A new Steam game has beaten Resident Evil Requiem as the best horror game of 2026, per Metacritic. In other words, the new PC horror game has a higher rating on Metacritic. They both have the same score of 89, but the PC horror game in question is closer to 90 compared to the Capcom game, so it ranks exactly one spot higher. To this end, where Resident Evil Requiem is the 8th highest-rated 2026 game, this newer horror game ranks 7th.
The horror game actually came out back on July 17, but has flown under the radar of many since then. More specifically, last month, developer Recurring Dream debuted with the help of publishers Outersloth and Indienova with the release of Desktop Explorer. Where Resident Evil Requeim is a traditional survival-horror game with some classic jump scares, Desktop Explorer is more of an eerie and creepy mystery game. However you would technically classify it, it is very good. This is not only evidenced by its 89 on Metacritic, but also by its 96% approval rating across 1,669 user reviews on Steam. This gives the PC game an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, the highest possible rating a PC game can earn on the Valve platform. For the sake of comparison, this is the exact same rating Resident Evil Requiem has on Steam, though across far more user reviews.
Horror Game With a Great Story
It’s rare for a horror game to have a great story, but that is part of what makes it special. In it, you have been gifted your uncle’s old PC as living inheritance. And it still works, despite being ancient. What you find when you turn it on is a letter that tasks you with investigating the case of a missing person, as well as a mysterious puzzle game called ‘Desktop Explorer.’ What quickly becomes clear is your uncle wasn’t the first owner of this strange computer.
“I wish I could wipe my memory to experience this absolute masterpiece again,” reads one of the top user reviews for the game on Steam. Another user review adds: “A phenomenally well-crafted story. Absolutely heartbreaking, but brilliant.”
A third user review adds: “Legendary Steam Discovery Queue pull. Extremely well done puzzle game. I’d say I casually enjoy puzzle games, and the difficulty felt just right. I fell in love with the world building and charm. Well worth the buy.”
Some of the user reviews do note that the puzzle solving in the game can be quite difficult. Those who struggle with puzzle games are likely to struggle with the puzzles here. Those who can endure the challenge are going to get to experience one of the best games this year, and only pay $17.99 to do so. Meanwhile, not only is the game available on PC, but listed as “Playable” on Steam Deck.