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As autumn bleeds into longer nights and wintry crispness, around this time of the year I begin to wonder where the preceding months have gone. The passage of time has evaporated 2025 with its usual efficiency, but this year I have something to blame for how willingly I've allowed it to carry me along: a torrent of brilliant RPGs.
The genre has enjoyed a pinnacle year. It feels like every developer in the scene is pushing in different directions, asking what it means to create the 'perfect RPG' even if their vision looks nothing alike to their contemporaries. As we look toward imminent Game of the Year discussions, we're sure to hear what that phrase means to different people. It's something I've certainly been thinking about a lot this year – but if 2025 has proven anything, it's that there isn't one straightforward answer.
One for all
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On February 4, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launched. Two weeks later, it was followed by Avowed. Besides launching in the same month, the two games have little in common. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 harkens back to an older school of RPG design, with insular – and often quite tricky – systems, forcing you to approach it on its own terms. Alternately, playing Avowed is like slipping into a warm bath, with a tighter scope and sleekness that meant even the most time-strapped or casual player could jump in.
Article continues belowPersonally, I preferred Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. That speaks purely to what I look for in an RPG – that is, something that truly lets me immerse myself in the role-playing side. For balance, I'd recommend reading my colleague Jordan Gerblick's thoughts on how Avowed nails its "lean and purposeful" approach. But the point is that both Obsidian and Warhorse, despite making games of the same genre on paper, were chasing entirely different crowds.
Fast-forward to the present day, and Obsidian has just released another RPG – The Outer Worlds 2. Unlike Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2 swims in some of the same circles as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. There's far more systemic texture – you will fall short of as many skill checks as you'll pass, while flaws are double-edged swords that flesh out your character with a boon and a drawback if you accept them. It's a dramatically different philosophy to Avowed, which suggests that even Obsidian is aware that there are two types of RPG player worth chasing.
Interestingly, Obsidian credits Baldur's Gate 3 with emboldening the studio for The Outer Worlds 2. "It gives us heart that people really actually want these kinds of games – we're on the right track,and it's good to bring that kind of stuff to the forefront again," game director Brandon Adler told me at Gamescom this summer.
While I'd argue that this audience has always been bubbling beneath the surface, with the likes of Warhorse, Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian, and Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader studio Owlcat all finding success with less mainstream-leaning offerings, I would agree that Baldur's Gate 3 certainly brought the deeper side of the genre to the mainstream for the first time in many years. Perhaps Baldur's Gate 3 rang the dinner bell – alerting publishers and studios of an entire subset of RPG sicko waiting to be fed.
While some developers have consciously taken the genre closer to its roots, with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's senior game designer going as far as saying "instant gratification in gaming has become a problem," other games have risked innovating into the unknown. As a small example, look to the way Avowed tackled everyone's favorite mechanic – overencumberance – by letting players stash loot remotely. Is it immersive? No. But does a single person in the world enjoy being overencumbered? Also no. Even The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, despite being an incredibly safe revisiting to one of the all-time best RPGs, introduced the ability to sprint whilst also simplifying Bethesda's admittedly bizarre levelling system.
But the greatest swing of 2025 goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's hard to pin down where to start here: the fresh story and setting? The parry mechanics in a turn-based party RPG? The greater emphasis (and, presumably, budget) on performances and cutscenes? The team at Sandfall Interactive had very little to base its direction off – though perhaps Paper Mario walked so Expedition 33 could run – but still took those swings, betting on a hybrid audience that nobody knew existed.
I used to think that RPGs moved only forward, with each big hit bringing a new dish to the smorgasbord. Now, though, the genre feels more eclectic than ever – but what's truly surprising is that there seems to be a seat for everyone at the table. The streamlined thrills of Avowed can sit alongside Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and that's OK. Final Fantasy Tactics can be revived in the same year Expedition 33 shakes up its foundations. Oblivion can be released with minimal change and still sell millions. Ghost of Yotei shows the future of reactivity and naturalized mechanics in a big-budget setting.
Where will RPGs go from here? I don't know – but I'd be willing to bet that when future GOTY-nominated RPGs cite their influences, we'll hear a few names from this year. But that's thinking far, far ahead: for now, let's try and settle for determining 2025's GOTY without descending into civil war. We can manage that – right?
