Branching Path: Mikhail Madnani’s Top 10 Games of 2025

Wow, looking back on the start of the year, I’m honestly surprised by some of the games that ended up in my top 10! A few of my honorable mentions didn’t quite make the cut as high as I thought they would, but that’s how it goes. 2025 was just a really packed and unexpected year for gaming. I even went back and enjoyed some games I’d previously given up on, thanks to new versions, and I spent a ton of time with two consoles I hadn’t really played before. If you thought my top games list from last year was long, I’m sorry – I played even more this year and loved a lot of it, even with a few disappointments along the way!

Honorable Mentions

These are games I really liked, either because I haven’t finished them yet, or because they just didn’t quite make my top 10 list. I recommend all of them! And 2025 had even more games I loved than 2024 – I found myself getting really invested in a lot of them for various reasons.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road – I kept putting off playing this for a week or two because of how often it was getting major updates and finally put some time into it before we recorded our last Tetracast of the year. I adore Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road and this would’ve been in my top 10 had I finished it in time.
Baby Steps, Skate Story, and Ball X Pit – I’m cheating by including three games together here, but I’m doing it for a reason. Many years ago, Devolver Digital released Hotline Miami. Since then, I’ve been playing just about every game from the publisher but none managed to hit the highs of when I first discovered Devolver until I played the trio of Baby Steps, Ball x Pit, and Skate Story. They are all worth playing for different reasons and games I adore, but Baby Steps is the one that stuck with me the most so far.
Elden Ring Nightreign – I didn’t play much of Elden Ring itself in multiplayer, but Nightreign took the Elden Ring formula and adapted it into a game I love after its recent updates and DLC. I hope it keeps getting more updates and new bosses for a long time.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment – As someone who thought Age of Calamity was a good game held back by the worst visuals and performance I had seen on Switch, I’m glad to see Koei Tecmo’s AAA Studio deliver in spades with the gameplay, visuals, and performance in Age of Imprisonment on Switch 2. While I don’t care about the story at all, Age of Imprisonment is a fantastic Warriors game and one of the titles that defined the first year on Switch 2.
Mario Kart World – Speaking of the Switch 2, they finally released a Mario Kart game I actually enjoyed playing for more than a few hours. I dropped Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch in less than a dozen hours, but I spent multiple dozens of hours with Mario Kart World in its release month. It has an incredible soundtrack, lovely gameplay additions, and I only wish there was more to the open world.
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and Shinobi Art of Vengeance – I’m cheating again here with two games, but it is my list so I can do whatever I want. After enjoying Ninja Gaiden II Black, I was curious to see how I’d find Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. I ended up loving it, and while I think more played Shinobi Art of Vengeance, the former made a bigger impression on me. Both of them are worth playing even if you have no history with the original franchises, but if you had to pick just one, go with Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. They are also perfect Steam Deck games.
Cyberpunk 2077 Utlimate Edition – I thought Cyberpunk 2077 itself was great around the time the PS5 version finally released, but it reached a whole other level with Phantom Liberty. Just like with The Witcher 3 on Switch, CD Projekt Red pushed the Switch 2 with a fantastic (but not perfect) port of its incredible open-world RPG. I played this a ton on Switch 2 and enjoyed being able to sync my save across PS5 and Steam Deck as well. While The Witcher 3 on Switch was impressive for just being playable on Nintendo’s hybrid console, Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is just a great way to play the game on the go.
Cast n Chill – Cast n Chill is a late addition to this feature. I love fishing mini-games and pixel art so Cast n Chill felt like it was made for me. The game itself is an interesting blend of both an idle and active fishing game.It released less than two weeks ago and I’ve already played (including idle time) over 40 hours of it.
Like a Dragon: PIrate Yakuza in Hawaii – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii feels like a great standalone expansion to the incredible Infinite Wealth. While it has some issues with its pacing, I adored my time with it on the seas and interacting with the many returning and new characters in the main story. It also has my favorite finale section of any Yakuza game thanks to the song. I also liked it enough to buy the Japanese limited edition for the pop-up pirate toy as you can see in the photo.
Kirby Air Riders – I love when games shut me up and that’s exactly what Kirby Air Riders did. Why is Nintendo doing two Directs for this random spin-off Kirby game I thought. Then I played and loved it. This is easily my favorite game by Masahiro Sakurai in many years, and I’m glad it exists. Hopefully it leads to more Nintendo games getting good accessibility and audio settings as well.

Earthion – Yuzo Koshiro’s Ancient released a Mega Drive shoot ’em up this year with Earthion. It is gorgeous and sounds amaziing in addition to being a ton of fun to play. I’m glad this was finally released and delivered despite a few issues.
Donkey Kong Bananza – Donkey Kong Bananza is gorgeous and also the most fun Nintendo game I played this year. It is also the only game from 2025 that made me think of Limp Bizkit’s Break Stuff. Give me somethin’ to break. Just give me somethin’ to break.
Birdcage – POLYGON BIRD Games’ vertical shoot ’em up BIRDCAGE blended in elements of games in the genre I loved while delivering an incredible experience that is only a few steps away from perfection.
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter – I almost didn’t have a Falcom game in my end of year feature because the two games I enjoyed the most aren’t actually out in the West yet. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is an incredible remake of a good but not great Trails game. I’m mostly glad to finally have another great entry point to recommend when newcomers ask about getting into Trails. It definitely has me more excited for Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter that potentially will be an incredible remake of an incredible game.
Is This Seat Taken? – 2025 was a great year for puzzle games like LOK Digital and Spooky Express, but Is This Seat Taken? stuck with me the most looking back. The logic puzzler about placing people based on their needs in a specific location was good enough for me to get on every platform. It also has one of my favorite soundtracks of the year.
Time Flies – Time Flies is a game where you play as a fly and have a limited amount of time to do what you want to before you die. It will make you think about choices, life, dying, and accomplishing what you want before it is too late.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a massive step up over the original and a fantastic crunchy RPG with its immersive world, incredibly dense gameplay, and characters. This would’ve been in my top 10 had I actually finished it and not spent so much time just exploring and doing as much as I can outside the main story.
Dear Me, I was… – Dear Me, I was… from Arc System Works is a short interactive and emotional story that aims to help you realize that it is never too late to follow your dreams. It has impeccable art and I hope more people play it whenever it does come to more platforms. It is easily one of my favorite Nintendo Switch 2 experiences of 2025.
Root Bear – This year, I got a Playdate console for writing about the RPGs on it. I’ve been using it daily to dip my toes into the RPGs and also plethora of other creative exclusives on the handheld. The two that managed to stick with me for daily play are Root Bear and A Balanced Brew. Root Bear has you using the Playdate crank to pour drinks with the aim of matching the required level the customer wants. It is simple and has lovely animation work. I’m going to crank one out right now.
A Balanced Brew – A Balanced Brew reminds me of the early days of iOS gaming. You control a person on a unicycle trying to get good coffee at the end of each level. The levels keep getting harder and it is one of the better implementations I’ve seen so far of the crank for gameplay on Playdate.

The Top 10

I spent a lot of time trying to rank games 4 through 10, but eventually just picked an order. Honestly, I’d probably rearrange them if you asked me again tomorrow. It’s actually really fun to look back at my top 10 and see so many surprises – that’s what I love about gaming in 2025. I enjoy being surprised by great games and having my expectations subverted.

10. Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines and Overtime

Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines originally came out on PC in 2023, and earlier this year it received a significant update and was released on the Nintendo Switch with the ‘Overtime’ expansion. I really enjoyed the game’s story, which realistically portrays the ups and downs of office life and the struggle with procrastination. The characters were particularly engaging – it’s been a while since a game like VA-11 Hall-A captivated me so much. Revisiting the game recently felt especially impactful, as 2025 has been a busy and productive year for me, even with my tendency to put things off. Plus, playing Endless Monday always makes me crave a burger and coffee – it’s a truly satisfying experience, and I couldn’t ask for more from a game.

9. Promise Mascot Agency

Kaizen Game Works followed up their unique game Paradise Killer with Promise Mascot Agency, a surprising mix of collecting mascots, exploring an open world, and battling with cards. The game’s story feels like something you’d find in a Yakuza game, but it really stands out thanks to its incredible visual style and a truly unique soundtrack. Combining a retro, heavily filtered look with a crime drama narrative, and featuring music that blends traditional Japanese instruments with vintage synths and electric guitars, Promise Mascot Agency easily became one of my top games of 2025.

8. Simogo Legacy Collection

Simogo Legacy Collection is a fantastic package for Nintendo Switch, Steam, and potentially Switch 2, gathering together games from one of my favorite developers. I first played Device-6 on iOS years ago and it’s great to revisit it along with other classic mobile games. This collection is incredibly creative, and the way it presents these retro titles – like a brand-new, fictional phone operating system with unique apps – is truly interesting.

7. Blippo+

Blippo+ originally launched on the Playdate console as part of its second season, and recently became available in color on Steam and Switch. It’s a unique game that evokes the feeling of flipping through TV channels in the 80s and 90s. Some might not consider it a traditional game, but I believe Blippo+ offers a truly special experience that only games can provide, thanks to its clever storytelling and excellent writing. While the Playdate version streams content, the Steam and Switch versions let you play offline. I’m torn between which version I prefer, but I especially loved using the crank to change channels. Blippo+ is one of the most original games available today, and I’m happy I had the chance to play both versions.

6. Monster Hunter Wilds

I started playing the Monster Hunter series with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 3DS, and I’ve consistently found the initial releases of each new game frustrating until several updates fixed the issues. Monster Hunter Wilds was particularly rocky leading up to launch, but it’s improved with every update, especially with the recent Omega collaboration. While it has a high bar to reach the quality of Iceborne and Sunbreak, I’ve enjoyed Wilds much more than the base versions of World and Rise. It shows a lot of promise, and I hope Capcom continues to develop it well in 2026. This is also the first Monster Hunter game where I’ve been motivated to complete everything, including all the achievements and even the notoriously difficult fishing trophy.

5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I’ve been playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 since it first came out, checking in with updates along the way, and I still really enjoy it. The gameplay and music are fantastic, and I love exploring the world and tackling its challenges. While not all of the characters clicked with me, I’ll definitely remember Monoco and Lune. My overall opinion would be even higher if a couple of specific areas weren’t frustrating to play through. Despite that, I’m excited to see what the developers, Sandfall, create next, and I hope we return to the world of Expedition 33 in the future. And yes, the baguette in my picture is just a fun addition!

4. Dynasty Warriors: Origins

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is the first game in the series where Omega Force truly delivered on the promise of massive-scale battles – fighting hundreds of enemies on screen at once. I found it to be the best in the series thanks to its incredible visuals, music, and improved gameplay. I especially enjoyed the thoughtful story and how the game was structured. It’s also a remarkably well-made Warriors game, which isn’t something I often say. While I usually prefer replaying other titles like Fire Emblem Warriors or Samurai Warriors, Dynasty Warriors: Origins really captured my attention, and I’m excited to experience the upcoming expansion and Switch 2 version.

3. Hades II

The first Hades was fantastic, but Supergiant Games has truly outdone themselves with Hades II. This sequel is more refined, confident, and mechanically impressive than its predecessor – it almost feels like two games rolled into one. Hades II improves upon everything that made the original great, and the music is exceptional, consistently raising the bar for Supergiant’s already amazing soundtracks. I thought Transistor was their best work until I completed Hades II, and I’m excited to play it for years to come. It’s easily one of the best games available on the Switch 2 right now.

2. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

I started playing The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy earlier this year on Steam Deck and Switch, but didn’t finish it then. Since November, however, I’ve spent almost 120 hours with it and I’m completely hooked! I think I would have enjoyed it much less without the helpful improvements added to the game. I’ve been a fan of the creator, Kodaka, ever since Danganronpa, and I’m thrilled that he and the team have outdone themselves with The Hundred Line*. The story and tactical RPG gameplay are fantastic – it might even become one of my all-time favorite games as I continue to unlock all 100 endings. I’m really happy with the game, and I especially love the new character, Darumi, who is a great addition alongside Miu and Ibuki.

1. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

I still find myself thinking about and playing Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time almost every day, even after more than six months. It feels incredibly unique – almost like a dream. I want to see how it holds up over the next year as they add more content, but right now, it’s easily one of the best games I’ve played in the last ten years. Every time I start it up, it continues to surprise and bring me joy.

Playing Fantasy Life i felt like reconnecting with an old friend and seeing how much they’ve changed and improved over the years. I especially appreciate that Level-5 made it so you can play with anyone, on any device, and keep your progress across all platforms. The game didn’t just recapture the magic of the original; it exceeded my expectations – and completely took over my free time! I lost countless hours to Fantasy Life i in 2025, and I wouldn’t trade a single one of them.

2025-12-31 15:59