Metro GameCentral’s list of the best video games of 2025 is dominated by indie titles, as the Nintendo Switch 2 and big name sequels also get their due.
Not since Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has there been such an obvious front-runner for game of the year. But what’s important about 2025 is not just that almost everyone agrees what the best game is, but that indie titles in general have dominated this year in terms of critical acclaim, while also doing extremely well in terms of sales. None of the games in our top five are full price and you can buy them all for barely more than the price of the Vault Edition of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Our long-standing policy is not to include remasters, remakes, yearly sequels, or expansions in our list, so while they’re good, that means no Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles or The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. We were tempted to include Gradius Origins, because it does feature new game Salamander 3, but we didn’t as it’s primarily a retro compilation.
Just missing out on our top 20 were great games such as Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Battlefield 6, and Arc Raiders. The football themed despelote is also really good but we missed it when it first came out, so we’re going to wait until the Nintendo Switch version in January to review that one.
GameCentral top 20 video games of 2025
20. Hades 2
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
We suspect this is going to rank higher on many other end of year lists but we never had quite the same level of enthusiasm for the original as some others and one of the main issues with this sequel is that it’s really not very different. It’s still a superbly crafted roguelike actioner though, with a seemingly endless range of weapons and abilities to unlock. The storytelling is also excellent, even if it’s perhaps a notch less interesting than last time. Also, despite currently being a Switch console exclusive, it’s quite poorly suited to being played in handheld mode, with the small characters tricky enough to make out even on a TV.
19. Dispatch
Nintendo Switch*, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2*, and PC
The return of Telltale Games has been a long and painful process but while there are many companies that are now staffed by former veterans, this new title from AdHoc Games is by far the most accomplished to be released since the original company imploded. Your choices still don’t make as much difference as Life Is Strange and others but Dispatch’s behind the scenes tale of superhero life is told with such confidence and verve it barely matters. Emotional and sentimental, with a host of interesting and likeable characters, Dispatch is already better than the vast majority of older Telltale games.
*The Switch versions will launch on January 29, 2026
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18. Look Outside
PC
It’s been a good year for horror video games but, as with movies, a big budget is not necessary for a successful game and Look Outside is the work of just one person. It’s not necessarily the scariest horror game ever made – although some of its grotesque, The Thing style designs are very disturbing – but it is one of the most effective portrayals of cosmic horror in any medium. The gameplay and visuals are inspired by SNES classic EarthBound but Look Outside is very much its own game, as you try to survive 15 days of a potentially world-ending event, via one of a number of very different endings.
17. Ninja Gaiden 4
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
PlatinumGames was not a comeback story we were expecting this year, not when almost all their famous directors had already left, and they hadn’t released anything good in years. Ninja Gaiden 4 isn’t their best title but even at three-quarters power Platinum make better action games than almost anyone else. The combat system is relatively unoriginal but it’s hugely flexible and varied, with two different characters and lots of challenging enemies. Sister title Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, by Blasphemous developer The Game Kitchen, was also very good but, along with Shinobi, none of them seemed to be major hits. But that’s par for the course for a Platinum release.
16. Silent Hill f
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
With so many bad games under their belt, Konami’s attempted revival of Silent Hill was beginning to look like a farce, but after the unexpectedly good Silent Hill 2 remake came their first entirely original hit. It continues the best traditions of the series by not just being weird and disturbing but also very thoughtful and intelligent. It’s about a lot more than just gross looking monsters, as hapless heroine Shimizu Hinako struggles with her inner demons and the reality of being a teenage girl in 1960s Japan. It’s disquieting rather than scary, and the rather flat combat gets repetitive before the end, but it’s an unforgettable experience with a great central performance.
15. Monster Hunter Wilds
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Monster Hunter is the ultimate late bloomer, as for over a decade it was only popular in Japan and barely counted as an also-ran in the West. All that changed with Monster Hunter: World and for the majority of 2025 this follow-up has been the best-selling game of the year. It was overtaken by the bigger Christmas titles though, as its reputation, particularly on PC, began to suffer due to technical problems and a lack of post-launch support. On console though it’s a hugely entertaining co-op experience, with excellent graphics and improved accessibility for the series. The focus on storytelling seemed a mistake, given how bad it was, but Capcom consider it one of the key reasons for the game’s success.
14. Blue Prince
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
The most original puzzle game of the year is a very abstract affair, that could only ever exist as a video game. The idea is that you play as a man who has been willed an expansive mansion by his uncle but can only claim it if you locate the hidden 46th room. This is more difficult than it seems as every time you enter a new room you have to chose what it’ll be from a randomised selection. The slow pace and roguelike elements make it a slow burn, especially when you fail a run purely as a result of bad luck, but the whole concept is so unique it always keeps your interest.
13. Mario Kart World
Nintendo Switch 2
The main failing with the Switch 2’s main launch title is Nintendo’s marketing. Before release, everyone assumed the open world exploration would be a key draw of the game, but the fact that it’s relegated to an easily missed menu option makes it obvious that it was never intended that way. It’s not clear why not, as the open world is very impressive, but there’s very little to do in it. Regardless of that, the racing is excellent, especially the new Knockout Tour mode, and the fact that each course is a part of the open world means that it does feel noticeably to Mario Kart 8. It’s just that there seems so much potential that is currently unfulfilled, with no hint yet of any DLC.
12. The Outer Worlds 2
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Despite having their best line-up of new games in many years, most of Xbox’s releases in 2025 seemed to make little impact, with the most successful being the PlayStation 5 version of Forza Horizon 5 and the remaster of Oblivion. Obsidian’s new sci-fi sequel is one of the best things they’ve ever published though, building on the original with its satirical take on modern consumerism and lots of genuinely funny comedy moments. As a role-player, it’s the amount choice that makes it so impressive, with a mountain of imaginative weapons to use but, at the same time, the ability to talk yourself out of almost any encounter – if you make the right choices.
11. Absolum
PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC
Publisher Dotemu has almost single-handedly revived the scrolling beat ‘em-up over the last few years, with games like Streets Of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge but all of those have relied heavily on nostalgia, with no real attempt to move the genre forward. This year’s Marvel Cosmic Invasion nudged it along a little but it’s the wholly original Absolum which is the true innovator. It mixes in elements of roguelikes and action role-players to create something with more depth, but which still nurtures the time honoured pleasure of walking left to right across the screen, attacking everyone in your way.
10. Sword Of The Sea
PlayStation 5 and PC
Developer Giant Squid already made one attempt to creator a spiritual successor to the classic Journey, with 2016’s Abzû. Many of the same people worked on both but it’s only with Sword Of The Sea that they’ve fully recaptured the magic of the original. The name is more descriptive than you might imagine, as you use a magic sword as a surfboard, but while there is a bit more combat than Journey the real pleasure is in exploring the desolate desert wasteland and refilling it with water and all the life that resides within it. The lack of multiplayer is disappointing, but the game is intrinsically more rewarding than Journey, while maintaining a similarly mellow and thoughtful tone.
9. The Séance Of Blake Manor
PC
It used to seem as if a detective murder mystery (or missing person in this case) could never work as a video game but over the last few years indie developers have proven that’s not the case. While The Séance Of Blake Manor does build on pre-existing concepts and gameplay it’s one of the best examples of the nascent genre and the added supernatural elements, along with some layered social commentary, make it something truly special; especially as the visuals and voice-acting exceed the bounds of the game’s modest budget. It’s gothic atmosphere also means that while it was originally released for Halloween it’s the perfect game to play over Christmas.
8. Skate Story
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Beyond some exceptions like OlliOlli World, skateboarding games have largely turned into nostalgic exercises, with very few surprises – but Skate Story is anything but. Developer Sam Eng has not only built a satisfyingly complex sim, but used the medium as a wider metaphor for the trials and tribulations of creative expression itself. In the wrong hands, this could have been an annoyingly pretentious adventure, but with its deft comedic touch, and some spectacular, sensory overload boss battles, this finds a place among the moons and stars.
7. Ball x Pit
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
We almost hesitate to recommend this game, or you’ll become as hopelessly addicted as we were, by this mesmerising mix of Arkanoid and a 2D shooter. The idea is that you’re moving up the screen, trying to smash enemies with a variety of balls, that bounce off them and back to you. The power-up system is inspired by Vampire Survivors and allows for a dizzying array of different combinations, from balls that set fire to enemies to ones that defy gravity. Mixed together with the range of other item power-ups, and a city-building meta game, there’s far more going on then there first seems and we couldn’t stop playing until we’d unlocked it all.
6. Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo Switch 2
Undoubtedly the best exclusive on the Switch 2 so far, this may look like a 3D platformer but it isn’t really, despite being by the same team that made Super Mario Odyssey. It’s something far more unique than that, with everything revolving around Donkey Kong’s ability to destroy almost anything, include the level itself. The sheer amount of destruction you can cause is exhilarating, even though the camera often can’t keep up, and it shows once again how Nintendo never uses raw horsepower for something as ordinary as just better graphics. It’s true that the level design is a little inconsistent but the last few stages, and the final boss, end the game on a very positive note.
5. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
The January release date may have worked against this sequel to 2022’s tabletop-inspired sci-fi role-player, when it came to awards season, but it’s still left a marked impact on us. Citizen Sleeper 2 is a dramatic improvement over the original, with deeper systems, an expanded scope, more rewarding difficulty, and some of the best writing in video games. The text based presentation might put some off, but through a combination of its excellent music, narrative, and character art, it manages to be more absorbing than most fully realised 3D worlds.
4. Split Fiction
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
The makers of It Takes Two return with an even more ambitious co-op adventure, that can only be played with two people. Rather than the simpler minigames of its predecessor, Split Fiction offers a much more sustained and complex series of set pieces, constantly switching mechanics, genres, and objectives. And yet somehow everything is perfectly accessible and easy to understand, even to a casual gamer. The only flaw is the very generic art design, and the dopey story that tries to tie it all together, but that really doesn’t matter when you’re dealing with one of the best co-op games of all time.
3. Sektori
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Dual-stick shooters are one of the earliest types of indie game to find favour on consoles and this one is especially reminiscent of the classic Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. It’s by a former Housemarque developer, who worked on Super Stardust and Resogun, and despite the inherent simplicity of the genre this is filled with interesting new ideas, from the constantly shifting floor layout to one of the best uses of randomisation we’ve ever seen in a video game. Its difficulty level means it’s not necessarily the best entry point for those that have never played anything similar but its extremely modest price tag means you can afford to give it a try anyway.
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
The GTA 6 of indie games has been keenly awaited for almost a decade and when it did announce its release date other indie developer had to rush to get out of the way – a process which developer Team Cherry handled rather callously. There’s no pretending it wasn’t worth the wait though and while the difficulty does seem perverse at times the quality of the level design and combat is exceptional, in what is very much the 2D equivalent of a FromSoftware game. The gorgeous visuals and subtle complexity of the creepy crawly themed setting is beautifully handled, especially knowing how small the team is.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
We apologise for being predictable with our number one choice but there really is no other option. Not only is Expedition 33 an excellent Japanese style role-playing game but its creation and success is of potentially great significance for gaming as a whole. Created by a core team of just 30 people (who made it proudly clear that they were all French) its visuals and presentation seem impossible given what other developers usually spend on making game.
At the same time, its storytelling is notably better than most mainstream titles, with superb voice-acting and a battle system so good that Square Enix asked to talk to developer Sandfall Interactive, about how they managed to make turn-based combat seem cool again. The games industry is infamous for never taking the right lessons from any notable success, or failure, but if the right things are learned from Expedition 33 then gaming at large may be looking at a brighter and more sustainable future.
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