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

It has been a long wait for a brand new Castlevania game, and frankly, I think Belmont's Curse has been worth the time spent in the queue. Charles Harte agrees, as he wrote in his review, "Belmont's Curse is a strong reminder of why the Castlevania series is so influential, with a rich world, tense combat, and a map chock-full of secrets. While this latest entry certainly pays homage to the Castlevanias of yore, it also breathes fresh life into the franchise, making me excited for its future. Castlevania is back, and between Rose Belmont and Evil Empire, it's in great hands."

The game comes from the team behind Dead Cells, a game heavily influenced by Castlevania to begin with, and the result shows how great a fit the team and franchise is. Controlling Rose Belmont feels great, the world is big and fun to explore without being overbearing, and beating each boss is a rewarding challenge. I often feel one mark of a good game for me is if it keeps me up past my bedtime, and Belmont's Curse is, unfortunately, doing a great job of making me feel tired all day. But that's a good thing.

The short pitch for Silver Pines is that it is a Metroid-inspired game crossed with a Silent Hill game. That's a good hook on its own, but what makes it stand out (at least in the limited time I have so far spent with it), is its animation. I don't know that it was actually rotoscoped (think the original 1989 Prince of Persia), but it feels like it was, which makes it look great and lends it an intentional level of uncanny valley that aids the creepy atmosphere. Throw in a dash of Twin Peaks energy, and you end up with something that feels unique against a sea of comparable (but often well-designed) Metroid-inspired games.

Just Dance is an frequent tradition in my household. We don't play it every year, but I was eager to check out Decades of Hits because of its included soundtrack. Just Dance generally leans on contemporary music and as a dad facing down his forties (who is still very cool, right? Right?!) I appreciate the chance to learn about recent pop hits and make a fool of myself in front of my family, but I like how musically diverse this entry is.

You have Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Olivia Rodrigo songs (which I adore), but you also get ABBA, Spice Girls, No Doubt, Daft Punk, Britney Spears, Sum 41, TLC, Gorillaz, Run DMC, Billy Joel, and Elton John among many others.

Also, in recent years, Just Dance has started its own tradition of including at least one shockingly impressive stop-motion animated sequence. I am not sure what executive at Ubisoft is accidentally approving the budget for the continued creation of these types of videos, but I hope they never notice because they're great.

You really can’t go wrong with any Jackbox game. Sure, there are some occasional duds in the packages, but there are always at least one or two super fun games that are always worth returning to. 12 is out this week and includes a game about sorting trivia questions into the right categories at high speed, one where you try to make the most ridiculous greeting card, a game encouraging silly debates, one that identifies connections among everyone playing, and finally Hyperface, where you manipulate selfies.

After an earlier release on VR platforms, the rhythm game Maestro recently made its way onto Switch and Switch 2, including a physical game cartridge launch. If you've always secretly loved the idea of stepping up onto the podium for a try at the conductor's gig, it's one worth tracking down. The game includes a number of classical hits from the likes of Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky, but there's also the chance to play more contemporary tracks like those you'd hear in Star Wars or Game of Thrones. With Joy-Cons in hand, you'll keep the tempo, cue in musicians, adjust dynamics, and more. The accompanying visuals and "storytelling" aren't going to blow your mind, but the included music is hard to beat, and with occasional exceptions where the game misread my motions, I found the motion-tracking mostly up to the task of nailing the fantasy.

If you spent hours playing the early Toy Story games, then the retro compilation masters at Digital Eclipse have something for you in the form of Toy Story: Retro Roundup. On top of Toy Story, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, Toy Story 2, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and Toy Story Racer (including multiple versions of many of these), you can also get your hands on the 1998 A Bug's Life game. It may not have the breadth of extra content of something like Digital Eclipse's Atari 50 or Tetris Forever, but it's a fun stroll down memory lane with some behind-the-scenes interviews and materials. Alongside this retro collection, there's also the separate Toy Story 3 Complete Edition, also released by Digital Eclipse this week.

Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] – yes, that’s really what it’s called – is out on Nintendo Switch 2, and after spending some time with it, man, it feels right at home on the console. This collection includes Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 +2.5 ReMix (which itself includes a bunch of Kingdom Hearts games, including 1 and 2), Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC. Basically, it has everything you need to catch up on the Kingdom Hearts saga before Kingdom Hearts IV launches next year.

As for actually playing these games, they feel amazing on Switch 2, courtesy of HD resolutions, on handheld and docked, and 60 FPS gameplay. I don’t know why exactly, but playing the Kingdom Hearts series on Switch 2 just feels right. It probably has something to do with just how many of these games were Nintendo console originals. Nonetheless, if you’re new to Kingdom Hearts or looking for a new place to tear up while "Dearly Beloved" plays, this Switch 2 collection will satisfy your needs.

This new standalone version of Forest Shuffle does more than transplant the theming into the Smoky Mountains of North America. It has also allowed its creators to refine balance, add new elements (like an intriguing new water/river terrain), create a more vibrant and visually beautiful presentation, and overall, up the value and playability of the game across the board. In short, it's what I think is the best version of an already very good game.

For newcomers, the Forest Shuffle formula is a card game that involves a mix of card hand management and tableau-building, as you slowly play out a forest scene onto the table, filled with unique trees, animals, and plants, and gathering points for the types and variety of things living in your woods. It's an approachable and visually enchanting game that still offers plenty of strategic depth as you plan out the shape and potential of your nature scene, all while planning against the impending arrival of winter.