That’s another year of video games down, and I don’t know about you, but my fingers are sore from all the button-mashing and joystick rotations. Games seem to be getting longer, sprawling between 60 and more than 100 hours. On one hand, that’s great. For $70 a game, I want my money’s worth. On the other hand, a shorter 12 to 15-hour game can feel like a blessing, especially when you’ve got a catalog to get to, and the next big game is always right around the corner. So, I suppose if there were a unifying theme concerning this year in video games, it would be time. This consideration of time certainly applies to release schedules and time spent playing games. But it’s a theme that informs many of the games on the list this year. What would we do for more time? Where did the time go? And what has time cost us? Personal loss, memories, or maybe the flicker of anticipation that once existed for Elder Scrolls VI’s release, which, according to the latest update, is nowhere near completion.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]
This year, the video game industry was rocked by layoffs and shutdowns, in a continuation of a trend since about 2022, as the high demand for games seen during COVID shutdowns began to decline, and development costs only grew. Warner Bros. Games shut down Monolith Productions, canceling the long-awaited Wonder Woman game in the process. EA’s Black Panther game, another highly anticipated title, was canceled following layoffs and the closure of Cliffhanger games. Microsoft laid off a sobering 9,000 employees shutting down developer The Initiative and leading to the cancellation of a Perfect Dark reboot that was being co-developed with Crystal Dynamics, which is behind the latest trilogy of Tomb Raider games. Costs were a major concern, with both developers facing dwindling staff and consumers. Such was the case with the newly released Nintendo Switch 2, which was faced with canceled preorders, and is expected to rise in cost next year thanks to the imposed tariffs.
On a brighter note, some video game properties remain evergreen. The Super Mario Bros. franchise celebrated its 40th anniversary in September, and Pac-Man celebrated its 45th. It was a huge year for Minecraft, which still dominates the attention of Gen Z gamers, and WB’s release of A Minecraft Movie starring Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Danielle Brooks saw the highest opening weekend for a film based on a video game, surpassing the former record held by The Super Mario Bro. Movie (2023). A Minecraft Movie’s total worldwide run couldn’t topple the billion-dollar plumbers, but it still made a whopping $957.9 million and ended the year as WB’s highest-grossing film. Sony’s Until Dawn didn’t fare nearly as well, but still managed to make $54 million on a $15 million budget while proving to be a unique way into video game adaptations. An animated series based on the Splinter Cell games, with Liev Schreiber voicing Sam Fisher, landed on Netflix in October and was quickly picked up for a second season. Still to come in December are Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and the second season of Fallout on Prime Video. Next year, we’ll see just how far video game adaptations can go on the theatrical side with the releases of Return to Silent Hill, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, The Mortuary Assistant, and somehow, against all odds, The Angry Birds Movie 3.
But for now, we’ve got some video games to delve into. Here are TIME’s favorite games of the year.
10. Marvel Rivals
Millions of gamers said “make mine Marvel” this year as they turned the Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) into a wildly influential success story. While the game had its launch in December 2024, it was too late in the year to qualify for the official Video Game Awards. And really, Marvel Rivals needed a full year to unfurl its full potential. Marvel Games’ collaboration with NetEase Games allows players to choose from 45 different Marvel characters and battle across thirteen maps, gaining experience, unlocking new moves and powersets, and sporting alternate costumes. It’s similar in design to Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch with different gameplay modes, including team-based challenges like a capture-the-flag-based mode called Domination. Other modes include Resource Rumble, where teams battle over the collection of resources, and Convoy, where two teams must push a cart across the map to their base. If these sound easy, trust me, they’re not. Like most MMOG’s there are gamers who have spent thousands of hours racking up points, and those who have played casually. For the casual player, Competitive and Casual modes are the go-to options. But the game really shines when it comes to the abundance of characters, and maps based on specific comic events. From classic characters like Captain America, Iron Man, and Wolverine, to more recent comic additions like Jeff the Landshark, Peni Parker, and Iron Fist (Lin Lie), there’s more than enough to satisfy any Marvel fan (and more characters and maps are consistently added). While the alternate costumes cost more, that factor hasn’t seemed to slow many down. The game’s popularity has led to a spin-off comic, impacted costume designs, and reintroduced concepts not seen in decades, like Sue Storm’s Malice persona and Jeff the Landshark, a breakout character. In terms of its overall effect on the Marvel side of pop culture, Marvel Rivals has had the kind of influence usually reserved for movies.
Available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
9. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Sega and Sonic Team’s follow-up to Team Sonic Racing really goes the extra mile in creating a unique kart game experience that’s great for older Sonic fans and newcomers who may be more familiar with the movies than the classic Sega games. Like any kart racing game, the objective is simple: be the first to cross the finish line. But getting there is all the more fun and challenging due to the CrossWorlds system, which transports racers to other maps mid-race. The shift keeps players on their toes, but the vehicle transformations—which transform the karts into flying machines, and aquatic rides, depending on the map—add a new hook to the gameplay. The karts themselves are also highly customizable, allowing for more powerful boosts, easier handling, and better drifting ability. The maps themselves are a little more challenging than the previous Sonic kart games, relying on a lot of sharp turns and a little more finesse than those familiar with Team Sonic Racing may be expecting. The game launched with 24 characters, all your classic favorites and supporting characters from the Sonic franchise. More characters have since become available through downloadable content, like SpongeBob and Patrick, and a couple of Minecraft characters (ask your kids), and they also come with their own themed, customizable karts and maps, adding to the CrossWorlds craziness. Next year, we will see the addition of characters, karts, and maps from Pac-Man, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the fray. Between the downloadable content, the local and cross-platform multiplayer, there’s more than enough content to keep you going fast.
Available on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
8. Doom: The Dark Ages
“Rip and Tear!” That’s the name of the game. Well, actually, it’s Doom: The Dark Ages, but if you’ve played any Doom entry, you know how easy it is to get that simple demand stuck in your head. And if you haven’t played a Doom game before, welcome, it’s a gory, blood-soaked ride. Bethesda and id Software’s eighth overall entry in the franchise, and third in the reboot era that started with Doom (2016) and was followed by Doom Eternal (2020), goes medieval, first-person shooter style. Set long before Hell’s invasion of Mars and Earth, the events that kick off the saga, this prequel sees the Doom Slayer face off against the armies of Hell on the alien planet of Argent D’Nur, home of the Night Sentinels. Allied with the alien race known as the Makyrs, the Sentinels request a weapon to turn the tide on the demonic forces led by Prince Ahzrak, who seeks to claim the powerful Heart of Argent. That weapon is the Doom Slayer, who in this game doesn’t act according to his own freewill for most of the game, but is instead tethered to the Makyrs. As a result, the Doom Slayer’s movements are more Earth-bound than the previous two entries that emphasized incredible jumping abilities and a wider range of movement. In this game, the Doom Slayer feels heavier, though no less lethal, with a gamut of new weapons like the Shield Saw, iron mace, and Skull Crusher, which shoots bone fragments, naturally. There’s also the ability to pilot a giant mech and dragon when a boss battle calls for it. Dark Ages doesn’t have the same fast-paced run-and-gun gameplay of the previous two entries, but it does rely more on narrative and lore as it sheds a little more light on the Doom Slayer’s origins. There are certainly reasons why this entry won’t work as well for those expecting more of what they loved before and want to get moving without having to sit through lengthy cutscenes. And at times, I also got antsy waiting for a cutscene to end, but ultimately, the experience was rewarding and as graphic as ever. There’s just a splash more RPG in this first-person person-shooter that may take some getting used to.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
7. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
If you’re a fan of Yellowjackets, I Saw the TV Glow, The Craft, Stand by Me, and Hole’s Live Through This, have I got a game for you! Developed and published by Don’t Nod, who gained critical acclaim in 2015 for their episodic release of Life is Strange, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is a two-part narrative adventure. Set across two time periods, 1995 and 2022, the game centers on four teenage girls, Swann, Autumn, Nora, and Katt, outsiders (by 90s standards) who form a close bond over the course of a summer. Dialogue branches allow players to deepen these connections, share secrets, and develop romantic feelings towards the other girls. The game, played through budding filmmaker Swann’s perspective, relies on the documentation of moments throughout the game, be they local attractions in Velvet Cove, Michigan, making music videos, or moments between friends. These “records” of footage, which can be edited and reorganized, become the foundation of the game’s theme of memory and forgotten things. What starts as a typical summer hangout narrative creeps towards the supernatural as the girls’ bond deepens into what they playfully begin to refer to as a coven. And as the player progresses, the game skillfully creeps towards horror, creating a growing sense of unease as the end of summer approaches and one of the girls shows signs of an intense, potentially deadly rage she’s kept just below the surface. Twenty-seven years later, the girls, now women, reunite after Autumn receives a mysterious package and try to piece together what happened that summer that made them vow never to speak to or see each other again. Some are more reluctant to remember than others, and the choices the player made in 1995 have far-reaching consequences in 2022. Again, your choices are everything, and the game changes, sometimes significantly so, based on what you say, how you answer, and knowing when to say nothing at all. While not overtly a horror game, Bloom and Rage has a masterful handle on tone and is definitely responsible for some of the most chilling moments I’ve had gaming this year.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong
After the success of Hollow Knight (2017), indie developer Team Cherry originally planned to create a DLC for the game. But the concept expanded, and instead, after years of fan speculation, we received a full sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong. The result? A game that is every bit as fun as the first, but with an even wider scope, a more interesting lead, and, sometimes frustratingly, greater difficulty. In the game’s 2D environment, players take control of Hornet, the former princess turned warrior, after she is captured and taken to the ruined kingdom of Pharloom. Once there, Hornet discovers that Pharloom was once a religious kingdom before the “Haunting,” a silk-based plague that kills bugs and reanimates their corpses. Traveling through the kingdom, engaging with a myriad of platform-based puzzles using her tools, going on side quests called “Wishes” and combating Haunted enemies with her weapons, Wasp is drawn deeper into the web of Pharloom, where she’s chastised by a mysterious adversary, Lace, and begins to uncover the nature of her origin and her ties to Pharloom. Silksong offers a lot of variety in terms of its location, combat, and challenges. It’s beautifully crafted, rich with details, boasts a memorable soundtrack, and has a few surprises I’ll keep tightly cocooned. The wait for Silksong was long, but highly worth it. Of course, that hasn’t stopped fans from already speculating about if and when a third Hollow Knight might come out.
Available on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, Linux, and Windows.
5. Silent Hill f
Silent Hill goes in a bold new direction with the latest installment from NeoBards Entertainment and Konami. Written by the popular Japanese horror author known only as Ryukishi07, Silent f injects new horror sensibilities into the franchise with the goal of taking Silent Hill back to its Japanese roots following Konami’s claim that the series had become too Americanized, which, based on the increasing prevalence of guns in the series, is a fair point. So, despite its title, Silent Hill f is a standalone spinoff that is removed from the town of Silent Hill, though not entirely separate, as the game makes references to a number of the previous Silent Hill games and their lore. Set in Japan in the 1960s, the game is centered on Shimizu Hinako, a rebellious high schooler who rejects the traditional gender roles of her time. Stifled by her parents and the traditions of her small village of Ebisugaoka, which rejects modernity, Shimizu finds herself overcome by terrible migraines. After one such episode, she blacks out and awakens to find one of her friends dead, the ground covered in red spider lilies, and her village enshrouded in fog. Though it has a distinct identity from the previous games, Silent Hill f is similarly built around a mystery that is just as much an internal horror story as it is an external one. Themes of hidden local history, repressed memories, and supporting characters whose true motives are obfuscated all lurk within the fog—along with terrible creatures that will chase you until you’re able to get Shimizu to break from their line of sight, providing brief moments of safety. In true Silent Hill fashion, there’s also quite a bit of backtracking, so escaping one of the town’s twisted monsters often means you’ll cross its path again. One of the most significant changes in terms of combat, especially when compared to last year’s Silent Hill 2 remake, is that there are no guns. Instead, Shimizu must do her best with wooden boards, pipes, a knife, and later an axe. All combat is close combat, made harder by the fact that running and dodging depletes Shimizu’s stamina quite quickly, leaving her too exhausted to run through maze-like streets and alleyways, or fight off whatever horrible thing is waiting around the next corner. The result is a terrifying horror game that is, at times, so nerve-wracking and exhausting that I almost hated starting it up again. But I did anyway, because the best measure of a horror game is loving the experience while also hating it a little.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
4. Split Fiction
Hazelight Studios’ follow-up to their award-winning hit, It Takes Two (2021), once again puts a new spin on cooperative multiplayer-only games. In Split Fiction, two authors, Zoe and Mio, get trapped inside their respective fantasy and science fiction novels after a machine that allows each to experience their fictional worlds first-hand malfunctions. A glitch brings Zoe and Mio together, and the two strangers must find a way out as their stories begin to merge and their worlds become increasingly dangerous. I’ll admit, I am generally not a fan of forced co-op games. The option is always nice, but when your partner isn’t a gamer, and you have to rely on online co-op with a stranger, they often end up being more of a hassle than a fun experience. Hazelight’s games are one of the few exceptions to the rule, and Split Fiction feels truly cooperative, in that it’s not just one player who gets to mainline the whole game and clear territories and enemies before you even catch up. In this game, progress relies on both players having an equal footing throughout and taking on a variety of challenges, from dealing with dragons to aerial fights that cannot be completed solo. Hazelight took a lot of time to make sure Zoe and Mio felt unique in their abilities, and the game never leans more toward one character than the other—both need to work together to survive. While split-screen can be distracting in other co-op games, I found it really smooth here, and while it may take some initial adjustment, the game is designed in such a way that the split-screen doesn’t make it feel like you’re losing the full scope of the worlds around you and put in positions with blind spots. With inventive visuals and unique platform movement, and a surprising emotional story that explores loss, Split Fiction is a fast-paced and witty experience for any genre fan, even those hesitant about the co-op feature.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows.
3. Ghost of Yotei
Sucker Punch Productions offered a unique level of historical fidelity and cinematic style with Ghost of Tsushima (2020), which turned the game into a sensation that is widely regarded as one of the best AAA games of its generation. The appetite for the follow-up has been immense, and Ghost of Yotei, a standalone sequel, does not disappoint. Set in Ezo, Japan, in 1603, nearly 330 years after the events of Tsushima, Yotei follows Atsu, a wandering mercenary who is hunting for the Yotei Six, a band of disgraced samurai who killed Atsu’s family years earlier. As Atsu, players travel around the open-world mountain lands of Yotei, hunting for her father’s killers, while also aiding locals in numerous side quests. Truly, there are so many side quests, some more worthwhile than others, but even as a completionist, some I had to let fall to the wayside in the pursuit of continuing the main journey. That journey consists of a simpler narrative than that of its predecessor, but there is an appeal to a well-told revenge story that’s hard to deny, especially when it hits all the right emotional beats as Yotei does. It’s difficult to say that Yotei is better than Tsushima, as both offer unique experiences, but in terms of crafting emotional narratives and striking combat that requires a lot more finesse than just button-mashing, the games exist on equal footing. Ghost of Yotei also brings back the black and white Kurosawa mode, along with modes inspired by the works of filmmakers Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Hara-kiri) and Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), making the game a must-have for any fan of samurai movies or anime, or anyone willing to put their katana skills to the test.
Available on PlayStation 5.
2. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Hideo Kojima approaches video games like an art form, which they undoubtedly are, despite being infrequently discussed in the same terms in which we talk about film, literature, music, and the fine arts. And Kojima does not hesitate in highlighting his cultural influences, encouraging gamers to dig deeper, creating an experience that, even when played alone, is meant to foster community and create deeper connections. This has made Kojima one of the most recognized auteurs of video game design, both in terms of narrative and gameplay. With each release, he finds a way to push the medium forward, while also providing gamers with much to think about in terms of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going, long after we power down our consoles. Forgive me for waxing poetically, but Death Stranding 2, like its predecessor, Death Stranding (2019), is a deeply humanist game that centers around purpose lost and found again, and the power of the bonds we form. Once again, players take control of Sam (Norman Reedus), a porter who is tasked with connecting Mexico to the Chiral Network (a communication system akin to the internet). In the aftermath of tragedy, Sam is entreated by his friend Fragile (Lea Seydoux) to reconnect with Australia. With the help of allies, some familiar and others new, Sam must work to heal the world and himself while contending with the ghosts of the past, the arrival of the powerful and mysterious Tomorrow (Elle Fanning), the specter of Neil Vana (Luca Marinelli), a man tied to his past, and his returning nemesis, Higgs (Troy Baker) who is even more fiendish this time around. With new weapons, means of travel, and mind-boggling twists that further bridge the world’s connection between the supernatural and the scientific, Death Stranding 2 is an experience that rewards patience and encourages players to fall in love with the world and characters around them, and hopefully, take some of that love into the real world. Death Stranding 2 is, at its heart, filled with concepts so big that they can’t wholly be contained by a video game.
Available on PlayStation 5.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
There’s nothing quite like a game that seems to come out of nowhere and wind up the best one of the year. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is that game. What’s even more surprising is that Expedition 33 was developed by an independent French studio, Sandfall Interactive, with a team of 30 individuals, supported by a number of production partners. The game is a work of love, and most of the original team of 30 brought together by Expedition 33’s director and designer, Guillaume Broche, were made up of industry friends and contacts accrued over the years. The turn-based RPG is set within a fantasy world that mirrors the Belle Epoque period of France, which automatically sets it apart from other recent RPGs that take a page from the Dark Ages and owe a debt to the works of Tolkien and Martin. The game follows a group of warrior explorers, Expedition 33, who take on a volunteer mission to the edges of the world to defeat The Paintress, a god-like being who has created the Gommage, which erases people at a certain age each year, and steadily decreases with each subsequent year. Following the 34th Gommage, which killed everyone at the age of 34, Gustav (Charlie Cox), a 33-year-old engineer, volunteers to lead the latest expedition group. Before the title screen comes up, thirty minutes into the game, Expedition 33 provides an emotional hook with the 34th Gommage that forced me to set the controller down and take it all in for a minute. What follows is an exquisitely told exploration of grief and how it impacts morality. From incredible landscapes and creature designs, unlike any seen in a video game before, a score by Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier that, without hyperbole, contains some of the greatest compositions ever heard in a video game, and robust and varied combat for each party member, Expedition 33 is so much more than you might imagine upon hearing it described as a fantasy RPG. Without spoiling the storyline, I can say the game goes to newfound places, creating a rich lore that rewards exploration and forming connections with the other members in your expedition party. Thematically, it makes for a great “double-feature” with Death Stranding 2, if you can truly call 100+ hour games features. Nevertheless, I played both games back-to-back, and while they consist of wildly different forms of gameplay and narratives, there is a thematic interlink that resonates through both games, as they both were produced during the pandemic and highlight the importance and hold that art has over us. Sandfall Interactive and Guillaume Broche have painted a large mark on the gaming industry with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, earning it the distinction of TIME’s Game of the Year.
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S.
The post The 10 Best Video Games of 2025 appeared first on TIME.
