Another year is in the rear view mirror, and we’re no closer to clearing our gaming backlog. 2025 has been a banner year for shiny new hardware with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and a number of long-awaited sequels made appearances, so the list has only gotten longer. And that’s not counting the sheer number of re-releases and remasters, which surely deserve their own list.
This has also been a year where some of the best games haven’t been from the big blockbuster publishers but smaller indie developers. It helps that these don’t break the bank, given the rising cost of AAA releases, but it’s also where we’re seeing some of the most creative games – whether in terms of eye-catching visuals, innovative game design, or memorable stories and characters.
So after whittling it down, here’s our list of the top 10 games of 2025.
10. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
It really has been the year of the ninja: the legendary Ninja Gaiden series returned with both 2D and 3D entries, but was eclipsed (in our eyes) by the long-awaited return of Shinobi. Who better to revive Sega’s IP – which has been dormant since two middling PS2-era 3D action games – than the same developers who brought back Streets of Rage just a few years ago with fantastic results?
Returning in side-scrolling form with original protagonist Joe Musashi, Art of Vengeance looks like an actual work of art: Lizardcube’s hand-drawn style leans on more Japanese elements, with stunning levels like a village lit up during a lantern festival or a cyberpunk-style city with retro Sega billboards. It’s the tight action of traversal and killer combos that makes each mission a thrill, which makes it all the more ingenious that new abilities also secretly turn it into a light Metroidvania.
- Read more: The games that made samurai and ninjas must-play entertainment
9. Absolum
Beat-’em-ups were among the most exciting arcade games of yesteryear, with action that was so easy to pick up and play. But while there’ve been many retro revivals, it’s hard to have the same staying power when you have free credits on a home console. Giving the genre a roguelite twist was a genius move, and comes from a completely new IP with the art style of French comics.
If the actual roguelite aspect of crafting different builds for each run doesn’t have quite the same nuance of different possibilities as Hades, it’s made up for by having the crunchiest brawling mechanics since Streets of Rage 4 (no surprise, as this comes from the other dev team behind that Sega revival). Discovering news paths, unlocking new permanent perks, and even some intriguing side quests means you’ll have plenty of variation as you journey through Talamh to try and kill the Sun King.
- Read more: IMP Gaming’s Mini Arcade Pro turned my Switch 2 into a tabletop arcade machine
8. Consume Me
Eating disorders don’t sound like a fun time, and if the topic comes up in a game you might expect it to be in a more serious-minded one. Which is all the more remarkable that Consume Me turns dieting into a series of Tetris-like puzzles as it charts an autobiographical account of indie developer Jenny Jiao Hsia’s teenage years with bright chunky visuals where life is just a series of WarioWare-style minigames.
Structured like a life-sim RPG, you start with teenager Jenny putting herself on a rigorous diet, making sure she doesn’t exceed a daily number of ‘bites’ or else find time to exercise and burn them off. But things get more complicated as new urgent objectives come up, whether that’s doing well academically or trying to maintain a relationship, all while also trying to balance your budget and mental wellbeing. In other words, it’s a lot more than just about dieting but a self-satirical simulation of being a teenager chasing impossible standards in playful but meaningful ways that are far from empty calories.
7. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Originally planned as an expansion before snowballing into a giant sequel, the wait for Hollow Knight: Silksong has been a long one. But even though it earned the ‘GTA 6 of indie’ label in terms of how much its launch impacted other games getting noticed, the final product from Team Cherry is far from something that everyone’s going to get on with – which is what also makes it special.
Silksong is a faster and uncompromisingly tougher sequel, especially as Hornet (originally a recurring thorn in the original protagonist’s side) has a diagonal dive-jump attack that takes some getting used to. It also follows the Metroidvania tradition of opening its world up as you acquire new abilities, making it all the more oppressive when you start with next to nothing. The challenges then only ramp up whether that’s with fiendish boss fights or some very demanding platforming sections. Yet it’s hard not to marvel at the haunting hand-drawn beauty of Pharloom, every obstacle you overcome, be it finally landing that killing blow or uncovering a new shortcut, is worth celebrating.
- Related: Why I think games should be less difficult and more fun
6. Dispatch
With the Marvel and DC universes taking up so much pop culture real estate, a superhero-themed story that feels genuinely fresh and mature rather than edgy and cynical is a breath of fresh air. Dispatch is more of a workplace comedy, where your former superhero Robert Robertson adjusts to a new role behind a desk. Working as a dispatcher for villains-turned-superheroes, you decide which hero is best suited for a situation while offering support in hacking minigames. Conversation choices can also affect his relationship with his new colleagues.
Developer AdHoc Studios is made up of former staff at Telltale Games, who worked on the acclaimed episodic games of The Walking Dead. But rather than waiting weeks or months for a new episode, the game scheduled its complete season two episodes a week, paced like an actual TV show rather than a meandering exploration. It’s further bolstered by incredible animation that’s best described as Western anime and a pitch-perfect voice cast that includes Aaron Paul and a scene-stealing Jeffrey Wright. You will definitely remember this.
5. Deltarune
Inspired by but also subverting classic and offbeat RPGs from the 90s, Undertale is one of the most beloved modern indie games. It has both memorable characters dialled into internet humour and a genuinely thoughtful message about the consequences of violence. Developer Toby Fox’s spin-off, prequel, sequel or perhaps parallel universe follow-up has been long in the making, having been initially released as free chapters before finally getting an official release this year to coincide with the Switch 2’s launch.
It may not be the full game, but even with four chapters out of a planned seven (those who buy the game will get the subsequent chapters as free future updates), Deltarune already surpasses its predecessor on so many levels. With a party of three characters, battles are more like an old-school Final Fantasy game now while still retaining a bullet-hell defence minigame. It also stands out by discouraging you from attacking enemies, through pacifist acts that are so much more inventive and hilarious.
4. Lumines Arise
If you were mesmerised by Tetris Effect, then you might know what to expect with Lumines Arise, which takes another beloved drop puzzler and gives it the big screen razzle dazzle of a pop concert. But there’s also a lot more going on with Lumines. Originally a PSP launch title, it makes use a wide playing field to rotate and drop 2×2 blocks in sync with the soundtrack as you wait for a sweeping timeline (its speed based on the song’s BPM) to clear any colour-matching squares you’ve created.
What makes Arise truly outstanding isn’t just the diverse mix of music genres, from big vocal pop ballads to pulsing club electro, but some truly audacious visuals that aren’t just in the background but also transforming the blocks themselves, as other thematic elements also get thrown into the play field. It might get a little too busy, impacting readability (though there are options to reduce or turn off some of it if you want to focus on those high combos and grades), but there just isn’t any other journey that’s quite as transcendent – especially if you have a VR headset to hand.
3. Hades 2
The first Hades was already an action roguelite revelation where failure was essential to its Greek mythology narrative. Each run was an opportunity to learn more and deepen your relationship with a pantheon of mythical deities. So perfectly executed in gameplay, art and narrative, just how could Supergiant top it?
While fans still debate whether or not the sequel bests its predecessor, it’s certainly far bigger and more ambitious, and inverts the original premise. Instead of trying to escape the mythical underworld, witch princess and daughter of Hades Melinoë is on a mission to infiltrate it to kill the titan Chronos – a seemingly impossible challenge when your nemesis controls time itself. There’s plenty of boons to power you up on each run but also more unexpected possibilities, from a more open-field segment to a second route that involves ascending Olympus. With more to do and master with its excellent twitch action, there’s far more to Hades 2 than just killing time.
2. Donkey Kong Bananza
It’s been a while since Nintendo took its original arcade headliner back in-house but Donkey Kong’s first 3D adventure in more than a quarter of a century subverts expectations by doubling down on the ape’s brawn. Smashing through terrain in real-time to create your own paths becomes just as important if not more than traditional platforming. Also along for the ride is Pauline, originally a damsel in distress before becoming the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey, and reimagined here as a pint-sized tween with the pipes of a Disney princess.
As you make your way to the planet’s core layer by layer, each location is more imaginatively wild than the last with its own unique and weird terrain, not to mention some hilarious cursed transformations that give DK new abilities powered by his sidekick’s singing. It may be a messier platformer compared to Mario and is questionable to be baiting a fan-service expansion a mere two months after launch, but Bananza is far and away the smash hit must-play for the Switch 2.
- Read more: How Donkey Kong went from arcade brawler to Banana royalty
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
An exquisite debut from French developer Sandfall Interactive, this has all the hallmarks of a classic RPG, from party turn-based battles to a world-saving plot that also involves running around on a scaled down world map. But it’s the fresh style and modern execution that makes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 so fantastic to play. The emotional narrative is dialled up to the max with a star-studded cast and a breathtaking soundtrack, which while paying homage to Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy, Persona, and Xbox 360 cult classic Lost Odyssey, is also so quintessentially French.
It’s the battle system that truly electrifies, where under the familiar turn-based commands are action-based inputs that demand rhythmic perfection for best results. The most skilled might get through an entire battle (or even the whole game) parrying all attacks or creating builds with counters with that deal frankly ridiculous damage numbers. That it’s made by a relatively small team and can still deliver production values that can show up a big budget studio’s efforts for a fraction of the cost, and still pack in lots of maddeningly difficult endgame content made just for the sickos, is truly testament how creative indies can stand toe-to-toe with the big guns.
- Read more: French-flavoured RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s drama and battles had me on the edge of my seat
Honourable mentions
Elden Ring Nightreign – If the hardcore open world action RPG had a PvE battle royale mod, you’d get something like this.
Silent Hill f – A haunting return to form for the survival horror series with a story set in 60s rural Japan that demands to be replayed to truly appreciate, even if clunky combat might make that tougher going.
Ghost of Yotei – Beautiful if formulaic open world Japan but the story and characters are a major improvement over its predecessor.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – A parallel story to the original side-scrolling ninja action-platformer with stunning pixel art and smart new ideas to make you feel like a master ninja.
Mario Kart World – Some divisive choices mean it may not reach the same crowd-pleasing heights of its predecessor but the battle royale-inspired Knockout Tour is a highlight.
To a T – Weird and wonderful narrative adventure about a teen with arms stuck in a T-pose, their dog, family, friends and more structured like a kids TV show with opening and closing theme songs you won’t want to skip.
Octopath Traveler 0 – A prequel but also a remake of a free-to-play mobile spinoff removing all the grubby monetisation, leaving you with a huge cast in an epic retro-modern RPG with blistering tactical battles.
- Related: Best gaming console in 2025 including Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo
