January 12 through January 18 brings a busy mix of early access launches, big updates, and a handful of smaller titles worth a look.
Releases and dates
Hytale enters early access on PC on January 13. After years of teasers and hype, Hypixel Studios is putting a Minecraft-inspired sandbox into players’ hands as a work-in-progress. Early access means content and features will expand over time, but the game already shows wide biomes, creature variety, and tools for building and modding.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 edition arrives this week with the 3.0 update. This is not a paid expansion. The update adds a hotel with customizable rooms, new collaboration items, and new villagers, giving both new players and returning islanders fresh content to work with.
Quarantine Zone launches January 12 on PC. This checkpoint-management strategy sim drops players into a city falling apart during a zombie outbreak. Screening tools, resource juggling, and blunt decision-making all matter – one bad call can doom your camp.
Cassette Boy lands January 15 on PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S. The puzzle-adventure asks players to rotate a 2D pixel-style 3D world to solve the mystery of a vanished moon, with exploration and combat blended into the puzzles.
BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW releases January 16 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It’s a first-person psychological horror that examines social media’s effect on mental health and introduces a handful of genuinely unsettling creatures.
Craftlings arrives January 15 on PC as a single-player management and automation game inspired by ’90s classics. Players assign tiny humanoid workers to build farms, barracks, and production chains while navigating biome-specific dangers.
There are other small releases and ports sprinkled through the week. If the pull of a sprawling early access title or a fresh indie puzzle is stronger, this week gives players both choices. You can view our full release calendar of all upcoming games here.
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