The video games readers couldn’t switch off in 2025

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Happy holidays, Pushing Buttons readers! Once again, we are approaching the cherished time of year between Christmas and New Year when we might actually have the time to play some video games. I hope Santa brought you something new to play, instead of taking one look at all the unplayed games in your Steam library and putting you straight on the naughty list.

Over the past few weeks you have been sending in your favourite games of the year. I maintain that you readers have excellent taste: there’s crossover with our own Guardian games of the year list, but also plenty here that I haven’t played myself. Thank you to everyone who sent in a recommendation, and I hope you find yet another game to add to your pile of shame among the following suggestions. I’ll be back next week with a year-in-review issue – in the meantime, go enjoy yourselves!

‘I absolutely devoured this gem of a game’

“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I absolutely devoured this gem of a game; the story, setting, music, characters and visuals are all on point. I was itching to get back to playing it, while simultaneously never wanting it to end. Fantastic work from a debuting Sandfall Interactive [game] – I can’t wait to see what they do next!” Jen Baker

“Death Stranding 2 is a true masterpiece of a game. Absurd at times, deeply emotional, scary, all with an absolutely amazing score. The characters are superb. In particular, Rainy was absolutely wonderful and Higgs, the guitar-shredding Paul Gilbert look-alike villain, was insanely brilliant. And blimey ... the graphics. Just sensational stuff.” Simon White

“Avowed. I’ve started but never finished Skyrim (or any of the Elder Scrolls games), Starfield, any of the Fallouts or Outer Worlds that I think fall into the same category. But Avowed got its hooks into me with a great script and voice acting, seeing the difference my choices made and possibly the best first person, non-shooter combat I’ve tried.” Matt Froggatt

“Split Fiction is the most fun co-op I have played for ages, they have ripped off every genre going and all for the greater co-op good! Plus, it’s not an expensive game and you don’t have to buy two copies. PS: The pigs and hotdog section was beyond funny!” Simon Watson

“My favourite game this year has to be a triumphant return to the Lies of P universe and the DLC, Overture. It was so brilliantly done, the storyline was so sad and thoughtful. I just loved the way the prequel developed the main game lore and explained the characters backstories so well. The boss fights were so epic and I loved how stupidly hard some of them were. Oh, and the new music was great too. Big fan.” Tara Cooper

A character from the game stands facing Mount Fuji in Japan.

“My favourite game of the year has been my favourite for years: Ghost of Yōtei. It looks incredible, the gameplay is fluid and the story is good. There are loads of side missions but they never feel like a chore or repetitive because of the quality of the action. In short, it’s everything that Assassin’s Creed wishes it could be.” Gareth Jones

“Mechabellum. This game was catapulted into my online friend group seemingly out of nowhere, but we all love it. It’s a round-based 1v1 or 2v2 autobattler with lots of layers of skill and strategy. A match is about 20 mins 1v1. It’s also not an RTS which is great for me and my late-30s lads who mostly can’t put in the hours to stay good at Dota (our old go-to for Friday night games).” Thomas Jones

“The top VR game of 2025 has to be Ghost Town by Fireproof Games. It has an incredible narrative with a strong female lead that is set in the 1980s. Fireproof Games is known for The Room series, so it’s no surprise that the visuals are stunning, the puzzles challenging and creative and the characters brilliant. An absolute joy to play.” Martina Stender

“For me, it has to be Monster Train 2! The perfect rogue-like card battler that has learned and applied everything it can from other greats. It’s a mix of chance and strategy that never feels like it leaves you too high and dry, and challenge modes that help you find new ways to play in the main game. A wonderful, addictive and fun way to while away an afternoon, or a late night!” Nell Guy

“Maybe it’s recency bias, but Arc Raiders has come out of nowhere and completely taken over my gaming life. The sound design, the significant risk of death, but also the surprisingly kind community – I’m using public voice chat for the first time since the 360 days – have combined for an immersive experience unlike anything I’ve ever played. We’ll see how the community evolves over time, especially as the game increases in popularity, but for now, it stands as a tremendous accomplishment that deserves to be recognised.” Brett Bates

“One game I played this year will stay with me for life: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, an old-Zelda-like where the gameplay is based on painting every stage and interacting with colours. It’s fun to play, never tiring, an amazingly well-written story dealing with depression in a constructive and original way, incredible music by Lena Raine ... [I] cried multiple times, had fun from start to finish, and I left no screen in black and white.” Silvano Cardin

“Absolum. I was quite excited for this one since playing the demo, so not entirely unexpected that this is my favourite release of the year. A rogue-like beat-’em up where style and substance are dealt out in massive quantities; the tight mechanics and setting are so striking that even after 100%-ing the game, I’m still coming back for more. I really look forward to hearing what the developers have next for this, as they have promised more, and I am waiting with bated breath!” Asher Alexander

“There were many great games this year and I’ve spent a lot of time on Silksong and Clair Obscur Expedition 33. Nothing had me obsessed like Blue Prince, though … it got to the point where I was constantly thinking about it, even when I was not playing. I’m thoroughly done, and it makes me really sad.” Marie-Jill Landry

“Kaizen Game Works’ Promise Mascot Agency is a weirdly wholesome game about a Yakuza hitman rebuilding a small Japanese town through the use of incredibly odd store brand mascots. Just unique, and a perfect follow-up to the equally weird Paradise Killer.” Paul Jones

“My favourite game of the year is, very much, Dispatch – and I can’t wait for the final episodes to drop tonight. It’s unique, as far as I’ve seen, with a great blend of story and game, with a compelling narrative that keeps you going with interesting decision points. The animation is great, and I’m sure I’ll replay it as soon as I’ve finished to see what differences the other choices make. And it was cheap – no need to pay £70-80 for this!” Chris Cunliffe

“Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is outstanding in all respects. It’s my game of the year – all-time favourite.” Bob Watkins

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Question Block

We’ll skip the reader question this week – instead, why not get in touch to let us know what you’ve enjoyed about Pushing Buttons this year, what we could do better, and any games, themes or stories you want us to look into in 2026?

You know what to do: email us on [email protected].

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