Here we are at the end of 2025, and what a year it has been (take that as a positive or negative as you wish). Like everyone else in the gaming community, we have opinions on video games, and though we are a small team, we have quite a diverse take on games that come out. Here is every Game Sandwich member’s personal choice for Game of the Year 2025. Enjoy.
Adam Gumbert – Hades 2
Hades 2 is a complete experience, one that kept me motivated, fascinated, and engrossed for the entirety of my time with it. The presentation alone would have moved it towards the top of my list, with an excellent cast, colorful and vibrant art style, and a soundtrack I couldn’t get out of my head, bringing the Greek mythology to life. On top of that is an addictive rogue-like loop with fluid and varied action combat, keeping every run new and varied as I build up my godlike powers to conquer monsters and titans. Add in an unforgettable story that plays out within the rogue-like mechanics, and Hades 2 was an odyssey I won’t soon forget.
Aden Carter – Dispatch
My personal Game of the Year is Dispatch. I didn’t think much about the game when leading up to its release because I am not typically a fan of story-based games, but the way AdHoc Studio handled this story is fantastic.
The story is very engaging, there are tense moments that give you little time to react, and every choice you make matters leading up to the end. It is not your standard story-based game that requires you to simply push a button every now and then. Instead, you are engaged – being required to send out your heroes to respond to emergencies and listening to them grow as they handle bigger tasks. It is one of the few great story-based titles to me, and one I won’t be forgetting soon.
Amber Warnock-Estrada – Blue Prince
Blue Prince takes the roguelite gameplay loop I very likely have a chemical addiction to and wraps it in a puzzle package so full of intrigue it’d make Benoit Blanc cry uncle. I logged more than thirty hours into breaking through the main story, which a good friend of mine aptly called the “baby mode tutorial” of the game. Much of that time was spent with my girlfriend, who joined me in filling a baker’s dozen pages of my personal notebook with crazed ramblings in order to navigate through this amazing game. Blue Prince is a game that brought me closer together with the people I love, and which serves as a shining example of the rich interactive experience only video games can give you. If that isn’t GOTY material, what is?
Augusto Avila – Dispatch
Have you ever looked at something and immediately realized it was going to be special? That’s how I felt when I first watched the reveal trailer for Dispatch, the “choices-matter” interactive adventure that I’m sure has managed to hijack many other GoTY lists with its Q4 release.
Dispatch’s writing and tone are refreshingly unapologetic, feeling like a freedom cry let out by a group of creators finally allowed to do whatever they want, and the fact that AdHoc Studios managed to get so many big industry names to play along means its potential could be felt ever since its inception. Its ability to hit so many satisfying story beats without taking agency away from the player is commendable, and its sequel honestly couldn’t come sooner.
Joel Campos – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
It is rare that a game grabs my attention like Expedition 33 did. From the moment I started, the gameplay, story, and humor fully grabbed my attention. It rewards exploration and has a great story. Constant plot surprises around every corner made me think outside the box and anticipate what was going to happen next. Not only is it my GOTY, but one of my favorite games of all time. I cannot wait to see what Sandfall Interactive works on next.
John Hansen – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Regardless of how much I hate the twist that leads into the final act of the game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 really excels in many other ways. It undoubtedly has one of the best soundtracks of the year, and there are amazing performances throughout the entire cast that make you really care about these characters. The turn-based nature of the combat doesn’t necessarily excel when compared to other games of the same nature, but it was fun enough to not push me away from seeing this beautiful world and seeing it through to the end.
Kevin Lopez – R.E.P.O.
Whenever I think about my 2025 game of the year, ideally, I’d like it to be a game that is still within my weekly rotation and one that continues to improve post-launch. Factoring all of that into the grand equation, no other title stands out to me more than R.E.P.O.
This was a game that took the internet by storm with a slew of viral clips and funny moments. To me, R.E.P.O. stands out amongst the rest because no gameplay loop is the same and offers up countless fun ways for you and your friends to find your next big score!
