On Friday, Variety revealed the film’s been moved by Paramount to August 13, 2027. That’s a ways away, but at least this new date moves it a month up from its previous date of September 17 that same year. And before that, you might remember it was first scheduled to hit theaters later this year on October 9. So at time of writing, we’re on our third release date, with the potential for more in either direction on the horizon.
All this shifting is eventful for a movie we haven’t seen or know anything about, other than that it’ll pit this latest incarnation of the Turtles against the Shredder. Mutant Mayhem 2 is far from the only movie to hop around on the calendar, but the announcement is funny after the recent news of Paramount recommitting to the Ninja Turtles as a property. Sometime after this Mutant Mayhem sequel hits, we’re supposed to get a big expansion of the franchise with licensed restaurants, a web series for kids, and a live-action/animated movie due out in 2028. Maybe. We’ll see.
While you’re waiting for Mutant Mayhem 2, you can go ahead and watch the original film, or the short film Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey, which is on Paramount+ as a special feature for the first Mutant movie. It came last year, and it sounds like fans who saw it liked it.
There was a time when most blockbuster movies and popular television series found their way onto Netflix. Yet as the market for streaming grew, the amount of superhero movies on the service decreased. However, Netflix still hosts some of the best superhero movies ever made.
What are the best Superhero movies on Netflix as of January 2026?
Today, Netflix is more frequently associated with superhero streaming series than movies. They produced a number of mature series based on the world of Marvel Comics, like Daredevil. They also stream most of the Arrowverse shows based on DC Comics, thanks to a long-running licensing deal with The CW. Despite that, and most of these properties slowly making their way to Disney+ and HBO Max, there are still some fine superhero movies to be found on Netflix.
Hellboy (2004)
In 1944, a group of Nazi sorcerers led by the infamous Rasputin tried to summon several demons into their service. Thanks to the efforts of an Allied strike force and scholar Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, they failed. However, an infant demon was discovered in the aftermath. Broom adopted this Hellboy as his own son, and trained him to become a force for good.
Six decades later, Broom and Hellboy are employed by the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. With their aid, the BPRD have become humanity’s first line of defense against various monsters and magicians. Unfortunately, Rasputin’s allies have resurrected him, and they are determined to finish what they have started.
There have been four films to date based upon Dark Horse Comics‘ superhero Hellboy and two cinematic reboots. Despite this, many feel that the first effort remains the best. This is largely due to the efforts of Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who scripted and directed the film. It is also thanks to Ron Perlman‘s masterful performance as the noble demon. It is also notable as the only Hellboy film adaptation to date to merit a sequel.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Peter Parker is a brilliant but socially awkward teenager with dreams of becoming a scientist. This leads him to seek out a former colleague of his father, Dr. Curt Connors, who is studying cross-species genetics. A lab accident leads to Peter being bitten by a genetically-altered spider and becoming something new… The Amazing Spider-Man.
When Connors is similarly transformed into a monstrous lizard man, Spider-Man must step up to save the city. This is made more difficult thanks to the efforts of NYPD Captain George Stacy, who thinks Spider-Man is more menace than superhero. This, in turn, endangers Peter’s romance with classmate Gwen Stacy, who just happens to be Captain Stacy’s daughter.
Marc Webb faced a serious challenge following after Sam Raimi in developing a new Spider-Man film franchise. It is debatable how well he succeeded. However, The Amazing Spider-Man does have a devout fandom for several reasons.
Many fans prefer Andrew Garfield‘s more wise-cracking take on Peter Parker than the more brooding variant played by Tobey Maguire. Another selling point for the movie is Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and her chemistry with Andrew Garfield. Such is her popularity that many hope she may still find her way into the MCU as Spider-Gwen.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Miles Morales was a smart student, struggling to fit in and live up to the standards of his NYPD officer father. Chance leads to his being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining powers similar to those of the city’s greatest hero, Spider-Man. It also leads to Miles being entrusted with the only way to stop New York’s worst crime-boss from traveling between dimensions and wrecking reality after Spider-Man dies.
In over his head and untrained in his new powers, Miles doesn’t think it is in him to be a hero. Fate intervenes again, giving him an unlikely teacher in the form of another Peter Parker from another world. Unfortunately, this Spider-Man is not the superhero he once was. However, with more and more Spiders showing up, Peter will have to remember what comes with great power. And Miles will learn that anyone can wear the mask.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a revelation upon its release. Beyond being a blockbuster success, it was a critical smash. Even those critics who normally turn up their noses at superhero movies praised the film for its innovative concept and revolutionary animation. It ultimately earned 52 industry awards, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for Best Animated Feature Film.
The film opens with the standard origin of four baby turtles and a rat being mutated into humanoid creatures by mutagenic ooze. However, this group of turtle boys hide themselves from the world because of their foster father Splinter’s fear of humanity. Not because of some need to maintain a superhero secret identity. Despite this, his sons long to be a part of the world above their home in the sewer.
The existence of the Ninja Turtles is uncovered by aspiring teen journalist April O’Neil, after they recover her stolen moped. This leads to a partnership, as the TMNT help April investigate a series of crimes tied to the sinister TCRI. It also leads to the discovery of another found family of mutants, pressured into a life of crime by their charismatic leader, Superfly.
Mutant Mayhem was notable for being one of the few times the Ninja Turtles actually seemed to act like real teenagers. It was also marked by a unique visual aesthetic, and for how well it merged ideas taken from a wide scope of earlier adaptations. The end result was a reboot that won over a new generation of fans while satisfying the old guard.
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Long ago, demons preyed on humanity. Hither came three young women, warrior poets who mixed song and sorcery to fight the demons. They created the Honmoon; a mystic barrier that limited the power of demons on Earth. Through the centuries that followed, three women in a generation would be chosen as the new guardians of the Honmoon. Today, those guardians are Huntrix – a K-pop idol group consisting of rebellious Mira, innocent Zoey, and confident Rumi.
Huntrix are challenged in popularity by a demon-backed idol group called the Saja Boys. This leads to a battle of the bands for the souls of the world. However, Rumi has a secret; a half-demon heritage that threatens to break up the band and her friendships with Zoey and Mira.
Some may question the inclusion of KPop Demon Hunters on a list of superhero movies. Certainly it is more heavily influenced by Korean culture and mythology than traditional comic book heroics. Yet at its core, the movie is a magical girl story, with summoned weapons, colorful costumes, and secret identities. That makes it a superhero movie by most metrics, in terms of story if nothing else.
How we picked the best Superhero Movies on Netflix in 2026
As noted earlier, there is little in the way of superhero movies on Netflix in 2026. However, there were still enough titles to make narrowing the list down to a top-five difficult. To that end, these movies were assessed based upon their influence, awards won, and success in establishing an on-going franchise.
Skydance’s takeover of Paramount Pictures continues to send shockwaves across IP at the studio. Recently, it was Star Trek, and now the studio is in talks to hire mega-producer Neal H. Moritz to reboot the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a live-action theatrical franchise.
We know what you are thinking. Yes, that already happened in 2014. Yes, there were already plans for that on the table. And no, this shouldn’t impact the next animated film, still scheduled for release in 2027. But, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount wants to “Sonic-fy” the Turtles, so they turned to Moritz, who produced the three (and counting) live-action Sonic the Hedgehog films to billion-dollar success. What does that mean exactly? Well, according to the trade, it’s just a kind of family-friendly, four-quadrant tone that was lacking from the previous live-action iterations.
And Moritz can certainly deliver hits. In addition to Sonic, he’s best known for being a leading producer on the Fast and Furious franchise, but also made all the I Know What You Did Last Summer, 21 Jump Street,Goosebumps, the Escape Room movies, and more.
The news does put a pin in the R-rated Last Ronin film that was in the works, however. That’s now been put aside, though it might come back at a later date. And while Paramount’s new direction did mark the end of the Turtles animated show, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the sequel to Mutant Mayhem is still in the works (with a related short debuting in theaters next month).
No word yet on when or how this new version of the Turtles will arrive, but it certainly sounds like it’ll share more in common with its original 1990s TV and movie versions than the Michael Bay-produced films. And, you’d imagine, it would also have to be different enough to stand apart from the animated films. Basically, there are a lot of questions to be answered, but for Turtles fans, getting them back on the big screen is rarely a bad thing.
Revealed during New York Comic Con, the guys are going up against the likes of mutant worms, Bebop, a werewolf, and a returning Bishop, who plans on taking them down with her new creation, “Mutant Omega.” The new season will drop on Paramount+ in December, the same month as the Mutant Mayhem Turtles are making a semi-return on the big screen with the short film, Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey.
Along with the new Tales season, Paramount revealed a newly launched “World of TMNT” online hub that unites all the various Ninja Turtles incarnations. On the site, fans can “explore the complete TMNT legacy, from the original Eastman & Laird comics and ‘90s live-action classics to Mutant Mayhem and beyond – all within one unified brand and visual identity.”
At launch, the hub contains the original Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman comics, the Fred Wolf TV series, the 2003 and 2012 series, the live-action films from the 1990s and 2010s, Rise of the TMNT, Mutant Mayhem, and Tales, the original Last Ronin comics, and the IDW Comics Collection. “World of” also has a documentary podcast covering the Turtles’ history with interviews from various TMNT creators, artists, and actors, and it’ll launch later in October.
Meanwhile, the unnamed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem sequel is still slated for a September 17, 2027, release with Shredder as the big bad.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was one of the best animated features in recent years, and fans are desperately awaiting news of its sequel. It’s coming, slowly, but there is some exciting news that’s tangentially related. Earlier this year, news broke that a short film set after the original movie is coming to theaters very soon, and now, there’s a first look.
The film is called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey, and it’ll be in theaters on December 19 attached to The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. It follows the Turtles as they head across the river to New Jersey, investigating someone who is making toys of them.
“We wanted to honor the Ninja Turtles’ history while asking what would happen if we put them somewhere completely unfamiliar,” director Kent Seki, who was the cinematographer on the first film, told Variety. “New Jersey became the perfect backdrop because it’s so close to New York, yet has its own energy and quirks that challenge the turtles in new ways.”
The trade also revealed the first official image from the film, which you see in full below, along with the previously revealed logo.
An image from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey – Paramount/Variety
The logo for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey – Paramount
What’s great about the existence of this, besides the lovely winks to two 1990s classics, is that it is a nice way to hold over fans until we get the full, proper, Mutant Mayhem sequel. That was originally scheduled for release in 2026 but was recently moved back to October 2027. We can’t tell if Chrome Alone 2 — Lost in New Jersey will in any way impact that movie, but Seki does think it scratches that itch.
“I think audiences are hungry for new ways to experience these characters,” he said. “We’ll always love seeing them in New York, but throwing them somewhere unexpected opens the door to new humor, new stakes, and new visual possibilities. If people connect with this one, I’d love to keep exploring that.”
Read more about the short over at Variety, and check it out in theaters with SpongeBob on December 19.
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
After the box office success of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and ahead of the Heroes in a Half-Shell’s 40th anniversary next May, audio company Skullcandy has partnered with the animated characters for a new line of gaming headsets and wireless earbuds.
Starting at $99.99, the Skullcandy x TMNT collection features the tech brand’s typical excellent audio quality with an ooze-green design that celebrates everything Ninja Turtles, including skating, gaming and, of course, eating pizza. Ahead, you’ll find details of each new wireless pair and where to find the Skullcandy x Ninja Turtles collab online.
Skullcandy x TMNT PLYR Wireless Gaming Headset
Skullcandy
Priced at $159.99, the Skullcandy x TMNT PLYR Wireless Gaming Headset features enhanced audio and an over-the-ear design with turtleshell-shaped earcups that glow in the dark. It has a “radioactive” headband that comfortably rests at the top of your head. In fact, the headband is interchangeable, so you can sport your favorite Turtle — Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael or Michelangelo — in style.
The headset, which features up to 24 hours of battery life per charge, also has a detachable microphone piece with a pepperoni pizza imprint for gaming or just listening to music. It’s cross-platform too with compatibility with PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC and more.
Skullcandy x TMNT Push Active True Wireless Earbuds
Skullcandy
Gaming not your thing? The Skullcandy x TMNT Push Active True Wireless Earbuds, which go for $99.99 at skullcandy.com, have premium audio — thanks to their dual noise-reducing microphone design that removes just about all background and ambient noise, so you can really focus in on your favorite music and podcasts. These earbuds have a comfortable and secure hook design, so they don’t fall out of your ears when you’re out-and-about. In addition, they have a long battery life of up to 44 hours with their included charging case. That’s nearly two days of use before you’ll need to charge them up again.
Meanwhile, these wireless earbuds also glow in the dark, while their interchangeable eartips come in blue, purple, red and orange — which match the colors of each Turtle.
During a press junket interview for the upcoming animated film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, actor and co-writer Seth Rogen revealed that he’s been enamored with the heroes in a half shell for so long that he’s got the battle scars to prove it. More precisely, Rogen cracked his dome open playing with nunchucks like Michelangelo, as many of us have.
April’s Air Combos Make Her TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge’s Raddest Playable Character
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem follows younger versions of the turtle quartet as they try to gain popularity among their fellow New Yorkers by putting a stop to the villainous Superfly’s crime wave. The animated film includes a star-studded cast of Hollywood actors in supporting roles including Rogen as Bebop, Ice Cube as Superfly, John Cena as Rocksteady, and action-movie legend Jackie Chan as Master Splinter, to name a few.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Rogen revealed that his fanboy-related TMNT injury came soon after his father gifted him his pair of nunchucks.
“Part of the reason I did karate was because of the Ninja Turtles,” Rogen said. “Me and [co-writer Evan Goldberg] both did karate together. My dad got me nunchucks that I cracked my head open with, because I was obsessed with the Ninja Turtles, and Michelangelo specifically.”
Goldberg added to Rogen’s painful recountings of his ninja faux pas, divulging that it was more than Rogen’s head that the comedy actor broke when displaying his nunchuck skills, saying “Seth had just got these nunchucks. He was like, ‘Yo, check this out, I want to show you this awesome move,’ and just immediately shattered a huge chandelier from his parents’ house into a billion pieces. It took us, like, five hours to clean. On a sitcom, you’d be like, ‘This is too broad.’”
“It was instantaneous,” Rogen added. “It was as though what I was trying to show him was my ability to destroy a lamp.”
In retrospect, it’s probably best that Rogen fancied Mikey instead of Leonardo or Raphael. One could only imagine the kind of physical and property damage a kid could do if left unattended in a house with twin katana or two sais.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hits theaters on August 2.
The Last Ronin comic is being adapted into an action-focused single-player video game that will play similarly to God of War. The popular and gritty 2020 comic, a spin-off of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, stars the last remaining turtle in a war-ravaged wasteland.
While most people think of TMNT as a cartoonish, family-friendly kids’ brand, the actual franchise is much more varied than that, with comics that get darker than anything you’d find on Nickelodeon. This isn’t a weird offshoot or an occasional one-off, either. The original comics that started it all were gritty and violent, featuring sharp black-and-white art and turtles who were less radical and more dangerous. And The Last Ronin, a limited-run comic series from 2020 written by the original co-creator of the franchise, returned TMNT to its grittier, more adult roots. Now, that fan-favorite comic is being turned into a big action-adventure video game by a yet-to-be-announced studio.
In an interview with Polygon, Doug Rosen, senior vice president for games and emerging media at Paramount Global, revealed the new, still-unnamed game’s existence. Rosen told Polygon that the upcoming third-person action role-playing game will be comparable to the recent God of War entries. He also assured fans that the story of the game will be “authentic” to The Last Ronin comic series.
This means that, unlike most other TMNT games, this upcoming adventure will star the lone surviving turtle in the dark, far future of the Last Ronin universe. So don’t expect all your favorite turtles and Splinter to be hanging out, eating pizza, and partying in the sewers in this upcoming game. Because all but one of them is dead. (The identity of the lone survivor is actually a big mystery in the comic and I won’t spoil it here.)
Save on smartphones, TVs, appliances, and more The spring Discover Samsung Event has sprung, and that means it’s a great time to save on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, 4K and 8K TVs, monitors, soundbars, home appliances, and more.
Rosen also told Polygon that just because TMNT is a brand popular with kids, doesn’t mean the devs will have to “dial back” the upcoming Last Ronin game to make it “something it shouldn’t be.” He further explained that he sees “opportunities for multiple TMNT games aimed at both young and more mature age groups” and that TMNT owner Paramount will take different approaches to create content for each group. For example, TMNT villain Shredder is showing up in Call of Duty.
As for when you can play this new TMNT game, well, it’s not coming anytime soon. Rosen said the game is still a “few years off.” Rosen was also seemingly tight-lipped about where this game might land when it finally does release in the future. For now, you can go play TMNT: Shedder’s Revenge which is fantastic and out now.
Northampton, Massachusets officials have greenlit a plan to create and install four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed manhole covers to celebrate the fact that the massive franchise was originally created there. And to pay for it, the town is using funds intended to help rebuild towns and businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic (which is still a thing, even if a lot of people are trying to pretend otherwise) devastated cities and businesses across the United States starting in March 2020. So in 2021, congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 aka ARPA. This was a nearly $2 trillion economic stimulus package that was designed to help the country recover faster from the various effects of the pandemic as well as to try to deal with the ongoing recession. After barely passing in congress, President Biden signed it on March 11, 2021. As a result, Northampton, Massachusets received $4 million that the town and its officials could put toward its Covid-19 recovery efforts.
And that’s, I guess, how we ended up here: With a city spending $20,000 on TMNT-themed manhole covers.
WCVB
As reported by WCVB, the four manhole covers will be located along Main Street and each one will represent a different turtle. This isn’t just a random choice, as the city was the original home of Mirage Studios, the place where the TMNT franchise was born. Since their creation in 1984, the turtles have expanded beyond comics into movies, cartoons, games, toys, you name it. So, I get it. TMNT is a big deal to the town. But it still seems odd.
According to the city’s breakdown of where all the ARPA money is going, the idea behind the custom manhole covers is to “invigorate downtown arts” via a “public art tribute to the Northampton-born Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” That’s all well and good and checking the list of other grants, it’s clear more important projects are getting far more resources from the city. But I can’t help but wonder if that $20,000 could be better spent on helping more people directly. Or creating a tribute to a far superior show, Disney’s Gargoyles.
Perhaps you feel that 2022 was, generally speaking, kind of a rough year. Fortunately, it was an all-time best year in at least two areas: anime (read that list here) and video games. The pandemic pushed release dates back on a whole legion of titles, and 2022 felt like the year when the floodgates burst open. Between long-awaited sequels and surprising dark horses, 2022 delivered so many incredible games that it was often impossible to keep up. And though that often felt frustrating—especially as a game reporter—when you step back, that’s a pretty great problem to have.
So many brilliant games were released this year that any top 10 list will inevitably leave out some truly remarkable titles. Any other year, and these games would’ve been shoo-ins. As it is, an “honorable mentions” section is absolutely required. So shout out to: Neon White, Triangle Strategy, Norco, Citizen Sleeper, Splatoon 3, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope, Pentiment, Tunic, Marvel Snap, and probably 259 more incredible games.
10. God Of War: Ragnarök
(Santa Monica Studios)
Look, this is blindingly uncool in a gaming list such as this, but I’ll make a confession: I haven’t played God Of War: Ragnarök. I am one person, with one person’s limited amounts of time and money. If a certain studio is seeing this article and would like to help me change this, please be my guest. But that’s why it’s low on the list.
However, enough friends and colleagues whom I deeply respect have gushed about the merits of this game that having a list without it feels downright negligent. Whether it surpasses God Of War (2018), which is deemed by many as one of the best games ever made, is more of an object of contention. Still, if you can make a sequel under such pressure that delivers an emotional story and fun combat while holding its own against such a hallowed predecessor, that seems like a hell of an accomplishment to me.
9. Trombone Champ
(Holy Wow)
When poking around other Best of 2022 articles, I did not see a single list which graced itself with Trombone Champ, and I think that’s a goddamn shame. Trombone Champ is as fun to play as it is to watch videos of. In fact, it’s a rare moment when something made by one person gives the internet so much joy. Trombone Champ accomplished this feat. The game simply oozes humor and charm. Never has failing in a rhythm game been this much fun, or this funny. Plus, the game has updated itself to allow you to make and share custom songs, which is a stroke of genius. I never knew seeing the “Sephiroth” theme played on MIDI trombone would make me this happy. It makes the cut because of the joy it has brought to all of us.
8. Vampire Survivors
(Poncle)
I can’t name another game like Vampire Survivors, where so much happens while you, the player, physically do so little. It has all the growth-and-grind aspects of a roguelike (think Hades) while having all the chill “sit back and see what happens” vibes of a wind-up toy you just watch go across your floor—but for half an hour. And it does all this while being addictive as hell. To know someone who’s into Vampire Survivors is to know someone who sat down on their couch for one round and didn’t get up again for another three to five hours. What I’m trying to say is, it’s innovative as hell.
7. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
(Studio MDHR)
Five years after the notoriously difficult platformer’s original release, Cuphead fans had a hell of a year. For one, we got the premiere of The Cuphead Show! on Netflix, which is actually pretty good! But more preciously, we finally got the release of Cuphead‘s long-awaited DLC, The Delicious Last Course (get it?). Turns out, Cuphead is still really hard! The Delicious Last Course thrives because it delivers everything we loved about the original game, just more of it, and with enough freshness (MISS CHALICE!) to keep it feeling exciting and new.
6. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
(Monolith Soft)
The Xenoblade Chronicles series continues to feel like this somewhat-hidden gem, continually obscured in large-scale gaming discussions by the God Of Wars and Elden Rings and even the Persona 5s of the world. But a gem it remains. If you want to explore a beautiful, sprawling, well-thought-out world under a glorious digital sun, all while digging into a story whose darkness will break your heart, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is for you. The combat is interesting, as well—it strikes a middle ground between a turn-based RPG and a hands-on action game. Don’t worry about playing 1 and 2. While there are details and characters that players of previous installments will recognize and enjoy, 3 can be enjoyed in its own right.
If you are of a certain age, or close enough to a certain age that you have osmosis’d pop culture loves from your friends, you likely have a soft spot for Turtles in Time. Turtles in Time was an NES and regular-ol’ arcade game from the early ’90s, and the cabinets remained hallowed ground at any arcade throughout the decade. You picked your favorite Ninja Turtle and battled through beat ’em up levels to stop Shredder’s evil plans. It was a joy. It was a staple. It was something I never thought I would experience a fresh version of—until Shredder’s Revenge released.
Shredder’s Revenge packs in all the nostalgic points while still feeling fresh. You don’t have to have ever set eyes on Turtles in Time, or even know anything about TMNT, in order to understand the delights of Shredder’s Revenge. It’s the best possible version of a ’90s-callback beat ’em up. You can team up with so many friends. You can make the combat as simple or as intricate and combo-heavy as you’d like. You can play as April. Cowabunga, indeed.
4. The Case of the Golden Idol
(Color Gray Games)
To intrigue those who might not otherwise play The Case of the Golden Idol, it’s often compared to another indie mystery-solving darling, The Curse of the Obra Dinn. I greedily devoured The Case of the Golden Idol in two sittings, and I will tell you it’s one of the most unique and striking gaming experiences I’ve ever had. You’re given a freeze frame (more or less) of a moment in time and asked to piece together what happened. The mysteries get steadily harder and more complicated, with even some code work involved. Butcracking each puzzle makes you feel like a genius, and watching the threads of the story slowly weave together is incredibly satisfying. If you like a puzzle game and/or a mystery, you should absolutely play this game.
Hot tip: this is a fun game to play co-op with one other person. I think three would devolve into “too many cooks” territory, but having someone to bounce theories off of in the real world is a delight.
3. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
(Game Freak)
As someone who has been a Pokémon fan more-or-less since Gen 1 (I took a break as a “Cool Teenager”), I was part of an ever-growing chorus which was begging Game Freak to change up the tried-and-true formula a bit. Legends: Arceus was the first time in 25 years where Game Freak really shook things up, and the result is one of the best Pokémon games ever made.
For me, part of the reason Scarlet and Violet was a disappointment at launch (other than the glitches) was that it did not build on the best innovations Legends: Arceus crafted. We were finally allowed to catch a Pokémon by simply sneaking up and throwing a Poké Ball at it. We were introduced to a reinvented perspective of Pokémon Trainer-dom which made the average player actually want to catch multiples of the same species and made poking around feel less tedious. And for the first time ever, there was the possibility for wild Pokémon to hurt you, because they are wild freaking animals. This latter innovation was a brilliant extension upon Legends: Arceus‘s notably darker tone, which had a stink of intentionally uncomfortable colonialism to it. Hell, this game even has a robust ecosystem of fun side-quests.
No, Legends: Arceus isn’t technically a true open world game like Scarlet and Violet are, but that didn’t keep me from feeling a greater sense of adventure than I have felt in a Pokémon game since maybe Gen 2 or 3. Compared with Scarlet and Violet, I now wonder if “survey games” are going to be my most anticipated Pokémon releases from now on, should they choose to continue this route. And I hope they do. Just … add a Hard Mode, please.
2. Stray
(Annapurna Interactive)
Even before Stray released, it was already an internet phenomenon. “CAT GAME!” we all screamed. “IT’S CAT GAME! CAT GAME BRINGS JOY.”
Indie developer BlueTwelve Studio had the brilliant idea of creating an entire game around a cat strolling around dystopian underground cyber-cities—ones that often reminded me of Final Fantasy VII. As an excellent flourish, these cities would be inhabited by cute, quirky robots with faces like old, old Macintoshes. But as with all brilliant ideas, this one would be hard to pull off. What makes Stray so special is that it pulls it off. Beautifully.
Yes, Stray has a dedicated “meow” button, and that is incredibly joyful and important. But what makes it so impressive is that you’re wandering around these landscapes doing normal cat shit—scratching walls, leaping into boxes, knocking everything over—and that progresses you through the game. There’s a suspension of disbelief needed for whether a cat would do these things in such a calculated manner, but Stray managed to truly capture the feeling of embodying a cat. And they proceeded to build an emotional, engaging game around that cat. That is a feat.
1. Elden Ring
(Bandai Namco)
I know it’s entirely unoriginal to say Elden Ring is the best game of the year. But the reason everyone and their cool grandmas are putting Elden Ring at the top of their lists is because, quite simply, it’s one of the greatest games ever made. Even I, someone who got 150 hours in and threw in the towel (for now), have to admit that.
FromSoft found a way to make their notoriously hard games work for everyone: by giving you a world big enough so that when you hit a wall, there’s always something else to do. This works brilliantly because the sense of wonder this game gives you is only rivaled by Breath of the Wild, in my opinion. Everywhere you go is distinct and wondrous. You want to poke around everywhere. Though I’d argue, perhaps to a chorus of boos from the internet, that Elden Ring is maybe too big.
There’s a whole laundry list of brilliant touches that make Elden Ring work like a goddamn miracle. Counterbalancing a very dark, grim world and ambient storytelling with the likes of giant Turtle Popes and warrior jars is the kind of absurdism I love unendingly. Allowing players to build a sense of community through in-game messages was genius enough, but then we also got memorable moments like Let Me Solo Her, which united us all.
I miss my Tarnished and her Wolverine claws. Elden Ring‘s gravity is impossible to deny.
