Best Of
10 Best Games of the Year 2025 Candidates
The Game Awards is one of the most anticipated events in the gaming community. After a full year of new releases, remakes, and sequels, fans and critics alike get to vote for the very best. The exciting part is that players also take part in the process. Games with strong stories often stand a better chance, while RPG titles and action-adventure games usually dominate the spotlight. On the other hand, indie titles face tougher competition but sometimes manage to surprise everyone. Here are the 10 best games nominated for Game of the Year 2025.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Here, players are on a quest to stop an evil doctor from relaunching a death egg. It features two characters, where players can either embody one or both. As you progress, you come across enemies who attempt to lay traps on your path. You also encounter inanimate objects like breakable walls, spikes, and water in which you can drown. Moreover, Sonic 3 occurs over six zones divided into two acts. At the end of each level, you take on a boss fight that you have to win to move on. You crush your foes by jumping on them.
9. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
In this turn-based RPG match, players dive into a fantasy world filled with unimaginable horrors. Sam, the main character, is on a mission to save humanity from extinction. He is accompanied by his best allies. You have the choice to perform melee attacks or ranged attacks. The first earns you ability points, which, when accumulated enough, allow you to perform the latter.
Additionally, Expedition 33 has real-time elements. They include time events and timed action during fights. The title requires precision during fights to complete them successfully.
8. Split Fiction
Developers of this match made it specifically for split-screen co-op multiplayer. Hence, the game must be played with other gamers locally or online. You play as one of two impeccable authors who go through a mysterious occurrence that leaves them trapped in their stories. Now, they must work together to escape. The realm they are trapped in is filled with dangerous creatures and other challenges, making survival difficult. However, they have items that help them navigate the forsaken land. The match will have you begging for more thrill and action long after you complete the gameplay.
7. Mario Kart World
Players who enjoy racing games definitely got a kick out of this title. You move through several different locations as one of 50 playable avatars. The areas of navigation include plains, cities, open water, and volcanoes, among others. Other than that, the game includes several modes and supports more players, unlike other matches in the Mario franchise. The avatars can also be customized to fit the player’s personality. Other than that, players also get to pick out options from the available go-karts.
6. Ghost of Yôtei
Long ago, Absu, the protagonist of this match, took on a journey to a spooky land. Grasslands, snowy tundras, and lots of unforeseen threats cover the area. From a third-person perspective, you engage in a non-linear match where you get to choose how you take on this title’s narrative. It centers around sword fighting, stealth, and exploration. Aside from that, Ghost of Yôtei features amazing weather effects such as auroras and rain that add to the immersive experience of the title.
5. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
The game’s narrative unfolds in the beautiful cities of Mexico and Australia. Players explore a vast open land with a mission to deliver packages to a few remaining preppers and survivors. The path you take is difficult to move through. Hence, you must find a way to balance the weight of the cargo your avatar is carrying. However, you get access to vehicles early in the game. That way, you can travel faster. Additionally, you can personalize these cars to improve their performance and suit your playstyle.
4. Grand Theft Auto VI
It’s no surprise that matches in the GTA franchise made their way into the best game of the year candidates. Ever since the series started, it has received praise from fans and critics. In this particular title, you play as a criminal couple fleeing from the state after a failed bank robbery. Now they must do everything they can to protect each other. The game is an action-adventure masterpiece that lets you explore an open world freely. It portrays several themes, including American, media, and political cultures.
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Taking on the role of Hornet, players set out to explore a vast new kingdom brimming with fresh enemies, clever traps, and challenging quests. The game takes the classic Metroidvania foundation and pushes it further, adding smoother and faster-paced combat that feels more fluid than the original. Every move Hornet makes, from dashes to strikes, feels sharp and responsive, giving fights a rhythm that keeps players fully engaged.
Beyond combat, Hollow Knight: Silksong enriches exploration with a new quest system, detailed journals, and an array of useful tools to uncover hidden paths. Nearly instant healing mechanics ensure the action never loses momentum, while side quests expand the world and its lore, giving players more reasons to dive deeper. By building on its predecessor’s strengths while carving out its own identity, Silksong has quickly become one of the year’s most anticipated releases.
2. Ninja Gaiden 4
The title sets its story after the events of its prequel. In a near-future city, a dark force destroyed everything. Under this darkness, the city changes into a cyberpunk-themed environment. That shift makes the game feel more unsettling and scary. However, contrary to other titles in the Garden series, this match introduces a new main character. He uses a unique set of fighting skills. You manipulate your blood and that of your enemies to craft powerful weapons that help you destroy your enemies.
1. Cronos: The New Dawn
Play as a character known as the Traveler, an agent of a powerful organization called the Collective. He navigates a futuristic, forsaken land that suffered an immense catastrophe. As a result, he must go back in time to save a select few individuals who did not survive the deadly event. The New Dawn is a survival horror that features mutated humans as enemies. In it, players use different battle methods, including firearms, to survive attacks. After killing an enemy, you must burn their body to prevent them from reawakening.
