With 2025 now complete, it’s time for me to reflect on the year and highlight a few key moments. For these year-end blogs, I have never had any consistency with the format. Last year, I decided to break up games into two Top 5 lists. One of the games I finished, and the other featured the favorites I didn’t. This year, I went with one Top 10 list, regardless of whether I finished the game or not.
If you want to skip my personal review and are curious about my Top 10, click here.
Let’s review the year a bit
Since I didn’t spend 2025 playing a different new game every day, I had more time to focus. I didn’t track the games I played this year, but this was the fewest that I played in the last four. Based on my blogs and what else I can remember, I played around 80 games.
One of the reasons for fewer games, I didn’t play that much on mobile. But on the flip side, I got into Trading Card Games. It started with the Final Fantasy set for Magic: The Gathering. I chronicled my thoughts in a blog post. Since then, I’ve played a few others. I am playing and collecting Grant Archive, Gundam Card Game, and Riftbound – League of Legends. I even started a YouTube channel where I’ve been opening up booster boxes and other TCG stuff. So, on top of posting here once a week, I am aiming to upload a video every week.
In general, this was a great year for games. Even with fewer games, I got to play a lot of the games I wanted to. But I also missed out on a few. I wanted to play Monster Hunter Wilds. It was a game I bought at launch, but I bought the PC version. The poor reception of that version soured me. It’s possible that they’ve improved the game, but got tired of waiting. In the future, I’ll buy the PS5 and give it a second chance there.
There are still too many games
Outside of Monster Hunter Wilds, there were a few others I missed out on. I wish I had played Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. It was a Game of the Year nominee. I thought I needed to play the first, but it sounds like that’s not necessary. From what I read, it’s something you can skip, as there is a decent synopsis that starts in the second.
Other games include Ghost of Yotei, The Outer Worlds 2, and Ninja Gaiden 4. There were also games that I was waiting for sales. For some reason, Level 5 never bothered to discount Fantasy Life I until Christmas. It was an RPG I was curious about, but wasn’t sure I wanted to drop $80 without a demo.
Also, I didn’t get a chance to play too many retro games. To the best of my ability, I didn’t cover any older games after I wrote about WarioWare Twisted in March. That’s not to say that I didn’t play any; I didn’t get around to writing anything about them here. I’d like to change that in the future, but it depends on the time I have.
So, let’s discuss my favorite games of 2025
For the last two years, I’ve kept a running tally of the games I would consider my favorites for the year. Generally, if I like a game, it gets added to the list.
My list has been changing on an almost week-to-week basis. As you’ll soon see, my Top 2 games have been there for a while – one more so than the other. My list covers the entire year. Also, of the 10 games, I only didn’t write about one of them. I did plan to cover it, but other games got in the way. It’s #10 on my list, so I’ll use that opportunity to talk more about it here.
For this year, I am going to start the list with an honorable mention section. Five games were vying for that #10 spot. I want to give credit to those four first before I highlight my 10 favorite games of 2025!
Honorable Mentions
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Yes, you read that right. The game I wrote about not liking was a game I thought about putting at #10. For all the frustration I had with the game, I still can’t deny the impact it left on me. I spent so much more time playing it than almost any other game this year. It’s also the reason why my #3 game is on the list.
One thing to note, I ended up jumping back and restarting the first Hollow Knight, and was having a lot more fun. The first game helps the second. At the same time, my frustration with the second is making the first game feel a lot easier.
Blue Prince
I liked Blue Prince a lot. It was such a creative experience that I can’t think of any other game like it. But once I finished the game, I didn’t have the motivation to go back and continue exploring. It’s one of those games that has so much more after the credits, but you have to want to explore what else it has to offer. Had I had that drive to keep exploring, it would be on my list. For now, I have to accept that I won’t get to explore more of the manor.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
To be clear, this is one of the better Pokémon games in a long time. There are aspects of this game that are clever and make sense. I like that battles are now in real-time. It takes away the passive play nature of past games and makes you have to pay attention. It also forces you to use moves you might not have in the past. I was using boost moves more because I could see the benefits they provide.
The game needs voice work or to create a fake language for the characters to voice. The dialog sections here are devoid of sound. It’s strange for a franchise that has fully-voiced anime to not have games that include it. Whatever mainline game comes out, we need it to feature voice acting of some sort. If they can offer voices in side-games, there are no more excuses.
SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance
Before Art of Vengeance, I had never played a Shinobi game of any kind. I don’t think I ever tried an arcade version and didn’t own a Sega console outside of a Dreamcast. So, for my first experience, this was wild. My only gripe is that this does have a learning curve, so I died a lot. I’m about two-thirds through the story, so I could see the credits if I dedicate the time. I also need to go back and find things I missed out earlier in the game, which might make the later parts a bit easier.
Alright, with the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s get into my 10 Favorite Games of 2025
10. Hades II
I didn’t finish Hades II, but I progressed enough that I could consider it for this list. At the moment, I’m still struggling against Chronos, the ‘final boss’. I also only recently got access to the Upper World. Even when you do gain access to the upper parts of Hades, you can’t explore them right away. There is a specific concoction necessary, and I haven’t collected the items for it yet.
I didn’t get a chance to write about the game, but it’s one that I thought about a lot throughout the latter part of the year. I love the exploration. Every run is different, and the game encourages mixing and matching things. I am also switching up my weapons and trying different boons. It’s fun to see how far I can go.
But I am dying a lot. I can’t get past the second phase of the Chrono’s fight. Even after learning how to evade his insta-kill move, I don’t have enough health to finish the fight. Yes, I know there is more to the game after beating that boss. For now, I only want to get by him once.
9. StarVaders
This is a late inclusion because of how much fun I’ve had with the game since I wrote about StarVaders a few weeks ago. I’ve been playing this almost every night. Again, I like these types of games because of how the experience changes with each run. After finishing the starting/default difficulty, I almost finished a run on the next one. I was unable to defeat the final boss, but my skills are there that I can do it if I play smart.
I wish I hadn’t waited to play this until now. This could have been a perfect travel game. This could consume 4-6 hours on a flight, and I wouldn’t feel bad about it. I still can’t recall how this got my attention, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The developers, Pengonauts, have another game in development, DiceVaders. It’s already on my wishlist, and if that comes out in 2026, I will make sure to write about it here.
8. Sektori
I was lucky to have a copy of Sektori weeks before it launched to the public. Even with that long window, I kept wanting to play more of it. It was that travel game that helped me during a long Pacific flight to Asia.
I already shared my thoughts on the game, but I can’t stress how much fun this is. Even if you can’t finish a run in the game’s main mode, there is a lot more available to play with. Thinking about the game while I’m writing about it makes me want to play more Sektori.
7. Lumines Arise
For Lumines Arise, it’s good that it’s been so many years between games in the series. That rush of nostalgia from 10+ years ago was nice to experience. I loved the series on PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita. Getting to play a new version in 2025 was special.
Sure, this one doesn’t have the memorable soundtrack of the previous games, but that’s easy to look past. The new burst function is a huge game-changer and adds a new element to Lumines matches. There are other features in the game I didn’t go deep into, but I’m eager to go back and give this more time. Also, I need to improve my score on a few of the main mode stages because I know I am better than the “C” rating they gave me.
6. Donkey Kong Bananza
Without question, the best Nintendo Switch 2 game of 2025 is Donkey Kong Bananza. Sure, Nintendo put its money on Mario Kart World to sell systems. But I think DKB will have a significant impact on the future of Nintendo games.
I haven’t reached the end, but I’m getting close. There must be about another 5-10 hours of gameplay. That’s fine since there are so many secrets here that 10 hours could turn into 20. If anyone is planning on buying a Switch 2 in 2026, this should be the game to get first.
5. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage
Sure, this is an updated version of Virtua Fighter 5 from 15 years ago. Even with that, in a weak year for fighters, this was the best one. Part of the reason is that we didn’t have too many new fighters. Outside of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the rest were retro remakes.
But Virtua Fighter 5 is a solid fighter that doesn’t rely on gimmicks. Even without playing against others offline or online, I had a blast improving my skills. For its lower price point, this is an easy recommendation for anyone. Newcomers to fighters will love the game’s approachability. Meanwhile, longtime fighters will appreciate the technical aspects it brings to the genre. This series might not be as popular as Street Fighter, Tekken, or Mortal Kombat, but it should be.
4. Silent Hill f
After my quick write-up on Silent Hill f, I binged my way through to the game’s first ending. My playthrough was around 9.5 hours. Yes, I didn’t see the true ending, but there are enough hints that you can piece together the bigger picture. It’s important to read the journal entries you find. They make a lot more sense once you see the post-credit scene.
I haven’t finished too many horror-themed games, so it’s likely this is at the top of that list. The story had my attention from the beginning. The gruesome scenes here are intense. Plus, the last few fights were challenging and rewarding. If possible, I’d love to go back and play the Silent Hill 2 remake. On top of that, I’d love to see what the developers, NeoBards, produce next. It might not be in this universe, but whatever horror game they come up with, I expect it will be fun to play.
3. Constance
Constance came out a perfect time for me. It was after struggling with Silksong. This was an ‘easier’ platform-adventure game, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. It offered a nice mix of exploration with combat. What I loved the most was that I did feel rewarded for my efforts. I felt like she was getting stronger, and I was getting better at the game, the more time I spent.
I do feel bad that this game came out when it did. It was at the tail end of November, and I guess a lot of people skipped it. Some people who love this genre didn’t mention the game at all. That’s odd considering there was enough hype around the game from the summer. The developers should have waited until 2026 to release this. I hope those who missed it on PC will pick it up once it’s available on PlayStation, Switch, or Xbox Series X|S
2. The Rogue Prince of Persia
Damn you, Ubisoft! I will never understand how you didn’t market The Rogue Prince of Persia better. First, you release it in Early Access only months after the other Prince of Persia game, The Lost Crown. Then, when this came out of Early Access, you put little effort into getting it into the hands of more people. How did outlets like GameSpot and IGN not review this game?
This is such an incredible game. It’s a great Prince of Persia title that feels in line with the mystery and exploration of the early 2000s games. This is another game from 2025 that I was thinking about long after I finished it. Ubisoft should have done a better job getting more people to play this game. This is available on Game Pass. So if you’re still a sub, please play this game.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This hasn’t moved from the top of my list since I got to the plot twist early in the game. Since then, I’ve had a hard time not thinking about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. There hasn’t been a game I’ve played that I didn’t want to start playing all over again. After I finished the game, I still ended up spending a good 10-15 hours doing as many side content quests as I could find. I wanted to explore every knook and cranny this game had to offer.
I love it so much, even though I played it through Game Pass, I still bought it on Steam. I don’t mind that all my progress is on Xbox; I want to go through this world a second time.
In all honesty, I don’t want a direct sequel to Clair Obscur. It doesn’t need one. Sure, you can spin this off into different worlds. There are so many ways you can take this formula and tell new stories. I’d rather this be like Final Fantasy or other RPGs, where each game tells a new story. Call it Clair Obscur, but don’t involve the same characters or have it exist in Lumiere.
On to 2026!
For 2026, the plan is to keep the same format for the site. I’ll keep my weekly Wednesday posting unless something changes. It’s been nice to keep a schedule. I am starting to post more on YouTube, but that is trading card game content. I don’t see myself posting TCG content here. Nor will I post video game content there – but that could change, you never know for sure.
In any case, thank you for reading and checking out the blog. Have yourselves a wonderful 2026!
