The Video Games And More You Should Play This Weekend – September 25, 2026

I wrote in my review of this sequel to Control that I love the storytelling, characters, and world, but that the enjoyable combat suffers from way-too-tanky enemies. Thankfully, Remedy swiftly released a day-one patch addressing this very concern. Although I haven’t yet tested the game to see how much it remedies my biggest criticism, I feel even better about recommending Control Resonant. Fans of the first game will have plenty to love and more, as Resonant boasts the same alluring surrealism and fascinating lore as the original, only blown out and spread across a big city. Dylan Faden’s powers make traversing a distorted and visually impressive Manhattan like a superhero feel appropriately cool, and the action only gets deeper and more entertaining as the story progresses. Boasting a strong cast and several memorable moments, Dylan’s adventure is a worthy successor to his sister Jesse’s.

Silent Hill has been on an impressive streak (as long as you don't think too much about the bizarre 2024 streaming series, Silent Hill: Ascension, or the recent 2026 film, Return to Silent Hill), and Silent Hill: Townfall does not break the streak. Since deciding to go all back in on the franchise, Konami has been doing a good job of enlisting development partners that all seem to understand what makes the series work. Townfall is not without its shortcomings, which primarily lie in the unfair difficulty of its stealth and combat, but the mood is spot on. I also enjoyed the narrative, which is about corporate nihilism among other fascinating and emotional topics. It also features Terry O'Quinn (of Lost fame) in a prominent role, and he is an actor born to be in a Silent Hill game. You can read Game Informer's Silent Hill: Townfall review by following the link.

It's pretty rare that I'll step in to offer a full-throated endorsement for a mobile game, but Kingdom Rush is one of those consistently fun series that always manages to pull me in. The new (sixth!) installment just released this week, and its tower-defense formula remains as fun as ever. While the game will feel mostly familiar to returning fans, Ironhide Game Studio has gone to pains to add some new twists to this iteration, including additional replayability for each of the 18 stages through five unique victory paths for each. The game has a whimsical presentation that belies the high challenge that can define some of the later stages. If you want an approachable game on your mobile device for wherever you're headed this weekend, it's a sure bet. It's also on Steam if that's your preference!

There's been a hunger in the FPS space writ large, I think; a desire for the days of server browsers, lively interactions, and team-based asymmetrical warfare. Wardogs, an Early Access game from Bulkhead currently dominating the Steam charts, ticks all of those boxes. It's easy enough to understand that Battlefield fans can hop in, but it still veers plenty hard into the military sim to have plenty of craftsmanship in your chosen niche. Be a supply driver or builder, constructing forward operating bases, or a helicopter pilot ferrying freshly respawned fighters to the field, or one of those grunts, keeping a body in the hot zone at all times; anything you do builds towards capturing and holding the zone, and accruing your account match-over-match cash in the process. Wardogs has become a nightly ritual for my group, and has been the closest I've felt to days of scrolling Battlefield 1942 servers in ages.

Twisted Tower does not try to hide its BioShock inspiration. Instead, it embraces it, using what players know of BioShock to set expectations and surprise; after playing through its story in about 8 hours in just two sittings, I can now add "delight." It takes place in the 20th Century and stars a man trying to save his love. To do so, he must travel to the Twisted Tower amusement park, a mix of BioShock's Rapture and Walt Disney World, with the abandoned twistedness you'd expect from the former and the hokey thrills and theming you'd expect from the latter. Using first-person, mostly gun-focused combat and some unlockable toys that give you abilities like dash and grapple, you will traverse five themed levels as you make your way up the titular landmark. All the while, Mr. Twister goads and mocks you along the way, in a very Andrew Ryan-esque way. Of course, there are narrative twists, scares, lots of blood, and plenty of demented employees who haven't clocked out of their Twisted Tower shift yet, awaiting you in each, and it remains fun from start to finish. It can feel a bit rudimentary in how much it leans on its inspirations, but it's one of the best BioShock-likes I've played in a minute, and it's perfect for an exciting weekend gaming jaunt.

This recent card game is packed inside a tiny box that belies a surprisingly rich (if brisk) tactical play experience. You are charting a route for your spaceship to get from point A to B, gradually laying out square cards that will let you cross the far reaches of space. However, certain routes are only one-way, and specific actions (including those played by your opponents) can rotate the cards and block a previously accessible path.

As much as you’re aiming to speed to your own finish, you’re looking for ways to block your opponents. That adds a mean streak of play interaction that will delight many, but frustrate others. But the short playthrough length lessens the sting of being messed with, making this an extremely fun filler game in between other larger experiences during your evening of play. (edited)