It’s time for the round up you’ve all been waiting for… move aside Spotify Wrapped, the Yogscast Games’ Best Games of 2025 Extravaganza is here (rolls off the tongue). 2025 has been another great year for video games and indie games. From the welcomed rise of “friendslop”, to everyone at Comicon donning red berets and wielding rubber baguettes, there have been some absolute icons that have come out this year. Here’s the round up of Yogscast Games’ faves from 2025—can you believe we don’t only play roguelike deckbuilders!

The Roottrees are Dead—Alex, Publishing Executive

Roottrees puts you in the shoes of a 1998 Internet detective hired to investigate the genealogy of a billionaire family after its patriarch dies in a plane crash. Like all the most memorable detective games it evokes a strong sense of time and place (especially if you're in your thirties or beyond), and balances satisfyingly between moments of trudging despair and soaring triumph. If you liked Obra Dinn or The Case of the Golden Idol, you'll probably enjoy this.

Many Nights a Whisper—Matt, Product Manager

Many Nights a Whisper is a delightful example of a game that sets the scene with clear stakes that grow more impactful as the days progress, that is delivered in a minimalist and almost lyrical package.

From the outset you are introduced to the final boss. A single chance to defy the odds and make a seemingly impossible shot with a flaming projectile lighting a beacon allowing all the wishes you have granted the villagers to come true.

The game does an amazing job at conveying any moral concerns or philosophical questions in granting wishes solely at your discretion. Every moment feels impactful as you wrestle with your reasoning and justification, leaving you feeling as if you are an imperfect and flawed god meddling in the affairs of mortals.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—Reece, Video Editor

Source: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Steam

My game of the year is Expedition 33. E33 was the first time a game has personally connected with me in years, with an award winning musical score, epic fights, and a tear jerking story that keeps me thinking about it even today. Everyone should at least give it a go! As an honourable mention as 2025 has been a stacked year, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is also a masterpiece of a game.

Discounty—Jennifer, Social Media Executive

I was split between two great games for my GOTY, but I think Discounty has taken it (honorable mention to Blue Prince that had me up until 4am for like a week straight and taught me the word antechamber). Discounty perfectly balances shop simulator with narrative game adventure all wrapped up in a cute pixel art bow. Ideal for curling up with your Steam Deck and living out the Jojomart simulator of your dreams that no good hearted Stardew Valley lover would ever do in that game. There's enough mystery in Discounty’s town of Blomkest to keep you slinging milk in the supermarket each day just to work out who’s polluting the sea, who’s the shady figure following you home, and what the heck are those darn rats up to.

Granvir—Cael McKinney, Producer

Granvir is not a game for everyone, but for the audience it’s for, it’s finally scratching an itch that’s been building for a long time. Select one of three campaigns (with more to come), pick your pilot background, optionally grab some friends, and build your mech before taking on Millenium in some, quite familiar at times feeling, 3rd person mecha action.

But it’s not all sleek piloting montages, and paycheques! Granvir wears it’s Armored Core and MechWarrior influences on it’s sleeve and tasks you with balancing both your time and budget between missions to keep your machine topped up on ammo and well-repaired… or well enough repaired, after all, you need some money for shopping, right?

Umamusume: Pretty Derby—Isaac, Producer

Anime horse girl racing simulator, are five words I don't think anyone ever expected to read. Yet not only did Umamusume introduce this concept to the world; they made it unavoidable. What at first glance appears to be another free-to-play anime gacha game, is in fact an in depth horse racing simulator with all the addictive daily tasks to keep you coming back for more. It is unapologetically itself, and can be enjoyed whether you're watching it streamed or playing it yourself. Before you know it you'll have a favourite runner.

Blue Prince—Simon, Managing Director

It’d be crass to select one of our own for my genuinely favourite indie release of the year, so I won’t pick The Royal Writ, a game I have played more than any other in 2025 thanks to its brilliant combination of strategy, humour and jeopardy unmatched by any other deckbuilder. With all the relentless games industry turmoil, it’s often difficult to forget it’s been a fantastic 12 months for indie games. I’ve loved Blue Prince, Ball x Pit, Mindset Go, The Drifter, Dispatch and Baby Steps (though I also hate hate hate that too). But The Best Indie Game That’s Not The Royal Writ 2025 is, for me, Blue Prince, a staggeringly confident mishmash of genres that on paper shouldn’t work, but on Steam absolutely do. I didn’t manage to finish it due to life getting in the way, but I will.

What a mix of games there! Which game is your game of the year for 2025? Do you agree with our choices? Come and chat with us on socials and we can get into a good ol’ fashion “this game is better than that game” spat and you can tell us off for not mentioning Peak in our list.

Best Games of 2025 according to Yogscast Games