by Adriana Rodriguez
This year I played more new games than I ever have in ages thanks to joining SmashPad and coming back to streaming. Being able to experience so many great titles is a joy and a privilege to say, and boy howdy, did 2025 come out swinging. I wasn’t able to play everything under the sun, so I’m looking forward to trying out other gems that came out at a later date (looking at you Donkey Kong Bonanza). But for now, these are the top 7 games of 2025 – Tortilla’s Version!
7. Monster Hunter Wilds – PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
I fell in love with Monster Hunter after playing Rise and was thrilled to see the announcement of Wilds. Although this installment took out a lot of what made me love Rise, once I got past tutorial hell, I was reminded why I wanted to keep coming back to MH. Not to mention I discovered the power of the almighty Hammer and allow me to tell you how trying a new weapon and it actually clicking is a glorious feeling. I have to take some points taken off simply for the endless menu troubleshooting needed via a lobby full of gamers.
6. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2 – Multiplatform
With a perfectly timed release alongside the Infinity Castle, this year really was the year of Demon Slayer anime wise. The game was a fun sequel to an already beloved series and continues to have a strong fan base. I was absolutely appalled it didn’t get a Game Awards nomination.
5. Marvel Cosmic Invasion – Multiplatform
Marvel Games with a pixel art style is a combination that melds so well, we’ve known it since the 1990’s. That hasn’t really slowed down either, so when this was revealed at Summer Game Fest, it was quite the jaw drop. Overall it’s a great time with friends and unbelievably pretty to look at. Sprite art definitely isn’t easy, but Tribute Games still managed to nail the look of each character with as much love and detail as they could.
4. Peak – PC
A game where climbing a mountain isn’t the challenge, but getting through it in one piece with idiot friends is. I haven’t had this much fun in a multiplayer game like this in a long time and learned very fast why. Having your voice chat be proximity based with a group of friends makes the game unbearably unpredictable and I mean that in the best way possible. Like Miley Cyrus once said in The Climb, “There’s always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I’m gonna have to fall into a pit of lava because I didn’t hit the grab button in time.”
3. Dispatch – PC, PlayStation 5
I’m also the first person to admit that I have yet to play a Telltale game, so I wasn’t familiar with what I was getting into with Dispatch. Once again, I am the type of person to play a game if it has a wicked good soundtrack. I could not escape the apartment dance scene with “Radio” by Bershy playing because it was plastered everywhere online. That song alone caught my attention and made me want to dive headfirst into this bold hero society. I wasn’t the best at the actual “dispatching” gameplay, but it kept me on my toes and it allowed me to feel like I was “working” with this cast of very flawed heroes.
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong – Multiplatform
I’m the first person to admit that I am not good at these types of overly difficult games, but I am the type of person to play a game because I love how it looks. The art style and direction is well crafted and the devs knew what they were doing when it came to setting the tone for each level. One moment you could be in the garden of Eden, then suddenly you end up in bug hell the next, which was a nice change in scenery that I enjoyed with my time in this game. 2025 for me was the year of testing out more “hard for no reason” titles and I think I’m here to stay.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Expedition 33 was a game I didn’t know I needed, making it truly something special and unlike everything that came out this year. From utilizing the OST for its unique way of storytelling, to the bonds you form with the entire cast, it welcomes you into its world in one of the most stylistic ways I’ve ever experienced. The games themes of grief, loss, and hope helped me through a challenging year and gave me something to look forward to for weeks. Centering its overall message around moving forward no matter the circumstances and how challenging the situation may be, it could not have been more perfect for me and something I’ll remember for a long time.
Be prepared to see more Soulslike games in next year’s list. Until then, we’ll see y’all in 2026 bigger, badder, and still trying to figure out how to join a lobby in Monster Hunter Wilds.