2025 is finally done and dusted. It’s been a big year with a lot of great game releases, despite some incredible turbulence in the industry. As we always like to do at DDNet, we’re taking a look back at the year that was, and some of our highlights. First up is Lindsay, resident FMV game superfan and fan of the cozy, warm, wholesome things in life. Of which there were a lot this year to keep her playing right through!
Overall GOTY — Lost Records
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is Don’t Nod’s latest narrative adventure game. It feels very Life Is Strange, but also stands apart from it thanks to its characters, stories, and supernatural events. Lost Records is a new IP, and Bloom & Rage is the first game in what will hopefully become a series. It follows a teenage girl and her new group of friends during the last (and only) summer they’ll ever spend together. The four girls are very unique, with qualities that made me feel like they were part of me by the time the story ended. As for the supernatural events… well… there’s a really big hole, and that’s all I’m going to say. One of the standout aspects of its game is the soundtrack, which I still listen to on repeat. Nora Kelly Band’s See You in Hell is a banger!
Most played on Xbox — Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
The wait for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time was unbearable. Its predecessor launched for 3DS, for crying out loud! (I’m not counting the smartphone game that never launched outside of Japan.) Not only that, but the wait kept getting longer due to repeated delays. Fans were worried it was a bad omen. I was worried it was a bad omen. Instead, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time sucked up 200+ of my hours as I explored, collected everything, defeated monsters, chopped stuff, cooked stuff, built stuff, sew stuff… You get the idea. The story follows you, the protagonist, as you find yourself flung out of the sky and onto a faraway island. But the one island is only your home base, here in the present. You can also travel back, to Ginormosia (which just received a huge update), or forward, to a time in peril. I’m expecting to sink at least another 25-30 hours into Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time in 2026!
Related reading: Matt’s review of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time for PlayStation 5.
Most played on Nintendo Switch — Hello Kitty Island Adventure
I’m obsessed with Hello Kitty Island Adventure. I’ve played it every single day since its Switch launch in January. I’m all up in the Reddit, a top 1% commenter on the sub. I know the wiki like I know the back of my hand. I can’t even explain the obsession. After creating your own character, they are placed on a plane filled with Hello Kitty and co. But after an emergency evacuation where everyone floated down with balloons, you find yourself at a deserted island/adventure park. Make friends with so many adorable Sanrio characters, laugh at some self-deprecating humour, and bask in the warm glow of HK. The gameplay is pretty standard for a cutesy sim meant to last the test of time: check in often and participate as much as possible to be rewarded with cool, event-specific items.
Related reading: Matt’s review of Hello Kitty Island Adventure for Nintendo Switch.
Favourite game on Xbox — Date Everything!
Date Everything! is just plain weird. In the game, you’re living in a home provided by your employer. After a mysterious pair of sunglasses lands at your door, you’re able to talk to just about everything inanimate in the home: furniture, appliances, electronics, art, etc. Each interaction changes your storyline with the characters, making the game have what feels like near-infinite narrative branches. The game is comedic, clever, and oh-so-punny.
Related reading: My review of Date Everything!
Favourite game on Switch — Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a visual novel that launched early in 2025. As such, I played at a time that I was nauseous and dizzy after playing just about anything. But this visual novel is different. I wrote: “The developers lean heavily into gaming history for Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog. The genre, gameplay, and graphics are all inspired by classic PC-9800 titles. Despite leaning into the retro feel, there are also graphic and text options to update the visuals. I really appreciate these options, as the “original” look of the game caused a headache. This is common when I play games mimicking certain retro looks, so I’m not upset. Instead, I am grateful!” Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog also features complicated relationships due to different personalities being confined together. And everyone has their issues. For example, someone sees rules as rough guidelines and often breaks them, but it is never bad enough to be discharged.
Related reading: My review of Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog.
Favourite FMV game — Hello Stranger
Hello Stranger is one of Paul Raschid’s more recent titles (he has since released The Run). Imagine being locked in your apartment while a hacker plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with you. In real life, that would suck. In game form, it’s a delight! Hello Stranger stars George Blagden as the man who barely leaves his smart home. He does everything from one big room: sleep, run a business, exercise, shop, meet new people… and that’s where the trouble really begins. Despite being set in one room, the game never feels claustrophobic. In normal mode, you play arcade minigames; in cinema mode, you play different minigames.
Related reading: My review of Hello Stranger for PC/Mac.
Favourite cozy game — Wanderstop
Wanderstop is a game about slowing down when life is moving too quickly. The game follows Alta, a fighter with a great history, who runs into the woods seeking her mentor to “fix” it. As we all know, there’s no quick fix. Alta passes out and awakens in a beautiful clearing, at the centre of which is a tea shop. Alta agrees to a brief stay with some light work at the tea shop. She is not happy, though. Her comments are always angry and snarky, to Boro and customers alike. This holds even when you control how she responds to someone — there aren’t even polite options! There are no rules at the tea shop. As Alta, you can take your time with tasks and customer orders. I spend a lot of time out in the clearing, sweeping leaf piles and snipping down weeds. The main gameplay loop includes planting and harvesting fruit, gathering tea leaves, making tea, and serving (or drinking) said tea.
Related reading: My review of Wanderstop for Xbox Series X.
Honourable mention — PowerWash Simulator 2
What can I say? I bleeping love PowerWash Simulator 2. I sunk over 500 hours into the first game, how could I not love the sequel?! The controls are different (better, in my opinion), the menus are different, the locations are different, but the heart of the game is the same washy-washy goodness we all know and love. Also: cats! I completed it quickly, and I’m now waiting for some DLC to be added.
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