Ars Technica’s 2025 list names 20 games across a wide range of genres, from familiar franchises to unusual indie releases. Published December 26, 2025, it is Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland’s editorial selection—not a data-ranked chart or a list produced by a stated scoring system. Orland says the games that stood out most were those that “seemed to come out of nowhere.”
What Ars Technica’s list represents
The selection pairs anticipated sequels and established series with less conventional games, including a punishing climbing adventure, a roguelike puzzle, an arcade-style shooter, and an interactive story about adolescence. The entries below summarize the reasons Orland gives for including each game; they are descriptions of Ars Technica’s editorial judgments, not independent gameplay assessments.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Ubisoft Video Game for Switch Just Dance 2025 Edition - EAN Brand: 3307216295716 | $27.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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VGC: The 2025 Guide to Video Games: The 2025 Guide to Video Games | $14.93 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Level Up 2025: An AFK Book | $12.74 | Buy on Amazon |
Ars labels platforms for its entries, but those labels reflect the article and should not be treated as a guarantee of current availability. Check the relevant platform’s current listing before buying.
The 20 games, in Ars Technica’s selection
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ars praises a polished, familiar series formula, an escapist setting, immersive audiovisual presentation, and room to approach play in different ways.
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Avowed
The article highlights a world shaped by mistrust and action combat that brings together magic, ranged weapons, and melee attacks.
Baby Steps
Its deliberately demanding, hands-on walking mechanics underpin a story about masculinity, perseverance, and society. Ars lists PS5 among its platforms.
Ball x Pit
This game mixes brick-breaking and shoot-’em-up play with randomized abilities, ball fusions, and upgrades that persist between runs.
Blue Prince
Players draft rooms as they explore a puzzle-filled mansion. Ars points to its layered mysteries, resource management, and substantial endgame.
Civilization VII
Orland describes the choice as potentially controversial and praises Firaxis for redesigning familiar series systems. He also acknowledges launch bugs and shortcomings in the user interface.
CloverPit
Slot-machine randomness, purchasable lucky charms, and secrets sit beneath a deliberately retro horror presentation.
Consume Me
Mini-games turn a teenager’s competing demands on time and attention into interactive systems. The article describes the story as semi-autobiographical to co-creator Jenny Jiao Hsia.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Ars focuses on deliveries, route planning, inventory, and exploration, as well as conveniences that improve travel. It also highlights the game’s themes of grief and human connection. PS5 is among the platforms listed.
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Donkey Kong Bananza
The selection praises destructible environments and exploration on Nintendo Switch 2, while noting that the camera and frame rate can be problematic in chaotic moments. Nintendo’s official US store lists a physical Nintendo Switch 2 edition with a July 17, 2025 release date; that listing does not establish current stock or availability in other regions: Nintendo’s official US store listing.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Blocking and parrying reshape the combat, while exploration and hidden collectibles add another dimension. Ars notes that the mech and dragon sequences can slow the pace.
Dragonsweeper
It combines Minesweeper-like deduction with RPG encounters, health, leveling, and a limited supply of healing items.
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Unlike the mainline game’s slower, solitary experience, Ars describes Nightreign as a three-player cooperative game built around shorter sessions.
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Set in Ezo, in modern-day Hokkaido, the game follows a revenge story. The article calls attention to exploration, weapon variety, parrying, and Erika Ishii’s performance. PS5 is among the listed platforms.
Hades 2
Ars highlights protagonist Melinoë, the spell system, and musical sequences—including a boss encounter staged as a rock-opera number.
Rank #3
Hollow Knight: Silksong
The article praises detailed 2D art and a sprawling map. Its action-platforming is described as punishingly hard, though exploration can provide alternatives to the most demanding reflex challenges.
The King Is Watching
This real-time strategy game stays on one screen. Its play revolves around a 5×5 production grid, the king’s limited attention, and adjustable challenge.
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Orland sees the sequel as a refinement of its predecessor, emphasizing historically grounded storytelling, difficult combat, and choices with consequences.
Mario Kart World
The game takes the series toward an interconnected open world, with Free Roam challenges and Knockout Mode races featuring a field of 24. Ars lists Nintendo Switch 2 among its platforms.
Sektori
This twin-stick shooter recalls Geometry Wars and adds a dash, or “strike,” system alongside upgrade choices.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the selection says about Ars’ 2025
The list’s defining contrast is between recognizable series and games that resist easy categorization. Its choices range from large-scale sequels such as Death Stranding 2 and Hades 2 to compact, mechanically distinctive ideas such as Dragonsweeper, The King Is Watching, and Baby Steps. Rather than presenting one genre or platform as the year’s center, the selection reflects an editor’s mix of familiar releases and unexpected discoveries.
For readers choosing what to play, the entries are most useful as a map of Ars’ critical interests: inventive systems, distinctive settings, and games that take a notable risk. The list does not compare prices, editions, or retailers, so it is not a buying guide.
Source
Ars Technica, “Ars Technica’s Top 20 video games of 2025,” by Kyle Orland, December 26, 2025.
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