May 1 – Sledding Game | Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 7 – Mixtape | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 7 – Will: Follow the Light | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 12 – Call of the Elder Gods | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 13 – Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 13 – Feline Forensics and the Meowseum Mystery | PC
May 14 – Outbound | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 19 – Forza Horizon 6 | Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 20 – Thick as Thieves | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 20 – Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core | PC
May 21 – Yoshi and the Mysterious Book | Switch 2
May 21 – Coffee Talk Tokyo | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 22 – LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 22 – Bubsy 4D | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 26 – Yerba Buena | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 27 – 007 First Light | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC
May 28 – Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen | PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC
May 29 – Crashout Crew | PC
This is a massive first-world problem, but game release fatigue is a real deal. April was a monstrous month, with the arrivals of Saros, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, Mouse: P.I. For Hire, and Pragmata only scratching the surface. That makes May the perfect chaser. Yes, we still have some absolute bangers and a few highly anticipated AAAs, but not to the insane volume of the past 30 days. Sure, that could give us the chance to chip away at our backlogs or continue with the aforementioned recent releases, but where would the fun be in that, huh? So, as we do, let’s take a look at what we can expect from the days ahead, and which games you should have marked in your calendar for May.
Sledding Game
Developer: The Sledding Corporation | Publisher: The Sledding Corporation | Platform: Xbox Series X|S / PC | Release: May 1 | Buy
Embody the little animal of your choosing and slide around a snow-filled world full of all sorts of things to do with your friends. Proximity chat brings the world to life and keeps you in that cozy atmosphere while you do things like toasting marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate, curling, or even running away from an enormous yeti that’s out to get you. Customise your character, unlock rad new sleds, and sled down the tracks of your choosing. Thanks to its hilarious rag doll physics and huge public lobbies (and private ones), what’s not to like in this hangout game?
Mixtape
Developer: Beethoven and Dinosaur | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Platform: PS5 / Xbox Series X|S / Switch 2 / PC | Release: May 7 | Wishlist
Aussie developer Beethoven and Dinosaur, founded by musician Johnny Galvatron, released its debut title back in 2021, and it was a certified banger. The Artful Escape could be described as a 2D platformer, but its masterful connection to music and its wonderfully offbeat yet heartfelt story made it more than the sum of its already excellent parts. The next game from the Melbourne-based team Mixtape is the soundtrack of youth, brought to life. Chronicling the final night spent between three friends before their summer ends and adulthood begins, Mixtape will move from one ethereal setpiece to the next, all while iconic tracks from well-known artists punctuate the moments.
Directive 8020: A Dark Pictures Game
Developer: Supermassive Games | Publisher: Bandai Namco | Platform: PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC | Release: May 13 | Wishlist
Supermassive’s choose-your-own-adventure horror games have become a must-play for a lot of people. They may not have a perfect batting average, with many of the Dark Pictures Anthology titles being a bit wonkier than many would appreciate, but the hits have made up for the misses. With Directive 8020, the scares are going to space, with the colonists aboard the ship Cassiopeia crash-landing on planet Tau Ceti f, only to be immediately hunted by an alien threat that can change its appearance at will. Tensions look to rise, and so too does the body count.
Forza Horizon 6
Developer: Playground Games | Publisher: Xbox Game Studios | Platform: PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC | Release: May 15 | Wishlist
If Xbox can hold its hat on one thing, it’s that its Forza series has been consistently good. The part-arcade, part-simulation racer is heading to Japan for its sixth entry, tearing up the streets of Tokyo and its surrounding areas, in what looks like another brilliant entry. Racing bullet trains and huge anime mechs, drifting through Tokyo, and tricking out your own garage are just a few new additions to look forward to, but the allure of the setting will be enough to draw most motorsports fans in. So if you’re itching to get behind the wheel, there are only a couple of weeks to go.
Thick as Thieves
Developer: OtherSide Entertainment | Publisher: Megabit Publishing | Platform: PC | Release: May 21 | Wishlist
A stealth-action heist game that’s playable alone or with another purse-pinching friend, Thick as Thieves is a title where lurking in the shadows is required, and efficiently picking locks is something that deserves to be on your resume. Developed by OtherSide Entertainment, a team led by Warren Spector, of Deus Ex and Thief fame, Thick as Thieves looks to offer replayability in the form of two classes at launch, alongside two dynamic maps and 16 varied contracts. The game promises to grow over time, with new thieves, maps, contracts, and gear added in the months and years to come.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Developer: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Platform: Switch 2 | Release: May 21 | Pre-order
We are well overdue for a new whimsical Nintendo platformer, particularly one with that distinct Yoshi flavour. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book seeks to shake things up a great deal, however, with a formula that is more focused on exploration and experimentation than the age-old act of chasing goal flags. Discover all manner of weird and wonderful beasties within the pages of Mr E, the talking encyclopaedia – then put on your lab coat and figure out how they fit into the wider ecosystem. Mario is a doctor, so why can’t Yoshi start a career in ecology?
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
Developer: Tt Games | Publisher: Warner Bros. Games | Platform: PS5/Xbox Series X|S/Switch 2/PC | Release: May 23 | Wishlist
We’re used to seeing Batman in LEGO form, but not like this. Legacy of the Dark Knight draws inspiration from The Caped Crusader’s 87-year history, including comics, films, TV series and games, to create the ultimate celebration of the Dark Knight. While drawing together a great many variations of the World’s Greatest Detective and his rogues’ gallery, Legacy of the Dark Knight also overhauls the LEGO combat, bringing it more in line with the combo-heavy fighting found in the Arkham series. Legacy of the Dark Knight contains an open-world LEGO Gotham, the classic LEGO humour, and enough references to sink a Batboat.
007 First Light
Developer: IO Interactive | Publisher: IO Interactive | Platform: PS5/Xbox Series X|S/PC | Release: May 28 | Wishlist
Telling the story of a young James Bond, working to earn the title of 007, First Light will see players drive sports cars, throw out one-liners, engage in stealth action and firefights, and narrowly escape death among explosions and all manner of other setpieces. Leveraging years of experience with the Hitman series, IO Interactive looks to take that open-area approach to stealth and infiltration and inject the high-stakes thrill of being a suave British spy into the mix. Oh, and Lenny Kravitz is the mousetache-twirling villain of the piece, how cool is that?
Crashout Crew
Developer: Aggro Crab | Publisher: Aggro Crab | Platform: PC | Release: May 29 | Wishlist
Aggro Crab, the team behind the much-beloved titles Peak and Another Crab’s Treasure are bringing another four-player co-op multiplayer experience right into your Steam library. Thanks to your forklift license, Crashout Crew has another team member to sort through various precious boxes of fruit and other items to send them off for delivery. Similar to Overcooked, it’ll bring out the chaos of management, as you maneuver through increasingly drastic obstacles and rely on your other expert friends to make it to the end of your shift. Stress levels will run high, upgrades will be your best friend, and don’t forget to use your epic drifting skills to get the job done. After all, you do need to clock out at some point.
Ok, I know I said it was a quieter month, but May really does have the goods. We’ve not even had time to mention Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core, Will: Follow the Light, or Yerba Buena. So that says a lot.
What are the games you’re most excited to play in May? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
