Games of 2026 Week 16

Sometimes being into video games isn't a bummer

although those times feel sparse lately.
To be fair like, this year started with some pretty compelling experiences for me, including the breathtaking/heartbreaking Cairn and the weird/wonderful Skate Story (I know, it's from last year, but I played it this year).
After that?
I try my best to give things a fair shake, but I found myself whelmed by a few of the games I was looking forward to, and since February I've had a bit of a dry spell, where the majority of what I hear about games has been bad news. Layoffs and cancellations and a lot of signal boosting for games that:

• I'm not interested in
• Have plenty of signal already

But that's hardly anything new. I don't like all games and while I lament the fact that some games get far less attention than they deserve, it does at least give me more opportunities to say "Hey, you should play this!"

Week 16 though.

Week. 16. Twenty. Twenty. SIX!

Week 16, 2026

In case you aren't... Scandinavian, Week 16 was the week beginning Monday 13th April this year.

Anticipation for this week has kept me going through, well, everything. Having some family sick and others in danger can't really be patched over with the silly games for children we play - that stuff'll never quite leave your mind.
But they're something, you know?

The big 4 squared hosted 3 games I've been hyped about from the moment I heard their names and blurbs. They're rather different from one another, but each is giving me something I needed to keep me together.

REPLACED

is a classic Cyberpunk story, and is among the most attractive video games I've ever set eyes on.

I'm going to strive not to spoil anything as I discuss this game, but I will mention the setting, which is apparent from the beginning. Skip past this if you want to have this totally blind - I won't mention details of the story itself but some overarching themes I appreciated about it.
The game is set in an alternative, cyberpunk '80s, where a corporation has usurped the government, and created an explicit, enforced divide in society. Those deemed more valuable, such as high ranking police, occupy an upper class; those deemed disposable, are involuntarily harvested for their organs to serve them.
This is a systematic oppression, and the story acknowledges (to an extent) that this requires a systematic change.
All of this is pretty much a classic cyberpunk setting and storyline, and the writing doesn't break a lot of new ground in that sense.
What was quite refreshing was the commentary on the ways different people respond to and cope with such a system. Destruction comes from the clash between the consequences of fighting their oppressor and the pragmatic compromise of those trying to keep their people alive; with the former attempting to enact change for a better world, while the latter attempts to make the best of the status quo. The compromisers live in fear of the sacrifice required for the former, the fighters cannot tolerate the erosion of life and dignity that festers under the latter.
So while the direction of the story may not be all that surprising, what's more compelling is that the characters within it were written with a level of honesty that can only come when observing the dynamics of the most unequal power structures of our world.

Mouse: PI for Hire

is... a boomer shooter? A parody of the noir genre? Mickey Mouse?

I'm not all that far into this one, but the hour or so I've played has been upbeat and smooth to play. The animations on everything are hilariously extra, and the writing is silly in exactly the way I was hoping when I first heard about this game.
Being able to just switch off and be a bit goofy is so important when things feel bleak - we need to break the tension now and then to survive.
It remains to be seen how I'll feel about this one once I have made my way through it.

Gecko Gods

is a delight. The pitter patter of footsteps as you skitter around, climbing walls (and ceilings), solving puzzles, and going "yip" on demand, all add up to a carefree existence as a lil gecko.

The sound effects in the game are unapologetically quirky, with all the different flowers and mushrooms twinkling and jingling and plopping as you pass by them, letting you know right away that this world is designed with childlike wonder as the goal.
The soundtrack too, is dynamic, adventurous, mysterious, and is full of a joyous energy that entices you to explore. The swell as you first set sail in your little boat is just wonderful.
There's not been anything too challenging yet, and I'm glad for a game that's not got a lot of friction. I'm here to eat bugs and smash pots and occasionally figure out a simple puzzle or two.

Through validation, humour, or an immaculate vibe, these games have made me feel sane in a world that so often risks making me feel otherwise.
Week 16 came just in time.