It’s exciting to see that most of my favorite games of the year came from smaller studios willing to take big risks with story and gameplay. They offer an essential counterbalance to tired franchises that rely on micro transactions and familiarity to stay relevant.
Yet as great as it was to play such creatively daring output, it was an especially tough year for the industry. Widespread layoffs, corporate consolidation, and rising costs from tariffs and AI have many questioning gaming’s sustainability heading into 2026. And as bleak the state of gaming was, the world beyond it often felt worse. Amidst an otherwise gloomy news year, I take comfort in several great selections that should stand the test of time.
Easily my most played game of the year, Arc Raiders is an addictive third person shooter with strong risk-reward mechanics and impressive emergent storytelling.
I appreciate how the game constantly puts players in danger. Like other extraction shooters, you risk losing everything you bring or pick up during a run if wiped out. Player versus player dynamics add additional wrinkles. Most fellow raiders are friendly, passing by mid loot hunt or teaming up to battle a common robot foe. But a few are ruthless, happy to shoot you on sight in exchange for more treasure to bring home. The computer-controlled enemies are equally threatening; a few missed shots or a poorly timed dodge can lead to elimination in a matter of seconds.
Still, the game adds several gameplay elements that make that risk manageable. Most gear setups provide a safe pocket to bring at least one item of value home even when you’re eliminated. A rooster automatically farms basic materials, ensuring you always have enough to craft basic weapons, shields, and ammo for another run.
Arc Raiders’ emergent gameplay is particularly impressive. Each run packs in a large amount of randomization, from enemy locations to loot placement, all across large maps with changing environmental variety and weather effects. Add to that the natural unpredictability of live raider interactions, and no two runs ever quite feel the same.
The greatest complement I can give the game is that it completely shook up my habits around the shooter genre. Arc Raiders is so compelling that it has almost entirely replaced game time with past multiplayer standbys like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Battlefield.
Even with its massive success, I’ve never understood the appeal of Vampire Survivors. Its minimalist gameplay loop and repetitive upgrade system felt slight. But Ball x Pit quickly won me over by merging Survivors’ “bullet hell” gameplay with a breakout style ball bouncing mechanic.
The game requires a surprisingly robust level of strategy, far more than “Arkanoid with roguelite powerups” might suggest. Progression unlocks new characters, each with a unique ability: one might deliver bonus damage if the ball bounces off a wall before hitting its target, while another fires from the back of the playfield. An RPG upgrade system levels up characters the more you play.
The wide variety of characters and powerups force players to make quick decisions on the fly. Add reflex driven mechanics inherent to breakout games — angles, approach, ball placement — and there’s a decent learning curve to optimize your runs.
Also, the game’s pacing is excellent, a crucial quality for any good roguelite. Each run usually lasts well under twenty minutes, a perfect length to fit in as a palate cleanser in between other games. Each of the game’s eight levels feature varied enemy types, boss mechanics, and visuals. While in most cases players will take multiple runs to complete a level, they rarely overstay their welcome.
My only complaint is a city builder mini-game between runs. The mechanics are clunky, and the upgrades are overly convoluted. Thankfully, it’s a comparatively minor part of the entire package, one you can breeze through after you understand the core setup.
Blue Prince may be one of the most unique games I’ve ever played. It somehow grafts the first person, abstract puzzle fundamentals of a game like The Witness onto the randomization and replayability of a roguelite.
The premise is deceptively simple: travel from one room in a large mansion to another. But the mansion’s interior shapeshifts, built out from your actions on each play through. The first time you exit a room, you have to pick one of several randomized rooms to walk into and “draft” into the mansion’s layout. That selection becomes a permanent fixture in the mansion until your run ends. Traversal depends on puzzle solving and careful drafting. Items you find on one part of the mansion may unlock other areas. Eventually you run out of steps or hit a dead end, and it’s game over — the mansion resets for another run.
Progress is almost entirely knowledge driven. Over a typical run you might gain insights into how to use an item to your advantage, solve a puzzle, or learn more about the mansion’s history and its occupants. Across the twenty or so hours it took me to reach the final room, I had countless “aha” moments that were deeply satisfying.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 embodies everything I want from a great RPG. There’s a gripping prologue that establishes the game’s stakes. The art design mixes Final Fantasy, steampunk, and European tailoring into a visual aesthetic that’s unique and beautiful. The musical score is varied, and combat is regularly engaging and fun. It’s the kind of rarified high quality package — polished strengths, minimal rough edges — that makes it obvious why it swept at this year’s Game Awards.
But normally Clair Obscur — a Euro-centric JRPG — is the kind of game I typically avoid. I find even the best of the genre devolve into bloated narratives, convoluted combat mechanics, and endless grinding. Because many require fifty hours or more to complete, they usually can’t fit in with my lifestyle.
Thankfully Clair Obscur proves to be an exception, a game that’s highly accessible for gamers with limited time. It took me about thirty hours to finish — long, but manageable over several months. Story padding and forced grinding were virtually nonexistent, thanks to a forgiving difficulty curve that I adjusted during several challenging boss battles.
Like most action-based JRPGs, you’re frequently in combat, but I found the battle system flexible. It rewards experimentation but doesn’t require constant tinkering or obsessive min-maxing. Each party member has their own distinct set of mechanics that add depth to battles, but with a gentle learning curve thanks to tutorials and practice fights.
As a big cineaste, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was the first pick I added to this list; it’s probably the best film to game adaptation I’ve ever played.
The globe-trotting storyline, centered on battling Nazi power, fits in well with the spirit of the original Indiana Jones movies. The pacing is superb, mixing exploration, combat, and large blockbuster set pieces with ease. I was rarely ever bored, and the optional side quests added ample variety from the main narrative.
Instead of the maximalist, guns blazing action that typifies most first person shooters, MachineGames leans into Indy’s indirect, stealth-heavy approach. Your character’s low health and other design choices encourage sneaking, disguises, and distractions to avoid combat whenever possible. When battles do break out they are typically short, often relying on improvised hand to hand combat over gunplay.
And though fundamentals are solid, it’s the little details that I’ll remember about Great Circle the most. Troy Baker uncannily captures the voice of a young Harrison Ford. The motion capture and camera work, while lacking the polish of some other high budget games, readily embraces the playful, almost slapstick humor of the original movies. Even the map transitions and menu typography pay homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Also, while being a big Indiana Jones fan helps, stripped of its film references it’s still a fun game to play. Machine Games delivers robust first person shooter mechanics, intuitive level design, and a genuinely engaging storyline.