Game of the Year Is Going to Be Impossible This Time

2025 is one of the most stacked years for incredible video game releases. Game of the Year is always a hot topic, but this year the conversation has grown louder and begun earlier. It’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive years the industry has ever seen, which makes determining the GOTY incredibly difficult. From indie darlings redefining art direction to massive sequels pushing the boundaries of storytelling, innovation, and player immersion, it feels like the entire medium has been firing on all cylinders at once throughout the year.

When nearly every major release feels like a masterpiece in its own right, narrowing the list down to six Game of the Year nominees, let alone picking a winner, feels almost unfair and like an impossible task. Who would have thought it was possible to have too many good games? 2025 feels like a new golden age of gaming, thanks to the hard work of numerous developers.

A Year Overflowing With Masterpieces

Every major Game of the Year contender this year represents a leap forward, either narratively, mechanically, or artistically. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the one that has taken everyone by surprise. Sandfall Interactive’s visually beautiful and mechanically brilliant RPG features a fluid turn-based combat that feels like a performance. It’s a new IP that’s already standing shoulder-to-shoulder with gaming’s heavyweights.

Then there’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hideo Kojima’s much-anticipated follow-up to his 2019 cult hit. It’s weirder, deeper, and far more human. Kojima has once again blurred the line between art and gameplay, giving us a story that’s as emotional as it is cerebral. Some players may not fully understand the narrative, but the gameplay and atmosphere have earned it a spot as a GOTY contender.

Hades II is another monster in the running. Supergiant Games pulled off the impossible task of following up the indie hit Hades and has done so successfully. The sequel is the highest-rated game on Metacritic, showing that the roguelike formula feels reborn, and every run feels meaningful, urgent, and dripping with mythic energy. Melinoe, the new protagonist, has already captured hearts with her sharp personality and fluid combat style, just as Zagreus did.

Of course, the community’s patience has finally been rewarded with Hollow Knight: Silksong. After years of anticipation, Team Cherry has delivered something that feels simultaneously familiar and revolutionary. The movement, combat, and art direction are unmatched, and though there has been strong discussion on its difficulty, the game has proven to be well worth the long wait.

Blue Prince is the wild card, even more than Clair Obscur. It is one of those rare indies that seem to come out of nowhere and redefine narrative structure. Its dreamlike world and shifting architecture make it one of the most original puzzle-adventure games in recent memory. It may be the underdog in this category, but it certainly has a chance to win, allowing it to add a GOTY trophy to the physical Red Prince book.

Why Choosing a Winner Feels Impossible

The hardest part about naming a Game of the Year winner in 2025 isn’t just the quality. It’s the diversity of what “greatness” means right now. For some players, a GOTY should push boundaries and innovate. For others, it’s about pure emotional impact. And for many, the award should go to the game that simply delivers the most joy and replayability. The industry has reached a point where excellence no longer fits one mold. Every major contender this year redefines what storytelling and immersion can mean in its own language.

Part of what complicates things is how the Game of the Year discourse itself has evolved. Awards aren’t just about technical mastery anymore; they’re about cultural resonance. Sometimes releasing at the right time can make all the difference. How did the game make people feel? What was the discussion around it? These are just some of the questions players and critics have to ask themselves when selecting a GOTY.

Ultimately, choosing between them isn’t about which game is better. It is about celebrating innovation, emotion, craft, scale, and so much more. With such a diverse list of candidates, no one game will be able to score perfectly across the board. Every GOTY contender mentioned above deserves the crown for a different reason, but only one can actually take home the title this year.

Who Actually Has the Best Shot?

The winner might come down to narrative timing and cultural visibility rather than sheer quality, because they’re all phenomenal in their own ways. Hades II currently feels like the frontrunner. Its early access success has carried over into a full launch that’s both critically adored and universally loved. It’s mechanically tight, emotionally resonant, and endlessly replayable. That said, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is new, stunning, and unforgettable. It feels like the kind of breakout success Baldur’s Gate 3 saw in 2023.

Kojima’s name alone carries massive weight, and if awards voters favor ambition and thematic resonance over accessibility, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach could absolutely take the crown. Of course, Hollow Knight: Silksong may be the people’s champion. The seven-year wait elevated it to legendary status, and the release has met expectations and then some.

The indie scene is further rounded out by Blue Prince. Smaller projects have proven they can go toe-to-toe with blockbusters when it comes to storytelling and originality. But one has to keep in mind that indie titles seldom win the GOTY spot, even if they are nominated. With so many great games this year, one has to wonder if this diminishes their chances.

Predicting a winner feels futile. The real victor this year is the players who have enjoyed a year of blockbuster hits, one after the other. The Game of the Year race this year feels like one of the tightest, and there is no doubt that whatever game wins will have earned it, defeating other games that easily deserve to win GOTY, too.

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