Schrödinger's Call Ranked #1 in Metacritic's Best Games of First Half of 2026
A Japanese indie visual novel topping Metacritic's cross-platform first-half ranking signals that narrative-driven, non-AAA games from Japan are achieving critical parity with major international releases.
Key Facts
- Schrödinger's Call was released on May 28, 2026 for PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch at a price of 2,480 yen.
- The game achieved a Metascore of 90 on Metacritic, ranking #1 in the Best Games of First Half of 2026 list as of July 1, 2026.
- It received a Metacritic Must-Play badge and an OpenCritic score of 92.
- The story follows a girl named Mary who becomes the last conversation partner 21 nanoseconds before the end of the world.
- The game was developed by Acrobatic Chirimenjako and published by Shueisha Games.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, GameBusiness.jp, Game Spark.
Shueisha Games announced that the novel adventure Schrödinger's Call has been ranked first in Metacritic's Best Games of First Half of 2026 list, with a Metascore of 90. The ranking, based on scores as of July 1, 2026, required at least seven professional critic reviews. Schrödinger's Call also received Metacritic's Must-Play badge and an OpenCritic score of 92. Developed by Acrobatic Chirimenjako and published by Shueisha Games, the game was released on May 28, 2026 for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch at a price of 2,480 yen. The story centers on a girl named Mary, who becomes the last conversation partner 21 nanoseconds before the world ends, using phone calls to address people's lingering regrets. The game was also a finalist at The Indie Premier Showcase 2026 and had been nominated for Best Art and Best Narrative at the BIG Festival Awards 2026. Its music was longlisted for the World Soundtrack Awards' Game Music Awards 2026. In the Metacritic ranking, Schrödinger's Call tied with Forza Horizon 6 and Mina the Hollower, both also at 90, while Darekare holds a 91 but was excluded as a Switch 2 port.
Schrödinger's Call was also a finalist at The Indie Premier Showcase 2026, an event held alongside Anthrocon 2026 in Pittsburgh, though it did not win any of the four main awards. Earlier this year, the game was nominated for Best Art and Best Narrative at the BIG Festival Awards 2026 within gamescom latam, and its soundtrack made the longlist for the World Soundtrack Awards' Game Music Awards 2026. The game's premise-a phone call 21 nanoseconds before the end of the world-has drawn comparisons to interactive fiction and picture books. Developer Acrobatic Chirimenjako spent nearly five years on the project, which was born from the experience of being saved by a phone call during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to prior interviews. On Metacritic, Schrödinger's Call tied with Forza Horizon 6 and Mina the Hollower at a 90 Metascore, while Darekare holds a 91 but was excluded from the first-half ranking because the reviewed version was a Switch 2 port. The game is available on PC and Switch for 2,480 yen.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.