Steve's Top Ten games of 2025

By Steve Godfrey

I've been doing one of these top ten lists for the last three years, so hopefully, you know the drill by now. These are my ten favorite games that I played for the first time this year and not necessarily released this year. I’ll leave a link to any review we already have on the site. Keep checking back, though, because I am planning to review a lot of those that haven’t been reviewed in the future.

This was another really hard top ten to put together. I did my usual and used Pub Meeple to hone down my choices, but even then, I wasn’t sure. I was half tempted to put the games into a randomizer and use the list that it spit out. Aside from number 1, I could easily make an argument for any of them being in a different position. But, I made the commitment and ranked them, and I’m happy with where they all are, and I definitely don’t feel like I want to rearrange them… at all… not again… ever… right, give me a sec, I just need to do something.

Honourable Mentions

Yep, this is the part of the list that’s basically an excuse for me to have 12 games on my list and still call it a top ten. Because let’s face it, whittling a list down to just ten suggests I’m disciplined.

Ready, Set, Bet - A fantastic game that I was absolutely spoiled by on my first play with the deluxe edition. A fun and frantic horse racing game that will have you cheering and shouting with your mates. The only reason it’s not in the top ten is because it’s not been as easy to get to the table as I would have liked. 

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth - This sits in the pantheon of great Star Wars games, but the reason it hasn't quite hit the 10 spot is because it’s essentially Memoir ‘44. I love that game and this is just as great, but I need more time with it to appreciate that it's more than just Memoir ‘44 with a Star Wars skin. I’m sure it will rise with more plays, especially once I’ve properly played that campaign mode. If I ever do a retrospective of this list, then I’m sure I’ll be berating past me for not putting it on the list of my Top Ten Games of 2025.

Top Ten Games of 2025

10. Cretaceous Rails (Spielcraft Games)

Iiiiiiin 10 (there’s my British TV reference for this list), Cretaceous Rails won me over with its clever action system. Each round, you take the action tiles, shuffle them, and lay them out in a grid. To take an action, place your pawn between two of the tiles and take both actions. It’s unique, and the fact that the grid changes each round keeps the game fresh. Couple that with its fun decision space and cool look and theme, and we have one of the better dinosaur park games. It’s currently at number 10 purely because I’ve only had one play, but I can easily see this rising with more. 

Check out Jim’s review here

9. Trio (Cocktail Games)

Trio clocked in as my most played game last year, and there’s a reason. It’s a quick, easy-to-learn card game in which players try to get sets of cards by asking players what their highest and lowest cards are, similar to something like Go Fish. It’s easy to throw into the bag on game nights and is great to throw in at any point of the night. Like a lot of the great card games, it’s easy to get caught in the “one more game” loop.

8. The Mystery Agency: The Bookshop Murder (The Mystery Agency)

The first book in this brilliant series was number three on my list last year, but don’t let its position on this year's list lead you into thinking that the quality has dropped. This brilliant mix of single puzzles interwoven into an overarching story is still just as wonderful as its predecessor and a worthy follow-up that leaves you begging for the next one.

7. Thunder Road Vendetta (Restoration Games)

This is another one that, with a few more plays, I can see being higher because it’s utter, chaotic fun. This is a “race” game in which the race aspect feels more like an alternative way to end the game, more like a suggestion, if you will. We all know, though, that the best way to win the game is by wiping out your opponents' cars by shooting them or crashing into them and watching the beautiful chaos play out. I was lucky enough to grab a copy when it came back into stock on one site for a split second, and now I’m just looking forward to how much chaos I can cause in the future.

6. Wyrmspan (Stonemaier Games)

I’ll admit to being a bit sceptical when this was first announced. I wasn’t sure if it would be different enough from Wingspan to warrant owning it just for the different theme. Then I played it, and oh boy, was I wrong. The changes made give this game more bite and more of that combo-tastic gameplay, and that makes it all the more satisfying. I love the flexibility in how many actions you can have. I even wondered if the guild board would do much when I first saw it, but I found myself planning a lot of turns around it. I’ve certainly been enjoying it even more than its avian predecessor. It’s not in the collection yet, but I’ve got a feeling it may just make its way in at some point. 

Check out Jim’s review here

5. Castle Combo (Hachette, Catch Up Games)

A satisfying combo is one of my favorite things in games, so a game with "Combo" in the title has got to be a shoo-in for a top games list. It’s a game that has consequences from the very first card you play. Even though it feels like you have the freedom to play your cards anywhere in your 3x3 grid at the start, you really need to be thinking a few steps ahead to be truly competitive. It also has a lovely little nod to The Princess Bride in the artwork, and that alone would earn it a place in this list. It's just a bonus that the gameplay is also brilliant. 

4. General Orders: Sengoku Jidai (Osprey Games)

The first General Orders game was a brilliant mix of war game and worker placement game and served as a brilliant, tight, and tense two-player game. This new edition takes that core gameplay and manages to improve upon it simply by taking the fight to the seas as well. This simple change really opens the game up strategically. I love the artwork and the new theme, which I think will appeal more to those who don’t like game themes around the world wars. Just like the Undaunted series (by the same designers), this series is one to watch in the future.

3. Galileo Galilei (Pink Troubadour)

I've been trying to not get caught up in the Instagram hype with games until I’ve played them because I’ve been stung before. This was in that category……and then I played it and saw why it was getting the love and why this designer may be one to put on my watch list because (spoiler) he may be appearing in this list later. I love the rondel which is ever changing and the fact that you can update the actions to make them more powerful. I love that as the game goes on you can really get some great chaining going on with your actions. The difficult decisions come into their own with the addition of the inquisitors. Because a lot of actions include taking them and moving them (which can get you negative points) it can really make those bigger chains risky, but a fun risk.

2. Joyride Turbo (Rebellion Unplugged)

How do you truly know that a game has won you over? Well, when you are given a review copy for the two-player version and almost immediately go and order the big box with everything! While Thunder Road is mostly chaos, Joyride sets out to bring some balance and a bit of strategy to the fold while also being a bit more forgiving. The way the dice are used gives you some control of your turns, but the freedom of the open “track” means that there’s always a chance to come back from catastrophe. To top it off, they’ve now got a version that plays six players, and it’s all compatible with everything else!

Check out my review of Joyride Next Gen here.

1  SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Czech Games Edition)

Well, here we are at number one Top Ten Games of 2025, and this is my once-per-year cheat for this list. I technically played this at the back end of December in 2024, but it was a two-handed learning game, so I’m not counting it. This is the game that put Tomas Holek on the board gaming map, and what a way to do it. SETI throws in everything I want in a game: multi-use cards, combo tactic turns, and lots of paths to victory. It’s like the folks at CGE had abducted me and scanned my brain for my board game wishlist. I did offer to send it to them, but they have their own methods, I suppose. I’m currently eagerly awaiting my pre-order of the space agencies expansion, which could see this game rocket into my top ten (if it isn’t already).

Check out my SETI review here