My 10 Favorite Video Games of 2025—and Why You May Love Them, Too

With 2026 almost here, it’s a good time to look back on the year that was in gaming, and today I’ll be listing my 10 favorite games of 2025. To be clear, this is not a “best of” list, these are the games I personally enjoyed the most, so you won’t see some highly reviewed games I didn’t get a chance to play (like Donkey Kong Bananza or Silent Hill f) or ones that I started but have yet to invest sufficient time into (Blue Prince and Hades II).

10) Battlefield 6

I’ve long been a Call of Duty fan, and those annual releases were typically where I’d spend my late-night multiplayer hours when I needed to unwind. Not this year. Battlefield 6 is a return to form for the franchise, and its deliberately paced gunplay has sunk its hooks into me. Sure, I wish the campaign was better, but it’s still in my heavy rotation.

9) Cronos: The New Dawn

Survival horror is one of my favorite genres, but early on I was unconvinced of Cronos’ combat. It grew on me, however, and by the time I finished the story I was ready to jump right back in to chase the “true” ending on NG+. If you have any affection for Dead Space or the early Resident Evil titles, Cronos is worth your time.

8) Avowed

This was the game I played immediately after finishing Expedition 33 as I was seeking more RPG goodness. It wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it’s more of a first-person, action-adventure game masquerading as an RPG. Despite that, I enjoyed its world and old-school feel, and at around 40 hours it didn’t overstay its welcome.

7) Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

It was a strong year for ninjas, but of all the games I played that featured them, Shinobi was my favorite. The level design is excellent, the challenge is fair, and it does a great job of making you feel like a badass with the number of slick moves at your disposal.

6) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

If you read my article about the year’s best graphics, you know I hold Death Stranding 2 in high regard on that front. Well, it’s also a really good game. As someone who was not a big fan of the original Death Stranding, my anticipation level for the sequel was nominal, but Hideo Kojima tapped into his Metal Gear roots and added a ton of improved gameplay to make this a much more enjoyable experience...even if it’s still weird.

5) Dispatch

Dispatch was the toughest title to rank on this list. The visuals and interactive storytelling are excellent, and it’s absolutely on par with anything Telltale Games ever did. I found that the dispatching and hacking elements were often frustrating, however, and I wound up viewing them as something I had to endure to get back to the story.

4) Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

The best version of one of my all-time favorite games--what’s not to love?

3) Hollow Knight: Silksong

When it became clear Silksong was actually going to be released, I tried yet again to get into the original Hollow Knight, a game I’d bought on sale for multiple platforms. This time, it clicked, and I sunk dozens of hours into getting 100% completion (and beyond). That was a bridge to Silksong, which builds on the original in so many interesting ways. It’s highly challenging, but it’s so well designed and gorgeous to behold I always had reason to persevere.

2) DOOM: The Dark Ages

I loved DOOM (2016) but felt DOOM Eternal fell a bit short, most notably the implementation of platforming elements. DOOM: The Dark Ages slowed things down, grounding the game in weightier combat that fit my tastes. It looks great, and it plays even better.

1) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Expedition 33 had my curiosity piqued in the lead-up to launch, and what I got exceeded my hopes for what it could be. The world-building, characters, enemy design, and combat were all first-rate. I’m already on record as not loving the twist at the end of Act 2, but it’s still a well-told story that kept me invested as I leveled every party member to 99, learned all of Monoco’s abilities, defeated Clea, toppled Simon, and went about trying to squeeze every ounce of content out of this game. It’s excellent, and it’s my favorite game of 2025.