Sea of Stars is a worthy pseudo-spiritual successor to some of the greatest JRPGs ever made. It improves on what made those games so special by modernizing their magic through balanced and engaging turn-based combat wrapped up in an enthralling world to explore.

A superhero game that teases the brain as much as it can tug at the heart, with rich strategy mechanics, great writing, and wonderful characters. A few bugs and visual problems aside, this is a great tactical RPG.

As a whole package, Call of Duty: WWII has a little something for everyone to enjoy, but that has been the story of this series for a long time. No, this homecoming is far, far better than the sum of its parts, a true return to form in practically every respect. It feels alien to be looking back on a new Call of Duty release as anything other than enjoyable yet unremarkable triple-A fare, but here we are. Call of Duty: WWII delivers on all fronts: compelling and heartfelt in its storytelling; imposing in its sense of scale and spectacle; and unremittingly addictive in its gunplay.

The culmination of over two decades of refinement, resulting in fluid, accessible, and balanced combat mechanics. While the game’s lurid focus on flesh will divide opinion, it remains one of the most polished and fully-featured fighting games in recent years.

Phantom Liberty is a fitting send off for V, Night City, and Cyberpunk 2077 as a whole. After a rocky launch, CD Projekt Red has delivered with an incredibly dense and impactful expansion to one of the medium's best cityscapes, even if the narrative choices on offer hold it back a smidge.

Against the Storm is a prime example of what can happen when a small team has clear inspiration, passion, and a willingness to collaborate with its players. It’s a brilliant mix of roguelike, strategy, and small-scale city building that will hook you from the jump.

Boasting a gorgeous map that’s filled with delights, slick racing, and some incredible single and multiplayer events, Forza Horizon 6 has, for the most part, iterated for the better. Though lacking vehicle customization holds it back, it is a near-perfect celebration not only of Japanese racing culture, but racing itself that espouses the joy of being behind the wheel. It’s a highly polished jack-of-all-trades fiesta, and very nearly a master of all.

A powerfully distilled story told in a time and place that haunts you with its beauty, its mystery, and restraint. Firewatch takes the time to turn its setting into a character, and it's one of the most three-dimensional videogame characters you'll encounter in 2016.

It’s a marriage of phenomenal world design and impressively tight mechanics.

It still has its quirks, but this year's Football Manager is the best one yet.

Taking lessons learned from previous games, trimming out anything less effective, and scoring home runs with its fresh additions, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the new gold standard for the series and an absolute treat for RPG and action game fans.

Mouse P.I. For Hire takes every noir trope and turns it into something new. A monochrome shooter with a delicious mystery at its core, the varied locales and wonderful voice cast make this one of the best games I've played all year.

There’s more than just an endurance racing licence to distinguish Assetto Corsa Competizione from its predecessor. It’s more polished, more precise, and offers more scope for long-term single-player satisfaction.

This is a rich and thoughtful strategy game that is a joy to engage with at practically every level, and a new high-water mark of ambition and quality for Creative Assembly.

Lurid characters, a deep RPG system, and captivating combat set in an unhinged apocalypse - inXile Entertainment’s latest shouldn’t be missed.

Characterized by stunning visuals rooted in Japanese folklore, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess' tower defense and hack-and-slash action is like nothing I've ever played before. While there are a few minor frustrations, Capcom's new adventure is a must-play and a ready-made cult classic.

A gripping descent into something between alternate history and fever dream, realised beautifully in audiovisual flair, and lacking just slightly in the combat itself.

Putting aside the superb plot, Square have made it easier than ever to catch up: main scenario quests have had their experience rewards doubled, and also provide high level equipment. You’ll also be put in priority queues for dungeons and story instances to get you through them hassle free.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s world is beautiful, layered, and complex, and challenges you to attack it how you want. The story is compelling, giving your decisions a weight rarely seen in games of this scope. It is a marvel, and easily one of the best RPGs ever made.

Builds on what's good about its unapologetically hardcore predecessor and adds a full-featured Rallycross career mode for those who prefer to trade paint in their racing.

A rare sequel that improves on the original in every meaningful way. It's packed to the brim with beautiful worlds and surprising interactions, and its colourful cast is equal parts funny, believable, and sympathetic. Double Fine is rarely wide of the mark, but this time it hit the bullseye.

A sprawling, varied, endlessly fun open-world game, and a glimmer of hope for the extreme sports genre.

After the fifth and sixth games, the Resident Evil series was in dire need of a re-think. That’s exactly what Capcom have done, and they’ve done so in a way that’s braver, bolder, and more assured than I could ever have dreamed. They’ve refreshed the series for modern times, incorporating new techniques to ensure the horror is both sickening and chilling, while re-focusing the core structure around the things that made these games so great to begin with. The result is something that will almost certainly go down as a Resident Evil classic; a title that will be spoken about with reverence in the future, and an excellent turning point for the series as a whole. In those respects, Resident Evil 7 is the new Resident Evil 4.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a marvel for fans of the series and newcomers alike, combining brain-teasing puzzles and scrappy action in the way only Indy can. A majestic use of the license, this is the gold standard for movie-adjacent videogames going forward.

If you want a good shooter, play Wolfenstein 2. If you want an incredible single-player story, play Wolfenstein 2.

Hearthstone is a wonderful game. Nostalgic, simple and best of all: fun. This is the best online collectible card game you can play. Just be careful how much you spend in it.

Easily better than Snowrunner or Expeditions, Roadcraft is one of 2025’s best, and a convincing argument that even the most esoteric subject matter can be translated into compelling videogames.

I’m completely invested now. I worry about Bigby. I’m pointlessly going through the decisions he made, I made, attempting to figure out how they will change the way the rest of the fables’ view their protector. But most of all I want to finish this case and catch whoever is responsible for this titanic mess, and then rip his limbs off. Bigby’s indignation and quest for vengeance is infectious.