An exceptional year for gaming is drawing to a close. Regardless of your preferred genre, 2025 delivered something for every type of player. Fans of first-person shooters enjoyed both Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Pokémon enthusiasts experienced Pokémon Legends: Z-A, while role-playing game devotees had plenty to celebrate with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Monster Hunter Wilds all launching this year.

Personally, I’ve completed more than 35 different titles over the past 12 months. Several were live-service PC games I regularly return to, including Valorant, Overwatch 2, and Destiny 2. But others proved to be treasures that swiftly became among my all-time favourites, despite their recent release.

Gaming is entirely subjective, meaning not everyone will share the same view on 2025’s definitive title. Nevertheless, if the decision were mine to make, I know precisely which six games would feature on my shortlist.

Below, I’ve compiled my finest games of 2025, ordered from sixth to first place.

6. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding remains a polarising franchise. Critics dismiss it as merely a “walking simulator”, but I thoroughly enjoyed the original. Admittedly, the gameplay wasn’t universally appealing, but the narrative proved tremendously engaging, with its unexpected developments maintaining my interest throughout. When the sequel was launched in June this year, I was brimming with excitement.

The trailers were simply stunning, and immersing myself in the game six years after the first instalment felt like a homecoming. The sequel outshines the original in many aspects. It offers better control, an enhanced combat system, and more enjoyable traversal options.

However, the storyline left me somewhat disappointed, which is why it only ranks 6th on my list. The first game revealed so many secrets there wasn’t much mystery left about the events of the titular death stranding to be unveiled in the sequel.

I won’t give away any spoilers here, but most fans had already predicted the major twist from the trailers alone. Despite my faith in Hideo Kojima not to make it that obvious and my conviction that the story would take a different turn, it was indeed that obvious.

Death Stranding 2 is certainly worth a play, and its Game of the Year nomination was well-deserved, but it didn’t leave me as content as I would have liked.

5. Little Witch in the Woods

Little Witch in the Woods is entirely different to anything else on my list. The only game in my top six to not be so much as nominated for anything at the Game Awards, this adorable life-simulation game carried me through most of October as I searched for something calming and cosy to play during autumn.

I dabble in “cosy” games quite a bit most years, and 2025 was no exception. Choosing just one was difficult, and honourable mentions have to go to Strange Antiquities, Tales of the Shire, Little Problems, and Luma Island. Since these games don’t take up as much time as some of the longer titles, they can often go forgotten, but Little Witch in the Woods definitely deserves a shout-out.

You play as a witch named Ellie who is going out on her own as an apprentice witch after studying at a magic school. You must gather resources, craft potions, and help townsfolk to build up your reputation and complete your training.

If you’re looking for something relaxing to scratch that itch that Stardew Valley left behind, I definitely recommend it.

4. Split Fiction

I was honestly shocked when Split Fiction missed out on a Game of the Year nomination this year. A co-operative game developed by the same team behind the 2021 Game of the Year winner, It Takes Two, Split Fiction follows two authors who get trapped inside the world of their stories.

The game takes players through multiple genres of storytelling, including a science fiction world with anti-gravity and flying cars, as well as a fantasy land filled with dragons and trolls. As a multiplayer-only game, players must work together to solve puzzles and intricate platforming challenges to make their way through the worlds and find a way out.

Split Fiction was highly rated when it was released in March this year, and although it caused a few arguments with my friend when we decided to play it together, it was well worth it in the end. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend giving it a go – just make sure your duo is someone you trust not to get you killed repeatedly.

3. Dispatch

Dispatch is where an animated TV show meets a video game, and it does it flawlessly. Released in eight episode parts throughout October and November this year, Dispatch tells the story of Robert Robertson III, a man who used to be a superhero named Mecha Man before his suit was destroyed.

Robert, voiced by Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul, then takes on a job as a dispatcher for a group of supervillains who are trying to turn their lives around and become heroes instead. The game features amazing and often hilarious storytelling, with choices that the player must make, which severely alter how the game plays out.

Alongside being a narrative-driven game, the gameplay also incorporates strategic resource-management elements, which, as someone who is somewhat of a control freak, I found very enjoyable. By far and away the best part of Dispatch, however, is the story itself. The voice acting is superb, the characters are entertaining, and it’s one of the only games where I haven’t been completely bored with 10 minutes of cutscenes.

2. Silent Hill f

As we approach the end of 2025’s gaming highlights, Silent Hill f secures the second spot. I can’t praise this game enough. The storyline was exceptional, the atmosphere perfectly eerie, and the subtle references to the original games in the Silent Hill series were enough to delight die-hard fans without alienating newcomers to the franchise.

Silent Hill f centres around high school student Hinako Shimizu as she navigates her fog-engulfed hometown of Ebisugaoka, now overrun with grotesque creatures. I won’t reveal too much about the plot as it’s a game best experienced without any spoilers to fully appreciate it.

My only criticism is the story isn’t fully revealed in a single playthrough. In fact, after completing the game, I was left somewhat confused about the plot. I’m not keen on replaying games immediately, so I resorted to watching a playthrough on YouTube to understand what I’d missed.

It appears when you play the game a second time, some cutscenes change and more of the story unfolds, which is an interesting concept but not ideal for those who prefer a one-time playthrough.

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

It may not come as much of a surprise, but my top game of this year has to be Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This game was all that anyone could talk about when it released in April this year, and for good reason. It’s the game RPG fans have been waiting for ever since the Final Fantasy franchise stopped doing turn-based battles, and it is flawless.

I’ve been a turn-based RPG fan for most of my three decades of life. Final Fantasy X and Grandia II are two of my favourite games of all time, and until Expedition 33, only the Octopath Traveler games had come close to scratching that itch for me.

The game certainly isn’t for those who just want to play something casual. It took me around 35 hours just to complete the main story of the game, and another 15 to go through most of the side content. In fact, months later, there’s still one boss that I haven’t been able to beat – and those who have played the game will know exactly who I mean.

Expedition 33 also has a fantastic soundtrack that gave me goosebumps on multiple occasions, and a storyline with so many unexpected twists that I actually burst into tears while playing on two separate occasions.

If you haven’t played it yet, you really should give it a go – and don’t look up anything about the story before you play, as there are some massive plot points that you don’t want to have spoilt for you.

That concludes my top games of 2025. I’m eagerly anticipating what 2026 has in store, with the Fable reboot, Resident Evil Requiem, and the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon.