The Video Games You Should Play This Weekend – July 3, 2026
Overview & Key Takeaways
Happy July 4th weekend! Fireworks. Lemonade? Hot dogs. Scared pets? Sunscreen? A lake and/or beach. Heat? Sales at mattress and furniture stores. Some of those things I am certain are Fourth of July things. Others, I admit I am making some assumptions about your celebrations. But yeah, you won't be buying mattresses at a lake all weekend, right? There will be time for video games, as well, and we have some suggestions for what to check out this weekend... right after I share a few of our big stories this week.
- PlayStation Will Cease Production Of Physical Discs For New Games In January 2028
- The PlayStation Stores On PlayStation 3 And Vita Are Shutting Down
- PlayStation Will Remove Hundreds Of Purchased Movies And TV Shows From User Libraries In September
- IO Interactive Faces Layoffs After Xbox Ends Partnership For Its Upcoming Online RPG Project Fantasy
- Report: Microsoft Is Considering Shutting Down Arkane Studios And Canceling Marvel’s Blade
- Rhythm Heaven Groove Review – Technique Is Solid
- Guns Of Eschaton Is A Western Soulslike FPS Envisioned By The Late Artist Of Half-Life 2 And Dishonored
Rhythm Heaven Groove
Kyle Hilliard
Rhythm Heaven Groove, perhaps the last great Switch 1 game from Nintendo, is officially out and it is an infectious, goofy, music game that is easy to lose yourself in. In Game Informer's Rhythm Heaven Groove review, I wrote, "The series represents a wonderful and wildly unique collection of concepts that are not beholden to Nintendo’s history and make me happy, proud, anxious, and angry all in equal measure. Groove is not my favorite in the series, but it stands tall alongside the rest to earn permanent placement on my Switch hard drive."
One opinion I didn't dive into in my review is that all the Rhythm Heavens, Groove included, have the potential to become great meme generators with frequent instances of bizarre art and strange text. At least two of the games lean on stock photography showcasing construction workers and people drinking tea. It's weird. But none of the games have ever reached the level of cultural ubiquity necessary to make the sharing of GIFs and images from them become widely accepted online vernacular. Being on Switch and how easy it is to share clips and screenshots from the device makes me hope Groove will be the one to break through.
Meccha Chamelon
Alex Van Aken
Multiplayer hide-and-seek game Meccha Chameleon is one of the year's breakout success stories after selling 10 million copies in its first few weeks. More importantly for this blog: it's cheap and fun as hell, making it a strong contender for your weekend relaxation. The Infection mode seems to be most popular in online lobbies, where one randomized player becomes a Hunter and must find and eliminate hiding players with a shotgun, subsequently converting them into Hunters upon death. The big catch: the Hiders can pose, stick themselves upon most surfaces, and paint themselves using a brush, color wheel, and a Photoshop-like color picker tool to camouflage themselves in the environment. It's clever, simple-to-learn, and has excellent Steam Workshop integration making it incredibly easy to download custom maps without having to leave a multiplayer lobby.
Deltarune Chapter 5: The Festival
Eric Van Allen
Every new installment of the Undertale pseudo-sequel Deltarune is a little holiday for those who have been following along, and the latest chapter certainly bolstered that festive feeling by centering on the town festival. Within minutes of starting the newest Deltarune chapter, I had already gasped, laughed, and been amazed by the swerves and twists Toby Fox and co. have been lining up for our intrepid party. Chapter 5 feels a little reminiscent of Chapter 3 to me, using mixed media and sudden style and genre-switching concepts to throw curve balls at the player. And the creeping sense of unease and dread, as the dark forces at work in the town make their moves, just adds to the tension of it all. It'll be at least a little longer until we see Deltarune reach its full conclusion, but I'm already more than happy with how this surprise follow-up to Undertale is coming along.
Deltrune Chapter 5 fan art by Claire Godbold Hilliard
Wanderstop On Switch And Switch 2
Kyle Hilliard
Originally released in 2025, Wanderstop is from the mind of Davey Wreden, best known for The Stanley Parable and The Beginner's Guide. Those games, in summary, are a little bit about the process of playing and appreciating a video game and what it means to have and give player choice. There is a lot more to them than that, but that's arguably the short version. By comparison, Wanderstop is more straightforward, but still makes plenty of room for the examination of video games as an entertainment medium.
In the game, you are Alta, a former adventurer/warrior who is attempting to take on a new life and manage a tea shop to address her overwhelming anxiety. But, in typical Wreden style, there is more to it than that. In Game Informer's Wanderstop review I wrote, "I admire the game for being able to use video game genre conventions to tell a pensive, funny, and surprising story set in a charming location with enjoyable characters. Watching Alta grow and accept her limitations will stick with me and make me reflect on my own inability to turn off and just relax. I appreciate any art that makes you think in that way, and Wanderstop is successful in that goal."
As of June 23, the game is available on Switch and Switch 2 and it's worth playing, even if you're not typically a fan of the wide-ranging "cozy" genre. Wredon is still making video games, but the studio, Ivy Road, that created Wanderstop has unfortunately been shuttered. But that's doesn't mean it didn't create a worthwhile video game worth experiencing.
Tabletop Pick – Leviathan Wilds
Matt Miller
If you have fond memories of video games like Shadow of the Colossus, boy, do I have the board game for you. Leviathan Wilds is a cooperative or solo game in which players work together to climb gigantic creatures, with the goal of destroying the corrupting crystals that make them dangerous, saving them in the process. Each session plays out on an open-page spread of the included spiral-bound book – so each time you play, you confront a different creature and its challenges.
The gigantic creatures reveal what they'll be doing and how they might attack through a card pull at the start of the round, and you can use your turn to slide, climb, rest, and use various powers to complete your mission. The art is beautiful, the theming and concept is brilliant, and the turn-to-turn action inspires lots of compelling choices. Designer Justin Kemppainen hit on something very clever here; this could easily become a staple play option for your gaming group.
Originally released in 2025, Wanderstop is from the mind of Davey Wreden, best known for The Stanley Parable and The Beginner's Guide. Those games, in summary, are a little bit about the process of playing and appreciating a video game and what it means to have and give player choice. There is a lot more to them than that, but that's arguably the short version. By comparison, Wanderstop is more straightforward, but still makes plenty of room for the examination of video games as an entertainment medium.
In the game, you are Alta, a former adventurer/warrior who is attempting to take on a new life and manage a tea shop to address her overwhelming anxiety. But, in typical Wreden style, there is more to it than that. In Game Informer's Wanderstop review I wrote, "I admire the game for being able to use video game genre conventions to tell a pensive, funny, and surprising story set in a charming location with enjoyable characters. Watching Alta grow and accept her limitations will stick with me and make me reflect on my own inability to turn off and just relax. I appreciate any art that makes you think in that way, and Wanderstop is successful in that goal."
As of June 23, the game is available on Switch and Switch 2 and it's worth playing, even if you're not typically a fan of the wide-ranging "cozy" genre. Wredon is still making video games, but the studio, Ivy Road, that created Wanderstop has unfortunately been shuttered. But that's doesn't mean it didn't create a worthwhile video game worth experiencing.
