2025 was a mixed year for video games. The AI bubble increased DDR5 RAM prices by 120-200%, tarnished the reputation of even the most darling of studios, industry mass layoffs continued, and Xbox… well I don’t even know what’s going on with Xbox.
We also saw the launch of a new Nintendo console in the Switch 2, studios debuted games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince to absurd success, and Silksong finally, FINALLY came out. So, at least the games were good!
Here are my Top 10 Games of 2025:
10. Mario Kart World
Nintendo kicked off their new generation with the spectacular Mario Kart World. It is not without its flaws: the activities available in free roam mode are largely uninteresting and more importantly the rewards for completing said activities are just… stamps, lots and lots of stamps. Regardless, jumping in for a quick Grand Prix or Knockout Tour remains a staple activity in our household even 6 months later. The graphics are gorgeous, the soundtrack is out of this world, and unlocking new characters and outfits is surprisingly fun.
I was definitely expecting there to have been at least one big update before the end of the year – Donkey Kong themed additions seem inevitable – but I suppose these things take time.
9. Battlefield 6
Check out this sick clip of me being sick. Battlefield not only returned to form this year with its sixth numbered entry, it has, by all accounts, done the unthinkable and outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 by a significant amount. Taking a back-to-basics approach after the disastrous Battlefield 2042, DICE embraced classic classes and vehicles, and managed to release a game that wasn’t broken at launch.
Whether they can hold everyone’s attention into 2026 remains to be seen, but I got more than my money’s worth of fun out of Battlefield 6 in 2025. Crunchy hit feedback, best in the biz sound and well-designed maps makes this an easy game to recommend. Knocking COD off of its sales pedestal is no small feat, and neither is getting me to consistently play an online game.
8. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Originally released on the PlayStation Portable way back in 2004, this ground-up remake is an absolute treat for fans of the series. The story may be a slow burn, but the way the world is introduced to you is extremely engaging and unique. The free demo offers a huge chunk of the start of the game, so that’s worth checking out if you’re even slightly interested.
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter features great characters and writing, and avoids a lot of the usual anime bullshit tropes that plague so many JRPGs. I can highly recommend this to people who never played the original too, because at the end of the day, a cosy RPG is a cosy RPG. Just make sure to swap over to Japanese voices…
7. The Seance of Blake Manor
This one came out of nowhere. A gothic horror detective game set in 1897 Ireland, you are investigating the disappearance of one Evelyn Deane from the titular manor. What follows is an absolutely incredible story full of ghosts, demons, curses, folklore and much more.
Part point-and-click adventure, part 3D puzzle game, with a smattering of Return of the Obra Dinn or Case of the Golden Idol, The Seance of Blake Manor is a must-play for anyone who likes finding secrets, solving mysteries and, of course, exploring haunted houses. Strong voice acting and a striking art style rounds out what is easily the dark horse release of 2025.
6. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Warhorse Studios have successfully created one of the most detailed, beautiful and deep medieval RPGs ever. It builds upon the foundation of the first game, adding more stuff to do, more wide open fields to traverse, and a whole second life to invest in. Blacksmithing, alchemy, horse races, archery competitions, dice games are just some of the activities to engage in.
The many complex mechanics can be a double-edged sword – one person’s immersive is another’s tedious – and the main story drags and meanders in equal measure. That said, this is a game that isn’t interested in smoothing things out for the player, and if you’re willing to meet it halfway it offers an endlessly rewarding experience.
5. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a wonderful sequel that improves on everything that made the first game so compelling, while levelling out some of creator Hideo Kojima’s more egregious indulgences. The protagonist Sam’s crew remain weird as hell, but also succeed in being likeable this time around. The antagonist Higgs is as hammy as he ever was, but in a way that feels pertinent to the story being told.
Some of the new mechanics leave a little to be desired (bushfires, landslides and flashfloods specifically) and the boss fights are similarly underwhelming. Thankfully, the loop of taming the landscape, completing deliveries and unlocking improved weapons, gear and tools is just sublime. It took almost six years, but Kojima I’m happy to officially announce that you’re no longer my personal nemesis.
4. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
A wizened woman standing alone in her cockpit, staring out at the stars as you drift away from her in your spaceship. A black cat floating around in zero-g, trying to slurp up undulating bubbles of liquid. You and your crew gliding across the inside of a cavernous, dark sphere of empty space, red lights blinking in the distance, motes of dust floating in the torchlight.
Your role in the world of Citizen Sleeper 2 is a small one. There is mention of a fallen corporate empire and a devastating war going on in the distant inner systems, but as a Sleeper, you only skim the surface of these deep, conceptual lakes. There’s something so tantalising about this. The story of Starward Vector isn’t about these interstellar dilemmas, it’s about the everyday people struggling to survive in their shadow.
In this way, despite the constant struggle to maintain resources and combat stress, Citizen Sleeper 2 is ultimately a game about hope. About community, and how together we have the power to bring about change, even while the wider world screams and rages in the distance. In these turbulent times we live in, a game like this becomes more than entertainment, it’s a salve, and a blueprint.
3. Blue Prince
I lost count of the sheer number of times this game had my jaw on the floor. Whether it was when a wildcard hunch I had turned out to be correct, or when I managed to draft the required rooms with the required items just before running out of steps, the euphoria of making permanent progress in Blue Prince is second to none. It’s been some time since a game has consumed my every waking moment so comprehensively, and I’m not quite sure what to do with myself now that it’s over.
Rest assured that if you like games like The Outer Wilds, Chants of Sennaar, Tunic and Animal Well, then believe me when I tell you that you have found your next obsession and then some. Blue Prince defies genre, sure, but it also repeatedly defies any attempt to understand its scope and complexity. This is an interactive, labyrinthine puzzle box to end all puzzle boxes and undoubtedly a masterpiece, by every definition of the word.
2. Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza well and truly heralds the triumphant return of Nintendo’s goofy gorilla mascot. The visuals are gorgeous and colourful, the environments are a joy to explore, and smashing, crashing and bashing everything in sight as DK never gets old. By punching walls, ceilings or slamming the ground beneath him, DK can create a path through, around, or under nearly any obstacle in his path. The degree of freedom and fun this provides is a hard thing to convey with words alone.
The titular bananzas may not reach their full potential in the main story, but this is nowhere near enough of a problem to tarnish what has immediately become one of the best 3D platformers ever made. Donkey Kong’s time has finally come (again).
1. Hollow Knight: Silksong
A DLC turned fully-fledged sequel so legendary it became a meme in its own right. Eight years after the release of the original Hollow Knight, the long wait for Silksong finally came to an end in 2025. There are so many interesting things about this release: the fact it was made by a handful of people from South Australia, that they announced the release date out of nowhere less than a month out, and that it can be picked up for the ludicrously low price of $29.50 AUD. And that’s all without discussing the game itself.
Joining Hornet on her ascent to the Citadel of Song and through the kingdom of Pharloom, was an unforgettable experience. A world overflowing with fascinating characters, terrifying environments and intimidating bosses. Every screen oozes atmosphere, every song hints at a deep history, and every time you think you’ve seen everything you’re most likely wrong. Like DOOM Eternal, Silksong is a game designed for those who have mastered the predecessor. Much was said about the difficulty of Silksong in the months after release, but for me, it was pitch perfect. As someone who had played Hollow Knight through multiple times, Silksong felt like the next logical step in every possible way.
The world is richer, the combat more nuanced, the quests and secrets abundant, and Hornet is far more of an actual character than the Vessel. We now live in a world where Silksong has released and so it perhaps feels inevitable that it turned out to be a masterpiece, but as someone who felt every year of the eight-year-long wait, I’m not going to take it for granted.
Honourable Mentions
These are the games that came out this year that are well worth checking out, despite not quite cracking my Top 10. Click the images to go to the relevant Steam page!
Promise Mascot Agency
Öoo
Look Outside
Expelled!
Strange Jigsaws
And that’s me for another year! Thanks for reading and here’s to another year of wonderful games in 2026.