We’ve played them all, and picked our favorites to give you a few choices for the holidays and beyond as we wait for a new batch of great games from 2026. As it stands, our nominees for the best PC games of 2025 are:

1. INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road

Intense football RPG action with a layer of anime polish can be quite appealing to either an anime or a football fan, but this one is more than that. It offers an almost endless amount of playable content thanks to a massive roster of characters, and a lot of replay value thanks to its single and multiplayer modes. There’s a lot to enjoy here, and a very rewarding journey along the way.

2. Dispatch

Joining Robert Robinson III on this charming and often hilarious take on superheroes is sure to have you very invested in its story and mechanics right off the bat. Dispatch hits all the right notes and brings a charming cast to the stage, while a riveting narrative weaves their lives together with the SDN acting as a binding thread. It captures your attention and manages to hold it long enough for this one to become endearing.

3. Hades 2

We always knew the long wait for this one was going to be worth it. Hades 2 is an absolute blast with its roguelike action-RPG gameplay loop, blending very well with its story and unique art style. Its potent combination of style, substance, and satire is sublime, while the combat does come with enough challenge to keep you on your toes. Look no further than this one for hours of quality fun.

4. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

If you haven’t gotten around to this one after playing the first game, or perhaps coming to the franchise after the live-action shows, this one is definitely going to have you invested. The remaster does a brilliant job of improving on the strengths of the original release, making it the best possible way to experience the adventure that awaits. For those of you already familiar with how it all ends, another playthrough is always on the cards anyway.

5. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Every hour you sink into this action-packed JRPG is going to be worth it, with its story, characters, combat, and general allure drawing you in and leaving you with so much to do in its world. It’s also very replayable, which is a great way to keep the story going and your characters’ stories playing out on increasingly harder difficulties. This one does its genre justice and is a world that calls to you at every turn.

6. Absolum

With a combat system worthy of a chef’s kiss, accompanied by a roguelike gameplay loop that’s very addictive indeed, Talamh is a place you might find pretty hard to leave. The battle against the Crimson Order and Azra is the perfect excuse for some good old beat ‘em up action, and this one is excellent on that front. Between all the character archetypes on offer, it’s probably going to keep you busy for a while.

7. Clair Obscur Expedition

This one’s already winning quite a few awards and nominations, and with good reason. The Continent and Expedition’s beloved cast of characters are reason enough to fall in love with The Paintress’s world. But all of the adversity and loss they have overcome have you invested in the entire journey. It’s almost as if you’re a part of the expedition too, and the one who decides its fate. It’s an experience that comes along every once in a while to show you what a great game can do.

8. Hollow Knight: Silksong

This one’s release was among the year’s most pleasant surprises, and taking over a new adventure as Hornet was an absolute treat. The combat was familiar yet fresh, while the explorable world’s size and scope were overwhelming at first, and simply delightful as we kept losing ourselves in its confines. Add a very enticing art style and excellent level designs, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

9. Blue Prince

This is among the more unique ones on this list. Helping Simon secure his inheritance of the Mt. Holly Estate might not be the most action-packed game on this list, but it certainly stretches your mental faculties in your quest to locate the mansion’s hidden room. No two days are alike, and you’re soon going to be thinking about this one even when you’re not in your gaming chair.

10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Oh, what an RPG this one turned out to be. With a massive map full of quirky folks, mysteries, intrigue, and some good old adventures to be had along the road, it was a sequel that stayed true to its roots while building out the franchise in a number of meaningful ways. The story is top-shelf, while an abundance of things to do is going to keep you quite busy as you play it all.

11. ARC Raiders

This extraction shooter has been among the few games we’ve visited almost daily, not because we had to, but because we wanted to. It’s been the perfect choice for a quick session where we kick back, and set out to meet other players in a world where the community has now made identifying friends from foes a part of the fun. Its design lends itself to the chaos that such decisions can cause, and you’re going to have a lot of unpredictably fun moments with this one.

12. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

With a perfect blend of the samurai and shinobi’s ways, and a massive recreation of feudal Japan to let those two archetypes loose in, Shadows is a great addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Naoe and Yasuke are great characters, their skillsets lending themselves to some very interesting ways to achieve your goals. A stunning world and protagonists whose blades could strike from the shadows or the light is certainly an adventure worth having.

13. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Cloud Strife’s fight against the Shinra is the perfect backdrop for an explosive story, combined with some incredible gameplay mechanics that make this one’s long-awaited PC version worth playing even if you’re not a fan of Final Fantasy. We’d recommend hooking up a DualSense to your PC for this one to get the most out of its haptic integration, while enjoying all of the visual bells and whistles that it has to offer. It’s the best of both worlds, really.

14. Monster Hunter Wilds

Beautiful biomes, a wide variety of impeccably designed monsters to hunt, and a plethora of quests to keep you travelling across the Forbidden Lands make this one a fine choice for those of you looking for a meaty RPG. Excellent build variety and deep combat mechanics, along with a charming world full of things to pique your curiosity, are more reasons to jump in and enjoy yourself thoroughly.

15. Lumines Arise

Simple mechanics can often lead to complex gameplay loops, and Lumines Ares is a great example of that. No two rounds of this puzzle game are the same, and it takes the concept of Tetris to a whole new level with a very unique visual design and audio design that weaves itself into the game’s DNA quite creatively. This one’s impressive and addictive, which is quite a potent combo.

16. Battlefield 6

Among the year’s best looking shooters, Battlefield 6 might have drawn a bit of flak for its campaign, but that does not take away from the fact that its shooting mechanics are very much on point. If you’re looking for a multiplayer shooter that shows off what your PC can do while also being a great option for those extended gaming sessions, this one has everything you need and more.

17. The Alters

If a game that has you creating alternate versions of yourself to progress further in its story sounds cool to you, you’re in luck. Jan Dolski’s story might seem quirky on the surface, but there’s a surprising amount of depth on offer here, and your choices carry a lot of weight in the bargain. This one’s among the most creative titles we’ve played this year, and is going to remain among the most unique ones we’ve encountered over the years.

18. The First Berserker: Khazan

Khazan’s revenge-fuelled rampage is a stylish, well-designed game that puts its combat front and center and challenges you to play it on its terms before it gives you the satisfaction you crave from a title of its calibre. With an interesting story and characters backing up the action, along with a distinct visual style to sell it all, this one is going to have you white knuckled as you take on its many threats.

19. Bionic Bay

Atmospheric, immersive, and mentally challenging, Bionic Bay makes excellent use of a solid premise to give you an experience that’s going to have you wanting more. It’s a test of your patience just as much as it’s a test of your ability to get creative with solutions to the problem in front of you. It’s exhilarating when you get it right, while the way it all comes together is a reward on its own with this one.

20. Jurassic World Evolution 3

With Jeff Goldblum coming back to the fold as Dr. Ian Malcolm, and a very encouraging approach to setting you up for success as you manage your dinosaurs and facilities, this one gets you locked in pretty quickly. We still go back to our parks for some routine maintenance from time to time, watching the dinosaurs we’ve helped bring to life thrive. It’s quite relaxing and a lot of fun until Extinction Now rears its ugly head.

And there you have it. These are the PC games from 2025 we think deserve your attention. But there has to be a winner, right? We’ve an inkling you already know what’s coming.

The winner of the best PC game in 2025 is

Clair Obscur: Expedition

Clair Obscur: Expedition , a game that has surpassed expectations and goes above and beyond to enthrall its players.

Its visual style lends it realism while leaving room for artistic flourishes. Its cast of characters sells its material so well that you find yourself even rooting for its antagonist. You’re going to be humming its soundtrack and maybe even listening to it in the gym. Its story is going to take you to places you might not be ready to visit. Its combat might fool you into thinking it’s an easy experience with no challenge involved. In short, it’s everything a great game should be, and is one that’s going to remain close to our hearts in the years to come.

And that’s a wrap on the best PC games of 2025! We’re looking forward to doing it all over again next year, and to keep bringing more of gaming’s best to your screens.

Two techno heads simply bobbing to the steadily growing beat? Blocks that methodically crawl towards the field before unfolding, as two skeletal hands start generating silk with each clear? I vaguely remember a snake of some sort, and much more in-your-face spider depictions, but you also have people emerging from cleared squares to walk away. Don’t even get me started on the chef stage with its progression from chopped fruits to vegetables, and I swear I saw a lizard at some point.

It’s incredibly trippy and should feel like little more than a gimmick, but each stage throughout Journey Mode and beyond feels unique – both overtly and in all the little ways. Each song feels tuned to your progress, evolving as you stack up the clears and even warping if you build too far up, seemingly portraying that internal pressure. Each little note tied to your cursor movement, the satisfying click when locking blocks in place – it’s so subliminally addictive that you might not even realize it on that 50th attempt at Survival on Hard Mode.

"The framework is less interstellar journey and more Big Bang, each milestone Burst creating more Loomis to join in. Multiple areas await, each divided into different levels that you play through consecutively. "

However, despite these notable visual flourishes, Lumines Arises reinforces one core aspect about the franchise: How gosh darned fun it is to play. How unique of a twist it feels on the Tetris formula, subtly rewiring that line-clearing mentality into something more malleable, and how delightful it feels to master. Which I haven’t, but there’s no denying the joy that comes from subconsciously fitting everything in place. It almost makes you wonder how the franchise fell by the wayside for so long without a new entry, much like with Tetris before Effect came along. Was this all just one big plan to revive Meteos, Mizuguchi’s other puzzle masterpiece? Probably.

Regardless, from the outset, Lumines Arise will feel very familiar in structure to Tetris Effect. As a Loomi, you embark on Journey Mode to set other Loomis free. The framework is less interstellar journey and more Big Bang, each milestone Burst creating more Loomis to join in. Multiple areas await, each divided into different levels that you play through consecutively. Blocks carry over between each; the speed gradually increases; and if you’re good enough to stay alive throughout, a high score is generated before moving on to the next area.

Aside from the final areas, each follows this pattern, unified by a singular theme such as Dissonance. The actual gameplay is where Tetris aficionados will face the biggest shock. A 16×10 square playing field awaits, and every single piece is 2×2, comprising four blocks each. If they’re the same color, they merge into a square, awaiting the periodic timeline to sweep across and wipe them out. If they’re not, you’ll need to match them with other corresponding colors. Things start to get interesting when combining other blocks with already established squares, transforming them into larger 3×3 squares, which grant even more points when cleared.

They also contribute to your Burst meter, which works somewhat differently from the Zone mechanic. The board slows down as usual, but instead of suspending line clears to build up even higher scores, you’re trying to further add on to a single square, amplifying it into one giant Burst of light. The opposing color, meanwhile, is transformed into assorted squares and blocks, which can be further chained for a higher score. As with the Zone, Burst lasts longer when activated at a full meter. Anything above 50 percent may be useful as a “get out of jail free” card, but it won’t last as long and thus provide as much of a benefit.

"Combine this with the satisfying presentation and sheer joy of each action, and you’ll want to improve, if only to keep the rhythm going. Again, it’s a simple formula, yet there are layers of depth beyond it that are nothing if not captivating."

In the middle of all this, special blocks attached to a square can be used to connect all corresponding blocks across the board for an easier clear. So even if you’re not as optimal in building 2x2s or 3x3s, causing opposing colored blocks to stick out like so many sore thumbs, it could be the key to a clean slate. Alternatively, turn it to your favor to set up even more chains and build up that Burst meter even faster.

As unorthodox as it can feel at first, Lumines’s gameplay loop remains as addictive as ever – relatively easy to pick up and grasp but difficult to fully master. Combine this with the satisfying presentation and sheer joy of each action, and you’ll want to improve, if only to keep the rhythm going. Again, it’s a simple formula, yet there are layers of depth beyond it that are nothing if not captivating.

Once you’ve cleared Journey Mode, the real meat of Lumines opens up: Survival. Play through all stages in a row and attempt to complete them. It’s the ultimate test but also the only way to really play. Right? The good news is that there are other modes, like Missions, which offer Tutorials for learning various techniques and challenges to put them into practice. For example, one of them involves clearing squares in the middle to hatch a large egg. It’s a simple lesson that teaches you to properly optimize block placement in the best space on the board, given the low travel distance, and it’s a lot easier said than done. Various tougher missions await, and it’s a great way to learn the game while testing your understanding of its mechanics.

Otherwise, you can venture into playlists and curate your own Survival sequence of stages, or venture into online battles to challenge other players. It’s also home to different durations of Time Attack and the new Dig Down, where instead of pieces dropping from above, the board as a whole periodically raises, and you need to keep clearing to survive. The more squares cleared, the bigger the board and the more leeway available to make mistakes, but things only get more difficult as time goes on.

"As a new entry in the franchise, a successor to everything that came before and really just another great puzzler for those who loved Tetris Effect, this comes highly recommended."

Maybe you’ll want to engage in some Loomi-Pon as well – a gachapon mechanic where you spend in-game currency to unlock new cosmetic items to dress up your character. When compared to the larger suite of features available in Tetris Effect: Connected, Lumines Arise can feel smaller, especially since it doesn’t have the largest swathe of experimental modes. There’s also the issue of visibility in certain places, not to mention one stage where the two block colors look so confusingly similar that it can mess you up during Bursts.

Neither of these is enough to deny the greatness of Lumines Arise as a whole, even if they slightly dampen the excitement. As a new entry in the franchise, a successor to everything that came before and really just another great puzzler for those who loved Tetris Effect, this comes highly recommended. By the end of Journey, there’s this message of ascending beyond and embracing the light of hope. Like Tetris Effect, Lumines Arise appeals to a deeper state of mind – one that appreciates the beauty of its sights and sounds, even after getting crushed for the millionth time in Survival.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Of Ash and Steel

An open-world third-person action RPG developed on Unreal Engine 4, that too from a relatively unknown studio? That’s Of Ash and Steel, set in the Kingdom of the Seven, and promising an old-school approach to exploration. Essentially, you need to find your own footing in the world with no markers or quest guidance, and there are plenty of secrets to discover alongside enemies to smack around. Of Ash and Steel is available on November 24th, exclusively for PC.

Lumines Arise

Lumines but somehow even trippier, from the team that brought you surrealist and trippy Tetris. Launching on November 11th for PS5 and PC (with VR support for both), Lumines Arise offers its own Journey Mode, complete with a gorgeous soundscape and visuals, before shuffling you into the real game: Survival. And that’s before creating playlists of stages, completing challenges and playing online, all while ascending to a brand new plane.

Possessor(s)

After the underwhelming Hyper Light Breaker, Heart Machine returns to its 2D roots with Possessor(s), a side-scroller with fighting game-like combos. Players venture through the remains of Sanzu City as Luca, possessed by the mysterious Rhem, using anything and everything to fight off monstrosities. With non-linear exploration, other tragic characters to unravel, and a gorgeous art style, it’s one to keep an eye on ahead of its November 11th release on PS5 and PC.

Where Winds Meet

Everstone Studios’ stunning open-world action RPG has made some seriously strong impressions in China. Its global release is slated for November 14th on PS5 and PC, and thus far, the Wuxia fantasy and depiction of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms still looks as stunning as the combat and traversal. With more than 150 hours of gameplay and co-op-exclusive activities, we can’t wait to unpack it all.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road

Announced in 2016, renamed several times, and delayed several times more, Inazuma Eleven is seemingly set to launch, at last, on November 13th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. Level-5 Games boasts more than 5,400 characters in a brand new story with, of all things, time-travelling, and anime cutscenes by none other than MAPPA. Whether it lives up to expectations or not, the sheer scope and spectacle are intriguing enough.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Something something Raul Menendez is alive, and only David Mason and his team can stop the spread of fear, something. The story of Black Ops 7 doesn’t inspire much hope, but the prospect of four-player campaign co-op is intriguing, especially the 32-player end-game. But except for new maps and modes in multiplayer, a new Wall-Bounce mechanic, and a fresh Zombies experience, this is about as Call of Duty as you’d expect in this day and age. It’s out on November 14th for Xbox and PlayStation consoles alongside PC.

Escape from Tarkov

Numerous years and controversies later, Battlestate Games’ Escape from Tarkov Version 1.0 is finally launching on November 15th for PC. As a hardcore extraction shooter experience, it’s received extensive praise for its survival elements (including a realistic injury and treatment system) and realistic gunplay. It’s no Escape From Duckov, but with 11 maps and a PvE mode, its official launch could either be game-changing or grounds for even more controversies.

Syberia Remastered

A full remaster of the title that started it all, Syberia Remastered offers improved visuals, transforming classic locations while retaining their atmosphere. It also offers more refined puzzles, better controls, and an updated UI to make experiencing Kate Walker’s journey through the real and fantastical that much smoother. Syberia Remastered launches on November 6th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Kirby Air Riders

If more than 105 minutes of footage meticulously laying out features across two Directs wasn’t enough to sell you on Kirby Air Riders before its November 20th release, then nothing will. Between a new Story Mode featuring the Fountain of Dreams and Nova, the return of Top Ride, all the classic tracks from the original, and everything in between, Kirby could once again be a dark horse among Switch 2 releases this year.

Project Motor Racing

It’s not quite Project CARS 4, but with some of the talent from Slightly Made and the backing of Giants Software, Project Motor Racing could be the next best thing. It packs more than 70 cars and 27 meticulously recreated tracks with dynamic weather, a day/night cycle, a Career Mode, multiplayer and events. All this, complete with realistic physics and sound design. What more could you want? We’ll find out when Motor Racing launches on November 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Terminator 2D: No Fate

Bitmap Bureau revisits the legendary action film, but through the lens of a retro-style 2D side-scrolling shooter. After several delays, Terminator 2D: No Fate is finally launching on November 26th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and if its visuals and action weren’t enough, you can also explore alternate scenarios based on decisions, resulting in completely different endings.

Football Manager 26

After cancelling last year’s edition, Sports Interactive is set to deliver Football Manager 26 on November 4th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. While numerous leagues and tons of players are a given, it’s all the other changes that have us excited, including an overhauled manager creation system, extensively reworked UI, and – for the first time – a partnership with FIFA.

Rennsport

What if RoboCop: Rogue City developer Teyon offered a racing sim? You get Rennsport, which releases out of early access on November 13th for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S. Developed alongside Competition Company, it offers a range of different vehicle classes, iconic tracks like Daytona and Spa-Francorchamps, and multiplayer. Early access impressions aren’t the most positive, but maybe Version 1.0 will turn things around.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PS5)

Exactly one year later, GSC Game World’s survival sandbox has grown a lot, not to mention improved by leaps and bounds on a technical level. On PS5, it offers even more, from DualSense support to gyroscope aiming on top of PS5 Pro support. And while it may sound gimmicky, hearing the radio through the microphone or playing the guitar with the touchpad feels right. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl arrives on PS5 just in time to celebrate its first anniversary – November 20th.

Constance

Looking for a less strenuous side-scroller after Silksong? Constance could very well be it with a beautiful hand-drawn style and surreal mindscape created by its protagonist. Even if several of the basics look familiar, combat offers unique mechanics, from dispelling darkness to transforming into paint to climb up walls. Launching on November 24th, Constance will be available on PC, with console releases to follow in 2026.

A new deep dive video highlights new mechanics like Burst, which essentially freezes any clears made to maximize one’s score. Unlike the Zone from Tetris Effect, however, it also sends adjacent blocks of the other pattern into the air, which then fall back down.

It may seem like a risk, but it allows for more combos if you know what to do. Beyond Journey Mode, which takes players on a wordless narrative, is Survival Mode, where players run through all the stages without any breaks (complete with leaderboards). You can also partake in Training missions, Challenges or make your own custom playlist of stages.

Of course, there’s Burst Battle, which is playable against the AI or others, and the new Dig Down, where blocks must be cleared to traverse downwards.

Lumines Arise is available on November 11th for PS5 and PC (with VR support). A free demo is available now on PC as part of the Steam Next Fest.

In the meantime, a free demo is available, with three stages from Journey Mode and the cross-play online mode, Burst Battle. It’s live until September 3rd, local time, and an extensive trailer is available to explain everything. Check it out below.

The full game features more than 35 stages, and similar to Tetris Effect and Rez Infinite, it promises a synesthesia-like experience with its visuals and music. It also introduces the Burst Mechanic, which effectively pauses time after matching a Square and allows for stacking even more for higher scores. Stay tuned for details in the coming months.

If you’ve played Tetris Effect, the presentation will look familiar with trippy visuals laden with particle effects and a deeply involving soundtrack. However, Lumines is more about creating colored 2×2 squares from corresponding blocks to clear out lines and build up a high score.

The last new title in the Lumines series was 2016’s Lumines: Puzzle & Music, available for iOS and Android. A remaster of the first game released in 2018 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC courtesy of Enhance Games.

As for Tetris Effect, it’s out for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Meta Quest. Stay tuned for more details on Lumines Arise in the coming months.