared to some other genres. That's why we want to help you narrow them down and make the very best use of your gaming hours and dollars. The RPG genre is so vast that there are multiple subgenres that some games can fall into depending on where they were created or their gameplay mechanics. You'll often see RPG elements pop up in games that otherwise largely fit into other genres--action-RPGs like the Diablo series have long been popular, while RPG-style character building has worked its way into shooters, action games, and numerous others. And the worlds, characters, and stories that developers create in RPGs have been turned into movie and TV franchises as well. While there are hundreds of RPGs that are worth your time, we're going to shoulder the difficult task of choosing the best RPGs to play right now. As a note, this list only features one game from a given RPG franchise so that more varied titles can be included. However, that rule doesn't apply to developers, so you're going to see some entries from the same devs. Our selections are listed alphabetically. For more, be sure to check our picks for the best games on PS5 , best games on Switch , and best games on Xbox . Avowed Developer : Obsidian Entertainment Release Date : February 13, 2025 Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PC The latest from Obsidian is another journey into the Pillars of Eternity universe, exploring a new corner and from a new perspective. Avowed puts you in the role of a Godlike, a mortal who has been touched by the gods and given special gifts--along with a plant-like growth that marks you as clearly distinct. You're sent as an envoy to investigate the source of a deadly plague, and you become embroiled in both royal and godly intrigue as you go. What makes Avowed stand out most, though, is the stellar first-person combat, which is great at making you feel connected with every swipe of the blade or flourish of your magic tome. It also takes place in a wide open world to explore , giving you plenty to do between your questing. Read our Avowed review . Baldur's Gate 3 Developer : Larian Studios Release Date : August 3, 2023 Platforms : PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Baldur's Gate 3 is among the most renowned RPGs in recent years. The game of a generation for many RPG fans, BG3 is one of the impressive feats in the video game industry. A compelling narrative that grips you right from the start leads you to fantastic locations filled with quests, side activities, and characters to meet. Some of those characters can be recruited to your party, and all of them have distinct and enthralling quest lines to complete. The number of choices you can make in BG3 is truly mind-boggling, with each choice having the potential to alter your ending. You can also build your character in a variety of different ways, giving you total freedom to role-play whatever you want, which is truly what an RPG should be about. See on Steam Bloodborne Developer : From Software Release Date : March 24, 2015 Platforms : PlayStation 4 Bloodborne is From Software at its finest when it comes to game design; the bosses in the world are extremely challenging, but all can be overcome, and the world flows together masterfully. It's also worth mentioning the Victorian-era setting of Bloodborne is a true marvel from an artwork perspective. Like with any From Software game, you may to think Bloodborne is the worst, most unfair game ever created at some point during your playthrough, but all the trouble is worth it once you reach the end credits. See on Amazon Chrono Trigger Developer : Square Release Date : March 11, 1995 Platforms : SNES, Nintendo DS, PC Chrono Trigger is a popular pick for many players' top RPG of all time, and there are no complaints about that here. Released in 1995 as the first entry in the Chrono series, the game takes you on a ride through time, visiting the past, present, and future. The story starts with a malfunction that leads to time travel but ends with a planet's fate in your character's hands. You'll visit prehistoric times, the end of time, and everything in-between in this historic RPG. See on Steam Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developer : Sandfall Interactive Release Date : April 24, 2025 Platforms : PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S The first game from a new studio based out of France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a distinct style and tone all its own, set in an imaginative original world. The story centers around a civilization being slowly winnowed away by a hostile goddess called the Paintress, who once per year writes a number on an obelisk, upon which everyone of that age dies. The doomed people send yearly expeditions to stop the Paintress, each one failing but helping pave the way for the next. That premise lets you explore a strange landscape full of monsters and beasts, with turn-based RPG combat augmented by a parry and dodge system inspired by souls-likes. The production values are top notch and this debut has already put developer Sandfall on the map. See on Amazon Diablo II Developer : Blizzard Entertainment Release Date : June 28, 2000 Platforms : PC, NIntendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S Diablo 2 is the famous series at its finest, and it makes for an incredible RPG that still gets talked about to this day. Even if you don't want to play a now-ancient game, there's also Diablo II: Resurrected, which is a modern remaster of the classic title. Diablo 2 features an intriguing story, plenty of ways to build your character, and an experience unlike anything else on this list. See on Blizzard Divinity: Original Sin II Developer : Larian Studios Release Date : September 14, 2017 Platforms : PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Divinity: Original Sin 2 is another RPG from Larian Studios, but this one came six years before Baldur's Gate 3. That fact makes it all the more impressive what Larian was able to do, as it designed yet another massive world full of unique characters and locations. While the characters in Divinity: Original Sin 2 aren't as memorable as ones in other RPGs, the world is absolutely unforgettable. From the start of the game, you're thrown into a conflict between magic users and those who wish to restrict all forms of magic. The plot in Original Sin 2 plays out beautifully, with your choices being the most impactful aspect of how the story ends. See on Steam Disco Elysium Developer : ZA/UM Release Date: October 15, 2019 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC If you're feeling burned out on combat in RPGs, then Disco Elysium needs to be the next game you play. Featuring a revolutionary dialogue system, Disco Elysium is a 25+ hour epic that takes you on the thriller of a lifetime. You play as a detective with some special skills you can use to your advantage when solving murders and other crimes. However, as with any good RPG, you can make a flurry of choices throughout the story that affect how the plot plays out in the end. The voice acting in Disco Elysium is some of the best you'll come across, and you'll be gob-smacked at how in-depth the dialogue system can be. See on Fanatical Dragon's Dogma 2 Developer : Capcom Release Date : March 21, 2024 Platforms : PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S If there's a constant in Dragon's Dogma 2, it's that there's always a surprise around the corner in this grand fantasy adventure. There's a sense of discovery at its core, a drive to hold onto that feeling of joy that comes from a case of virtual wanderlust as you stumble into new locations, people, and dragons along the way. The hack-and-slash combat feels as thrilling as ever--not surprising given that Devil May Cry's Hideaki Itsuno is the game director--the Pawn System feels magical this time around, and the world around you feels alive at all times. Don't be too surprised if Dragon's Dogma 2 results in your sleeping schedule getting wrecked, thanks to its "just one more quest" appeal. Read our Dragon's Dogma 2 review . See at Amazon The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Developer : Bethesda Game Studios Release Date : November 11, 2011 Platforms : PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch The Elder Scrolls franchise is arguably the best set of RPG games you can play. While this spot could have gone to Morrowind or Oblivion, the third and fourth entries in the series, respectively, we're choosing Skyrim for a couple of reasons. Not only does Skyrim have one of the best video game worlds to explore, but its cultural impact is as far-reaching as any other game on this list. When Skyrim was released, it became an instant phenomenon, as the developers pushed and exceeded the boundaries of what gamers thought an open-world RPG could be. Whether you're going into a random cave or completing a quest for one of the several in-game factions, you always have something enjoyable to do when playing Skyrim. If you play on PC, be sure to check out our picks for the best Skyrim mods , which can further improve your experience. See on Fanatical Elden Ring Developer : From Software Release Date : February 25, 2022 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC Few games have as much hype as Elden Ring had and manage to completely exceed so many players' expectations. From Software's masterpiece features one of the best open worlds ever created, full of highly challenging bosses and enemies around every corner. The sense of accomplishment you get for beating Elden Ring is next to none for most players, as conquering the entirety of this world is a truly difficult feat. Elden Ring's world is also built on top of extremely deep-seated lore that you have to uncover for yourself in the most peculiar of locations. While there's not much dialogue that occurs in Elden Ring, few games make you feel as deep of a connection to your character thanks to all of the hardships you go through with them in the Lands Between. If you jump, be sure to check out our many Elden Ring guides to help you make the most of the experience. See on Fanatical Fallout: New Vegas Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Release Date: October 19, 2010 Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Fallout is one of the most recognizable RPG franchises in existence. Sporting several games in the series and plenty of lore to go around, it's tough to pick the best overall game from Fallout. However, as many fans of the franchise will likely say, nothing truly beats Fallout: New Vegas when it comes to RPGs. New Vegas pulls you in right from the get-go, as you're shot in the head by a mysterious man with the lights of the Vegas Strip in the background. When you awake, you're set off on a gripping tale with twists and turns around every corner. Your choices play a vital role in how the game ends and you're able to pick a distinct side when everything is said and done, something other Fallout games struggle with. You can see where we ranked the best Fallout games in a previous list. See on Fanatical Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Developer : Square Enix Release Date : Various Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch The early Final Fantasy games were some of the most influential RPGs of all time, and the new Pixel Remaster versions are simply the best way to play them. Not only do the newly polished graphics and remastered music make the original pixel art and music shine like never before, each game also features boosts to aspects like EXP and Gold to speed you along. It's never been easier to experience these classics without all the grind. Some of these games have aged better than others--FF6 is the standout by far--but you can't beat having the whole early history of Final Fantasy in one package. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Developer : Warhorse Studios Release Date : February 4, 2025 Platforms : PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S RPGs often fall into fantasy and science fiction categories, allowing lots of room for magical spells and or alien environments. The Kingdom Come series is distinct in that it's set in historical fiction, placing it in a particular time and place: early 15th century Bohemia. That gives a more lived-in feel to the castle intrigue as you navigate the complex politics of the era, building up your influence in the region against the backdrop of a civil war. The combat has been more streamlined from the first game, and the quests are designed to give you lots of ways to approach them. Read our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review . Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Developer : Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios Release Date : January 25, 2024 Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S Ichiban Kasuga's second games as the face of the Like A Dragon series--previously known as Yakuza--takes him far away from Japan to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, in search of his long-lost mother. The lengthy story has all the heart and hijinks you've come to expect from the series, and returning minigames like Sujimon are joined by the new and massive Dondoko Island quest. That minigame, which could almost be an entire game in itself, has you managing an island resort to maximize customer satisfaction while chasing away ruffians. Think of it like Animal Crossing but with more beating up thugs with a baseball bat. Read our Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth review . Mass Effect 2 Developer : BioWare Release Date : January 26, 2010 Platforms : PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One The Mass Effect series features one of the best overall stories an RPG franchise has ever told. While the ending, or endings, to Mass Effect 3 soiled the series for some players, there's no denying how much of an impact it had on future RPGs. As for the best title in the series, we're going with Mass Effect 2, which was a step up from the first game in most ways. The world is more expansive, the characters are fleshed out, and the gameplay keeps you hooked for the entire game. Your choices in Mass Effect 2 also set up the story in the third game if you import your save, which is a neat feature that's not seen often in games even today. 2021's Legendary Edition bundles together and remasters all three games from the original trilogy. See on Amazon Metaphor ReFantazio Developer : Atlus Release Date : October 11, 2024 Platforms : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S It's up for debate what the best Atlus-developed game is, but Metaphor ReFantazio makes a strong case for itself with its exquisite design, polished turn-based action, and a cast of characters that you'll grow to love. A celebration of stories set in a world rife with inequality, Metaphor ReFantazio mixes escapism with real-world issues and pragmatism with idealism, resulting in a story that feels both magical and all too real at times. It's a stunning journey from beginning to end, and you'll never feel like you've wasted a single minute in this lengthy odyssey. It earned the distinction as GameSpot's Game of the Year in 2024 . Read our Metaphor ReFantazio review . See at Amazon Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Developer : Nintendo / Intelligent Systems Release Date : May 23, 2024 Platforms : Nintendo Switch The Paper Mario series is widely seen as one of the best of the Mario RPGs , and The Thousand-Year Door is a major reason why. The game originally published on GameCube got a vibrant remake on Switch, showing off what makes it so beloved in the first place. The colorful world never looked better than it does on Switch, and small quality-of-life tweaks and a retouched translation help it shine. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is especially notable for its array of great characters, especially a roster of usual Mario baddies who get infused with some personality to become his sidekicks. Read our Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door review . Persona 5 Developer : Atlus Release Date : October 31, 2019 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC The Persona franchise is widely recognized as one of the best the RPG genre has to offer, and the fifth installment is where the series has shined brightest. If we want to get more specific, Persona 5 Royal is the best version of the game as a whole, but Persona 5 itself won plenty of awards in 2019. You play as a high school student who receives their special Persona powers overnight. These powers allow you to transform into a Phantom Thief, patrolling the streets for corrupted adults to change them into good-hearted people. Persona 5 is distinct in that you still have to attend school and classes during the day, which adds a fresh social sim/RPG element to your experience. See on Fanatical Pokémon Legends: Z-A Developer : Game Freak Release Date : October 16, 2025 Platforms : Nintendo Switch 1 + 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the latest mainline Pokémon game, and it's a follow-up to Legends: Arceus. While these games are considered to be main installments in the franchise, they work very differently from the traditional Pokémon experiences. Legends: Z-A takes place entirely in Lumiose City, which is set in the Kalos region. At the start of the game, you're given a starter Pokémon and tasked with competing in the Z-A Royale, which is a competition to find the best trainer in the city. You might be confident in your battling abilities, but Z-A features an entirely new combat system. Fights are no longer turn-based, and you have to manually target enemy Pokémon with specific moves. When you're not in combat, you can explore the vast Lumiose City, which features plenty of verticality and freedom to explore. You'll run into wild Pokémon, complete side quests, and uncover the mystery of the city. See on Nintendo Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Developer : Atlus Release Date : November 11, 2021 Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStataion 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is a prime example of a game delivering both quality and quantity, as this remaster of the JRPG can easily consume dozens of your hours. The original game was a rough diamond, but this new version polishes those flawed edges and delivers an absurd amount of extra content alongside its quality-of-life updates. There was a lot to love about the original 2021 game, but the Vengeance edition amplifies its satisfying gameplay, vivid art direction, and engaging storyline. Read our Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance review . See at Amazon Stardew Valley Developer : Eric Barone Release Date : February 26, 2016 Platforms : Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One While it might not seem like a traditional RPG, Stardew Valley is considered a role-playing game by its community and the original developer, Eric Barone. You inherit your grandfather's farm and have to tend to it in the best way you can. This involves heading into various towns to meet and talk to new people as well as exploring mysterious and dangerous locations across a large map. Stardew Valley is certainly a farming simulator, but the RPG elements are prevalent enough that it warrants a spot on our list. It's one of the best-reviewed Steam games of all time and still beloved by millions. See on Steam Suikoden 1&2 Remaster Developer : Konami Release Date : March 6, 2025 Platforms : PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch The Suikoden games are considered among the best RPGs of all time for good reason, and that applies especially to the first two. Those games, Gate Rune and The Dunan Unification Wars, received a lovely HD remaster this year, featuring improved movement and retouched visuals. At the core, though, these are just the best way to play two classics of the genre, exploring a rich and detailed fantasy world and recruiting dozens of party members to your cause. Read our Suikoden 1&2 Remaster review . Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Developer : Nintendo Release Date : March 9, 1996 Platforms : SNES, Nintendo Switch Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars features outstanding gameplay and a great story set against unique locations. This was also the first RPG in Mario, so Nintendo certainly started well. In Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario and Bowser, Princess Toadstool, and others are trying to retrieve the seven pieces of Star Road, which have been scattered across the world by the Smithy Gang. There are plenty of side activities and locations to visit to keep you busy in between completing main quests. A remastered version is now available on Nintendo Switch. See on Amazon Undertale Developer : Toby Fox Release Date : September 15, 2015 Platforms : Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC Other RPGs on this list are impressive for a variety of reasons, whether it be graphics, gameplay, story, RPG elements, or whatever else. With Undertale, the story is entirely different. The game was created and published by an indie developer named Toby Fox. While Fox might not have known it at the time, they made one of the best RPGs of all time. Few games have received more glowing reviews than Undertale, which sits at a 10/10 rating on Steam with over 100,000 reviews. The game looks incredibly simple at first glance, and it is, in many ways, as you play a child who has fallen into an underground world. However, the adventure you go on will stick with you for a lifetime. See on Steam Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines Developer : Troika Games Release Date : November 16, 2004 Platforms : PC It's not often that a developer can pull off a vampire game or form of entertainment well, but Troika Games truly delivered a masterpiece back in 2004. Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines allows you to fully feel like a vampire, sucking blood from anyone you can find. However, along this basic journey, you're forced to make moral choices that shape your character and the story as a whole. There are warring factions, tons of lore, and unique characters that make your first playthrough extremely memorable. See on Steam The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Developer : CD Projekt Red Release Date : May 19, 2015 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch The RPG genre was in a slight rut for a couple of years during the mid-2010s, and then CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3. A true masterclass in every sense of the word, The Witcher 3 lives on nearly 10 years after its launch as easily one of if not the best RPG ever. The final chapter for monster-slayer Geralt of Rivia, the game takes place across a war-torn map that's filled with gorgeous and dangerous locations. The storytelling, individual quests, characters, and choices you make all have a lasting impact on anyone who decides to pick the third chapter in The Witcher saga. The Witcher 3 also has two of the best DLC expansions ever released for a game in Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine . See on Amazon World of Warcraft Developer : Blizzard Entertainment Release Date : November 23, 2004 Platforms : PC While you might not think of World of Warcraft when going over the best RPGs ever, it has every right to be included on this list. Arguably the best MMORPG of all time, World of Warcraft is one of the famous video game franchises of the 21st century. It still pulls in millions of players every year and has delivered steady content updates every year of its existence. World of Warcraft might not allow you to make as many story choices as other RPGs, but building your character and interacting with other players is extremely fulfilling no matter how many hours you have in Azeroth. New content continues to regularly roll out, with ambitious plans for the next three expansions, The Worldsoul Saga , being revealed at BlizzCon 2023. See on Amazon Monster Hunter Wilds Developer : Capcom Release Date : February 28, 2025 Platforms : PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Monster Hunter games aren't traditional RPGs with an in-depth story, NPC dialogue, and character choices. However, what they do allow for is unparalleled character building that gives you the chance to role-play as a monster hunter of any variety. Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest game in the legendary franchise and features the same general gameplay loop as its predecessors. You have a world to explore, teeming with monsters and resources that you can use to craft new gear, weapons, and tools. Then, when you feel you're ready, you can take on gigantic monsters that are crucial to the campaign in one way or another. These monsters can take up to 30 minutes to kill, and they're a true test of your skills and the gear you brought along. In Wilds, the main campaign is roughly 15-20 hours long, but the real gameplay starts during the endgame. This is when you get to really sink your teeth into the different character builds and monster hunting. You have access to more loot that allows you to try out dozens of combinations of gear and weapons. If that aspect of RPGs is appealing to you, then Monster Hunter Wilds should enthrall you for dozens of hours. See on Fanatical Assassin's Creed Odyssey Developer : Ubisoft Release Date : October 2, 2018 Platforms : PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC The Assassin's Creed franchise didn't originally consist of RPGs. The early games, such as AC II, Black Flag, and Syndicate, are more seen as action-adventure games with a far more linear storyline and character progression. However, the new age of Assassin's Creed brings RPG elements into the mix, and no game in the series has implemented these elements better than Odyssey. Odyssey is set in 430 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. You play as a Greek warrior, either Alexios (male) or Kassandra (female), and get to partake in this war and discover some personal secrets about yourself and your family. Odyssey features dozens of different skills to unlock that can change your character's gameplay, and the story allows for some personal choices that have an effect on the world. You'll also be able to equip more armor and weapons than you'll know what to do with, and explore a massively open world that consists of both land and sea traversal. The core elements of Assassin's Creed are also present, so assassinations, parkour, and an arsenal of tools all play a part in your journey. Odyssey is one of the best AC games in the series and an all-around fantastic RPG. See on Steam Cyberpunk 2077 Developer : CD Projekt RED Release Date : December 10, 2020 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 1+2 CD Projekt RED certainly knows a thing or two about crafting world-class RPGs, and while Cyberpunk 2077 didn't start off terrific, it's now one of the best RPGs on the market. The game has fully recovered from its bumpy start in 2020 and has had a small revitalization in 2025 thanks to its release on the Nintendo Switch 2. Set in a dystopian version of Los Angeles, California, Cyberpunk 2077 follows the story of V, a criminal who gets mixed up in the conspiracy of a lifetime. A series of events results in V receiving an implant that contains the consciousness of a legendary rockstar, who guides you throughout the game. Cyberpunk 2077's world is teeming with life, neon lights, and in-depth NPCs that fully react to your actions. You can complete numerous side quests, unlock new abilities for V, buy or steal some blistering fast vehicles, or just head back to your fully fleshed-out apartment and relax. While the base story in Cyberpunk 2077 is incredible, things are taken to a new level with the game's only expansion, Phantom Liberty. It's potentially one of the best DLCs in video game history and truly encapsulates everything that makes Cyberpunk 2077 great. See on Best Buy Hogwarts Legacy Developer : Avalanche Software Release Date : February 10, 2023 Platforms : PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 1+2 Role-playing as a Hogwarts student in the Wizarding World was a fantasy for many Harry Potter fans over the years. Avalanche Software had a major task in bringing that world to life, and, fortunately, Hogwarts Legacy delivers an unforgettable experience. Set prior to the events of Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy starts with you creating your own fourth-year student at Hogwarts School. You soon discover that you're not a normal student, and you team up with professors and other students to uncover mysteries and conspiracies once you arrive at school. Hogwarts Legacy fully and faithfully recreates the legendary wizarding school right down to the last detail. You can explore the entire school, go to individual classes, be sorted into your house, and even go beyond the castle walls to the hamlets and other areas beyond the school grounds. The game offers incredible customization, from the gear you wear to the spells you can cast with your trusty wand. You'll also get the chance to fly a Hippogriff or a broom all around the map. Hogwarts Legacy is everything a Harry Potter RPG should be, and it's a blast from start to finish regardless of your Wizarding World knowledge. See on Fanatical Borderlands 4 Developer : Gearbox Software Release Date : September 12, 2025 Platforms : PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2 2025 saw the release of a new Borderlands title, and Borderlands 4 is arguably the best game the franchise has to offer. Set on an entirely new planet with mostly fresh characters, Borderlands 4 is a fully open world game that lets you explore different zones as you progress the main story. This is a massive shift from previous games, which used large levels instead of one map, but it works well for exploration and pacing. As for gameplay, you can expect the same action-packed, loot-filled experience from other Borderlands games. The game offers all-new classes to choose from, complete with game-changing abilities and some great voice acting from the characters themselves. Even if you've never played a Borderlands game before, Borderlands 4 will have you immediately hooked from start to end. See on Fanatical Horizon Zero Dawn Developer : Guerrilla Games Release Date : February 28, 2017 Platforms : PS4, PS5, PC The Horizon series is the perfect example of what a modern, open world RPG looks like. It has a massive world to explore that's open to you right from the start of the game, branching skill trees that unlock different abilities, and some choice-based dialogue with plenty of quests to take on. While Horizon Zero Dawn might sound like just another RPG, though, it is incredibly unique with its setting, world building, and combat. The game takes place in a vast, futuristic post-apocalyptic world where humanity has devolved into tribes due to dangerous machines that have taken over the world. You play as Aloy, an outcast with a deeper connection to the machines and the previous remnant of humanity than anyone else, and it's up to you to uncover the mysteries left behind by America's ancestors. The Outer Worlds 2 Developer : Obsidian Entertainment Release Date : October 29, 2025 Platforms : PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC The Outer Worlds 2 is a follow-up to The Outer Worlds, a terrific RPG from 2019, but you don't need to play the first game to understand the sequel. Developed by the same team behind Fallout New Vegas, Grounded, and Pillars of Eternity, The Outer Worlds 2 is set in a distant universe where humanity is currently stationed after leaving Earth. Your character is a captain of one of the universe's factions, and you'll eventually lead a team of misfits that you pick up through quests and exploration. With your party, you'll take control of your own spaceship and uncover a deep conspiracy that has ramifications for the entirety of humanity. The Outer Worlds 2 features wide open planets to explore, plenty of characters to interact with, and a charming story that has a variety of endings based on your many choices during the first 30 or so hours of the game. See on Steam
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
29 Best Horror Games To Play In The Dark In 2026
29 Best Horror Games To Play In The Dark In 2026While it might be early in 2026, it's never too late to dive into a horror game to get your heart rate up and skin crawling with anticipation. We make it a point to update this list of the best scary games to play regularly, cycling out some older favorites for newer arrivals and under-the-radar gems that deserve attention. This latest update is no different. We've added a few more recent horror games to help you decide what to play as the nights get longer and, for many of us, chillier. Below you'll find more than two dozen of the best horror games to play right now. This list isn't ranked, so you don't need to consider them in that way. Instead, I'd say find a couple that suit your taste and go from there. We have classic survival-horror games, unsettling solo adventures, multiplayer games that tend to blend screams with laughs, and a lot more. Take a look below, and don't miss our similar but more specific list of the best zombie games ever made. Whatever flavor of haunting you crave, you'll find it in our list below. Alan Wake 2 Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : Remedy Scare Factor : 6 One of the newer entries on this list, Alan Wake 2 may also be the most daring. Though you'd be best served by first playing the original game so you can more easily follow this mind-bending sequel, we do have a handy recap of everything that happened in the original Alan Wake if you want to get caught up more quickly. Alan Wake 2 stands as a marvel in video game storytelling, with haunting moments spent in the woods flanked by some major plot twists, several punishing boss battles, and even some decidedly off-beat scenes we dare not spoil here. With the unique way it handles a dual-campaign structure, Alan Wake 2 is the sort of horror game that doesn't come around often. Read our Alan Wake 2 review . See at Humble Alien Isolation Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC Release Year : 2014 Developer : Creative Assembly Scare Factor : 9 The original Alien film from 1978 still holds up brilliantly as a tight and well-constructed battle against extraterrestrial hostility, and in 2014, developer Creative Assembly bottled that cinematic lightning and used it to power a survival-horror experience that could put the film sequels to shame. Set 15 years after the events of Alien, Alien: Isolation follows Ellen Ripley's daughter Amanda on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance. That's easier said than done, as the decommissioned trading station of Sevastopol is a death trap full of inhabitants who'll gladly stab you in the back, malfunctioning androids, and the ever-present threat of a Xenomorph hunting you down. Easily the best digital recreation of the world of Alien and its horrifying mascot. We won't lie to you about your chances of surviving against a perfect organism whose mind is unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality, but you do have our sympathy. Read our Alien: Isolation review . See on Amazon Tooth and Claw's library Platforms : PC Release Year : Various Developer : Tooth and Claw Scare Factor : Various There's nothing better than getting a new video game for the price of absolutely nothing , and over on Itch.io, there's a rich selection of horror games now available. Sure, these are humble and smaller games that are often produced by a single person, but when it comes to inventive and experimental horror, there are some real gems to be had here. If you need somewhere specific to start, I recommend the games from Dan McGrath, specifically. As a one-person studio named Tooth and Claw , he has made many of my favorite horror games on the platform, and he has more coming out a few times every year. If you want some seriously inspired horror shorts with a keen understanding of how to unsettle players, check out Mcgrath's work, like my personal favorite: Incident at Grove Lake . See on Itch.io Amnesia: The Bunker Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : Frictional Games Scare Factor : 9 We want to highlight just one game from any particular series on this list, so it was difficult to pick only one from the Amnesia series. Ultimately, we picked the newest of them given how it adopted replayability in the way the past games lacked, and is arguably the scariest one in the series anyway. Amnesia: The Bunker is set during World War I and pits players against a behemoth that lurks in the walls, always hunting and never satiated. Like Alien Isolation's starring Xenomorph, the monster in The Bunker is somewhat unscripted, and its objectives change slightly with each playthrough, meaning you'll own your failures and celebrate your successes all the more. Just don't forget to lock that safe room door behind you--if you make it back. Read our Amnesia: The Bunker review . See at Fanatical The Mortuary Assistant Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch Release Year : 2022 Developer : Darkstone Digital Scare Factor : 9 I don't know which part of The Mortuary Assistant scares me more, the ghosts haunting the mortuary or the on-the-job gameplay that asks players to actually live the life of a mortician. Cutting open corpses, draining them of blood, embalming them, and prepping them for funerals or cremations feels unsettling in its coldness. It's not that you're a bad person. You're literally just doing your job, but it's such a peculiar, hard-to-stomach job that it all feels so intense. Of course, it doesn't take long before doors start closing on their own, noises start coming from the body bags, and things start moving out of the corner of your eye. The new Definitive Edition on consoles and PC adds even more creepy content to a game already full of different endings and secrets to uncover. Good luck sleeping after this one. See on Fanatical Dead Space (2023) Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : EA Motive Scare Factor : 8 Dead Space was one of the early hits of 2023, and in a year with no shortage of blockbusters, this remake of the 2008 survival-horror game was still a strong contender for game of the year. It's not hard to see why, as developer EA Motive did more than just take the digital DNA of the original game and slap a fresh coat of 4K paint on it. Instead, this was a sci-fi horror game rebuilt from the ground up and improves on the original with some smart design choices. The end result? Unrelenting terror in the cold vacuum of space, adaptive difficulty that'll keep your palms sweaty, and a leap in graphical fidelity that'll have you reaching for a barf bag every time you run into a Necromorph. Read our Dead Space review . See on Amazon Little Nightmares Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4 Release Year : 2017 Developer : Tarsiers Studio Scare Factor : 8 The Little Nightmares series is soon to debut a third entry and offer co-op for the first time, but in terms of scares, it'll still be chasing the high of the creepy first game. Just as the name suggests, this is a game--and series--about bringing a child's nightmares to life. Trapped in a disturbing and hazy world with threats of various (but similarly inhuman) shapes and sizes, Little Nightmares feels like a bad dream you can't wake up from. Now, an actual dream like that is not usually something one would seek out, but as a video game, it really works. The monsters on display here have an unsettling meltiness to them, like someone has used the wrong clay in the kiln. It's an enjoyable horror-platformer, but it's really the sights and sounds that will stick with you long after you're done. Read our Little Nightmares review . See on Amazon The Outlast Trials Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : Red Barrels Scare Factor : 7 in co-op; 9 in solo play A previous version of this list featured Outlast 2, and if you only want the scariest entry in the series, that one is still it. But after a year in Steam Early Access, The Outlast Trials launched in its 1.0 form in 2024 and has since become one of the best co-op horror games available. The same depraved, unflinching settings and scenarios that made this series famous are back, only this time in an infinitely replayable framework for up to four players in co-op. Across a great number of maps, players will work together to complete a wide variety of objectives while dodging some terrifying villains like Sergeant Coyle, Franco Barbi, and the unforgettable Mother Gooseberry. The series' signature scares aren't quite as scary with friends in The Outlast Trials, but the team at Red Barrels has built out an impressive metagame that will keep you coming back to unlock the game's spooky rewards--and if you do want it to be as terrifying as other games in the series, you can always play it solo too. See at Humble Phasmophobia Platforms : PC (Coming soon to Xbox Series X|S) Release Year : 2020 Developer : Kinetic Games Scare Factor : 9 One of the big Twitch hits when it first debuted in 2020, Phasmophobia is Paranormal Activity with a multiplayer twist. You've got all the ghost-detecting equipment you could ask for--but none of the ghost- busting gear--several haunted locations, and several phantasms that don't take too kindly to the living. It's terrifying to play solo, but when you're with friends, the built-in voice recognition adds a new layer of immersion as spooks and specters listen in on your conversations and react to them. For an even bigger scare, try the game out in VR to get some fearful face-time with the ghosts and demons that you encounter. See on Steam The Complex: Expedition Platforms : PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : pgWave Scare Factor : 7 A modern list of best horror games is incomplete without a nod to liminal spaces. Today, Steam is flooded with games on the subject given how popular it's become on video platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Having played all the liminal space and Backrooms-style games I can find, I've landed on The Complex: Expedition as the best of them. In atmosphere, story, and visuals, it's a tier above the crowd--though if you're not beholden to the Backrooms aesthetic specifically, Pools is a great alternative. In The Complex: Expedition, you play a worker investigating a liminal space. Why, when, where--these are all questions you can't really gauge, but even if you had that information to begin with, it's likely it would be no use to you once you clip through reality and find yourself in this eerie, vaguely hostile locale where the aesthetic changes frequently but the constant feelings of dread and disorientation remain. If you've not yet went down the liminal-space rabbit hole, start here, then let the genre take over your Instagram algorithm like it has mine. See on Steam Resident Evil 2 (2019) Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4 Release Year : 2019 Developer : Capcom Scare Factor : 8 It's no small task selecting just one Resident Evil game for a list like this. Heck, even if you discount some of the more action-oriented Resi games, that still leaves several horror classics to argue about. In the end, we found the remake of Resident Evil 2 to be the best series representative for this list for a few reasons. For one, though we enjoy the original, its remake is widely available and an instant classic in its own right. Exploring the labyrinthine police station as Leon S. Kennedy is dizzying in all the right ways; disorientation breeds horror. But more than that, it's the inclusion of Mr. X, a towering, always-lurking figure, which escalates Resident Evil 2 to being the best horror experience the beloved series has offered to date. If you hear those footsteps coming, get to a safe room. Read our Resident Evil 2 review . See on Amazon Signalis Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4 Release Year : 2022 Developer : Rose-engine Scare Factor : 6 A nostalgic and haunting game that pays homage to its inspirations, Signalis doesn't get bogged down by the horror classics of the past. Instead, you've got a game fueled by its love for the PS1 days of Silent Hill and Resident Evil, builds its own terrifying top-down 2D pixel universe, and throws you into the deep end. What sets Signalis apart is that it never feels overwhelmingly scary, but it does create an atmosphere of constant dread where you'll never want to let your guard down. In some ways, being constantly on edge can be more effective than a well-timed jump scare, and the eerie environment excels at making you brace yourself for the worst. Read our Signalis review . See at Fanatical SOMA Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC Release Year : 2015 Developer : Frictional Games Scare Factor : 7 Ever felt like playing a video game that'll give you an existential crisis? Then SOMA is a pretty good option, one that comes from the twisted development labs of Amnesia developer Frictional Games. Sci-fi horror set at the bottom of the ocean, SOMA is a surprisingly thoughtful game that focuses on themes of identity, consciousness, and what it means to be human. Of course it also has lethal dangers lurking around the corners of the underwater facility that you're trapped in, as corrupted humans, twisted creatures, malfunctioning robots, and an AI pulling your strings will leave you feeling unsettled and scared long after you've turned the game off. Read our SOMA review . See at Humble Until Dawn Platforms : PS4, PS5 (Remaster arrives in October 2024 for PS5 and PC) Release Year : 2015 Developer : Supermassive Scare Factor : 8 Supermassive used to make spin-offs based on the PlayStation IP of other first-party studios, but that all changed with Until Dawn, setting the team down a path of creating horror games almost exclusively. There are many great ones, but we still find the one that started it all to be the best for our time and money. Until Dawn starts like a classic slasher, with teens congregating in the creepy woods for a night they can't imagine would ever go awry. Naturally, things get creepy and bloody in a hurry, with a few fun twists along the way that you won't possibly see coming. The Telltale-style choices make for an unexpectedly fun and scary party game too, as players can take turns trying not to get the game's major characters killed. Read our Until Dawn review . See on Amazon Sylvio 2 Platforms : PC Release Year : 2017 Developer : Stroboskop Scare Factor : 9 Of all the games on this list, Sylvio 2 may be the most unknown and unheralded, but let that be a lesson in just how serious we were about including it here among some genre titans. Sylvio was a flawed but interesting game that showed flashes of brilliance from its one-person studio. Sylvio 2 realizes that potential to an infinitely and enjoyably creepy degree. In Sylvio 2, you play a ghost hunter who records audio and, for the first time in the series, video of supposedly haunted places, then trawl through your captures to seek out spirits. The unsettling level of detail in these recordings is so authentic-sounding that it can really feel like you're sitting in the dark with headphones on and discovering the existence of ghosts. Seriously, play it in the right setting and you'll be blown away by this low-budget horror game with high marks in audiovisual design. See on Steam Observation Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4 Release Year : 2019 Developer : No Code Scare Factor : 7 No Code may soon make a much bigger name for itself with Silent Hill: Townfall, but horror fans shouldn't overlook Observation, a smart and slow-burning sci-fi horror story set on an eerie space station. Borrowing from the style and sometimes substance of classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alien, Observation manages to tell its own tale that ends up being as unsettling as it is mesmerizing. In gameplay terms, it's closer to an adventure game than a traditional survival-horror game, but don't take that to mean it's not scary. With a central mystery we won't spoil ending in a place you'll never see coming, Observation is among the most atmospheric and ultimately memorable games on this list. Read our Observation review . See at Fanatical The Blackout Club Platforms : Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4 Release Year : 2018 Developer : Question Scare Factor : 8 For those who were disappointed with Redfall, we offer a hidden gem called The Blackout Club as an alternative. It similarly pulls a bit from the immersive-sim genre to pit a group of ragtag heroes against ancient horrors, but it's a slower-paced and ultimately better-designed attempt at some of the same ideas. In The Blackout Club, co-op stealth-horror is the name of the game, as players will team up to descend below the streets of their suburb to expose a cult that kidnaps people and leaves some of them as unwitting and sleepwalking agents of their misery. It's a game where being quiet is paramount, meaning when things go wrong and get loud, you don't just hear it, you feel it. See on Steam Lethal Company Platforms : PC Release Year : 2023 Developer : Zeekerss Scare Factor : 8 Co-op tends to remove many of a game's scariest parts, but Lethal Company shows that doesn't have to be the case. In fact, many of the scariest moments come from playing co-op. In Lethal Company, up to four players descend into a hellish world to extract resources for "The Company" to meet a revenue quota. But that's much easier said than done. You'll have to stick close, or else the proximity chat and the dizzyingly arranged hallways may leave you stranded in the dark with hungry monsters. Even upgrading your equipment to use things like a radio, flashlight, or even a minor melee weapon hardly makes your team much stronger. It's an uphill battle to satisfy your bosses, and all too easy to satisfy the hunger of the creatures dwelling just out of sight. See on Steam The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Platform : VR Release Year : 2020 Developer : Skydance Interactive Scare Factor : 8 If you have a VR headset, this is the horror game to seek out, and if you don't yet have a headset , this could be the killer app you've been waiting to find before you obtained one. Saints and Sinners exists in The Walking Dead universe, putting players in a first-person perspective as a survivor in the deep south. The game's gritty combat system runs deep, with a ton of weapons, both typical, like guns and knives, and improvised, like broken bottles and screwdrivers. Furthermore, each level acts like an open-world hub, with tons of interior space to explore and many routes to success. There's a subtle immersive-sim element to the game (and its sequel, Retribution) that lets you plan and improvise your way through any predicament. Stay too long in any map and the horde will eventually descend on you. It's truly one of the best VR games in general, not just one of the best horror games on the platform. See at Humble Silent Hill 2 Remake Platform : PS5, PC Release Year : 2024 Developer : Bloober Team Scare Factor : 8 The remake of one of the most revered horror games ever made turned out much better than many seemed to anticipate. Silent Hill 2 Remake is a haunting and memorable survival-horror game in its own right. Though it owes much of its success to Konami's brilliant 2001 original, the remake takes calculated risks on the way to extending the game in a number of thoughtful ways. It's a gorgeous and endlessly spooky experience for a new generation, but it's just as memorable for players who enjoyed the original, too. If you're lucky enough not to have had this story spoiled for you over the past quarter-century, dive into this one grateful for your fresh eyes and ears and soak in its oppressive yet intoxicating atmosphere. After seemingly auditioning for this role for many years, Bloober Team was finally given the keys to the Silent Hill castle, and the team nailed it. See at Fanatical The Headliners Platforms: PC Release Year: 2025 Developer: KAFI Scare Factor: 7 Lethal Company gets its own spot on this list, but it's also inspired a long list of games like it, and The Headliners is among the best of them, even in its early-access state. In The Headliners, you and up to seven friends play as photojournalists exploring a city besieged by monstrous aliens. Your mission is to capture great photos in exchange for cash--without losing a limb or worse. The monsters come in all sizes, including Godzilla-size, and its found-footage vibe basically makes the game a Cloverfield sim. Each round is different, and the difficulty ramps up with each successful mission due to its run-based design. With its blend of genuine scares and irresistible laughs, The Headliners is on its way to becoming a big deal in co-op horror games. See on Steam Slay the Princess - The Pristine Cut Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch Release Year: 2023 Developer: Black Tabby Games Scare Factor: 4 Slay the Princess stands alone on this list as the only point-and-click visual novel. If that's not typically the kind of horror game you're looking for, I'd strongly suggest you make an exception. In this black-and-white horror story, you come upon a cabin imprisoning a princess locked in the basement. The narrator tells you that it's your sole duty to kill her in order to save the world. Why? What if you don't? Shouldn't you hear her side of the story first? The game prepares for every possible avenue of thought you might have, granting you a dialogue choice to match, then lets you go down a winding path of multiple endings and metanarrative twists you couldn't possibly see coming. It's not scary in the traditional sense, but it's very dark and has much to say for those willing to dive in head-first. See on Steam REPO Platforms : PC Release Year : 2025 Developer : Semiwork Scare Factor : 7 REPO is one of 2025's biggest success stories, and probably the single-biggest if you narrow the criteria to horror games exclusively. Designed by a small team taking inspiration from Lethal Company, REPO casts groups of players as antique collectors who enter into haunted places and try to extract valuables without getting killed off by the game's deep gallery of monsters. Like other Lethal Company-style games, much of the fun is in learning how each new horror behaves, such as the shotgun-wielding blind man, whose itchy trigger finger snaps at the slightest sound, often creating a chain reaction of teammates being killed off while each survivor yelps as they witness their pals blown to bits. The game's physics-based gameplay takes it the extra mile and helps it rise above other games in its genre, providing as many co-op laughs as it does genuine moments of terror. See on Steam Look Outside Platforms : PC Release Year : 2025 Developer : Francis Coulombe Scare Factor : 6 The solo-developed Look Outside has garnered a ton of hype as one of the year's best hidden gems. In it, you play a character who is trapped in their apartment building. Looking out a window turns you and your neighbors into grotesque monsters, so you must navigate through the pixelated building and fend off a parade of creatures that are often hard to explain and harder to kill. It also toys with RPG elements, like turn-based combat and exploration gameplay that resembles classic Pokemon on a bad shrooms trip. The game offers several endings and a ton of backstory for those looking for it, and there's a lot of replayability for these reasons. What started as a small itch.io project has grown into this much bigger, more sophisticated horror-RPG that will have you closing the shades in your house soon enough. See on Fanatical Cronos: The New Dawn Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 Release Year: 2025 Developer: Bloober Team Scare Factor: 6 Cronos: The New Dawn is the first Bloober Team game to follow its superb remake of Silent Hill 2, and though it doesn't quite reach the same heights, it's also different and impressive enough that you'd be wise to play both in whichever order you choose. The sci-fi horror story has shades of Dead Space throughout its 15- to 20-hour story, but it definitely carves its own path. The highlight is the game's "merge" combat system. Enemy corpses become rejuvenating flesh for the shambling monsters of Cronos. Enemies giving chase can consume their dead lying about, fortifying themselves and adopting new abilities. It's very stressful to take on a small pack of "orphans," as the game calls them, while hearing another monster merging just off-screen. You know in that moment, things are about to get much worse before they get better. See on Amazon Luto Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 Release Year: 2025 Developer: Broken Bird Games Scare Factor: 7 Luto is the debut game from Broken Bird, and it's one of the best debut horror projects in some time. The first-person horror story opens like yet another P.T. clone, giving players seemingly normal hallways to walk through while the world slowly peels away its facade, revealing something darker. But where so many similar games tried to extrapolate what a full version of P.T. would've looked like, Luto takes that inspiration and creates something I feel confident to say could not be what Kojima had planned. That's maybe an odd way to put it, since the game does go in some very Kojima-like directions, but they're so specific that even when the fourth-wall-breaking and metacommentary feels like the former Silent Hills director's work, you can be certain Luto is painting its own unique story with merely familiar paintbrushes. See on Steam No, I'm Not A Human Platforms: PC Release Year: 2025 Developer: Trioskaz Scare Factor: 8 There are strangely quite a few horror games as of late that play off the idea of Papers, Please. Deciphering which visitors come in peace and which are monstrous doppelgangers hoping you let your guard down is a flexible premise, but No, I'm Not A Human does it best, with some seriously unnerving encounters that have left me even less willing to answer a knock at my door than I already was before. No, I'm Not A Human cautions you not to make any wrong moves, as letting in a creature in disguise can be your swift demise. It's that paranoia-laced gameplay loop that feels so immersive, like reading too many creepy stories at too late an hour on a subreddit. Good luck sleeping well after playing this one. See on Steam Subnautica Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android Release Year: 2014 Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment Scare Factor: 7 On the surface, it might not seem like Subnautica would be classified as a horror game at all. After all, it's a survival game set on an alien planet covered nearly entirely by water, and your only job is to forage the unknown ocean for resources so you can get home. While it might be naturally scary to someone with thalassophobia - a fear of open water - you don't know how truly terrifying Subnautica can be until you start playing. The ocean you're exploring is filled with dangerous leviathan-sized creatures, all of whom want nothing more than to devour you. Subnautica also features a day and night cycle and several levels in the 3,000+ meter deep ocean, and the darker it gets, the more horrifying the game becomes. See on Fanatical The Evil Within 2 Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One Release Year: 2017 Developer: Tango Gameworks Scare Factor: 7 The Evil Within 2 is a horror game that has become severely underrated as time has gone on. It's a survival horror game that tells the story of Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who has lost his family but has a chance to save his daughter by venturing into a dark and dangerous world where evil lurks around every corner. One of the enticing parts about The Evil Within 2 is the various options you have when it comes to combat and navigating the world. You can either craft weapons and gear to deal with threats head-on, which certainly ups the horror factor, or you can deal with situations in a stealthy manner. Either way, there is no shortage of creepy moments and jumpscares waiting for you in The Evil Within 2. See on Fanatical
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
The Best Hytale Mods So Far
The Best Hytale Mods So FarHytale is a sandbox-meets-RPG that has seen its fair share of development woes. Formed by Hypixel developers, who run one of the most successful Minecraft servers of all time, Hytale formerly had funding from Riot Games who then went on to purchase the studio outright in 2020. Riot canceled Hytale in June 2025, but its original founder repurchased the game in mid November 2025 and recommenced development. Now, the game is entering early access in what the Hypixel team admits will be laced with "bugs, rough edges, and unbalanced content." As part of Hypixel's dedication to its playerbase, mods are directly supported in the game, even installing mods for you when you enter another player's world . From increased luck during mining, custom plots, new items, and intriguing game modes, here are the best Hypixel mods to use at launch. Hypixel has partnered with CurseForge to host mods, and this should lead to a pretty seamless installation process thanks to the Curseforge launcher. How to download Hytale mods Before we mention any of the popular mods you can download, you need to know how to install mods in the first place. Fortunately, as modding is built directly into Hytale, the process is fairly simple. The best way to download a mod is to use CurseForge , which is where Minecraft hosts a majority of its community mods. CurseForge is where you'll find most of the top available mods for Hytale and the site makes it easy to install them. All you have to do is download the CurseForge Mod Manager App on your PC, and from there, you need to find "Hytale" from the Game Menu in the app. Here, you can browse through all of the site's mods for Hytale and then pick which ones you want to download. Once you have a mod you want to download, press "install" and the mod will be added to the app. With the mod installed, you can press the "play" button in the app while in the Hytale game section, and this launches the game with the mods you've installed. It's all a fairly seamless process once you're comfortable with CurseForge, so take some time to familiarize yourself with the app, and you'll be all set in no time. Hytale Skyblock Download link : CurseForge Anyone who's played Minecraft's player-created custom modes will be familiar with Skyblock. You're placed on a large amount of terrain high in the sky, with limited resources. It's your job to expand your Skyblock, increase your well of resources, and proceed through the game. While Hypixel's storyline will differ from Minecraft's, obviously, transferring the Skyblock concept seems to be one of the more obvious mods you should try out. Gone Fishing Download link : CurseForge Mrbysco and their partner ShyNieke have been working on the Gone Fishing mod, which pretty much does what it says on the tin. While fishing is a vanilla inclusion in Minecraft, Hytale doesn't feature the mechanic at launch. By installing the mod, you can spend all day fishing in Hytale if that's your dream. Simply Trash Download link : CurseForge The Simply Trash mod by Jaredlll08 adds a trash can to quickly get rid of unwanted items. If you've ever found yourself with a full inventory of items you don't care about in Minecraft, you've probably created a lava bin to burn them--but this can be timely and frustrating. Jared's trash can seems to remove that problem, making inventory management even easier. AutoHammer Download link : CurseForge When building a structure, village, or even just decorating some paths, switching between various blocks to add texture and interesting patterns is a necessity in vanilla Hytale. With the AutoHammer mod from tr7zw, select from variants of the same block type and AutoHammer will randomize which one is placed down. Macaw's Mods Download link : CurseForge This is technically a group of mods from one creator, but Sketch Macaw's mods are infamous in the Minecraft community, with hundreds of millions of installations. Macaw adds various paintings, paths, bridges, windows, lighting options, and more. Their paintings mod means you can easily switch between which paintings appear on the canvases you place, while their multiple furniture mods make customization more varied than you can imagine. We'd argue the bundle of Macaw's Mods are almost essential to install for your Hytale world. Check out Macaw's showcase to see the mods in action. They've even developed NEP - Not Enough Poops. WhereThisAt? Download link : CurseForge If you're anything like me, inventory management is an ongoing struggle in most sandbox and survival games. I start off with the best of intentions, manually organizing my loot into easy-to-find locations. If I'm feeling particularly organized, they might even be in alphabetical order. Before long though, I've been on so many adventures and acquired so much random loot that my system goes out of the window completely. That's why Buuz135's WhereThisAt? mod will be one of the first that I install for Hytale. Search nearby inventories using the Inventory Lectern to find the item, and even pull it into your inventory. Immersive Melodies Download link : CurseForge Immersive Melodies is another mod that's popular in Minecraft, which creator Conczin has managed to port over to Hytale. A bundle of 25 songs is playable on seven instruments, or you can upload your own melodies. It works in multiplayer, meaning you can form a band with your friends or just annoy them as you chase them around your base yelling Blink-182's All The Small Things in their headsets. Hours of fun ... for you, probably not for them. Lucky Mining Download link : CurseForge Another mod from Buuz135 is Lucky Mining. It gives a small chance for ores to spread to adjacent blocks while mining. You'll know whether this has happened by a helpful particle effect and accompanying sound effect. It's a simple mod, but in those early stages where resources are limited and you're trying to progress, it can prove invaluable. Better Modlist Download link : CurseForge A simple UI and quality-of-life improvement mod, the Better Modlist is another contribution from Buuz135. This modlist combines mods and packs and shows information about them in-game. It's a handy way to see everything you've got installed at once, as well as their effects. Item Magnet Download link : CurseForge If you're out on a long expedition to get materials, the last thing you want to do is run around the world chasing down the drops. In Jaredlll08's Item Magnet mod, anything you chop down, mine, or drop will be automatically magnetized to you and added to your inventory. It might feel simple, but it'll shave valuable time off your resource-gathering missions. YUNG's HyDungeons Download link : CurseForge If you're familiar with Minecraft modding, then you might have heard of the Dungeons mod for that game. Well, the creator of that mod has designed something very similar for Hytale, and it's called HyDungeons. This mod adds procedurally generated dungeons to the world, giving you the chance to explore completely new environments. At the time of writing, only one dungeon is available, but the creator has confirmed more are coming, and they will include a larger variety of enemies, structures, and dungeon complexity. Advanced Item Info Download link : CurseForge Hytale features hundreds of different equipment, resources, and other items that can be added to your inventory as you explore your world. While you might understand what some of the items do, others can be a little confusing. Fortunately, the Advanced Item Info mod takes care of any confusion. This mod adds UI to display crucial details about every item in the game, and you can see those details just by hovering over an item's icon. These details include what the item is, what it can make, where it's found, and much more. Thorium Furnaces Download link : CurseForge One of the most time-consuming parts of Hytale, especially early on, is waiting for a furnace to smelt your resources into bars. Currently, there's only one craftable furnace in the vanilla version of Hytale, and it takes quite a long time to smelt down whatever is inside it. If you want to speed up that process, you can download the Thorium Furnaces mod, which adds 11 new furnaces to the game. Each of these furnaces speeds up the smelting speed, and you can craft each one with different resources. Now, you don't have to worry about standing around waiting for your metal to be smelted down. Wayback Charm Download link : CurseForge While sandbox games like Hytale are terrific for exploration and world-building, they also come with some inherent issues. One of the main issues many players have is getting lost in the world and being unable to find their way back to the base they've created. To make sure you never run into that problem, you can download the Wayback Charm mod. This mod allows you to instantly teleport back to your nearest respawn point with the simple tap of a button while holding the Wayback Charm item in your inventory. BetterMap Download link : CurseForge One of the nicest quality-of-life updates that Hytale delivered compared to Minecraft was a default mini-map that defogs as you explore. While the map is great by itself, there's always room for improvement, and that's where the BetterMap mod comes in. The mod completely overhauls the default map, making it so it tracks where you've been and increases in size the more you roam into other biomes. You'll also notice the map looks smoother, comes with a location overlay, and is packed with several other quality-of-life changes. Overstacked Download link : CurseForge Managing the inventory in Hytale can be a real hassle, as there are so many items to find and collect, but you'll need to continually upgrade your backpack to make more space for them all. Fortunately, the Overstacked mod is a simple way to solve this dilemma. The mod increases the size of numerous stackable items in Hytale, allowing you to stack more of them in a single inventory slot. You can also modify the stackable size for all of these items, giving you full power over your inventory and chests.
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
List of all Nintendo Switch 2 games with a game-key card release
List of all Nintendo Switch 2 games with a game-key card releaseFollowing the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, we’re putting together a complete list of Nintendo Switch 2 games with a game-key card release. This is a new approach to physical media, which has seen a mixed reaction. In a way, it’s a hybrid between a true physical release and a download code. Each box comes with a cartridge, but there’s... The post List of all Nintendo Switch 2 games with a game-key card release appeared first on Nintendo Everything .
Nintendo EverythingFeb 10
Blizzard Commits To Changing New Overwatch Hero's Appearance Following "Same Face" Criticism
Blizzard Commits To Changing New Overwatch Hero's Appearance Following "Same Face" CriticismAmid criticism that new Overwatch hero Anran looks too much like other female heroes and not enough like her own previous appearance in an animated short, Blizzard has committed to updating the hero's appearance during Season 1. Overwatch game director Aaron Keller announced the upcoming change in a video on social media, saying that the team is currently planning how to make Anran "look and feel more like the fierce older sister that we all envision her to be." While he says the team is proud of the work that has gone into the hero, "we agree that she can be even better if we get this aspect of her right in game." Keller adds that this change has been in discussion internally since last week, but that the team "wanted to wait until we had confirmation of exactly what we can do." For now, there are few details on what changes will be made and when they will be live in game, though Keller says that the studio hopes to be able to make this update during Season 1. Continue Reading at GameSpot
GameSpot - All ContentFeb 10
 Weird roguelike tactical cats game Mewgenics release date and launch time
Weird roguelike tactical cats game Mewgenics release date and launch time Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel's cat combat game launches on Tuesday, February 10.
PCGamer latest Feb 10