After a busy March, our list of new 2026 games slows down a little in April, though I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing entirely. Some of us (me) are still card slinging through Slay the Spire 2 and trying to overcome Crimson Desert’s biggest enemy, indecision anxiety, on the side. Plus I’ve got about a million Final Fantasy 14-related chores to tackle before its next big patch drops on April 28.
I’m talking about this month like there’s nothing entirely new, but that’s not true either. There’s the grungy noir, almost GTA-like action adventure game, Samson; the stylish black and white cartoon FPS, Mouse: P.I. for Hire; and whatever adorable adventures await in Pragmata. I don’t even know Diana yet, and despite finding her piercing blue eyes a little creepy, I would protect her with my life.
If you just need something to watch, we’ve got a few gaming-related events on the horizon too. Final Fantasy 14 has its big 2026 Fan Festival at the end of April—where I’m assuming we’ll see our first look at FF14’s next expansion—and the BAFTA Game Awards air a week before that. And if none of that entertains you, then maybe something from our April cozy games list will.
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April’s big PC release dates
Samson (Steam) isn’t trying to be Grand Theft Auto, but being an open world crime game invites the comparison. In a recent interview with PC Gamer, mission designer Donald Young acknowledged those surface-level similarities but described Samson’s life of crime as “a lot more focused” than GTA. And honestly? Good. I don’t need two GTAs in my life. A tight brawler with tons of driving sounds like plenty.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire (Steam) missed its March release date, but we didn’t have to wait long for the cartoonish boomer shooter to recalibrate for an April launch. It looks a bit like Steamboat Willie, taking those old 1930s rubber-hose animation stylings and adapting them for an FPS. I can’t make it make sense in my head, but I’m willing to try cartoon Doom.
Pragmata (Steam) launches its not-so-unlikely AI doomsday scenario soon, but perhaps Hugh and his adorable android sidekick Diana will teach us a lesson or two in how to handle hostile tech. PC Gamer’s Elie Gould recently played a bit of the Capcom action game, and says its hacking mechanics elevate it above the “bog standard third-person shooter” in their Pragmata preview.
Vampire Crawlers (Steam) makes its debut hardly a month after Slay the Spire 2, and judging from how my colleague Wes describes the Vampire Survivors card game, I need to keep my distance. It looks a lot like the other ‘oh god how is it 3 am already’ deckbuilder in my life, but I know damn well that’s not enough to stop me come April 21.
Outbound (Steam) is out later this month, and it’s one I’ve had my eye on for almost two years now. It’s a cute, mobile base building game with plenty of opportunities for exploration and adventures with friends as you cruise along in your van. I had a blast trying the demo with friends, even if we could never agree on where to park and set up for camp.
April gaming events and sales
- The Triple-I Initiative hosts its third indie showcase featuring world premieres, gameplay reveals, and release dates on April 9
- London Games Festival begins its week of workshops, networking, and entertainment on April 13
- BAFTA Game Awards hosts its 22nd ceremony honoring games like Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, Arc Raiders, and more on April 17
- Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival kicks off the North American wing of its fan event series (and presumably reveals its next expansion) on April 24
- And Steam sales continue as usual with more themed weeks:
- March 30 – April 6: House & Home Fest
- April 9 – April 13: Hidden Object Fest
- April 20 – April 27: Medieval Fest
Early access games and 1.0 launches in April 2026
Temtem: Swarm (Steam) makes the leap to 1.0 with a new map, Temtem, skill trees, and a prestige system on April 2.
Road to Vostok (Steam) heads to the borders of a post-apocalyptic Russia when the ruthless survival FPS enters early access on April 7.
Spark in the Dark (Steam) begins its journey through the inky blackness when the hardcore dungeon crawler launches in early access on April 7.
Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (Steam) revisits the glory days of strategy RPGs when it launches in early access on April 30.
Major game updates and events in April
Starfield (Steam) launches both its Free Lanes update and the new Terran Armada story DLC on April 7.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (Site) kicks off its first closed beta test (with a fitting tribute to Miller) on April 22.
Final Fantasy 14 (Site) launches patch 7.5, and what’s traditionally the first big step towards a new expansion, on April 28.
Marathon (Steam) has a few lingering updates from its roadmap that could launch any time between now and June, so we’re watching for the C.A.R.R.I. event, new implants, and mid-season balance patch.
More games releasing in April 2026
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April 1 |
Breath of Fire 4 (Steam) |
Capcom’s early 2000s, draconic RPG |
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April 1 |
Resident Evil (1996) (Steam) |
Itchy, tasty ground zero |
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April 1 |
Resident Evil 2 (1998) (Steam) |
Before Leon’s ‘hot uncle’ era |
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April 1 |
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis (1999) (Steam) |
Jill’s night out in Raccoon City |
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April 2 |
Darwin’s Paradox (Steam) |
Platforming the ocean’s greatest escape artist |
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April 2 |
Fishbowl (Steam) |
Coming of age puzzle narrative |
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April 2 |
I Am Jesus Christ (Steam) |
First Person Savior |
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April 2 |
Modulus: Factory Automation (Steam) |
Create the perfect logistics pipeline |
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April 3 |
All Will Fall (Steam) |
Physics-based colony sim building on the open seas |
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April 7 |
KuloNiku: Bowl Up! (Steam) |
Cooking & restaurant sim with a sense of humor |
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April 7 |
People of Note (Steam) |
Musical RPG where genre and rhythm impact battles |
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April 8 |
Lay of the Land (Steam) |
A voxel fantasy kingdom sandbox |
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April 8 |
The Occultist (Steam) |
Supernatural hide and seek as a paranormal detective |
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April 9 |
Minos (Steam) |
Defend your trap-filled labyrinth against pesky heroes |
DarkSwitch (Steam) Fantasy city-builder on a giant tree
Last Flag (Steam) Third-person 5v5 CTF with cartoony TF2 vibes
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April 15 |
Cleaning Up! (Steam) |
Clean and clean to your little heart’s content |
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April 15 |
Mongil: Star Drive (Epic) |
Sci-fi gacha action RPG |
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April 16 |
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss (Steam) |
Investigate lovecraftian mysteries on a distressed mining ship |
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April 16 |
Gecko Gods (Steam) |
Wall-climbing puzzle adventure |
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April 16 |
Opus: Prism Peak (Steam) |
A vibrant narrative adventure through a Studio Ghibli-like world |
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April 16 |
Under Par Golf Architect (Steam) |
Golf course sim management |
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April 22 |
Tides of Tomorrow (Steam) |
Ocean survival with asynchronous multiplayer |
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April 23 |
Kiln (Steam) |
Double Fine’s multiplayer pottery party game |
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April 27 |
Moonmintroll: Winter’s Warmth (Steam) |
Adorable Moomin adventure sequel |
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April 28 |
Aphelion (Steam) |
Astronaut adventure on an ice planet |
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April 28 |
He-Man: Dragon Pearl of Destruction (Steam) |
He-Man has a brawl |
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April 28 |
Will: Follow the Light (Steam) |
Exploration and adventure in dangerous wilderness |
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April 29 |
Neverness to Everness (Site) |
Hack-and-slash gacha RPG in a supernatural world |
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April 29 |
Echoes of Mora (Steam) |
Explore the mysteries of a sunken city |
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April 30 |
Inkonbini (Steam) |
Small-town convenience store sim |
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April 30 |
Invincible VS (Steam) |
3v3 tag fighter based on the world of the show |
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