The year 2025 will be remembered in gaming history as the year the “wait” finally ended. From the long-anticipated release of Hollow Knight: Silksong to the surrealist brilliance of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the industry delivered a relentless barrage of masterpieces. IGN India has meticulously curated the top 10 titles that didn’t just meet the hype—they redefined their genres.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (The Game of the Year)
Taking home the prestigious Game of the Year award, Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG that feels like a fever dream of French surrealism and tactical perfection. Set in a world where a “Paintress” erases people based on their age, players lead a desperate expedition to end the cycle. Its “active” turn-based system—allowing for real-time parries and dodges—has set a new gold standard for the genre.
2. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Hideo Kojima’s sequel is a “triumphant evolution” of the “strand-type” game. Moving the action to the rugged landscapes of Australia, DS2 expands its scope with mobile bases, ship traversal, and a significantly more robust combat system. With a star-studded cast including Norman Reedus and Elle Fanning, it remains the most cinematic experience of 2025.
3. Hollow Knight: Silksong
The legend is real. After years of memes and anticipation, Hornet’s journey through the kingdom of Pharloom finally arrived. IGN India highlights the game’s blistering pace and verticality, noting that it successfully pivots from the somber tone of the original to something more agile, fierce, and mechanically dense.
4. Ghost of Yōtei
Sucker Punch’s follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima shifts the setting to 1603, centering on a new protagonist, Atsu. Exploring the lands around Mount Yōtei, the game introduces firearms and a more “visceral” ronin experience, winning IGN’s Best Action-Adventure for its stunning 17th-century Hokkaido atmosphere.
5. Hades II
Supergiant Games did the impossible: they made a sequel that rivals the original. Following Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, in her quest to take down the Titan of Time, Hades II introduces a complex witchcraft-based combat system that keeps the roguelike loop fresher than ever.
6. Blue Prince
The indie darling of the year, Blue Prince is a first-person puzzle-adventure where you navigate a shifting mansion. Every door you open changes the layout, forcing players to think architecturally. It’s a “meditative masterclass” in environmental storytelling and creative problem-solving.
7. Split Fiction
From the creators of It Takes Two, this co-op exclusively broke records with its innovative use of “shared” perspectives. Players must manipulate their own “story” to help the other progress, proving that couch co-op is still the ultimate way to play.
8. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
For those seeking raw realism, Henry’s return in 15th-century Bohemia delivered in spades. The sequel is larger, more brutal, and features an improved first-person melee system that remains unrivaled in the RPG space.
9. Silent Hill f
A terrifying departure for the series, Silent Hill f moves the psychological horror to 1960s Japan. Its “floral horror” aesthetic—where decay is replaced by beautiful but haunting fungal growths—provided 2025’s most unsettling atmosphere.
10. South of Midnight
Rounding out the list is Compulsion Games’ Southern Gothic action-adventure. Its unique “stop-motion” animation style and focus on folklore in the American Deep South made it one of the most visually distinct titles of the year.Honorable Mentions:Battlefield 6, Arc Raiders, and Donkey Kong Bonanza.
