This could be one in every of our most varies years for nominees ever, from the puzzler Blue Prince, to the RPG of Clair Obscur, horror in Silent Hill f, and every part in-between. In different phrases, a reasonably superior yr for those who love selection and do not follow a specific set of genres. Although, I guess there was some killer sport for these folks too, it doesn’t matter what style they play.
Listed below are the nominees for TechRaptor’s 2025 Recreation of the Yr Award for the perfect sport of the yr, whose sum of its elements is bigger than some other.
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Dying Stranding 2: On the Seashore
- Ghost of Yotei
- Hades II
- Hole Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill f
- Break up Fiction
Try right here for our different award classes.
Fifth Place – Hole Knight: Silksong
Developer: Workforce Cherry | Launch Date: September 4th, 2025
Written by Andrew Otton
The whole lot about Hole Knight: Silksong simply feels proper. The motion, the animations, the frenetic tempo to fight, the splendidly bizarre world to discover… It is no shock to see this rank on our listing.
Generally Silksong can really feel unfairly exhausting, however there’s a sure ethos to many of the sport. There’s all the time a bonus to be discovered, a sample to be discovered. It is by no means low cost deaths, however actually punishing ones as you be taught new enemies or boss encounters (although I might do with out a few of these supply quests).
As some of the extremely anticipated video games in the previous couple of years, I feel Silksong lived as much as expectations. There’s rather a lot to like for motion platformer followers, metroidvania followers, those who love the lore of the collection, and simply typically gaming followers because it’s simply strong by and thru.
Fourth Place – Ghost of Yotei
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions | Launch Date: October 2nd, 2025
Written by Austin Suther
I obtained round to Ghost of Yotei in December, a few months after it was initially launched. Perhaps it’s as a result of I used to be attempting to keep away from spoiling myself, however I didn’t see quite a lot of discuss Ghost of Yotei. At the very least, not when in comparison with different PlayStation exclusives.
Nonetheless, Ghost of Yotei deserves your consideration. It took TechRaptor’s prime spot for Finest Visible Design of 2025, and nicely, go determine. Take one have a look at the sport and also you’ll see why: It’s jawdroppingly beautiful. The world is massive however densely-packed, so it’s very straightforward to seek out your self going astray and finishing numerous quests or aspect targets, although it additionally doesn’t really feel like a collect-a-thon, a standard pitfall many open world video games fall into.
Exterior of visuals, although, we get to see the journey of Atsu as she units out on a journey of revenge a few years within the making. She’s out to kill the Yotei Six, a bunch of evildoers that killed her household and now threaten to regulate all of Hokkaido.
On this quest for revenge, gameplay is a standout. Fight is clean however weighty, as Atsu delivers devastating blows along with her different arsenal, together with katanas, spears, and shinobi weapons. Atsu is extra in-your-face than Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai, so whilst you can resort to stealth, there’s a bigger focus tackling your foes up entrance and of their face.
For a sport so long as Ghost of Yotei is, one would suppose fight will get stale after some time, however that by no means occurred. Sufficient new weapons and enemies are launched to make encounters really feel contemporary, and man, the suggestions from that DuelSense is de facto somethin’ else.
Third Place – Hades II
Developer: Supergiant Video games | Launch Date: September twenty fifth, 2025
Written by Robert Scarpinito
Hades II builds on its predecessor in arguably each division, each when it comes to amount and high quality. There are twice as many ranges, much more bosses, and an almost doubled soundtrack. All that facilities across the already-impeccable gameplay loop that Supergiant constructed within the earlier sport.
It could be really easy to say Hades II is simply its predecessor however greater, and that captures a majority of it. It is a basic case of not breaking what labored so nicely whereas iterating to make elements of it contemporary.
Enjoying as a witch as an alternative of a warrior comes with some nuances, like how Melinoe has to play it secure at the beginning. However often by the top of a run, you are melting complete rooms of enemies with a chaotic chain of curses and results.
Hades II incorporates a satisfying fight gameplay loop peppered with narrative moments from characters within the Crossroads and out within the wild. Even the bosses all have their very own tales, making the world really feel that a lot richer.
So sure, Hades II is simply Hades however higher—however the first sport did not win our GOTY in 2020 for no cause, in spite of everything.
Second Place – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer: Sandfall Interactive | Launch Date: April twenty fourth, 2025
Written by Tyler Chancey
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a serious success by all accounts for the studio. Their debut title managed to achieve a highlight within the gaming group because of its trendy mix of beautiful visuals, gripping character performances, and spectacular symphonic musical rating.
The most important secret to its success is how Clair Obscur manages to place a brand new appear and feel on acquainted turn-based RPG gameplay. Whereas the person components aren’t new to veterans of the style, the distinct combine offered helped decrease the barrier for a lot of who have been dismissive of the style’s deserves.
For these accomplishments, this title deserves its spot.
Winner – Blue Prince
Developer: Dogubomb | Launch Date: April tenth, 2025
Written by Andrew Stretch
There hasn’t been a sport that I’ve considered extra this yr. Moving into Blue Prince you are met with an entertaining puzzle roguelite expertise of attempting to construct your manner by a home of ever-changing rooms. This easy plan will get slowed down as out of the blue that you must learn to unlock a door, or attain a basement, unlock a aspect gate or get into an orchard.
Blue Prince does a incredible job of beginning easy, with a transparent aim for the participant to finish, whereas concurrently seeding in different mysteries and puzzles. By the point you’re on the finish of 1 thread, there are 4 or 5 different threads which have come up. Easy mechanics get iterated upon till you full the sport, and this serves as a tremendous level to step off the trip, however for these wanting additional puzzles to finish the sport doubles in size.
Blue Prince is a real indie improvement story of how time and a single nice concept have been in a position to seize the minds of hundreds and go away us wanting only one extra puzzle to finish, even after it is throughout. Blue Prince joins the ranks of many different meta puzzle video games that I will be recommending to associates for years to come back.
