The best video games of 2025: Our top 11 picks
From indie brilliance to blockbuster bangers
2025 has been a landmark year for gaming. From sprawling open-world epics and mind-bending narrative adventures to charming indie experiments and chaotic multiplayer hits, there has been something for every type of gamer.
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran hunting for the deepest RPGs, a casual player chasing couch-friendly fun, or just someone who loves discovering the next big thing, the games of 2025 have proven that the medium is thriving. We’ve seen worlds that feel alive, narratives that twist and surprise, and gameplay innovations that make even familiar genres feel brand new.
The list below covers the standout titles that have captivated players, dominated discussions, and more. These aren’t just the games you play; they’re the ones that linger in your mind, challenge your skills, and spark conversations long after the credits roll.
From high-octane thrills to contemplative, artful journeys, our top 11 picks of 2025 showcase the diversity, creativity, and sheer excitement of this year in gaming.
Here’s our countdown of the top 11 games, from hidden gems to genre-defining triumphs, starting at number 11.
11. Elden Ring: Nightreign
Nightreign takes the familiar Elden Ring formula and twists it into something surprisingly social. Designed around multiplayer first, it lets you and up to two friends tackle a constantly shifting landscape full of nightmarish bosses, deadly traps and moments of sheer awe. Teamwork isn’t just a bonus; it’s essential.
The game keeps that classic Souls‑like tension, but now with the added thrill of relying on someone else to survive. Solo play is possible, but it’s the co‑op chaos that makes it sing, giving veteran Elden Ring fans a fresh challenge while keeping the world feeling dangerous, dark, and endlessly alive.
10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Deeply unflashy and unapologetically dense, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II doubles down on what made the original such a cult favourite. This is medieval life rendered with exhausting detail: slow, methodical combat, political intrigue rooted in history, and a world that doesn’t bend to the player’s convenience.
The sequel smooths out some of the rougher edges while retaining its commitment to realism. Conversations matter, preparation is essential, and success often comes from restraint rather than aggression. It’s demanding, occasionally frustrating, but hugely rewarding, a reminder that not every RPG needs dragons to feel epic.
9. And Roger
And Roger is awkward, uncomfortable and deliberately off-kilter, and that’s entirely the point. Built around anti-humour, strange pacing and moments that feel almost confrontational, it’s a game that thrives on player discomfort rather than gratification. Mechanically simple but tonally unsettling, it constantly undermines expectations of what progress or success should look like.
It won’t appeal to everyone, and it doesn’t try to. But for players drawn to experimental indie games that blur the line between joke, critique and experience, And Roger becomes oddly unforgettable, a reminder that games don’t always need to be “fun” to be effective.
8. Mario Kart World
There’s nothing revolutionary about Mario Kart World, and that’s precisely the point. Nintendo’s flagship racer remains peerless when it comes to accessibility, polish and pure multiplayer joy. New tracks twist vertically, environments shift mid-race, and online play is smoother than ever.
While it doesn’t push boundaries in the way some hoped, Mario Kart World perfects an already brilliant formula. It’s the kind of game that quietly dominates households, parties and group chats without needing critical validation, dependable, endlessly replayable, and still unmatched in its lane.
7. Baby Steps
At first glance, Baby Steps looks like a joke, a deliberately awkward walking simulator built around clumsy movement and physical comedy. Stick with it, though, and it reveals itself as a thoughtful meditation on control, frustration and persistence.
Every step feels earned, every stumble slightly humiliating, but progress is always tangible. It’s funny, yes, but also strangely tender, using its intentionally limited mechanics to explore vulnerability and effort. Few games this year have captured the act of trying quite so effectively.
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong
The long-awaited follow-up to the indie sensation delivers a world that is even larger, more intricate, and beautifully haunting. You play as Hornet, exploring a sprawling kingdom filled with perilous enemies and hidden secrets. The platforming is tight, the combat challenging yet fair, and the soundtrack, as ever, is a masterpiece of atmospheric composition.
Exploration rewards patience, with secret paths, lore-rich environments, and abilities that continually expand what you can do in the world. Silksong is a testament to meticulous design and artistry, offering a sublime combination of challenge, beauty, and satisfaction.
5. Despelote
Despelote is less about football than it is about memory, place and movement. Set in Ecuador and built around moments of childhood play, it captures the feeling of kicking a ball through streets, parks and conversations rather than chasing scores or victories.
The game drifts between interaction and observation, letting moments breathe rather than forcing structure. It’s short, intimate and deeply personal, using football as a shared cultural language rather than a mechanic to master. Quietly affecting and refreshingly human, Despelote is one of 2025’s most distinctive releases.
4. Split Fiction
Split Fiction is a strictly two-player co-op adventure from the studio behind It Takes Two, and like its predecessor, it thrives on variety and cooperation. Two writers find themselves trapped inside worlds born from their own stories, jumping between genres, mechanics and tones at a relentless pace.
Platforming, puzzles, combat and set-piece moments constantly evolve, demanding communication and coordination. Ideas arrive and leave before they can wear out their welcome, keeping the experience playful and surprising. It’s inventive, generous and sharply designed, a reminder that co-op games can still feel handcrafted and joyful.
3. Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders succeeds by knowing exactly what it wants to be. A cooperative PvE shooter with light extraction elements, it prioritises teamwork, positioning and planning over endless progression systems. Encounters feel tense without being overwhelming, and success comes from coordination rather than brute force.
Its world design encourages exploration and improvisation, while progression remains meaningful without turning into a grind. Focused, restrained and highly replayable, Arc Raiders stands out in a crowded genre by resisting excess. Most importantly, the best thing about this game is it's a laugh, and sometimes that's all you need.
2. Clair Obscure: Expedition 33
Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 is one of the boldest RPG debuts in years, blending turn-based combat with real-time mechanics and an arresting, painterly art style inspired by Belle Époque France. Set in a world where a godlike figure known as the Paintress erases a generation of people every year by painting a new number, the game follows an expedition determined to break the cycle before their time runs out.
What sets Expedition 33 apart is how effortlessly it merges style and substance. Combat demands timing, precision and strategy, while the story leans heavily into themes of mortality, legacy and resistance.
Every character feels defined by the countdown hanging over them, lending emotional weight to even quiet moments. Beautiful, melancholic and mechanically inventive, Clair Obscure feels like a modern classic in the making, ambitious, heartfelt and impossible to ignore.
1. Blue Prince
Blue Prince is 2025’s smartest game. A first-person puzzle experience set inside a shifting mansion, it asks players to choose which room appears next, turning exploration into strategy and every decision into consequence.
There’s no combat and almost no exposition, just systems that slowly reveal themselves to curious players. Understanding the house becomes the reward. Elegant, unsettling and endlessly replayable, Blue Prince trusts its audience completely, and that trust pays off. It’s a game that lingers, challenges and rewards in equal measure, and the clear standout of the year.
Even with a ranking this packed, 2025 has delivered plenty of other standout experiences that deserve your attention. Obsidian’s Avowed kicked off the year with a rich first‑person RPG rooted in deep lore and player choice, while The Outer Worlds 2 brought back compelling sci‑fi storytelling with expanded systems and sharper pacing.
Donkey Kong Bananza proved to be one of the Switch 2’s most delightful platformers, blending classic DK charm with destructible environments and lively level design. And Ghost of Yōtei carried forward the cinematic samurai tradition with sweeping open‑world combat and a poignant revenge story that didn't always resonate but was fun to experience.
If this list represents the cream of 2025, these titles show just how broad and exciting this year in gaming has been, from narrative RPGs and action adventures to clever platformers and heartfelt indie experiments. There’s no shortage of brilliant games to pick up if you’re looking to keep the momentum going.
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