Honestly, one of the hardest tasks of the year is narrowing down my top 10 games. That’s mainly because there are only so many games that I can play throughout the year. Outside of Greg, I’m probably the staffer who’s racked up the most traveling miles, and that time away from home cuts into what I can play. Plus, with the reviews piling up and the time I take to catch up on daily quests in other games, it’s tough to keep up with 2025’s load.
Still, there are quite a few games that left an impression on me this year. So let’s chat about them for a minute.
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### 10. Mario Kart World
Mario Kart has been such a big part of my life. Even when I wasn’t gaming much during my college days, Mario Kart found its way into some of my most fun evenings. After decades, I couldn’t fathom what more this series could do, especially following a decade with Mario Kart 8.
Then came *Mario Kart World* with the Knockout Tour, which provided top-notch entertainment for me throughout the year. And yeah, I have a feeling I’m going to be playing it a lot in the coming years.
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### 9. Skate Story
I was raised on the mean streets of *Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater*, so the idea of a THPS-style game with an actual story intrigued me greatly. Man, was it good to see Sam Eng and Devolver Digital nail the execution on this one.
The visuals alone are hypnotic, but the idea of busting out sick combos to survive in the underworld is just too cool. The wait was definitely worth it for this one.
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### 8. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Speaking of waits, I wasn’t waiting on the edge of my seat for *Hollow Knight: Silksong* the way some people were. That said, I’m always down for a challenging platformer.
Silksong’s challenges could get aggravating—mainly the challenge of finding my way around and keeping track of where I was. That aside, these boss fights scratched a primitive itch for me—the kind that tested my reflexes and patience, and left me feeling proud when I came out on top.
Silksong’s story is memorable, but I was mostly here for the almost NES-like difficulty of these fights.
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### 7. Dispatch
I have missed these types of games immensely. Peak Telltale was a vibe. I loved *The Walking Dead*. *The Wolf Among Us* was everything I wanted from a game based on *Fables*. *Tales From the Borderlands* still stands out to me as the developer’s best work.
For some of those old faces to come back with a vengeance under a new banner, alongside a gripping, emotional, and funny superhero story—I was all about that.
*Dispatch* brought back that old feeling of finishing an episode and chatting with friends about the choices we made. Part of what made this game feel magical were the choices wrapped around a critical love triangle and the many ways it could have gone.
I love these characters and hope it’s not the last time we see them.
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### 6. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Speaking of amazing characters, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* gave me an attachment to its cast in a different way—a bond forged through trauma, caused by an almost existential sense of pending, unavoidable doom.
A big part of what made me want to take this ride with these characters was the excellent turn-based combat. People seem to like parries in RPGs. As an old-school *Super Mario RPG* player, I could speak this language—it’s basically the old Timed Hits system evolved.
I relished the time spent playing around with the combat system, making this one of the better RPG experiences I had this year.
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### 5. DOOM: The Dark Ages
Not every great game needs an incredible narrative. In fact, *DOOM: The Dark Ages*’ story actively worked against it. Stop that, id. You stop that right now. I don’t need pathos with my Doom Slayer—I just want to rip and tear.
Fortunately, ripping and tearing is where the third entry in this modern trilogy excels. I’ve really enjoyed how the latest three DOOM games let players rip and tear in different ways.
In this case, it was largely about bashing skulls with a new shield that brought out my inner Captain America. Plus, the bombastic visuals of flying around on a dragon and entering arenas within arenas never left me bored. I was actually surprised when the ride ended.
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### 4. Lumines Arise
Enhance is so good at taking simple puzzle games and turning them into feasts for the senses. *Lumines Arise*’s visuals are so striking they actively work as a distraction.
I had to turn down the intensity at points whenever I just wanted to focus on the gameplay. That said, this is such a fun puzzle game—one that flourishes with imagination.
The gameplay, visuals, and music all come together for an unforgettable puzzle experience. I’m a Tetris guy through and through, but by the time I rolled credits on *Arise*, I had a great appreciation for *Lumines*.
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### 3. Donkey Kong Bananza
It’s well over 25 years since Donkey Kong’s last true foray into 3D platforming—and honestly, it was rough. That’s why I thought it was bold for Nintendo’s first major 3D platformer on the Switch 2 to star the big ape himself.
This felt like a new beginning in so many ways—the whole new visual style for DK, the de-aging of Pauline, and the vast worlds to explore beyond DK Island.
The primitive destruction feels so satisfying, almost like a different side of the *DOOM: The Dark Ages* coin. It’s executed brilliantly, and while the idea of DK turning into other animals is a little weird, the Bananzas ended up being one of the game’s biggest highlights.
And that’s before getting to the big twist finale, which I absolutely devoured.
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### 2. Blue Prince
I was one of the first members of the press to check out an early build of *Blue Prince* back in 2024. The concept hooked me immediately—a roguelite puzzle game about 3D exploration in a mansion that changes its layout every day.
When the final version released, it lived up to every expectation I had. My mind was blown for weeks as I stumbled onto new puzzles—and puzzles within puzzles.
There’s a consistent sense of mystery in *Blue Prince* that tests every escape room instinct you might have.
I can think of few gaming discussions I enjoyed more than those about *Blue Prince*—sharing theories on puzzle solutions, weird things players found, and everything else that came up in the weeks after release.
This was at the top of my list throughout 2025. Then…
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### 1. Hades 2
I was so tempted to pick up *Hades 2* on Steam Early Access for a long time. I wanted to take that gradual journey across the underworld but knew there would be satisfaction in waiting.
I discovered the magic of the original *Hades* on Nintendo Switch, so the sequel demanded to be played on Switch 2 after it reached version 1.0.
I’m so glad I waited.
Melinoe’s journey delivers the same level of satisfaction I got from Zagreus back in 2020. But Supergiant managed to build on that foundation beautifully, delivering a full-blown hub world, deeper combat system, and so much more to explore.
Failure almost feels like its own reward—because you get to see the story move incrementally forward in such an engaging manner.
If this had been “*Hades*, but with a few more things,” that’d be an incredible effort anyway. But once Melinoe was called upon by the Olympian gods to aid them on the surface—opening up an entirely different route with an even greater challenge—I was ecstatic.
It was the kind of difficulty spike I used to get from something like the original *Legend of Zelda’s* second quest. It fed me more challenge, more story, and more characters to love.
*Hades 2*’s cast is magnificent, and yeah, Melinoe doesn’t have the natural magnetism of her brother, but she plays off everybody else so well that it doesn’t matter.
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That’s my list! These games made 2025 a fantastic year for gaming in my book, and I’m excited to see what 2026 brings.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/147263/ozzies-top-10-games-of-2025
