These Are Officially the 10 Best Games of 2026 So Far

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April Fools’ Day kicks off April, but it also means we’re already a quarter of the way through the year! With March’s game releases wrapping up, I decided to take a look back at some of the best video games we’ve seen so far this year.

We often think of the best games of the year as defining that entire year, but games are constantly being released and replaced. If a highly anticipated game like Grand Theft Auto 6 delivers, it will likely push another game off the “best of” lists. I think it’s more helpful to view these lists as snapshots of specific moments in time. A year might have many excellent games, consistently scoring high on review sites, and those naturally get the most attention. These top games might temporarily overshadow others, like Pokopia or Resident Evil Requiem, but even a short time in the spotlight deserves recognition.

It’s also fascinating to look at smaller trends, rather than just overall popularity, using sites like OpenCritic. Currently, OpenCritic shows Pokemon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem as two of the best games this year, and it’s great to see how engaged their communities are. However, what’s really noticeable is how many games on the top 10 list are only available on PC. Six out of the ten best games this year are PC exclusives, and Cairn is available on PC and PS5 as well. Overall, it’s interesting that only two games have reached a score of 90, and nothing has reviewed higher than that yet.

10 Best Games of 2020 So Far (According to OpenCritic)

  1. Lost and Found Co. – 90 (PC)
  2. Pokemon Pokopia – 90 (Nintendo Switch 2)
  3. Resident Evil Requiem – 89 (PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S)
  4. Esoteric Ebb – 89 (PC)
  5. Mewgenics – 89 (PC)
  6. Hermit and Pig – 89 (PC)
  7. Pieced Together – 86 (PC)
  8. Cairn – 86 (PC, PS5)
  9. Super Bomberman Collection – 86 (PC)
  10. Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven – 86 (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S)

According to OpenCritic, Lost and Found Co. and Pokemon Pokopia are currently the highest-rated games of the year, both earning a Top Critic Average of 90. Close behind with a score of 89 are Resident Evil Requiem, Esoteric Ebb, Mewgenics, and Hermit and Pig. Pieced Together, Cairn, Super Bomberman Collection, and Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven all share a score of 86. Interestingly, the top ten games all have very similar scores – 90, 89, or 86 – with no significant variation in between.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Since popular games like Resident Evil Requiem and Pokopia are already well-known, I won’t go into detail about them here to keep things concise. If you haven’t tried them yet, both are excellent and worth playing!

Lost and Found Co.

Besides Pokemon Pokopia, Lost and Found Co. is currently the top-rated game of the year according to OpenCritic. It’s a charming adventure game where you search for hidden objects in a beautifully hand-drawn world. You play as Ducky, a duck who’s become a human intern at a magical company that helps lost items find their way back to their owners. You’ll travel to colorful places, uncover secrets, solve puzzles, meet interesting characters, and even help a little dragon regain its strength.

Esoteric Ebb

Esoteric Ebb is a story-focused RPG played from an overhead perspective. It features a lot of writing, quirky humor, and characters that drive the plot. The game takes place in a small but detailed world and focuses on conversations, player choices, and creating a strong mood, much like the game Disco Elysium. Its comic book-style graphics and unusual characters help make its weird and thoughtful world feel real.

Mewgenics

Mewgenics is a strange but addictive game that combines strategy, role-playing, and life simulation. You breed and battle cats with unique genetic traits, building teams and sending them into turn-based combat. Back at home, you manage your cat family line, creating a long-term, replayable experience filled with dark humor and complex systems.

Hermit and Pig

I recently played Hermit and Pig, and it’s seriously charming! It’s a really chill adventure game where you follow a hermit and a pig – yeah, you read that right – as they explore this beautiful, puzzle-filled world. It’s not about tough challenges or fast reflexes; it’s more about enjoying the story, discovering secrets with your new buddy, and just taking things slow. Honestly, it feels less like a typical game and more like stepping into a sweet, interactive storybook. The art style is super soft and the whole thing just has this wonderfully whimsical vibe.

Pieced Together

Pieced Together is a relaxing game about creating scrapbooks. You’ll solve gentle puzzles, enjoy calming sorting activities, and decorate pages as you discover a heartwarming story about childhood, growing up, and the bonds of friendship.

Cairn

Cairn is a challenging survival game where you climb dangerous mountains. It focuses on the realistic difficulties of climbing, forcing you to carefully manage your energy, choose your path, and maintain your gear. It’s a tense and thoughtful experience, prioritizing careful planning over quick reflexes – making every decision feel crucial for survival.

Super Bomberman Collection

Super Bomberman Collection gathers together several games from the beloved Bomberman series. It keeps the classic, competitive gameplay where players lay bombs in a grid-based arena, creating fast-paced matches. You can play alone or with friends, relying on strategy, quick reflexes, and a whole lot of explosive fun.

Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven

The Woolhaven expansion is like adding an entirely new game to Cult of the Lamb, with over 20 hours of fresh content. It features a new story that takes place after the main game, where you’re tasked with rebuilding a ruined homeland and fighting against corruption. It keeps the original game’s mix of challenging dungeon crawls and managing your cult, but adds new features, story elements, and obstacles. Woolhaven explores the game’s ideas about faith, power, and staying alive, and gives you even more ways to develop – and challenge – your followers.

Final Thoughts on the Best Games of the Year So Far

This collection of games is quite engaging and provides a glimpse into the current state of the gaming industry.

  • Indie and mid-budget games have dominated reviews so far this year
  • Genres are pretty widespread, showcasing that vibes and identity may matter more than being a popular genre like an open-world game
  • PC remains the center of critical acclaim so far
  • There is no runaway game of the year yet due to the tightness of review scores
  • Seeing Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives at the top of this chart bodes well for the console’s performance

What’s really striking about many of this year’s games is how thoughtful and engaging they are – offering moments for reflection, personal connection, and even physical sensation. Many focus on themes of recovery (like dealing with illness in one game, or rebuilding communities in another), incorporate calming activities like puzzles and climbing, and address important social issues, such as anxiety and the need for connection. It makes you wonder if these games aren’t actually mirroring the challenges we face today – concerns about money, technology, mental health, being constantly connected, and general uncertainty about the future. It remains to be seen if this year’s top games will still resonate in a few years, but it’ll be fascinating to watch how the list evolves by the end of 2026.

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2026-03-23 22:35