Games of the Year (and one month) 2025
I played quite a few games in 2025, and some of them even came out then! Following up from my Games of the Year post for 2024, here's my reflection on the last year:
The Hardware
Before I jump into the games themselves, I want to highlight the devices I played them on since that changed this year.
Gaming on Linux
I built my Linux system early in the year and have been incredibly pleased with it, to the point that my partner made the switch as well. I'm still using Pop OS 22.04, but I'm looking forward to trying out the new version with Cosmic soon. I've had only a handful of issues stemming from Linux this year, and the vast majority were resolvable. As long as the bulk of your gaming isn't competitive multipayer games that lock out Linux machines, I highly recommend giving it a go. I can't see myself willingly going back to Windows, especially with the way Windows 11 is going.
Switch 2
I did end up getting the Switch 2 (despite what I said in last year's post)! I can't honestly say that it has justified its asking price so far, but if it lasts me another 8 years like the original did I'm sure it will. I've really enjoyed the updated Pro Controller (especially the grip buttons) and the improved graphics on supported games has been a nice plus. The HDR takes some dialing in, but it is really quite nice once it's set up even on my entry level TV.
The pricing of the console and games really is a sore spot. I'm fine with games exceeding $60 especially if they are sold as complete packages without asking more from the player in DLC and micro-transactions, but $70 being the new default price for every first party release (except for Drag x Drive it seems) is hard to swallow, especially since Donkey Kong Banaza and Pokemon Legends ZA were followed up by DLC costing $20 and $30 respectively.
And no mention of Nintendo is complete without addressing their various anti-consumer practices. The abysmal repairability of the console and accessories, locking things like cloud saves behind a paid subscription (if they're available at all), and Nintendo's affinity for lawsuits all make it hard to feel great about the console despite how much I have genuinely enjoyed it. I do think some of the hate Nintendo gets is overblown since it is far from alone in many of its practices, but I nonetheless hope that they hear it and improve.
All that said...
2025 Releases
Mario Kart World
Probably the least surprising thing on this list given that I bought the Switch 2. It's a fun game and a great new Mario Kart, but overall it hasn't grabbed me too much, even as a party game. The new modes are fun, but much like battle mode they don't bring enough to the table to stand alongside VS mode as anything but short lived novelties. The open world format of the game also feels like Nintendo have backed themselves into a corner, making it harder to expand the track roster. New tracks probably need to come as an entire package with a whole new island, and the "intermission" races still aren't very compelling. I'll keep watching Shortcat videos, but other than little bits here and there Mario Kart isn't a regular game in my rotation.
Fast Fusion
The other racing launch title for the Switch 2! I first got into the series with Fast RMX on the Switch, and it's a gorgeous game and a great F-Zero like with a fantastic soundtrack. It really shows what a small dev team can do. That said, the differences from entry to entry continue to shrink; I'm sure some of this has to do with the industry-wide leveling off in visuals, but it's hard to miss in a series that felt like it pushed the Wii U and Switch so far. I'd also like to see the entire roster of tracks from Fast Racing Neo and Fast RMX available, especially since some are already present in the new game. Don't let my complaining deter you though, it's a fantastic show case of the visuals the Switch 2 can produce and single player racing game if that's what you're looking for.
Kirby Air Riders
And one more racing game for the Switch 2, three's company! This is far and away my favorite new release on the console this year. I only got it on Christmas, so I was expecting to write something about how I didn't get many hours into it and how I was looking forward to playing more in the new year. Instead I got those hours in right off the bat, and this post got pushed further and further back as a result.
Each mode (Air Ride, Top Ride, and City Trial) stands on its own, and I really love how Road Trip combines the three of them. The story is completely over the top for a racing game, but that's in line with it being a Kirby game and a Sakurai game. It presents a strong contrast to Mario Kart, with it taking longer to unlock all the characters and machines (I'm still working on those!) and the mechanical complexity being approached very differently. I definitely prefer Air Riders' approach, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it's definitely better, it just depends on what you're looking for. I also think that Air Riders is a stronger party game, there are more ways to play, and I really like how you don't need split screen when you play Top Ride.
The last contrast I want to mention is the first you see, the UI design throughout the game is a striking and welcome contrast to the minimalism present in Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 itself. The similarities to the Smash Bros. UI (also designed by Michiko Sakurai) are plentiful, and the HUD and graphics customization allow for the game to be more accessible than might be initially assumed given the maximalist approach. I would love to see her design the system menu for the Switch 2, it feels so stale and even sterile when it could be so much more.
Unfair Flips
Stepping away from the Switch 2, this was the first new release I played this year on PC (not counting demos). It's as silly as it seems, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it! I got most of the achievements pretty quickly, but the last one eluded me for a while. After a few months I finally have them all! It also makes for a surprisingly good party game, it takes no more than five seconds to understand the concept so everyone can watch and be on the same page, and you can pass the controls to anyone at any time.
Easy Delivery Co
Come for the driving, stay for the environment and story telling. It took me around five hours to finish the main story, and another hour to collect the rest of the achievements. The world has a haunting beauty to it, and I was fully engrossed in the game over the course of those six hours across the week or so I played it. The soundtrack plays a large part in creating the atmosphere of the game, partially because of how it comes in over the truck's radio, but mostly just how good the songs themselves are; Sohaoying and pr0te did phenomenal work. The core driving and delivering mechanic isn't one that I see myself wanting to revisit over and over now that I've finished the game, but I think it serves as a perfect vehicle through which to experience it. This game stands out to me this year, and is an easy recommend.
A note on the ending (spoiler-lite): it is possible to see all three endings in one save, you don't have to play through the game three times, edit your save file, etc. I recommend not looking at any guides until after you have reached at least one of the endings, but finding the last ending (in my case) did take some help.
PowerWash Simulator 2
I finished everything in the original earlier this year, and I'm looking forward to having more to play now that this is out! Both are co-op exclusive games for me, and the improved co-op experience in this is a welcome improvement over the original, as is most of the game in general. It's a noticeable improvement over the first, while still being a similar experience, so if you enjoyed the first then this one is a good bet. It's exactly what you want in a sequel, at least in my book.
Many Nights a Whisper
I played this as part of a "game book club" and I'm very glad I did! I don't normally enjoy games that are this heavy on player decisions to moral questions, but I really found myself enjoying it. They don't actually impact the ending of the game at all, giving you the freedom to make whatever decision feels right without trying to optimize things to the "right" ending or worrying about being punished for them. This is another game that gets an easy recommendation from me, even (and maybe especially) if it's not like what you normally play.
Dispatch
I didn't expect myself to enjoy this one nearly as much as I did, but it was a pleasant surprise! It has a rough start, but a few episodes in it found its voice and I started enjoying it more. It's ultimately not a very deep game, you aren't going to find a nuanced exploration of identity and what it means to have a public face as a super hero vs your private identity when you're not on the clock, nor will you find any commentary on "Superheroes as a Service" and the dynamics of power and wealth. What you'll find instead is a light hearted story with fun characters and some decisions that allow you to make minor changes to how it plays out.
I have 8.9 hours played after my first play though, which averages out to a bit over an hour per episode (although the last episode was the longest by a fair margin). Playing an episode a night was a fun way to approach it once you're into it, and I'm considering going back and exploring some of the alternate paths. There's a sequel planned, so it'll be interesting to see in which direction they choose to take it, whether it stays light hearted or dives deeper into the topics that were surfaced but never really explored.
2024 games I got to this year
Since I mentioned both of these in my post last year...
Balatro
I did end up getting Balatro, although only on my phone. This is a game that very quickly ended up having an app time limit set on it, it really is a time sink, but not in a way that feels manipulative with daily quests, monetization, etc. The mechanics are very well crafted, and when you get a run that works it's a lot of fun! Part of me wishes that I could sync my save with Steam, but the rest of me is glad that it's limited to my phone so I don't play it constantly on both platforms.
1000xRESIST
Another game from 2024 that I initially missed but got to this year. I really enjoyed the ~2/3 of the game I got through, the story is absolutely amazing especially within the genre of video games. Unfortunately it got disrupted by the medical things mentioned above, and going through that I was not in the headspace to play something as heavy as 1000xRESIST. The further out I get from having played it and the more it fades from memory the more daunting picking it back up becomes. I think I'll end up restarting this to keep everything fresh when I'm able to play it all the way through.
What I'm looking forward to in 2026
Steam Frame
I've been interested in VR for some time, and I think this might finally be my way in. The inside out tracking seems way better for ease of use, and yes Meta has that (and good prices), but there's no way in hell I'm buying something from them. I'm really hoping the price is competitive with the Frame, the approach they're taking in terms of the specs has me hopeful, although it's definitely going to be at least a bit of a challenge with the way RAM prices are looking.
And of course, I'm excited to see how FEX turns out! I think there's a very good chance that it'll be the lasting legacy of the Steam Frame, I certainly hope it can be as transformational as Proton was and continues to be.
Steam Controller
This is certainly smaller than the Frame, but I've re-discovered this year how much I enjoy sitting back and playing with a controller. I hope it ends up being easier to switch between my desk and my living room setup than current options like the Xbox controller (not to mention BDS against Xbox right now). This also seems like the best chance for a genuinely repairable controller (unlike the Switch 2 controller), especially if Valve follows the same approach they did with the Steam Deck.
PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant
I mean you just have to love the name, right? This does seem really interesting, and as difficult as I can find moral dilemma games this seems really intriguing and I'm looking forward to it.
Modulus
I enjoy a good factory builder, and I'm very interested in how this turns out. And it's pretty!
Stars of Icarus
I loved Guns of Icarus, and this seems like a really fun follow up to it. I haven't been playing multiplayer games as much as I used to, but maybe this will be the game that really turns it around for me.