Modded’s Game of the Year 2025: Our Top 10 Favorites

Modded has played many impressive games across various consoles. As The Game Awards approach, we wanted to reflect on our top 10 games of the year in 2025. Whether it is an indie or PC title, there was plenty to be astounded by. Many have earned high accolades from countless outlets and received numerous nominations and awards. This is all for good reason, so let’s dive into the heavy hitters.

10. Mario Kart World

There may be games out there with a greater impact than a kart racer, but experiencing a new Mario Kart game after what felt like a never-ending drought was extraordinary. Mario Kart World was a joy to experience with friends and even online. The Free Roam, while expansive, was a breath of fresh air for the franchise. In almost every way, the game delivered everyone’s expectations and more with a roaring soundtrack, large roster of characters and stunning graphics. Though its price point is contentious, it is worth investing in because you will surely get your money’s worth in gameplay hours.

9. Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is the first 3D Donkey Kong game since the Nintendo 64. It was long overdue, and this entry really took the franchise into new realms. It innovated on the series, much like Kirby and the Forgotten Land did to Kirby or what Super Mario Odyssey did for Mario. The pseudo-open-world style, combined with the addictive gameplay loop of smashing it to bits, was nothing short of a blissful experience. The colors are just as vibrant as the soundtrack and level design, making it an easy win for Nintendo, especially as a launch title for the new console. 

8. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Who is surprised by another iconic video game from Hideo Kojima? This is one of the most immersive worlds you’ll get into from this year’s video game offerings. While the story feels familiar, the sequel provides enough to motivate players to move forward through its post-apocalyptic world and gorgeous landscapes. 

7. Blue Prince

Roguelikes are becoming even more popular — which you’ll see why later in our list. But, Blue Prince provides something innovative in a genre that has covered a lot of ground. It is more puzzle-focused than others of its kind, which makes it almost feel like a genre in and of itself. There is an obsessive drive to explore what the manor has to offer, regardless of how challenging it can be.

6. Split Fiction

After It Takes Two, you may have wondered how a gaming company could create another outstanding game specifically designed for a co-op experience. Yet, we have another nearly faultless game that takes the best aspects of playing with a friend or loved one and weaves them into the most fantastical yet relatable characters. Explore a fantasy and sci-fi-rich world with fluid platforming. Split Fiction will make everyone crave the couch co-op days of old and question why more developers aren’t embracing multiplayer experiences like these.

5. Goodnight Universe

This indie title might be bite-sized, but don’t dismiss it. You play as a child named Issac, and you navigate the world in first-person. However, his perspective is unlike that of any other character in his archetype. The depth of Goodnight Universe’s narrative richness is unlike any other game this year, and it really pushes what video games can do in regards to storytelling. The way it utilizes the camera and point of view to enhance gameplay and storytelling is so unique that we couldn’t help but include it.

4. Ghost of Yotei

Ghost of Tsushima pushed the boundaries of its genre, and Ghost of Yotei takes its formula and makes it even more stylized, deadly and immersive. Players have the opportunity to get to know a completely new character on a revenge quest unlike any other. Every interaction and quest felt purposeful, which is why it made our top 10 games of the year.

3. Hollow Knight: Silksong

Gorgeously brutal and intensely gratifying, the sequel to the cult-classic Hollow Knight finally graced the world in 2025, and everyone screamed. It delivered in every way, allowing gamers to traverse a completely new and punishing world with the same wonder as the first. The sequel provided even more challenges, even for veterans of the predecessor, and an astounding amount of content for its price tag. While we may have other games above Silksong, the competition was stiff, and we can understand why this would make it to the top spot of many others’ lists.

2. Hades II

Supergiant Games did it. They managed to take the perfect rogue-like formula of the original Hades and somehow made it better. This is one of the best sequels in gaming, taking everything that was emotive and adrenaline-pumping from the first and cranking it up to 10 in this installment. Its gorgeous art style and soundtrack are unbelievable representations of gaming genius. We easily sank in way too many hours plowing through the Underworld as the Princess of the Underworld, and it was worth every second.

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

What else was Modded going to pick other than one of the most memorable RPGs in the last decade? This heart-wrenching, captivating narrative is unlike anything that has come before it, and it is an impressive feat from and up-and-coming studio. The battle system takes RPG conventions and twists them on their head to provide a refreshing gameplay experience. Pair this with a singularly hypnotic soundtrack, layered mystique and beautiful design, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is our game of the year.

The Best Games of the Year in 2025

There you have it — this is Modded’s best games of the year for 2025. There were countless other contenders across various genres, but these are the titles that had the most impact. It may have been for captivating stories, addictive gameplay, or catchy soundtracks, but each offering has a unique world to dive into that is worth experiencing at least once in your life.