Writer based in London, UK. Several years writing guide coverage for some of the largest video game launches, with a focus on MMOs.
I’m usually accused by folk at TheGamer – alongside my colleague George Foster – that every time I play a game, it becomes my game of the year. I just like video games. A lot. So does everyone else at the site, so you’ll have plenty of other lists to enjoy/complain about.
That being said, 2025 has been one of the hardest years to rank since I started writing these lists four years ago. I didn’t even play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’m sorry. As you’ll find out from reading my list, I didn’t have much space for Clair leftover after these all-consuming bangers devoured my time.
Abiotic Factor
Abiotic Factor might be one of the best survival games I’ve ever played. It’s mad, it’s whimsical, it’s downright eerie at times. There’s so much to do that it’s sickeningly overwhelming, that sort of bottom-of-the-belly feeling when you start a new job and you have no idea what you’re doing.
But persevere with this one and it’s outstanding. I played most of the game alone and sometimes I’d have to go to sleep with the big light on. It’s been a while since a game made me feel this way.
Escape From Duckov
Yes, the silly Escape from Tarkov spin-off/rip-off game where you actually play as a duck is on my game of the year list. Yes, Escape From Duckov deserves its spot. This is like a top-down Tarkov that you can play without worrying about a player with 7,000 hours and the eyes of a hawk deleting you on every single run.
There should be more single-player extraction games, because the sense of progress is extremely satisfying. I wouldn’t be surprised if another, bigger studio is already working on a Duckov-inspired game.
Peak
GOTY lists are subjective, so if there was an award for the game of the year that made you laugh the hardest, it would have to be Peak. I played this with a few mates and the entire thing was non-stop tears-on-face laughter until we wrapped up the game.
‘Friendslop’ should be in the gaming dictionary of the year, and above it there should be a screenshot of one of the dorky little people in Peak falling off the edge of a mountain.
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 is one of the most impressive breakout indie hits we’ve seen in 2025. I absolutely adored this game for the 60 or so hours I put into it, largely solo, just roleplaying being a chilled-out dude slinging bags in a sleepy town.
The vibes are immaculate. The gameplay loop is satisfying. I like to put people in the trash incinerators. Despite it still being in early access (which is always confusing for GOTY lists), I just had to mention it.
Honourable Mentions
Monster Train 2 is just Monster Train but with more stuff, and I love Monster Train. This is another one that I sank dozens of hours into and found myself playing it mostly while on the move (actually, usually on a train filled with a different kind of monster – London commuters).
The endless card combinations and strategies make this one of the all-time great deckbuilding games.
Ball x Pit
My obsession with Ball x Pit, a block-breaking game akin to those retro games you could hold in your hand, lasted for precisely 36 hours. It was a whirlwind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it: the different combinations, the new characters, finally beating the final level.
Kenny Sun and Friends have absolutely broken my brain to pieces over this game, and apparently we’re getting three free updates next year. I yearn to return to the pit.
Megabonk
It took me a little while to download Megabonk because even though I love survivor-likes and have been a champion of them at TheGamer for a few years now, I just thought the game sounded so stupid.
Eventually, I caved, and then I played Megabonk for a hundred hours. This 3D survivor-like is compulsive playing.
Hades 2
Hades 2 is Hades 2 and if I really wanted to save on wordcount I could just leave it at that. It’s a beautiful game, the storytelling is even better than the first, the gameplay is smooth like butter, and this is the game I’ve got lined up to play more of during the Christmas break.
It’s not competitive, but cozy. Hades 2 is like pulling on a snug blanket. I adore this game.
Battlefield 6
I’ve played 400 hours of Battlefield 6. My god. That’s actually disgusting. On average, that means I’ve played like three or four hours every day since it was released. The game is unbelievably good. Somehow, I’ve still not burned out, I still want to grind, I still want to defend my points in Breakthrough.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The weapon tier list I wrote for the game has surpassed 4,000 words, and I’m still working on it. I foresee many, many more hours of Battlefield in my future.
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders is the best multiplayer shooter in several years. I can’t even think of a game to compare it to because it just does everything so differently. The only one that I think really stands up to it in terms of how hyped I got to play it every day is the original shadow drop release of Apex Legends back in 2019.
Arc Raiders is a social experiment, it’s a tight multiplayer shooter, it’s a brilliant game in co-op or solo; it’s also beautifully designed, with outstanding music, audio and visual art direction.
We don’t know for sure how well Arc Raiders will stand the test of time, and I do understand the GOTY tradition to go for a more, well, traditional game (something finished, something that wraps an emotive story or breaks new ground with innovative gameplay design), but Arc Raiders does all this and more – except it’s not a writer in a studio. You make your own story. Each round is an adventure. For me, that’s what gaming is all about.
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.
