RANKING: the best games of 2025

In 2025, the gaming industry showed that there is still plenty of room for innovation, whether in large productions or more experimental projects. Highly anticipated sequels such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2 e Hades II They shared space with new bets such as blue prince e Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Expanding the range of styles and approaches, this selection brings together the best games of 2025, highlighting experiences that caught attention for their gameplay, structure, and world-building. Check out the best games of 2025 and their scores below. Metacritic.

Digimon Story Time Stranger (80)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: October 3rd

Digimon Story: Time Stranger Digimon is an RPG where the player explores the human and digital worlds while training and strengthening "digital monsters," the Digimon. The story involves time travel and parallel universes, with the goal of understanding the collapse of the world and changing the characters' destinies. The game uses turn-based battles, requiring strategic choices in each combat. It's possible to recruit, evolve, and customize hundreds of Digimon, assembling teams for different challenges.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (80)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 | Release date: December 4th

One of the last games released in 2025, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Follow Samus Aran on an investigation across the planet. Viewroswhere she needs to use new psychic abilities to navigate through ruins, decipher ancient structures, and discover more about the Lamorn, a civilization that disappeared long ago. The game, one of the most anticipated games of December, combines detailed exploration with combat against hostile creatures that appear during the journey. In addition, Samus can traverse areas using her vehicle. Vi-O-La, which increases the pace of the adventure.

PEAK (82)

Platforms: PC | Release date: June 16th

One of the most successful online games of 2025 among streamers and content producers, PEAK It's a cooperative climbing game where the goal is to reach the top of a mountain on a mysterious island. The player needs to plan each move, using ropes, hooks, and support items to overcome obstacles. It's possible to play alone or in a group, helping other players climb along different paths. The mountain changes daily, bringing new challenges. During the climb, the character must deal with hunger, injuries, and lack of stamina.

The Outer Worlds 2 (83)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: October 29rd

The Outer Worlds 2 It's a first-person action RPG set in a space colony in crisis. The player takes on the role of an agent tasked with investigating rifts that threaten the region's balance, making decisions that affect the course of the story and the factions involved. Exploration takes place in open areas, with missions that can be resolved through combat, stealth, or dialogue. It's possible to create a character with unique abilities, recruit companions with individual goals, and shape the narrative according to the choices made throughout the journey.

Battlefield 6 (84)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: October 10rd

Battlefield 6 Battlefield is a first-person shooter focused on large-scale battles, combining infantry, ground vehicle, and air combat on the same battlefield, in the classic style of the Battlefield franchise. Players participate in team-based matches, where the use of tactics and cooperation between squads influences the outcome. The environment is destructible, allowing players to alter the scenery to create new routes or eliminate enemy positions. The game returns to its roots with a gameplay worthy of the series and has pleased both new fans and veteran players.

Octopath Traveler 0 (84)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: December 4th

Octopath Traveler 0 It's a turn-based RPG that places the player at the center of a story of reconstruction and revenge in a fragmented kingdom. The game is a reimagining of the story of the mobile game. Octopath: Champions of the ContinentIt allows you to create your own character, choosing their appearance and characteristics, and build a city that grows as new people are recruited. Battles follow the system of Break e BoostThis requires planning to weaken enemies and take advantage of extra turns. It's also possible to form teams with various allies, use special actions on the map, and define different approaches to missions and exploration.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (85)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: August 28

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater It's a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 This game updates the stealth classic for modern platforms. It maintains the same general story structure, following Naked Snake's mission during the Cold War, but with visual and sound improvements. Gameplay remains focused on infiltration, camouflage, and survival, requiring the player to manage injuries, fatigue, and resources. Objectives can be approached silently or more directly, adapting strategies according to the environment and enemy behavior.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (85)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: January 31

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector It's a science fiction RPG where the player controls a fugitive android trying to survive in a collapsing star system. Gameplay is dice-based, where each action depends on rolls that determine success or failure. The player manages a damaged ship, recruits crew members, and accepts contracts to obtain resources. Exploration takes place in different areas of the system, dealing with conflicts between corporations, lack of supplies, and constant threats.

Assassin's Creed Shadows (85)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: March 20

Assassin's Creed Shadows It is an action-adventure game set in feudal Japan, in which the player alternates between two protagonists, the shinobi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke. Gameplay combines stealth and direct combat, allowing for infiltration using shadows, distractions, and climbing, as well as fighting with swords, bows, and other weapons. The open world features cities, fortresses, and rural areas that can be freely explored, with changing weather and seasons influencing how missions progress.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (86)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: May 18

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time It's an RPG where the player lives in a fantasy world and can freely switch between 14 professions called Lives (Lives, in English). The game allows you to fish, cook, gather resources, craft equipment, and fight monsters, depending on your chosen play style. The story revolves around a mysterious island and journeys between the past and present to understand what caused its downfall. You can also shape the environment, build cities, explore an open map, and play cooperatively with your friends.

DELTARUNE (86)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: June 4th

DELTARUNE It's an RPG where the player controls Kris in an adventure that mixes exploration, dialogue, and turn-based battles with real-time elements. The game takes place in a parallel world where the group needs to traverse areas called... Dark Worlds, facing enemies and resolving situations through choices. Battles allow you to attack, defend, or act in alternative ways, avoiding confrontations and dialoguing with your enemies in an innovative combat system.

The Alters (86)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: June 13

the ages It's a science fiction game focused on survival and management. The player controls Jan, the sole survivor of a mission on a hostile planet, and must create alternate versions of himself to assemble a functional crew. Each copy possesses different skills and perspectives, influencing decisions and relationships within the mobile base. Gameplay involves exploration, resource gathering, module construction, and planning activities according to the planet's cycle. Choices affect the story, characters, and outcomes of the journey.

Silent Hill f (86)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: September 25th

Silent Hill It's a psychological horror game set in a rural Japanese town in the 1960s, where the player follows Hinako as she tries to survive after the region is engulfed in a mysterious fog. Gameplay combines exploration in enclosed areas and narrow streets, puzzle-solving, and confrontations with creatures. The focus is on constant tension and a sense of isolation, with the narrative gradually revealed through scenarios and encounters.

Ghost of Yotei (86)

Platforms: PlayStation 5 | Release date: October 2nd

Ghost of Yotei It is an open-world action game set in 17th-century Japan, 300 years after the events of... Ghost of TsushimaIn this game, the player follows Atsu, a mercenary searching for those responsible for her family's death. Exploration takes place in snowy regions, open fields, and rural villages, with main missions and optional activities. The combat system combines melee and ranged attacks, allowing the use of different weapons and fighting styles.

Mario Kart World (86)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 | Release date: June 5th

Mario Kart World It's a kart racing game where the player competes using characters from the Mario universe on tracks connected by an open-world map. Races allow up to 24 participants at a time and include sections on land, water, and areas with jumps and rails. The Grand Prix mode requires the player to drive between tracks, instead of just selecting them from menus. In addition to traditional races, there is a mode where competitors are progressively eliminated during a long race that traverses the map.

The Roottrees are Dead (86)

Platforms: PC | Release date: January 15th

The Roottrees are Dead It's an investigation game where the player must reconstruct the family tree of a billionaire family after a suspicious accident. Set in 1998, the game places the player in front of an old computer, where they must search for photos, articles, and records to find connections between relatives. Gameplay is based on deduction, analysis of clues, and organization of information.

Lumines Arise (87)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: November 11th

Lumines Arise It's a rhythmic puzzle game where the player manipulates 2x2 blocks of different colors to form squares of the same color. A timeline moves across the board to the rhythm of the music and removes completed combinations, requiring spatial and temporal planning. The game offers dozens of levels with varied scenarios and modes for one or more players. It's also possible to use the mechanics Burstwhich allows you to hold blocks for longer to create larger combinations and increase your score.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (87)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: August 29

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance It's a 2D action-platformer game where the player controls Joe Musashi, a ninja warrior seeking revenge after the destruction of his village. Gameplay focuses on fast-paced combat with swords, projectiles, and special techniques, along with platforming sections that demand precision. Throughout the levels, the player unlocks upgrades that expand attack and mobility options.

Monster Train 2 (87)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: May 21

Monster Train 2 It's a card-based strategy game where players build decks and organize units within a three-story train to repel waves of enemies. The story involves an alliance between angels and demons who must confront creatures called Titans, traveling through different regions such as Hell and Heaven. Gameplay revolves around choosing clans, tactically positioning units, and using room and equipment cards to strengthen defenses. Between matches, players access a central station where they can unlock upgrades, customize the train, and play extra modes with modified rules.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (88)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: September 25th

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds It's a racing game where the player competes on tracks that traverse different dimensions through portals called Rings Crossing. The races take place on land, sea, air, and in space, with changing scenery during the race. The game offers dozens of playable characters and allows you to customize vehicles with parts and devices that alter the way you drive. It's also possible to use items to hinder opponents or gain an advantage.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (88)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: October 30th

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake This game combines two classic RPGs into a unique experience. In both, the goal is to explore kingdoms threatened by evil forces, confront monsters, and complete quests to restore peace. Gameplay is based on turn-based battles, using weapons, spells, and strategic abilities. Just like in the classic game, the player travels through cities, caves, dungeons, and seas, assembling groups of heroes who evolve throughout the adventure as they gain experience and new resources, making it a great entry point for new players.

ARC Raiders (88)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: October 39rd

A.R.C. Raiders It's an action and survival game where the player explores the surface of a world dominated by machines while maintaining an underground base as a support point. The focus is on scavenging for resources, facing AI-controlled enemies, and dealing with other players who can either help or hinder. Players can play solo or in small groups, craft and upgrade equipment, and accept missions that expand access to new areas. Matches feature variations in weather, threats, and objectives, requiring planning for each incursion.

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (88)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: May 28

Developed by the Brazilian studio Pocket trap, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo It's an action-adventure game in a wide-angle view. top-down In this game, the player explores a large city using a yo-yo as their main tool for combat and movement. The gameplay mixes fighting enemies, solving puzzles, and exploring interconnected areas. As the player progresses, they unlock new yo-yo maneuvers, allowing them to access previously inaccessible paths and create different ways to traverse the environments.

Sword of the Sea (88)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: August 19th

Developed by former members of studios that brought audiences acclaimed games such as ABZÛ, The Pathless, and Journey, Sword of the Sea It's an adventure game where the player controls a character gliding through dunes and seas in a surreal open world. The main mechanic is high-speed movement with a board that blends elements of skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing, allowing jumps, spins, and maneuvers in environments that function as natural tracks. The journey follows a resurrected being who explores ruins and desert regions to restore a lost ocean, revegetating arid areas and bringing life back to the environment.

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles (88)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: September 30th

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles It's a tactical RPG where the player participates in turn-based battles on maps with varying heights and terrain. The story takes place in the kingdom of Ivalice and follows political and military conflicts affecting nobles and commoners as two factions vie for power. The combat system demands careful unit positioning and turn order management. Characters can be leveled up through different Jobs, combining active and passive skills to create varied strategies.

Abiotic Factor (88)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: July 22

Abiotic Factors It's an open-world survival game that puts the player in the role of a scientist trapped in an underground research complex after a containment breach. The experience blends exploration, crafting, and character progression in a 90s-inspired sci-fi setting. Players can play solo or cooperatively with up to six people, collecting resources in labs and offices to craft tools, improvised weapons, and advanced equipment.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (88)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: April 4th

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II It's an open-world action RPG set in early 15th-century Bohemia, directly continuing the story of Henry, the son of a blacksmith. The game is played in first-person perspective and focuses on choices that affect the behavior of surrounding characters and the development of the world. The combat system includes realistic melee weapons, crossbows, and early firearms, which can even be used while the character is mounted on horseback, providing a unique close-quarters combat experience and making it one of the best games of 2025.

Dispatch (89)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: October 22

Dispatch It's a narrative-focused, choice-driven game set in a modern-day Los Angeles, where the player takes on the role of Robert Robertson, known as Mecha ManAfter having his suit destroyed in a confrontation with his greatest enemy, he begins working at a superhero operations center as a dispatcher, instead of directly operating in the field. Gameplay revolves around analyzing accidents and crises on a city map and deciding which heroes will be sent to each situation. The decisions shape the course of the story, influence relationships within the team, and affect character development.

Absolute (89)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: October 9th

Absolutum It's a beat 'em up action game with a roguelite-inspired progression structure. The player traverses fantastical environments facing waves of enemies in melee combat, using combos, special abilities, and magic. Different characters can be chosen, each with their own fighting style, and different paths can be followed in each playthrough. The gameplay encourages repetition, unlocking resources, and adapting strategies as the challenges increase.

The Séance of Blake Manor (89)

Platforms: PC | Release date: October 27th

The Séance of Blake Manor It's a first-person investigation game set in 1897 on the coast of Ireland, in an isolated mansion. The player controls Detective Declan Ward, who must discover what happened to a missing guest, Evelyn Deane, during a séance. Gameplay is based on exploration, interviewing suspects, collecting clues, and recording notes in a diary. Time progresses according to the player's actions, causing important events to occur at specific times.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (89)

Platforms: PlayStation 5 | Release date: June 26

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach It's an action-adventure game focused on exploration and narrative, in which the player follows Sam on a new mission to reconnect humanity in a fragmented world. The game takes place after the events of the first title and expands on the concept of traversal, placing the player in the position of dealing with unstable terrain, changing weather conditions, and supernatural threats. The gameplay offers multiple approaches to conflicts, allowing players to confront enemies directly, use stealth, or avoid dangerous areas.

Despelote (89)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: January 31

Flashing It's a first-person narrative game that blends soccer and urban exploration. The player controls Julián, an eight-year-old boy who roams the streets and parks of Quito while kicking, dribbling, and passing a soccer ball. The game doesn't focus on traditional matches, but on spontaneous interactions and everyday situations. Throughout the experience, the environment changes according to the atmosphere of anticipation surrounding Ecuador's qualification for the World Cup, creating a playable portrait of childhood and urban life.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (90)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC | Release date: September 19th

A remake of one of the most successful classic JRPGs. Nihom Falcon, Trails in the Sky Chapter 1 It's a game that follows the journey of Estelle and Joshua, two apprentices in a guild that works to maintain peace in the kingdom of... LiberlThe game combines exploration of cities and open areas with a narrative focused on politics, conspiracies, and relationships between characters. Combat can be turn-based or in a more dynamic real-time system, allowing the player to choose their battle style.

Monster Hunter Wilds (90)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: February 28

Monster Hunter Wilds It's a third-person action game focused on hunting large creatures in expansive and dynamic maps. The player takes on the role of a hunter exploring the Forbidden Lands, an environment that constantly changes with variations in weather and cycles of abundance and scarcity. Gameplay revolves around tracking monsters, studying their behavior patterns, and defeating them to collect materials used in crafting weapons and armor. Each encounter requires preparation, equipment selection, and terrain reading. Furthermore, each weapon completely transforms the gameplay experience, making this game ideal for those seeking a first experience with the classic franchise.MonHun".

Donkey Kong Bananza (91)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 | Release date: July 17th

Donkey Kong Bananza It's a 3D platform game focused on exploration and destruction of environments. The player controls Donkey Kong in open underground areas, collecting banana-shaped gems while traversing varied themed environments such as ice, lava, and jungle. Gameplay allows for rolling, punching, wall climbing, and free interaction with objects in the environment. Throughout the adventure, it's possible to unlock temporary transformations with specific abilities, such as increased strength, speed, gliding, or terrain manipulation.

Blue Prince (92)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: April 10th

blue prince It's an exploration and puzzle game set in a mansion where the rooms change location every day. The player decides which rooms appear behind each door, altering routes, challenges, and available resources. The structure works like a cycle of attempts, where the map is reset daily, but the acquired knowledge remains. The goal is to find the enigmatic Room 46 while unraveling a story involving intrigue, blackmail, and a disappearance in a completely addictive game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (92)

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: April 24th

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 It's a turn-based RPG that blends strategic commands with real-time actions during battles. The story takes place in a world inspired by the French Belle Époque, where an entity called the Artificer erases people above a certain age every year by painting a cursed number on a monolith. The player follows Expedition 33, a group that embarks on a mission to end this cycle. Combat combines dodging, parrying, and counter-attacks executed in real time with traditional turn-based systems, as well as deep customization of equipment and abilities.

Split Fiction (93)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: March 6

Split Fiction It's an action-adventure game focused entirely on cooperation. The story follows Mio and Zoe, two writers with opposite styles who become trapped inside their own fictional worlds after being connected to a machine that steals ideas. The game alternates between science fiction and fantasy settings, requiring the two players to work together to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and face varied challenges. Each stage features specific mechanics that constantly change, maintaining the pace of the experience.

Hollow Knight: Silksong (94)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Release date: September 4th

One of the most anticipated games of recent years, Hollow Knight: Silksong It's a Metroidvania-style action-adventure game where the player controls Hornet, an agile warrior who explores a new kingdom dominated by insects and ancient structures. Gameplay centers around fast-paced combat, precise platforming, and continuous exploration of interconnected maps. Throughout the journey, players can craft tools, unlock abilities, and face enemies and bosses that demand pattern recognition and quick reaction time.

Hades II (98)

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC | Release date: September 25th

Hades II it's an action game roguelike In this game, the player controls Melinoë, princess of the Underworld, in repeated attempts to defeat the Titan of Time. Each playthrough is structured around fast-paced combat, procedurally generated rooms, and choices of temporary upgrades that change the gameplay style. Combat combines melee weapons, spells, and special abilities granted by gods, allowing for different combinations each run. Between attempts, it's possible to unlock permanent upgrades, advance the story through dialogues, and strengthen the character to face more difficult enemies.

And for you, what were your best games of 2025? Tell us in the comments!

Learn more:

The most anticipated games of 2026

Text revised by Alexandre Marques in 16 / 12 / 2025.

Source: Metacritic.