Get Ready for Seven Exciting Upcoming Game Releases in 2026

I’ve talked about various upcoming games, but mainly life simulation games and some upcoming cosier iterations. However, what about new 2026 releases in general? Well, there certainly are a lot of them on the radar and I challenged myself to sharing just five, yes five that I’m curious and excited to find out more about and play throughout the year.

The games I have included are both smaller independent studios and some more mainstream/well known studios. In 2025, I seem to have played and explored many more indie games, which I’ve absolutely loved, rather than those from bigger AAA studios. That is absolutely fine, and I do enjoy having a good mixture of games from not only different genres but also studios. There really is just something about games from smaller studios that has me exploring and discovering more and more indie games. However, while I digress on that topic, I’ve tried my best to also mention games I haven’t previously covered in depth in earlier content other than one.

Now, here are six, sorry seven, upcoming releases I’m looking forward to this year and to keep on your radar!

Mario Tennis Fever

I love the Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games, so when I saw this revealed back in September, I was so excited! There’s just something about them that is just different from other gaming experiences, and I certainly can’t wait to take on Mario franchise cast and become the best tennis player that Mario Tennis Fever has ever seen!

I’m kidding, I’m terrible at sports and that makes it all the more fun!

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

Having played both of the previous Monster Hunter Stories games, this feels like an obvious choice to be excited for but also natural.

I’m trying to not look too much into what we know so far, as I want it to be more of a surprise when I do eventually start to play, but I’m certainly looking forward to exploring another side of the Monster Hunter universe.

Thrifty Business

A brand new, colourful and exciting game from the makers of Sticky Business is coming to Steam in 2026! Take on the role of a Thrift Shop owner, decorate your space, curate your stock, display and place in a variety of combinations and befriend some of your many customers!

I loved Sticky Business, and I’m excited to take on another challenge with Thrifty Business in the new year! It will be interesting to see where my thrift shop journey takes me and the people I’ll meet but I can’t wait to see what it has in store.

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs

Another 2026 Steam release is ReStory and one that has a unique charm to it!

Take your average everyday items from many different customers and restore them to their former glory. Get to know your customers, who they are and the stories behind these items. Clean, replace, repair various components within each item and even scroll the internet to find that one missing piece that you need to finish the job. The game certainly gives you a cosy and wholesome feel and is again one I can’t wait to dive into properly once it releases.

Aniimo

Out of all the games mentioned in this post, this is the only one I’ve spoken about before. I’m curious to see how Aniimo take on the creature capturing genre and what kind of adventures you can embark on. I’m already hooked on the art style, the aesthetic, the music, and everything has me excited to find out more and play when the game releases!

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth

Who doesn’t love Moomins? Better still, who doesn’t love another new Moomin game!

The short and sweet demo of this game is a perfect and wonderful introduction to what already looks to be a cosy and heartwarming story to experience. While no firm release date has been revealed, it’s expected that it will be an early 2026 launch. Either way, this is another on my radar that I’m looking forward to experiencing the Moomin story.

inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories

Previously, I had just six games on here, and then I recalled one other game which I spoke about earlier in the year as well. This being the upcoming game inKONBINI. Set in a quiet Japanese town in the early 1990s, you swap a busy college student life for helping out in your family store. It’s nostalgic, reflective and aims to help you appreciate the quiet beauty found in day to day life.

Again, there is no confirmed release date, but it is expected to launch during Spring 2026 across multiple platforms with a demo on Steam available now to check out!

Okay, okay! I have just a couple more games that I wanted to add into this post and talk about before rounding this up!

Bonus Game: Stick A Round

Although Stick A Round doesn’t have a confirmed release date just yet, I’m hopeful we’ll see it make its way to a Steam release during the year. This is a game that caught my attention initially on TikTok, and I’ve been following its development ever since.

As the title suggest, the main game focuses around the use of Sticks. It blends childhood nostalgia with randomly generated sticks, gameplay with friends, fun locations and beautiful chaos all while playing as a colourful shark-like character.

Interested? Check out the trailer!

Bonus Game: Splatoon Raiders

As someone who’s really enjoyed playing Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3, seeing the news about a spin-off Splatoon game had me intrigued to find out more, but also curious to see just how it would work and be about. While not much is known about Splatoon Raiders so far other than what’s been shown in the reveal trailer, I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’ll see the game launch at some point in 2026!

Well, it looks like 2026 is already shaping up to be jam packed full of fun and unique gaming experiences. These are just some of the many games launching during the next twelve months, with plenty more as well. The unknown of all the different stories we’ll explore and hear, the characters we’ll meet, the quests and memories we’ll make on our gaming journey this year exciting! It really adds to the overall gaming experience as well as helping us find new favourites no matter how big or small the game may be.

What games are you looking forward to experiencing and playing during 2026? Drop me a comment below and let me know!