POLL: What Was the Best Video Game of 2025?

You have to admit that 2025 was a great year for video games. Not only did we get new installments from some long-dormant franchises and many impressive indie titles that punched way above their weight, but we also saw the long-awaited release of the Switch 2. Last year, major studios delivered ambitious projects, smaller teams took creative risks that paid off, and players were given plenty of reasons to neglect their backlogs.

Now that we’ve started a new year, it’s time to decide which of the many heavy hitters from 2025 was the best.

Vote for Your Favorite 2025 Video Game

Which video game from 2025 is your favorite? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know which video game deserves the title of Best Video Game of 2025! It wasn’t easy to narrow down the list amidst all 2025 had to offer, but here are our nominees:

And just for fun, let’s see which 2025 video game viewers dislike the most. Vote for your least favorite below:

If you still haven’t decided or have played so many video games that you’ve forgotten all the details, here’s a brief refresher on our contenders:

Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages; image credit: Bethesda Softworks

The Doom series has always been a paragon of first-person shooters, but Doom: The Dark Ages swapped out its regular sci-fi setting for a brutal, medieval-style environment. Accompanied by a killer heavy-metal soundtrack, the game delivers on the action and fast-paced aggression that made the series a hit while still offering a fresh experience.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; image credit: Kepler Interactive Unlimited

Sandfall Interactive came seemingly out of nowhere to deliver this turn-based RPG with a well-written and emotional storyline, and it quickly became one of the biggest hits of the year. With its striking visuals, the world feels surreal without becoming confusing, and the soundtrack and art direction work together to create a strong, polished atmosphere. Lauded for its gameplay, this title rewards players for exploring new strategies, making it a rare example of a story-heavy RPG that excels in its mechanics as well.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II; image credit: Deep Silver

After the success of the first game, Warhorse Studios took us back to medieval times for another history lesson on a massive scale. The setting, a city called Kuttenberg, feels like a real, living place where you will have to toil away in the fields daily (and probably get thrown in jail for stealing bread). While the combat remains challenging, it was much more refined this time around, cementing Kingdom Come: Deliverance II as the ultimate role-playing experience for history buffs.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza; image credit: Nintendo

After seven years, everyone’s favorite barrel-slinging ape finally returned in a standalone installment! This wild, underground adventure introduced a new smashing mechanic, allowing players to break through walls and create their own paths through the lush, 3D environment. The game received great reviews for its gameplay, puzzles, vertical world design, and expressive animations, making it a successful launch-year title for the Switch 2, which has had a relatively slow lineup of original releases so far.

Split Fiction

Split Fiction; image credit: Electronic Arts (EA)

In a world where couch co-op is hanging on by a thread, Hazelight Studios is our saving grace. Following the success of their previous title, It Takes Two, Split Fiction was yet another title where cooperation is the gameplay. The story involves two writers who specialize in very different genres and are catapulted into simulations of their respective creations. The whiplash of switching between sci-fi and fantasy, along with the constantly changing gameplay mechanics, keeps the game interesting and makes for a unique, sometimes chaotic experience with a friend.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong; image credit: Team Cherry

After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived, and more importantly, somehow lived up to the impossible hype. Our new protagonist, Hornet, is faster and more acrobatic than the Knight, making her journey through the dangerous, vertical kingdom of Pharloom a fresh experience from the first installment, albeit still unapologetically difficult. The boss fights still demand precision, persistence, and careful study, while exploration remains rewarding, making every inch of progress feel earned. All things said, critics seem to agree that this game was well worth the wait.

Ghost of Yōtei

Ghost of Yōtei; image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sucker Punch took us away from Tsushima and dropped us into the snows of 1603 to play as Atsu, a wanderer with a totally different vibe from Jin Sakai. The addition of 17th-century matchlock rifles and the shamisen adds a fun new twist to the combat, while the massive Mount Yōtei looming in the distance of every shot entices you to explore every corner of the map. With its vibrant color story, signature wind mechanics, and incredible graphics, it remains one of the most beautiful open worlds of 2025.

Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6; image credit: Electronic Arts (EA)

After a few flops, Battlefield Studios went back to basics by ditching hero systems and wacky gadgets in favor of some old reliables: soldiers, tanks, and massive explosions. Large-scale destruction is back, giving players the option to level entire buildings to change the dynamics of a match, while the modern setting fits the gameplay perfectly. It feels like the chaos and fun of Battlefield 3 and 4, but brought into the modern gaming era, offering the series the redemption arc it desperately needed.

Arc Raiders

Arc Raiders; image credit: Embark Studios

Blending co-op gameplay with good pacing, Embark Studios dropped us into a retro-futuristic world ruled by killer machines for a tense extraction shooter where the stakes are always high. Players scramble to scavenge for loot while dodging massive robots, with good variation among enemy encounters. The game was also applauded for its physics engine, which lets players use gravity creatively against each other, making it difficult yet rewarding when you manage to escape with a backpack full of loot.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds; image credit: Capcom

Monster Hunter Wilds pushed the series forward by nixing the loading screens and adding a dynamic weather system that can change the setting in an instant. As a result, preparation still matters, but exploration feels more organic and less segmented. With punchy weapons and a new focus mode for targeting weak spots, combat remains demanding yet satisfying, making the game accessible to new players without completely alienating longtime fans.

Dune: Awakening

Dune: Awakening; image credit: Funcom

Dune: Awakening somehow captured the spirit of its infamously dense source material and seamlessly turned it into a survival MMO. Funcom recreated Arrakis perfectly, crafting a surprisingly fun gameplay setting where you must watch your water levels constantly while fighting for spice. The sandworms are terrifying obstacles that can swallow you whole, and the politics between player factions give the game excellent replay value.

Dispatch

Dispatch; image credit: AdHoc Studio

As the biggest surprise of the year, AdHoc Studio made a game about superheroes in which you play as the stressed dispatcher at the call center rather than the hero. You have to manage resources and calm panicked civilians while dealing with the supers’ egos, resulting in a hilarious workplace comedy with a dark twist. The writing is sharp, and the voice acting is top-tier, making it weird, wonderful, and totally unique. Additionally, the outcome of the game is entirely dependent on your choices, meaning it’s well worth the replay!

Hades II

Hades II; image credit: Supergiant Games

Supergiant Games accomplished the impossible by making a sequel that feels every bit as fresh and addictive as the original. Our new protagonist, Melinoë, offers a completely different gameplay loop experience thanks to her witchcraft and casting abilities. Additionally, the expanded world and high-stakes war against Chronos provide a perfect narrative hook that kept some of us saying “one more run” a bit further into the night than we’d like to admit.

Now that we’ve jogged your memory, head back up to the poll, and let your voice be heard! Which of these video games deserves to take home the trophy for Best Game of 2025?

See more: