There’s a new number one on Metacritic only about a week after Forza Horizon 6 claimed the top spot with the highest score of any 2026 game.

mina the hollower is the best-reviewed game of 2026 (so far)

Before Forza Horizon 6 came along, the top spot on Metacritic’s 2026 list belonged to an unlikely duo in Resident Evil Requiem and Pokemon Pokopia. When Forza Horizon 6 released just over a week ago, it claimed that top spot for itself, putting up the year’s first 90+ Metacritic score with a 92. As more reviews have come out for Playground Games’ Japan-set racing masterpiece, it’s since settled at a 91.

Mina the Hollower is the latest title from Yacht Club Games, the acclaimed studio behind the Shovel Knight series. This new game offers an isometric Zelda-like adventure experience and serves as a stylish and nostalgic look back at the Game Boy Color era, whereas Shovel Knight was a love letter to the NES days. Mina was supposed to drop on Halloween last year before being hit with an indefinite seven-month delay. It’s finally dropping on May 29 at $20.

Forza Horizon 6’s number one spot lasted just one week

With just a few days until Mina the Hollower‘s release, reviews have begun trickling out, and they’ve been extremely positive. At the time of writing, the game has 42 reviews on Metacritic and a lofty score of 92, just one point higher than Forza Horizon 6‘s current score. The game originally landed at a 93, but as more reviews have come out, it seems to be settling lower in the 90s.

It’s wildly impressive to see a smaller-scoped retro-style game like Mina the Hollower dethrone the beast that is Forza Horizon 6. The gaming world has been enthralled with Xbox’s latest racer over the past week, and it’s made its case as a strong Game of the Year contender. Mina the Hollower isn’t as well-known, at least not yet, but the fact that it’s just become the best-reviewed game of the year so far makes it seem like everyone will be talking about it when 2026 comes to a close.

Since it’s still so early in Mina the Hollower‘s rollout, there’s the potential for Forza Horizon 6 to reclaim its spot by way of Mina the Hollower dropping to 91 and causing a tie. However, if Mina manages to hold at its current score of 92, it will be very interesting to see how long it can hold the crown. Forza Horizon 6 was in the top spot for just one week, but judging by the fact that the slower summer months are approaching, Mina seems set up to hold on to it for a bit longer, likely until around August, when games like Beast of Reincarnation, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Phantom Blade Zero start posing threats. Not to mention, Insomniac’s Wolverine and especially Grand Theft Auto 6, if it does come out this year, are almost certain to score extremely high.