Getting an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam is basically winning the lottery of gaming achievements. It means 95% or more of players loved your game enough to recommend it, and that’s a threshold very few titles ever reach. As we wrap up 2025, it’s time to celebrate every game that earned this coveted badge, from massive RPGs that swept Game of the Year awards to tiny indie projects that captured hearts with pure creativity and passion.
The Crown Jewel of 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t just achieve Overwhelmingly Positive status on Steam. It completely dominated 2025 with a staggering 95% positive rating and became the highest-rated game of the entire year across multiple platforms. The French turn-based RPG from debut studio Sandfall Interactive sold 3.3 million copies and swept awards ceremonies, taking home seven Golden Joystick Awards including Ultimate Game of the Year.
What made Expedition 33 so special? The game combined stunning Belle Époque-inspired visuals with deep turn-based combat, reactive character development systems, and a moving narrative about grief, mortality, and the value of life. Critics praised its elegant writing and spellbinding voice performances, particularly Jennifer English as protagonist Maelle and Ben Starr as Verso. The game explores heavy themes with remarkable grace, finding humor and hope amid darkness while maintaining its hauntingly beautiful aesthetic throughout.
The Indie Breakouts
Several indie games shocked the gaming world by achieving Overwhelmingly Positive ratings despite minimal marketing budgets. Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 topped SteamDB’s 2025 ratings chart, continuing creator Toby Fox’s incredible streak following Undertale. The quirky RPG delivered the same charm, humor, and heart that made the original a phenomenon, with players praising the new chapters for expanding the world while maintaining what made the series special.
Dispatch carved out its own success as a narrative-driven game that resonated deeply with players. The title featured prominently in Steam’s Winter Sale promotions alongside major releases, proving that compelling storytelling and unique gameplay concepts can compete with AAA budgets. Schedule I also earned its Overwhelmingly Positive rating by offering something different in a crowded market, demonstrating that innovation still gets rewarded.
The Sequel That Delivered
Hades 2 faced enormous expectations after the original became one of the most beloved indie games ever made. Somehow, Supergiant Games exceeded those expectations. The sequel achieved a 95% positive rating on Steam, matching the first game’s legendary status while introducing fresh mechanics, new characters, and an expanded mythology. Players praised protagonist Melinoe’s journey as equally compelling as Zagreus’s, with the reactive combat and character development systems feeling refined rather than rehashed.
The game launched in early access before its full 1.0 release in September 2025, and maintained its Overwhelmingly Positive rating throughout that entire period. That consistency speaks volumes about the quality and player satisfaction. Critical reception agreed, with many outlets declaring Hades 2 the top-rated game of 2025 even before Expedition 33’s surprise dominance. The hauntingly beautiful art direction and stellar voice acting elevated already exceptional roguelike gameplay into something transcendent.
Hidden Gems That Earned Their Stripes
Beyond the major releases, dozens of smaller titles achieved Overwhelmingly Positive ratings through word-of-mouth and dedicated communities. ENA: Dream BBQ ranked fourth on SteamDB’s top-rated 2025 releases, bringing surreal humor and bizarre charm to players who discovered it. The quirky adventure game proved that weird, experimental projects can find massive audiences when they commit fully to their vision.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II earned its place among the Overwhelmingly Positive games with a 93.29% rating and over 305,000 reviews. The medieval RPG sequel improved on the original’s historically accurate approach to storytelling and combat, delivering an immersive experience that satisfied fans waiting years for a follow-up. Meanwhile, Slime Rancher 2 graduated from early access in September 2025 with a 92.74% rating, proving the wholesome ranch simulator genre still has room for growth.
The Surprise Hits
Some games nobody saw coming ended up achieving Overwhelmingly Positive status through pure quality and player love. Skin Deep launched in April 2025 and immediately captured attention with its unique premise and execution, earning an 88% review from PC Gamer and enthusiastic player recommendations. Tower Wizard accumulated over 900 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews within just three days of release, demonstrating that satisfying upgrade systems and clear game design principles never go out of style.
My Winter Car arrived as a late-year surprise release, earning Overwhelmingly Positive reviews as one of 2025’s final major launches. The car restoration simulator found an audience hungry for detailed mechanical gameplay and the satisfaction of building something from scratch. These surprise successes prove that Steam’s algorithm and community still reward quality over marketing spend.
Genre Variety Wins
One remarkable aspect of 2025’s Overwhelmingly Positive list is the sheer variety of genres represented. From turn-based RPGs like Expedition 33 to roguelikes like Hades 2, from narrative adventures like Dispatch to incremental games like Cookie Clicker and The Gnorp Apologue, players showed they’ll reward excellence regardless of genre conventions.
The incremental and idle game category saw multiple Overwhelmingly Positive titles including Magic Archery, Digseum, Nodebuster, NGU Idle, Farmer Against Potatoes Idle, and Kiwi Clicker. These games prove that even genres sometimes dismissed as shallow can achieve mainstream success through clever design and respect for players’ time. Meanwhile, cozy games like Rusty’s Retirement, Virtual Cottage, and Spirit City earned their Overwhelmingly Positive ratings by providing peaceful, stress-free experiences that players returned to daily.
AAA Games That Made the Cut
While indie games dominated the Overwhelmingly Positive category in sheer numbers, several major studio releases earned their spots through consistent quality. Palworld benefited from Steam’s new language-based review system change in August 2025, jumping from Very Positive to Overwhelmingly Positive in English reviews. The creature-collecting survival game maintained its momentum throughout the year despite controversies and competition from similar titles.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II represented historical RPG fans with its detailed medieval simulation and improved combat systems. The sequel addressed complaints about the original while maintaining the hardcore realism that made the first game a cult classic. With over 305,000 reviews and a 93.29% positive rating, it proved that patience and dedication to historical accuracy can pay off for developers willing to commit to their vision.
The Remasters and Updates
Even older games found new life in 2025 through major updates and expansions. Sanabi, the 2023 cyberpunk platformer with Bionic Commando-style grappling mechanics, received a completely free expansion called A Haunted Day. The DLC earned a 96% positive rating on Steam by introducing protagonist Major Song with an entirely new moveset including shotgun dodges and projectile parries. Players praised how the expansion matched the base game’s quality while adding meaningful complexity.
The expansion demonstrated that developers supporting their games post-launch with substantial free content can reignite interest and maintain Overwhelmingly Positive ratings years after release. This approach builds goodwill and encourages players to recommend games to friends, creating sustainable long-term success rather than flash-in-the-pan launch spikes.
What Makes a Game Overwhelmingly Positive
Looking across all the 2025 titles that achieved this rating reveals some common threads. First, they respect players’ time and intelligence. Whether that means clear game design, meaningful progression systems, or narratives that trust players to understand complex themes, these games treat their audience with respect.
Second, they deliver on their promises. The games that achieve Overwhelmingly Positive ratings generally have clear visions and execute those visions competently. Players weren’t misled by marketing or promised features that never materialized. What you see in trailers and store pages is what you get in the actual game, and that transparency builds trust.
Community Matters
Many Overwhelmingly Positive games in 2025 benefited from active, engaged communities and responsive developers. Games like Hades 2 thrived during early access because Supergiant Games listened to feedback and communicated transparently about development. Indie titles found success through word-of-mouth in gaming communities, Discord servers, and social media rather than traditional marketing.
The Steam review system itself underwent changes in 2025, with language-specific ratings helping games like Palworld showcase their strengths to appropriate audiences. This change recognized that different regions have different expectations and priorities, and a game that resonates powerfully with English-speaking audiences might face different reception elsewhere based on localization quality, cultural references, or gameplay preferences.
The Ones That Almost Made It
Several high-profile 2025 releases came close to Overwhelmingly Positive but fell just short of the 95% threshold. Monster Hunter Wilds topped Steam’s best-selling list despite being labeled one of the worst PC ports of the year by Digital Foundry due to performance issues. The game’s core content was beloved, but technical problems kept it from reaching that coveted rating.
Civilization VII made the top 12 best-selling games but faced player discontent around new features and a content-light endgame at launch. Elden Ring Nightreign found commercial success but divided opinion among fans of the base game. These near-misses remind us that achieving Overwhelmingly Positive status requires everything working together, from technical performance to content depth to meeting player expectations.
FAQs
What does ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ mean on Steam?
Overwhelmingly Positive is Steam’s highest rating tier, requiring 95% or more positive reviews from players. Games must have at least 500 reviews to qualify for this rating, making it a significant achievement that indicates near-universal player satisfaction.
What was the highest-rated game of 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the highest-rated game of 2025, achieving a 95% Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, a 9.7 user score on Metacritic, and critical acclaim across all platforms. The turn-based RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive won numerous Game of the Year awards.
How many games achieved Overwhelmingly Positive ratings in 2025?
According to SteamDB’s tracking, over 100 games released in 2025 achieved Overwhelmingly Positive ratings by year’s end. This includes major releases like Hades 2 and Expedition 33, as well as numerous indie titles and smaller projects.
Did any AAA games get Overwhelmingly Positive ratings in 2025?
Several major studio releases achieved Overwhelmingly Positive ratings, including Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and Palworld. However, indie and mid-budget titles dominated the category more than blockbuster AAA releases in 2025.
What happened with Steam’s review system change in 2025?
In August 2025, Steam changed how it displays reviews to show language-specific ratings instead of combined global scores for games with over 2,000 reviews. This helped games like Palworld jump from Very Positive to Overwhelmingly Positive in English reviews.
Which indie games surprisingly achieved Overwhelmingly Positive in 2025?
Surprise indie successes included Deltarune Chapters 3-4, Dispatch, Schedule I, ENA: Dream BBQ, Tower Wizard, Skin Deep, and My Winter Car. These games achieved the rating through word-of-mouth and quality rather than big marketing budgets.
Did Hades 2 live up to the original’s legacy?
Yes, Hades 2 matched the original’s Overwhelmingly Positive rating with 95% positive reviews. Players praised protagonist Melinoe’s journey, refined combat mechanics, and Supergiant Games’ handling of early access feedback before the full September 2025 release.
What genres were most represented in Overwhelmingly Positive 2025 games?
The list featured remarkable genre variety, including turn-based RPGs, roguelikes, narrative adventures, incremental/idle games, cozy games, platformers, survival games, and simulation titles. No single genre dominated the category.
Can older games still achieve Overwhelmingly Positive ratings?
Yes, games like Sanabi maintained and renewed their Overwhelmingly Positive ratings in 2025 through substantial free content updates. The cyberpunk platformer’s A Haunted Day expansion earned a 96% rating by matching the base game’s quality.
Why didn’t Monster Hunter Wilds get Overwhelmingly Positive reviews?
Despite being one of Steam’s best-selling games of 2025, Monster Hunter Wilds was labeled one of the year’s worst PC ports by Digital Foundry due to severe performance issues. Technical problems prevented it from achieving the 95% threshold despite strong core gameplay.
The Future of Steam Ratings
As 2025 demonstrated, achieving Overwhelmingly Positive status requires more than just good marketing or a big budget. Players have become more discerning about what they recommend, holding games to higher standards for performance, content delivery, and respect for their time and money. The language-specific review changes show Steam recognizing that global audiences have different priorities and expectations.
Looking ahead to 2026, developers would be wise to study what worked in 2025. Games that succeeded combined clear vision with competent execution, respected their audiences, and delivered what they promised. Whether you’re an indie solo developer or a major studio, those principles remain consistent. The games that achieve Overwhelmingly Positive ratings aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most aggressive marketing campaigns. They’re the ones that understand their audience, execute their vision well, and create experiences worth recommending to friends.
For players, the Overwhelmingly Positive list serves as a curated selection of 2025’s truly exceptional experiences. While not every game will appeal to every player, that 95% threshold represents something special: near-universal agreement that a game delivered on its promises and provided genuine value. As we head into 2026, these are the games that will be remembered, recommended, and revisited long after their launch windows close.