When people look back on 2025, they’ll likely find a year that will go down as one of the best for games of the last decade or more. From surprising success stories like Peak and Blue Prince to major AAA blockbusters like Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, there was something for everyone this year. But only one game could claim the title of the Insider Gaming community’s 2025 Game of the Year.
After a two-week voting period in the Insider Gaming Discord, the readers voted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the Game of the Year.
Released on April 24, 2025, Clair Obscur’s visuals along with the story centered around mortality resonated with players around the world. The game has received near universal acclaim from many, and even walked away with other Game of the Year awards from various events.
The voice acting is some of the best there’s been in years, and even the music can compete with the likes of major motion pictures and games with near billion-dollar budgets. It’s honestly hard to find much to critic about the game, which is why it one with such a large amount of the votes.
Other Games Received Votes, Too
While other votes for games like Best Multiplayer and Indie Game of the Year were close, Game of the Year was one of the more lopsided. Clair Obscur received 27.8% of the votes while the second-place game, ARC Raiders, earned 14.8%. Rounding out the Top 5 were Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (13.9%), Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (12.2%), and Ghost of Yotei (8.7%).
Other games receiving votes were Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Dying Light: The Beast, Split Fiction, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
What do you think of the Insider Gaming Community voting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as 2025’s Game of the Year? Was there a different game that you think should’ve one? Leave your thoughts down below and join the talk in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more Insider Gaming Community Awards, check out what game the readers voted as the 2025 Indie Game of the Year. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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