Illusive Domain from solo developer kemomimic strips away progression systems entirely. No leveling, no upgrades, no grinding. Just you, a wolfgirl ninja, and brutal boss fights where victory depends purely on mastering parries, deflects, and perfect timing. The demo is available now on Steam.

David Rosen, co-founder of Sega and pioneering figure in the arcade industry, passed away peacefully on Christmas Day at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family. The 95-year-old Air Force veteran transformed post-war Japan’s coin-op scene, created the company that would give us Sonic the Hedgehog, and helped shape modern gaming as we know it.

Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege suffered its second major hack in just over a week. After hackers gave players billions in free currency on December 27, attackers struck again on January 4, 2026, distributing 67-day bans referencing the viral ‘six seven’ meme. The repeated breaches expose serious security vulnerabilities in one of gaming’s biggest competitive shooters.

Hardkill System from solo developer Yevhen Bodrenko is a hardcore twin-stick roguelite mech shooter inspired by MechWarrior and Helldivers. With fully simulated projectiles where hit angles matter, weapon scavenging, and missions to save humanity from AI apocalypse, this four-year passion project brings tactical depth to top-down mech combat.

Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division from indie developer Thomas Hsu turns SQL database queries into comedic detective work. With hand-drawn visuals, fully voiced briefings, and crimes ranging from littering to vandalism, this quirky puzzle game makes learning SQL feel like investigating a case in Los Zorangeles. A free demo with 4 cases is available now.

Squared Notebook Fight from indie studio Printed Cicada Games transforms classic classroom doodling into a frantic bullet hell roguelite. With hand-drawn visuals styled like school notebook sketches, twin-stick shooter action, and the ability to create your own custom hero, this unique indie is bringing back those boring class memories in the best possible way.

The legendary PlayStation 2 emulator PCSX2 released version 2.6.0 on January 4, 2026, bringing continued improvements to performance, compatibility, and quality-of-life features. With over 20 years of development and support for 98% of the PS2’s massive library, this free emulator remains the definitive way to experience PlayStation 2 classics.

InfiniWar from solo developer Joe Theis combines World in Conflict’s explosive tactical combat with roguelike replayability and RPG progression. With procedural battlefields, elite enemy units, and no base building to worry about, this real-time tactics game could be the spiritual successor fans have been waiting for since 2007.

Cozy Cooking: Lo-fi Beats from Kernanknight transforms meal prep into meditative relaxation. With anime aesthetics, real-time cooking, soothing lo-fi music, and ASMR soundscapes, this casual simulation game is pure comfort food for your soul, coming to Steam in 2026.

A Hytale team member built a fully functional Vampire Survivors-style bullet heaven mod in their spare time, showcasing the game’s incredible modding potential. With Hytale’s early access launching January 13, 2026, after a wild journey from cancellation to resurrection, this mod proves the engine can support any genre imaginable.