Nexus Hub’s Games of the Year: 2025 Edition

As 2025 comes to a thundering close, we reflect on one of the most jam-packed years of gaming in a very long time. Every month, it seemed like we were getting a new game that defined this generation – from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hades II to Hollow Knight: Silksong and more. As is tradition for Nexus Hub each year, we like to celebrate our favourite games released in the last 12 months with an annual Games of the Year list.

For this year’s edition, apart from hearing the Nexus Hub editorial team’s choices, we’re breaking the mould a bit and naming our Ultimate Game of the Year and an Ultimate Sleeper Hit. The former is decided on the most chosen game from the team’s choices, while the latter has been decided by myself and Nexus Hub’s CEO, Tex Hartog.

We’d also like to use this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holidays and festive season as we close the chapter on the year! We can’t wait to see you next year for more gaming wholesomeness.

So without further delay, let’s dive right into our Games of the Year for 2025.

I played the first Hades a year after its release and immediately got drawn into its immensely satisfying, stylish combat, roguelike design and stunning art. Instead of dipping into Hades II‘s early access, I patiently waited for the 1.0 release, and I’m so glad I did. Hades II is the sequel that other sequels should aspire to be. It takes the base ideas of the first game and not only expands upon them, but carefully refines what worked to perfection. The result is a game that hooked me for over a hundred hours, several runs, and a very deep appreciation for the talent at Supergiant Games.

Much like its predecessor, Hades II advances the story and characters through failure. Resetting and arriving back at the Crossroads meant I got to spend more time with its phenomenal, well-rounded cast of Greek mythology’s best and worst characters as I formulated new strategies. The stunning art direction, incredibly rewarding progression, and stellar writing motivated me to keep going in that “one more run” way. Addictive doesn’t even begin to describe this masterpiece. Also, Melinoë is just an amazing protagonist.

This one isn’t all that surprising considering my long history and love of Giant Squid’s projects. Sword of the Sea is more than just Tony Hawk’s meets Journey, even though that’s pretty much the root of the game’s appeal. It’s a short, sweet and powerful adventure about the natural beauty of the world – a culmination of Giant Squid’s creativity honed over the past decade. As visually awe-inspiring as it is emotionally moving, Sword of the Sea may not be the studio’s best, but it’s the most lovingly-crafted, earnest game I’ve played all year (next to Hades II, of course).

Honourable Mentions: Some honourable mentions I have include Donkey Kong Bananza, which is just an absolute joy to play from beginning to end; Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a notch above the first game and a masterful new Kojima Productions title; Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, the ultimate anti-power fantasy RPG with enough depth to fill an ocean; and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which almost made the cut as my runner-up because I always love me some new Elder Scrolls, jank and all.

Review Excerpt: “Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, like its predecessor, is going to be quite a polarising game for different reasons – and I imagine it will yet again be a very acquired taste – but as unapologetically as it tells its story punctuated by big emotional swings, sharp turns into chaotic goofiness, and absolutely masterful cinematic moments, it refines and sharpens that familiar experience to near perfection, whether it’s your cup of tea or not.

Its focus on character this time makes for very compelling storytelling that’s less about big thrills and more about building those vital connections at the heart of its narrative – but make no mistake, the thrills are amplified too. Kojima Productions has crafted one of the best games of the generation and one of the best sequels ever made.”

Review Excerpt: “Hell is Us’ shortcomings are mostly overshadowed by its strong presentation, bold design choices, rewarding exploration, fascinating world-building, and a story that earns its big revelations. However, it won’t cater to every player’s taste as many could see its bold design as tedious or slow at times, and understandably so. If you’re looking for a new, highly immersive adventure that keeps you guessing until the end, you’ll find a lot to love about Hell is Us.”

Perhaps an odd pick as it arrived in late 2024 and was out of contention for so many rewards. As it arrived on PS5 this year, however, I thought it was time to give Indiana Jones and The Great Circle the credit it deserves as both an excellent movie-to-videogame adaptation and a rare game that is simply fun to play – irrespective of whether you’re soaking in the gorgeous visuals, solving puzzles, platforming around ancient tombs, or bludgeoning Nazi’s from behind with a frying pan.

As a first-person adventure with a strong focus on stealth during the first half, it’ll likely remain a niche game, but there’s so much other developers can learn from MachineGames’ effort. Indiana Jones and The Great Circle fits perfectly within the movie timeline, both aesthetically and thematically. The hybrid gameplay offers players several approaches to every encounter, but is still flexible enough that your can muddle your way through. The adventure moves at a brisk pace but still feels suitably epic as you traverse the globe.

A surprise hit for me this year was 11 Bit Studios’ The Alters. A sci-fi survival-puzzler with base building that asks the unexpectedly deep question: what would you do if literally faced with the branching possibilities of all the choices you never made? A large part of the day-by-day gameplay is the typical survival-game challenge of optimising time to find resources, research new technology, and upgrade your mobile base to stay ahead of a lethal radiation storm. What makes The Alters special is that your growing crew are all clones from a branching timeline of the protagonist’s life.

Other “Jans” made different life choices, experienced different struggles, yet ultimately end up on the same intergalactic voyage gone wrong. The different personalities clash, they make bonds through shared experiences, and keeping them alive feels far more important than generic crew members. It helps that the third-person exploration and puzzling are decent fun – though it is, ultimately, a survival game that rewards those who enjoy working in multi-layered menus and optimising their time.

Honourable Mentions: One of the more memorable games of 2025 – albeit not for the gameplay – was Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight; I’ve not played a game since 2021’s Narita Boy that felt completely reliant on the soundtrack to carry the experience. I also thought Avowed was a great fantasy RPG that had hints of Skyrim, The Outer Worlds, and even some Dishonored within its DNA. Meanwhile, The Outer Worlds 2 was perhaps more indebted to Avowed than its predecessor, robbing it of some of its individually. That said, I enjoy Obsidian RPGs but appreciate not everyone enjoys the rigid formula they’ve stuck to for some time.

I also feel in another year with so many incredible indies (that’ll end up overshadowed by one or two), it’s worth highlighting the budget, Arthurian, Skyrim-alike, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, which has been massively patched and improved since launch. It’s also been another year of excellent “cosy-horror” titles: think survival-horror games that ditch the usual gore and terror for more thoughtful stories that blend tension with heartfelt moments. Good examples include the belated console release of My Friendly Neighborhood or the more recent Heartworm.

As I sat down to formally lock in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as my game of the year, I felt a little bit of hesitation. The narrative surrounding this title has taken a few wild turns since March, with it landing in a weird space after last week’s Game Awards – and to an extent, I can understand why. But when I pondered whether that should take away from the enjoyment this game gave me, I realized that the answer was… absolutely not.

My peers here at the Nexus Hub will know of my comical hatred for turn-based games, which makes this all the more special to me. As soon as my Sekiro-loving self saw the parry system, I thought there was a chance I could make this work, and work it did. Couple that addictive gameplay with the now-inflamously gorgeous soundtrack, storyline, and sheer wonder and scope of this unlikely game, and you have something truly special. This game made me laugh, cry, and everything in between, all while the hours flew by without notice. I’ve played through to 100% twice already, and I can see myself coming back for more to keep scratching that itch until Sandfall graces us with whatever comes next.

The game that I would’ve pegged as my GOTY if the French didn’t come and upset the balance of things. I’ve annoyed everyone in my life about Hollow Knight over the past few years; heck, I queued for hours just to play the Silksong demo for 10 minutes at Gamescom, so you know the obsession is real. I don’t think I need to go over all the things this game does right (Christopher Larkin you absolute beauty), so instead I’ll touch on the couple of things that saw it fall to second place, at least for now.

First of all, while I absolutely admire the increased scope and ambition in Silksong, I think getting The Infection 2.0 in the form of The Haunting was a little… underwhelming to me at first. Yes, the journey was still incredible, but I thought Team Cherry could’ve swung in a new direction to differentiate this entry a little more from the OG. The second issue I had is that, well, I’m just not particularly great at the game. While I did reach 100% completion, it wasn’t without moments of immense frustration and exhaustion. Is that a me problem? Yes! Did it affect how I felt at the end of the day? Still yes!

I look forward to jumping back into Silksong one day, very eagerly in fact, but I can see myself skipping over a boss or three, which is something I’ve never done in my numerous replays of Hollow Knight.

Side note: Dispatch very nearly made it to spot #2 (play Dispatch!!!) and Death Stranding 2 was a treat. I have yet to play Hades II and Lies of P: Overture, so there’s a good chance they could’ve made an appearance here, too. We’re drowning in good games, man. What a time to be alive.

As someone who typically derives most of their gaming joy from peering back into the past (as opposed to turning towards the future with a glassy-eyed stare, mouth agape), very few titles I bothered to check out this year managed to elicit as big of a positive reaction from me as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (also, I just never really played many of 2025’s heavy hitters). A very pretty re-release of a nineteen-year-old game (DLC included) is right up my alley, and Oblivion has always held a special place in my heart.

And the folks over at Bethesda/Virtuos were even kind enough to leave all the wonderfully nostalgic bugs and performance issues intact – ensuring the remaster serves as a completely authentic experience, just the way little me remembers it. What more could a fan ask for?

Review Excerpt: “When all is said and done, it’s the moments between the gunfights and high-speed chase sequences that shine the most in Mafia: The Old Country (even though those are usually a good time, to be sure). It’s the setting, the cinematic storytelling, the dramatic plot developments, and the excellent characters that truly make this a worthy return to form for the Mafia series after a slightly disjointed third entry – one fans will very much enjoy diving into.”

2025 has seen some real gems come out with games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Hollow Knight: Silksong making headlines. Hollow Knight: Silksong is my GOTY because this is a game that had immense hype to live up to and oh my word did it deliver on every expectation and more. Travelling through Pharloom certainly was an adventure – an adventure filled with danger and tonnes of tonnes of dying but it was amazing!

Team Cherry really outdid themselves with Hollow Knight: Silksong and if you’re able to get to grips with the game’s intense learning curve and difficulty, you’ll be in for a treat here. Give the game a try for yourself if you can and you’ll see what I mean. It’s pure, unadulterated 2D platforming action-adventure goodness and I highly recommend playing it.

Elden Ring Nightreign might be a game that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re a fan of “Soulslike” games and roguelike games, this one will definitely appeal to you. I wrote a whole massive review for this earlier in the year and the game has only improved upon itself since release. There have quite a few patches and more recently a DLC that added quite a bit of content to the game. Check out my original review here if you want to read my thoughts on why this is a “Must-Play” title for 2025.

Nightreign is definitely worthy of the Runner-Up GOTY spot and it’s a game that I honestly did not expect to be so fun to play. I’ve sunk dozens of hours into this and I’m probably going to spend even more time with it thanks to the Forsaken Hollows paid DLC. The clutch plays, the emphasis on teamwork and the sheer will to survive in the face of insurmountable odds is what will keep you hooked here.

To say that the first game and I were not on good terms is an understatement. But its sequel sits firmly in my heart as not only my GOTY 2025 but also as one of my favourite RPGs to date. Warhorse delivered a world so accurate yet so fantastical, that I was whimsically whisked away into becoming a master swordsman, blacksmith, and diplomat – not too mention getting stinking rich off every poor sod who didn’t bother to nail down their belongings. It was just a good ol’ romp through the medieval countryside and I loved every minute of it.

I lived to see Assassin’s Creed in Japan, okay, don’t take this away from me. Yes, there were flaws – some fatal, particularly on the “Assassins” part but again, fun romp through a beautiful world and while you didn’t have to, I enjoyed the feeling of being a Shinobi (loose sense of the word). That said, I still feel like it was a much closer representation of what Assassin’s Creed used to be and feel like thanks to Naoe, albeit with some heavy caveats. Sometimes it’s enough to say “I had fun and I liked this thing” and that’s what this was – fun.

Although it may have arrived too late to get the appreciation it deserved at The Game Awards, Dispatch was a return to form in a genre that has, once again, proven how much potential it really has. The story is well-written and the characters are all memorable, the addictive gameplay and gripping story are a perfect combination for a well-spent gaming marathon.

It’s hard not to pick this as game of the year, the drama, the cinema, the first of many to follow in it’s footsteps. Reimagining the JRPG formula for a modern audience. The music is epic, the humour is delightful and it’s going to be a game that we speak of for many (console) generations. However epic it is, the ultimate goal for a game is to entertain – and no one did that better than Dispatch.

Honourable Mention: Fellowship isn’t likely to get the same media attention our previous titles have enjoyed – its a “kinda-MMO” that revels in the areas that modern MMO’s are most successful for today: the ability to connect, loot grind and feel powerful. It does one thing special that is hard to come by and earns its praise, it respects your time whilst rewarding your effort. In may ways the trend of 2025 was making old-school cool again. Perhaps Fellowship is a niche choice, but it’s best in class at what it does.

Random Steam Review Excerpt: “You can pet the frog.”

Review Excerpt: “Ninja Gaiden 4 is at its best when the combat takes centre stage, delivering an incredibly fast-paced, challenging, and immensely rewarding adventure – and a worthy new Ninja Gaiden game to punish you. PlatinumGames’ contributions to the action are certainly felt and the game really shines when you begin to master its more complex systems. Underwhelming level design, weak writing, and a dragged out pace does dampen the experience somewhat, but the action is so damn good, you probably wouldn’t mind its few missteps.”

Random Steam Review Excerpt: “My body is a machine that turns puzzle game into schizophrenic notes and theories that go nowhere. (Recommended)”

Random Steam Review Excerpt: “Chronos, I’ve come to bargain.”

And now, drum roll, please…

Read our full review of Hades II here.

Nexus Hub’s Sleeper Hit of 2025

Read our full review of Hell is Us here.