The Totally-Not-Made-Up DearGamers GOTYee Awards – 2025
Here at DearGamers, we are all about celebrating video games. I love games, you love games, we love games, he/she/it/they love them games – why else would we be here?
And this year, we’re even adding to our celebration – not only did we host our first ever community-voted GOTY award, but joining Michaela and Jason for the 2025 GOTYees is Andrew who’s been helping out with a lot of our graphics!
We’re still taking things super seriously though, so to make sure we are powerscaling our enjoyment of games effectively and definitively documenting the most bestest of best games as dictated by us, the arbiters of peak gaming quality, we are continuing the tradition of the DearGamers Game of the Year awards.
SO.
Here are your 2025 DG GOTYee award winners, presented by Manchego (aka Manny) the GOTYee Goat. Join us in celebrating some truly amazing (and seriously deserving) games:
MICHAELA’S PICKS
2nd Annual Most Dangerous Game I've Ever Played Award
Some games are amazing. Some are dangerous. Some are amazingly dangerous. For the second year in a row, this award goes to the game that EARNS the status of video game crack.
Winner: Blue Prince
Last year’s winner was Balatro and I fell deep, deep into that card-based hole. But this year, the game that shocked me, gripped me, and would NOT let the hell go was Blue Prince. I’m picky about roguelites. I don’t play a lot of puzzle games. I average 1-2 first person games every five years. So what the hell was I doing playing this game? Recovering from Expedition 33 that’s what. In a not-so-good way, this game pulled on every OCD trigger I have. But in a very, very good way, it created an experience that is truly unlike any other I’ve ever seen in gaming. Approach with caution, but this is a gaming sickness you might wanna catch.
3rd Annual Squenix Pixel Art Wet Dream Award
Squenix may fear the onset of pixel art fatigue, but I ain’t seeing it and so long as they keep making games that qualify for this category, I’mma keep handing out this award. Same as last year, this is our site – and no one can stop me!
Winner(s): Dragon Quest I&II HD2D; Octopath Traveler 0
Previous winners of this award were Octopath Traveler II in 2023 with an honorable mention to Star Ocean: The Second Story R and Dragon Quest III HD2D in 2024. Welp. Guess what. This year’s winner is Dragon Quest I&II HD2D with an honorable mention to Octopath Traveler 0 (taking the HM here since 1. I haven’t remotely finished it yet and 2. The visual presentation doesn’t quite match OTII’s). But if you’re sensing a pattern here, you’re damn right. Octopath and Dragon Quest continue to be some of the prettiest games in the universe and I’ll say it again – WITH THE SEXIEST WATER IN GAMING. Bring on The Adventures of Elliot next year, I’m looking forward to the 4th annual award in this category!
Best "OOH! Piece of Candy..." (A Jason Marshall Brand*TM)
Open world games. To some, they’re a vast, sprawling adventure of a lifetime. To others, they’re your OCD’s worst nightmare with checklists for days. But the best-in-class open worlds manage to walk the fine line of- oh hey look a squirrel!
Winner: Ghost of Yotei
Cribbing a phrase from my DearGamers cofounder for this one, Yotei might be the best open world piece-of-candy game I’ve ever played. The sense of discovery feels wonderfully organic with how you find things to interact with and follow down story trails that make the whole game world come to life. Atsu’s personal journey even surpassed that of her predecessor’s for me in the end, and the idea of “following the wind” has been even further refined in this new Sucker Punch sequel. Did it take me over a dozen hours to even budge the story after the opening scenes? Yup. But did I come to appreciate everything I found along the way? Even bigger YUP.
Best "Wheeeee!" 😄 AND Best "Whooooo..." 😭
Really good stories blend comedy and tragedy in ways that are both wonderfully whacky and heart-wrenchingly sad. Great stories stick with us long after we’ve finished and left them behind. But the best stories have Esquie.
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Consider this my GOTY award. Few games affect me emotionally the way that this one did. Honestly, the two names that come to mind for comparison are Final Fantasy X and Nier – and if you read my top 10 JRPGs of all time, you know what weight those words carry. Coming into 2025, E33 was by FAR my most anticipated game, and my god did it deliver. I knew I would be instantly addicted to the hybrid turn-based combat with real-time action and parries. That’s my JRPG kryptonite. But what I didn’t anticipate was just how INCREDIBLE the writing would be. These characters, this world, this story – it really is a phenomenally realized vision of art and sound and color and LIFE all screaming the human experience straight into my gamer soul.
Also, since this game is no stranger to sweeping multiple categories – here are all the other awards it’s taking home today –
E33 Awards Roundup:
Best Baguettes
Best Mimes
Best Platforming
Best Swimwear
Best Feet
Best Damage Numbers Go Brrrrrr
Best Omelette Du Gommage
…again, if I haven't made it clear yet this is my GOTY
Best "Yes You CAN Start Here" Award
Classic series are beloved by their fanbases, stretching back through decades of releases and spin-offs and re-releases and even re-re-releases. So, for the newcomer – the fan-to-be – the eternal question is: Can I start [here]? And this game screams YES. DO IT NOW.
Winner: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Trails has one of the best groups of fans I think I’ve ever found. And last year, I finally dipped my toe into those waters (officially, after a false start some 6-7 years prior) when I beat Trails Through Daybreak. But now with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, THIS is one of the most definitive entry points I’ve ever seen in a long-running JRPG series. Not only is it the beginning of the story remade with Falcom’s modern gameplay systems and game engine, it’s also officially my Most Accessible JRPG of 2025. You can check my accessibility review for the receipts, but this truly is a game I can and will recommend wholeheartedly.
Best Beef
Some games are an appetizer. Some are a main course meal. And some also have that sauce. This award goes to the game with the biggest, bestest Beef served up all year.
Winner: Dispatch
You may think that Dispatch is *just* the best episodic game of the year. *Just* the game to serve up the Telltale revival many of us have been hoping for all generation long. *Just* the coolest looking not-so-Superhero narrative adventure that had the community posting and talking and “what did you choose”-ing every week a new batch of episodes dropped. But no – it’ s not *just* all that. It’s also the game with the single best Beef I’ve ever seen. That's all, I'll be taking no further questions at this time. If you played, you know. And if you didn't play, maybe fix that.
Best French Fries
Some days we crave something sweet. Others, we need a full course 5-star meal. But then there are those days when we just want some good ole McDonald’s fries. And the winner of this award definitely served up some salty golden goodness.
Winner: Pokémon Legends ZA
Fries: at their core, they’re just a transformed potato wedge. They can be shoestringed or steak-cut or curlicued or even waffled. They can be garlicky or spicy or cheesy or even just classic with heaping helpings of salt and oil. Are they the best food on the planet? No. They certainly aren’t the healthiest. But sometimes, you just gotta feed the soul a bit and indulge in the comfort of a fast-food delicacy that is a classic for a reason. We can talk about how to make better choices and elevate our cuisine on another day. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about in what was seemingly a video game awards post up til now, don’t worry about it.
*Disclaimer: Please do not deep fry your Pokémon. Dear Gamers is not responsible for any damages, loss, or emotional harm that may result from the attempt.
Best Mom-Approved Game
Some Moms are gamers. But mine is not… yet. We’re working on that – and this award goes to this year’s biggest gaming success with Momma Maude.
Winner: Balatro
Not a 2025 game, not a problem. This winner DESERVES its spot in the 2025 GOTYees. This year has been tough for many reasons – which makes me all the more grateful that I started trying to get my mom into gaming with me. We have a weekly (ish) Tuesday dinner where I cook and we watch something together – but this year I started mixing in some gaming too. And by far the biggest hit was Balatro. Cards are a familiar concept, plus the game has simple controls (no cameras or characters on screen to worry about) that lets her learn how to use a controller. And while it’s single player, I can still coach/backseat to make it a co-op-like game for us. Balatro was the perfect way to start this experiment, and I hope to keep it going in 2026!
Best Ninja(s)
Ninjas are COOL and 2025 was full of them – especially with some absolutely classic IP revivals coming from unexpected dev teams. But now we have to answer the question: which are the best ninjas of all?
Winner: Shinobi Art of Gaiden Ragebound
We kind of already spoiled this one in our “Ninja Gaiden vs. Shinobi: Year of the Ninja SHOWDOWN” article earlier this year, but the answer is BOTH! BOTH WIN! (Although if anyone is counting, Shinobi did take home one more category in that head-to-head comparison… but here at Dear Gamers, we make up our own math so deal with it!) Two indie teams in The Game Kitchen and Lizardcube each brought back some absolutely classic IPs with Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and Shinobi Art of Vengeance respectively. These games are fast, twitchy, satisfying action platformers with stellar art styles and standout soundtracks too. Play them. Play them both. And thank me later.
Best... Cozy? Game
Cozy gaming has been on the rise, especially in the last five years. From being its own genre to blending into others like the new flavor of “RPG elements,” cozy is here to stay. This year’s winner is the coziest game I played… I think?
Winner: Wanderstop
Okay real talk: I’m still not sure I’ve ever played a “cozy” game. Yes, on the surface Wanderstop is a game about taking it easy in this little storybook hideaway. It’s a tea shop management and gardening sim tucked away in a cozy woodland grove… but also maybe an existential crisis amidst panic attacks brought about by the main character’s struggle with burnout. The game ultimately achieves a sense of catharsis with lots of funny but also solemn character moments along the way, but since I can’t decide if what I played was truly cozy or not – I’ll let one of the characters call the final verdict on this one:
Dirk Warhard had never seen a cozy game before. In fact, Dirk Warhard had never felt cozy a day in his life. He lived too on the edge for such safe, simple pleasures. So no, Dirk Warhard would never think to play a cozy game. But Dirk Warhard could also never turn down a challenge. So instead, he will BECOME the cozy game. That’s what Dirk Warhard would decide.
Best... Stealth? Game
Now you see me, now you don’t – and I know you don’t because your vision cone says so. Sneaking, sniping, or sleuthing – stealth can be a lot of fun so this award goes to the best… wait is this one actually a stealth game? Who’s deciding these awards?!
Winner: Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
Eriksholm is one of my favorite surprise hits of the year. A couple YouTube previews put it on my radar, but it was really BlueSky friends that sold me on diving in this summer. And what I found was not so much a pure stealth game as advertised on the tin, but rather a puzzle game where the gimmick is stealth. You aren’t some super soldier sneaking around that can shoot your way out of a bad situation when breaking cover. Rather, there are one or two set solutions to each dioramic puzzle box that require you to tip toe your way through tense scenarios at each stage of this gorgeously rendered hidden gem that thematically evoked Plague Tale vibes for me.
Sound Bite of the Year
How many OOH BANANAS would a DK OOH BANANA if a DK could OOOOOOOOOH BA NA NAAA?
Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza
Something, something first new Donkey Kong game in years something, something N64 something, something best Switch 2 exclusive something, something OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BANANA. In all seriousness, this 3D smashformer was wonderfully more accessible than I would have anticipated and even turned out to be Boomer-proofed enough for my non-gamer mom to play through the intro. You can check the review if that sentence threw you for a loop but otherwise, all you need to know about how fun this game is – OOOOOOOH BA NA NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. (Sorry not sorry to all those whose kids and/or fully grown adult partners were repeating this sound for the entire summer.)
The Ben Starr Award. MAN HAS BEEN IN HALF A DOZEN 2025 GAMES
This award goes to the best Ben Starr that ever Ben Starred in games with Ben Starr. An international treasure, a budding industry icon, a staunch FFVIII defender, and a walking meme generator, this man deserves his own award because he is putting in WORK.
Winner(s): Ben Starr in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Hades II, Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Dead Take, Date Everything, & The First Berserker: Khazan
Even Manny was honored to share his GOTYee award duties with Ben Starr
Ever since his breakout role as Clive in FFXVI, Ben Starr has been a rising… well star. But it’s not just one smash hit or lucky break – the man WORKS and WORKS HARD. He was in SIX GAMES THAT RELEASED THIS YEAR ALONE. And he KILLS IT IN EVERY PERFORMANCE. But even outside of the booth, Ben is doing amazing things for this industry. He’s a massive personality that helps put everything from low visibility indies to big AAA blockbusters in front of wide audiences. He’s constantly touring and interviewing and podcasting. He’s incredibly supportive of his video game acting peers and has even talked about how he’s worked closely with devs like Sandfall to offer insights into the creative pipeline. This man is a gamer heart and soul, and that resonates with us nerds at home, so this is our way or recognizing his incredible work and passion.
The Best Game I STILL Won't Shut Up About
Some games are good. Like really really good. Or actually pretty great. So great that they become your entire personality, and now YOU are associated with that game by a bunch of your friends and/or people who couldn’t make you go away. This is one of those games.
Winner: Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Even as recently as my own review for Ender Magnolia, I said that I’m not *that* big of a metroidvania fan. But what I’ve come to realize in 2025 is: that I actually am. And I can pinpoint where that shift started: it was with Ender Lilies in 2021. It immediately became my favorite metroidvania and even one of my favorite indie games of all time. So I was excited for the sequel, but not sure it could one-up that initial love by being “just more Ender Lilies.” But then it hit 1.0 and I started playing it… and I knew. This would be one of my top 3 games of the year. I was still new ish to BlueSky, but I was posting daily – HEY GUYS. MORE ENDER SPAM TODAY. HAVE YOU PLAYED ENDER YET? THIS ENDER THING IS REALLY GREAT. BTW I LOVE ENDER. So in case you haven’t already… PLAY ENDER.
The Best Game I Totally Stopped Playing When I Said I Would...
Most games, you hit the credits and that’s that. You enjoyed the journey; you’ll remember it fondly. You’ll maybe even talk about replaying it someday. And then other games grab your soul so hard that credits is not the end for you, whether you say it is or not…
Winner: Hades II
When I hit credits at the “end” of Hades II, I posted something about stopping there so as not to burn out on the roguelite loop of run, die, and repeat after dozens of dungeon delves, crushing defeats, and satisfying victories. And I have to admit: I was a dirty liar. I don’t think I even made it 24 hours before I booted the game back up again and went for just one more run to see what the post credits end game was like. Except that’s also a lie because it was NOT, in fact, one more run. It was a bunch more runs until I completed the full story and achieved the game’s TRUE ending. And man am I glad I did – I found a story moment of true catharsis that made the experience “whole” to me and I will never, ever forget it. Supergiant is still my favorite indie dev of all time for a damn good reason.
The Best Game that Nobody Nowhere Else Played...
The name of this one is pretty self-explanatory – this award goes to the most hidden of hidden gems I played this year. Is it the best indie darling out there? No, but does it deserve to be on more radars? Absolutely.
Winner: Nobody Nowhere
Some games are more than just the games themselves. Sometimes they’re the experience you had around them. For me, I’d heard of Nobody Nowhere from one single outlet that covers a bunch of indies (shout out to NoisyPixel) and had a passing interest in trying it out. It’s a short, three-ish hour sidescrolling narrative adventure with a pretty art style and even some NieR-ish style themes. So, when I woke up at my usual ass-crack-of-dawn o’clock one Saturday morning, I decided NOT to do my usual and head straight to the gym. Instead, I made a cup of tea, downloaded Nobody Nowhere, played through the whole three hours, and had a wonderful game beaten before breakfast. It was a magical Saturday morning gaming memory, and one I won’t soon forget.
The Best Game to Christen my Steam Deck with
If you’re like me, you tend to remember your first new game on a new gaming device. Especially if that game turns out to be an absolute BANGER.
Winner: The Drifter
There have been a handful of PC-only indies this year that I’ve been dying to play – and The Drifter was one of them. And when I finally caved and bought my console scrub ass a shiny new Steam Deck, a very thoughtful friend gifted me two such games: Quartet and The Drifter. I was already committed to Octopath for my current JRPG fix, so to break in my Deck I fired up The Drifter. And when I tell you it was the most thrilling and consistently gripping point and click adventure I have ever played, I absolutely mean it. Even if I got stuck on an obtuse puzzle here and there, the pacing and intrigue of each narrative beat never let up so I was wholly seated from beginning to end. This game has officially set a new bar for the genre for me; one that I don’t think will be surpassed any time soon.
The DLC that Finally Broke my GOTY Rules
If it’s good enough for Geoff’s show, then it’s good enough for whatever this circus is! Never before have I ever considered a DLC for one of my top 10 GOTY contenders… that is until now.
Winner: Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
I am notoriously bad about going back to play DLCs. If I play a game at launch, even if I really enjoyed it, I generally won’t fire it back up for subsequent DLCs. Forgotten mechanics, hazy story details, other shiny new games to play… the excuses are many and varied. But sometimes, I make an exception. And wow, was Sea of Stars a worthy exception. It was already one of my favorite indies and even favorite JRPGs of all time (yes, I know where it was made. Check my top 10 JRPGs list if you wanna argue about it), but this DLC was made with love and magic and all the special sauce in the world. Everything from the additional character development and new gameplay twists to classic JRPG references and small details like updated idle animations made me fall head over heels all over again. If there’s one DLC I insist people play this year, it’s this one (…and did I mention it’s FREE?!).
JASON’S PICKS
How Long Will this Break from the Game Last This Time
I think Geoff Keighley calls this award the best ongoing game or something.
Winner: World of Warcraft
I started playing World of Warcraft around 2006-2007. By 2012-ish (during Mists of Pandaria), I had full-time raided (we’re talking SPREADSHEETS). I then quit (it was a combination of having just started dating my wife and I was getting tired of “having to log-on.”). I returned in early 2019 (I played other MMOs but nothing clicked) and then COVID hit and work from home allowed for more gaming (it’s amazing how much time you have when you don’t have to commute/prepare lunch/etc.). I managed to return and be a “filthy casual” but took another break because of the games I was missing out on elsewhere. I built my current PC in 2023 and, of course, I HAD to try my favorite obsession of nearly 2 decades again. I quit cold turkey 2 years later (this past June). WoW has never let me down in terms of content to experience but there is literally not enough time (even if it was my job to play) to experience it all AND all of the other games I love. Goodbye…for now.
Who Knew the Steam Curator Page Could Provide One of the Best Metroidvania Experiences
If you post enough reviews on Steam, you can become a curator. Developers can send codes your way and you get to do more reviews. Beggars can’t be choosers (well, technically, you can decline) but sometimes, a code appears that may be just what you are looking for.
Winner: Super Roboy
I’m a sucker for hand drawn art. When it comes to life in a game, it just looks incredible. Couple that with a quality Metroidvania, and you have the recipe for a killer game. Now, Super Roboy did not garner the attention of another game in this genre but it is worth every cent.
Most Addicting/Satisfying Game to Turn Your Brain Off that I Reviewed it on 2 Different Systems
Ever since Vampire Survivors, the survivor-like genre is around every corner. Many games are just VS in a different skin though. They look different but beyond a couple hours of gameplay, it really is the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, it is always satisfying to mow down waves of enemies like a hot knife through butter. Sometimes, you find a game that is more than just a clone. Sometimes, lightning strikes twice.
Winner: Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel
Vikings are badass. Always have been, always will be. Jotunnslayer scratched that Vampire Survivors itch but having that Norse mythology as the driver pushed it past the pack. Early Access (at the time of the review) still had a fair amount of content. The 1.0 release nearly doubled it and new content was added on top of that a month later with more coming soon.
Literally One More Run Game
Without a doubt, roguelite/like is my favorite genre. I talk about the “one more run” mechanic that can make or break the game. Imagine that; I discovered a “one more run” game that has a central mechanic of running.
Winner: Haste
The entire premise of Haste is outrunning the universe collapsing. Every level, you run as fast as possible to reach an “exit” so that you can have “one more run.” Sure, the game is a bit deeper than just that but, on the surface level, it is run, fail, run again. If the name was not a giveaway, these runs are FAST which leads to edge of your seat close calls and truly fantastic, cannot look away, train crashes. It truly captures the essence of “one more run.”
In Hindsight, the Worst Release Date for One of 2025's Best Games
All that hard work in making your game the best it possibly can be only for it to be overshadowed because you happened to release it around the same time as a game no one knew would take home almost every award is a real kick in the face.
Winner: Blue Prince
We usually know when Call of Duty will release. Regardless of your opinion of the game, it is almost always a top seller. Same goes for Madden. GTA VI has a release date (for now) and releasing anything else that date would probably not be the wisest decision. Blue Prince released on April 10, 2025. Nothing else of note released on April 10, 2025. For nearly two weeks, Blue Prince was suddenly GOTY for many people. It seemingly came out of nowhere. Then April 24, 2025 happened and Clair Obcsur: Expedition 33 stole GOTY and never let go. No, I don’t think if CO: E33 released a month later it would have made a difference. It was just crazy how Blue Prince was on the shortlist and only returned to the mainstream conversation when award season came back around. No one could have predicted those release dates BUT people may move away from Sandfall’s next title the way some indies stepped aside from Silksong later in the year.
The Most Obnoxious Robot since GLaDOS
The Portal games are fun but the big takeaway is what an ass GLaDOS is to you for the duration. You hate it but Portal is not the same without GLaDOS. At least GLaDOS made it clear where it stood.
Winner: Revenge of the Savage Planet
First off, Revenge of the Savage Planet is a hidden gem in 2025. Can a sequel to a hidden gem also be a hidden gem?? Second, your robot “friend” is such a dick! Eko may appear to be an adorable robot but then it starts talking. Anything remotely sounding like a compliment is completely backhanded. Your character just got fired from their job AND still has to deal with this jerk. On the other hand, your character is taking the abuse, not you, and the dialogue is HILARIOUS. Come for the gameplay, stay for the roast.
NOSTALGIA Overload Award
Plenty of new games reference older games and remind you of gaming experiences you have had in the past. Remakes/Remasters can do this too depending on the time between plays. Some games though, are from a different era altogether.
Winner: Worms Armageddon
I played a Worms game in 2025. These same Worms games were played when Windows was Windows 98 (for those too young, they briefly used years to denote the version). Yes, that 98 is 1999 (don’t ask - they went from Windows 98 to Windows 2000/ME). I played Worms in co-op with friends that were in the same room as me. Online multiplayer was in its infancy so LAN was all the rage.
PAX 2025 Favorite to a 2025 Favorite
Generally speaking, most games I get to demo at PAX do not release that year. Sometimes, games already have a release and this is their final push or games may release in Early Access but many are at their first of several PAX shows.
Winner: Hellclock
Hellclock was not on my radar going into PAX. I knew nothing about it beforehand but I sat down and experienced a game ready to be played fully. It was easily my favorite game of this year’s show. It released on Steam two months later and is still one of my favorite games of the year. PAX demos are like movie previews that you forget about until it comes out so this was a welcome surprise.
Something Else to Satisfy the FF6 Yearly Itch Award
Unlike Michaela, I am a bit pickier about RPGs (not talking about games with RPG mechanics but straight up RPGs). Final Fantasy 6 is my all-time favorite game and favorite RPG. I play it or at least some of it yearly. Something about the gameplay, the characters, the story, the music, etc., sticks with me year in and year out. I think I found, not a replacement, but a complement to that yearly replay.
Winner: Quartet
Quartet was an absolute joy to play and it is my GOTY. My review sums up everything I need to say but it is also an all-time favorite game I have had the opportunity to review since I started. The developers were super responsive both over email and Discord and it was refreshing to experience. On a personal note, my dog had died the same week I reviewed Quartet. The game was a welcome distraction and actually helped me through it.
From Hero to Zero Award
That is not a typo. It was not meant to say Zero to Hero. Sometimes, games can disappoint. It happens. Other times, games can go from “best thing ever” to WTF happened here in the blink of an eye.
Winner: Borderlands 4
I’m a HUGE Borderlands fan. I have been since the end of Borderlands/the launch of Borderlands 2. I still am and that will not change. After 150 hours of Borderlands 4, I felt it was the best game in the series (overall - Handsome Jack is still the best villain and nothing holds a candle). This is, arguably, the sloppiest post game support I have ever seen. I’m not just talking for the series either. Perhaps it is something behind the scenes the gaming public is not privy to but it feels like band-aids more than new content. There are still 4 DLC set to launch next year so I am still hopeful but, seriously, WTAF.
Note: I played on PS5 and had minimal technical issues. This is strictly about content.
I'm Not Mature Enough to Write this Review Without Giggling Every Other Sentence Award
I may be 42 years old but, as my wife can confirm, my maturity level tends to hover in the teenage years. 6-7 may be the rage now but I still say “nice” when I hear 69. Balls is not necessarily a funny word. In the right (or wrong) context, balls is a HILARIOUS word.
Winner: Ball X Pit
Brick-breaker roguelite with base-building mechanics was not on my 2025 Bingo card. This was one of the most addicting games I played all year long. I even have a deeper appreciation for base-building. Also, I wrote the sentence, “Characters are not just defined by their balls,” and I was not even making a joke.
Finally, FISHING Gets its Flowers
Is an RPG really an RPG if there is no fishing? Video games about fishing are nothing new but video games specifically about the fishing in RPGs…now we are talking.
Winner: Nice Day for Fishing
Michaela and I have a running joke about how she gets, shall we say, obsessed, with fishing in her RPGs. Lo and behold, I found a game that is a complete parody of RPGs focused exclusively on fishing – Nice Day for Fishing. Everything from the gathering of materials to combat revolves around fishing. To make it even better, the game is super entertaining.
Best Easter Egg of All Time
Diablo had cows, Borderlands had a Minecraft level, and DOOM (2016) had an area that included the original Doom levels. The best Easter Eggs are not just the content itself but how you go about finding it in game.
Winner: Atomfall
If you played Atomfall, you are aware of the red telephone booths that help move the story along as you speak to a mysterious caller. Now, for those unaware, Atomfall takes place in the UK. Before the age of the cell phone, telephone booths were pretty common everywhere, including the UK. Anyway, as you explore the world of Atomfall, you may catch a glimpse of a BLUE box. If you approach it slowly, you will hear a distinct whirring noise but as you round the corner, the box is gone. For those unaware, this is a Doctor Who reference. I love that it is there but also not and many will just miss it.
Atomfall was a birthday gift I received this year and I highly recommend the game. I love the Sniper Elite series so this was a different type of game for the developers. There are no x-ray ball shots or brains exploding this outing but what they did do was fantastic.
ANDREW’S PICKS
1st Annual “Unpopular Opinion” Award
This award goes to a game that will get you yelled at by the gaming community for your unpopular opinion, but you know deep inside that you’re right all along.
Winner: Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Unpopular opinion: I preferred Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist over Hollow Knight: Silksong. Ender Magnolia didn’t have to re-write the Ender Lilies formula, it only had to “plus” it, and the result was an experience that was familiar and new at the same time. What I loved most about Ender Magnolia was how it gave players all the flexibility they needed to create their favorite combat builds without completely overwhelming them with options. Robust accessibility and difficulty options were a huge plus, too, opening up an option other than “go another way” when faced with a frustrating challenge. But most of all, Ender Magnolia gets my unpopular opinion award this year because it didn’t change the things that made me love Ender Lilies so much, despite improving virtually everything else.
Now That’s What I Call Game Balance!
Unpredictable winners, no “sure thing” metagame… This award goes to the game that absolutely nailed its multiplayer competitive balance this year.
Winner: Kirby Air Riders
From the moment that Mr. Sakurai announced on a Nintendo Direct that he put “everything” into Kirby Air Riders, I knew he meant it. The result was one of the only non-indie releases this year that truly made me feel like it was a complete package without needing to dangle DLC or purchasable item packs in front of my face. It looks great, it plays fabulously well, it has that signature “Sakurai game” graphic design philosophy… But most of all, it is so meticulously well-balanced that you don’t have to worry about the “best” character, or vehicle, and you can just play how you want to. And even when you do, you find yourself in a dead heat to the end of each race and city trial, milliseconds or minimal points between you and the players directly ahead or behind. It’s exciting, most of all, and Kirby Air Riders gets this award for being just that good.
They Didn’t Have To Do It… But They Did!
Every so often there is a game announced that makes you think, “Why are they doing this?”, and this award goes to that game ending up being exactly what you wanted.
Winner: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Did anyone ask for a remake of Trails in the Sky FC? Of course, plenty of people did, but its announcement was intriguing nonetheless. Falcom and GungHo didn’t have to do it, they could have just ported the three Sky series games onto consoles. But Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter successfully justifies its existence by feeling like Sky FC as you would have remembered it as someone younger. It is one of the most genuine, endearing video games I have played in a very long time - the video game equivalent of your favorite dubbed anime you watched as a kid. It just bursts at the seams with charm and happiness like its protagonist “Bestelle.” And while they didn’t have to do it, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter gets this award because I am so incredibly happy that they did.
And that’s a wrap on 2025!
Thank you for joining in the fun with us for this year’s awards! And if you still want more, you can check out the previous years’ winners below:
