The Protagonist

Greetings! The most stressful time of the year has come and gone. I love Christmas, but with each passing year, it just seems to get more stressful than exciting. Anyone else? The many joys of adulthood.

And of course, in between mouthfuls of Christmas roast (and getting roasted by our families), we’re reflecting on the year that’s been and thinking about what’s to come. Stay tuned for my most anticipated games for 2026 (and beyond) soon!

While I can’t provide a Spotify wrapped style gaming recap of 2025, I can say that my year in gaming has been pretty good. By that I mean I’ve enjoyed more games than not.

Here’s a (surprisingly) lengthy post about some of the video games I played in 2025 and my humble thoughts on them:

The ones I lived for

You guessed it: these are the games that exceeded my expectations. The ones I couldn’t stop talking or thinking about. That I fell irresistibly in love with and I would’ve frozen time just to drown in them.

AKA just bloody good games that added some colour to my life.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Okay, if you’ve been reading my previous posts, this one shouldn’t come as a surprise. Loved, loved, loved it. From the challenging gameplay, to the awesome character design and the powerful story-I will be thinking about this game for a long time because it was truly so poignant that I felt my soul cry.

If you’re still not convinced, have a read over the internet about what others are saying about this game. Or read my previous post about the Game Awards. Or, you know, you could always play it.

PEAK

I remember when my partner Kevin first suggested this game to me. Being a casual boulderer myself, I just knew I would feel my fear of heights through the screen. I gave the game a go anyway and boy am I glad I did. No IRL climbing experience or skill needed, but being an enthusiast does add a layer of appreciation to the game.

PEAK is the kind of multiplayer game that will test the strength of your relationships. You’re escaping an island together with your party. You have limited resources and time. Your only means of communication is through proximity chat, so teamwork and effective communication is key. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I won’t lie, I did find this game very stressful at times, but the feeling of reaching the ‘peak’ felt SO satisfying. It’s also a game that felt productive because you feel like you’re learning from your mistakes with each run.

A highlight of PEAK is that the map is regenerated each day-this means that you weren’t stuck on the same map for days or weeks. I also really liked how goofy the character expressions were, it definitely gave the game a lighthearted charm.

Overall, a very clever execution of a fairly basic concept.

Ranch of Rivershine

If you check my Steam Recap above for the year, you’ll see that I have delved into Horse games. Or one, to be exact. And no, it’s not Uma Musume…..

Ranch of Rivershine is a game where you move to a town to be a stable hand for a horse-racing champion, only to find that the champion has quit on the day of your arrival. The town must have a champion. So enter your new life. Did I mention you inherit a farm and can breed horses to your heart’s content?

The game is definitely targeted towards, well probably horse girls *AHEM*. But, I think it’s really cool and I’m so glad it exists for those of us who never thought it’d happen.

Kevin’s heard time and time again about how I want a horse IRL. So, he did one better and got me Ranch of Rivershine so I can live out this “fleeting” fantasy of mine.

I am very impressed with the meticulous details in this game in relation to horses and caring for them. Though I have never owned a horse, it serves as a good reminder of just how much care they need. I have sincerely learnt a lot in my time playing.

Also the horses are just so stinkin’ cute. The villager vibes are immaculate. You can have dogs and other farm animals too. It’s a game that was created out of love for the niche, and I love supporting games like that.

I haven’t finished the story yet, but I’ve been taking my time because it’s such a chill game. I won’t let the town down!

Unicorn Overlord

I started this game in 2024 and finally got around to finishing it early this year. I provided a more detailed breakdown of key aspects of the game in this post here.

Unicorn Overlord is a fantastic tactical RPG game. I loved every minute of the game, as tough as some of the battles were. It definitely filled the Fire Emblem void for a while (although, that itch is here again). I particularly enjoyed the combat system and clean UI.

I can’t recommend it enough to fans of tactical RPGs.

Split Fiction

Kevin and I started this game fairly late in the year- we picked it up after we returned from our trip to Japan this month. And then we proceeded to eat this game up, finishing it in less than a fortnight.

It’s a fairly short two-player platforming game with extremely creative levels. Fans of It Takes Two will enjoy it. The main story takes about 10-15 hours. I personally rated the story, although many have critiqued it.

The game also excels at presenting two very different but relatable characters that feel real (I’m basically Zoe!).

Afterlove EP

I bought this from a Nintendo eShop sale because the trailer looked interesting. Although I haven’t played many visual novel games, this one caught my eye because of the themes and art style.

I was hooked from the beginning. Afterlove EP is about a young adult who is trying to heal from the most traumatic event in his life. You play about a month and try to mend past relationships, forge new friendships and create meaningful music in your band. You also make choices about going to therapy and craft the ending you want.

I’d say the game best suits players in their 20s, although some of the themes they explored in this game struck a chord with me. For example, the feeling of being in limbo or the lowest point in your life, relationship struggles or grieving a loss hit deep.

Afterlove EP is extremely wholesome, perhaps the most wholesome game on the list (and there’s a few of them). It’s well written, tender and created with love. Plus, the music rocks.

Terra Nil

I first came across this game at the Game Worlds Exhibition. Terra Nil was presented as a strategy game about reversing the impact of environmental damage on the ecosystem. It caught my eye at the time and added it to my Steam wishlist.

I couldn’t get enough of Terra Nil. Not only is the game educational, the developer themselves are big into saving the environment, with some of the proceeds of this game going towards the cause. What a neat initiative.

I loved the gameplay and all the different concepts it taught. Unlike other games where you’re building a human civilisation from barren land, there are no humans here. As you restore each wasteland by creating an optimal environment for flora and fauna to thrive, you also have to leave the ecosystem without a trace that you were even there. This means cleaning up after yourself and recycling your equipment before leaving.

One minute you’re restoring the ocean with coral reef. The next you’re building a winter wonderland for polar bears and penguins. Or manipulating lava to create an inhabitable world.

I have nothing bad to say about this game and I love spreading word about it.

Tiny Bookshop

I was looking for a new cosy game on the Switch as you do and stumbled upon this one. It was love at first sight with Tiny Bookshop. As an avid reader who has many times dreamt of a slow life owning a bookstore, this game was yet another on the list that let me live out another fantasy.

It has everything a cosy book game should have- vibrant characters, whimsical vibes, meaningful conversations. As a bookworm, we often find it hard to discuss books with others in a satisfying way. This game absolutely nails this aspect through book recommendations to customers. A customer comes to you with a criteria for the kind of book they want to read and it’s up to you to pick one that fits the bill. Finally, I can get paid for yapping about books!

I also enjoyed decorating my bookshop and I get so excited when I see a book title I recognise IRL. Don’t mind if I recommend The Hunger Games to a dystopian, YA loving kid.

I’m sure it was intended, but every time I play this game, it makes me want to read more. It may also make me feel like I can upend my life and just open a bookshop. Also probably intended.

The ordinary ones

Maybe not surprisingly, the games in this category were the online, ranked games. That’s probably not a bad thing- they are in this section because they aren’t new to me and I knew what to expect with them. I suppose I was hoping deep down for new mechanics or characters that would shake things up and wow me.

In both of these games, I took a break and came back to much of the same. My play sessions in these games felt very uneventful for the most part.

Nothing to do with my actual struggles in the ranked grind of course.

For my mental health, it was probably better that I spent less time in these games this year.

Marvel Rivals

I played Marvel Rivals pretty regularly for the first half of the year. However, my motivation soon dropped because competitive wasn’t fun anymore (was it ever, IDK). I tried to just play quick play, but it wasn’t as satisfying. It was also hard to keep up with learning the new heroes when they were always reserved as soon as they came out.

I don’t know if I’ll come back to Marvel Rivals as most people I played with have also dropped the game. Maybe a cheeky quick play every now and then. It was good while it lasted, I guess!

Teamfight Tactics

2025 was the year I played the least TFT. Ever since I started the game a few years ago, it was my default and I would play it almost daily. I was on and off this year with it for many reasons. One of those reasons was recovering from burnout, which I mentioned in this post.

I’ve recently returned to the new set earlier this month. I was worried I forgot how to play the game but it all came back to me pretty quickly. Although I enjoyed the first few weeks of the new set, it became pretty stale to me fast. That doesn’t normally happen for this game for me. Even as I write this, I’ve had no real urge to jump on at all.

TFT was my norm for years, and I think the norm will continue to shift into 2026. I found myself playing and finishing more games this year than normal, including a quick growing love for indie titles. I think it could be the time for TFT (and competitive games) to be benched as they no longer seem to fulfil a need I once had.

Unless…Highguard???

The ones I wanted so badly to love

Fortunately, there are only a couple of games in this category.

Unfortunately, they are big titles that I thought I would love based on my past experiences. I wanted to love these games so desperately but I can’t deny how they fell below my expectations. And it hurt.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

This is a game I’ve written a mid-game review and a full game review on. It was one of my most anticipated games of the year, as every Pokemon game is. I bought the DLC recently and within a couple of days I dropped it. I will play it again at some point because I spent good money on it, but I’m not in a rush.

The game, although better than the last few Pokemon games, is still not up to the standard of Pokemon fans. It really does hurt me to say that as a lifelong fan but I now know to separate liking a franchise out of nostalgia and liking a game because, it’s in fact, a good game. I am still dreaming of the day where Pokemon games are good again.

I wanted to like the DLC (probably even more than the base game). There is a lot of new content in it which is obviously ideal. But, I am still salty about how they should’ve just added it to the base game to begin with. The DLC dropped earlier than anticipated, probably because it was ready to go since the launch of the base game.

Apart from the reason above, I don’t find the DLC very enjoyable. I like that there are more Pokemon to catch but I have issues with the execution of the ‘wormholes’. The donuts are cute but unnecessary and annoying as they dictate the time you can spend in the alternate dimensions. You’re often in the dimension for a few minutes at most. So once more, I find myself stressed about being timed. I don’t enjoy running around like a headless chicken trying to speed run areas to complete missions that I don’t care about. And then rinse and repeating it forever.

Sea of Stars

I was extremely excited to play this game when I heard about it. Sea of Stars is a love letter to old school turn-based RPGs. I was drawn to everything about it, being one of my favourite genres. It received high praise from basically everyone.

What made it a little different from other RPGs is that it was multiplayer. Sea of Stars has a drop-in local co op mode, where it can support three players. And, to the developer’s credit, it’s supported really well. I played it with Kevin because we were looking for a co op game to play and we both enjoyed games like this.

Sea of Stars at first glance seemed like an endearing game. With the pleasant visuals, fun soundtrack and fantasy world-building, I can see why it got good reviews on these elements. However, what was a fun game soon turned out to feel like a slog to get through. We really had to force ourselves to finish this game. It was a LONG 40 hours. And when we finally finished it, the game crashed at the very end!

The characters were lacking in personality and depth. There was one character in particular that we both disliked a lot. After the novelty wore off, the combat system was also boring- once again, lacking depth and repetitive. Even when new moves were unlocked, they didn’t add much to the enjoyment factor.

Sea of Stars is a good game for casual or beginner RPG players but not for RPG ‘veterans’. It also could’ve fared better as a short but sweet game from a storytelling point of view.

Wrapping up 2025 and a big thank you

I started The Protagonist in 2025, so this year was big for me. As we head into the next year, I wanted to say a thank you to everyone who has stopped by the blog and supported it in any way, big or small.

I’ve enjoyed posting here wholeheartedly and look forward to seeing you all on the other side soon.

Look after yourself,

Elena