3 Up, 3 Down – May 2026
May 2026 was another fantastic month for video game releases. Some of the best reviewed games of the year came out this month! There were some heavy hitters, like Forza Horizon 6, that didn’t quite make our Good section. One of our Bad section games is a long-awaited PS5 port. Without further ado, here are The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026:
The Good
Mina the Hollower
***click here for our review***
Yacht Club Games has finally moved past their mega smash Shovel Knight, and made a brand new game IP. In the same way Shovel Knight was an homage to classic platformers like DuckTales and Mega Man, Mina the Hollower is a love letter to action RPGs like The Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls. It has the 8-bit aesthetic of the former. Our reviewer concluded “Celebrating classic design while carving out its own legacy, this confident adventure stands shoulder to shoulder with Shovel Knight”. Although our reviewer loved it, Mina the Hollower is the lowest scoring game in The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
Mixtape
***click here for our review***
Mixtape came out of nowhere and stole people’s hearts. It’s less of a video game, and more of an interactive narrative. It’s a coming-of-age 80s story, about teenagers and the music they love. Our reviewer wrote “Mixtape sets a new bar for cinematic experiences. Taking inspiration from the legendary work of John Hughes and combining it with the sensibilities of modern animation”. This short narrative-heavy modern masterpiece was easy inclusion in The Good section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
***click here for our review***
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is the latest 2D platformer from Nintendo. The gameplay features all the fluttering, egg throwing, and licking fans have come to expect, but also constantly throws new gameplay ideas at the player. There are also tons of secrets. Our reviewer wrote “I played for at least 7 hours when I finally finished the game, and I still have some more discoveries to go back and discover after I finish whipping up this review.” Quality first party Nintendo games are always easy inclusion in The Good section of articles like The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
The Bad
Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster
***click here for our review***
Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster is an ActRaiser-inspired blend of 2D side-scrolling action game, and city building sim. Oure reviewer wrote “calling it a city-builder of any sort feels pretty disingenuous. What’s actually happening is, you slap some structures down, and they eventually affect your stats. The rest of the game is just a series of menus that pad out the non-combat gameplay”. They loved the look of the game, but only enjoyed half the gameplay sections, which makes Kingdom’s Return an above average inclusion in The Bad section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
Motorslice
***click here for our review***
Motorslice is a third-person 3D platformer with parkour mechanics reminiscent of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Assassin’s Creed. It also has massive Shadow of the Colossus-sized boss battles. Unfortunately, the controls are a bit clunky, and mar the ambitious gameplay experience. Our reviewer concluded “Although some genuinely strong ideas shine through, the rough edges make them hard to fully appreciate.” Motorslice is another unusually well-scoring game in The Bad section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
Starfield (PS5)
***click here for our review***
Starfield is Bethesda’s massive interstellar CRPG that’s a spiritual successor to their Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. The problem is, it’s just too massive, and it’s not very fun to play. Our reviewer concluded “Starfield is easily the weakest single-player game in Bethesda’s catalogue, and a sour glimpse into what we might have to expect out of The Elder Scrolls 6.” Even though the port is fantastic, a highly anticipated game this dull has to be included in The Bad section of The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games May 2026.
Do you agree with our The Three Best (and Worst) Video Games from May 2026? What were your favorite games that didn’t make our top 3? Let us know in the comments.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.