Retro Achievements and GOTY 2025
Retro Achievements
Lately, I've been attempting to earn Retro Achievements for some older games that I either already love or have always wanted to play. "Attempting" is the key word there! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a "pro gamer." I've played video games all my life, and there are some that I naturally excel at more than others, but I tend to take my time with games, and I usually don't go for all the extras unless it's a game I really love.
That said, it's been fun challenging myself in new ways. Here you can find my Retro Achievements profile. My most recently completed badge is Parasite Eve, a childhood favorite that I'd never managed to finish. This time, I not only beat the game but mastered it! I had a blast exploring every nook and cranny of the game and taking time to appreciate every aspect of it. Going for the mastery made me pay attention to details and use the game's mechanics in ways I never had before.
I came to the conclusion that Parasite Eve is one of the best games ever made. It has a unique combat system, beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds, an engaging story based in real-life science, and one of the chillest soundtracks of all time. It's also great for this time of year because it's absolutely a Christmas game!
I first got into Retro Achievements in the summer of 2024, when I decided to master Koudelka. Spending so much time with it cemented it as my favorite game of all time. Retro Achievements can be a great excuse to delve into games that you'd like to know more about, and you may even find a new favorite in the process.
GOTY 2025
The Game Awards are coming up, and I have mixed feelings about the event. I'm excited to see Evanescence perform "Afterlife" from Netflix's Devil May Cry because it's probably my song of the year and I really enjoyed the show. Aside from that, The Geoff Awards tends to be an overblown series of ads. They don't spend enough time honoring the nominees and winners, and a lot of deserving games get passed over, especially indies.
Anyway, I personally played several games that were released this year, and I wanted to highlight them here. I know games like Expedition 33 and Silksong were the heavy hitters, but I won't be talking about them simply because I didn't play them. I'm happy that they've gained attention because they seem like genuinely great games and real labors of love, but I spent the year focusing more on smaller indie releases, bite-sized itch.io games, and retro games. You can find everything I played on my 2025 Games page, with the exception of a few Atari 2600 and arcade games that I'm just playing whenever I feel like it.
I don't plan on playing any more 2025 releases this month -- my backlog is full of retro games -- which is why I'm going ahead and doing this now. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 games of 2025:
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Narrative, Best Soundtrack, Best Platonic Relationship, Best Pixel Art
Favorite Character: Kathy (but Eileen is a close second!)
Favorite Location: Kassidy City Library
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Art Direction, Best Anti-Capitalism Simulator, Best Customization
Favorite Character: Moira
Favorite Location: Café Liberté
Other Awards I'd Give It: Coziest, Most Meta Game, Best Wintry Game, Low-Key Creepiest
Favorite Character: MK
Favorite Location: Snowy Peaks
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Mystery, Best Puzzle Game, Best LGBTQ+ Representation, Best Throwback
Favorite Character: Samantha
Favorite Location: N/A
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Way to Relax, Best Environments, Best Good Boy/Girl
Favorite Character: Dog
Favorite Location: Icewater Sea
Other Awards I'd Give It: Scariest Game (yes, even above Silent Hill f), Best Use of Typing, Best on Replay
Favorite Character: N/A
Favorite Location: The Office
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Management Sim, Funniest Game, Best Timesink
Favorite Character: The goths
Favorite Location: Wailon Lodge
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Short Game, Best Sound Design, Game for Impact, Chillest
Favorite Character: N/A
Favorite Location: Snowy Biome
Other Awards I'd Give It: Best Use of Weather, Best Maps, Best Sequel, Coolest Trinkets
Favorite Character: Barton Potter
Favorite Location: Catacombs
A Note: Okay, so this was a pretty big triple-A release, but it's one of my favorite experiences of the year, and I think it ended up being underrated.
Other Awards I'd Give It: Most PS2 Vibes, Most Addictive Gameplay, Has Gyarados (he deserves an award)
Favorite Character: Corbeau
Favorite Location: The cafés!