Hi everyone, it’s Jaimie here, Lecturer in Games Design at the University of Staffordshire. 2025 will go down as one of the best, and likely busiest, years in gaming. From AAA titles, such as Silent Hill f and Borderlands 4, to independent games such as the hotly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong, which finally saw its release, there were a lot of games fighting for your attention.
Nevertheless, as we come to the end of the year, we’re entering the exciting period of reflection, where players from all backgrounds share their highlights from the past year, selecting their “game of the year” for 2025. With The Game Awards around the corner on 11 December, our department would like to share their personal favourites from 2025.
Jaimie Ditchfield – Lecturer, Games Design
I have played a lot of games this year, not all released in 2025, but a high majority of them were new titles. It took a bit of deliberation to be honest, but ultimately, I decided on Donkey Kong Bananza, one of Nintendo’s exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 games which helped to usher in a new generation of hardware.
As a lifelong Nintendo fan, Donkey Kong Bananza played homage to the games of yesteryear, primarily Donkey Kong Country, one of the finest 2D platforms ever created. There are plenty of clever references to previous instalments, which results in a huge payoff for those of us that have grown up playing other Nintendo titles.
Then again, my favourite part of Donkey Kong Bananza was the relationship between Pauline and the titular Donkey Kong, which somehow managed to tug at the heartstrings throughout the game’s runtime. Combine that with some of the best level destruction and platforming seen in a game, and you have something truly special.
Davin Ward – Course Director, Games Programming
When Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 was first revealed in 2024 it was hard to imagine how much it would take the world by storm and go on to sell over 5 million copies world-wide (on top of being on Game Pass). The game masterly combines turn-based combat with a QTE system that feels more like Sekiro than Super Mario RPG and the feeling you get after parrying a long-winded boss move is second to none.
In addition to the combat system, the games build crafting potential allows the players to fully explore unique builds that truely fit any given situation. This is done via the “Pictos system” and allows you to combine many different skills that offer passive effects with skills that the player can use to deal damage, buff their party or debuff their opponents.
The narrative is expertly delivered and as the player you feel everything the party is going through during the gruelling adventure to defeat the Paintress. This narrative is delivered by the exceptionally talented Charlie Cox, Andy Serkis, Ben Starr and Jennifer English that truly make the characters feel alive.
Finally, this is all brought together by the sombre musical scoring of Lorien Testard and the vocals of Alice Duport-Percier that has had me listening to the OST on repeat since the game launched.
Dr. Mat Dalgleish – Senior Lecturer in Game Audio and Technical Design
I love both early Pac-Man titles and the Vectrex (a unique vector display–based console released a couple of years before I was born, and now favoured by a small group of analogue video artists who hack it into a more general-purpose display). Thus, if you’d asked me a week ago, my actual game of the year could easily have been Vec-Man, a 2019 Vectrex homebrew title. I might be six years late in getting hold of a copy and it therefore be completely ineligible here, but the current popularity on Kickstarter of the Vectrex Mini (sadly an AMOLED screen) would have lent it at least a tiny bit of contemporary relevance!
However, one of my favourite games of all time is Thumper, a 2016 rhythm game for the PS4, with a soundtrack by Brian Gibson of experimental noise rock duo Lightning Bolt. And, only a few days ago and taking me by surprise, a non-VR version of 2024’s follow-up Thrasher launched on Steam. I probably slightly prefer Thumper overall, but a soundtrack that hints at French electronic acts like Justice and early Daft Punk, wildly acidic and sometimes chaotic visuals, and a bucketload of synchresis (an obscure French term for a kind of compelling audiovisual fusion), are still enough to make Thrasher my game of the year.
Prof. Catherine Flick – Professor of Ethics and Games Technology
I’m a huge fan of indie games, and particularly narrative, puzzle, and/or cosy games given that I have a very busy life and am often very tired when I get to game time! Earlier this year I really liked Blue Prince for the solid cosy eerie puzzle game aesthetic. I didn’t fully finish it but maybe one day I will get back to my pages and pages of notes!
But for me, my GOTY would have to be The Seance of Blake Manor by Spooky Doorway. In this game you play an Agatha Christie-style detective investigating a missing woman at a hotel in rural Ireland a couple of days before Halloween, 1897. Part mystery whodunnit and part folk horror, I was drawn in by the aesthetic, the music, and the deep dive into Irish folklore. It’s not often these days that I get so lost in a game that I suddenly look up and it’s after midnight, but this one got me hook, line, and sinker. You only have a certain amount of time to solve the mystery, which adds in a compelling mechanic to Curse of the Golden Idol style deduction. It has hauntings, gods, Victorian spiritualism, and a bucketload of twists and turns. Definitely one of those games I wish I could play again afresh!
Luke Haslett – Senior Lecturer in Game Design and Narrative
Death Stranding 2 was one of my favourite games of 2025 because it reminded me that big budget games can still be daring and personal. I was a huge fan of the first one, so I went in with pretty high expectations, and I am really glad to say it lived up to all of them. Most AAA titles try to grab your attention with constant action, but this one dared to slow everything down and I loved how it built on the ideas of the first game without losing its identity. Mechanical, every movement, delivery, and route I planned felt methodical and meaningful. It centres traversal as the core gameplay and turns it into something almost meditative. Carrying cargo across rough terrain might sound repetitive on paper, but in practice it felt deeply satisfying and very human.
What really impressed me was how those mechanics connected directly to the story’s themes. Like its predecessor, the game is about connection, rebuilding trust and finding meaning in isolation, and you could feel those ideas through the way you played. It was not just telling a story about rebuilding the world, it made me live that process through every journey and difficult delivery.
There were plenty of other great games this year as well. Expedition 33 stood out to me for its emotional storytelling, Blue Prince captured me with its inventive structure, Split Fiction offered a brilliant take on cooperative storytelling, and Two Point Museum was pure fun whenever I wanted something lighter. Still, Death Stranding 2 was the one that stayed with me the most. It felt significant, bold, and unforgettable, and it reminds me why I love games that take risks and do things differently.
Dr. Kieran Hicks – Associate Professor in Games Design
This year has been surprisingly difficult to judge, 2025 has been full of genuinely brilliant games. Expedition 33 delivered some of the most interesting TRPG combat in years, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater returned as one of my all-time favourites, and the new Silent Hill impressed me far more than expected. Indie gems like BALL x PIT and MEGABONK were also strong contenders, with the latter only narrowly missing my top spot.
But ultimately, my Game of the Year has to be Donkey Kong Bananaza. The obvious highlight is the central destruction mechanic, which is pure, unfiltered joy. Smashing environments feels *chef’s kiss* satisfying, and the game absolutely knows how to hook you rewarding every chaotic swing like it’s cheering you on.
What elevates it further is the level design. Instead of feeling messy or gimmicky, the destructibility is woven tightly into each environment, creating varied levels that shift and reform in ways that guide and challenge the player. At its best, it’s a masterclass in designing around dynamic spaces; at its worst, you’re occasionally fighting the camera but still gleefully destroying everything anyway. In a year packed with great games, Bananaza is the one that stayed with me.
Nicola Edwards – Senior Lecturer in Concept Art
When I first played It Takes Two, I was absolutely besotted with the game. The gameplay was easy enough for my pre-teen to get their head around, the environments were fun and interesting to navigate, the storyline (whilst prescriptive) was by no means boring or expected, and the emotional pull on the heartstrings was intense at times. So, when I heard that Hazelight were bringing out Split Fiction, I knew I needed to get it.
Finding a game that means I can spend more time with my kid that isn’t just racing or fighting games is quite unique. And this game does not let you down. Without giving too much away, the characters complement each other well, the levels are just the right length, and the challenges/side quests aren't generic or repetitive. Whilst I was hoping for It Takes Two 2, this does not disappoint one bit in beauty or in emotive splendour.
Similarly, DOOM The Dark Ages has been a romp through absolutely madness, and I would wholeheartedly recommend that game, too – for exactly the opposite experience! Oh, and giant monsters slapping monster meat.
Professor Chris Headleand – Head of the Games Institute
Choosing a single Game of the Year for 2025 is really difficult. It’s been an exceptional year for creativity in games, with indie creators and major studios really pushing boundaries in mechanics, storytelling, and technology. Death Stranding 2 and Expedition 33 really showcased that big titles can still take risks and innovate in the medium, while Split Fiction has been one of the best cooperative play games in recent years, a really inventive title.
However, my very personal pick has to be Atomfall this year. Which is surprising for me to say as I’ve only recently picked it up. But I’ve always had a fascination with British post-apocalyptic fiction for years, and Atomfall captured that tone exceptionally. It’s a love letter to northern england, wrapped in a crunchy coating of Cold War paranoia. I’ve been sucked into the narrative, and the gameplay, and have been genuinely impressed with the experience. The visual design felt authentically northern, the dialogue was dark but funny, and the atmosphere was thick with tension.
What I am really enjoying is how Atomfall balances realism with the surreal. Its simultaneously unsettling, beautiful, and deeply original. It has really stood out to me as a brilliant game, and a case study in world design.
...Peak was also fun. But trying to teach my enthusiastic 5-year-old how to play it with me was like explaining word processing to a German Shepherd: plenty of excitement, very little understanding, and a serious amount of button-mashing. Simply, lots and lots of fun.
What is your game of the year for 2025? Let us know!