Jordan Hass Top 10 Games of 2025
Jordan Hass is a comedy writer, game show podcaster and voice actor, he is never invited to any reindeer games.
So 2025....
I think for most people it felt like a whole decade. For me it's a continuation of everything that started in 2020, where everything just feels like I'm frozen in a block of ice, defrosted and have to play catch up, and then like a Time Loop straight out of Outer Wilds, I'm back in the chaos and frozen again. Did you know they finished Squid Game this year? AND rebooted King of the Hill? I am just now getting around to Labubus and saying "6-7" and being the coolest kid on campus, even though I'm pretty sure I'm just telling you how I feel on a scale of 1-10.
I don't know if YouTube embed is on "The New Giant Bomb", but I'm giving it a try anyway. As always, my game of the year would be Fortnite for is collab with The Simpsons that felt like a revised version of "Hit & Run" in the absolute enjoyable time. However, it crashed and burned right at the finish line with a Harry Potter Holiday and a Kim Kardashian collaboration, which feels off-course to SpongeBob SquarePants, KPop Demon Hunters and Bleach in the store in recent months.
Another thing I want to shout out is Game.City
A company from the UK that takes some party games and game shows and gives them a "Jackbox Style" revision where all you need is your phone to play. While I'm obviously going to tell you Deal or No Deal, Pointless, 1% Club and Million Dollar Money Drop are fun, I can't put them on this list, because they are all individual games for purchase, and not in a group pack like Jackbox. I'm also hesitant with some AI driven things in their games, that has slopped up all sorts of games this year. But that being said, here's my list.
10 - Pokemon Friends
Pokemon ZA wasn't the only Pokemon game that came out this year. In Pokemon Friends, you play 3 different puzzle games, mostly logic, to build enough yarn to build a plush toy to give to friends on the island that in turn will unlock more plush toys, more stamps, more puzzles and more.
I like it because it's a mobile game, but it only needs a few minutes of your time, and while there are dozens of "daily puzzle games" on the market, one that has Pokemon theming that isn't just a booster pack simulator, is just brilliant. My favorite is the one where you okay Klefki and you have to open up doors.
9 - Blue Prince
At face value, it's a really good puzzle game. Get from point a to point b in this maze of home design to "beat the game". However, if you're an absolute sicko, you can start taking down notes and going further into the estate and into the game and get a Myst-level amount of notes and hints and clues that you could very well feel like the zodiac killer when you're done. I built my underground at the immediate entrance (top right) and apparently that's the worst spot in the game so most of my runs were done early. I'm not going to delete my save and start over.
8 - Baby Steps
Baby Steps is a game about life and the baby steps we take in place to mature and grow as adults. It's also a comedy game where a horse pisses with his dick out for a good five minutes. Most of the dialogue in the game has that "improv style" adult swim comedy that you could feel parallels Smiling Friends or Home Movies. It also has a ton of slapstick comedy when it comes to the falling in the hill. While I'm growing a bit tired of this style of gameplay (and I'm blaming you Foddy!) it's the kind of thing you know is meant for a streamer to get angry on camera for laughs, or like "Peak" that role playing aspect where somebody goes "noooooooooo!" and it gets clipped and put on Instagram.
7 - Powerwash Simulator 2
Speaking of urination, this game makes me want to pee all the time. But also it's still a very cozy game. Usually, sequels are when "it improves on the formula" but I will argue this one is one step forward with co-op, but one step backward with a ton of licensed stuff to clean. I think a problem is, I see this game as a "background noise" game where I play it mostly while listening to podcasts, and want to relax a bit and get into the oddly satisfying. And having the game lean into the goofy, is almost more of an insult to the end user.
That being said, I'm still enjoying cleaning cars and houses and the sound effects are still beautiful and it does calm me down after a rough day. I'm still not going to clean up my room or vacuum though.
6 - Date Everything
Every voice actor is pretty much in this game. Ben Starr plays Dorian, the door. Adam MacArthur from Jujutsu Kaisen plays Cam, the Trash Can, and Erika Ishii from a GOTY nominee plays the night stand toys.... And that's just off the top of my head!
This game has a profit share with voice actors and good will with the artists and developers of the game that is, what some might argue "morally good", and while it's quick to point this as "lol dating sim parody" and point to Hatoful Boyfriend, I Love You Colonel Sanders, or Dream Daddy, it also is a story of isolation, of automation, and capitalism being bad.
It also lets you date a toilet. And some of you would like that, wouldn't you?
5 - Jackbox Party Pack 11
(I think I'm only allowed 10 photos and I made one of them my profile pic, so hey, look, a trailer for Jackbox Party Pack 11.
EDIT: this was originally written for giant bomb which has a 10 image limit in articles, whoopsie
Anyway, another year another Jackbox! Another five games to play with friends on Steam (or most likely a group chat on Discord) and as is tradition, a mini ranking of all the party pack games in Party Pack 11.
5) Doominate
Remember that joke from that one Simpsons Treehouse of Horror that translates to "that's good", "that's bad", "that's good". That's essentially the game. I like to think of the genre as "Quiplash light", because it is like a Joke Boat or Job Job where you are trying to have fun with somebody else's thing. But I kind of see it as a "lesser survive the Internet"
4) Suspectives
Somebody did a crime and the clues are all based on surveys they answered. While there is meant to be this interrogation section with friends, you either have friends who don't take it seriously and improv comedy their way, or somebody who is WAY into this game that it's just not fun. If you have a low number or know your friends especially well, it's not that fun.
3) Legends of Trivia
Jackbox tried to do a JRPG, but with trivia as the way to build mana, every person has a character sheet and a special trait, much like Monster Seeking Monster, so if you have a trivia group, it might be fun to play on the next game night
2) Hear Say
At this point, this is when the game shines.Hear Say is such a funny game when it comes to making sound effects in your phone (that is, if you have a microphone) and overlay it over fun footage. Almost a "earwax 2.0" and the most rewarding game in the pack.
1) Cookie Haus
This is such a clever game, take a bizarre shape, full it with stuff, and make it fit the theme/prompt. While my immediate frame of reference was the reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with the new uses for Fudgie the Whale ("Everybody Loves Bag of Money") it is such an enjoyable game, akin to Tee K.O.
4 - Lego Party
The Best Mario Party ever developed. Turn Order determines play order, bits are coins to buy a gold brick as a star, most bricks wins. In true Lego style, you can build upon the board with new twists and turns to keep the game fresh. It's not "random" as the dice block is an actual press your luck skill base, and the commentary, while a bit repetitive at times, is very seamless with what is presently going on in the screen.
I hope they are working on dlc with more games and levels, or getting ready for a LEGO Party 2!
3 - Kirby Air Riders
Late addition to the list, but I got a Switch 2 earlier today, and just got Kirby Air Riders and while I'm sure other lists will put Mario Kart World or Sonic Elseworlds or whatever it was called, I have a well known Kirby Bias, ESPECIALLY if it's a game that has fan favorite characters like Marx, Magolor and Gooey. YES, GOOBERT!
it will take getting used to with the control, but it's game feels like the party game racer you've wanted all these years, plus it has a great soundtrack and different modes to play.
2 - Dispatch
I Love LA! And Dispatch takes place in a Los Angeles with superheroes. I feel safer already! Dispatch also comes from the Critical Role people, which is very surprising because I don't see a 20 sided dice anywhere in this release.
It's a very funny game, that has essentially two different games going on at the same time - one is a management simulation with problems and the best people to solve them, like a 911 unit.
The other, serves almost like a Telltale game, where cutscenes happen and you have important choices and they matter in the game, and animated cutscenes will show you those consequences.
What I loved most about this game was it was a return of the "interactive entertainment" narrative of gaming, and it felt like each episode was something straight out of Prime Video or Netflix, like Invincible or Bojack Horseman.
It was such a hilarious game to play, but I also spoiled myself on seeing other players playthroughs of the game and seeing other choices.
I feel it's a great game for somebody tired of superhero things, but also want something that pokes fun at it as well.
1 - Hades II
I'll be honest, I have more of a crush on Zag from Hades 1 and the chaotic bisexual energy he brought. But Hades 2 is just "more of the same" amazing battles and fights, choices of weaponry, that procedurally generated level design and absolutely beautiful soundtrack and voice acting.
While I have not completed this game and I'm told that makes me "not a real gamer" (or shouldn't put this on my list) going through this game with a Stream Deck was my favorite experience of the year, I always love a game that makes me go "just one more round" (Ball x Pit kind of did, but Hades had more choices).
I also would say the same for Tony Hawk 3 + 4, but honestly going into the time limit for 4 was awkward, and my only exciting moment was skating on a Taco Bell Cantina and hearing the bong.
So if push comes to shove, I'll pick the buff lady with sword instead, especially with these moments of peace among panic.
I honestly don't think they could do a Hades 3, but I'm sure they'll try. BUT THERE SHOULD BE MORE SMOOCHING.
anyway.... before I sign off, to be frozen in time another year. I want to celebrate Giant Bomb for being independent and little by little bringing back the joy of video games to people all over the world.
I will probably go back to watching "What's in the Box" with Neil Patrick Harris on Netflix (turns out it's Bitcoin) or "Beast Games Season 2" as a chocolate bar salesmen gives away $5,000,000 to embarrass all of national television giving away like, $10,000.
And of course whatever new game shows are down the line, The Traitors? Destination X? Deal or No Deal Island Sans Island? I can't wait!
I miss you all,
and I hope to see you in 2026, thank you for all the warm messages and kind words.
