As 2025 wrapped up, gaming content creators, journalists, and developers reflected on a year that delivered exceptional titles alongside industry chaos. SkillUp dropped his annual This Year in Videogames retrospective dissecting everything from Clair Obscur’s meteoric rise to the layoffs plaguing major studios. Jacob Geller curated his philosophical Top 10 list that nobody else would think to make. And Famitsu surveyed 191 Japanese game developers about their favorite releases, revealing fascinating insights into what creators actually play when nobody’s watching.
SkillUp’s Year in Videogames: The Good and The Brutal
Ralph, better known as SkillUp, released his annual year-in-review video on December 26, 2025, clocking in at nearly an hour of comprehensive analysis. The video balances celebration of incredible games with unflinching criticism of industry trends destroying studios and careers. SkillUp doesn’t pull punches when discussing how corporate mismanagement and unsustainable production practices continue plaguing the industry despite record-breaking releases.
His retrospective highlighted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the year’s standout achievement, a debut RPG from Sandfall Interactive that went from relative obscurity to defining 2025’s gaming conversation. He praised the game’s combination of turn-based combat innovation and emotionally resonant storytelling, noting how it succeeded by learning from Final Fantasy’s legacy rather than just copying it. Clair Obscur selling over 6 million copies and reaching an estimated 10 million players through subscriptions validated that audiences still hunger for thoughtful, well-crafted RPGs.
The Indie Darlings
SkillUp dedicated substantial time to indie successes that major gaming media largely ignored. He specifically called out how esoteric indie games received more attention and thoughtful analysis than many AAA releases precisely because they dared to try something different. Games like Blue Prince, Despelote, and Consume Me got the deep-dive treatment they deserved, with SkillUp explaining not just why they work mechanically but what they accomplish artistically.
However, Reddit discussions noted that SkillUp’s increasing focus on experimental indie titles sometimes creates unrealistic expectations. Some commenters felt he evaluates AAA sequels too harshly, demanding revolutionary innovation from franchises where audiences primarily want refinement and reliability. His Ghost of Yotei review sparked this debate, as he acknowledged it was excellent for fans of the original but criticized it for not pushing boundaries enough given its budget and development time.
Jacob Geller’s Top 10: Philosophy Disguised as Gaming
Jacob Geller, the video essayist known for treating games as serious art worthy of academic analysis, released his Ten Best Games of 2025 list in December. Unlike typical year-end rankings focused on polish or entertainment value, Geller’s list prioritizes games that made him think, feel, and reconsider his relationship with the medium. His top picks included Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Consume Me, Despelote, Death Stranding 2, Lies of P: Overture, Citizen Sleeper 2, Silent Hill F, Dead Letter Department, and Hades II.
What makes Geller’s approach distinctive is how he contextualizes games within broader cultural and philosophical frameworks. He doesn’t just explain why Hollow Knight: Silksong has tight controls and beautiful environments. He explores what the game communicates about isolation, perseverance, and the spaces we navigate both literally and metaphorically. Death Stranding 2 gets analyzed through the lens of connection and separation in modern society, examining how Kojima’s eccentric vision speaks to contemporary anxieties about loneliness and purpose.
Geller’s inclusion of Consume Me and Despelote demonstrates his commitment to highlighting experimental titles that mainstream coverage often misses. These aren’t games you’ll see on IGN’s top 10 or nominated for Game Awards categories. They’re weird, uncomfortable, and brilliant in ways that defy conventional gaming criticism. Geller treats them with the same seriousness he applies to acclaimed releases like Clair Obscur, arguing that innovation matters just as much as production values when evaluating a year in gaming.
191 Japanese Developers Reveal What They Actually Play
Famitsu’s annual survey asking Japanese game developers and celebrities about their favorite games of 2025 produced fascinating results that diverged significantly from Western critical consensus. The survey included major industry figures like Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida, Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama, former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi, Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya, and dozens of other influential developers.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 topped the overall list, confirming its universal appeal across cultures and developer perspectives. The turn-based RPG resonated deeply with Japanese creators who appreciated its respectful homage to Final Fantasy while innovating on genre conventions. Multiple action game directors including Team Ninja’s Yosuke Hayashi and Onimusha’s Satoru Nihei ranked it as their number one, suggesting the game successfully bridges the gap between traditional turn-based design and modern sensibilities.
The Urban Myth Phenomenon
The real surprise in Famitsu’s survey was Urban Myth Dissolution Center, a pixel-art mystery game that appeared on an absurd number of lists despite minimal Western coverage. Kazuhisa Wada from Persona Studio, Takayuki Nakayama from Street Fighter 6, Masachika Kawata from Resident Evil, and Koji Igarashi all ranked it as their number one game. This pixel-art indie title somehow captured the imagination of AAA developers across multiple genres, bridging the gap between indie enthusiasts and mainstream titans.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center’s dominance reveals how differently Japanese developers consume games compared to Western audiences and critics. While Western media fixated on technical showcases like Ghost of Yotei and action spectacles like Monster Hunter Wilds, Japanese creators gravitated toward a mysterious pixel-art game about investigating urban legends. This suggests that developer audiences prioritize creativity, atmosphere, and unique concepts over production values and marketing budgets.
The Hilarious and Heartfelt Picks
Some survey responses revealed developers’ playful or deeply personal choices. Naoki Yoshida voted exclusively for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, essentially voting for his own game as his game of the year. While this could seem self-serving, Yoshida’s intense dedication to maintaining and improving FFXIV makes the choice understandable. He lives and breathes that game more than any player possibly could.
Hideki Kamiya, the legendary creator behind Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and Okami, ranked Tetris 99 as his number one game of 2025 with Super Mario Bros listed second. This perfectly encapsulates Kamiya’s contrarian personality and his appreciation for pure game design divorced from graphics or storytelling pretensions. Tetris 99 represents perfect mechanics refined over decades, and Mario Bros exemplifies timeless platforming. Why overthink it?
Ghost of Yotei earned special praise from Yoshida beyond just his survey ranking. In interviews, he specifically called the game outstanding and admitted he kept returning to it whenever he had free time. Being from Hokkaido himself, Yoshida was captivated by Sucker Punch’s recreation of Mount Yotei’s beauty. His perspective as both a developer studying technical achievement and a local appreciating cultural authenticity makes his endorsement particularly meaningful.
What Critics Actually Value
Comparing these different year-end retrospectives reveals interesting patterns about what different segments of the gaming community value. Mainstream outlets like IGN, GameSpot, and GamesRadar converged on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the consensus game of the year, with Ghost of Yotei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle rounding out top fives. These choices prioritize polish, production values, and broad appeal.
YouTube essayists like SkillUp and Jacob Geller skew toward experimental indie titles and games with strong thematic resonance. Their lists include obscure releases that challenge conventional design or explore uncomfortable topics. They celebrate technical achievement in AAA games but reserve their highest praise for titles that take creative risks regardless of budget.
Japanese developers, based on the Famitsu survey, gravitate toward games with strong creative vision whether indie or AAA. Urban Myth Dissolution Center, a relatively unknown pixel-art mystery game, competed directly with Ghost of Yotei and Clair Obscur for their attention. This suggests Japanese developers evaluate games more on innovation and artistic merit than production scale or marketing reach.
The Content Worth Rewatching
Beyond these major retrospectives, 2025 produced numerous standout pieces of gaming content worth revisiting. SkillUp’s review of Death Stranding 2 provided thoughtful analysis of Kojima’s divisive sequel, treating it with the seriousness the director’s work demands rather than dismissing it as pretentious nonsense. Jacob Geller’s videos on architectural horror in games and the psychology of underwater phobias demonstrated how gaming criticism can match film criticism in depth and insight.
The Friends Per Second podcast, co-hosted by SkillUp, produced consistently engaging discussions about industry trends, game design philosophy, and the business realities facing developers. Their conversations about the AI situation in game development and the unsustainable crunch culture plaguing studios provided valuable context for understanding why so many talented people are leaving the industry despite record revenues.
ZackLillipad’s Every Game I Played in 2025 Ranked video offered a completionist’s perspective on the year, showcasing the sheer volume of quality releases across all genres and budget levels. His willingness to evaluate everything from short experimental indies to 100-hour RPGs on equal footing created a refreshing alternative to lists dominated by AAA blockbusters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was SkillUp’s game of the year for 2025?
SkillUp highlighted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the standout achievement of 2025 in his year-end retrospective. He praised its innovative turn-based combat and emotionally resonant storytelling that learned from Final Fantasy’s legacy while creating something fresh.
What games made Jacob Geller’s top 10 of 2025?
Jacob Geller’s list included Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Consume Me, Despelote, Death Stranding 2, Lies of P: Overture, Citizen Sleeper 2, Silent Hill F, Dead Letter Department, and Hades II.
What did Japanese developers vote as game of the year?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 topped Famitsu’s survey of 191 Japanese developers and celebrities. However, Urban Myth Dissolution Center appeared on an extraordinary number of individual lists from major developers across multiple studios and genres.
What is Urban Myth Dissolution Center?
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a pixel-art mystery game that became a cult favorite among Japanese developers in 2025. Despite minimal Western coverage, it was ranked number one by directors from Persona, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Castlevania franchises.
Why do SkillUp’s reviews spark controversy?
Some viewers feel SkillUp evaluates AAA sequels too harshly, demanding revolutionary innovation rather than appreciating refinement. His Ghost of Yotei review sparked debate about whether critics should judge games against their own expectations or the game’s actual goals.
Who is Jacob Geller?
Jacob Geller is a video essayist known for treating games as serious art worthy of philosophical and cultural analysis. His videos explore themes like architectural horror, underwater phobias, and how games communicate complex ideas beyond entertainment.
What was Naoki Yoshida’s game of the year?
Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida ranked Ghost of Yotei as his favorite game of 2025, calling it outstanding. He’s from Hokkaido and was impressed by Sucker Punch’s recreation of Mount Yotei’s beauty. However, he also voted for his own game, FFXIV: Dawntrail.
What did Hideki Kamiya vote for?
DMC creator Hideki Kamiya ranked Tetris 99 as his number one game of 2025 with Super Mario Bros second, showcasing his appreciation for pure game design and timeless mechanics over graphics or narrative complexity.
The Content That Mattered
What separates exceptional gaming content from disposable hot takes is willingness to engage seriously with games as art, commerce, and cultural artifacts simultaneously. SkillUp, Jacob Geller, and the Japanese developers surveyed by Famitsu all approach games from different angles, but they share commitment to thoughtful analysis over reactive clickbait.
SkillUp’s year-end video balanced celebration of creative achievements with brutal honesty about industry dysfunction. He didn’t pretend 2025 was perfect just because it produced great games. Jacob Geller elevated gaming criticism by refusing to treat games as mere entertainment products, demanding they be evaluated with the same rigor applied to literature or film. The Japanese developers surveyed by Famitsu revealed what creators actually appreciate in games beyond marketing narratives and review scores.
These perspectives remind us that gaming is big enough to accommodate multiple valid viewpoints. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can simultaneously be a gorgeous mainstream RPG success, an innovative evolution of turn-based combat, and a thoughtful meditation on death and inevitability. Ghost of Yotei can be a technical showcase, a beautiful homage to Hokkaido’s landscape, and a safe but excellent sequel. Urban Myth Dissolution Center can be an obscure pixel-art indie and also the most creatively ambitious game multiple AAA directors played all year. The best gaming content of 2025 recognized these nuances rather than flattening everything into simplistic rankings or binary good or bad judgments. Here’s hoping 2026’s retrospectives maintain that same thoughtfulness when the year inevitably produces its own mix of triumphs, disasters, and everything in between.