The year is coming to a close, and we're looking back at the best games that came out in 2025. This year, the staff at CNET came together with our sibling sites PCMag, ZDNET, Lifehacker and Mashable to vote and discuss our favorites. No matter what your taste, there were a ton of games, big and small, making headlines and filling up backlogs. You may not have heard of them all, but I'm sure there's a gem in here waiting to be your new favorite.
Here are our collective top 10 games, unranked except for a clear, overall Game of the Year winner. We've also included a single honorable mention for a game that was released under unique circumstances. We'll start there…
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Honorable mention
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
Get ready for desert biking. Nintendo
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sneaks in as an honorable mention since not enough of us had the time to play this December release, but Samus Aran's latest adventure would otherwise absolutely be a game of the year contender. In the best Metroid tradition, Prime 4's planet is a masterful maze to unravel, full of ingenious environmental puzzles and elevated by atmospheric extraterrestrial artwork. Exploring the immersive world with Samus' suite of abilities, including returning powers like the ice beam and new psychedelic spins on the Morph Ball, encourages you to open up your third eye to find the path forward. We don't get too many blockbuster, truly 3D games that embrace the nonlinear delights Metroid pioneered, but Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a spectacular and long-awaited reunion worthy of the legacy.
Jordan Minor, senior analyst, PCMag
Top 10 best games of 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
... continue reading