It's been a difficult year for the people who create video games, with layoffs persisting while the tech industry tries to force us to use artificial intelligence for everything. But great games emerged nonetheless — and I can't imagine AI ever being able to deliver the kind of thrilling, rewarding adventures we've seen in 2025.
The biggest story this year was the release of Nintendo's new console, the Switch 2. It's a terrific piece of hardware, but it doesn't yet have the killer app that makes it essential.
