We might be well into 2026 at this point but many people haven’t had a chance to play 2025’s best games yet, as a reader makes a list of his favourite titles.
As we approach the halfway point of 2026, I’ve finally managed to play all the games that could have made my top list of 2025. Despite all the doom and gloom surrounding the video game industry of late, last year proved to be a truly stellar year for video games, regardless of your preferred genre(s).
10. Ball X Pit
Even with the generous set of characters to unlock and choose from, each run on Ball X Pit feels very similar, but the core gameplay loop of destroying enemies with various balls and then upgrading your village to assist in subsequent runs still manages to remain entertaining for a good few hours.
9. Split Fiction
Hazelight Studios continue to cement their reputation as the premier co-op creators, with Split Fiction, which mixes sci-fi and fantasy elements with an amazing level of invention and it’s great fun from start to finish.
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8. Monster Train 2
Monster Train 2 isn’t a huge departure (pun intended) from the original but with plenty of new factions and cards available with which to build your deck it’s sure to provide dozens of hours of entertainment for fans of the first game.
7. The Rogue Prince Of Persia
The roguelike genre may be a little oversaturated these days, but thanks to its excellent combat and traversal The Rogue Prince Of Persia is still a game worth seeking out.
6. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Whatever your thoughts on Hideo Kojima’s games, it’s hard to deny that he truly is a one of a kind and although Death Stranding 2 obviously lacks the originality of the first, the satisfying feeling you get from helping connect people remains as strong as ever.
5. The Alters
11-bit Studios, the developers behind This War Of Mine and Frostpunk, have created yet another excellent survival game with The Alters, full of stressful resource management and tough decisions.
4. Blue Prince
Blue Prince’s rogue-ike mix of puzzles and exploration is utterly enthralling, and unless you really are determined to discover every single last mystery, any slight frustrations that the random nature can occasionally cause is easy to overlook.
3. Dispatch
Dispatch sets a new standard for video game writing and animation to the point where you feel as though you’re essentially playing an interactive cartoon, and this more than compensates for the relatively little traditional gameplay.
2. Hades 2
Hades 2 follows the template laid down by its predecessor pretty closely, but the rougelite gameplay loop remains as enjoyable and addictive as ever.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
With it’s well told story, excellent combat system and stunning musical score, Clair Obscur is a unique and beautifully crafted role-playing game.
By reader drlowdon
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