The Jon Schneider Game of the Year awards: 2025

As has become my annual tradition, here's the list of my favorite computer and console video games that I played for the first time during 2025 (along with the platform(s) that I played them on)!

1. Hades 2 (Windows)

I really don't know how Supergiant Games does it. The original Hades was my personal 2020 Game of the Year, with its combination of tight top-down-view action combat, great voice-acted characters and character development, and excellent music. Hades 2 delivers more of the same, except with even more interesting combat and varied gameplay. I put in the time to 100% the Hades 2 Steam achievements, and enjoyed every run. 

There's certainly something special about a game where -- despite there being no gameplay benefit or purpose to it -- you can opt to spend some time having your character join in and beautifully harmonize with a song that another character visiting your home base is singing.

2. StarVaders (Windows, Steam Deck)

Like it says on the tin, StarVaders is a roguelike deckbuilder that takes place on a Space-Invaders-like battle map. Cards are used to make your upward-facing spaceship move and fire up at the alien invaders moving down to attack you. Game balance is solid; and lots of different character classes, character variants, difficulty levels, and missions provide lots of replayability. Recommended for fans of Slay the Spire and similar games! 

3. Metaphor ReFantazio (Windows, Steam Deck)

Although I'm not a big "AAA" game player, Metaphor ReFantazio hit a sweet spot for me with its "Persona, but in a unique swords and sorcery fantasy setting" gameplay. I played all the way through the ending during the first few months of 2025.

4. Mario Kart World (Switch 2)

I particularly like the new Knockout Tour mode (in single-player) -- it really takes advantage of Mario Kart World's interconnected world to delivery a fun continuous 15 minutes or so of racing. Mario Kart World is also 2025's Schneider Family Game of the Year, managing the rare feat of getting us playing a video game together in 4-player split-screen. 

5. Monster Train 2 (Windows, Steam Deck)

Just as with Hades 2: Monster Train 2 is like the original, but more and better! I had a good time discovering Monster Train 2's various synergies, both within the various factions, and in the intra-faction combination pairings. And I particularly enjoyed the major content unlock that occurs midway through the game. 

6. 8-Bit Adventures 2 (Steam Deck, Windows)

My favorite classic-style turn-based RPG of 2025! A wholesome save-the-world adventure with likeable characters. I haven't played the original (but plan to circle back to it soon, as the developer, Critical Games, added Steam Cloud saving to the Steam version, at my request!!) I played all the way through to the end. Recommended for fans of classic-style JRPG-like games! 

7. Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2)

Here begins the portion of this year's list of games that I was impressed by and enjoyed, but didn't yet make it all the way through to completion. Bananza certainly meets the "impressed me" criterion, with its preponderance of destructible terrain combined with solid 3D platforming level design. I like how powerful DK feels in this game: In Mario games, Mario generally needs to be pretty cautious of enemies; by contrast, DK can readily clobber just about anything he comes across! 

8. Tactical Breach Wizards (Windows)

First off: Tactical Breach Wizards features the wittiest writing in a video game that I've come across in my long history as a gamer, so it's got that going for it! Beyond that, the world imagined by Tactical Breach Wizards -- a modern world, but where magic is real, and thus is the primary tool employed by special-forces agents -- is a great playground for the turn-based tactical combat gameplay. I'm currently enjoying making my way through this game in short sessions of a mission or three each morning before work, mouse in my right hand, coffee in left.

9. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Windows)

I probably needn't explain much about the game that has already featured so prominently on so many 2025 awards and Game of the Year lists. I feel like I should have liked the game's turn-based combat (but with dodges requiring real-time reflexes) more than I did -- Paper Mario (N64) and Thousand-Year Door are both on my all-time favorites list -- but I never was quite able to really get the hang of dodging terribly reliably, and 33 seems to want you to be pretty good at dodging in able to be successful in combat.  I made it a fair ways into the game, but didn't end up completing it. 

10. Rift of the Necrodancer (Windows, Steam Deck) 

I'm a bit of a fan of Cadence (including her Hyrule appearance), and so was looking forward to Rift! I spent a fair bit of time with it when it came out, and did play all the way through the story. I'm (evidently) not super talented at this game, though, and topped out at Medium difficulty on most songs, and Hard on the easier ones. 

(However -- and since this is my blog, I'll just go right ahead and dad-brag a bit -- my 20-year-old son is the current #1 world record holder of multiple Rift songs in "Impossible" difficulty on the Switch platform, and also has a bunch of top-percentile scores on the Steam platform -- despite carrying an otherwise-full load as a Chemical Engineering major and marching band member at university!) 

(Aside: New game developers, consider resisting the temptation to include the word "Rift" in the name of your new game. There are quite a few such games out there already! 😅) 

Appendix: NOT-new-in-2025 Multiplayer GOTY

My continuing-favorite game of 2025 was once again Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch! The aforementioned 20-year-old son and I enjoy playing the online 2v2 mode and taking on all comers -- and, per the in-game stats, managing to win matches at a ~85% clip! I'm decent at Smash and generally hold up my end of the team with my Bowser Jr. and Samus; but "20" (who can skillfully play the entire roster(!), but probably likes best Lucina, Mii Brawler, and Pyra/Mythra) definitely does most of the heavy lifting! 

Appendix: Games in Progress

Fields of Mistria (Windows, Steam Deck)

Field of Mistria is essentially Stardew Valley, but different! I spent a solid few weeks with this game midway through the year, and enjoyed some of the changes and improvements it makes on Stardew Valley. I decided to put the game back on the shelf for now, though, pending the rest of the planned content (including the full implementation of PC-NPC relationships) being added to the game. Hopefully that'll be later on in 2026!

CrossCode (Windows, Steam Deck)

Although CrossCode is a somewhat older game -- having come out in 2018 -- I just discovered it in December 2025, it having been one of a few inexpensive games that I picked up in the Steam Winter Sale. (I think I may have tried but bounced off of a CrossCode demo back around the original release date.) Wow, there's a lot I'm liking here so far. A twin-stick action-adventure game (like my 2024 GOTY, Minishoot' Adventures)! A simulated MMORPG game, bringing back some fond memories of when I casually played World of Warcraft in its early days? Pixel art? Firm but fair puzzles? An intriguing story? There's a lot here so far that falls pretty squarely in my personal wheelhouse!

At times, CrossCode has felt like it may wind up earning a place among my favorite games of all time! At other times, it has been a little frustrating or obscure. I've managed to play through to what feels like it might be about the halfway mark without resorting to any hint guides, though, so far. I'm looking forward to continuing to play in 2026, forming a fuller opinion --  and maybe featuring CrossCode in my 2026 GOTY list post!