Wrapping up 2025: The best games of the year!
Indie games ruled 2025, delivering unforgettable experiences across genres. From Hades II’s refined combat to Expedition 33’s emotional storytelling, this year proved that innovation and creativity mattered more than blockbuster budgets.
In year 2025, when games from indie studios like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, Arc Raiders, and Expedition 33 were among the most played and celebrated worldwide, notable flagship (AAA) titles were far and few. In fact, the quality of the indie games this year was so high that, barring AC Shadows, Battlefield 6, The Outer Worlds 2, and Ghost of Yotei, you would be hard-pressed to find a memorable flagship release.
Thus, without much ado, let’s get on with the list of best games of 2025:
*The one with the best overall experience: Hades II.
With its wonderful refinements on the original Hades, Supergiant’s Hades II is the perfect rogue-like game you can get your hands on. Play it for the combat, the wonderful narrative, its endless replayability, and for one of the greatest protagonists of all time—Melinoë, Hades’ daughter.
Everything here is more detailed and expansive when compared to the first game. The combat and grind have far more nuance for players, and even if you choose to play purely for the story and the lore of squabbling Greek gods and celestials, the dialogue is simply top-notch.
* The one with the best RPG elements: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Expedition 33 is one of the finest turn-based RPGs to date. It combines breathtaking music, a powerful tale, wonderful voice acting, and strong gameplay mechanics to deliver an emotional rollercoaster. Your journey here is a heady mix of wonder, joy, and dread, and as you come close to completing the game, you are bound to cry a few times at least. An emotional journey of loss, despair, and eventual success, this is a game you should play for its wonderful music and its exceptional reimagining of turn-based combat mechanics.
* The one with the best gunplay: Arc Raiders.
This choice is an extremely difficult one to make, considering how amazing, consistent, and cheater-free EA’s Battlefield 6 has been this year. To beat a game that sparked life into a decrepit franchise needs extraordinary effort and third-person extractor-shooter Arc Raiders is that game.
A great blend of PvE and PvP action, combined with consistent combat and uniform degrees of fun and progression, best describes the Arc Raiders experience. It challenges you in ways that make you sink hours into it without realising.
*The one with all the chaos and destruction: Donkey Kong Bananza.
The launch exclusive for the Switch 2, Bananza, is pure mayhem and destruction. A game that echoes Zelda and Mario through its many 3D platforms, boss fights, and the option to play co-op with Pauline, this one is all about action and chaos. My mantra with the game has always been, “when in doubt—punch,” a formula that has served me well as I found both joy in the stunning visuals and cathartic pleasure in channeling my rage into the destruction delivered by Donkey’s fists.
* The one to build cities and worlds: Anno 117 Pax Romana.
The last game on this list is a city builder, and Ubisoft has delivered one of the best strategy experiences in recent memory. With impressive optimisation that makes an RTS playable on consoles, and detailed social and city-building systems that ensure there’s more here than just placing structures, there is a lot to like for the avid world-builder.
Play this game for its wonderful recreation of Roman civilization, a compelling narrative in the main campaign, and some intricate strategy and planning.
With the five games that make this list, there is something here for fans of most gaming genres. However, as always, there are a few honorable mentions you might want to consider: Ghost of Yotei for its amazing swordplay, AC: Shadows for brilliant stealth, Pokémon Legends: Z-A for a fresh take on the classic formula, and Battlefield 6 for all things shooting.
As we look ahead to what 2026 has to offer gamers, I believe we already have more than enough great games from 2025 to keep us busy. See you in 2026!
