{"rewrite":{"id":"r_fd435cbb7da0270cd647c751","clusterId":"c_92c4f58fe6cab48b6f4f7705","slug":"schrodinger-s-call-tops-metacritic-s-best-games-of-first-half-of-2026","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Schrödinger's Call Ranked #1 in Metacritic's Best Games of First Half of 2026","summary":"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.","whyItMatters":"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.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eSchrödinger\u0026#39;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\u0026#39; Game Music Awards 2026. The game\u0026#39;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\u0026#39;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.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"A phone call 21 nanoseconds before the end of the world. Schrödinger's Call, a Japanese indie visual novel, just topped Metacritic's first-half 2026 rankings with a 90 Metascore, tying Forza Horizon 6.","twitterPost":"Schrödinger's Call, a novel adventure from Shueisha Games, scored 90 on Metacritic and is #1 for first half of 2026. Also a finalist at The Indie Premier Showcase. Available on Steam and Switch for 2,480 yen.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Schrödinger's Call, a Japanese indie visual novel about a phone call 21 nanoseconds before the end of the world, has been ranked #1 in Metacritic's Best Games of First Half of 2026 with a 90 Metascore. The game also earned a Must-Play badge and an OpenCritic score of 92.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999110/20260709049/\",\"title\":\"\\\"The Indie Premier Showcase 2026\\\" Announces First Award Winners; Japan's \\\"Schrödinger's Call\\\" Also Nominated\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/08/168987.html\",\"title\":\"Highly Acclaimed Novel Adventure 'Schrödinger's Call' Ranked #1 in 'Best Games of First Half of 2026' with Metascore of 90. A Phone Call 21 Nanoseconds Before the End of the World\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/09/27413.html\",\"title\":\"Highly Rated Novel ADV 'Schrödinger's Call' Selected as No.1 in 'Best Games of First Half of 2026' with Metascore of 90. A Phone Call 21 Nanoseconds Before the World Ends.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":7618,"outputTokens":2561,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783494272,"createdAt":"2026-07-08T06:55:50.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-08T06:58:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-09T15:04:30.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_92c4f58fe6cab48b6f4f7705","canonicalTitle":"高評価ノベルADV『シュレディンガーズ・コール』メタスコア90点で「2026上半期ベストゲーム」にて1位に選出。世界が終わる21ナノ秒前の電話","representativeArticleId":"a_ee21c1c8b04188632713cb94","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"シュレディンガーズ・コール\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-08T06:15:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-09T12:13:15.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-09T15:04:30.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999110/20260709049/","title":"「The Indie Premier Showcase 2026」，第1回のアワード受賞作品を発表。日本の「シュレディンガーズ・コール」もノミネート"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/09/27413.html","title":"高評価ノベルADV『シュレディンガーズ・コール』メタスコア90点で「2026上半期ベストゲーム」にて1位に選出。世界が終わる21ナノ秒前の電話"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/08/168987.html","title":"高評価ノベルADV『シュレディンガーズ・コール』メタスコア90点で「2026上半期ベストゲーム」にて1位に選出。世界が終わる21ナノ秒前の電話"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["シュレディンガーズ・コール"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["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."]}