by Brandon Perkins
If for nothing else, 2025 is going to be remembered as the year where we were absolutely inundated with good games. Genuinely, actually ranking these titles was a struggle, as several of them would more than qualify as a top contender. We’re talking the video game equivalent of a photo finish here, where some games nudged out others by infinitesimally small margins simply because the competition was that close.
But without further delay, here is my Top 10 games for the year of 2025 (may 2026 top it, if we are so lucky).
10. Avowed – Xbox Series X/S, PC
This title from Obsidian had some serious shoes to fill; not only was it the newest title in their Pillars of Eternity universe, it was also a highly choice-based RPG in the style of their other games. It wasn’t perfect, but the things it did well made it a real diamond in the rough.
9. Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection – Multiplatform
As someone who was a kid when this franchise started, I was overwhelmed with a sense of extreme nostalgia experiencing this anthology of classic (and odball) Kombat titles. Granted, it’s a compilation so it’s not really anything new, but the wealth of information and footage on the franchise’s history is worth the price alone.
8. OFF – PC, Switch
We currently live in the Golden Age of offbeat indie RPGs, and we largely have the original OFF to thank for kickstarting the entire scene. Technically a remake, this reintroduction of the cult classic seriously surprised me (even in comparison to the original). It’s not terribly deep, but the sense of weirdness certainly makes it memorable.
7. Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter – Multiplatform
Look: It’s a Trails game. We here at SmashPad will always stan a Trails game. But what makes this particular title exceptional is its graphics; this is without a doubt the most beautiful game that Falcom has produced to date, and a great starting point for a new generation of Trails fans.
6. Blue Prince – PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
This puzzle game was a hard game to compete with early this year when it released, with a shocking amount of depth and puzzles to solve. When you think you’ve finished the main task, you realize you’ve only experienced the first quarter of this title’s content. Only the somewhat pernicious RNG kept it from going any higher.
5. Split Fiction – PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Confession time: I’m a solitary gamer by nature. Co-ops really aren’t my thing mostly because I don’t really have anyone to play with. It’s also true that I’m a loner so I didn’t really play this title per se…but I did watch several people play it with their loved ones, and the result was an amazing piece of co-op gameplay that constantly surprises you.
4. Dispatch – PC, PlayStation 5
Scooching in towards the end of the year, this telltale-esque episodic superhero adventure game ended up winning me and millions of players the world over as soon as it released. Even superheroes have lives outside of superheroing, and Dispatch took that idea and turned it into gold. Combining well-written characters and choices with an addictive management mechanic, this game ended up being 2025’s sleeper hit.
3. Hades II – PC, Switch 2, Switch
And here is where the placement for this list became incredibly difficult. Honestly, the sheer glut of good games we had this year makes this placement feel like an insult. Hades II is an amazing game just like its predecessor, with nearly twice the content and twice the lovable characters; Nemesis especially won over my heart.
2. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy – PC, Switch
This was the wild card, and boy was it wild. This was, without a doubt, the single biggest surprise I encountered this year. What at first presents itself as a wacky VN instead shows itself to be a rabbit-hole of storytelling and addictive Simulation RPG gameplay. Do not be fooled: when you think the game is over, you’ve only just finished the tutorial. It gets even stranger from there, and this honestly would have been enough to make it game of the year if it wasn’t for…
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
There really was no comparison this year. Releasing in April, this RPG masterpiece dominated the rest of 2025 by not only improving on typical RPG gameplay, but by giving us a story that is as wondrous as it is heart-breaking. A good game is fun, a great game can make you feel, and a masterpiece does both.