Back in the day, the success of indie games like Balatro and Manor Lords—and even earlier, Undertale and Minecraft—sparked discussions about possibilities that had once seemed unimaginable: soon, games might be created by a single developer, without massive budgets or marketing campaigns. Since then, countless indie developers have been chasing that dream—creating a game that would be enjoyable not only for themselves, but for other players as well.

The soulslike genre owes its existence to Demon's Souls, released by FromSoftware in 2009. A PlayStation exclusive, it first earned a cult following among hardcore players in its homeland of Japan. From its core mechanics, FromSoftware's lead designer Hidetaka Miyazaki built a new game — Dark Souls — which launched a series that became iconic the world over. Soon the "soulslikes" started arriving: games that copy the Dark Souls formula of success. An entire genre was born, built on the hallmarks of Dark Souls — punishing difficulty, "bonfires" (checkpoints for saving and leveling up), enemies that respawn on a location once you die, collecting experience ("souls"), stamina management in combat, fragmentary storytelling, and — most importantly — gruelling boss fights that force you to learn every move set.

Back in 2018, Microsoft announced the revival of the Fable franchise, the beloved series of fantasy RPGs that first rose to prominence in the 2000s. Responsibility for the reboot was handed to Playground Games, arguably the most successful British game studio currently in operation. The goal was not merely to continue the series, but to fully reboot it—a trend that has become increasingly common across the gaming industry over the past decade.

This top list gathers the best visual novels: genre classics, mobile romance stories, otome games, horror titles, experimental projects, and free games for those new to the genre. A visual novel is a narrative genre that combines elements of literature, illustrated cinema, and interactive gameplay. As with reading a book, the focus is on text, supplemented by static background images and music. As a rule, there are no battles, jumping, or other dynamic gameplay elements. But unlike books, visual novels are interactive: the player makes choices that determine how the story unfolds and which ending is reached. The player does not simply read a story — they influence it. That is what sets visual novels apart from an ordinary book. Today, visual novels are no longer just anime and light dating simulators. In our selection you will find dark detective stories, psychological horror games, and romantic comedies — playable on PC from the comfort of your armchair, or on a smartphone to unwind or pass the time.

It looks like the spoof movie genre is experiencing a genuine revival right before our eyes. Back in the 2000s, films parodying entire corners of the movie industry seemed to arrive one after another — Tropic Thunder, Hot Fuzz, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, and many more. Then came a long quiet period, when making fun of silly things stopped feeling fresh, while poking fun at serious subjects became increasingly risky.

Gothic 1 Remake finally brings players back to the Old Camp — the place where newcomers got punched in the face first and only then learned the rules of life beneath the Barrier. For longtime fans, it's a chance to revisit one of the defining RPGs of the early 2000s, now rebuilt with modern visuals and controls. For everyone else, it's an opportunity to finally understand why the original Gothic still inspires so much discussion, so many memes, and almost religious devotion.

We’ve put together a selection of the best hunting games — from detailed hunting simulators to games where hunting is just one of many activities in a sprawling open world packed with things to do, as well as classic titles with more casual mechanics.

A group of scientists and specialists is carrying out a critical research mission. Suddenly, they encounter an alien entity capable of mimicry — perfectly copying human appearance. Taking the form of crew members, the creature begins killing them one by one, while the survivors spiral into paranoia: “Which of the colleagues I’ve known for months is still human, and which one isn’t anymore? And is there even any way to stop this thing?”

Looking for the best games for girls in 2026 across PC, consoles, and smartphones? We picked safe, fun titles for daughters aged 6 to 12 — every game ESRB-rated E or E10+, with no alcohol, gambling, or chat with strangers.

All hands on deck! Muster, sea dogs! Have your rebellious souls started to miss the salty Caribbean winds and good pirate games? Do you have the Jolly Roger on your walls instead of wallpaper, along with portraits of Blackbeard and William Kidd? As you fall asleep, do you imagine the sunset over Tortuga, and does your wooden leg creak in anticipation of a storm? Then raise the sails — straight ahead lies Windrose, a fresh pirate action game about treasure hunting, naval battles, crafting, and saber fights. Today we’ll see what this game really is — a chest full of gold doubloons or a dead seagull?

Atomic Heart fans are rejoicing today: the Blood on Crystal expansion has officially been released. This is the fourth DLC for the game, and it has long been announced that it will be the final one. So there is a reason for sadness — the story of Major Nechaev is coming to an end. In Annihilation Instinct, we subdued the out-of—control vulgar Eleanor, an artificial intelligence repair cabinet, surfed and fought geese in psychedelic Limbo in Trapped in Limbo, and went underwater in Enchantment Under the Sea in search of Rings, the main artifact of the game. What the developers from Mundfish have prepared for us this time in Blood on Crystal, and how they decided to complete their story about the struggle of man with AI, we will discuss right now.

Back in 2013, the Korean studio XLGames, after several beta testing stages, announced the launch of a new ambitious MMORPG — ArcheAge. In colorful trailers and press releases, the developers showed a huge game world, a variety of activities and space for player interaction. The Koreans promised a game for all time, in which fans of the genre will want to stay for a long time. And in general, they did not deceive. Not surprisingly, ArcheAge found its fans and was able to captivate gamers for many years. But how does this game, which has become especially popular in Russia, feel today? Let's figure it out.