2025 Featured Some of the Decade’s Best Games

Every year sees the release of hundreds of video games, and there are always a handful of good ones, some that are decent, and plenty that are largely unplayable. It’s like any industry, and a lot of time and money go into creating the video games players love. Each year has its hits, but now that half of the 2020s are over, it’s time to look back and see what 2025 contributed to the decade. While there are plenty of amazing titles from 2020 to 2024, plenty of special and memorable games arrived in 2025. Several of these are easy contenders for the decade’s best games.

Still, the competition is fierce, as the year was preceded by the likes of The Last of Us Part II, It Takes Two, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There were others like Astro Bot, and while each of these titles is one of the best gaming has seen in a long time, 2025 has its fair share of outstanding titles. There are several games that could take the Game of the Year prize for 2025. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Kepler Interactive has already taken several awards, while others like Hollow Knight: Silksong are contenders for others. Needless to say, the winners will be among great company and stand as examples of 2025’s best titles.

2025 Featured Some Excellent Games

If you haven’t played it, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should shoot to the top of your gaming to-do list. The RPG is Sandfall Interactive’s first, and it’s one of the best games of 2025. It’s set in the Belle Époque, though it’s filled with dark fantasy elements, and follows four volunteers as they embark on Expedition 33. Their goal is to destroy Paintress, the being responsible for erasing any being of an ever-decreasing age, during the annual Gommage. The game features a third-person perspective, allowing the player to control their party as they explore the vast world and battle a variety of fantastical creatures. It employs both real-time and turn-based mechanics alongside quick-time events during combat.

While impressive titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 got plenty of press throughout the year, one cannot overlook the Nintendo Switch 2, which arrived in June 2025. While most of its available games upon launch included upgrades of Switch titles, it didn’t come without its own spectacular games. Mario Kart World is a notable contender, and it’s a fantastic update to the format, but another new game has fared even better: Donkey Kong Bonanza. The latest game in the Donkey Kong franchise features fun, new mechanics that turn the world into an explorable sandbox experience. 2026 will likely see more impressive games on the new console, but there’s plenty to keep gamers busy on the Switch 2 in 2025.

AAA titles and big-name games weren’t the only ones driving video game sales in 2025, as many independent studios also had well-received titles. Some of the more notable are Hades II,  a sequel to Supergiant Games’ 2020 roguelike action RPG hit. The sequel has found its way onto the Switch and Switch 2, as well as PCs, and it’s done remarkably well. So too has Hollow Knight: Silksong from Team Cherry. The sequel to 2017’s brilliant Hollow Knight is easily one of the best indie titles of 2025, and it’s hardly alone. Among the many excellent indie and AAA titles, there’s no denying that 2025 featured some of the best games of the decade.

Some 2025 Games Are Contenders for Game of the Decade

Every year will have its ups and downs when it comes to video games. A highly anticipated title could prove to be terrible, while an unsuspecting underdog could arise to dominate the industry. You never know what will happen, and 2025 has certainly played out in this manner. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a surprise hit for many, while others can’t get enough of games like ARC Raiders. The best thing about the industry is that there’s always something for every type of player, whether they tap away mindlessly at their favorite mobile games, compete with others in the latest FPS, or get lost in an open-world RPG. Thankfully, 2025 had plenty for everyone, and many of the year’s games are some of the best ever made.

Which 2025 release was your pick for Game of the Year? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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