NBA 2K26 is another small but significant step forward for the franchise. It has never felt better to play an NBA 2K game, thanks to on-court gameplay improvements and quality-of-life fixes off the court. There is so much content that you almost have to pick a lane and stay there, while microtransactions are positioned as a fix for the FOMO you'll inevitably feel ignoring one mode for another. But it's still easy to recommend NBA 2K26 to hoops fans.
Firefighting Simulator: Ignite is one of the better simulators on console, and perhaps the best of the firefighting variety. It's a sim on console, so you know it comes with some bugs, but if you're into the emergency services subgenre of sims, it's a no brainer.
For $40, you'll get 15 or so hours of a lite Icelandic folklore version of the modern God of War games. It comes with caveats – finding the right difficulty and looking past annoyances with puzzles and combat – but I'd recommend giving Echoes of the End a go.
Chips 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids has big ideas for the strategy genre, but it doesn't quite pull it off. I still think it's worth playing if you're interested in an easily digestible, save-the-world-from-aliens strategy romp.
Beautiful in every way, Herdling is a short and sweet adventure that will pull at your heartstrings.
An overall bland cyberpunk combat racer with a cool aesthetic and soundtrack that stalls out due to lackluster gameplay.
Ready or Not's grounded, gritty gameplay is one of the best tactical experiences on console. It requires you to take it seriously to be successful, but that's what an elite tactical shooter will do. If you're into this sort of thing, I highly recommend it.
Clutchtime: Basketball Deckbuilder is a novel concept, translating basketball into a deckbuilding card game rather elegantly. The gameplay isn't the issue, but using difficulty to gatekeep entire game modes is. To put it in basketball terms: they've dunked the ball but have been called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim and taunting us players.
College Football 26 is a significant refinement from last year, particularly in terms of realistic gameplay and an authentic college football experience. But you'll have to contend with a troublesome Wear and Tear system, and occasionally braindead AI in specific modes.
Hideo Kojima once again proves to be a singular creative force in the video game industry, crafting a sequel in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach that is not just essential for fans of the first game, but an essential experience for all gamers.
RoadCraft is a must-play for fans of construction simulators. There is a coziness in the laborious nature of its gameplay that is hard to resist, and with a huge amount of content, you'll be busy cleaning up natural disasters for dozens of hours.
The Precinct effortlessly blends simulation, sandbox, and silliness. Imagine being a cop in one of the early top-down GTA games, but with modern game design and accoutrements. It's not perfect, but it nails the core gameplay loop that inspired it.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a thunderous debut from Sandfall Interactive. Its palette is brimming with cleverly engaging turn-based combat, impeccable art direction, and voice performances that rival feature films. The result is an incredible work of video game art. This game is worth more than the asking price, and I highly recommend it.
Promise Mascot Agency is a delightfully bonkers blend of Japanese crime drama, business management sim, card-battler, and open-world collect-a-thon. No aspect of the game goes very deep, but developer Kaizen Game Works has threaded the needle here, creating an engaging "lite" version of several video game subgenres.
Atomfall is a delightful surprise in a year packed with big game releases. I haven't felt this amount of joy from discovery, or this level of player agency in a game in quite some time. Wherever it is on your list of games to play in 2025, move it up.
PGA Tour 2K25 is a golf game for everyone, offering an enjoyable golf simulation for players of any skill level. There are incremental upgrades across the board from 2K23, though I do have concerns about the accessibility of some online modes, as well as the increased prevalence of premium currencies.
Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator largely achieves what it sets out to do. I take issue with its means-and-methods, as it relies heavily on minigames for many of its paramedic tasks, but that doesn't make it a bad game – just a far less immersive one.
Moons of Darsalon is a lovely action puzzle platformer with a slight bug problem. With that said, it is so unique and so confidently designed that I don't think you should skip it.
Warhorse Studios has delivered an excellent RPG and sequel. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a near total package, with great writing, acting, and a level of immersion that will have you running down every single quest in fear of missing out on a special moment. Frankly, I will be shocked if it's not in the awards conversation at the end of the year.
Take the magic of NBA Jam's gameplay, trade NBA players for robots with abilities, toss in some roguelite systems, give it stop-motion-style animation, and BOOMSHAKALAKA – you've got yourself a slam dunk.