Metacritic’s 2025 all-platform chart is a critics’ review-score ranking, not a definitive list of the year’s new releases. On the chart accessed in 2026, it includes Nintendo Switch 2 editions of two older Zelda games alongside 2025 releases, which changes what appears in the top ten. A separate year-end list can leave those editions out and include games such as Monster Hunter Wilds and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 instead.
Metacritic’s 2025 chart: what the top scores show
The live Metacritic 2025 all-platform Metascore chart reports 459 results. The values below are the scores and ordering displayed when the chart was accessed in 2026; Metacritic’s chart can change, and these are not permanent year-end standings.
| # | 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 |
| Displayed order | Game and edition | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | 95 |
| 2 | Hades II | 95 |
| 3 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | 94 |
| 4 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 92 |
| 5 | Blue Prince | 92 |
| 6 | Split Fiction | 91 |
| 7 | Donkey Kong Bananza | 91 |
| 8 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | 90 |
| 9 | Rhythm Doctor | 89 |
| 10 | despelote | 89 |
This is the chart’s displayed top ten, including its platform editions. The numbers are critic-review aggregates, not player ratings, sales figures, or a measure of how well a game will fit an individual player. Equal displayed scores are ties in score: Tears of the Kingdom and Hades II both show 95, as do Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince at 92.
Why some 2025 games are missing
“Missing” depends on the list’s eligibility rules. Metacritic’s broad chart includes the Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, even though the original games predate 2025. A list restricted to games newly released in 2025 can exclude those editions by design, leaving room for other eligible releases.
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For example, Insider Gaming’s December 31, 2025 year-end list says it uses Metascore, requires a 2025 release with more than 25 critic reviews, and excludes ports. Its list includes Monster Hunter Wilds and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Those titles are therefore omissions relative to Metacritic’s live chart selection, not evidence that Metacritic overlooked them: the two lists apply different scope and eligibility rules.
Rules that can change a top ten
- Original release or edition date: A list may require a game to debut in 2025, or count a later platform edition as a 2025 entry.
- Ports and re-releases: Some rankings exclude ports; Metacritic’s displayed chart includes the two Zelda Switch 2 editions.
- Review threshold: Insider Gaming required more than 25 critic reviews. That is its stated rule, not a universal Metacritic requirement.
- Platform scope: An all-platform chart can include editions not eligible for a list focused on new releases or a narrower platform set.
- Expansions: Whether an expansion is counted separately can affect eligibility; the available secondary overview describes this as a general Metacritic practice, not a verified official policy for this chart.
- Score versus placement: Matching displayed Metascores remain ties in score. In April 2025, GamesRadar reported that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 appeared above Blue Prince despite both showing 92, attributing that ordering at the time to the former having more reviews. That dated explanation does not establish a current tie-breaking rule.
How to read “best” in a Metacritic ranking
Metascore summarizes professional critics’ reviews; it is one way to compare reception, not a universal verdict on quality. A high aggregate does not tell you whether a game suits your preferred genre, play style, or platform. And because the all-platform chart can count editions of older games, it should not be treated as a clean ranking of games first released in 2025.
For a release-only comparison, use a list that explicitly states its cutoff, port policy, review minimum, platform scope, and treatment of expansions. The Insider Gaming list provides one such method; it is not directly interchangeable with Metacritic’s live chart.
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