What to play in January 2026

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Happy New Year! There are only 11 months left until the release of the industry’s biggest game. So everyone else has to make it in this very short time. What games can you play in January 2026? Let’s find out. 

StarRupture

Journey to a mysterious planet , whose appearance is mercilessly reshaped by constant cataclysms. In this vast and deadly world, you must build a complex industrial empire: extract resources, create technologies, and continually expand your holdings. Battle hostile fauna, overcome the elements, and survive alone or with your comrades, uncovering the secrets of a planet that dies and is reborn.

Pathologic 3

Pathologic 3 is a story written by the diagnostic light of a flashlight in the darkness of an epidemic. You are Daniil Dankovsky, a doctor who has come to a remote city to meet the one called the Immortal. But the Immortal is dead, and an unknown disease is already sweeping the streets, leaving you with only twelve days to save what can be saved.

Your scalpel is knowledge. Each patient is a living mystery: you will peer into symptoms, decipher half-truths and outright lies to arrive at the correct diagnosis. Step by step, from one medical detective to the next, you will get closer to creating a vaccine capable of stopping the plague.

But the doctor here is also the ruler. Time is the enemy, and to win this war, you will have to seize power. Introduce quarantines and curfews, confiscate supplies, and dispatch patrols to the rioting streets. Your decisions will reshape the life of the city: some will worship you, others will curse you. Are you ready to accept this responsibility and see what your decrees will turn into—shootings or fireworks over a recovered city?

Code Violet

The game hasn’t even been released yet, but it’s already embroiled in a scandal over the developers’ hypocrisy. Last year, they claimed they wouldn’t release the game on PC because modders would immediately release a slew of erotic mods stripping the heroine. Yet, they themselves sell very erotic costumes for money in the game store. 

Code Violet is a third-person action-horror game set in the depths of the Aion scientific complex, which has been overrun by monstrous creatures.

You are Violet Sinclair, a girl torn from the past and thrown into the heart of a nightmare. Your goal is to survive. To do so, you’ll have to not only run and hide, but also fight, uncovering the dark secrets of a bioengineering complex. The evacuation protocol has been activated, and every second counts. Ancient creatures stalk your every step, and the enigmatic Director does everything he can to ensure you don’t leave alive.

Saving your loved ones and escaping are now one and the same. Will you be able to break through the jaws of this hell?

Hytale

It’s a funny game. Or rather, the story of its developer. First, it was cancelled and shut down, then revived. At first, the director said the game wouldn’t be released on Steam because he was afraid of negative reviews (of course, it’s a Minecraft clone). But then he said he wasn’t afraid of reviews, but it still wouldn’t be released on Steam. At least not yet. 

Embark on an adventure where creativity and play are intertwined. Hytale combines the boundless freedom of a sandbox with the dynamics of an RPG: explore an endless world full of secrets, dungeons, and incredible creatures, then transform it, block by block.

Early Access focuses on a polished core: exploration, responsive combat, and a deep building system. And for creators, there are powerful tools for creating their own worlds, minigames, and server management.

Challenge the wild, leave your mark on the landscape, and help us build this world from scratch together. 

Nova Roma

Once again, urban development , once again, Rome! The great empire has fallen. Lead a group of refugees and build New Rome—a legendary city capable of reviving civilization for millennia. Start with a village on a wild coast.

Master the land itself: build aqueducts and reroute rivers, but be careful—every step could incur the wrath of nature or the gods. Find a delicate balance to ensure resources flow seamlessly into the city.

Your people thirst not only for bread, but also for circuses and faith. Build magnificent temples, train gladiators and actors. Let the days be spent in labor and the nights in festivities. The happiness of the people and the favor of the gods—this is the currency with which eternity is purchased.

From wise taxes to bold projects, every decision will determine the fate of the city. Can you create more than just a visit?

Arknights: Endfield

Arknights: Endfield is a new cross-platform adventure set in the Arknights universe, where tactical defense combines with open-world freedom and dynamic action. Travel to the planet Talos II, where vast, dangerous lands brimming with secrets await.

Lead the Endfield Industries expedition in the age of space exploration. Fight in real time, switching between squad members and combining their unique skills. Simultaneously, build and expand your base, establishing complex production chains for survival and prosperity.

Explore new continents, encounter unknown factions, and uncover deep connections to the original Arknights saga. This is more than just a spin-off—it’s a sprawling space opera about colonization, struggle, and the search for truth on the edge of the established world.

The game will be localized into Russian, which is great news. 

Highguard

There’s no doubt this is Concord 2.0. Moreover, the development of the heroic shooter Highguard is being handled by representatives of Firewalk, a studio that was dissolved after its epic failure. Over the past year, many have forgotten that just recently the industry was completely ravaged by the WOKE and DEI plague, better known in our latitudes as “the agenda.” Well, Highguard is an echo of that very plague. 

The characters are terrifying. There are no white men in the trailer or screenshots, but there is an Asian hero, a Black man, and, of course, a strong and independent woman. The gameplay mechanics offer nothing special, nor does the visual style. Overall, this is a promising candidate for the title of failure of the year. Incidentally, the number of dislikes on this game’s trailers is ten times higher than the number of likes. 

Have a successful release! 

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is a sprawling, open-ended adventure set in the iconic manga universe. You are Prince Tristan, tasked with restoring order to Britain, shattered by a mysterious cataclysm.

Explore a picturesque yet dangerous world, fight dynamic battles, switching between legendary heroes of the saga and new characters. Go fishing, cook by the fire, and uncover the secrets of ancient ruins with friends.

Your journey begins here, in a story where the destinies of universes intertwine.