The 8 best single-player games to play this summer 2026

Let's not lie: the first half of 2026 was a killer for solo players. Between Crimson Desert landing in March with its insane open world, RE Requiem bringing survival horror back into the spotlight, and Death Stranding 2 finally available on PC - there was plenty to do. And the second half looks even busier with DOOM Revelations in July, Wolverine in September, and the behemoth GTA VI in November.

We have selected you 8 single-player games — those who truly deserve your summer evenings. No fillers, no average games recommended out of politeness. Only solid, tested, approved. Some are already out and you can play them now, others are coming in the next few months. In any case, your summer is set.

Click to enlarge

6 million copies in less than three months. Pearl Abyss has made a big impact with Crimson Desert , released on March 19, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox, and even Mac. The studio behind Black Desert has focused entirely on the single player this time — and it pays off. Kliff's story and his band of mercenaries in a medieval-fantasy world grab you from the first few hours.

The combat is nervous, brutal, with a system that mixes pure action and special skills. Each boss is an event. But what really stands out is the map. Huge, varied, with transitions between biomes that keep you glued to your seat. You go from a dense forest to a dry desert without a single loading screen.

If you haven't played Crimson Desert yet, it's THE game to launch this summer. 40 to 60 hours of content for the main quest, and easily double that if you do the side activities.

• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Mac
• Release date: March 19, 2026
• Type: Action RPG open world
• Duration: 40-60h (story) / 100h+ (completionist)

Click to enlarge

5 million copies in five days. Resident Evil Requiem is the best-selling RE at launch in the history of the series. And it's well deserved.

Capcom found the perfect balance between horror and action. You alternate between Grace Ashcroft, an FBI agent plunged into a biological nightmare, and Leon S. Kennedy - yes, the Leon. The atmosphere is dark, oppressive, with path tracing that makes every corridor scary. DLSS 4 supported on PC, the game runs like a charm even with full ray tracing.

Released on February 27, 2026, it's the kind of game you can finish in 12-15 hours, but that haunts you for weeks. If you like to be scared, sit in the dark with a headset. You will have a good time - well, "good" is relative when you have a monster chasing you in an abandoned hospital.

• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2
• Release date: February 27, 2026
• Type: Survival horror
• Duration: 12-15h (campaign) + New Game+

Click to enlarge

Death Stranding, you either love it or hate it. No middle ground. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released on PS5 in June 2025, and the PC version landed on March 19, 2026 thanks to the porting by Nixxes Software. And what a port.

Kojima pushes his "strand game" delirium even further. Sam Bridges hits the road again, literally, in a post-apocalyptic world where each delivery is an adventure. The gameplay has evolved: combat is more present, tools more varied, and traversal phases remain hypnotic. It's the kind of game where you find yourself walking for 20 minutes in the time rain and still loving it.

On PC, it's magnificent. Ultrawide, 144 fps if your setup can handle it, and rendering that borders on photorealism at times. In the summer, it's perfect for this type of contemplative experience — in between sessions of Crimson Desert that drained you.

• Platforms: PC, PS5
• PC release date: March 19, 2026
• Type: Action adventure / Strand game
• Duration: 30-40h (story) / 80h+ (platinum)

Click to enlarge

A French studio from Montpellier. A first game. 96% positive reviews on Steam on over 99,000 reviews. 3.3 million copies sold in 33 days. It sounds like a fairy tale, except it's real.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG, but not your grandfather's turn-based. Sandfall Interactive has added real-time mechanics during battles — dodges, counterattacks, smart QTEs — that transform each confrontation into something tense and engaging. You never get bored.

The story revolves around the Paintress, an entity that paints a number each year and erases anyone who has reached that age. Expedition 33 is the last chance to stop this cycle. It's dark, poetic, and visually stunning. Released in April 2025, it's still relevant and available on Game Pass. If you haven't checked it out, summer is the perfect time.

• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series (Game Pass)
• Release date: April 24, 2025
• Type: Turn-based RPG
• Duration: 25-35h

Click to enlarge

DOOM: The Dark Ages was id Software's biggest launch in May 2025. 3 million players in one week, rave reviews, 85% positive on Steam. And the July 7, 2026 , the DLC Revelations arrives to put a coin back in the machine.

New campaign, new weapon (a lance, apparently), and the continuation of the Slayer saga. For $19.99, it's a bargain considering the quality of the base game. If you haven't played The Dark Ages yet, now's the time - you'll have just enough time to finish the main campaign before the DLC is released.

It's brutal, fast, cathartic. The kind of game perfect when you've had a shitty day and you just want to tear demons apart for two hours. Violence therapy, id Software version.

• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series (Game Pass)
• DLC Revelations: July 7, 2026 ($19.99)
• Type: Frantic FPS
• Duration: 15-20h (base) + DLC

Click to enlarge

Do you know Yacht Club Games? They are the ones who made Shovel Knight. Their new baby, Mina the Hollower , was released on May 29, 2026 and it's exactly the kind of indie game that eats up your nights without warning.

The pitch: an action-adventure game from a top-down perspective with a Game Boy Color aesthetic on steroids. You play as Mina, a small creature who digs, fights, and explores a gothic world filled with secrets. It borrows from Zelda: Link's Awakening, Castlevania, with a touch of Bloodborne in the atmosphere. The level design is surgical — every screen hides something.

20 to 30 hours of gameplay for $19.99. This is the unbeatable value for money of this selection. And if you like well-crafted indies, it might be the best of 2026 in this category.

• Platforms: PC (Steam)
• Release date: May 29, 2026
• Category: Retro action-adventure
• Price: 19.99$

Click to enlarge

After Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Insomniac tackles the angriest mutant in the Marvel universe. Marvel's Wolverine comes out on September 15, 2026 exclusively on PS5, and everything we've seen so far looks promising.

Logan, three years after leaving Team X, must return to duty to save mutants kidnapped by Bolivar Trask. The action takes place between Canada, Japan, and Madripoor. The trailers show a visceral fight — adamantium claws, regeneration, assumed brutality. It's M-rated, Insomniac doesn't do things by halves.

69.99$ per game, no Game Pass here — it's pure PlayStation. But if the Spider-Man games are any indication of quality, it should be worth every penny. The solo game of the season, clearly.

• Platform: PS5 (exclusive)
• Release date: September 15, 2026
• Type: Action-adventure
• Price: 69.99$ (standard edition)

Click to enlarge

Well. We weren't going to make a list of solo games for 2026 without mentioning GTA VI The most anticipated game of the decade is coming out on November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series. No PC at launch — Rockstar stays true to its tradition of making PC players wait.

Return to Vice City - or rather, Leonida. Two protagonists this time: Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval. The map is gigantic, featuring Vice City, the Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, and the Leonida Keys. Heists, in-game social networks, dynamic NPCs, 6-star police... Rockstar has gone all out.

The price should be between $80 and $100 - yes, it stings. But let's be honest: everyone is going to buy it. Two trailers, a massive leak in 2022, and the hype is still at its peak. Trailer 3 should arrive this summer. It's not technically a summer game, but it's THE game that will occupy your end of the year. And honestly, if you're planning your gaming vacation, you want to know what's coming.

• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series (no PC at launch)
• Release date: November 19, 2026
• Type: Open world action-adventure
• Estimated price: 80-100$

Difficult to choose, but Crimson Desert and Resident Evil Requiem are vying for the top spot. The first for its massive open world, the second for its atmosphere and polish. If you like RPGs, Crimson Desert. If you like to flip, RE Requiem.

No. The release is scheduled for November 19, 2026 only on PS5 and Xbox Series. The PC version will arrive later — probably 12 to 18 months after, if Rockstar follows the same pattern as for GTA V and RDR2. Patience.

Mina the Hollower at $19.99 is the best value for money on this list, with 20 to 30 hours of content. Otherwise, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and DOOM: The Dark Ages are both on Xbox Game Pass - it's the most economical solution to access two excellent games.

In addition to GTA VI and Wolverine, Fable is scheduled for February 2027 and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis for February 2027 as well. Next year looks busy. But for now, there's already plenty to keep you busy.

For Crimson Desert and Death Stranding 2 in good quality (1440p, 60 fps), a minimum RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT. RE Requiem runs well with a mid-range GPU thanks to DLSS 4. Mina the Hollower, on the other hand, runs on a toaster — it's pixel art. For the rest, no worries: Wolverine and GTA VI are console-only at launch.