Every year, as part of our end-of-the-year festivities, the crew here at Phenixx Gaming gets together and chooses a variety of our favorite Games of the Year. The only rule is that they have to be released this year. Technically, I (Alexx) also impose a rule on myself not to double up with anyone else on my personal choice. So, here are the team’s picks for 2025’s Game of the Year.

Alexx – Hades II

I have over 400 hours in Hades II this year. I love Clair Obscur, and it is absolutely deserving of all of its flowers, but to give praise to something just as wonderful, I have to pick Hades II as my Game of the Year this year. From a beautiful story of generational conflict to an amazing soundtrack, Hades II is an amazing game.

On top of that, it improves upon almost everything that the first game did. From combat to progression, it just feels really good to play. While it might be harder than the original game, unlike Hollow Knight: Silksong, a lot of its difficulty still comes from a place of fairness, and there is a lot of accessibility baked in, too.

Keiran – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

What can be said about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? What can’t be said? There is a reason everyone is riding this one like a prize pony, and it isn’t because it offers blowjobs and chocolate. I’ll admit that over the last decade and a bit, RPGs have progressively crept into my rotation of regular games. Yet, very few stand out like Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur because I’ll be honest, aside from that chant for completing quests in The Witcher 3 or that opening to Fallout 4, I don’t remember the soundtracks too well. Despite playing both to an unhealthy frequency.

If I told you the number of times I’ve listened to “Lumiére” you’d understand why I can sing that acapella and in French. The art, the gameplay, the music, and story, there is not a game this year – and I’ve played 65 releases – that managed to tie everything together so well. The closest might be Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (but that’s kind of cheating), being perfection alongside Sons of Liberty since 2004. Restricting it to this year, I’d have to say Atomfall and South of Midnight were in the running, but you’d find it so difficult to argue against Clair Obscur’s near perfection any year, no less in 2025.

David – Doom: The Dark Ages

My 2025 Game of the Year is Doom: The Dark Ages. It’s a drastic deviation from older games in the Doom franchise, mainly because the Doom Slayer now has a shield and can ride a dragon and pilot a giant mech suit. I’m not a “Doom purist,” so those aspects only made me enjoy Doom: The Dark Ages even more. It’s possible that Doom: The Dark Ages knows just the right ways to press on the primal parts of my brain and ramp up production of “the happy chemicals,” but so what? I had a blast, and that’s what matters.

Taylor – Avowed

My Game of the Year is Avowed. There’s a beautiful blend of nostalgia and modern Obsidian finesse in this fantasy RPG. There’s fascinating infusions of politics, prejudice, and power-chasing that make the world feel fun from the start, but you are left without the limitlessness of some more modern Western action RPGs. Still, for its flaws, this is a 20-hour experience perfect for fans of The Elder Scrolls, and a great timesink to explore. Did I mention you can cast spells while holding a gun? I really should have led with that. In a year where Obsidian also released Grounded 2 and The Outer Worlds 2, the team also deserves high praise for its consistent output on an otherwise questionable Xbox Game Studios roster.

Mike – Goodnight Universe

My Game of the Year is Goodnight Universe. A title where the webcam is the controller, a newfound level of immersion takes hold thanks to blinking, head movement, and smiling/frowning. Past this novel mechanic, though, lies a tale of family, bonding, and communication that you only experience once in a blue moon. In the span of 3 hours, I felt a connection to these characters that surpasses characters in 80-hour adventures. A worthy successor to Before Your Eyes, Goodnight Universe is a game that everyone with a camera deserves to experience.

Matthew – Tales of the Shire

While there were many phenomenal games this year that I enjoyed, from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Split Fiction, to Ghost of Yotei, the game that gave me the most joy is Tales of the Shire. This game helped me unwind after so many stressful workdays. I would recommend Tales of the Shire for anyone looking to see what the perfect Hobbit life would be!

Edward – Aethermancer

I’m at the point in my gaming journey where I’ve become very disinterested in big-budget AAA releases. That’s why this year I’d like to draw people’s attention to less talked-about indie titles. While things like Silksong and Hades II look great, I haven’t gotten around to them yet.

Aethermancer is a game that captured my interest. The game combines the creature collection and Rogue-like genres in a way that just spoke to me. I loved exploring different team compositions, and the diversity of options allows runs to feel unique between sessions. On top of that, the game features a charming retro art style and a world populated by great character designs and sprite work. Creatures are simple but have attack animations that flesh out individual personalities. All in all, if you want a fun new Rogue-like, give this a shot

There you have it, folks! This is an array of great games that we played and loved this year. There were plenty of other, well-deserving games out there, since 2025 was a great year for games. Here’s hoping 2026 is just as amazing for all of us. I’ll toss a trailer for an honorable mention below.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!