This month’s must-plays: Jan. 2026 video games you should keep an eye on

As things stand, 2026 will be a big year for gaming. A considerable precedent has been set by indies in the previous year, and TGA announcements indicate that we’re in for quite a ride in the coming months.

January, being the inaugural month, is quite slow compared to some other parts of the year, but it certainly has its fair share of solid games that are worthy of your attention. We’ve picked out just a few that we found most interesting, and are ourselves going to dive into them as soon as we have the chance.

Here’s the full list.

Games you should definitely play in January 2026

Pathologic 3 – Jan. 9

Pathologic is a long-running series of video games that has established itself as one of those classic, cult-followed franchises popular among older gamers and those searching for a rather hardcore experience. It’s an esoteric experience through and through, with Pathologic 3 promising a continuation of its established formula.

Much like in Pathologic 1 and 2 (the latter being more of a remake of the first), this game tasks you with solving a strange mystery where a town is gripped by a plague. You must find a way to save the town within a 12-day timeframe, lest the entire population succumb to death and disease. Described as horror, I’d say Pathologic is more of a thriller series, as the overwhelming pressure of time itself solicits strong emotions from the player.

It comes out on Jan. 9.

Hytale – Jan. 13

Long thought dead and gone, Hytale was miraculously revived in the closing months of 2025, saved by the same people who had initially created it and sold it off to Riot Games. After some time of reconciliation and rapid development, the game will finally come out, albeit in a rather unfinished and early access state.

This is being justified by devs with the claim that players have waited for far too long already and that it is better to co-develop it with the community rather than keep it in the dark any longer. And so we’ll finally have a chance to try it out, even if it is rough around the edges.

It’s supposed to drop on Jan. 13.

Nova Roma – Exact release date TBA

If you’ve ever had the chance to read anything I wrote on Destructoid, you will have probably figured how much I love city builders. Nova Roma is one I have spoken about before, praising its balance between Banished– and Anno-like mechanics, and that was just what I derived from the smaller-scale demo version.

The full release stands to be even better than the demo, though the exact release date has not yet been confirmed. We do know the game’s coming out this month, but we’ll have to wait a bit more for the actual launch times to be disclosed.

Even so, I remain excited for the full experience, given how impressed I was by the demo.

Code Vein 2 – Jan. 30

Anime characters and Soulslikes go oddly well together, which probably shouldn’t be surprising since both came out of Japan. Code Vein 2 thus follows the path paved by its predecessor, combining fast and cinematic action-RPG elements with a Soulslike formula, producing a challenging and tense combat-focused experience.

It comes several years after the first game and aims to build on its foundations to create a more compelling, deeper experience.

For those who pre-purchase the game, the release date is on Jan. 27, while others will have to wait until Jan. 30 to play it.

Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven – Jan. 22

Cult of the Lamb has garnered quite a cult (pun intended) over the past several years and is now getting a substantial new DLC. Continuing the main game (which you must beat if you are to play the DLC), Woolhaven adds a new area, a ton of new content mechanics, and acts as a general expansion to the base game’s experience.

It’s a wonderful game at heart and only stands to become better with this DLC, slated for launch on Jan. 22.

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The Classifieds Magazine in My Winter Car can be immensely useful if you’re looking to buy different parts.

The Corris Rivett is available as the first buildable project, and it has plenty of parts for you to build. Some of the parts can be pretty expensive, and that’s where the Classifieds Magazine comes in. You can use its advertorials to get used parts that cost half of their new counterparts.

How to get used parts in My Winter Car

The first task is to get a Classifieds Magazine to access the advertorial section. This section has a bunch of second-hand parts on offer for you to buy. You can also obtain new parts that might appear at random. You’ll find an applicable phone number associate with these parts.

The next task is to go home and call the number. Wait for the call to disconnect. If the item is available, your order has been placed. Wait for a couple of in-game days for the part you ordered to arrive. Once you have ordered a specific part, you can’t repeat the process with the magazine.

The parts you’re looking for might not be listed on the classifieds. If that happens, wait for the weekly refresh to get new offers. You’ll, however, need to buy a new Classifieds Magazine to go through the new adverts.

Additionally, you can also sell the parts that you bought from the Flea market. This is immensely useful if you accidentally end up getting a part that you might not want to fit into the Corris Rivett.

How to get a new Classifieds Magazine in My Winter Car

Buying a Classifieds Magazine is really simple. You’ll need to visit the PSK Fuel Station and spend 15 mk. Getting the magazine is necessary to view the adverts. Make sure to get a new one after the weekly reset to find out all the new stuff that might be on offer.

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