Nick Coffman’s Top 10 Games of 2025…So Far
Nick shares his favorites from the year, so far.
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Before I get to the games, some nods for the year.
Common Side Effects on Adult Swim - Forgot to mention it during the podcast, but it’s easily one of the better new shows of the year.
Assorted Crisis Events from Image Comics - Things already suck, why not read a comic where everything sucks!
Jennifer Government by Max Barry - I’m 25 years late to the party, but Berry’s sharp satire about corprorations launching literal wars over shoe scarcity feels right at home in 2025.
Now let’s get to the list.
10. Blue Prince
Please no, not again.
Okay, so I am still on the fence about Blue Prince. In theory, I love the concept of exploring a mansion that changes every day. In practice, I hate the rogue elements that send you back to square one each day. Sure, I am heading into each day with some new knowledge about the mansion and its mysteries, but that knowledge does squat for me when RNG throws me a terrible run of rooms. I enjoyed my opening hours with Blue Prince, but the further I dug into everything, the less I wanted to play. I am not ready to call it quits. I would like to reach room 46 and play around with some of the mansion’s secrets. So, come back in December, this may be higher (or lower).
9. Keep Driving
Underdog of the year.
Keep Driving is a throwback to summer road trips in the form of a turn-based RPG. It captures that nostalgic feeling of being a young driver. Jamming out to whatever the radio gods have blessed you with, scrounging up gas money while riding on E, and stressing over whatever the hell is going on in front of you, are all present in this little road trip indie game.
8. A Game About Digging a Hole
“Zero, how bout we dig one more hole?”
A Game About Digging a Hole is a game about digging a hole. You have bought a new house, and it comes with a note that mentions treasure buried somewhere in the back yard. With a mortgage looming over your head and a shovel in your hand, you start digging. You can upgrade your equipment along the way by finding minerals in your hole and selling them on the internet. It is a quick little game, but its simple gameplay loop and my yearning to dig, drove me to complete it in one afternoon. I dug it.
7. War Rats: The Rat’em Up
Rat bawls.
War Rats was my final review for Game Chronicle, which kicked the digital bucket back in May (RIP). I thought I was in for some cheap shooter in rats clothing. What I got was a challenging tower defense game that had me spending hours on levels as I tried to force my rat army into the enemy’s base. The game has not yet hit 1.0, but the early build I played had some character (and rat balls). I’m excited to revisit it after the full release.
6. Citizen Sleeper
I’m sorry I slept on you.
Citizen Sleeper was one of those games I struggled to sit down and play, numerous times. I originally tried to play it immediately after Norco and my brain refused to participate after already putting the time in with another game heavy on the reading. Here we are, three years later and just in time for the sequel (which I still haven’t tried), and I really enjoyed my time with Citizen Sleeper. Maybe enjoyed isn’t the right word here. The work is grueling and all you want to do is get the hell off this space station. Ever been too tired from a day of work to engage in a hobby or talk to a friend? Now there’s a video game that captures that experience.
5. Rematch
One shot, one opportunity
Rematch is Rocket League minus the cars, and that is all I am going to say about that.
4. Humanity
You can’t pet the dog.
Humanity is another backlog game that has started to eat up a lot of my time. Back in 2023, I thought the puzzles were a bit boring, so I quit with a few hours under my belt. I should have kept going. The latter half of the campaign really opens up and starts to get away from the direction-based puzzles. There’s stealth, combat, and some light unit management that made me feel like I was playing an RTS toward the end of the campaign. There’s also a solid community behind this game, creating levels and participating in level making Game Jams, that the developer leads each month. I just played a level that someone fashioned into a crocodile, which was cool as hell. This also has the added bonus of being one of my son’s current favorites. Love playing this with the little guy.
3. South of Midnight
He was my brother. Benjy his name.
I cried constantly throughout my time with South of Midnight. As Hazel, you uncover your neighbors’ secrets in an effort to help them come to terms with their past trauma. Woah boy, do some of these secrets punch you right in the gut. If you thought you were done crying after piecing together one of the games many mysteries, I’m sorry, but the soundtrack is here to deliver another one-two punch. I love the magical realism and the game’s ability to capture the beauty of the American south. Between combat and platforming, I felt like I was back in 2003, playing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I know Microsoft is a hot mess right now, but I hope Compulsion Games gets to revisit Hazel’s story in the near future.
2. Split Fiction
Down with slop.
Anyone else tired of all the AI bullshit? The prophesy of AI and the future it will bring are tall tales from men with way too much money and not enough wit. It’s a pipedream of doing less, from a group of people who already bring nothing to the table. CEOs promising a “magical” AI is like the lazy guy in a group project promising you an A on the presentation. Playing through Split Fiction as two artists fighting back the approaching tech industry is a cathartic experience. Mio and Zoe may not be the greatest authors who ever lived, but the worlds they have created come from real and lived experiences. Is the game filled with cliches and tropes? Yes, but that’s the point. Cliches and tropes are human. We put them in our stories because they work. Because we heard them in stories and decided to put our own spin on them. Because we hope our spin will inspire the next generation of storytellers to put their own spin on those same tropes and cliches. Sure, AI is pulling from what has worked in the past, but it completely loses the human element of storytelling. I would take the worst writer over any AI, any day of the week. Be human. Say no to the slop.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Parry it!
As of writing this, I am 40+ hours into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I currently find myself working through an optional area known as the Flying Manor. I’ve got a few more areas I want to check out before heading the final boss. I also want to play around with some picto builds and different weapons. Oh, I also want to take out that giant snake in the sky. I say all this because I could have easily finished Clair Obscur 20 hours ago, but Sandfall Interactive has created this world that I am not ready to leave. I want to linger in this sad world on its last thread. I do not often get pulled into turn-based RPGs. I also seldom spend time with games where parrying is a key mechanic. Yet, here I am, sticking this one out to the end.
