5 Best Single-Player Games Of 2026 (So Far)

For as tumultuous a year as 2026 has been for the gaming industry overall, the year has also produced some absolute gems that fans have flocked to. This includes single-player titles, from indie darlings to big studio blockbusters that delivered on the hype. Thankfully, gaming projects that took big creative swings this year often paid off and fans enthusiastically responded to them. Simply put, there's a lot to be excited about regarding the gaming industry, even with several months still left to go in 2026.

We're looking exclusively at games that only offer fans single-player experiences for the purposes of this list. Even if a multiplayer game offers a captivating single-player component, they're not eligible for inclusion here. But with so many great single-player games to choose from, we certainly weren't at a loss for options this year. These are the five best single-player games of 2026 — so far — that should definitely be your next gaming pick-up.

When it comes to enduring franchises, "Resident Evil" is an essential horror franchise that everyone needs to play. Capcom's long-running series released its first new mainline title since 2021's "Resident Evil Village," this year, with the eagerly anticipated "Resident Evil Requiem" launching in February. The game's story is split between two protagonists, a returning Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft, as they investigate a mystery linked to the events of "Resident Evil 2." The game lets players alternate between a first and third-person perspective at all, with Grace recommended in a first-person perspective for a more terrifyingly immersive experience.

"Resident Evil Requiem" is sort of the complete intro package for fans and new players to the franchise alike, with Grace's sections leaning into survival horror and Leon's into overt action. The two sensibilities mesh together well, supported by the fact that the game and its moody environments are absolutely gorgeous in their presentation. Coming off the more action-oriented recent entries in the series, it's nice to know that "Resident Evil" can still bring some fresh scares to the table. The latest chapter in the stunning transformation of "Resident Evil," "Resident Evil Requiem" celebrates the franchise's history while forging its future.

Speaking of Capcom, the company unveiled a brand-new IP this year with "Pragmata," a third-person sci-fi shooter. Launched this past April, the game takes place in a near-future where humanity has set up an extensive mining colony on the Moon. Investigating a disturbance, engineer Hugh Williams discovers the colony's artificial intelligence IDUS has turned hostile against sentient life, turning the outpost's robots into killers. As Hugh searches for a way to stop IDUS, he teams up with an android named Diana capable of temporarily hacking into each of the robots' systems.

"Pragmata" had been delayed for years after being publicly announced in June 2020, finally coming out over half a decade after its introduction. The finished game proved to be worth the wait, seamlessly blending third-person shooter action with light puzzle-solving through its hacking gameplay mechanics. This combination of gameplay styles quickly feels very intuitive, even as the enemy and level design grows more complex. Another hit for Capcom in the first half of 2026, "Pragmata" is the company's sleeper success story for the year.

It had been 14 years since "007 Legends," the last major James Bond video game, and we definitely felt his absence in the medium. IO Interactive brought the British super-spy back to the gaming space in a big way with "007 First Light," providing a bold origin story that's separate from the novels and movies — great for people new to Bond lore. The game opens with a young James Bond on a routine retrieval mission in Iceland that goes horribly wrong before he's able to salvage the situation. This leads to him being recruited by MI6 and for an assignment poised to determine the fate of the venerable intelligence agency.

"007 First Light" was one of the most anticipated video games of 2026 and IO Interactive exceeded those lofty expectations. The game is not a reskin of IOI's "Hitman" franchise, though it does retain its sandbox strategy gameplay on certain levels. Instead, the game is a cinematically bombastic reinvention of Bond for modern audiences, while celebrating the hallmarks of the character. One of the best James Bond video games of all time, "007 First Light" understands the appeal of the franchise and repositions it into a third-person action-adventure experience.

As far as strategy games go, "XCOM" is one the standouts when it comes to turn-based combat on a squad-centric level. These mechanics were applied to that iconic galaxy far, far away for the strategy game "Star Wars Zero Company," developed by Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment. Set during the final days of the Clone Wars, the game follows a unit of mercenaries who take jobs throughout the wartorn galaxy. Like "XCOM," the combat is turn-based as players maneuver their squads around battlefields, recruiting and upgrading soldiers between battles.

Once we've had more time to ruminate on it, "Zero Company" has the potential to become one of the best "Star Wars" video games. It's been a long time since the space opera franchise was adapted into a strategy game and the first time it's been adapted into a squad-driven turn-based experience. This gameplay style suits the franchise well and the game takes full advantage of the Clone Wars aesthetics and narrative to create something that feels fresh. At a time when "Star Wars" feels like it's in a state of transition, "Zero Company" helps to remind fans how much fun the franchise can be.

For the past 20 years, we wondered whatever happened to the "Onimusha" series, Capcom's imaginative samurai hack-and-slash franchise. After an extended dormancy stemming from 2006's "Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams," the series returned with "Onimusha: Way of the Sword." The standalone revival centers on historical samurai Miyamoto Musashi as he defends Kyoto from supernatural threats poised to consume the region. In addition to typical weapons, including his katana, Musashi is armed with a sentient, demon soul-consuming gauntlet to give him an edge in combat.

Look, Capcom has really been on a tear this year, consistently delivering some of the most entertaining single-player games of 2026, and this is the third one on our list. They deserve it. "Onimusha: Way of the Sword" is the best-looking game that the company has put out this year and a rebirth for its series. The combat mechanics feel fantastic and on an intuitive level and while the game presents a healthy challenge, it's the most accessible in the franchise. If there's any one video game company that's had a banner year in 2026, it's Capcom, and "Onimusha: Way of the Sword" continues that winning streak.