Video Games
Year in Review - 2025
The List
(new to me in 2025)
Finished
Dabbled / Ongoing
Shelved
I displayed a problematic lack of focus in 2025
Part of listing so many games in my “Dabbled / Ongoing” category for this past year was to force myself to take an honest look in the mirror. When it comes to finishing the video games I start, my ambition far exceeds by follow through.
In fairness, not every game listed has a definitive “ending”, like Slay the Spire, which you can play continuously for many years and hundreds of hours. That’s probably true of at least half the games mentioned above, non-chronological experiences that can be revisited at various intervals.
Even so, I’m not proud of the track record I established in 2025, and the reality is that this tendency dates back much further than that. My relationship with video games is partly forged through my desire for novelty; I follow games media closely and I’m always fascinated by the new mechanic, story, or theme that’s shaking up the industry. As you can tell from the list of games I’ve racked up, I’m often compelled by the idea of beginning a new experience than finishing one already in progress.
The reality is that most games are meant to be played in a continuous fashion, and that they get better the more investment you put into them. It’s dizzying trying to jump between different controls and storylines, and it makes the player worse off for not experiencing the game as its developers intended.
In 2026, I’m committed to focusing on a smaller set of games, and ensuring that I finish what I start. I recently came across a video that encapsulated this habit which I am far from alone in:
Handheld Revolution
One more excuse for my legendary lack of focus last year - HANDHELDS. I bought the Steam Deck and PS Portal in 2025, and having so many games at my finger tips made me want to download everything. Definitely guilty of trying to recapture the nostalgia of my childhood gameboy…
If you haven’t been paying attention, gaming handhelds are having quite a moment right now. Led by the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2, everyone from Microsoft to Playstation to PC manufacturers like Asus and Lenovo are trying to get a piece of the pie. The allure is simple - what if you could play your AAA games from anywhere, no longer limited by the need to be plugged into your tv?
I’ll admit I was quite taken with the premise, hence my initial investment. In reality, I’ve found that it’s only a certain type of game that works well on handheld. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Steam Deck purchase and there’s a lot more life I want to get out of it. Plane trips have never felt as fast when having the wonderful distraction of Balatro. But I’m still experiencing the growing pains when it comes to longer and more epic experiences. Maybe I’m already an old man, but there’s only so long you want to twist yourself into looking at a small screen.
The Playstation Portal turned from regret to pleasant surprise this fall. This device streams games remotely from your PlayStation, requiring a strong internet connection. I thought I had that going in, but my experience was sub-optimal with lots of latency. Then, in September, PlayStation announced a huge update allowing PS+ subscribers to stream games directly from the cloud. Stunningly, the latency is almost non-existent now. I never thought streaming games from the cloud could get this good.
That has opened up a lot of life yet for the PS Portal. There are lots of games in my PS backlog that I’d love to get to while in bed or cozy on the couch with Mara. I already spend so much time in my office, and while I do love my little cave, everyone needs a break once in a while.
There lies the magic of the handheld. The freedom. As screens get better and hardware gets smaller and more powerful, I sense that handhelds have a long and lucrative future in front of them. Who knows, maybe it will even influence game design!
And my 2025 Game of the Year is…
Blue Prince
Blue Prince stood out more than any other game I played this past year, reminding me of how much I love a good puzzle game and delivering an exquisite formula that frustrated, surprised, and ultimately thrilled me during the 30+ hours I put into the mystery. It was also a game that was perfect for co-op, enabling Mara and I to team up as we tried to figure out how to reach “Room 46” - the objective at the heart of the game.
Blue Prince puts you in the shoes of Simon P. Jones, a 14-year-old boy who inherits a puzzle-filled estate from his great-uncle. There's a catch, however; Simon only gets to keep the estate if he can solve his puzzle-happy uncle's last great challenge - reaching the aforementioned Room 46.
But how to get there? Every day you "awake" in front of the mansion, ready to discover and create a new layout you've never created before. This is the game’s first great twist - the house never takes the same shape twice! Upon entering the mansion, you are presented with 3 doors. As you attempt to open any door, you are further presented with 3 rooms to select. Each room has a quirk that relates it to other rooms and to the broader mystery of the game. You see, it's not just about finding Room 46 - you're also unraveling the story of what happened to Simon’s family.
There are lots of other mechanics I won't get into for the purpose of this retrospective - locked doors, item crafting, resource management - but needless to say it's a delight working your way through the many layers of the puzzle. My absolute favorite mechanic is the room drafting (see above). There are so many unique rooms, and many surprises you don't expect. It's so fun to try to unlock them all and understand how they fit into the larger whole.
Blue Prince reminded me a lot of The Witness, and how much fun I had with that game back in February 2016. Playing a great puzzle game feels like using my brain in the most fun way imaginable, and these games that let you walk around a strange and unfamiliar environment give you an agency that is addicting.
Mirroring the layers of puzzles the game presents to you, reaching room 46 is both the end of the game and the beginning of a new and far more intricate journey to unlock the mansion’s full array of secrets. No doubt, it is incredibly daunting and I’ve heard of some dedicated puzzlers spending hundreds of hours pouring through the games secrets. I’ve not yet reached that level of dedication or mastery, but it is absolutely an experience that I want to come back to.
There’s so much more I’d love to gush over, but it’s best you go in mostly blind to this one. Blue Prince was the best game I played in 2025 because it was the most creative, taking established genres like puzzlers and roguelikes and combining them in a meaningful and deep way.
What I’m Most Excited For in 2026…
Slay the Spire II
Steam (PC & Deck)
I’m admittedly very late to the Slay the Spire hype. It’s so strange to admit given my deep love for the deck building genre, but I had kind of bounced off this one every time I tried it. That all changed once I got my Steam Deck last year, and perhaps my exposure to other deck builders finally made this one really click for me. Now that I’m all in on StS, Slay the Spire 2 is coming out this March in Early Access and promises to vary the formula in really clever ways. Also, I just discovered these developers are based in Seattle!
Forza Horizon 6
Xbox GamePass
Forza Horizon has really mastered the arcade racer style of games, and as they get ready to release their 6th installment next year, no one I know who follows this series is tired of it yet. This year they are heading to Japan, where they promise to deliver new cars, new courses, and new mechanics that will deliver the same thrill of driving through a beautiful setting in an absurdly unrealistic way while having tons of fun. It’s a testament to the game design that they found the balance between “realism” and fun.
Saros
PlayStation 5
Saros is the successor to Returnal, one of my favorite games on the PS5. Even though I absolutely suck at bullet hell games, I found the patience to get “good” at Returnal because the gameplay and environment was so brilliant. Housemarque are the masters at this style of game and the sci-fi setting and supposedly easier experience are getting me really excited to revisit this style of game.
Gears of War: E-Day
Xbox GamePass
Gears of War was a formative series for me growing up. I still very fondly remember late nights in 9th grade rushing to the middle of the map for the power weapon in multi-player, and getting some friends together to play horde mode against waves of enemies. Gears of War has released a lot of games since then, but E-Day appears to be a “back to the origins” moment that I’m much anticipating.
Grand Theft Auto VI
Multiplatform
I’m not a massive GTA fan, and though I put some time into GTA V I actually never even finished it… Still, GTA VI is the game that everyone is watching this year and I’m a sucker for some hype. What I’m most intrigued by is how Rockstar will push forward the medium this time around. Is it going to be more of the Red Dead Redemption 2 attention to detail route? Will they try to match and exceed the story telling chops of The Last of Us? Or is there a genre-bending mechanic we’re not even expecting?!