2025 was a weird year. It was a pretty terrible year for a huge number of reasons, but it was also the year that I met the love of my life, so it was kinda the best year ever at the same time? It’s a weird feeling. There’s a similar duality to 2025 in terms of video games; various aspects of the gaming industry continue to deteriorate under the suffocating boot of unshackled and emboldened corporations. But despite the chaos, some very creative people still managed to put together some spectacular games. I played a bunch of them, and here are some of my favorites:

Honorable Mention: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4

There have been many times in my life in which I never thought they’d make another Tony Hawk game, but never had I been more sure than when Vicarious Visions was closed after releasing 1+2. Then a miracle happened and Iron Galaxy gave us 3+4, and it felt like a dead friend had been brought back to life. Despite a few less-than-ideal changes, playing Pro Skater 3 again with some flashy new visuals is all I really wanted from it, and I got that and then some.

Honorable Mention: Lies of P: Overture

If I made one of these lists in 2023, Lies of P would have been in close contention for #1, and the Overture expansion launched this year is the best part by far. It has the best locations, the best weapons, and a surprisingly good story that adds a lot more context to the main one. Lies of P is one of my favorite soulslikes altogether, and this expansion makes it truly exceptional.

#10: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

A ninja surfing on a missile mid flight is just cool as fuck. (credit: ShackNews)

How much aura can one man truly have? That is the question Shinobi asks as its incredibly cool protagonist Joe Musashi does endlessly spectacular stuff while never saying a word, save for an affirming grunt. I fell off this game when it came out, then returned to it during my holiday break and found the magic in its action-focused 2D gameplay and truly breathtaking art design. It is simply one of the most visually striking games I have ever played, with a unique combination of classic ninja and cyberpunk aesthetics and high-contrast outlines on every model.

#9: Mafia: The Old Country

Am I biased because I’m Italian? Yes. But mamma mia, look at those visuals! (credit: Steam)

As a sucker for mafia movies since I was a kid, I was sure to be a mark for Mafia The Old Country from its reveal. Its gameplay is extremely basic shooter fare that we’ve seen for well over a decade now, but it is framed in such a stylishly cinematic way that I found myself having a great time either way. I found the story to be thematically strong and very satisfying, with great characters and performances, and some exceptional cutscene cinematography.

8: Donkey Kong: Bonanza

I know some people were attached to the old Rare design, but the new one is so inviting, I just want to give the big guy a hug. (credit: IGN Nordic)

If Nintendo didn’t announce this game I probably would have gotten a Steam Deck instead of a Switch 2. But I wanted to play as the big banana-loving ape so badly that I dropped $500 at 1am and I don’t regret a thing. The terraforming/platforming concept clicked really well for me, and I just found it endlessly fun to punch the crap out of everything with Donkey Kong’s big ol’ fists. Add in some ludicrously catchy music (ZEBRA! ZEBRA! ZEBRA!) and a spectacularly nostalgia-filled ending, and you have a fun, solid game that is also a bold new direction for one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters.

7: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

As a Mass Effect 2 sicko, I love assembling a ragtag spaceship crew. It’s one of my favorite things. I also love good writing. Citizen Sleeper 2 has pages upon pages of exceptional writing, and an assortment of weirdos to recruit for your spaceship. They even have loyalty quests! Citizen Sleeper 2 was a treat. Its dice-roll gameplay is risky but not too stressful, and its vividly written scenarios provoked a wide range of emotions from me. Its powerful themes of chronic illness and its effects were present in every conversation and decision, and it all led to a very poignant conclusion.

You can also befriend a stray cat, which rules. (credit: GamesRadar)

6: Absolum

Initially discouraged by the difficulty, it took a while for the magic of this game to really show itself to me. Once I figured out a few key mechanics to keep myself alive for longer, the gameplay clicked into place, and I realized how deep the combat in Absolum actually is. Top-notch art design, excellent music, and a surprisingly detailed setting set Absolum apart. I went in thinking I’d just be punching things; I eventually found myself learning about a race of dwarves forged from stone and escorting an undead bard back to her home to sing one last song… and punching things.

5: Split Fiction

This was a special experience. This year, my lovely girlfriend and I played several games together including It Takes Two and its followup Split Fiction. And it became obvious to me that Hazelight games is simply on another level when it comes to couch co-op games. Split Fiction has a mind-boggling amount of gameplay variety built on a solid foundation of running and jumping, and it puts its two players into some truly nutty scenarios.

Have you ever wanted to be hotdogs together with your hunny? Now you can! (credit: Game File)

4: Hades 2

Some games are almost like… too good. Hades 2 is so polished, so refined, fashioned into such a fine point, that I almost found myself liking the game less because of it. Almost. Then I played it again and realized that it is simply one of the best action games I’ve ever played. Its systems and mechanics work in harmony in a way that so few other games can match. The character designs are even more detailed, stylish, and horny than they’ve ever been. The bosses are epic, and there are a lot of them, especially compared to the first game. Now that I’ve seen credits, I don’t know how much more I’ll play, but I simply cannot deny that Hades 2 is one of the most finely crafted games I’ve ever played.

3: Dispatch

I’ve been a fan of Telltale-style games since The Walking Dead, and Dispatch to me is the best example of the narrative-focused formula perhaps that I’ve ever played. The story scenes are extremely well-produced, giving each character tons of charm and personality. Chase in particular is one of the best characters introduced in any game this year. And the dispatching gameplay was so compelling, I never stopped wishing there was more of it, and join the legions of fans wanting an “endless dispatch” mode in the future.

2: Expedition 33

Mon Ami, it really is as good as they say! I don’t have much new to say that hasn’t already been said. I’m not usually a huge RPG fan, but I loved the active-yet-turn-based combat style, the continuously escalating battles, and the depth of build variety. It also has some of the most well-realized characters in any game thanks to incredible writing, animation, and performances. And I will simply never stop thinking about the story and the questions it asks.

1: Hollow Knight: Silksong

Remember that thing I said about Hades 2 being almost too refined? The same is not true of Hollow Knight: Silksong. Silksong is a very raw challenge with a lot of friction and a few fairly unrefined gameplay mechanics. But the experience at the core of Silksong is so spectacular, that it has joined the ranks of my favorite games ever made. It is a game about perseverance that requires a ton of perseverance from the player. It has some of the best, most satisfying boss fights I’ve ever overcome in any game. Its cast of bug characters, even though they only mumble, eventually grew on me to such a point where I cared about them as if they were my own community that I wanted to restore and protect. Hornet is one of my favorite protagonists ever, with her quiet confidence and boundless determination. Silksong brought me on an adventure that made me feel like a damn hero, a feeling that is so rare for me to experience in gaming as the wonder of childhood drifts further and further behind me. Silksong reminded me why I love games, and I don’t know a better qualifier for game of the year than that.

Here’s to 2026. It’s already off to a great start for games, let’s hope everything else sucks a little bit less! Take care of yourselves, see you soon!

-Sal

Top 10 Cool Games I Played in 2025

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