{"id":96754,"date":"2026-10-31T19:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T11:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96754"},"modified":"2026-10-31T19:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T11:14:00","slug":"the-games-we-couldnt-stop-playing-in-october-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96754","title":{"rendered":"The Games We Couldn\u2019t Stop Playing In October 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"


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All eyes may be on Grand Theft Auto 6’s release in November, but this fall has kicked off with plenty else to play. Be it a new friendslop horror game, a relaxing driving experience, or a Mission: Impossible-style deception simulator, we’ve been enjoying a wide range of games in October.<\/p>\n

As usual, you can check out our staff picks for October below. We’re primarily focused on recent releases that we loved and you might not be familiar with, though we’ve had some better-known games dominating our free time, too. <\/p>\n

Escape from Playtime<\/h2>\n
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The “friendslop” genre is dominated by horror games, and the latest of them is a new favorite for me and my daughter. Escape from Playtime is an eight-player co-op game set in the Poppy Playtime universe, combining the climbing mechanics of Peak with the quota-chasing loop of REPO, all set in a liminal world inspired by the Playrooms. The Poppy Playtime story is strangely complex, but you don’t need to understand any of it to enjoy this offshoot.<\/p>\n

My little girl loves horror, so creepy mascot vibes like those in Escape from Playtime are right up our alley–for now, at least. After we played it for a bit, she saw in the trailer that we may eventually run into Miss Delight (pictured above) and is now having second thoughts. We’ll see how much deeper into the weird world of Poppy we can get before she 180s for the exit. — Mark Delaney<\/em><\/p>\n

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See at Steam<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Lego Batman’s Mayhem Mode<\/h2>\n
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Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was one of my favorites earlier this year, a fun mash-up romp through various Batman continuity with combat inspired by the Arkham series. The new Mayhem Mode is a treat–a quick retelling of Joker and Harley’s toxic romance followed by a new roguelike mode which has the clown couple wreak havoc across Gotham on a strict time limit. <\/p>\n

You only have three minutes to complete objectives like setting up Joker’s iconic balloons from the 1989 film, all while extending your timer by collecting studs and completing optional objectives. After the three minutes are up, you either escape with all the loot or get captured by the Bat and give up a huge chunk of it. Task Force X is also on your tail, which means you’ll sometimes get random encounters against antiheroes like Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang. <\/p>\n

With your ill-gotten gains, you can collect a wide variety of Joker and Harley outfits from across their many incarnations, scratching that same collector nostalgia itch as the main game. It’s a bit slight, but it’s fun to have a reason to revisit Lego Gotham City. — Steve Watts<\/em><\/p>\n

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See at Fanatical<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Gears of War: E-Day<\/h2>\n
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It saddens me that a game from a series this huge would be under the radar for anyone, but early player figures for Gears of War: E-Day have not been particularly impressive. That’s a real shame, because it’s up there with my favorite games of the year. The prequel chronicles the opening days of the Locust invasion, with Marcus and Dom’s ragtag squad forced to improvise as the homicidal creatures begin decimating Sera.<\/p>\n

Alongside all the classic third-person shooting and giant bosses you’d expect from a Gears game, there are also plenty of quiet world-building moments that ended up being some of my favorite parts. I’m curious to see where The Coalition will take the story next, because we were left on a major cliffhanger at the end of Gears 5, but I also really want to know what happened to the (still-alive) characters introduced in E-Day. For that to happen, however, people need to play this game, so go do that. — Gabe Gurwin<\/em><\/p>\n

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See at Steam<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Also playing: <\/strong><\/p>\n