The PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium lineup for January 2026 has a smattering of games. It has three horror and horror-adjacent titles, but ones in different subgenres. The three vehicle-based titles could hardly be more different. And there’s even a chill puzzle game, sprawling RPG in a huge franchise, and, of course, punishing roguelike. So even if there is some overlap, they all touch on different parts of the genre and still can service a variety of players.
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Here’s how the nine of these PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games for January 2026 stack up against one another. They are also all coming to the service on January 20th.
9) A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
A Quiet Place seems like it would be a natural fit for a horror game, but A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead shows how this concept isn’t as golden as it might initially sound. It takes inspiration from Alien: Isolation, Amnesia: The Bunker, and other similar games, as players have to sneak around the vigilant aliens seen throughout the series. It can be exhilarating to duck and weave past these sensitive beasts while paying close attention to the environment — almost every action has to be done very slowly — but this constant tiptoeing loses its edge and grows repetitive, something that can also be attributed to its lower overall level of polish when compared to the aforementioned classics. It may not be awful and the microphone support that alerts the in-game monsters of real-life noises is novel, but those comparison points aren’t helpful and only better highlight The Road Ahead’s weak points.
8) Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer played an invaluable part of PlayStation’s history since it was an impressive launch title that helped sell the power of the system. The visuals still somewhat hold up, but this debut title is more of a look into history over some deep racing experience. There are only a few cars and tracks and no multiplayer, so it can lose its luster pretty quickly.
7) Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
Expeditions: A MudRunner Game puts players in a car but isn’t a racing game. Instead, it’s about getting cargo from one location to another or exploring a natural environment, and, in a strange way, it’s a little like a vehicle-based version of Death Stranding. There are no babies that can see ghosts or characters named Car Driveman, but the two are a little similar because they both emphasize how important it is to think over every bit of terrain. Bodies of water, ridges, patches of mud, and more all need to be assessed since incorrectly reading an obstacle can lead to failure, and deciding how much tire pressure to use or when to turn on all-wheel drive yield even more room for strategy.
6) A Little to the Left
Organizing objects can be its own thrill, and A Little to the Left understands this quite well. It’s a puzzle game where players have to move objects around in the most aesthetically pleasing way, be it by height or in a way that leaves no dead space. Players can also get gradual tips through its clever hint system, which is helpful for those who want some help but don’t want the full answer. It’s a meditative game that is satisfying to play and even has a little rascal of a cat that can sometimes adorably cause a bit of chaos.
5) The Exit 8
The Exit 8 is a short game that is somewhat hard to describe. It’s not quite a horror game, but it isn’t not one, either. Players have to navigate a hallway in a train station terminal that loops. However, each loop in this liminal space contains a randomized anomaly, meaning players have to stay on their toes. It’s eerie to go through the same space and have to carefully look out for even the slightest difference, some of which are rather freaky. It’s a small concept that, like P.T., preys on the safety of an unassuming and otherwise friendly location and subverts the predictability that makes those places feel safe.
4) Darkest Dungeon 2
Darkest Dungeon 2 can be absolutely brutal. Some of this can stem from the uneven pacing of its introductory hours where death seems to come as an inevitability and through bad luck. This can lead to frustrating runs, but persistence can illuminate the path and demonstrate how strong Darkest Dungeon 2 is at its core. Picking attacks and meshing with all the various effects gives combat plenty of tactical depth. Having many skills and characters to choose between makes the game’s penchant for randomness even more annoying, even if death, as plainly stated by the game’s intro text, is part of the experience. This prickly attitude is reflected in the game’s boldly lined art and haggard character designs, which give the experience an enticing wrapper. It may not always be fair, but it is at least almost always engaging and is there for those who want to be pushed back on.
3) Art of Rally
Art of Rally is a racing game that is as relaxing as its smooth color palette and catchy electronic tunes imply. Players have to snake around tracks in this rally racer alone and beat times, which makes for a less competitive experience when compared to its peers. Of course, there is still some pressure to do well, but the lack of other cars gives it a different feel and one all its own.
2) Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio keeps cranking out Like a Dragon games, but they’re still somehow, for the most part, pretty great. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth follows the loveable optimist Ichiban Kasuga, and this change in setting makes for a decent shift of pace when compared to the Japanese setting in the prior entries.
Infinite Wealth follows in Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s footsteps by having RPG combat, but it has been given some more real-time elements to help infuse the game with some brawler elements seen in the pre-Yakuza: Like a Dragon games. It’s a wonderful blend and gives this installment a fresh core gameplay loop and meshes well with the collection of mini-games that are, in series tradition, more engaging than they appear to be at first blush (and they lovingly copy more than a few Nintendo franchises). Thankfully, it also retains the franchise’s signature goofy humor and compelling drama, so while some of the broader threads don’t always pay off, it still has enough narrative hooks to be a worthy installment.
1) Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is a collage of the franchise’s greatest hits that are all broken up across different levels. With a semi-persistent stalker, it evokes parts of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7. With a horror-focused mansion, it evokes the very first entry in the franchise. And with an action-heavy stage, it calls back to Resident Evil 4 and 6 but without the baggage of the latter. This allows the whole game to have such excellent pacing because it constantly changes how players interact with it, which is in and of itself reminiscent of Resident Evil 4. The story also bests many of the series’ other entries, making it one complete package that is among the strongest in its genre.
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