Game of the Year 2025 | Gyozo’s Top 10

After Genghis‘ Top 8 and Nick‘s Top 10, time for me to list my most beloved games of 2025 as well. It was a very, very good year of games, as far as I’m concerned. Banger after banger on Game Pass, tons of racing goodness to satisfy my speeding needs, lots of unique indies – and even a new Nintendo console with various memorable titles already. In what might be one of the years in which I played (and reviewed) the most new games, here’s my picks for 2025!

Number 10 | Dreamcore

Despite coming out all the way in January, Dreamcore has been living rent free in my head all year. As mentioned in my review for the title, this may certainly not be an experience for everybody, as pretty much all you do is walk. Yet, these surreal backdoors-like areas just feel so natural and dreamy, accompanied by an absolutely impeccable VCR style that gives it a photorealistic 90’s vibe. Two new free levels have been added since release, with another one coming, turning an already hard to miss indie gem into a must play experience.

Number 9 | despelote

Yet another masterfully crafted indie game. despelote also packs immaculate 90’s vibes, catapulting us into the days of Ecuador on the brink of a historical qualification to the World Cup. This sends the country into an absolute football(/soccer) frenzy, with the player hopping into the shoes of one child who lives for the passion of the ball. The country may be in turmoil and the outlook may seem grim, but grasping onto this sporting dream is giving everyone something to look forward to. As mentioned in my review, it is a short but fascinating journey, with a unique (if slightly clunky) ball flicking mechanic, one that uses the ball to narrate a very personal story.

Number 8 | Avowed

Jesse (and Klobrille) had a blast with this one in our review for Avowed. Yet, personally, I never have been a huge fan of Obsidian’s first person RPG games, mainly because I didn’t find their gameplay to be engaging. For all the great worldbuilding and systems, I just didn’t find the actual traversal and combat fun. That all changed with Avowed. Paired with probably the most engaging first person magic melee combat since the good old Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, Obsidian created a captivating world that looks good, feels good, and made it into a very digestible RPG that trims a ton of the fat that we didn’t know we didn’t need. The writing may not be overly memorable, but I had a blast with this one. It’s a Game Pass day one title, so be sure not to miss it.

Number 7 | Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

In what was a surprisingly packed year for mascot kart racers, SEGA came in swinging. As praised in my review for the game, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is a beautiful, highly technical and insanely packed “Mario Kart clone“, one that perhaps finally trumps the already incredible Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The CrossWorlds mechanic, the deep kart builds, the stellar speed and the vast competitive options really turn this one into an umissable mascot kart racer. Definitely the best kart racer on Xbox this year. Of course, if you have a Nintendo Switch 2, then there’s also another slightly notable release this year that I’ll mention later…

Number 6 | Blue Prince

In what is one of the year’s standout Game Pass day one indies, Blue Prince caught a ton of attention for its incredibly deep and multi-layered mystery. Our Jon gave it a roaring score in his review for the game. Personally, I was a little turned off by some of its late game progression, but absolutely adored just about everything else about it. Yet, no matter what your view is on roguelikes, puzzle games and walking simulators, absolutely give Blue Prince a fair shot. It’s a game like no other, with an unraveling mystery that makes you take notes of everything you see, and where the virtual reality around you is constantly put into a new perspective with every discovery. A truly fascinating journey, for sure.

Number 5 | DOOM: The Dark Ages

It’s strange to think that a DOOM game flew under the radar a bit, after the grounbreaking previous installments. The prequel angle, a pricing controversy, a few divisive features and probably some good old post-Microsoft-acquisition console warring may have muted the conversation around DOOM: The Dark Ages a bit. Make no mistake, however. A bold new “stand and fight” approach turns Doomslayer into an absolute unit of a tank, his brand new shield is one of the most satisfying weapons in FPS history, and the scale of some of the levels is truly no short of jaw-dropping. Our Jesse adored the game, in his review, and you absolutely shouldn’t miss this one either – especially with it being a day one Game Pass title.

Number 4 | Soulstone Survivors

In what was an absolute stellar year for bullet heaven titles on Xbox, one game managed to trump ’em all. As abundantly explained in my gargantuan review for the game, Soulstone Survivors is absolutely the peak of this kind of roguelike titles. A fantastic presentation, massive amounts of customization options, a frankly ridiculous depth and variety with dozens of classes and hundreds of skills. And, of course, an incredibly addictive and satisfying gameplay loop that could make you lose dozens, or even hundreds of hours of your free time. If you have even a passing interest in survivors-like titles, do not miss Soulstone Survivors for any reason.

Number 3 | Mario Kart World

Not only a stellar launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, but also a sensational mascot kart racer on its own. The vast and gorgeous open world, the chaotic 24-player races and the best in class gameplay that somehow was even improved upon even further with some incredible parkour-like options turn Mario Kart World into an absolute riot. The wide tracks may not be as technical as the ridiculous roster of circuits in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but that makes for a different experience, turning it into a fantastic complementary title to that other masterpiece. Between 8 and World, Mario Kart fans be eatin’ good nowadays.

Number 2 | Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed goes to Japan, and it’s a slam dunk. Our Jesse loved the game, and so did I. The dual characters, the sensational technical overhaul, the marvelous Japanese landscape, the incredible attention to animals, and so much more. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the best entries of this legendary franchise, and it’s been receiving some pretty solid post-launch content too. If you’re looking for your next open world addiction, look no further than Ubisoft’s feudal Japan masterpiece. And now we wait for Forza Horizon‘s trip to Japan…

Honourable Mention – An excellent year for licensed sports titles

It was only a few years ago that sports games have lived, arguably, their worst year ever. In 2020, between new console launches and the pandemic, most licensed titles were unimpressive roster updates with not much else to show for their full-priced “new” titles. Well, 2025 was the polar opposite, as far as the licensed sports games that interest me. F1 25 is the best entry in the franchise in years. FC 26‘s new Authentic Mode makes for the best digital football experience in ages. NASCAR’s comeback was more than satisfying, too. I’m told even WWE had a solid one, this year. I spent more time than I usually do on F1 and FC this year, and for good reason. This has been a great year for licensed sports titles.

Number 1 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

This one’s going to be an unpopular pick perhaps. But with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, my Call of Duty addiction is back in full force. As mentioned in our massive review – sure, the campaign is a bit weak. But Endgame is the best iteration of their years of PvE attempts. Zombies is in a stellar spot right now. Multiplayer is my favourite suite since Black Ops 3 a decade ago. And not only they delivered a sensational amount of content at launch, but the support since has been stellar, too, with a bonkers Season 01 going on right now that vastly improved Warzone, too. It may be doing relatively poorly in terms of sales, and discussion around the game has been mixed for sure. But as far as I’m concerned, I can’t put down the latest Call of Duty, and it quickly became my most played and most loved game of the year. Since it’s a Game Pass day one title, no reason not to give it a shot yourself.

And that wraps up my 2025. It was a year of memorable indies, a barrage of Game Pass unmissables, many yearly franchises at their absolute peak and various unexpected modern classics from other platforms coming to Xbox – even the likes of Helldivers 2. Many things to look forward to in 2026, as well – Grand Theft Auto VI (barring further delays), Forza Horizon 6, perhaps the first tidbits of info about the next generation of consoles, and various other interesting titles. You can rest assured that we’ll be covering all that, here on XboxEra, so be sure to follow us. Happy New Year, folks!