We’ve made it halfway through 2023, and it feels like we’re in the eye of the storm for new game releases. We’ve just been served a four course meal of Game of the Year contenders with Street Fighter 6, Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4, and Final Fantasy 16, and now we’ve got a few weeks of downtime before we’re an even bigger deluge of massive triple-A games, including Starfield, Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Alan Wake 2, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. July may seem relatively sparse compared to the rest of the year, but there’s still a few games you’ll want to keep an eye on throughout the month.

It’s true that triple-A offerings are light this month. The only big first party game coming out is Pikmin 4, which launches July 21. Early previews for the fourquel have been positive, including our own from features lead Jade King, who praised new mechanics like Oatchi the dog and the recommended loadout options. This is the last big Nintendo game until Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches in October, so it’s a good candidate if you’re still holding onto your two-for-one voucher.

Pikmin 4 might be the only major release, but there’s a lot of double-A and indie games worth checking out in July. At the top of my list is Remnant 2, a third-person co-op shooter with Dark Souls elements and a clever use of procedural generation. The original Remnant is one of the most unique and challenging boss-focused shooters around, and my brief time with the sequel proved that Gunfire Games is stepping up the quality in a myriad of ways. Remnant 2 launches on July 25.

For horror fans, the highly-anticipated My Friendly Neighbor is a Sesame Street-inspired first person shooter that’s as shockingly disturbing as it is hilarious. The studio behind My Friendly Neighbor, DreadXP, has quickly made a name for itself in the horror genre with games like Sucker for Love, The Mortuary Assistant, and the Dread X Collection series, and My Friendly Neighbor looks like it could be its first breakout hit. If Five Nights at Freddy’s meets Resident Evil 4 sounds like your jam, check this one out on July 18.

The Expanse is a story-driven adventure game based on the popular TV series from the recently resurrected Telltale Games. It’s launching July 27, and you can check out our preview for it here. Capcom’s next big game, Exoprimal, is a multiplayer shooter that looks like an Earth Defense Force clone with dinosaurs, which sounds pretty good to me. Check out our preview ahead of its July 14 release. iPhone users can look forward to Hello Kitty Island Adventure on July 28, which could be the next big life-sim if it ever makes its way to the Switch. Speaking of the Switch, Disney Illusion Island also launches on July 28, which looks like a great way to introduce young players to the beauty of Metroidvanias.

There’s also a few notable updates to older games coming this month. Sea of Thieves is getting its Monkey Island DLC on July 20. Nicholas Cage is joining Dead by Daylight as a survivor July 25. There’s a new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe booster course pack on July 12, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is coming to PC on July 26. The wait for Starfield may seem long, but there’s plenty of great games throughout July to hold us over.