“With so much of the industry rallying around Sandfall Interactive’s RPG as one of the defining games of the year, it has become a symbol of what video games can still be.”

2025 was a year for the indies. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold over 5 million units and won nine Game Awards including Game of the Year. Blue Prince became the most talked-about puzzler in recent memory. Nintendo finally released the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4. Meanwhile, the industry was rocked by layoffs and shutdowns—Warner Bros. canceled Wonder Woman, EA canceled Black Panther.