Top 10 Best Games In May (2026)

Thus, another month is over, and a new one rises, delivering new gaming experiences to the masses. Though before we talk about May, let’s recap what happened in April. Last month was one of the largest months for interesting game releases, with a few heavy hitters continuing to bring in some heavy hitters and some underappreciated gems. We got the peculiar adventure of an octopus on the run in Darwin’s Paradox! Capcom released another hit with Pragmata, we got to bust heads in Invincible VS, and the highly praised Hades 2 was released on consoles, as well as Starfield finally releasing on PS5. 

Now we focus on May, where we have ten games with the most potential to be big hits with most players. We have more potential game of the year candidates from both the AAA market and the Indie scene. We have a few highly anticipated games with gorgeous art styles and fun and unique gameplay. 

Due to the influx of many big game releases over the last few months, you might need to catch up on what came out. If so, then check out last month’s list, Top 12 Best Games Releasing in April (2026). Have you got any other games you’ve been eyeing during May that are missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Mixtape

Play through a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation

First on our list is the coming-of-age story, Mixtape, developed by the creators of the award-winning game, The Artful Escape. During their last night together, three friends embark on one final adventure. A perfectly curated playlist draws them into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories. Experience a variety of narrative vignettes exploring the pivotal moments that shaped them. Play through a mixtape of joyful gameplay, from skateboarding, flying, hitting baseballs, and putting on a firework show from the backseat of a car. 

Mixtape draws inspiration from classic coming-of-age movies, bringing together nostalgic aimlessness, mischief, music, the highs and lows of adolescence, and the bittersweet feelings brought about by growth, transformation, and moving on. Featuring music from DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, the Cure and many more. It’s the greatest hits of the teenage experience, from the first kiss to the last dance.

2. Will: Follow The Light

Face numerous challenges and ultimately discover himself.

Next on our list is the realistic first-person adventure, WILL: Follow The Light. In this story-driven adventure puzzle game, play as Will, a lighthouse keeper on a remote island in the northern seas. After an unexpected radio message, Will learns that a sudden disaster has struck his hometown and that his son is missing. Determined to find him, Will must set out on a quest aboard his sailing yacht, Molly, navigating the treacherous northern seas.

Experience a breathtaking adventure through the northern landscape on both land and sea thats brought to life thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Will: Follow The Night doesn’t just have a compelling narrative; it has puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover in every chapter. Use realistic sailing and dog sledding mechanics to explore a vast world while listening to an original soundtrack; Blending unique instruments with experimental textures to deliver atmospheric themes for players. 

3. Call of the Elder Gods

Ready for another Lovecraftian puzzler

If you thought you were only getting one puzzle game on this list, then you’re out of luck. Our next pick is Call of the Elder Gods, the sequel to 2020’s critically acclaimed Call of the Sea. In Call of the Elder Gods, all is not well at Miskatonic University, with strange occurrences forcing both Professor Harry Everhart and student Evangeline Drayton to investigate. In their search for answers, the pair will uncover revelations more ancient than anyone could have imagined. Call of the Elder Gods features a fully voice-acted story of grief, family, and sanity, starring returning talents Yuri Lowenthal and Cissy Jones.

Journey to the far corners of the Earth and unearth ancient horrors in this Lovecraftian narrative puzzle adventure. Call of the Sea’s object and observation-based puzzles return with new depth. Scour richly rendered environments for clues. Swap between Harry and Evangeline to solve complex, multi-part problems across time and space. Their journey takes them from the firelit libraries of a New England mansion to the red sands of the Australian outback, through frozen wastelands and otherworldly cities out of time, all stunningly rendered in Unreal Engine 5 and featuring a soundtrack by multi-award-winning returning composer Eduardo De La Iglesia.

4. Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Story

In space, death takes many forms

Something spooky approaches in our next pick, Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Story. Beginning the second season of Supermassive Games’ deadly anthology series, Directive 8020 is a sci-fi horror adventure that wants you to be on the edge from start to finish. During a mission, the colony ship Cassiopeia crash-lands on the planet Tau Ceti f. The crew soon realise they are not alone. Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth.

Directive 8020 continues the Dark Pictures trend of featuring Hollywood talent; this time, it’s Lashana Lynch leading the cast. Experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity. Your choices are more important than ever when dealing with an enemy that can perfectly imitate its prey. Who is human and who is not? Once again, you can play with up to five players to join for a couch-co-op interactive movie night. Rewrite your destiny with the new Turning Points feature, uncover multiple endings, unlock hidden paths, and save your crew from their fateful deaths

5. Outbound

Explore the world in the comfort of your mobile home

Next, we have a more cosy game with Outbound, an open-world exploration game. Set in a utopian near future, Outbound has you explore a colourful world in an electric camper van, powered by the sun, wind, or water. Discover iconic landmarks across diverse biomes. Start with an empty camper van and craft it into the home of your dreams, either alone or with your friends. Build and explore at your own pace, collect materials, craft, and build in and on top of your vehicle with modular parts. 

Go on a road trip across diverse biomes and build your home on wheels. Craft workstations, and source energy from the sun, wind, or water. Upgrade and customise your vehicle, grow crops, and live sustainably off-grid. Customise your vehicle with paint, decorations, and furniture to create your own perfect cosy place. Create gardens to grow a variety of plants and mushrooms. Enjoy them fresh or cook delicious meals to stay healthy on the road. Adopt a new friend at the Paws & Whiskers Lodge who you can feed, pet, and train to help you.

DLC/Update Spotlight: Phasmophobia By Alan Wake 

What Could Alan be up to?

For May’s DLC/Update spotlight, we venture into the darkest places in gaming with the first-ever Phasmophobia collaboration, Phasmophobia By Alan Wake. In this new event, the world of Alan Wake crosses over to Phasmophobia, created in partnership wth Remedy Entertainment. This is a limited-time in-game event featuring new ways to play and new elements to discover. There isn’t much known about the event, though Alan Wake seems to be lending his voice to narrate. More details will be revealed closer to the release date, says the team at Kintetic Entertainment. Until then, stay in the light.

6. Subnautica 2

Explore the unknown to uncover the mysteries hidden within the depths.

Our next pick is Subnautica 2, the sequel to the viral underwater survival adventure game that’s set on an alien world. Driven from your home by an ongoing conflict, your colony ship, the CICADA, shepherds you and your fellow Pioneers to your new home. However, after something goes awry, you’re stranded and faced with near insurmountable odds. Every dive is an opportunity to uncover why the ship’s AI is so determined to continue the mission and what mysteries lie beneath the surface of this breathtaking new frontier. With the future of humanity at stake, you must do everything in your power to survive. 

Play alone or with friends in 4-player co-op. Adapt to survive by building custom bases and crafting tools. You can choose from four pre-designed characters, with more characters and customisation options coming throughout Early Access. Work together to explore long-forgotten ruins and learn to adapt to a planet that might not want you there. Traverse vibrant and breathtaking biomes with your Tadpole submersible. Design and customise bases to return to when your adventures push you beyond the safety of shallow waters. Scan and study a rich world of biodiversity to understand the life of this planet, from the smallest creatures to towering Leviathans. 

7. Coffee Talk Tokyo

Each story unfolds based on how you listen, respond, and serve.

After some delays, the next entry in the Coffee Talk series is here. Coffee Talk Tokyo is a cosy narrative-driven visual novel where you’ll be working at a late-night café in modern Tokyo. You’ll be brewing drinks, meeting both human and yōkai customers, and experiencing heartfelt stories that you can influence via conversational choices. Engage with your customers beyond the café through Tomodachill, the in-game social network. Some hidden posts contain important clues that influence how storylines unfold and can affect your path toward the best endings. Others expand the wider Coffee Talk world, sometimes offering glimpses of familiar faces.

Every shift brings new conversations, new connections, and new possibilities. While the atmosphere feels familiar, the customers and their journeys are entirely new. Meet interesting characters like Kenji, a traditional kappa salaryman, Vin the Barista’s assistant, and Ayame, a happy-go-lucky but recently deceased It girl. Serve returning favourites and discover new drink options, including refreshing cold beverages perfect for Tokyo’s summer heat. The composer of Coffee Talk and Coffee Talk Episode 2, Andrew “AJ” Jeremy, returns with an all-new lo-fi soundtrack to accompany every shift behind the counter.

8. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Are you ready to build the legacy of the Dark Knight and protect Gotham City?

It’s been a while, but we’re finally getting another LEGO Batman game, and it might be the best one yet. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a narrative-led action adventure where you’ll follow Bruce Wayne’s journey to become Batman. Starting from his origins with The League of Shadows, to becoming the hero of Gotham City. Forge a new family of allies with Jim Gordon, Catwoman, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl. Confront an ever-growing threat from across Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery as you face The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Bane, and more.

Play as Batman with an exhilarating new combat system, combining fluid combos, stealth techniques, and detective skills to take on crime across the streets and rooftops of Gotham City. Command a full range of Batmobiles and Batcycles, including the legendary Tumbler, as you navigate an open and immersive Gotham City. Grapple, glide, or drive through the open world with agility and speed, while discovering crimes, challenges, rewards, secrets, and iconic landmarks such as Arkham Asylum, Ace Chemicals, and Wayne Tower.

9. Yerba Buena

I don’t think anyone is ready for what’s to come

Our next pick is as unusual as its title. Yerba Buena has you stepping into a surreal puzzle platforming adventure as a young woman living as an NPC in an abandoned gameworld. Play as Barb whose struggling to find her way in 1970s San Francisco. Become the main character you were never meant to be with the help of your friends Russell, Wanda, Jorge, and some unlikely allies. Dive into a surreal 1970s gameworld and save San Francisco from a sinister threat with the help of a mysterious and powerful device: The Oscillator.

Dive into an original video game world set in 1970’s San Francisco and save your city from greed and destruction. Use your Oscillator to solve ingenious puzzles, manipulate the gameworld by applying the movement and physical traits of objects and others, track down a dangerous gang of bikers with superpowers, and discover the origins of the mysterious glitch that threatens San Francisco.

10. 007: First Light

Earn the number in a thrilling espionage story as the world’s most famous spy

Probably one of my most anticipated games this year comes from the creators of the HITMAN franchise. In 007: First Light, you will play as the infamous MI6 agent, James Bond. However, unlike previous games, First Light has you playing as a young Bond, where you’ll experience his origin story. After a heroic act, young Naval air crewman James Bond is offered to join the newly revived Double 0 program. But when a mission to stop a rogue agent ends in tragedy, he must join forces with his reluctant mentor Greenway to expose a deep conspiracy and stop a looming coup at the heart of the State.

Discover a new standalone adventure where you’ll see James go from an audacious young hero to become the best MI6 agent. Embark on missions in breathtaking locations, drive iconic vehicles, and use fantastic gadgets in a cinematic adventure. Go silent or go loud. Whether fighting with fists or firepower, using gadgets to infiltrate, or bluffing your way past guards, the approach is entirely up to you. Test your skills and replay your favourite missions with additional modifiers, for endless espionage fun!