The team continues to track the most interesting gaming projects of the near future and share their expectations. For 2025, there seems to be a greater demand for brighter, more fun, and cosier games.
Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap
The iconic tower defence game returns with bigger maps, new characters, more sophisticated traps, and a co-op mode for four players. The game also introduces new abilities and an upgraded progression system, making combat more engaging. Expect a more active role in battle rather than just relying on traps.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
This sequel to the medieval role-playing game offers a mix of realistic combat, open-world exploration, and an immersive storyline. It features various combat scenarios, including sieges, squad battles, tournaments, and one-on-one duels. The dialogue system remains deep and well-developed, and the world feels detailed and alive. Early impressions suggest it successfully builds on the strengths of its predecessor. The game is set for release in February.
Civilization 7
The next entry in the Civilization series introduces new mechanics, including the ability to change civilisations during different historical eras. Players can now also choose specific rulers for each civilisation. While some of these changes may be controversial, the game aims to provide more flexibility in playstyle. The developers promise further departures from traditional mechanics, but it may be worth waiting for more details before pre-ordering.
Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shire is another cosy game that brings to life the fantasy of a calm, peaceful existence. Players take on the role of a hobbit who has moved to a new village near a large river. The goal is to create the cosiest home possible, cook delicious meals using homegrown ingredients, explore the village, and earn the respect of neighbours. This game offers a small form of escapism, providing a gentle and relaxing experience in contrast to the fast-paced nature of modern life.
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Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall
In 2025, Yes, Your Grace returns, continuing the story of King Erik and his family in the troubled kingdom of Davern. The first game saw players balancing the demands of vassals, managing subjects’ requests, preparing for attacks, and taking care of the royal family. In this sequel, Erik has been wounded by an arrow, and his wife must take on the responsibility of ruling the kingdom.
Player choices as the queen will determine whether Davern and its ruling dynasty survive or fall under the pressure of their enemies. The first game was praised for its compelling story, memorable characters, multiple endings, and beautifully crafted pixel art with an exceptional soundtrack. The sequel builds upon these strengths, with enhanced visuals, a more complex storyline, and expanded mechanics for managing royal family agents, castle upgrades, and regional improvements. The demo has already hinted at the depth of this new chapter, making it an exciting continuation for fans of the original.
Dead Static Drive
This game first caught attention years ago before its developers seemingly vanished. However, they have now reappeared, announcing a planned release in early 2025. As an indie project, it has faced delays, but the premise remains intriguing.
Described as ‘Grand Theft Cthulhu,’ Dead Static Drive blends classic GTA-style gameplay with Lovecraftian horror elements. The game’s trailer showcases a road trip through desolate American highways, abandoned gas stations, and small-town diners—while being pursued by monstrous creatures from beneath the earth. This mix of open-world exploration and cosmic horror creates a unique and potentially gripping experience.
Castle Come
Castle Come likely draws inspiration from the film Mortal Engines, where massive robot cities roam a post-apocalyptic world, consuming the remaining resources. In this game, players are tasked with ‘building up’ their walking castle, equipping it with resources and people, while fighting similar structures. The game stands out with its promised gameplay, unique style, and the intriguing use of bullet time and a pseudo-2.5D effect during castle movement. As a roguelike, it’s expected that the game won’t be completed on the first try, encouraging players to experiment with different combinations of weapons, modules, and crews.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a prime example of the development challenges in the gaming industry, marked by scandals and delays. After much anticipation, the game is set to be released in the first half of 2025. The developers aim to surpass the first installment in terms of plot, combat systems, and atmosphere. The game promises a world that is highly interactive, where characters react not only to your words but also to what you’re wearing. One exciting aspect is that players will take on the role of an Ancient One, experienced in vampire lore but unfamiliar with the modern world—offering countless role-playing opportunities.
Tiny Bookshop
In Tiny Bookshop, the main character leaves city life behind to start a new adventure in a seaside town, where she operates a mobile bookstore. Players must buy and sell old books, decorate the bookstore to attract more customers, and even provide book recommendations. This game is highly anticipated, with its focus on escapism, offering a break from the chaos of survival, war, and empire-building games. For many, the appeal lies in the peaceful, relaxing experience of managing a bookshop by the sea, making it a personal favorite for the upcoming year.
Death Stranding 2
Based on the first installment and the creative vision of its director, Death Stranding 2 is expected to continue the theme of delivery, possibly taking the gameplay in a new direction. The core mechanic may remain: delivering items from point A to point B through a complex landscape while balancing and distributing your load. A key feature of the game is how players can assist each other—such as another player’s highway appearing in your area, where you can help complete it by transporting necessary resources. This is not just a game about walking; it’s about connection and mutual aid.
The afterlife from the first game seems to play a major role in the sequel, with new technological advancements propelling the narrative. A recurring motif, the strings coming from characters, remains mysterious, but we expect an engaging story, rich world-building, and memorable characters. Death Stranding 2 will likely continue its tradition of featuring cinematic performances by big-name stars.
Star Birds
Star Birds is a project developed by Toukana Interactive, creators of the popular puzzle game Dorfromantik, in collaboration with the educational YouTube channel Kurzgesagt. The channel is known for breaking down complex scientific concepts in an accessible way, often featuring humorous cartoon birds. These birds are now at the heart of Star Birds, a puzzle-strategy game where players control them.
The gameplay involves resource extraction from asteroids, manufacturing goods to support your colony, and automating the supply chain. The twist is that players must think in a fully three-dimensional space, as asteroids can rotate in all directions, adding a unique challenge to the strategy.
Fable
The new Fable reboot revives one of the most beloved action RPGs from the creators of the original series. Known for its humor, fairy tale atmosphere, and whimsical storytelling, Fable stands out among other RPGs for its quirky and evolving nature.
The original Fable was groundbreaking, offering unique mechanics where skills and spells changed based on the player’s alignment with Good or Evil. It also featured fun and bold options like fighting in your underpants and gaining more glory for doing so. The game allowed for deep customization, with decisions affecting character appearance, the ability to build relationships, and even get married.
As Fable is a flagship project for Microsoft, the hope is that the new installment will capture the magic of the original while delivering something of exceptionally high quality. Early trailers show promise, with familiar themes, fun character interactions, and even kicking chickens across the horizon.
FBC: Firebreak
FBC: Firebreak is an exciting new addition to the Remedy Connected Universe, which spans Alan Wake to CONTROL and its sequels. Expected to release in 2025, this first-person co-op shooter may win over fans of the genre. While details about the story and gameplay are scarce, the setting is familiar to those who have played previous games. The action takes place in the Federal Bureau of Control, a government organization dealing with paranormal phenomena. Players will take on the roles of volunteers working to survive and prevent an invasion of other dimensions within the bureau’s headquarters.
The story may also reveal more about why the bureau’s head office was shut down for five years, while agents outside struggled with the effects of the Dark Presence and other mysterious supernatural occurrences.
- Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori
- Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori is a unique and calming game set in medieval Mongolia, where players take on the role of a postman delivering parcels across the 13th-century landscape. Unlike many games filled with monsters, disasters, or moral dilemmas, this one focuses purely on the peaceful task of delivering packages while exploring the world on horseback.
- The game promises an open world where players can tame wild horses, raise their own, and develop a camp while taking on tasks from local villagers. However, it won’t be entirely peaceful—players will need to protect their camp from threats and ensure their horses remain safe from diseases and predators. Despite these challenges, the heart of the game is about living the life of a free Mongolian courier in a beautifully crafted world.
Mystiques: Haunted Antiques
In Mystiques: Haunted Antiques, players control Jem, a woman with mystical powers that allow her to communicate with spirits. Alongside her friends Aspen, Winnie, and Barb, she runs an antique shop, but the team lacks the funds to acquire new items. Instead, they scavenge abandoned houses and hotels for valuable artifacts.
While Mystiques is a detective game, it also features customization options for the shop and a wardrobe for the player. This narrative-driven game is designed to immerse players in a unique world where supernatural mysteries are intertwined with everyday life.
Promise Mascot Agency
Promise Mascot Agency is a detective game that combines chaos, celebrity management, and crime-solving. Developed by the creators of the vibrant and confident Paradise Killer, this game lets players take on the role of a former Yakuza legend. The setting is a cursed Japanese town filled with crime and conspiracies. Players are tasked with managing mascots—each one a celebrity ward who causes disasters and struggles with various addictions.
The game promises to feel like a mix of Deadly Premonition and the Yakuza series, offering an open world, original characters, and witty dialogues. The character design is assisted by the legendary Ikumi Nakamura, who has worked on classics like Okami, Bayonetta, and The Evil Within.
Baby Steps
Baby Steps is the latest creation from Bennett Foddy, the mastermind behind the frustrating yet fair games QWOP, GIRP, and Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy. Known for exploring player frustration and difficulty, Foddy’s new game brings a quirky movement mechanic set in a colourful world. The game follows a 35-year-old man in his pyjamas, living with his parents and navigating an uncomfortable journey in a strange world.
Foddy’s humour is as absurd as ever, and with backing from the prominent publisher Devolver, the game is set to be one of the most original experiences of 2025. With a bigger budget, a team, and his unique design sensibilities, Baby Steps promises to be both challenging and entertaining.
To a T
From Keiichi Takahashi, the mind behind Katamari Damacy, comes To a T, a game that focuses more on story. Known for his inventive and quirky arcade games, Takahashi’s new project takes a different approach, featuring a boy named T who has a T-shaped posture. Players will guide T through a series of mini-games and seemingly mundane tasks, with a dog helping along the way. The game mixes motion gags and story elements, making it a quirky yet engaging adventure.