Ars Technica’s Top Games of 2025 — Big Hits & Surprises

• A mix of high-profile sequels and unexpected indie hits made Ars Technica’s 2025 top-20 list.
• Franchise entries like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Avowed, and Civilization VII anchored the year, while GTA VI slipped into 2026.
• Indie standouts — Blue Prince, Baby Steps, Ball x Pit, and Dragonsweeper — proved small teams can still define a year.
• The list highlights gameplay variety: roguelikes, puzzle-adventures, walking sims, action RPGs, and experimental mini-game narratives.

Overview

Ars Technica’s year-end roundup celebrates breadth: major studios delivered polished sequels while indie teams produced innovative surprises. The list reflects both comfort-play experiences and bold, genre-bending titles.

Expected sequels that delivered

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Ubisoft returned with a refined, familiar stealth-action formula, pairing a new setting and strong production values for a satisfying franchise entry.

Avowed

Obsidian’s RPG impressed with tense, tactical combat and a morally ambiguous narrative that makes the player feel frequently unwelcome in the Living Lands.

Civilization VII

Firaxis pushed big changes to the 4X template, introducing systems aimed at curbing late-game dominance and refreshing long-running mechanics despite a bumpy launch.

Death Stranding 2 and Elden Ring: Nightreign

Hideo Kojima’s sequel streamlined traversal and inventory, while FromSoftware distilled Elden Ring’s vibe into a tighter, sprint-friendly experience.

Out-of-nowhere indies and creative risks

Blue Prince

Dogubomb’s hybrid puzzle-adventure asks players to rebuild a mansion each run, turning incremental knowledge into deep, emergent mysteries.

Baby Steps

A punishing but rewarding “mountain walking” simulator that combines brutal mechanical learning with a surprisingly affecting narrative about perseverance.

Ball x Pit, Dragonsweeper, and Consume Me

Ball x Pit fuses brick-breaking with roguelike progression, Dragonsweeper reimagines Minesweeper with RPG trappings, and Consume Me uses mini-games to tell a poignant teen story.

Trends and what to watch in 2026

Two things stand out: first, established franchises can still be reliable crowd-pleasers when polished and focused. Second, small studios continue to push novel mechanics that capture attention and influence larger titles.

Grand Theft Auto VI’s delay into 2026 is a reminder that big-budget slates remain fluid, leaving room for surprise indie releases to define a year. Expect 2026 to mix blockbuster premieres with breakout indie experiments again.