- Primary Subject: Underrated 2026 Video Games
- Key Update: Highlights several under-the-radar games from 2026 that deserve more attention.
- Status: Published
- Last Verified: 2026-09-29
- Quick Answer: We highlights several fantastic but overlooked video games released in 2026 that players should check out.
2026 has been stacked for gaming releases, and the two biggest ones are still on the horizon: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake and Grand Theft Auto 6.
Game developers have been rushing to get their titles out the door before November, so September has been particularly packed with releases, and October looks just as busy. Amid the chaotic schedule and your more-than-likely deep backlog, a few gems might have slipped under the radar.
Fret not, as I’m about to make that backlog even bigger. As it’s very clear the end of the year will likely see the vast majority of gamers pick between a trip down memory lane or an absolutely devilish time in Vice City, I’m here to recommend some hidden games that you need to check out—games that perhaps didn't get enough time in the spotlight or simply went under your radar.
I’ve got no ground rules other than selecting games I feel deserved more attention and had their thunder stolen by bigger releases. These don’t necessarily have to be indies, either, and are all games I’ve personally enjoyed, so if you’re wondering why things like Esoteric Ebb or Cairn aren’t on the list, that’s your answer.
Underrated 2026 Games You Need to Play
My list of underrated 2026 games you need to check out includes:
- Orbitals
- Denshattack!
- Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
- Saros
- Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
- Screamer
Here’s why you need to check these out.
Orbitals
Released on September 3, just a day before Onimusha: Way of the Sword and in the same month as Marvel’s Wolverine, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and Silent Hill: Townfall, among other major titles, Shapefarm’s charming co-op adventure got a bit lost in the shuffle.
Paying homage to 1980s retro anime with its gorgeous visuals and killer soundtrack, Orbitals delivers a solid 10 hours of fun for you and a friend, family member, or significant other. One of the coolest aspects of the game is that only one of you needs to buy a copy, as you can easily share the experience online via the Friends Pass feature.
It tests your attention to detail and even your problem solving/communications skills, as it's filled with very creative puzzles that require quick thinking constantly.
Orbitals actually performed well commercially. While official numbers haven't been confirmed, it topped the Switch 2 charts at launch—partially thanks to its approachable $40 price tag compared to other major releases. Even so, it's a game that kind of faded quickly as it got completely overshadowed in social media discussions by much bigger fish. Such a shame.
You can check out my full review for my complete thoughts.
Denshattack!
It’s criminal that a game as creative, engaging, and unique as Denshattack! has only sold 150,000 copies and reached 300,000 players via Game Pass.
Make no mistake: those numbers are a massive success for indie studio Undercoders, but it’s such a special experience—and so accessible, thanks to its low $20 price tag and inclusion on a subscription service—that I feel it deserves at least half a million users enjoying it.
The elevator pitch is so wonderfully wild that it’s hard not to get hooked by the premise: imagine a post-apocalyptic Japan where old trains can defy the laws of gravity and are used as skateboards. It’s got a heartfelt story and one of the best soundtracks of the year, featuring incredible musical talent such as Tee Lopes, Sean Bialo, and Ridge Racer composer Kohta Takahashi.
It’s also one of the highest-rated titles of the year, currently sitting at an 88 on Metacritic. Speaking of which, you can check out my full review here.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies
ZA/UM has been surrounded by some very well-documented controversy for the past few years. That much, fans of Disco Elysium already knew.
Sadly, this meant Zero Parades: For Dead Spies had a massive mountain to climb. It not only had to live up to the legacy of one of the most beloved indie titles of the last decade, but it also had to do enough to distinguish itself and avoid being dismissed as a mere rehash of old concepts.
While not entirely flawless, Zero Parades is an absolutely captivating experience featuring its own slew of peculiar characters and a web of overarching mysteries that you, as a down-on-her-luck operative known as Cascade, have to unravel.
Portofiro as a setting is arguably even more daunting than Revachol, offering plenty of opportunities to explore and slowly piece together what’s going on with Cascade’s missing memories.
Unfortunately, the game performed poorly commercially, leading to 32 employees being laid off from ZA/UM. Safe to say, despite its quality, there were indeed zero parades for the game’s release.
As always, you can check out my full review here.
Saros
Ignore the noise that’s made the online discourse around Marvel’s Wolverine a complete mess: the proper PlayStation exclusive you should actually spend your time on is Saros.
A spiritual successor to Returnal, Saros is a third-person bullet-hell roguelike that has you exploring a hostile world called Carcosa. You play as Arjun Devraj, a soldier suffering from a classic case of amnesia, piecing together bit by bit exactly what happened to his crew and the planet's mining colonies.
Gameplay is responsive and addictive, and the story is gripping enough to keep you hooked—even if I personally don’t find the character of Arjun particularly interesting.
It’s a visually stunning, gameplay-driven experience that PlayStation fans really should’ve embraced. Instead, it sold around 300,000 units during its first few months, a lukewarm commercial showing by all accounts.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Capcom is being touted as developer of the year thanks to hits like Pragmata, Resident Evil: Requiem, and Onimusha. Yet there’s one little game many people forget to mention: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.
Sure, it’s a spin-off of the much bigger mainline Monster Hunter series, but the game's undeniable quality merits at least a passing mention when discussing how stellar a year Capcom has had. It features gorgeous cel-shaded visuals that showcase the RE Engine's incredible versatility, an interesting world to explore packed with distinct biomes, fierce beasts to battle, and a super engaging monster-breeding system that Pokemon could only dream of implementing.
It’s a must-play if you have even an inkling of interest in solid turn-based RPGs that aren’t bloatedly long but still give you serious bang for your buck.
Sadly, the game didn’t make major waves commercially, as it was unfortunately sandwiched between massive releases. It launched on March 13, a mere two weeks after Resident Evil: Requiem (February 27)—which has already shipped close to 9 million units—and just a week after Pokémon Pokopia (March 5), which surpassed 5 million copies sold just four months after release, meaning roughly 25% of Switch 2 users have bought it.
Like others on this list, I've had the pleasure of reviewing it, you can check it out here.
Screamer
When discussing arcade racers in 2026, two big names immediately pop up in players’ minds: Forza Horizon 6 and Star Wars Galactic Racer. Yet, one of the most creative endeavors of the year will likely not be talked about nearly enough, and that’s Screamer.
The core selling point of Milestone’s highly underappreciated gem is its unique twin-stick control scheme. You steer with your left stick, but you use your right stick to drift—with both actions performed entirely independently of each other. That’s just scratching the surface, as there are plenty of deep systems under the hood that make this easily the most innovative arcade racer I’ve played in years.
Several factors worked against the game and robbed it of the dedicated player base it deserved. The launch price was a bit steep for what it offered, and, much like Monster Hunter, it landed right in the middle of a stacked release window where it had to compete against a mountain of massive AAA heavyweights.
If you can pick it up on sale, it is well worth your time. Check out my full review for more.
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