On an average day about a dozen new games are released on Steam. And while we think that’s a good thing, it can be understandably hard to keep up with. Potentially exciting gems are sure to be lost in the deluge of new things to play unless you sort through every single game that is released on Steam. So that’s exactly what we’ve done. If nothing catches your fancy this week, we’ve gathered the best PC games you can play right now and a running list of the 2026 games that are launching this year.
Oddcore
Steam page
Release: January 7
Developer: Oddcorp
Oddcore has a whiff of Straftat about it. It’s a lightning quick retro FPS with tight ‘n’ varied levels, except this is a roguelite single player affair rather than PvP focused. You’ll travel through more than 50 areas while taking the fight to over 25 baddies, and the focus is on dispensing with them quickly because you only have five minutes: that’s when the game will auto-murder you. You’ll also accrue stackable items during each run that can dramatically change how you play. It’s an early access game: the dev expects it to be in development for up to a year while more of everything is added.
Vital Shell
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Steam page
Release: January 8
Developer: MarvinWizard
Vital Shell is shamelessly channelling the ’90s in the above trailer, with its rapid fire breakbeats and OG PlayStation stylings, but the design belongs firmly in the current moment. It borrows the moreish Vampire Survivors levelling system and bolts it onto a wave-based sci-fi shmup with customizable mechs. According to the Steam page there are “thousands of build combinations” which can be developed from the five base mech styles. I refuse to play this because I know I won’t be able to stop.
Dungeon Antiqua 2
Steam page
Release: January 8
Developers: Shiromofu Factory
The original Dungeon Antiqua came out in late 2024, and while it’s hardly a household name, it reportedly sold around 18,000 copies. This sequel takes the same form: it’s an 8-bit JRPG dungeon crawler with top down exploration and sidelong turn-based combat. Like its predecessor, Dungeon Antiqua 2 takes an extremely orthodox approach to the NES classics, so if you’ve already played all of those, check this out. It’s worth it just for the simple but effective pixel art.
Dreadmyst
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Steam page
Release: January 10
Developer: dreadmyst.com
Dreadmyst is a free fantasy MMO made by a single dev who pledges that “there are no plans to introduce paid content or monetization”. So basically, there are no strings attached here: you can dive in and play like it’s 1997. While it does look a little bit like Ultima Online thanks to the isometric perspective, the tab target combat is closer to World of Warcraft. There are four classes (paladin, mage, ranger and cleric) and cooperative dungeons galore.
Blood Money: Lethal Eden
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Steam page
Release: January 10
Developer: Jade Flame
This FMV thriller has a fascinating premise: the protagonist is catfished by a fraudulent love interest and lured to a south east Asian scam centre, where they’re forced to scam other lovelorn online dwellers. I haven’t seen this situation dramatized before, and while Blood Money doesn’t seem to avoid the usual dating sim trappings rife in newer Asian FMVs, it does at least have a darkly fascinating setting. It’s also going down a treat with early players, with over 700 “overwhelmingly positive” reviews on Steam in two days.
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