These Are Officially the 10 Best Games of 2026 So Far

April 1 may mark the funniest day of the year with April Fools' Day, but once we get there, it will also mean that three months of the year have officially passed. As we are winding down March's video game releases and getting close to that point where we are roughly a third of the way through the year, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the best games released so far this year.

After all, all too often, we look at the best games of any year as a whole, as representatives of the whole year, but games will shuffle in and out. Assuming Grand Theft Auto 6 lives up to expectations, that's going to replace a game that would currently be on the list or won't be for a few more months. It's better, at least in my humble opinion, to see the best games of any year more as microcosms or segments of the year. My thought process is simple: It could be a great year of non-stop bangers, 90/95+ on Metacritic and OpenCritic, and those understandably dominate the best of the year conversations. Those games could replace games like Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem, but even if they are the best for a limited time, it's still worth talking about.

Not to mention, it's interesting to see trends on a smaller scale than such a large one all the time via aggregate sites like OpenCritic. According to the aggregate, two of the best games of the year so far are, indeed, Pokemon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem, and seeing how those respective communities are so involved in those games is heartening. What stands out more than that, though, is the number of PC exclusive games that are on this list. 6 out of the 10 best games this year are PC only, with Cairn also only being on PC and PS5. As a whole, it's also interesting to see that only two games have hit 90, and we've yet to have anything review higher than that.

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)

Per OpenCritic, Lost and Found Co. and Pokemon Pokopia are the best games of the year so far, with 90 being their Top Critic Average. Resident Evil Requiem, Esoteric Ebb, Mewgenics, and Hermit and Pig follow those two games, all with an 89 Top Critic Average. The last four also all share an 86 Top Critic Average: Pieced Together, Cairn, Super Bomberman Collection, and Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven. Speaking of trends, it's another interesting facet that across these two games, there is not much variance in these scores: 90, 89, and 86, nothing higher or in-between for these top 10 games.

Given the mainstream appeal of games like Resident Evil Requiem and Pokopia, I've skipped their descriptions for the sake of brevity. If you haven't played either of them, they are fantastic games and deserve a spot in your current playing rotation.

Lost and Found Co.

Alongside Pokemon Pokopia, Lost and Found Co. is the highest-rated game of the year on OpenCritic. Lost and Found Co. is a cozy hidden-object adventure game set in a whimsical, hand-crafted world filled with charm and personality. Players step into the role of Ducky, a duck-turned-human intern working for a magical startup that reunites lost items with their owners, traveling across vibrant locations packed with secrets. Along the way, you’ll solve puzzles, meet quirky characters, and help restore a tiny dragon’s fading power.

Esoteric Ebb

Esoteric Ebb is a narrative-heavy, isometric RPG that leans hard into dense writing, surreal humor, and character-driven storytelling. Set in a compact but richly detailed world, it emphasizes dialogue, choice, and atmosphere over traditional combat-heavy systems, drawing clear inspiration from games like Disco Elysium. Its comic-book-like visuals and eclectic cast help bring its strange, introspective setting to life.

Mewgenics

Mewgenics is a bizarre blend of tactical RPG, roguelike, and life sim centered around breeding and battling genetically unique cats. Players assemble teams of mutated felines with different classes and abilities, sending them into grid-based combat while managing a growing lineage back home. Its mix of dark humor, deep systems, and long-term progression creates a chaotic but highly replayable strategy experience.

Hermit and Pig

Hermit and Pig is a cozy, storybook-style adventure game that follows an unlikely duo navigating a gentle, puzzle-filled world. Blending light exploration with narrative-driven moments, the game emphasizes friendship, discovery, and a relaxed pace over challenge. Its soft art direction and whimsical tone create an experience that feels more like an interactive fable than a traditional game.

Pieced Together

Pieced Together is a cozy scrapbooking game focused on gentle puzzles, meditative sorting gameplay, and decorative features. Players uncover the story piece by piece around youth, growing up, and friendship.

Cairn

Cairn is a survival climbing game that simulates the physical and mental challenges of scaling dangerous mountains. Players must carefully manage stamina, route selection, and equipment while making high-stakes decisions that can determine life or death. With a grounded, immersive approach, it turns climbing into a tense, methodical experience rather than a fast-paced action game.

Super Bomberman Collection

Super Bomberman Collection brings together multiple entries from the classic multiplayer franchise into one package. Focused on chaotic, grid-based bomb-laying battles, it preserves the series’ simple but endlessly competitive formula. Whether solo or with friends, it delivers fast-paced matches built on strategy, timing, and pure party-game chaos.

Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven

Woolhaven is essentially a whole new game on top of the classic Cult of the Lamb Adventure, offering 20+ hours of content. It introduces a new postgame storyline centered on restoring a fallen homeland and confronting corruption. It builds on the original’s blend of roguelike dungeon runs and cult management, adding new mechanics, narrative threads, and challenges. The expansion deepens the game’s themes of faith, control, and survival while giving players more ways to grow—and test—their flock.

Final Thoughts on the Best Games of the Year So Far

This selection of games is interesting and offers a few insights into the industry as it stands today:

• 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

But perhaps the most interesting insight is this: many of these games offer contemplative, introspective, and/or specifically tactile experiences. Many contain elements of healing (Leon's T-Virus Syndrome, the homeland of Woolhaven, etc.), meditation (Cairn's climbing, Pieced Together's puzzles), and social concerns (Hermit and Pig's emphasis on anxiety, the need for social interaction a la Super Bomberman Collection). And I cannot help but wonder if the best games of the year so far, as they were designed, released, and reviewed, are not in and of themselves reflections of modern issues with affordability, technological concerns, mental health pressures, digital saturation, and societal uncertainty. Perhaps, perhaps not, but it'll be interesting to see how this list of best games changes by the time 2026 comes to an end.