Another holiday season is here, which means two things: terrible gift wrapping and the yearly, impossible task of ranking the games that truly defined our lives for the past 12 months. This year, 2025, felt different. It was a year that saw industry giants finally deliver on years of hype while, at the same time, tiny, unknown studios shocked us with deeply personal masterpieces. Honestly, picking just nine felt like trying to choose a favorite child. We argued. We definitely sulked. But after many sessions, the vGamerz editorial team has locked in our definitive list.
The Defining Moments of a Wild Ride
Can you believe everything that happened? We saw that long-awaited shift in what ‘next-gen’ really means, didn’t we? It wasn’t just about graphics anymore; it was about depth, emergent gameplay, and worlds that actually felt lived-in. I personally wasn’t sure anything could truly grab my attention after the massive Q1 releases, but then September and October rolled around and just blew the doors off the whole argument. I still remember the first time I loaded up Hollow Knight: Silksong. It’s a sequel that doesn’t just meet the bar set by its predecessor; it absolutely soars above it. The movement, the combat, the sheer elegance of the level design—it truly rattled me, and I wasn’t the only editor saying, “Wait, is this one of the best games we’ve played in a decade?” Maybe that’s a stretch, but it certainly felt like it at the time.
Our Top Picks: The Unforgettable Few
The list is always a mix of blockbusters and passion projects, and 2025 was no exception. We saw massive sequels live up to the impossible expectations they faced. Take, for example, the sheer scale of the new fantasy RPG.
#1: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This game. Just, wow. It wasn’t just another turn-based RPG; it was a sprawling, emotional epic that managed to deliver a narrative hook thirty minutes in that made me set the controller down just to process the sheer audacity of it. The premise—a group of explorers racing against a god-like entity that’s erasing people based on their age—is incredibly compelling. The world, inspired by Belle Époque France, is visually stunning and unique. My personal playthrough clocked in at well over 100 hours, and honestly, I probably should’ve been working instead. But you know how it is when a world just swallows you whole. Expedition 33 is that world. It has to be our number one.
#2: Hades II
If Clair Obscur was the emotional journey, Hades II was pure adrenaline. We needed a shot of pure, unadulterated roguelite fun, and Melinoë’s descent into the Underworld delivered with an almost arrogant swagger. The Supergiant signature is all there—the art, the music, the snappy dialogue—but the new systems and the sheer variety of builds make every run a fresh, exciting challenge. It’s a game that respects your time but also makes you want to immediately jump back in after a failure. It probably isn’t the most complex game on the list, but sometimes, you just want to feel the satisfying thunk of a perfectly executed combo. It certainly makes a statement about mechanical perfection.
#3: Hollow Knight: Silksong
As mentioned, this indie platformer absolutely deserves its spot. It’s a cruel, elegant evolution of the Metroidvania genre. The acrobatics of Hornet make the previous hero, the Knight, feel almost stiff by comparison.
#4: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
The historical RPG fans among us, myself included, couldn’t put this down. It took a deeply complex premise—15th-century Bohemia—and somehow made it even more immersive without sacrificing any of the grit. It’s a marvelous exercise in open-world realism and planning.
#5: Split Fiction
Split Fiction redefined co-op play. This dual-reality shooter layers two different worlds onto the same map, forcing Player 1 and Player 2 to communicate perfectly. A puzzle solved in one reality instantly changes the environment in the other. If you weren’t constantly yelling clues to your partner, you were dead. This mechanical innovation turned a standard shooter into a chaotic, head-spinning, must-play mind-bender that demanded true co-dependency.
#6: Blue Prince
The architectural horror of Blue Prince is captivating. You inherit a bizarre mansion that adds a new, procedurally generated room every night. You only choose one room to add per day, and that choice permanently alters the structure and the cryptic narrative. It’s a mystery game about decision-making under pressure and learning to live in an ever-expanding space you can never fully map or master. Smart, creepy, and unforgettable.
#7: Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds is the massive, dynamic leap the franchise needed. Taking the core loop of tracking and crafting into a truly open, living world was a masterstroke. The sense of scale is staggering, with hunts taking place amidst shifting desert storms and volatile ecosystems. The world actively reacts to your presence, making hunts feel more tactical and alive than ever. It’s a pure, glorious spectacle of dynamic action.
#8: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Kojima did it again. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a radical reinvention of the “strand game,” blending bizarre new threats with profound, quiet storytelling. The gameplay elevates delivery into a desperate mission across a broken, melancholic landscape. It’s an interactive movie, a physics simulator, and a meditation on connection and loss, delivered with the utterly gorgeous visual style only Hideo Kojima can master.
#9: Doom: The Dark Ages
Forget the future, we’re going medieval! Doom: The Dark Ages proves the Doomslayer’s aggression is timeless. This prequel ditches the BFG for a shield that doubles as a buzzsaw and a heavy flail. The combat is just as fast, brutal, and visceral, maintaining the speed of the modern series while giving us satisfying new siege mechanics and heavy melee weapons. It’s a blood-soaked power fantasy, pure and simple.
What a year. Seriously. 2025 set a high bar, and honestly, I’m not sure 2026 can top it, but hey, we’re always ready to be surprised. Now that you’ve seen what kept us glued to our screens, we want to hear from you. What did we get wrong? Which game absolutely should have made the list? Jump into the comments below and let us know your personal Game of the Year. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more of our (highly subjective) opinions!
Before you go, check the best snow levels to play this season. Also, our guide about the gaming’s holiday haters is a must read.
Sources
- www.metacritic.com/browse/game/all/all/current-year/
- www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-reviewed-games-2025/2900-6127/
- www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/video-games/2025/12/07/best-video-games-2025/
- www.time.com/7333802/best-video-games-2025/
- www.gamesradar.com/games/gamesradar-goty-the-25-best-games-of-2025/
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