Awards season for 2025 just wrapped up with a major surprise. Eurogamer, one of gaming’s most respected outlets, published their annual 50 best games of 2025 list on December 31, and their game of the year pick is raising eyebrows across the industry. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated The Game Awards earlier in December with a historic nine wins, Eurogamer gave their top spot to Blue Prince, a modestly budgeted indie puzzle game that didn’t even score a Game of the Year nomination at the Keighleys.
Blue Prince Takes The Crown
Blue Prince, developed by solo creator Tonda Ros under the Dogubomb studio banner, claimed Eurogamer’s number one spot despite being one of the year’s most under-the-radar releases. The game launched in April 2025 to stellar reviews, earning the distinction of being the best-reviewed game of the year’s first quarter with higher average scores than Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows on both Metacritic and OpenCritic.
So what exactly is Blue Prince? It’s a puzzle game where players navigate a mysterious, shifting house filled with alien logic reminiscent of the best Zelda dungeons. The game features layered strategy that evolves as players accumulate knowledge about its intricate systems, with secrets that only reveal themselves after you’ve spent considerable time living within its world. Eurogamer’s Christian Donlan praised it for being “aware of the time you’re spending within it,” calling that quality “pure magic.”
The Top 10 Breakdown
| Rank | Game | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Prince | Indie puzzle game, won Golden Joystick Best Indie Game |
| 2 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Won 9 awards at Game Awards including GOTY |
| 3 | Baby Steps | Climbing game from Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzillo, Maxi Boch |
| 4 | Despelote | Sports game with unique mechanics |
| 5 | Dispatch | Strategic hero deployment game |
| 6 | Split Fiction | Co-op adventure from Hazelight Studios |
| 7 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | Long-awaited Metroidvania sequel |
| 8 | Silent Hill f | Japanese-set Silent Hill entry |
| 9 | Skate Story | Stylish skating game with personal narrative |
| 10 | Donkey Kong Bananza | Nintendo platformer revival |
The placement of Baby Steps at number three is particularly telling about Eurogamer’s tastes. Created by Bennett Foddy (of Getting Over It fame), Gabe Cuzillo, and Maxi Boch, Baby Steps is a deliberately awkward climbing game about a 35-year-old deadbeat named Nate who must ascend a purgatorial mountain using surgically precise but infuriatingly delicate controls. It’s the kind of weird, experimental game that divides audiences but clearly resonated with Eurogamer’s staff.
Where Are The Big Hitters?
Looking at the full list reveals some eyebrow-raising placements for major releases. Avowed, Obsidian’s highly anticipated RPG, landed at number 50, the absolute bottom of the list. Metal Gear Solid: Delta sits at 48, while Two Point Museum came in at 47. Even beloved properties like Kirby Air Riders only managed position 40.
Some other notable placements include Horses at 46, The Outer Worlds 2 at 44, and Battlefield 6 somewhere in the middle of the pack despite its triumphant return praised for well-rounded gameplay and immersive audio design. The list clearly prioritizes innovation and artistic vision over production values and franchise recognition.
The Clair Obscur Conundrum
The elephant in the room is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 landing at number two. This French-developed turn-based RPG from Sandfall Interactive didn’t just win Game of the Year at The Game Awards, it made history by earning 13 nominations and winning nine categories, the most in the show’s history. It won Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Performance for Jennifer English, Best RPG, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game.
The game also swept the Golden Joystick Awards, winning all seven categories it was nominated for including Ultimate Game of the Year. It topped year-end lists from IGN, GameSpot, Game Informer, GamesRadar, Rolling Stone, Empire, Time, and dozens of other major outlets. Even Japanese developers voted it Game of the Year in Famitsu’s annual poll.
So why did Eurogamer place it second? The decision speaks to the outlet’s independent editorial voice and willingness to champion smaller, weirder games over industry consensus picks. While they clearly respected Clair Obscur, calling it a game that “demonstrates what occurs when a AA studio has a vision and passionately delivers on it,” they ultimately felt Blue Prince represented something more special and unique to 2025.
What This Says About Gaming in 2025
Eurogamer’s list reflects a year where innovation happened at every budget level. Yes, Clair Obscur proved that a mid-sized team with vision could compete with AAA behemoths. But Blue Prince, Baby Steps, and other indie darlings showed that brilliant game design doesn’t require massive teams or budgets. Sometimes it just takes one creative person with a singular vision.
The fact that Blue Prince became the best-reviewed game of the year’s first quarter and maintained that momentum through December speaks to its quality. Players reported spending 100+ hours uncovering all its secrets despite average playtimes of 15-20 hours for the main experience. That depth and replayability from a puzzle game is rare, and Eurogamer clearly valued it highly.
Reader Reactions Were Mixed
Eurogamer also published their readers’ top 50 games of 2025, which naturally told a different story. Reddit reactions to the staff list were predictably divided. Some praised Eurogamer for championing unique experiences, with one commenter noting that “the fact that Blue Prince ranks as their top choice and Baby Steps is included in the top five speaks volumes about their preferences.”
Others were less impressed, questioning how Baby Steps could be the third best game of an incredibly stacked year. The disconnect between critical and audience reception isn’t unusual for experimental games. Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy faced similar skepticism when critics praised it despite its deliberately frustrating gameplay.
Notable Absences and Surprises
Arc Raiders, the extraction shooter that dominated Steam’s sales charts over the holiday period and generated weeks of debate about whether it or Clair Obscur deserved Game of the Year consideration, didn’t crack Eurogamer’s top 10. The game only received one nomination at The Game Awards for Best Multiplayer, missing out on the Game of the Year category entirely despite strong community support.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Hideo Kojima’s divisive sequel, appears somewhere in the middle of the pack. The game earned eight Game Awards nominations but clearly didn’t resonate as strongly with Eurogamer’s staff as other critics. Meanwhile, games like Promise Mascot Agency at 20 and Sword of the Sea at 30 suggest the staff really valued creativity and charm over blockbuster spectacle.
How Blue Prince Won Critics Over
Blue Prince’s success this year is a reminder that puzzle games, when done exceptionally well, can compete with any genre. The game features mysteries that weave brilliantly into careful decision-making, with complex systems that dig deep into players’ brains and don’t let go. Its alien logic creates genuinely surprising revelations even dozens of hours into the experience.
Creator Tonda Ros had a triumphant year beyond just Eurogamer’s recognition. Blue Prince won Best Indie Game at the Golden Joystick Awards and earned nominations for Game of the Year and Best Storytelling. It was also nominated for Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards, though it lost both categories to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. A recent collaboration with publisher iam8bit brought physical editions to collectors.
What About Other Big Sites?
The contrast with other major outlets’ picks is stark. IGN named Clair Obscur their Game of the Year. GameSpot followed suit. Game Informer agreed. GamesRadar agreed. The pattern repeated across dozens of publications, making Eurogamer’s Blue Prince pick all the more notable as a dissenting voice in gaming criticism.
That said, Eurogamer isn’t completely alone. Several smaller outlets and individual critics championed Blue Prince as their personal favorite of the year. The Escapist featured it prominently in their year-end coverage, noting its exceptional replayability. PC Gamer called it “the best-reviewed game of 2025” back in April and stuck by that assessment through year’s end.
FAQs
What game did Eurogamer name Game of the Year 2025?
Eurogamer named Blue Prince, an indie puzzle game developed by Tonda Ros, as their Game of the Year for 2025, placing it above Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 which won The Game Awards’ GOTY.
Where did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 rank on Eurogamer’s list?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ranked number 2 on Eurogamer’s top 50 games of 2025, despite winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards and sweeping most major gaming outlets’ year-end lists.
What is Blue Prince?
Blue Prince is a puzzle game featuring a mysterious, shifting house filled with complex mysteries and alien logic. Players navigate intricate systems that evolve as they accumulate knowledge, with secrets revealing themselves over extended playtime.
What game ranked third on Eurogamer’s list?
Baby Steps, a deliberately awkward climbing game from Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzillo, and Maxi Boch, ranked third. The game challenges players to climb a purgatorial mountain using precise but difficult controls.
How did major AAA games perform on the list?
Major AAA releases didn’t dominate. Avowed ranked 50th (last place), Metal Gear Solid: Delta ranked 48th, and even popular titles like Kirby Air Riders only reached 40th position.
Did Eurogamer readers agree with the staff picks?
No, Eurogamer also published a separate readers’ top 50 which featured different rankings, showing a disconnect between critical and audience preferences, particularly regarding experimental indie titles.
Why is this ranking controversial?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 made history at The Game Awards with 13 nominations and 9 wins, topped most major outlets’ year-end lists, and represented the critical consensus for 2025. Eurogamer choosing Blue Prince instead is a notable dissenting opinion.
What awards did Blue Prince win?
Blue Prince won Best Indie Game at the Golden Joystick Awards and was nominated for Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards.
How long is Blue Prince?
Most players beat Blue Prince in 15-20 hours, but the game contains enough puzzles and mysteries that dedicated players report spending 100+ hours uncovering all its secrets and exploring its depths.
Conclusion
Eurogamer’s 2025 game of the year list is a refreshing reminder that there’s no single correct answer when judging artistic merit. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 clearly deserved its historic sweep at The Game Awards and will be remembered as 2025’s consensus pick, Blue Prince represents something equally valuable: a smaller, weirder game that rewards patient players with depth and complexity rarely seen in puzzle design. The fact that both games can coexist at the top of different lists shows how rich 2025 was for gaming. Whether you prefer French-inflected turn-based RPG cinematics or brain-bending puzzle mechanics that take 100 hours to fully grasp, 2025 delivered. And honestly, that diversity of excellent games is something worth celebrating more than arguing over which specific title deserves the crown.