Top games of 2025

Here are the standout top games of 2025—a perfect mix of blockbuster sequels, fresh new IPs, and genre-defining masterpieces:

---

🎯 Most Hyped Blockbusters

Grand Theft Auto VI

Rockstar’s next open-world juggernaut, set in a reimagined Vice City with dual protagonists, advanced AI, and massive map—potentially releasing late 2025  .

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

A stealth-packed leap into feudal Japan, released Feb 14, 2025 on PS5, Xbox, and PC—switch playable between shinobi and samurai protagonists  .

Doom: The Dark Ages

A medieval-era prequel to Doom Eternal, released May 15, 2025, featuring melee combat, vehicle sections (including dragons!), and praised by critics  .

Monster Hunter Wilds

Released Feb 28, 2025; Capcom’s expansive new entry offers seamless world, mounts, dynamic ecosystems, and deep multiplayer  .

---

🆕 Fresh AAA & RPG Sequels

Civilization VII

Dropping Feb 11, 2025 on PC, consoles, and Switch; introduces flexible leader-civilization combos, “age” system, and more visuals  .

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

A realistic medieval RPG sequel launching Feb 4, 2025, with larger world, deeper story, and enhanced historical immersion  .

Avowed

Obsidian’s first-person RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity world, arriving Feb 18, 2025 on Xbox and PC; promises deep narrative and tactical gameplay  .

Borderlands 4

The next chaotic looter-shooter from Gearbox, launching Sept 12, 2025 on PS5, Xbox, PC (Switch 2 release TBD)  .

---

🕹️ Unique & Critically Acclaimed Hits

Split Fiction

From Hazelight (creators of It Takes Two), this cooperative action-adventure with sci-fi/fantasy split worlds launched Mar 6, 2025 (Switch 2 on Jun 5); scored ~98% on Metacritic  .

---

🎮 Most Anticipated Indies & New IPs

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – Kojima’s PS5-exclusive, already touring globally since June; critically acclaimed  .

Elden Ring: Nightreign – Co-op RPG expanding the Elden Ring universe; high expectations  .

Ghost of Yōtei – Emotional, cinematic samurai sequel set in Hokkaido for PS5  .

Hollow Knight: Silksong – Beloved Metroidvania sequel releasing by end of 2025 on all major platforms  .

Black Myth: Wukong – Chinese myth-based action‑RPG by Game Science, available since early 2025 on PS5 and Xbox  .

---

📋 Quick Comparison Table

Title Genre Release Noteworthy Feature

GTA VI Open-world Late 2025? Massive map, dual protagonists, AI

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Stealth/RPG Feb 14, 2025 Feudal Japan, dual-play

Doom: The Dark Ages FPS May 15, 2025 Medieval demons, vehicles, melee

Monster Hunter Wilds Action-RPG Feb 28, 2025 Seamless world, mounts

Civilization VII 4X Strategy Feb 11, 2025 Flexible leaders, new age mechanics

Kingdom Come II Historical RPG Feb 4, 2025 Realistic medieval Europe

Avowed First-person RPG Feb 18, 2025 Obsidian world and narrative focus

Borderlands 4 Looter-shooter Sept 12, 2025 Humorous combat, Vault hunting

Split Fiction Co-op Adventure March/June 2025 Genre-blending, high critical acclaim

Death Stranding 2 Narrative/Adventure 2025 (PS5) Kojima storytelling

Elden Ring: Nightreign Action RPG 2025 Co-op Elden Ring expansion

Ghost of Yōtei Action Adventure 2025 Story-driven samurai sequel

Silksong Metroidvania by end of 2025 Critically anticipated indie sequel

Black Myth: Wukong Mythological Action RPG Early 2025 Hard-hitting Souls-like combat

---

🏆 Editors’ Picks for Game of the Year

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, To a T, and Monster Train 2 are among standout indie hits gaining awards buzz .

---

🔎 Summing Up

2025 delivers an impressive lineup:

Trophy titles like GTA VI, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Doom, and Monster Hunter dominate hype charts.

RPG lovers get a treat with Civilization VII, Kingdom Come II, Avowed.

Critically praised co-op gem Split Fiction and standout indies round out the year.

Whether you're gearing up for high-budget AAA epics or diving into imaginative new worlds, 2025 is a historic year for gaming.

🎮 Top Copyright-Free Games You Can Share & Play in 2025

If you're a gamer, blogger, or educator looking for free and legal games to share, this list of copyright-free and open-source games in 2025 is for you. These games are either in the public domain, released under free licenses (like GPL, MIT, or CC), or built entirely by passionate communities who want their work to be shared.

---

🕹️ 1. The Powder Toy

Genre: Physics sandbox

License: GPL‑3 (Free & Open Source)

Why it's great: Simulate everything from nuclear reactions to pressure systems. Great for creative minds and STEM learning.

Link: thepowdertoy.co.uk

---

🚀 2. Pioneer

Genre: Space exploration / Trade sim

License: GPL + CC-BY-SA

Why it's great: Inspired by Elite, this space game lets you explore galaxies, trade, and fight in an open-world universe.

Link: pioneerspacesim.net

---

🔫 3. Unvanquished

Genre: FPS / RTS hybrid

License: GPL‑v3 for code, CC-BY-SA for content

Why it's great: Combines action-packed shooting with real-time strategy. Team-based gameplay with aliens vs humans.

Link: unvanquished.net

---

🕵️ 4. The Dark Mod

Genre: Stealth / Immersive sim

License: GPL‑v3 + CC licenses

Why it's great: Inspired by Thief, you sneak through Gothic cities and steal while avoiding guards. Constantly updated by the community.

Link: thedarkmod.com

---

🧱 5. Minetest

Genre: Open-world sandbox (like Minecraft)

License: LGPL for engine, CC for assets

Why it's great: Fully moddable and free forever. Supports custom maps, mods, multiplayer, and more.

Link: minetest.net

---

🏎️ 6. Speed Dreams

Genre: Racing simulator

License: GPL‑2+ and Free Art License

Why it's great: Realistic driving physics, AI opponents, and open modding. Based on the classic TORCS sim.

Link: speed-dreams.org

---

🎵 7. Friday Night Funkin’ (Open Source Version)

Genre: Rhythm / Music game

License: MIT for code; Creative Commons for some assets

Why it's great: Viral hit with modding support. The open-source version allows you to build your own songs and share freely.

Link: github.com/ninjamuffin99/funkin

---

💾 Bonus: Public Domain Classics

You can share or even host these 100% copyright-free classics:

Colossal Cave Adventure – The original text-based game

Zork I – An early IF game now under friendly licensing

Spacewar! – One of the first digital arcade shooters

---

✅ Why Use Copyright-Free Games on Your Blog?

✔️ No takedown worries

✔️ Free to embed or modify

✔️ Perfect for educators, indie developers, or retro game lovers

✔️ Great for game reviews, tutorials, or even game development demos

---

✍️ Tip for Bloggers

When using these games:

Credit original developers (even when not required).

Link to the official sites or GitHub repos.

Highlight the license (e.g., GPL, CC-BY-SA) for clarity.