Coming up with my top 10 games in 2025 was difficult. It’s never been so difficult. There were so many games released that were exceptional that there were bound to be snubs on every list. That’s true of my list I’m sure, but here are the games that did make it and why I chose them.
10: Skate Story
I’m not a big fan of skateboarding, but I had fun with Skate Story. Aside from the best soundtrack I listened to in 2025, I found the controls were intuitive and doing tricks satisfying. All this becomes more impressive when you factor in that Skate Story was made by a single developer. Oh, and you can eat moons. That’s key.
9: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
There is a term at Shacknews coined by Donovan Erskine. During the reveal of Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, Donovan stated, “That’s a Bill Lavoy game if I’ve ever seen one.” Well, Death Stranding 2 is also a Bill Lavoy game, mostly due to minutiae in the gameplay. Precisely arranging your cargo for balance? Walking down treacherous mountains trying not to fall? Carefully planning your route for maximum efficiency? That’s all right in my wheelhouse, which is why DS2 landed at on my top 10.
8: Donkey Kong Bananza
To explain why I love Donkey Kong Bananza I’m going to talk about Fallout 4. In Fallout 4, you can clean up settlements of all the garbage and debris and build something clean. You can crank this up to 11 if you use mods, which I do. One of my favorite things to do in Fallout 4 is completely clean up Sanctuary. Removing every pile of leaves, every board, and every bit of rubble. That’s basically Donkey Kong Bananza for me. I get to smash every last bit of rock? I’m sold.
7: Metroid Prime 4
At first I wasn’t feeling Metroid Prime 4, but that was when I was treating like a shooter. It is a shooter, but it’s a game that is more about discovery and exploration. It rewards the curious, and that’s the type of game that resonates with me. The more I played Metroid Prime 4, the more I realized that it’s exactly what I go for. And it’s a pretty good shooter too. That’s just not what hooked me.
6: Doom: The Dark Ages
My gaming DNA is filled with first person shooters, and Doom: The Dark Ages is an exceptional first-person shooter. The gameplay is frantic and set to an amazing soundtrack. The weapons are unique and rad. There’s no other word for it other than rad. And the maps are full of secrets that give you reasons to come back and play it over and over again. It’s especially good if you’re craving a shooter but you don’t want to fuss with the multiplayer.
5: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
Civilization 7 was there for me this year when I had shoulder surgery and couldn’t use my left arm whatsoever. I was able to play with a mouse only, but that’s not why it made my list. Civ 7 is the pinnacle of strategy games in 2025, building on the foundation of the series in ways that respect the past but present something fresh. No matter how things went I couldn’t wait to dive back in for more, and many hours of sleep were lost to get in just one more turn.
4: Dispatch
Dispatch is the game that I didn’t see coming. Before I played, when everyone was talking about it, I was sure that it wasn’t for me. I’m not into the superhero stuff at all, and games that are heavy on narrative and light on gameplay don’t normally resonate with me. Dispatch is the exception. I couldn’t stop playing, and even after I finished I hopped right back in to start again and see how things could play out differently. It’s one of the best games of the year and you should play it.
3: Ghost of Yotei
Open worlds are my thing, and Ghost of Yotei has one of the best open worlds of 2025. I’m good with the story and love the gameplay, but the real hook for me is exploration. Knowing that no matter where I go or what I find it’ll be both beautiful and useful. It will give me a moment to take it all in, but it will also help make Atsu stronger to take on the increasingly more difficult challenges. If you’re looking for a solid action-adventure game to sink 70 hours into, this is a good starting point.
2: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Bill Lavoy game alert. In the first few hours of KCD2 I was burying dead bodies, taking baths, enjoying the most detailed alchemy system I’ve ever seen, and exploring a gorgeous world. Everything in KCD2 is intentional and detailed, and that’s how I like my open worlds. I want to slow things down and methodically work my way through things, and that’s not only encouraged here but required. It’s a game that I will enjoy mastering for years to come, and it’s one of the best to release in 2025.
1: Battlefield 6
It’s weird for me to put a first-person shooter as my top game of 2025, but BF6 can’t be denied. Not only did I break into games journalism by covering Battlefield 4, BF6 is just an exceptional game from top to bottom. There’s a single player campaign for those who want one, but the true value is in the multiplayer modes and the REDSEC battle royale. I play almost every night, and I’m always finding new ways to have fun even if my age is intent on keeping me from dominating the way I used to. The game I had the most fun playing in 2025 was Battlefield 6.
