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The 40 games we can’t wait to play in 2019

In the Valley of Gods

The year is almost over, which means it’s time to start dreaming about all of the great games you’ll be playing in 2019 — and it sure looks like there will be a lot. Next year is shaping up to be packed with notable releases, from the charming world of Animal Crossing to the violent action of Gears of War.

Of course, these are just the games we know about, and there will definitely be plenty of surprises throughout 2019. I’ve also only included games that are actually scheduled for next year, which is why you won’t see big names like Metroid Prime 4, The Last of Us Part II, or Halo Infinite. Same goes for games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Death Stranding that are likely years away from release. Additionally, it’s important to note that some of the included games are likely to be delayed, possibly beyond 2019.

That said, there’s still a lot to be excited about, including a number of games that we’ve been anticipating for years. And yes, Kingdom Hearts III is actually coming out. For real this time.

Anthem
Bloodstained

Animal Crossing

Switch

Ever since the release of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on mobile, series fans have been waiting for a proper installment in the series. We know one is coming to the Switch, but aside from Tom Nook making an appearance, the game remains a mystery. But Nintendo’s tablet / console hybrid could be the perfect home for the quaint life simulator.

Anthem

PC, PS4, Xbox One - February 22nd

Mass Effect developer BioWare is the latest to try its hand at making a living, breathing world. Anthem looks to combine the storytelling the studio is known for with Destiny-style action, all set in a brand-new sci-fi universe that will change and grow over time.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

It’s been a long time coming, but Koji Igarashi’s next game is almost here. A crowdfunded spiritual successor to the director’s Castlevania classics, Bloodstained has everything you’d expect: terrifying monsters, gothic castles, copious amounts of blood, and lots of whips.

Civilization VI
Code Vein

Catherine: Full Body

PS4, Vita

Cult classic Catherine is getting a remake, which aims to bring the bizarre puzzle game / supernatural love story to a whole new audience. It’ll look and sound better, and more importantly, there’s a new character. It might also be the last Vita game you buy.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm

PC - February 14th

Civilization VI’s next major expansion will explore climate change, adding a new kind of challenge for players trying to expand their reach. Developer Firaxis describes it as “a living world ecosystem that showcases natural events that could enrich or challenge your growing empire.”

Code Vein

PC, PS4, Xbox One

Code Vein is yet another Dark Souls-inspired action game, but one that sets itself apart with a wonderfully over-the-top sense of style, blending a dark, gritty vampire-infested world with anime sensibilities.

Concrete Genie
Control
Crackdown 3

Concrete Genie

PS4

Concrete Genie looks like what would happen if you crossed Jet Set Radio with a heartwarming indie game, two things that seem ideally suited in retrospect. You play as a young painter whose work comes to life, and players will use this power to transform the urban landscape around them.

Control

PC, PS4, Xbox One

The latest release from Alan Wake studio Remedy, Control is a supernatural action game that looks like it will live up to the studio’s past hits. It looks tense, gripping, and a touch creepy, and the developer promises “a unique and ever-changing world that juxtaposes our familiar reality with the strange and unexplainable.”

Crackdown 3

PC, Xbox One - February 15th

After a number of delays, the third Crackdown is finally on its way. Barring any more issues, it should offer the kind of unfettered action fans have come to know and love. That includes a brand-new multiplayer mode focused entirely on destruction.

Days Gone
Devil May Cry 5
Diablo: Immortal

Days Gone

PS4 - April 26th

Yes, Days Gone is yet another zombie game, but it looks to differentiate itself through sheer scale: get ready to run away from massive hordes of the undead. There’s also a surprising focus on realism. Not only do you get to ride a motorcycle, you’ll also have to stop and fill it up with gas.

Devil May Cry 5

PC, PS4, Xbox One - March 8th

There’s still no series that makes fighting demons feel quite so stylish, which makes the return of Devil May Cry — the first entry in the series in more than five years — especially welcome. Longtime director Hideaki Itsuno is helming the project, which is being built using the same tools behind the impressive Resident Evil 7.

Diablo: Immortal

iOS, Android

It didn’t get the best reception when it was revealed at Blizzcon, but Diablo: Immortal has a ton of potential; the recent Switch edition of Diablo III showed just how much fun it can be to slay monsters on the go.

The Division 2
Dreams
Far Cry New Dawn

The Division 2

PC, PS4, Xbox One - March 15th

The next installment of The Division shifts the series to Washington, DC, yet curiously the developers at Ubisoft say that it won’t feature a political storyline, despite taking place in the ruins of America’s capital city. At the very least, it should offer some gameplay refinements for the online post-apocalyptic shooter; the first game steadily improved after launch, which bodes well for the sequel.

Dreams

PS4

The next release from the creators of LittleBigPlanet isn’t exactly a game, more of a digital tool to help you build, well, whatever you want. But it has all of the charm you’d expect from the studio, and, even better, you can share your creations with the world.

Far Cry New Dawn

PC, PS4, Xbox One - February 15th

New Dawn takes place in the same fictional take on Montana as Far Cry 5, but things are slightly different: the detonation of a nuclear bomb will do that. Expect a much more light-hearted experience than its predecessor, with lots of over-the-top weapons and scenarios.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Gears 5

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Switch

Fire Emblem has become an increasingly popular franchise for Nintendo, and Three Houses will mark the first proper Fire Emblem game designed with the Switch in mind. We know virtually nothing about the game, but it’ll be the first Fire Emblem to grace a home console in more than a decade.

Gears 5

PC, Xbox One

The fifth Gears of War kicks off a new storyline with a largely new cast of characters, but it looks to retain the series’ hallmarks: brutal action, spectacular setpieces, and moody trailers. Oh, and giant space bugs.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

iOS, Android

Pokémon Go is still going strong, but developer Niantic will soon be bringing its augmented reality gameplay to another hugely popular fiction world with the launch of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

In the Valley of Gods
Jump Force
Kingdom Hearts 3

In the Valley of Gods

PC

Firewatch was one of 2016’s best games, and now developer Campo Santo is back with yet another gorgeous adventure called In the Valley of Gods. It’s set in “a remote and ancient valley in the Egyptian desert,” and looks to be slightly more action-focused than its predecessor.

Jump Force

PC, PS4, Xbox One - February 15th

Goku still isn’t in Smash Bros., but this anime fighter should help ease the pain, bringing together the worlds of Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, and more. Even better, characters will be fighting in real-world locations like New York and Paris.

Kingdom Hearts III

PS4, Xbox One - January 29th

It’s hard to believe, but the next Kingdom Hearts is almost upon us. More than a decade after Kingdom Hearts II, the sequel looks to make the role-playing series’ story even more complex by introducing Disney worlds like Frozen and Toy Story.

The Last Campfire
Life is Strange 2

The Last Campfire

Platforms TBD

Hello Games’ next game looks like the polar opposite of No Man’s Sky: a short, quiet, contemplative experience with a strong story to tell. It’s being developed by some of the key minds behind the charming LostWinds series, and looks to offer something similarly heartwarming.

Life is Strange 2: Episode 2

PC, PS4, Xbox One - January 24th

The second season of Life is Strange got off to an excellent start, and that looks to continue when the latest episode further delves into this mysterious world. This time, we should get a better look at how superpowers figure into the story.

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Switch

Luigi’s spooky spinoff is back, bringing the series back to consoles for the first time since the original GameCube game. Nintendo hasn’t said much about the game, but at least we know that Luigi’s ghost-sucking vacuum will make a return.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Metro Exodus
Minecraft: Dungeons

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Switch

The Ultimate Alliance series is essentially a superhero-flavored take on Diablo, and this time the hack-and-slash action will be exclusive to Nintendo’s tablet. It should be the ideal platform for leveling up Wolverine wherever you are.

Metro Exodus

PC, PS4, Xbox One - February 15th

The claustrophobic Metro series returns with another post-apocalytpic outing, but this time things have opened up somewhat, as the game takes place in a large open world. Don’t expect its hardcore focus on survival and crafting to change, however.

Minecraft: Dungeons

PC

The Minecraft phenomenon looks to grow even larger with a new dungeon crawling spinoff that adds more structure (and loot) to the blocky universe. As the name implies, you’ll be delving deep into dangerous dungeons, which, obviously, will include mines.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Mortal Kombat 11

PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch - April 23rd

We know next to nothing about the new Mortal Kombat, except for the most important thing: it will be even more violent than you remember. Expect to learn some actual details at a live-streamed event on January 17th.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Switch - January 11th

Another underappreciated Wii U game makes the jump to the Switch, with an enhanced version of the 2D platformer that adds a few new playable characters. As a bonus, the oft-forgotten New Super Luigi U is also part of the package.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

PC, Xbox One

There are no shortage of Metroid-inspired games, but the original Ori and the Blind Forest stood out thanks to its gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and punishing difficulty. Expect more of the same in the sequel, which is totally okay with us.

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds

PC, PS4, Xbox One

If Fallout 76 didn’t scratch that open-world RPG itch, Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds should fill in nicely, but with an added dose of sci-fi. Expect to deal with warring factions, difficult moral quandaries, and hard choices over what gear to wear.

Pokémon

Switch

Pokémon: Let’s Go is a great way to ease into the monster-collecting series, especially for those who started with Pokémon Go. But those looking for something a little more complex should look out for the Switch’s first mainline Pokémon adventure, which promises to be a more traditional role-playing game.

Psychonauts 2

PC, PS4, Xbox One

The original mind-bending Psychonauts launched well over a decade ago, but over that time, its cult classic stature has only grown. After years in development, the sequel should offer even more zany worlds to explore, and a chance to be reunited with your favorite characters.

Rage 2
Resident Evil 2
Sable

Rage 2

PC, PS4, Xbox One - May 14th

The original Rage was largely forgettable, a technically impressive game that took place in a drab, brown-and-gray post-apocalyptic world. The sequel is looking to change things up with a much more lighthearted tone, including some ridiculous action. Imagine Mad Max, but with lots of pink.

Resident Evil 2

PC, PS4, Xbox One - January 25th

Given the series resurgence with Resident Evil 7 last year, there’s a lot of desire for more of Capcom’s very particular style of survival horror. And while Resident Evil 2 isn’t technically a new game, it’s a thorough remaster, with modern visuals that bring the undead to life.

Sable

PC, Xbox One

If you miss the wide open, free-roaming nature of Breath of the Wild, Sable might be your best bet. It has the same sense of adventure, but in a much less complicated package, one that looks absolutely stunning with visuals inspired by comic legend Moebius.

Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The Walking Dead

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Switch, other platforms

You never quite know what to expect from a new Simogo game, the studio behind the likes of Year Walk and Device 6. And the upcoming Sayonara Wild Hearts is no exception. It’s described as “a euphoric music video dream about being awesome, riding motorcycles, skateboarding, dance battling, shooting lasers, wielding swords, and breaking hearts at 200mph.” I don’t know what that means, but I want to play it.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

PC, PS4, Xbox One - March 22nd

It’s been a few years since Bloodborne or a new Dark Souls, but FromSoftware is nearly back with its next brutal action game. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice looks to have a faster pace, and much less of a focus on RPG elements than the studio’s past games. You will probably die more than twice.

The Walking Dead: Episode 3

PC, PS4, Xbox One - January 15th

After the unfortunate demise of Telltale Games, the fate of the final season of The Walking Dead was up in the air; but now it’s continuing, and with many of the original developers completing the work. It got off to a strong start thanks to a largely new cast led by much younger characters, and I can’t wait to see where it’s headed.

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Switch

Yoshi’s Crafted World isn’t just adorable, it also looks quite clever, letting players view the world from different angles; each time you complete one of the papercraft levels, you can then explore the “flip side” and uncover even more secrets and fun.