by Alex Quevedo
I normally struggle to reach five games throughout the year, but 2025 was a little better for me. I at least dabbled into various games, but got distracted by other things going on in life that either took me away from gaming or sent me back into comforting games. But at the least, this year gave me a game that entered in the Galaxy Tier, Mount Rushmore, Hall of Fame, Core Memory, or whatever you’d want to call it. Let’s say it made me feel whee when so many things this year tried to make me feel whoo.
6. Giving Up on Some Games
Oh, yes, starting off with a joke – sort of. Blue Prince? I CAN’T FIGURE THIS OUT. WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers. I HATE THESE MECHANICS. Others: I’M BUSY WITH POWERWASH SIMULATOR. I’ll rectify things at some point, because I do want to give them more chances or time. Add Dispatch and Hollow Knight into the mix. Nothing against the games. I just need more time for something new.
5. PowerWash Simulator 2 (Multiplatform)
I’ve been a huge fan of the first one, so having a new one to spray my way through has been super fun. Nearly every change has been an improvement for the better and the areas can be a nicer challenge. Plus, you can take your cats out with you on the work this time. That adds whatever amount of bonus points to the game’s quality!
4. South of Midnight – Xbox Series X|S, PC
This was a beautiful game. The way it manages levels of grief, family issues, culture, and gameplay was fantastic. The music pushed it over the top. Hazel was a solid and relatable character (runner bias for me? No….). While some of the mechanics were a little wonky, most things were smooth. It was also fun to just stop and listen to the music and take in the views.
3. DOOM: The Dark Ages (Multiplatform)
I’m not normally a Doom guy, but this approach worked a lot more for me. The heavier, shield-focused combat was super fun to pay through. For me, it was almost like a faster paced Gears of War, so that nicely scratched an itch. It was still pretty fast paced, and flying on dragon was super cool.
2. Avowed – Xbox Series X|S, PC
I originally played it since it was just there on Gamepass, but I really bought into what it was selling. The action-oriented RPG was right up my alley and there was enough to do throughout the world without feeling too overwhelming. It’s RPG elements also felt very accessible, making gameplay that much more fun. Lots of the decision making had good mental impacts. It made you care about the world and the relationships. Bonus points to the game for letting me more or less create a version of the Scarlet Witch on my second playthrough.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Multiplatform)
Everything about this game hit for me – the music, the story, the emotions, the characters, the design, the world. Sometimes, I’ll just be sitting there and suddenly thinking “dim dim dam dada dim dim da dada dim da lilam”. It’s in my DNA now. It helps me feel whee instead of whoo, but also makes me feel whoo when things happen between the characters. An advantage. En garde. For those who… Eh. I’ll keep it at that before I write another 7,000 words about why I love this game.