This could be considered one 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 all the pieces in-between. In different phrases, a reasonably superior yr for people who love selection and do not persist with a specific set of genres. Although, I wager there was some killer recreation 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 recreation of the yr, whose sum of its components is larger than every other.
Blue PrinceClair Obscur: Expedition 33Donkey Kong BananzaDeath Stranding 2: On the BeachGhost of YoteiHades IIHollow Knight: SilksongKingdom Come: Deliverance IISilent Hill fSplit Fiction
Try right here for our different award classes.
Fifth Place – Hole Knight: Silksong
Developer: Crew Cherry | Launch Date: September 4th, 2025
Written by Andrew Otton
Every part 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 checklist.
Typically Silksong can really feel unfairly exhausting, however there’s a sure ethos to many of the recreation. There’s all the time a bonus to be discovered, a sample to be discovered. It is by no means low-cost deaths, however definitely 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 believe Silksong lived as much as expectations. There’s so much to like for motion platformer followers, metroidvania followers, people who love the lore of the sequence, and simply typically gaming followers because it’s simply stable via and thru.
Fourth Place – Ghost of Yotei
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions | Launch Date: October 2nd, 2025
Written by Austin Suther
I acquired 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 making an attempt to keep away from spoiling myself, however I didn’t see a substantial amount of discuss Ghost of Yotei. No less than, 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 properly, go determine. Take one have a look at the sport and also you’ll see why: It’s jawdroppingly attractive. The world is massive however densely-packed, so it’s very simple to search out your self going off beam and finishing varied quests or aspect goals, although it additionally doesn’t really feel like a collect-a-thon, a typical 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 easy however weighty, as Atsu delivers devastating blows along with her diverse arsenal, together with katanas, spears, and shinobi weapons. Atsu is extra in-your-face than Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai, so when you can resort to stealth, there’s a bigger focus tackling your foes up entrance and of their face.
For a recreation so long as Ghost of Yotei is, one would assume 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 absolutely 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 recreation.
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 properly whereas iterating to make components of it contemporary.
Taking part in as a witch as a substitute of a warrior comes with some nuances, like how Melinoe has to play it protected initially. However often by the tip of a run, you are melting total rooms of enemies with a chaotic chain of curses and results.
Hades II contains 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 recreation did not win our GOTY in 2020 for no cause, in any case.
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 realize a highlight within the gaming neighborhood because of its trendy mix of gorgeous 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 feel and look on acquainted turn-based RPG gameplay. Whereas the person components aren’t new to veterans of the style, the distinct combine introduced 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 recreation that I’ve thought of extra this yr. Getting into Blue Prince you are met with an entertaining puzzle roguelite expertise of making an attempt to construct your means via a home of ever-changing rooms. This straightforward plan will get slowed down as out of the blue it is advisable discover ways to unlock a door, or attain a basement, unlock a aspect gate or get into an orchard.
Blue Prince does a unbelievable 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 experience, 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 thought have been capable of seize the minds of hundreds and depart 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 pals for years to return.
