Game of the Year 2025 – Best Role Playing Game

2025 was a year that really showed just how broad and varied the role playing game genre has become. From sweeping historical epics to fantasy worlds, from satirical sci-fi jaunts to anime mascots and beyond, it’s not just the setting that distinguishes the modern RPG, but the gameplay as well. There’s card-based battling, dice rolling decisions, time-based actions and first person shooting.

Let’s be honest, there was only really going to be one winner in this category, the gaming world swept up in the distinctive style and panache, and the underdog story of a small French development studio creating a game that goes toe-to-toe with much larger publishers.

What can be said about Expedition 33 that hasn’t already been said as it sweeps the awards everywhere? It’s beautiful in every way that is applicable – the writing, the music, the world, the voice performances are all remarkable. Even the setup is incredibly endearing – a giant woman, face obscured by a mane of long red hair, called the Paintress erases a number from a monolith, rewriting it as one less, and everyone of that age dies, turned to dust and petals that scatter in the wind. Meanwhile an expedition to defeat her prepares to leave, not the first, but hopefully the last.

Then there’s the monsters, disfigured creations of the Paintress, who apparently has an overactive imagination. They are legion and, more importantly, they’re varied, including everything from giant hulking monstrosities, through balletic floating things, grim soldier looking sword-wielders, and the dreaded mimes. Thankfully you have a turn-based combat system where all your characters play completely differently with one thing in common – they’re incredibly powerful if you engage with their mechanics. That, along with some real time parrying and dodging, makes for combat that is incredibly deep and rewarding.

Mystery leaks out of every pore of Expedition 33, exacerbated by the shattered remains of the world in which it is set, and it keeps you guessing right up until the end. Then it gives you even more to think about. The entire time it’s delivered with emotional performances, incredibly expressive facial expressions, and that sense of humour that the stories that make you emotional the most always maintain, because there are no lows without highs. Clair Obscur is a remarkable game, enough so that it’s difficult to do it justice with just words on a screen.

– Gamoc

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 – Runner-Up

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, in any other year, would have won Best RPG. It’s exactly the kind of thing you expect from the genre – it’s massive, intricately detailed, features an involved and very varied main plot, and is otherwise packed with things to do. It’s more than “just” that though, it’s also set in Medieval Europe, along with an exhaustive amount of real world background information to the setting and to mining, horse riding, anything really. This detailed approach extends throughout the game’s systems as well, from armour that requires underclothes to wear – just like in real life – to an elaborate potion brewing system where you need to actually brew the potion rather than select some options on a menu.

That’s nothing if it isn’t enjoyable, though. Thankfully, KCD2 is as fun as it is serious somehow, what with Henry, the poor protagonist, having to blunder through absurd excuses when he fails speech checks, guards alternately being delighted by, then annoyed by the presence of your dog. On the serious side, it’s a story of knights, lords, and bandits with some real heart to it and a lot of characters you’ll find yourself actually caring about. “Grand in scale whilst being full of fine details” is still the best way to describe it, I think, along with “uncompromising,” which is exactly what you want from what amounts to an immersive sim of Medieval Europe.

– Gamoc

Promise Mascot Agency – Runner Up

Coming right out of left field, Promise Mascot Agency is a simply delightful mixture of a slice of life story, Japanese mascot culture, management and card battling. Taken to the town of Kaso Machi, it’s up to you to rebuild the family mascot agency, starting off with the giant finger mascot, Pinky, and going from there. These aren’t people in costumes, but actual people in their own right, coming with distinctive characters of their own.

It’s an oddball mix, to be sure, but it draws you in with the positive outlook of its story, memorable characters and engaging world to explore.

Honourable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Want to catch up on all the other GOTY 2025 awards? Here’s our full list of gongs, starting with the top prize!

• Game of the Year 2025 – Overall Winner
• Best Remake
• Best Narrative
• Best Visual Design
• Best Original Soundtrack
• Best Video Game Adaptation
• Best Roguelike
• Best Puzzle Game
• Best Independent Game
• Best Multiplayer Game
• Best Virtual Reality Game
• Best Strategy & Simulation Game
• Best Racing Game
• Best Horror Game
• Best Role Playing Game
• Best Shooter
• Best Action Game
• Biggest Disappointments