The Video Games And More You Should Play This Weekend – October 16, 2026

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Games and more to play this weekend – October 16, 2026

Spooky season is here. Giant skeletons are sprouting on front lawns, the air is finally cold enough for a hoodie, and the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes have arrived on Switch 2. Meanwhile, we’re all stocking up for a long winter indoors, with Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon.

The release rush is still in full swing. Not long ago, the busy season was basically just November. These days it begins in August and runs into March, give or take a few weeks.

Before we get to this weekend’s picks, here are some of the biggest Game Informer stories from the past week:

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

Recommended by Kyle Hilliard

Fans have waited a long time for a brand-new Castlevania, and I’d argue Belmont’s Curse justifies every year of the drought. Charles Harte feels the same way. His review calls it a persuasive reminder of why the series has been so influential, thanks to its atmospheric world, tense combat, and a map overflowing with secrets. He adds that it honors the classics while injecting new energy into the franchise, and that the series is in capable hands with Rose Belmont and developer Evil Empire.

The game comes from the studio behind Dead Cells, which was heavily shaped by Castlevania in the first place, and the pairing feels perfectly natural. Rose Belmont is a joy to control, the world is expansive and fun to explore without ever becoming overwhelming, and every boss fight is a satisfying test. One of my personal measures of a great game is whether it keeps me up past my bedtime, and Belmont’s Curse is succeeding a little too well. I’m exhausted all day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Silver Pines

Recommended by Kyle Hilliard

The quick pitch for Silver Pines is Metroid meets Silent Hill. That’s an enticing hook by itself, but what has impressed me most in my short time with it is the animation. I can’t say whether it was truly rotoscoped (think of the original 1989 Prince of Persia), but it certainly looks that way. The result is striking, with a deliberate uncanny-valley quality that deepens the eerie mood. Add a pinch of Twin Peaks strangeness, and you get something that stands out in a crowded field of Metroid-inspired games, many of which are well made in their own right.

Just Dance: Decades Of Hits

Recommended by Kyle Hilliard

Just Dance is a regular fixture in my house. We don’t pull it out every year, but I was keen to try Decades of Hits because of its track list. The series usually favors current chart-toppers. As a dad staring down his forties (who is still very cool, right? Right?!), I enjoy catching up on recent pop and embarrassing myself in front of my family. Still, I really like how musically varied this entry is.

You’ll find songs from Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Olivia Rodrigo (whom I adore). You’ll also find ABBA, Spice Girls, No Doubt, Daft Punk, Britney Spears, Sum 41, TLC, Gorillaz, Run DMC, Billy Joel, and Elton John, among many others.

Over the past few years, Just Dance has also developed a tradition of including at least one astonishingly well-made stop-motion sequence. I have no idea which Ubisoft executive keeps signing off on the budget for these videos, but I hope they never catch on, because the results are fantastic.

The Jackbox Party Pack 12

Recommended by Kyle Hilliard

It’s hard to go wrong with a Jackbox collection. Every pack has the odd dud, but there are always one or two standouts worth coming back to again and again. Party Pack 12 arrives this week with a high-speed trivia game about sorting questions into the right categories, a contest to craft the most absurd greeting card, a game that sparks ridiculous debates, and another that uncovers hidden connections among the players. Rounding it out is Hyperface, in which you twist and warp selfies.

Maestro On Switch 2

Recommended by Matt Miller

Following an earlier debut on VR platforms, the rhythm game Maestro has landed on Switch and Switch 2, complete with a physical cartridge release. If you’ve ever secretly dreamed of stepping onto the podium and taking the baton, it’s worth seeking out. The lineup features classical favorites from composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky, along with more modern pieces in the vein of Star Wars or Game of Thrones. Joy-Con in hand, you’ll set the tempo, cue the musicians, shape the dynamics, and more. The visuals and “storytelling” won’t astonish anyone, but the music is tough to beat. Apart from a few moments when the game misread my gestures, the motion tracking was generally good enough to sell the fantasy.

Toy Story: Retro Roundup / Toy Story 3 Complete Edition

Recommended by Brian Shea

If you sank countless hours into the early Toy Story games, the retro-compilation specialists at Digital Eclipse have something for you in Toy Story: Retro Roundup. It bundles Toy Story, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, Toy Story 2, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and Toy Story Racer (several in multiple versions), plus the 1998 A Bug’s Life game. It doesn’t match the sheer volume of extras found in Digital Eclipse’s Atari 50 or Tetris Forever, but it’s an enjoyable trip down memory lane, complete with behind-the-scenes interviews and materials. Digital Eclipse also released the separate Toy Story 3 Complete Edition this week.

Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III]

Recommended by Wesley LeBlanc

Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] (yes, that’s genuinely the title) has arrived on Nintendo Switch 2, and after some time with it, I can say it feels right at home. The package contains Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, which itself gathers several entries including the first two games, along with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC. In short, it’s everything you need to catch up on the saga before Kingdom Hearts IV launches next year.

The games play wonderfully on Switch 2, with HD resolution in both handheld and docked modes and a smooth 60 FPS. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but this series just clicks on the system. It may be because so many of the games began life on Nintendo consoles. Either way, whether you’re a newcomer or simply want another excuse to tear up while “Dearly Beloved” plays, this collection delivers.

Tabletop Pick – Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains

Recommended by Matt Miller

This new standalone edition of Forest Shuffle does more than relocate the setting to the Smoky Mountains of North America. It also gave the designers room to fine-tune the balance and introduce fresh elements, such as an intriguing water and river terrain. The presentation is richer and more beautiful, and the game is more rewarding and replayable across the board. In my view, it’s the best version yet of an already excellent game.

Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains box

For those new to the series, Forest Shuffle is a card game that blends hand management with tableau building. Over the course of play, you lay out a woodland scene on the table, filled with distinctive trees, animals, and plants, and you earn points for the variety and types of life thriving in your forest. It’s approachable and visually enchanting, yet it still offers real strategic depth as you shape your landscape and prepare for the arrival of winter.

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