Presenting your nominees for Game of the Year at the 2025 Game Awards:
Let’s be honest: that’s no knock on Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. They’re all incredible, incredible games. They just had the misfortune of releasing the same year as Expedition 33.
It’s been a trend over the past few years, with games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring sweeping major industry awards. Hey, sometimes a movie like L.A. Confidential runs into a behemoth like Titanic.
Even though these six incredible games are worthy of winning the coveted title, several other unforgettable titles were released this year that were snubbed. Perhaps not inexplicably, because there can be only six, but now I understand why The Academy increased the number of nominees for Best Picture to ten. With that in mind, I think it’s only fair to give these seven games some well-deserved love, especially since I could see them being nominated, or even winning, were it any other year.
7 Split Fiction
From A Game of the Year Winning Developer
Remember when Split Fiction was the early favorite for a game of the year nomination? It would have been the second consecutive nomination for Hazelight Studios, following their win in 2021 for It Takes Two.
Split Fiction already had lofty expectations based upon it, a rarity for the co-op genre. It did the impossible, though, by exceeding them. This isn’t some out of nowhere surprise hit that won us over with charming and addictive gameplay. Split Fiction is a triumph in every meaning of the word.
The way it blends genres without skipping a beat is truly impressive. It’s something you only expect out of the biggest studios, and for Hazelight to prove that they’re not a fluke developer is one of the best stories in gaming.
It remembers that video games are meant to be fun and played with friends, but it understands this without sacrificing a surprisingly effective story and dialogue. It’s funny, it’s clever, and it’s incredibly hard to put down.
6 Dispatch
The Return Of Episodic Gaming
Once upon a time, Telltale Studios was on top of the gaming world.
Their breakout hit, The Walking Dead Season 1, not only rejuvenated the world of adventure games but also popularized episodic gaming as a concept. Now here they are, over a decade later, and they’re back at it again as AdHoc Studio with Dispatch, dubbed a workplace comedy, but in reality, it is so much more.
The emphasis here is on its storytelling, which Dispatch delivers in spades. There’s a clear direction that the developers intend for the story to go, so don’t expect massive diverging story branches. But the narrative progression never feels forced. Its organic developments all do a great job of playing off your decisions.
Dispatch is a beautiful game that not only looks gorgeous, but resonates with the player. It’s everything you love about great television in the interactive medium of a video game, and it proves that the talent that made Walking Dead so iconic all those years ago is still alive and well.
5 Megabonk
Skill issue?
I love Megabonk. I love everything about this game. It scratches every possible itch I could ever want. It’s one of my favorite games of the year.
Sure, Megabonk did see one nomination for Best Indie Debut, which is honestly more than I expected since it feels like Megabonk got lost in the shuffle of similar games, but it was more than capable of getting so much more recognition.
There are those who question whether or not Megabonk could have been worthy of a Game of the Year nomination. To them, I ask, ‘Why not?’ We live in a world where Balatro could have very well taken home the coveted prize last year. We also live in a world where Vampire Survivors was nominated.
At the end of the day, Megabonk is a better version of Vampire Survivors, growing on the idea and expanding it with a great cast of playable characters and a 3D platforming world. Please play this game. I’m going to play it right now, and you should too.
4 Blue Prince
The Best Game You Didn’t Play
Trivia Time: Do you know what, for the longest time, was the best reviewed game of the year? No, I’m not talking about the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom; those don’t count. It was actually Blue Prince!
We were scared that Blue Prince was going to fade away into obscurity shortly after its release, and unfortunately, that’s what kind of happened. It was a huge hit at launch that everyone couldn’t stop talking about, but by the time the bigger games released, Blue Prince fell off the back burner.
Normally, the end of the year is when we remember all the great games that came out in the first half of the year, and that did happen to an extent. It received two nominations, after all, and that’s something to be proud about.
Having said that, there’s nothing quite like Blue Prince on the market today. It’s a unique, clever, and unforgettable experience that will win over even the most jaded gamer.
3 ARC Raiders
Are You Happy, Shroud?
Honestly, one of the biggest overall snubs of the year is ARC Raiders. Despite its success and popularity, the game only took home one TGA nomination: Best Multiplayer.
I understand that the game just came out, but it was nominated for an award, which means it’s eligible. Nothing in the best indie category, shockingly nothing when it comes to audio design (I’d argue no other game sounds better or more immersive), and, as you can guess, radio silence when it comes to Game of the Year.
There was a massive social media discussion about comments from well-known Twitch streamer Shroud when he said the awards were “rigged” after ARC Raiders only took home one nomination. Now, I’m not going to go that far, but let’s not pretend that the idea of a multiplayer game winning Game of the Year is a novel concept; Overwatch took home the award at this very show!
Chalk this, and the rest of the games I’m going to highlight, up to 2025 just being too stacked a year.
2 Silent Hill f
A Silent Hill Masterpiece
It’s been hard being a Silent Hill fan in recent times, though the wonderful Silent Hill 2 remake made things a little more bearable.
Enter Silent Hill f, which has quickly skyrocketed to one of the franchise’s best. Not only does it capture everything that makes these games and the genre so beloved, but its story is surprisingly impactful as well.
Silent Hill has always been one to embrace metaphors, either through its storytelling or visual design, but Silent Hill f’s commentary feels even more impactful in today’s day and age.
The shift to its Soulslike combat system is also a very welcome one, and I’d argue it only adds to the fear and tension that exists within the game. It all results in one complete package of an incredible horror experience that will only continue to age better with time.
1 Ghost of Yotei
A Cinematic Masterpiece
Congratulations are in order for Ghost of Yotei, winner of an impressive eight nominations at this year’s Game Awards.
Sony’s incredible cinematic masterpiece is getting recognition for its performance (Erika Ishii), art direction, score, narrative, audio design, and direction. It’s also one of the best action/adventure games of the year. Surely that means it’s also nominated for Game of the Year, right?
About that…
Look, your guess is as good as mine on this one. Few games have seen the widespread acclaim, admiration, and success as Ghost of Yotei. It’s one of many examples of how strong the Sony Interactive Entertainment portfolio is, proving why the PlayStation 5 has seen such widespread success this console generation.
It’s one of the best games of the year, and for it to be completely snubbed is incredibly surprising. I know that there can only be six, and one great game has to get knocked off, but it shouldn’t have come at the expense of Ghost of Yotei.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
