2025 has been one of the most stacked years in video game history. From indie gems to AAA heavy hitters, it’s fair to say there’s been something for everyone. There are so many games that deserve a mention this year, that we gathered together Screen Rant’s gaming editorial team to pick out the 10 best. The five of us have highlighted two games each that really stood out to us this year, and let me tell you: it was not easy to narrow it down.
Regardless, I feel the games outlined in this article serve as a real testament to the breadth and depth of games released in 2025. Whether you love multiplayer action with friends, deep single-player RPGs, punishingly hard boss battles, or even just a nice cozy life sim, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in.
Ben Brosofsky’s Favorite Games Of 2025
Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena)
The beauty of soccer lies in its fundamental simplicity. 22 world-class athletes can duke it out on 100-yard fields, but two kids can also play soccer with an empty can. Despelote explores both ends of the spectrum, telling the story of Ecuador’s World Cup journey through the eyes of a child kicking balls around in parks and streets.
Despelote weaves together a patchwork narrative of youth, place, and national identity.
In roughly 90 minutes, Despelote weaves together a patchwork narrative of youth, place, and national identity. It does so with a surprisingly assured command of the medium, culminating in a genuinely moving leap from fiction to reality. I played a lot of great games in 2025, but Despelote is the one that reminded me of gaming’s full potential.
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
The original Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games of all time. Hollow Knight: Silksong, on the other hand, is one of my favorite humiliation rituals of all time. While the first game offered a moderate challenge, Silksong is deliberately antagonistic, pulling the rug from underneath the player every chance it gets. If you’re unlucky, you can spend hours discovering challenges that seem insurmountable before you finally find a useful upgrade.
Persevere, though, and the grand beauty of its hostile world pushes through the cracks. Hornet’s ascent is a dance with a deadly partner, with every new step revealing another layer of underlying elegance. Was I always having fun? Absolutely not. Was I once again in awe of Team Cherry’s vision? Absolutely.
Bruno Yonezawa’s Favorite Games Of 2025
R.E.P.O. (Semiwork)
As someone who is genuinely scared of horror-based games, I was initially reluctant to buy and play R.E.P.O., the hit survival horror extraction title. After a bit of motivation provided by friends, I gave in and was delighted to see that the horror aspect of this game truly had a comedic lining that made the scary not too scary.
Instead of the usual feeling of dread, I got to live great moments with moments of bonding with my friends, and countless fits of laughter when seeing them break valuable items or get eliminated by one of the monsters. Sure, R.E.P.O. made me scream for my life as I fled from monsters we all named based on their appearances, like the Babadook (who is actually called the Robe), but I was always having fun.
PEAK (Team PEAK)
The mountain-climbing survival game, Peak, is one of the biggest multiplayer hits of the year, and one in which I found solace by enjoying the company of my friends while trying to survive the onslaught of the elements. The game’s premise is quite simple, but it’s within that simplicity that you can connect with friends and spend some quality time with them, even if virtually.
Seeing someone fall to their doom never made me laugh so hard.
The physics-based gameplay mechanics can be as hilarious as they are challenging, and seeing someone fall to their doom never made me laugh so hard. I don’t often like management in games, but managing resources with friends in Peak, strategically, made it a superb experience. 2025 was a year about reconnecting with friends, so it’s no surprise that R.E.P.O. and Peak were some of my favorite games.
Chris Carter’s Favorite Games Of 2025
Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)
It’s hard to talk about Hades 2 without mentioning the original Hades; I can’t sing the former’s praises enough. It expands on everything the original did, but with more flair and depth. I found myself getting sucked into this universe more than ever before, in part due to a stronger selection of arenas and some late-game curveballs.
I didn’t think lighting could strike twice for Supergiant Games, but it did. I’ll be playing Hades 2 well into the New Year and beyond, trying to uncover its deepest secrets. It’s so deep, in fact, that I’ll likely be playing it until Supergiant releases their next game.
Elden Ring: Nightreign (From Software)
At first, I lowered my expectations for Elden Ring: Nightreign. The idea of a FromSoftware multiplayer-centric roguelite was puzzling, but once that first boss battle hit, all of the positive FromSoftware memories in my life hit me at once. Since then, I’ve played through countless runs with strangers and friends. Jolly cooperation sings in Nightreign more than any other game like it, as you’re constantly learning nuances about the game’s world and how everything works.
If you’re a fan of From Software, don’t miss Nightreign. It has a ton of personality that shines through in the least likely of places, even down to the Easter egg costume unlocks. If The Duskbloods is even close to as fun as Nightreign, FromSoftware has another hit on their hands.
Austin King’s Favorite Games Of 2025
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (LEVEL5 Inc.)
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time took what made the first game so enjoyable and then somehow made aspects like gameplay, design, and combat even better. The original remains my favorite 3DS game of all time, and Fantasy Life i didn’t disappoint. This was a huge year for RPGs, but while most people will (deservedly) think of Clair Obscur, I’ll always think of 2025 as my “Fantasy Life Summer.”
Six months later, I’m not quite up to the hours I sank into the original, but I’m sure I’ll get there. It’s still a great game to chip away at and just chill with. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time deserves more love than it got, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, I really encourage you to. Level-5’s comeback is off to a promising start, and I can’t wait to see what the studio (and Fantasy Life) has in store for us in the future.
Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios)
Split Fiction is hands-down my family’s GOTY. We played it at launch, and nearly 10 months later, my kids are still playing it almost every day. Sometimes, they just goof around in the dragon levels without even actually trying to advance the story. We’ve replayed the game numerous times. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve fought, we’ve run through a sugary wonderland as teeth.
Somewhere between the pig farts and pulling a train heist we became closer as a family.
Somewhere between the pig farts and pulling a train heist we became closer as a family. From solving puzzles as a giant tree and gorilla to arguing over how to take down Dark Mio, we experienced a lot. I can’t remember a game we’ve played this much together, and our love for Split Fiction shows no signs of wearing down in 2026.
Ewan Moore’s Favorite Games Of 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
I confess, I was late to the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 party. The praise for Sandfall’s RPG was so genuinely relentless that it got to the point where I figured it could only ever let me down. Surely it wasn’t that good?
I ultimately caved, and played through the entire game in November. It is that good.
It’s not just that Clair Obscur tells a fantastic, heartbreaking story, with stars like Jennifer English and Ben Starr at the absolute height of their powers bringing unforgettable characters to life. And it’s not just that Sandfall managed to create a tremendously engaging battle system that draws on everything from Paper Mario to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It’s that everything in Clair Obscur comes together in a symphony of color and heartbreak and invention. From the music, to the battles, to the exploration, and everything else in between — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a triumph.
Blue Prince (Dogubomb)
If there’s one game that hasn’t been talked about enough this year, it’s Blue Prince. Dogubomb’s esoteric puzzle game is not only one of the very best titles I’ve played this year, it’s one of the greatest of all-time. For well over a month, Blue Prince was my life. I had stacks of scribbled notes scattered around my desk, filled with codes and phrases that make absolutely no sense to me now, but undoubtedly helped me slowly peel back the layers of the game’s many, many secrets.
I’ve truly never played anything quite like Blue Prince.
Even now, I still haven’t actually completely finished Blue Prince. There are still a few locked doors and secret passageways just out of reach, whispering to me to crack their codes. If I think about it for too long, I’ll end up obsessed again. I’ve truly never played anything quite like Blue Prince, and that’s why it deserves to be here.
- Released
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April 10, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Alcohol Reference, Simulated Gambling
- Developer(s)
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Dogubomb
- Publisher(s)
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Raw Fury
- Engine
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Unity