My Top 5 Games of 2025 (So Far)
I've played quite a few games so far this year that I've absolutely fallen in love with, and I can't stop thinking about them, so instead of waiting til the end of the year, I thought I'd highlight some of them now. There are still quite a few games to look forward to in 2025, including Silent Hill f, Strange Antiquities, and Cairn, just to name a few. I'm anticipating those being on my end-of-the-year list, but for now, here are the five games I've loved the most in 2025.
Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer
You can view my Steam review of this game here, which was basically just me gushing my heart out immediately after I finished it. I was a fan of the first Kathy Rain, but the sequel surpassed it in every way. It has some of the most beautiful pixel art I've ever seen, for one thing, and I'm still listening to the soundtrack.
The fictional city of Kassidy is a fully fleshed-out locale with so much to look at and take in. Every new screen is a feast for the eyes -- and the mouse. Seriously, there's so much to click on, and Kathy has fully voiced comments for everything! I was completely engrossed in the story. It has just the right amount of humor and horror, and there were moments when I laughed out loud and audibly gasped, I'm not even exaggerating. The relationships between Kathy and her colleagues are heart-wrenching at times, enhanced by the stunning voice acting. It feels so polished in every way while still having so much heart. I adored the puzzles too, especially the more tangible ones where I got to flip through newspapers and rummage around a desk.
You can tell the devs poured everything they had into this game, and it's going to be hard for anything to top it as Game of the Year for me -- yes, even the new Silent Hill.
Tiny Bookshop
I've already put almost 30 hours into this game and I've only been playing it for a week. That should tell you how much I love it -- and how hard it is to stop playing. It has some of the smoothest progression I've seen in a management sim. You learn the ropes, and you keep going gradually until your bookshop is decked out and so many people are buying books from you that you have no idea how they all fit in that tiny wagon, but it doesn't matter because this game is so damn charming.
It has a really affecting narrative, and I love the way the characters are developed as the game goes on. And it has seasons with seasonal items, so you can decorate for autumn and winter, and cover your cart in flowers for the spring. It's the best kind of time sink, and I think the developers have done a fantastic job with this feel-good little gem that's all about shopping secondhand.
Cast n Chill
I've sunk 10 hours into this game so far and I'm still going. I have two more trophy fish to catch! The highlight of this game is definitely its gorgeous pixel art, but it has a lot going for it aside from that too. The devs recently made the fishing mechanics more responsive, and they feel really good. The sounds are great as well, like the heavy splash when a large fish gets some air while you're trying to reel it in. It's a satisfying game in so many ways. It's what it says on the tin, and it does it really well.
The Roottrees Are Dead
This is a murder mystery in the same vein as Return of the Obra Dinn, where you're a third party trying to piece together what happened. It takes place in the '90s, and you'll primarily use an old beige Gateway-esque computer to sift through information. It boils detective work down to its core, where it's essentially just you at a desk with a cup of coffee and your brain. Games like this are right up my alley. I love being given a huge logic puzzle to sort out at my own pace. Paradise Killer is another good one that comes to mind. If you liked it and/or the aforementioned Obra Dinn, you'll love the mystery of the Roottrees.
Dead Letter Dept.
My favorite pure horror experience of the year so far. Dead Letter Dept. puts you in the shoes of a new employee who's tasked with typing information found on letters that the computer couldn't parse. It's a typing game, which I love, and it also has the kind of horror I love -- that slowly creeping dread that just builds and builds, seeping into every corner of each environment. No cheap jump scares, just pure atmosphere.
There are multiple endings, and it's worth replaying because it's not only short, but you'll also get a different experience each time with different letters. It requires a bit of the same kind of logic-puzzle thinking that The Roottrees has, so it feels satisfying when you piece everything together to get the good ending. Just a really well-done game that I highly recommend to horror fans, especially if you're looking for an experience that's far from run-of-the-mill.