Games From The Year 2025
It was a weird and bad year. It has been a weird and bad nine days of the new year, but I have some interesting irons in the fire I hope to talk about more soon. Here are some games that I played this year that stuck with me.
Rogue Trader
This was the year I became a 40k girlie. 40k has a lot of different ways to enjoy it, and I like painting minis the most. I really enjoyed this Owlcat game, and it has been a long time since I went (nearly) all the way on 100+ hour party RPG, but it is really good. I also read Xenos and played Space Marine 2 this year and enjoyed both. I plan to do more wargaming in 2026, but probably not 40k to be honest, having only an academic interest in the game itself.
Traveller
So I haven't actually yet 'played' Traveller, as in sit down with a character and a Referee and perform actions and skill checks. My friend modality suggested it and I read it cover to cover. My perception of Traveller was basically 'janky 80s space GURPS' and it is much more textured and nuanced than that. I think reading it directly led to me writing my first TTRPG which I hope to talk about soon. I did then play a character creation session and had a great time. That people are mad at Traveller for having a fun and generative minigame to create your character will never not confound me, I wish every game had one.
Skin Deep
Sometimes an immersive sim that is creative, funny, well written, expertly scored, and impeccably made is a good game. Who would have guessed? I wonder what Nina Pasadena is up to these days.
Maria
I played Maria once this year and it was as usual a fantastic time. There's something bone deep in this game that effortlessly produces dramatic twists and turns from a simple ruleset and somewhat dry appearance. A lot, but not all, has a lot to do with the third player being aligned and opposed to the other two players, but this year's game's blockbuster finish had nothing to do with that.
Kaizen: A Factory Story
I show up day 1 for this team because they are always aligned with what I'm looking for in the puzzle/factory/gizmo space. Not much more to say beyond that, it's really good!
Mythic Bastionland
Our GM put it best when he said that he enjoys Mythic Bastionland despite itself. Another iteration on layout would do it really well, for such an expressive and rules-light game we are having to flip back and forth quite a bit within sessions. There are also some little bits in the rules that have really stymied us. Our group is happy to play a game on its own terms, but in the course of that have found ourselves asking "is this the intent here?" when we find ourselves a bit adrift in where the rules place us. But! Damn it's got some sick as hell knights. And that does go a long way.
Perfect Tides 2: Station to Station
I've been lucky enough to play this a bit ahead of its release and all of the breathless praise you hear from everyone else you'll hear from me. Expertly written and animated with some excellent interstitial game/cutscene moments.
Caves of Qud
You might ask Wasn't this game on my list last year? and I'd respond Yes, and?. Over my break I picked up my previous character which had just completed the Tomb of the Eaters and finished the main story. It met and then blew past my expectations.