GAMES WORTH PLAYING RIGHT NOW: MAY 2026
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These five games are crushing it right now. Skip the hype, skip the marketing. These are the titles actually worth your time and money.
Helldivers 2
Genre: Cooperative third-person shooter
Platforms: PS5, PC
Metacritic: 82
This is what happens when developers actually understand friendly fire mechanics. Helldivers 2 turned accidental teammate kills into the funniest gaming moments of 2024 and kept that momentum rolling strong into 2026.
The game works because chaos feels intentional. Every mission spirals into beautiful disaster, but you'll restart immediately because the core shooting feels incredible. It's Left 4 Dead meets Starship Troopers with better explosions.
Best for: Anyone who misses when co-op games had actual consequences.
HELLDIVERS 2
Friendly fire has never been this fun.
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Hades II
Genre: Roguelike action
Platforms: PC, coming to consoles
Metacritic: 94 (Early Access)
Supergiant Games did it again. Hades II improves on perfection by giving us Melinoë instead of Zagreus, magic instead of just weapons, and somehow even tighter gameplay loops.
The Early Access label doesn't matter here. This feels more complete than most finished games. Every run teaches you something new about combat timing or story beats. The voice acting remains untouchable.
Best for: Anyone who burned out on the original Hades but misses that "just one more run" feeling.
HADES II
Early Access that feels better than most full releases.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Genre: Action RPG
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Metacritic: 89
BioWare finally remembered how to make a Dragon Age game. The Veilguard brings back tactical combat that actually requires thinking, companion stories that matter, and choices with real weight.
Yes, it's different from Origins. No, that's not automatically bad. The real-time combat flows better than Inquisition's clunky hybrid system, and the writing hits harder than anything BioWare has done since Mass Effect 2.
Best for: RPG fans ready to forgive BioWare's recent sins.
DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD
BioWare remembers how to make RPGs.
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Astro Bot
Genre: 3D Platformer
Platforms: PS5 exclusive
Metacritic: 96
Team Asobi created the best 3D platformer since Super Mario Odyssey. Astro Bot uses every PS5 feature without feeling gimmicky, delivers perfect controls, and packs more creative level design than games twice its length.
This isn't just nostalgia bait for PlayStation fans. The platforming mechanics work brilliantly whether you catch every reference or not. It's pure joy distilled into eight hours of gameplay.
Best for: Anyone who wants to remember why they fell in love with video games.
ASTRO BOT
Pure platforming perfection on PS5.
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Balatro
Genre: Roguelike deck-builder
Platforms: Everything (PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Mobile)
Metacritic: 90
One developer made the most addictive card game since Solitaire. Balatro takes poker hands and breaks them with modifiers, jokers, and mathematical chaos that somehow makes perfect sense.
This game will destroy your productivity. The "just one more hand" loop is stronger than any AAA live service game. For $15, you get hundreds of hours of content that fits perfectly on Steam Deck.
Best for: Anyone who needs a new obsession that works on every device they own.
BALATRO
Poker meets roguelike in the most addictive way possible.
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These games earned their ratings through solid design, not marketing budgets. Each one delivers something different, but they all respect your time and intelligence.
Reload complete. Feed your brain.