Jason Dean's Favorite Games of 2025
Our editor gives his game of the year
2025 was filled with a plethora of good games. Looking back at my top 10 from the past few years, top-to-bottom 2025 was the best in the last half decade. And while I played a lot of games (50 to be precise), there were still some of the biggest names I did not get to, or didn’t play enough to include them on this list. Games like Death Stranding 2, Silent Hill f and Hades 2 might end up on a future favorite games list, but there was no room for them last year.
With that in mind, here are my personal top 10 games from 2025. Actually, heck, let’s take it up to 11.
11. Blue Prince
I really enjoyed the mechanics and design of Blue Prince which is why I felt it was worth a mention. However, I did not enjoy how it was based almost completely on luck rather than skill and its disregard for the player’s time. You can check out my full review here.
10. Mario Kart World
Despite its claims, Mario Kart World is more of the same, only better. Sure, the game offers an “open world” for players to drive around in, but it’s the races that steal the show. A Switch 2 exclusive, we covered it along with three other games that launched on the system when it was released.
9. Ale Abbey
A tycoon game about brewing beer in a monastery in the 1500s, Ale Abbey is an outstanding combination of worker placement, building and business. Too little beer? The locals will demand more. Too much? The workers at the abbey might get a little tipsy. A well conceived game and fun indie title. Check out our look at Ale Abbey.
8. Bravery Default Remastered
A classic re-released for the Switch 2 and our Game-Key Card game we tried for our Switch 2 release day article. A turn-based RPG where each character has a series of jobs they can advance.
7. Borderlands 4
Yes, in my review of Borderlands 4 I focused on the problems with the game, and there are many! I will say it again, this is not a good game. But, if you are a fan of the Borderlands series, it is a fun game. It is also the game true Borderlands fans have been craving for over a decade. So yes, proving that you can enjoy bad games, Borderlands 4 comes in at number seven.
6. Cast n Chill
Cozy games had a true moment in 2025, and Cast n Chill is the one I fell in love with. Nothing like grabbing your dog, jumping in a boat and heading out on a variety of lakes and rivers to do some fishing. Cast n Chill provides a beautiful background, solid strategy and even records your biggest catch of each type of fish. Check out our review.
5. Split Fiction
This is a 2-player required game, so find a friend to join you in the adventure. From the makers of It Takes Two, this game has a much better story (in my humble opinion). Two writers, one fantasy and the other science fiction, are thrown into their stories. Can they escape and find out what’s happening in the world around them?
4. DOOM: The Dark Ages
The prequel to the DOOM remake has you play as the DOOM Slayer. I found the addition of the shield in the game fun and different as you take on the minions of hell. Very DOOM-esque in all the right ways.
3. Ghost of Yotei
Ghost of Tsushima is easily one of my favorite games of the 2020s, so I was excited for the sequel. The story isn’t as good (it seems like PlayStation only makes revenge stories these days), but the fighting and beautiful world created for the game help land it in my top three.
2. Donkey Kong: Bananza
Who would have thought a game about smashing everything would be so fun? Okay, maybe most people would have. This was a game I occasionally found myself playing for 10 minutes just to relieve stress. It is well designed and an absolute blast to play.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Turned-based RPGs have always been a favorite style of mine since playing Final Fantasy 7. Add in an exquisitely beautiful world, fantastic story, great voice acting and a soundtrack that lingers in your head for days after playing, and you have my top game of the year.
What are your top games of the year? Let us know in the comments, or check out TGL’s top games, as voted on by our subscribers.
