As things stand, 2026 will be a big year for gaming. A considerable precedent has been set by indies in the previous year, and TGA announcements indicate that we’re in for quite a ride in the coming months.
January, being the inaugural month, is quite slow compared to some other parts of the year, but it certainly has its fair share of solid games that are worthy of your attention. We’ve picked out just a few that we found most interesting, and are ourselves going to dive into them as soon as we have the chance.
Here’s the full list.
Games you should definitely play in January 2026
Pathologic 3 – Jan. 9
Pathologic is a long-running series of video games that has established itself as one of those classic, cult-followed franchises popular among older gamers and those searching for a rather hardcore experience. It’s an esoteric experience through and through, with Pathologic 3 promising a continuation of its established formula.
Much like in Pathologic 1 and 2 (the latter being more of a remake of the first), this game tasks you with solving a strange mystery where a town is gripped by a plague. You must find a way to save the town within a 12-day timeframe, lest the entire population succumb to death and disease. Described as horror, I’d say Pathologic is more of a thriller series, as the overwhelming pressure of time itself solicits strong emotions from the player.
It comes out on Jan. 9.
Hytale – Jan. 13
Long thought dead and gone, Hytale was miraculously revived in the closing months of 2025, saved by the same people who had initially created it and sold it off to Riot Games. After some time of reconciliation and rapid development, the game will finally come out, albeit in a rather unfinished and early access state.
This is being justified by devs with the claim that players have waited for far too long already and that it is better to co-develop it with the community rather than keep it in the dark any longer. And so we’ll finally have a chance to try it out, even if it is rough around the edges.
It’s supposed to drop on Jan. 13.
Nova Roma – Exact release date TBA
If you’ve ever had the chance to read anything I wrote on Destructoid, you will have probably figured how much I love city builders. Nova Roma is one I have spoken about before, praising its balance between Banished– and Anno-like mechanics, and that was just what I derived from the smaller-scale demo version.
The full release stands to be even better than the demo, though the exact release date has not yet been confirmed. We do know the game’s coming out this month, but we’ll have to wait a bit more for the actual launch times to be disclosed.
Even so, I remain excited for the full experience, given how impressed I was by the demo.
Code Vein 2 – Jan. 30
Anime characters and Soulslikes go oddly well together, which probably shouldn’t be surprising since both came out of Japan. Code Vein 2 thus follows the path paved by its predecessor, combining fast and cinematic action-RPG elements with a Soulslike formula, producing a challenging and tense combat-focused experience.
It comes several years after the first game and aims to build on its foundations to create a more compelling, deeper experience.
For those who pre-purchase the game, the release date is on Jan. 27, while others will have to wait until Jan. 30 to play it.
Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven – Jan. 22
Cult of the Lamb has garnered quite a cult (pun intended) over the past several years and is now getting a substantial new DLC. Continuing the main game (which you must beat if you are to play the DLC), Woolhaven adds a new area, a ton of new content mechanics, and acts as a general expansion to the base game’s experience.
It’s a wonderful game at heart and only stands to become better with this DLC, slated for launch on Jan. 22.
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