Our Favorite Games From January 2026

Quick Overview

The GameSpot staff recommends several games for January 2026, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Cairn, Big Hops, Pathologic 3, Mio: Memories of Orbit, and High on Life, highlighting their unique mechanics and engaging experiences despite some potential flaws.

Key Points: The GameSpot staff recommends games for January 2026, including the next-gen version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which features an upgrade pack for $4.99. Cairn is a highly recommended, meditative climbing experience where the player character, Kima, attempts a solo climb of Mount Kaimi, featuring punishing yet rewarding gameplay. Big Hops is a cute, cartoonish platformer featuring a frog protagonist with smooth physics-based movement, grappling hooks, and world-altering seeds. Pathologic 3 is highlighted for its brilliant, strange time-travel mechanic allowing players to revisit days and see the consequences of their choices, despite having obtuse mechanics. Mio: Memories of Orbit is a visually stunning, low-fi Metroidvania with unique artistic style and a compelling narrative about saving memories. High on Life's 5v5 mode is noted for being strong, though the core gameplay loop involving resource gathering (mining crystals) and objective defense/attack is very punishing. The hosts also briefly mention other titles like Code Vein II (which one host suggests skipping) and an unnamed FPS with an interesting core objective structure.

Context: This video features several GameSpot staff members—Jean-Luc Seipke, Lucy James, Jake Dekker, Steve Watts, and Tamoor Hussain—discussing their favorite video game releases for the month of January 2026. The discussion covers a range of genres, from cozy life simulation updates and intense platformers to narrative-heavy survival horror and competitive shooters, providing personalized recommendations based on their recent playtime.

Detailed Analysis

The GameSpot staff presents their top game picks for January 2026. Lucy James highlights the Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack ($4.99), noting the game's cozy nature, which contrasts with the slower releases typically seen in January. Steve Watts praises Cairn, a meditative climbing game where the player must endure physical and mental hardships to climb Mount Kaimi; he notes its beautiful art style and engaging, albeit punishing, gameplay. He also recommends Big Hops, a cute 3D platformer with smooth movement mechanics and unique world-altering seed mechanics. Jean-Luc Seipke highly recommends Pathologic 3, praising its brilliant time-travel mechanic that lets players explore the consequences of their choices across 12 days, despite its obtuse nature. Tamoor Hussain recommends Mio: Memories of Orbit, a beautiful Metroidvania with a low-fi aesthetic and a compelling narrative focus on saving memories. Jake Dekker recommends High on Life's 5v5 mode in its new update, noting its strong foundation, though the combat against the shield breaker objective can be intense and unforgiving. The staff collectively suggests that while January may seem slow, these titles offer unique and varied experiences.