5 Best Video Games Of 2025 That Nobody Played

2025 was a great year for video games, from the reveal and launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 to a whole wave of popular new games. This distinction carried over to not only big studio games like "Ghost of Yōtei" and "Donkey Kong Bananza," but also indie releases, including "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" and "Hades II." But with so many high-profile releases, the unfortunate truth is that a lot of similarly great games go under-appreciated or overlooked. 2025 was no different in that regard, with quite a few games that are worth players' time just not getting the commercial or critical success they were due.

It's a simple law of averages that good games are going to get lost in the shuffle of an industry that pumps out great products every month. With that in mind, we're going to spotlight several fantastic titles released in 2025 that largely flew under the radar for much of the gaming public. This isn't to say that the games included here weren't critically or commercially successful, but just warranted more positive attention than they initially received. Here are the five best video games of 2025 that nobody played, or at least deserved far more love and attention than they got at launch.

After crafting the amped-up drama in "Life Is Strange 2," the Don't Nod development team moved to create their own gaming property with "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage." The game focuses on a group of four friends, who are teenagers in the summer of 1995. After forming a punk band together, the girls endure an incident that leads them to swear to part ways seemingly forever. 27 years later, the four reunite when they're forced to revisit this event and remember what drove them apart in the first place.

Anyone who enjoyed playing the first two "Life Is Strange" games really needs to check out "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage." Like Don't Nod's previous project, the game was initially divided into multiple episodes, or tapes, released throughout 2025. Together, these installments form a long-standing mystery to be uncovered but also a tale of youthful friendships renewed in adulthood. A narrative-driven adventure told through the perspective of wide-eyed teenagers and adults, "Lost Records: Bloom & Rage" is well worth the time of any fan of the genre.

Though all eyes were on "Mario Kart World" when the Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025, it's not the only racing game on the console. Released alongside the Switch 2's launch was "Fast Fusion," the latest in the "Fast" series from German developer Shin'en Multimedia. Like preceding games in the series, players boost their speed by alternating between corresponding colors found on the race tracks. The game features 10 racing cup competitions and 15 vehicles to unlock, which can be fused into 210 different combinations.

Whether it's the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 killing its hype or "Mario Kart World" taking the spotlight, "Fast Fusion" remains criminally overlooked. True to its title, the game brings high-octane racing action and variable difficulty to present even veteran players with a real challenge. And for those put off by the higher price point for "Mario Kart World," "Fast Fusion" provides more visible bang for a gamer's buck. While waiting for Nintendo to revive its dead "F-Zero" franchise, "Fast Fusion" is as close a racing game experience on the Switch 2 as it gets.

One of the most unique games of 2025 is "The Alters," developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. The game has space explorer Jan Dolski piloting a vehicle on a planet surface that periodically is engulfed by lethal solar radiation. To help expand the base to avoid the planet's deadly conditions and mine its precious resources, Jan clones himself to lend a vital hand. Each of these clones have their own distinct personalities and needs, as well as their own skill trees, as Jan makes his base a productive mining venture.

"The Alters" was released in June 2025 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC to critical acclaim. The game is an innovative survivalist take on base-building games like "Fallout Shelter," with a more interpersonal focus given its premise. That cloning and team development mechanics offer a surprising depth to the gameplay that helps distinguish it further. For anyone who wanted to cross a survivalist experience with the Michael Keaton comedy "Multiplicity," "The Alters" certainly delivers on that score.

French game publisher Dotemu has stayed busy after releasing the critically acclaimed "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge." In addition to releasing the licensed titles "Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound" and "Marvel Cosmic Invasion" in 2025, Dotemu also published its own original IP with "Absolum." Developed by Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, the game retains the side-scrolling beat-'em-up action that Dotemu titles have become known for. Players choose from a set of familiar fantasy archetypes as they embark on roguelike adventures while traversing a medieval kingdom to battle the villainous Sun King Azra.

"Absolum" randomizes its level layout across each playthrough, guaranteeing that no experience is completely identical each time. That, along with the distinctive player classes and co-op gameplay, offers a high degree of replayability that leans into Dotemu's usual strengths. The game was released this past October for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. While critically acclaimed and boasting a successful launch, it feels like not enough people are talking about "Absolum," because it's one of the strongest, non-licensed games Dotemu has ever published.

Double Fine Productions has been turning out entertaining games with distinctly quirky personalities for decades, including "Psychonauts" and "Brütal Legend." This continues with the company's 2025 game "Keeper," which was released for Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game follows the relationship between a bird and a mobile lighthouse in a post-apocalyptic world constantly shrouded in darkness. This odd pair navigate the shadowy landscape, fending off monsters and looking for a way to bring light and hope back to the world.

"Keeper" gets back to the adventuring experience that Double Fine is best known for, a darkly-tinged modern fairy tale. Just when players get settled into the gameplay, it shifts to something surprising, constantly transforming and keeping gamers on their toes. This is balanced by an evocative art design and immersive environments that really establish the game's striking mood. Double Fine has a history of turning flops into success stories, so "Keeper" is sure to have long legs after its initial launch.