Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree isn't perfect, but it is one of the closest representations of what the action roguelike genre can achieve that I've seen since the likes of Hades. A few pain points aside, what Brownies accomplished here is impressive, dense, and above all, fun. If you like deep character bonds, snappy action gameplay, and chasing that "one more run" mentality, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree just might be for you.
Jenny, AP, Jie, Violet, and Ken provide a package so genuinely aligned in message, tone, and style that the experience hits in almost magical ways. Each of its crunchy-satisfying sound effects makes the minigames all the more enjoyable. The '90s vibey chiptune soundtrack from coda amplifies the chaos of our teenage try-hard's life up to 11. And Jenny and Jie's art is the sealing piece that makes the cutesy-chaotic charm of her complicated life so enjoyable to watch unfold. Consume Me is a stunning achievement in transporting the player into another's shoes. And in remembering how impossibly rude we are to ourselves when we're young. It'll make you laugh, cry, and cringe. It'll test your patience and force you to reflect on the same kinds of life choices you make/have made/and will still make. It is the kind of art piece that uses all the trappings of the medium to transcend into something else entirely.
Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1 Re-Raptored is a stunning proof of concept for Strange Scaffold's Project Share initiative, showcasing how indies may be able to keep franchises alive and uplift smaller teams while going out to build new things. It's the kind of sequel that offers more of what you loved the first time — even if it's shorter than you'd hope and doesn't delve as deep. And it's a brilliant debut from a team I can't wait to see more from. If how quickly this game came about is any sign, we might just be playing Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 2 The Dinofinitive Edition in just a few weeks. So stay eatin' good, CRDM fans: a franchise is building.
Arctic Awakening is a stumper of a game, one that has a clear vision for what it wants to be but stumbles in its execution. I want to believe this game will reach its potential with time, and that this small team will keep making ambitious games. While Arctic Awakening sometimes left me feeling frosty, there's a definite spark that shines through.
By the end of my time with the game, I felt grateful tears welling up — for being able to experience what Henry had to offer and for how it helped me reflect on my own life. It is a simple little thing, not unlike Time Flies, another 2025 favorite which offers a similar runtime and mini puzzle box format. But Henry Halfhead made me feel more and smile more than many other games have this year. So I've got half a mind (get it?) to say you've got to give this game a try if you've still got whimsy in your heart — or if you're looking for a gateway to finding more of it.
Herdling is an emotional journey about the bond between living beings, offering players the opportunity to develop actual connections to the charming calicorns in a silent adventure all about working together to succeed. It proportionally delivers heart-pounding stress and soaring happiness by making you fall in love with its fictional creatures. Calicorns are cute, video games are good, and Herdling is a journey that I could never regret embarking on.
The Drifter is part of a class of modern classics for point and clicks, joining 2025's other great adventure game, Old Skies, in both honoring and advancing the genre. With a compelling, tension-filled narrative and a cinematic presentation style, it becomes one of my easiest recommendations — not only as one of the best games this year but as an all-time point and click must-play.
Even as someone who finds video games to be an incredibly worthwhile way to spend my time, I find myself falling victim to the "Is it long enough? Is it too long?" ruminating that plagues the industry today. As I've gotten older, that conversation has shifted, though. If it was two hours or two hundred, I didn't care. It's more about how the time spent felt. We've only got so much of it, after all. And even as it brought a newly heightened sense of my own ever-ticking life clock, I found that Time Flies was time well spent.
Wheel World is a joyous biking adventure that, despite some tiny frustrations, manages to showcase the beauty of biking. This half-racing, half-exploration adventure enters you into a flow state for 5-6 hours, and you exit it with a smile on your face. And I think that's what biking's about or something. I dunno. I never learned to ride.
Popucom is an absolute delight and one of the best co-op games we've played in years. It stands atop the mountain alongside experiences like Split Fiction and Portal 2. With equally enjoyable battles and puzzles, an incredible aesthetic design, and an affordable price point, Hypergryph has delivered one of the surprise hits of the year.
TMNT: Tactical Takedown is full of great ideas that, while only half-realized at times, make for an undeniably fun tactics experience for gamers of all levels. As the first tactics game for both the Turtles and Strange Scaffold, there is certainly room for growth, but between the incredible soundtrack, the effective and high-momentum blend of tactics and beat-em-up gameplay, and how easy it is to play and enjoy, Tactical Takedown is a Turtles game worth checking out for its clever genre leap.
Over the years, I've played hundreds of dime-a-dozen deckbuilding roguelikes that try to achieve what the best in the genre have pulled off. Most of the time, they get a quick little nod out of me, an "oh that's neat," and then I move on. StarVaders is a unique game that not only captures that special energy that titans like Slay the Spire and Monster Train have, but even finds ways to take a few steps forward and chart its own place alongside them as a new standout of the genre.
Despelote is a fascinating experience. It plays like an interactive documentary, and it feels like a true depiction of a place and time I've never experienced but feel like I can somewhat understand now. As I look back on that day in my acrid garage, or as I remember two years later when I sat in a dark room crying because the Padres lost their playoffs spot on the last possible day, I'll also remember this game. I'll remember me in 2025 crying at 2 a.m. with a controller in my hand alongside the people of Ecuador who were no doubt crying as their team went for glory in 2001. Because that's what sports (and video games) are all about.
Wanderstop is a game I knew I'd like but didn't realize I'd love. With its therapeutic gameplay, healing-focused narrative, masterclass performances, and genuinely cozy vibes, Ivy Road's crafted an incredibly special game that I will carry with me for years to come. The last time a game made me feel this way was Chicory: A Colorful Tale, and that stands the test of time as one of my all-time favorites. So consider Wanderstop one of 2025's must-plays and get your healing on at the tea shop as soon as you can.
Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is a personification of both the joy and the frustration of game development in an industry that seems happy to toss developers aside with regularity. When that happens, games like CRDM3 can end up forgotten, their characters left to wander empty halls. But when passionate folks like the teams at Strange Scaffold and Frosty Pop fight for the marvelously strange ideas, for the oddball characters, and for match-3 games, a clever little project just might make it to your PC against the odds. P.S. Justice for Dog Huncan.
I played Promise Mascot Agency just days after finishing the latest in the Like a Dragon series... and I was amazed at how much more emotionally entangled I became with the narrative and characters delivered by Kaizen Game Works than the similarly grounded-but-silly legends at RGG Studio. And I don’t say that to pit two beautiful queens against each other — just to emphasize how Promise Mascot Agency manages to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a series so iconic, one that the devs certainly had in the back of their minds when they began to develop their yakuza protagonist. Promise Mascot Agency's blend of management and open world busywork is no doubt an acquired taste, but its narrative is a worthwhile and sincere experience in the face of the levels of oppression our world is grappling with today. It might be a silly game where a perverted cat covered in (allegedly) white sticky yam fights for the safe consumption of Japanese porn, but it's also a game where misfits band together and fight against incredible odds to make life better for their neighbors. And that's not just what the games industry needs right now, but what we all need.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the definition of a spinoff game, but it's also the gold standard for games like it. Majima's Hawaiian adventures are a little shallower than I wanted, but when compared to the likes of the last two mainline games, anything would seem shallow. But being a pirate captain for a "short" 40 hours in the Like a Dragon universe is a dream I never knew I had, and RGG Studio showed me why it was a worthy fantasy.
Dead Letter Dept. is an indisputable hit for the indie horror scene, and it succeeds by trying something new. By turning the familiar frightening, Belief Engine has a game that I'd recommend to anyone. Not everyone can handle the rigorous inventory management of a survival horror game. Not everyone can stomach the jump scares that the genre usually employs. ... But everyone types.
Spirit Swap: Lo-fi Beats to Match-3 To is everything I could have asked for in a return to Panel de Pon match-3 gaming — and then some. It reminded me how purely enjoyable this style of puzzle gaming can be and how powerful an intentional and purposefully joyful narrative can be, especially spearheaded by a BIPOC, trans/nonbinary, and queer team. If you're a fan of Tetris Attack, Panel de Pon, or match-3 in general, Spirit Swap is a must-try. If you're unsure but find the narrative and the hotties compelling, give it a shot anyway and maybe discover love in a genre you never expected. What a way to kick off 2025. See you on the swappin' battlefields.
Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop is a especially satisfying routine game that emulates the best bits of furniture building and tech troubleshooting to provide a roguelike you'll feel is worth mastering. It's silly but narratively dense. It's randomized but always feels intentional in its design. And I just can't stop thinking about Wilbur and his weird batch of rocket ship pals. If you're the type to greedily clap your hands together at the sight of a hefty manual, then a gig at Uncle Chop's is for you.