Our Top 10 – A Banner Year for Gaming
Man, what a year. 2025 felt like gaming hitting its stride after the chaos of layoffs and delays that plagued the industry. We got the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, a slew of long-awaited sequels, and some absolute indie darlings that punched way above their weight. From sweeping RPG epics to co-op masterpieces and roguelike perfection, this year’s slate was stacked. Compiling this list meant tough cuts – honorable mentions go to ARC Raiders for its killer multiplayer chaos, Dispatch for that gut-punch narrative, and Blue Prince for being the puzzle game that haunted my dreams (in the best way). But here’s our definitive top 10, ranked by what stuck with us longest after the credits rolled.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Metacritic: 93
This French indie debut from Sandfall Interactive swept The Game Awards with a record nine wins, including GOTY. It’s a turn-based RPG with real-time twists – parries, dodges, and combo timing that make battles feel alive and brutal. The Belle Époque-inspired world is breathtaking, voice acting is top-tier (shoutout Jennifer English as Maelle), and the story about breaking a deadly cycle hits like a freight train. I spent 80 hours chasing every side quest, and I’d do it again tomorrow.
Hades II
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Metacritic: 95
Supergiant refined their roguelite formula to near-perfection. Playing as Melinoë, Zagreus’s witchy sister, felt bigger and more perilous than the original. The occult Greek mythos dives deeper, boons are more inventive, and that soundtrack? Chills every run. It edged out the pack for best action game vibes, and no wonder – it’s the roguelike that got me hooked for “just one more” 100 times.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Metacritic: 91
Nintendo’s ape comeback was pure joy. Destructible environments, banana-fueled chaos, and levels that ooze whimsy – this is 3D platforming at its peak. Launching with the Switch 2, it showed off the hardware’s power while feeling like a love letter to Banjo-Kazooie fans. My kid and I demolished it co-op style; family gaming doesn’t get better.
Split Fiction
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Metacritic: 91
Hazelight did it again post-It Takes Two. Two writers trapped in their own sci-fi/fantasy stories, swapping realities mid-level. The co-op puzzles are mind-bending, levels shift genres on a dime, and the buddy dynamic is hilarious. Grab a friend – solo mode’s fine, but local co-op is where the magic (and frustration) happens. 10/10 from GameSpot.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Platforms: PS5
Metacritic: 92
Kojima’s weirdness leveled up. Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) on a beachy apocalypse trek with mind-bending twists bridging supernatural and science. New traversal toys, emotional gut-punches, and that celebrity cast – it’s patient cinema in game form. Not for everyone, but if you vibe with it, it’s transcendent.
Ghost of Yōtei
Platforms: PS5
Metacritic: 90
Sucker Punch’s Ghost sequel swaps feudal Japan for snowy 1603 Hokkaido. Atsu, a new samurai assassin, dual-wields stealth and blade fury. The open world feels alive, DualSense haptics shine, and the story’s brutal poetry lingers. Peak Sony cinematic action.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch
Metacritic: 92
After years of hype, Team Cherry delivered. Hornet’s pilgrimage in a silk-and-song kingdom is metroidvania mastery – tight combat, secrets galore, haunting vibes. It disrupted release schedules on drop; that’s how you know it’s elite.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Metacritic: 89
Warhorse’s medieval sim got bigger, bloodier, and more immersive. Realistic combat, deep RPG choices, no fantasy crutches – just gritty Bohemia life. PC Gamer’s GOTY contender; I role-played a blacksmith-turned-knight for weeks.
Blue Prince
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Metacritic: 92
Roguelike puzzles in a shapeshifting manor? Genius. Approachable yet brain-melting, with architectural mysteries that unravel beautifully. GameSpot called it one of 2025’s most memorable; I agree – my coffee breaks became puzzle marathons.
Battlefield 6
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Metacritic: 88
DICE revived the series with massive maps, no-ranked chaos, and destruction physics that level cities. Best multiplayer comeback – casual fun over esports sweat. Top-seller too; friends lists exploded on launch night.
DC Fanboy! Superman is the greatest comic book character of all time. Favorite movies are Man of Steel, Goonies, Back To the Future