Alright, 2025's Wrapped Up: Eurogamer Readers Have Spoken, And Some Of These Picks Are Wild!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Eurogamer readers have cast their votes, crowning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as 2025's undisputed Game of the Year, alongside other standout titles like Hades 2 and Hollow Knight: Silksong, proving that indie innovation and emotional storytelling truly resonated with players.
Right, so another year’s spun itself out of existence, and apparently, 2025 was a bit of a rollercoaster for our gaming hearts, eh? Our mates over at Eurogamer just dropped their annual reader poll for the Top 50 Games of the year, and bloody hell, the results are in! Tom Orry, bless his cotton socks, reckons tallying all those votes felt like an eternity – I can only imagine the wizardry involved in making sense of thousands of passionate opinions. But it’s worth it, mate, because these lists aren't just about what's 'best,' they're a proper digital snapshot of what actually *connected* with us, the players.
(Based on the original 'Eurogamer readers' top 50 games of 2025' by Tom Orry, published on Eurogamer on Dec. 30, 2025.)
Now, before we dive too deep into the digital tea leaves, let's talk about the absolute runaway champion. Landing at number one, with more points than the second *and* third place combined, is **Clair Obscur: Expedition 33**. Talk about a mic drop! Readers are calling it possibly the best game of the last decade, a masterclass in JRPG-style turn-based combat, dripping with French style, and boasting an "all-timer" soundtrack. One player even said it made them cry three times while grappling with themes of art and death. See? I told you it got emotional. This isn’t just a game; it’s an experience that’s clearly warped reality for a few folks.
Just behind that powerhouse, we've got the expected, yet no less brilliant, **Hades 2** at number two. Honestly, if Supergiant Games didn't nail this, I'd have seriously questioned the fabric of reality. Folks are clocking 80 hours in what feels like 'a few minutes' and praising its 'close to perfect gameplay' where even failed runs push the narrative forward. That’s the sort of magic we love to see – making failure feel like progress, not punishment.
Rounding out the top five, we’ve got the mind-bending roguelike **Blue Prince** (number three), a game about arranging rooms in a house that somehow delivers some of the 'best layered puzzles and worldbuilding' gaming has ever seen. Then there’s the long-awaited **Hollow Knight: Silksong** (number four), which, against all odds, managed to meet and even exceed its gargantuan hype with 'absurdly tight' gameplay. And at number five, Nintendo decided to remind us what pure, unadulterated *fun* feels like with **Donkey Kong Bananza**, a game described as a joyous antidote to the gritty, 'Git Gud' mentality. A banana-infused blast of sheer mechanical joy? Sign me up!
What’s truly fascinating when you look at the whole list, though, isn't just the top contenders, but the sheer breadth of experiences that captivated players. It's a proper mixed bag, showing a delightful embrace of innovation across the board.
**Indie Darlings Doing Bits:** We've got games like **Skin Deep** (number 48), which made one player 'cackle with glee' due to its 'pure, untethered systemic game design.' Then there's **Despelote** (number 46), hailed as a 'remarkably vivid portrait' and a thoughtful work on autobiographical art. These smaller, more experimental titles are clearly finding their audience, proving that you don't need a AAA budget to blow people's minds. **Citizen Sleeper 2** (number 25) also earns a shout-out for its perfect blend of gameplay and storytelling, doing things books and movies can't. And how about **Promise Mascot Agency** (number 24)? A 'delightfully charming game' where you drive a 'giant psychotic severed finger.' You can't make this stuff up, mate, and I wouldn't want to.
**Nostalgia, But Make It Snappy:** Remakes and remasters are still pulling their weight, it seems. **Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater** (number 35) got a 'truly awesome reboot,' and **The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered** (number 31) had people gripped all over again, proving that 'good game design and unintended jank are a winning combination.' Even **Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter** (number 42) got a faithful, snappier update without 'reinventing the wheel' into some bloated action game. It’s a good sign when developers respect the source material while making it shine for a new era.
**Surprising Returns & Genre Benders:** **Silent Hill f** (number 13) defied all expectations, turning out to be not just a good Silent Hill, but 'the best Silent Hill game, without qualification.' That’s a bold claim, but if the readers are saying it, there must be something genuinely weird and great going on. **Arc Raiders** (number 10), from those ex-Battlefield devs, seems to have cracked the multiplayer shooter code, delivering 'emergent gameplay' and 'comical behaviour' in perfect 20-minute bursts. And **Hell is Us** (number 47)? It dared to ditch modern 'quality of life' features like maps and direction indicators, trusting players to 'figure things out.' In an industry that often sands down every friction point, it's refreshing to see a game embrace the challenge.
Then we've got the narrative masterpieces like **Lost Records: Bloom & Rage** (number 27), which resonated deeply with childhood memories and queer crushes, prompting someone to buy a brand new walkman! And **Dispatch** (number 11) is blurring the lines between game and TV show, offering a 'binge worthy series' that's making people wonder if episodic games have finally hit their stride. (Though, fair warning, one player did wonder if AI clones were on the horizon – always a bit of chaos bubbling under the surface, eh?).
Even the behemoths had some wins. **Battlefield 6** (number 14) apparently landed with 'hardly any bugs or crashes from day one,' which, as one player wryly noted, is 'the current gaming landscape 'high bar'.' Oof. But hey, good multiplayer is good multiplayer! And **Death Stranding 2: On the Beach** (number 7) proved that even Kojima can reduce friction points (earlier vehicle access, less fiddly combat) to let players embrace the emotional core of pure hopelessness and triumph.
What this list really shows, I reckon, is that gamers are a diverse bunch, always keen for a good story, a challenging mechanic, or just a bit of silly fun. Corporate buzzwords and 'revolutionary' claims often fall flat, but genuine passion, clever design, and a willingness to try something different? That's what really makes us sit up and take notice. And sometimes, it even makes us cry three times. Here's to 2026, and whatever wild and wonderful digital adventures await us!
Tags: Gaming Trends, Reader's Choice, Game of the Year, Indie Games, AAA Titles
Original article: Eurogamer