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Our favorite video games of 2025 so far: Clair Obscur, Blue Prince, and more
Our favorite video games of 2025 so far: Clair Obscur, Blue Prince, and more

Digital Trends

time30-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Digital Trends

Our favorite video games of 2025 so far: Clair Obscur, Blue Prince, and more

June is coming to a close which means that we're officially halfway through 2025. Where did all that time go? Outside of all the hours lost to anxiety spirals as the world deteriorates, much of the past six months has gone to video games. We've killed demons as a medieval Doom Slayer, walked around Japan in an iconic samurai's shoes, and lost countless lives to Nightlords. That has left us with a long list of memorable games that are already on our year-end shortlist. While the back half of 2025 still has plenty of big releases in store (Ghost of Yotei, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and The Outer Worlds 2 just to name a few), these 10 games we've picked out the 10 games that have stuck with us most so far this year. Some will come as no surprise, but we're sure that a few may catch you off guard. That fact speaks to how wide and diverse world of video games is, where no two game of the year lists will ever look the same. Recommended Videos Blue Prince For most gamers, I imagine that Blue Prince came out of nowhere when it launched in April to critical praise. I wasn't shocked, but that's only because I was fortunate enough to demo it one year earlier at GDC, checking it out on a sheer whim. I knew it would be special from the moment I laid down my first room, getting instantly sucked into the mysterious roguelike manor-builder. That's the kind of game Blue Prince is. It sucks players in instantly with a tactile puzzle hook, but keeps them coming back with layer upon layer of secrets. After 100 hours, I still feel like I've seen next to nothing. That's the way I like it, because it means I'll always have an excuse to jump back in for another run. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 There are few success stories in gaming quite like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Getting a totally original series off the ground is one challenge, but doing it as a brand new studio is a different beast entirely. It's easy to see why the French RPG has broken the mold, though. Emotional storytelling, an active turn-based battle system, and memorable characters make for an inventive exploration of grief that never goes exactly where you're expecting. It can be messy at times, especially its divisive third act, but Sandfall Interactive created a special debut here that deserves the buzz its receiving (even if we could stand to see the breathless hype dialed down just a notch). Avowed Avowed feels destined to become an underrated classic in a few year's time. The RPG was met with some mixed reactions at the time, as players seemed a little disappointed that it wasn't as giant as a new Elder Scrolls game. Accept Avowed for what it actually is, though, and you'll find one of Obsidian's best games to date. Aside from some pleasantly streamlined systems that cut out a lot of unnecessary cruft, Avowed excels at telling a nuanced story about all the ways that a crisis can become politicized. It's a work of art clearly birthed from the Covid-19 pandemic and may just be the best commentary about the pandemic released to date. If you bounced off it initially because it didn't live up to a certain scope, I recommend jumping back in and meeting it where it is instead. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 If you do desire an all-encompassing mega-RPG that gives you the freedom to do anything you want, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will likely be more your speed. The medieval sequel is a staggering accomplishment, with loads of detail put into every interaction. Even something as simple as getting a new sword becomes an involved blacksmithing minigame that you could turn into a whole digital career. With excellent quest design propelling its main story forward, this is the kind of game that you could get lost in for a full year. Even if it's not your bag, it's hard not to respect its commitment. Despelote Only one game released this year has received a rare five star review from Digital Trends. It's not Split Fiction or Monster Hunter Wilds, but rather an Ecuadorian coming of age story that's no longer than two hours. Despelote is a remarkable game that draws a parallel between a child's growth to Ecuador's World Cup run in 2002. That's delivered in an experimental narrative adventure that has players casually exploring a city and eavesdropping on loose conversations while kicking a soccer ball around with friends. Few games capture the memory of childhood quite like this, and even fewer so sharply tie it into the broader culture that shapes those experiences. If nothing else, Despelote will help you understand why soccer is more than a sport for so many people around the world. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach When the first Death Stranding released in 2019, we weren't quite sure what to make of it. We praised its social innovations, but weren't entirely sold on its oddball walking hook. We came around on it just in time for its strong sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. While its not as subversive as you may expect from a Hideo Kojima game, Death Stranding 2 refines just about everything about its predecessor while delivering a meaty story about the long-term danger of mass connection. It's a self-reflexive adventure that tries to weigh its utopic vision of a united world with the knowledge that those with power can manipulate that positivity in the name of expansionism. It's a thought-provoking sequel that begs to be dissected once the end credits roll even more than played. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy No game this year has a pitch quite as eye-popping as The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. The latest game from the creators of Danganronpa and the Zero Escape series created a sprawling visual novel with 100 endings. I'm not talking joke endings either; I really mean 100 full-fledged endings. It's daunting, but Last Defense Academy earns the time it takes to see it through thanks to an engrossing story full of cliffhangers, twists, and some challenging, turn-based tactics in between. It plays out like multiple seasons of a TV show, constantly ratcheting up the tension and revealing more layers to its dystopian universe. You may not have the time to see it all, but I'd at least recommend clearing out enough to see its two mainline endings through. Mario Kart World Nintendo's best Switch 2 exclusives are likely still to come later this year, but Mario Kart World is one heck of a way to kick off a new console's life. The latest installment of Nintendo's storied racing series builds on Mario Kart 8's success with a careful balance of casual chaos and traversal tools that open the door for high-skill play. I've been playing it much more than I expected to after finishing up my initial review, zoning out in its open-world and enjoying some thrilling rounds of Knockout Tour online. It already feels like an essential multiplayer game for a console that will no doubt have its fair share of them in a few years time. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage I imagine that it might be a little surprising to see Lost Records: Bloom and Rage on this list when so many other heavy hitters are absent. Call us a sucker for 90s nostalgia, but Don't Nod's spiritual follow-up to Life is Strange is a tender narrative adventure about the transformative power of punk rock. It follows a group of budding riot grrrls as they come of age during a crucial summer, one that takes a dark twist. While its supernatural twist is its initial draw, Lost Records' true strength lies in its grounded story that explores just how many things shape us into what we are, from tragedy to music. Rematch Unlike just about everything on this list, there's nothing too flashy about Rematch. It's an arcade sports game that boils soccer down to its essence. It has only a few modes, a simple battle pass structure, and no fancy cross-promotions yet. So how in the world has it made our list? Because it just feels flat out fantastic. The act of kicking a ball or blocking a goal has never felt this satisfying. Developer Sloclap really honed in on its fundamentals here to create an elegant multiplayer game that carries the torch for long dormant genre legends like NFL Blitz. Even with some kinks to work out long-term, it's a terrific game that has been eating up just as much of my casual playtime as Mario Kart World. Honorable mentions: The Alters, Battle Train, Bionic Bay, Blade Chimera, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Expelled!, The Midnight Walk, Monster Hunter Wilds, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, Promise Mascot Agency, Rift of the NecroDancer, The Roottrees are Dead, South of Midnight, Squeakross: Home Squeak Home, While Waiting

Mobile Game Monday: DUNGEON CLAWLER
Mobile Game Monday: DUNGEON CLAWLER

Geek Girl Authority

time30-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Geek Girl Authority

Mobile Game Monday: DUNGEON CLAWLER

Greetings, friends, and welcome to Mobile Game Monday, where we chat about games you can play on the go. If you like gaming on a phone or tablet , this is the place for you. Join us every week as we go on all sorts of adventures. Dungeon Clawler Dungeon Clawler (2025) is a roguelike deck builder developed by Stray Fawn Studio and published in collaboration with Playworks. Play as various unfortunate crittplaers who lost their paws gambling with a ruthless shark. Getting your appendage back won't be easy, but it will be fun. Or it might be infuriatingly frustrating, depending on the run. Screenshots courtesy of Cassie Holguin. Claw your way through 20 floors filled with enemies like slimes, angry plants, and even a Cthulhu look-alike. At the tippy top of the tower of doom awaits the shark boss with your lucky paw, claw, or tentacle that he has made into a tacky keychain. RELATED: F2P Friday: Butterfly Soup 2 If you manage to defeat the boss, retrieve your paw and add it to your collection. On more difficult runs, these lucky paws can be equipped to characters for abilities like a magnetic or tentacle claw. Gameplay There are over 10 characters to choose from, and each one offers a unique Dungeon Clawler experience. Once you have selected your rabbit of revenge, you will use a claw machine to grab items used in a turn-based battle. Typically, you get two chances to drop a claw and grab items. Swipe left and right to move the claw, then press the drop button when you've found that sweet spot. Screenshots courtesy of Cassie Holguin. Anything that is successfully collected will be applied during your turn. If you see that the enemy is about to hit you, make sure to grab some shields so as not to lose those precious health points. Alternatively, it is wise to deal damage while the enemy buffs up or tries to heal because they can't hit you if they are dead. RELATED: Starsand Island Is Primed to Redefine Romance in the Life Sim Genre Start with pretty basic items in your machine, like small shields and daggers. Additionally, each character begins with different starting items, and you will collect more powerful gear as you progress through the game. Synergy Is Key The key to success in Dungeon Clawler is creating synergy between items, perks, and abilities. For example, Scrappy always gets a magnet for his second claw. Try to collect magnet-based items or magnet buffs that increase all magnetism by 20 percent. Then let the laws of magnetism and physics do all of the work. Watch all of your best items cling together as you drag and drop a massive haul. Sometimes the fun is simply seeing how many items you can collect in one grab. Screenshots courtesy of Cassie Holguin. Another strategy is to collect water-based items while using Squiddy to best utilize his tentacle claw. This strategy led to me to an easy win, and not to mention, Squiddy is as cute as can be. Most of the time, your rewards are random, so luck plays a part in your strategy. You may have to pivot if Lady Luck doesn't give you the items you were hoping for. RELATED: July's Most Anticipated Video Games No matter which character you run with, quickly find a way to heal yourself because you'll need it. You will also need to find a good balance between attack and defense because both are necessary for survival. Stop at the blacksmith to upgrade your equipment or visit Granny to heal and grab some coins. There are plenty of ways to improve your run as you go. Updates and Extras Although Dungeon Clawler is fairly new, generous updates have already added exciting new content. Last month's Frosty Fortune Update included the new anti-gravity cannon along with three new playable characters, including Baroness von Frost. RELATED: Read all of the Mobile Game Monday adventures here! Change your fate and test your luck at the fortune teller and gambling rooms. Collect icy new items and perks to take down any frosty foe that stands in your way. If you are looking for skins, put away your wallet, join the Dungeon Clawler discord, and check out the #free-skins channel. Our Adventure Ends Here Dungeon Clawler was already on my radar as a new mobile release, but when I saw the rave reviews, I had to give it a try. And I'm so glad that I did because this indie gem will keep me busy all summer. The art style and gameplay remind me of the browser game sites that were really popular in the early 2000s, like Neopets. Screenshot courtesy of Cassie Holguin. There is a balanced blend of strategy and luck that keeps you on your toes. The play style feels a lot like Balatro in that you create a strategy as the game plays out. Apparently, I love these types of games because I can't put either down. RELATED: Mobile Game Monday: Balatro As soon as I realized you could unlock characters by playing the game, I immediately made it my mission to unlock and play as every character. Although the gameplay is a bit redundant, each run is different depending on the character you choose as well as the items and buffs found. Most importantly, all those years of claw machine training are finally paying off. Dungeon Clawler is $4.99 (free with a Play Pass subscription) in the Play Store and the App Store. Take it easy, and play it safe, gamers. Mobile Game Monday: LOST IN PLAY

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