May 2026 Game Releases — 15 Great-Looking Games We Can’t Wait to Play

With the last couple of days of April upon us, it's a perfect time to look ahead to what's coming up on the calendar for next month, and May 2026 is just as jam-packed with exciting game releases as the rest of the year has been. There are a few obvious highlights, such as IO Interactive's exciting-looking take on James Bond with 007 First Light and the Forza Horizon series' 6th entry that's set to take us to the streets and countryside of Japan. But joining these more marquee titles are a whole host of unique indie games, smaller AA titles, and a brand-new first-party Nintendo game for the Switch 2 that's already been racking up plenty of early hype and praise for being one of the most original and inventive platformers in years.

• Release Date — May 5, 2026
• Developer — Brain Jar Games
• Publisher — Brain Jar Games
• Genre — Beat 'em Up, Rhythm
• Platforms — PC

Rhythm games are fun enough on their own, especially when set to the right soundtrack, but they're arguably even better when developers find a way to combine the timed button presses the genre is known for with gameplay from another genre. We've had a few rhythm first-person shooters with varying degrees of success, but next month's Dead as Disco tries something different by mixing traditional rhythm gameplay with a 3D beat 'em up/brawler. Dead as Disco made an appearance at a Steam Next Fest back in 2024 before going dark to finish up development, and even in that early state, it was already a blast and had an incredibly cool, Suda51-esque sense of style.

• Release Date — May 5, 2026
• Developer — Patattie Games
• Publisher — Curve Games
• Genre — Simulation, Puzzle
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Another game that was impressive in an earlier Steam Next Fest was Wax Heads, which also happens to arrive early next month on May 5 for PC and all modern consoles. This adventure/simulation/puzzle game is a charming slice-of-life title about working at a record shop. Basically, imagine if they made a video game adaptation of High Fidelity, and you're not too far off. Customers come in and ask about albums based on their sound, cover art, track titles, and other identifiers, and it's up to you to ensure that you send them packing with the right record in tow. Along the way, you'll tackle a larger narrative about someone attempting to buy out the property from under the shop and fight to keep the local record store open. It's got a great visual style and, as you'd expect, a killer soundtrack and sense of humor.

• Release Date — May 7, 2026
• Developer — Radical Fish Games
• Publisher — Radical Fish Games
• Genre — Action RPG
• Platforms — PC (Early Access)

One of next month's most exciting releases is the Early Access launch of Alabaster Dawn, the new action RPG from CrossCode developer Radical Fish Games. The recent demo for Alabaster Dawn that was part of the February Steam Next Fest was one of the showcase's standout game trials, doing a great job of showcasing how fluid and satisfying its movement and traversal felt while also underscoring how much work has gone into making sure that Alabaster Dawn looks and feels like one of the genre's all-time greats from the 16 or 32-bit eras. Fans of old-school JRPGs and classics like Secret of Mana, or even modern throwbacks like Sea of Stars, definitely won't want to miss this one.

• Release Date — May 7, 2026
• Developer — Easy Trigger Games
• Publisher — Coffee Stain Publishing
• Genre — Action Roguelike, Run 'n Gun
• Platforms — PC (Early Access)

Easy Trigger Games' Huntdown was one of the better indie action games of 2021, so it's awesome to see that the developer is returning to the franchise this year with a spin-off titled Huntdown: Overtime. Unlike the original, which was a self-contained, linear run 'n gun, Overtime is an action roguelike where players will complete successively challenging runs and gradually build progress over time to stand up to the immense challenges the game throws at you in both its regular enemies and its adrenaline-fueled boss encounters. The Huntdown series' mixture of standard run and gun gameplay with the occasional cover-shooting segment gives it a nice pacing different from other similar games, which could bode well for Overtime's roguelike bend.

• Release Date — May 7, 2026
• Developer — Beethoven & Dinosaur
• Publisher — Annapurna Interactive
• Genre — Adventure
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S

Wax Heads isn't the only music-themed title releasing at the start of next month, as we also have Beethoven & Dinosaur's Mixtape to look forward to. However, unlike Wax Heads, Mixtape is a narrative adventure game at its core where music is used as a framing device to reflect on the characters' coming-of-age and bond with one another. The "mixtape" in question is a sort of "greatest hits" of a group of friends' memories on their last night together before they go their separate ways to start their adult lives. Along with featuring what looks to be some pretty emotionally poignant storytelling, Mixtape features plenty of great licensed music from The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Devo, Joy Division, and more.

• Release Date — May 7, 2026
• Developer — Mopeful Games
• Publisher — Team17
• Genre — Turn-Based Tactics, Rhythm
• Platforms — PC

Man, there sure are a lot of rhythm games coming next month. Another one on the slate is Wardrum, which also happens to be one of the best games we played at the February Steam Next Fest, mixing traditional turn-based tactical gameplay with a roguelike structure and timed button presses to tribal, rhythmic music to enhance the power of your attacks, blocks, and special abilities on the battlefield. Anyone who's familiar with either the music/rhythm genre and/or turn-based tactics games will feel right at home, and the snappy pacing of battles is just about near-perfect for its "just one more run" feel as a roguelike.

• Release Date — May 12, 2026
• Developer — Realmsoft
• Publisher — OI Games
• Genre — Metroidvania
• Platforms — PC

After an originally planned April release, Clockwork Ambrosia is finally launching on May 12, much to the joy of Metroidvania fans who've been eagerly awaiting it since its demo first went up on Steam. Despite its very Mega Man X-inspired visuals and SNES-era aesthetic, Clockwork Ambrosia is a lot more metered and thoughtful in its approach to both combat and traversal than appearances might suggest. Don't go in expecting lightning-fast action a la Capcom's 16-bit games. While movement is as fluid and responsive as a Mega Man X game, combat and upgrades are much more akin to a classic Metroidvania and very reminiscent of Super Metroid. The demo for Clockwork Ambrosia has an impressive 93% "Positive" user review score on Steam, so if the whole game is as good as that vertical slice, expect this one to be one of the best genre entries of the year.

• Release Date — May 12, 2026
• Developer — Supermassive Games
• Publisher — Supermassive Games
• Genre — Adventure, Horror
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Horror-adventure purveyors Supermassive Games are back with a new title next month with Directive 8020, swapping the psychological horror of the Dark Pictures games for something much more Event Horizon and Alien-inspired. Directive 8020 looks to be a terrifying descent into cosmic and body horror set on a mysterious planet intended to be humanity's newest home and escape from a dying Earth. As you might expect, the prospective new safe haven is anything but. As is typical with most of Supermassive's games, Directive 8020 puts players into plenty of difficult choices, the outcomes of which will shape the rest of the experience and give plenty of incentive for replay to see how different decisions play out.

• Release Date — May 13, 2026
• Developer — Team Vultures
• Publisher — Firesquid Games, Gamersky Games
• Genre — Survival Horror, Turn-Based Tactics
• Platforms — PC

I was fortunate enough to get to play a preview build of Vultures: Scavengers of Death before it went live as the game's most recent demo on Steam, and seeing how much this turn-based tactics and survival horror hybrid has grown since its initial reveal and Steam Next Fest demo is both impressive and exciting. For anyone who grew up playing the original survival horror classics on the PS1, Vultures is a must-play and the kind of genre hybrid that longtime fans of the genre have probably cooked up in their heads at some point over the last 30 years. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long for Vultures' final version to arrive, as it'll launch into 1.0 on May 13.

• Release Date — May 19, 2026
• Developer — Playground Games
• Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
• Genre — Driving/Racing
• Platforms — PC, Xbox Series X/S

Playground Games' Forza Horizon series is back with a bang this May courtesy of Forza Horizon 6, which takes players to Japan for the latest in the globe-trotting, open-world spin-off of the mainline Forza Motorsport franchise. Early coverage of this one indicates that it'll be even better than Forza Horizon 4 or 5 — a high bar to clear, considering how excellent both of those games were (and still are). Unfortunately, this one will initially launch as a PC and Xbox Series X/S exclusive, but with Microsoft's push toward making many of its games multi-platform (including Forza Horizon 5), there's a strong chance this one may land on PS5 at some point in the not-too-distant future.

• Release Date — May 20, 2026
• Developer — OtherSide Entertainment
• Publisher — Megabit
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Platforms — PC

Legendary game creator Warren Spector is back next month with a new game that mixes elements of some of his previous career highlights into what looks to be an interesting take on the co-op heist game. Across a roughly 4-hour campaign with multiple approaches to victory, a la Spector's classics like Deus Ex or Thief, players can either go it solo or team up with a partner to attempt to steal priceless artifacts in a highly stylized, early 20th-century Scotland. According to the game's preview materials, the use of dynamic enemy AI and level designs prevents any two heists from ever being the same, which should raise an eyebrow or two for all the stealth fanatics out there.

• Release Date — May 21, 2026
• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Platformer
• Platforms — Switch 2

Along with a smattering of different ports and re-releases appearing on the Switch 2 next month, the system's marquee first-party exclusive is the latest in the line of platformers featuring Mario's loveable dinosaur, Yoshi. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is similar to past Yoshi games in that it takes elements of a familiar genre (platforming) and flips them on their head thanks to some ultra-creative mechanics, unique gameplay, and an incredibly charming visual style that sets it apart from just about every other first-party Nintendo game out there. This is yet another one where the early buzz seems to indicate that it could be one of the best Switch 2 exclusives of 2026.

• Release Date — May 21, 2026
• Developer — ZA/UM
• Publisher — ZA/UM
• Genre — RPG
• Platforms — PC

To say that Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is a "follow-up" to 2019 Game of the Year-contender Disco Elysium is a bit of a stretch, as most of the core development team behind that modern classic has long since left studio ZA/UM. But, that said, Zero Parades does look like yet another unmissable, narrative-driven CRPG with a hyper-compelling setting, strong writing, and politically-charged story. This is one that I unfortunately missed the demo for at the last Steam Next Fest, but if it's even half as good as this year's other great Disco Elysium-like, Esoteric Ebb, CRPG fans will be in for a treat.

• Release Date — May 22, 2026
• Developer — Traveller's Tales
• Publisher — Warner Bros. Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Never let anyone tell you that the Lego Batman games are anything but great — they honestly hold a candle to the excellent Batman: Arkham trilogy. In a surprise move not many expected, developer Traveller's Tales is releasing a fourth game in the series to cap off what had already been presumably concluded with 2014's Lego Batman 3, and it looks like it has all the makings of being the best Lego Batman game to date. The use of an open-world Lego Gotham City and a greater emphasis on combat make this the Lego Batman version of Batman: Arkham City, and we are all-in.

• Release Date — May 27, 2026
• Developer — IO Interactive
• Publisher — IO Interactive
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

The last major release for next month is also one of the biggest single AAA releases of 2026, IO Interactive's James Bond game 007 First Light. From what's been shown off so far, 007 First Light will share a good deal in common with IO Interactive's modern Hitman trilogy in terms of mixing action-forward combat with stealth (and letting players choose which approach they prefer situationally), but it also should present one of the more ambitious and intriguing stories that IO has crafted yet as it delves into James' early days as an MI6 initiate. Given how great the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy is, there's every reason to believe IO Interactive's James Bond game could be a modern stealth-action masterpiece.