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ByGiovanni Colantonio

Published Jul 9, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

Analysis

July is about to heat up big time

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July 13 marks the start of a shockingly busy week for new games

Image: Undercoders/Fireshine Games

It’s no secret that September is going to be a crowded month for new video games.As publishers try to avoid Grand Theft Auto 6’s Nov. 19 release date, the early weeks of fall will be a war for attention. That’s not the only release date battle royale happening this year; next week is going to be a warzone for new games, too.

Take a quick look at what’s on the docket for the week starting on July 13, and you’ll find a particularly crowded few days for indie games. Here are some of the highlights:

Ascend to Zero (July 13)
The Alters: Last Variable (July 13)
An Eggstremely Hard Game(July 14)
D-Topia(July 14)
The Incident at Galley House(July 14)
Denshattack! (July 15)
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (July 15)
Culdcept Begins (July 16)
Heavo Ho 2 (July 16)
Moss: The Forgotten Relic (July 16)
The Mermaid Mask (July 16)

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If you haven’t heard of most of these games yet, you’re about to. There are plenty of gems in the bunch that are poised to become breakout hits. That starts with Ascend to Zero, a top-down roguelite where players need to clear a run in 30 seconds by manipulating time. It will launch on Xbox Game Pass, putting it in a good position to start a busy week with some buzz. That will launch the same day that 2025 hit The Alters gets its Last Variable DLC.

Image: Marumittu Games/Annapurna Interactive

July 14 is particularly stacked. We’re getting a new multiplayer game with An Eggstremely Hard Game, which was featured during this year’s Summer Game Fest livestream. Deduction game fans are getting The Incident at Galley House, a remake of 2025’s text-based Type Help from the creators of The Roottrees Are Dead. (If you know what both of those games are, you understand why The Incident at Galley House is a huge deal for those who love mystery games.) Annapurna Interactive will also drop D-Topia on July 14, a narrative-puzzle game about a “utopia” run by robots.

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If anything is going to become a smash hit next week, it’s likely going to be Denshattack! The indie game about a skateboarding train has been turning heads ever since it was first revealed thanks to its Dreamcast energy. If it’s even half as wild as its trailers make it look, we could be looking at one of 2026’s top indies.

Image: Polyarc

The busy week culminates on a stacked July 16. Cult turn-based strategy series Culdcept makes its return on Nintendo Switch and PC with Culdcept Begins. Devolver Digital is dropping a goofy party game with Heave Ho 2, following up on a 2019 multiplayer gem. The excellent, VR-exclusive Moss series is finally making its way to PC and consoles with Moss: The Forgotten Relic. Finally, Crow Country developer SFB Games is dropping The Mermaid Mask, the latest entry in the well-regarded point-and-click Detective Grimoire series.

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Considering how many big games are slated for September, next week is a good time to try out some promising smaller games before your backlog gets too crowded. You’re sure to find something that clicks with you, whether you’re a fan of murder mysteries or trains that can grind sick rails. That’s called range.