A great ongoing game is one that doesn't rest on its laurels, but pumps out generous updates to keep its players happy to come back for more. That doesn't just mean live-service games, though – it also includes Early Access games and titles with extensive post-release support. We've seen quite a lot of games adopt this approach over the last year, which we're all for, but which ones are truly at the top?
GamesRadar+ presents Year in Review: The Best of 2025, our coverage of all the unforgettable games, movies, TV, hardware, and comics released during the last 12 months. Throughout December, we’re looking back at the very best of 2025, so be sure to check in across the month for new lists, interviews, features, and retrospectives as we guide you through the best the past year had to offer.
We put our heads together and figured out which five games from this year best represent this approach to game development. Whether you're interested in playing a battle royale as a character from seemingly every media franchise (no prizes for guessing who we're talking about) or want to trade stocks in 1980s Japan, there's a game on this list that you've got to try. Let's get started!
5. Fortnite
Developer: Epic Games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
As live-service games go, they don't come bigger than Fortnite. A mainstay of gamers everywhere since 2017, what started out as a fairly standard Battle Royale game with additional building features has become a titanic media juggernaut. Lucrative deals with a wide range of different companies have given us a world where Goku and Indiana Jones can do battle, and that's not even the most outlandish fight that you'll see in a single game.
This year saw Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, and Wednesday Addams being added, but the biggest addition is undoubtedly the Simpsons season. Not only have iconic characters been added, but a whole Springfield map, complete with randomly activated events. If you want to see games at their most absurdist, with the biggest crossovers and a pretty generous Battle Pass, you should check out Fortnite if you haven't already.
4. Stonks-9800: Stock Market Simulator
Developer: Ternox
Platform(s): PC
When the wonderfully named Stonks first released as a demo, it was a fun if somewhat barebones game about making numbers go up and chatting with your lovely assistant, Amy. Since then, it's grown into an increasingly ridiculous, wonderful experience with regular and generous updates. This year in particular has seen a ton of generous updates that have significantly fleshed out a number of features.
In addition to trading stocks and short-selling in 1980s Japan, you can now create your character, there are new investment options in commodity trading, the option to buy commercial real estate, a new karaoke minigame, and more things to do with Amy. With every update that comes, I sink another 10 hours into it. It really is a sensational title that is constant dopamine hit after dopamine hit, unless, of course, you get murdered by the Yakuza, as has happened to me a few times.
3. Helldivers 2
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Helldivers 2 was our Game of the Year 2024, and it's still a fantastic game today. The absolutely chaotic nature of the game and the sheer camaraderie that it invokes in its players is still magical. While the biggest change to the game came at the end of last year with the Illuminate, this year has seen waves of additional content that have changed things up significantly – new enemies are just the tip of the iceberg.
We've also seen a crossover with Halo 3: ODST, which feels like seeing McDonald's open up in Moscow circa 1990, as well as new cave systems riddled with Terminids to explore and conquer. It's a whole different game in 2025, and well worth returning to if you've not played in a while.
Learn more in our Helldivers 2 review, which last year called it "a fiercely challenging and visually breathtaking cooperative shooter"
2. Peak
Developer: Team PEAK
Platform(s): PC
I'm a sucker for climbing games. Peaks of Yore was one of my obsessions earlier in the year, while I'm anxiously awaiting next year's Cairn, but this year, there was one clear winner – Peak. Peak is a much more casual game than Peaks of Yore, but don't let that fool you; its mountains will mess you up just as easily. In Peak, you do have help in the form of up to three other climbers and a heap of tools. These range from the standard, like rope and pitons, to the unconventional, like a bugle or a cannon that you can fire yourself out of.
There's a new mountain to climb every day, but that's not why it's in this ongoing games list. It's here because since it was released back in June, we've seen regular updates that have added new biomes and new ways to spend time with your friends. If you just want to hang out with friends, tackle a mountain and fall to your deaths, Peak is the premiere option.
1. No Man's Sky
Developer: Hello Games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
In a world where "enshittification" has become a watchword, the near endless amount of polish that's been added to No Man's Sky since its admittedly disappointing launch is a beautiful thing. We're now nearly 10 years on from its release (terrifying, right?), and 2025 has seen a ton of them. In January, we saw the Worlds Part 2 update, then the addition of discoverable relics, a huge overhaul of settlements, massive starships, and the desolate Breach expedition.
It's wild how the team is still working on it, and there are no signs of the developer stopping. Kudos to Hello Games: long may your work continue, and we're proud to give you the top spot here.
If you're looking for more of our rankings, be sure to check out the best games of 2025.
