I thought it would be fun (and very on brand) to list the 38 games I played in 2025 for my first post. This way, you can have a better idea about what genres and styles of games I will be discussing in the blog in the future!
There are no spoilers in this post, so don’t worry if you haven’t played some of the games in the list.
Each game title is linked to its corresponding page on Deku Deals’ website (not sponsored) as there you can find the links to your platform of choice.
Jump to a section:
January (4)
Wytchwood. This is a beautiful (and witchy, as the name suggests) crafting game that is brought to life by its small details such as the sound effects and quirky characters. It’s not for everyone though, as it’s definitely very fetch-questy.
Potion Craft (did not complete). If you like the idea of a potion making puzzle game with a super original art style and quirky writing, you should check this one out. I didn’t 100% the game because it got a little repetitive by the end, but I still had a brew-tiful time playing it 😀
Dragon Quest Builders 2. I started DQB2 in 2024, took a little break, and finished it in January. DQB2 is a JRPG and crafting game where you play as a builder in a world where building is forbidden and you need to gain the trust of people as you go. One of the things I love about this game is that you are accompanied by the best sidekick character of ALL time, Malroth. This game became one of my favorites!
Pokémon Legends: Arceus. I’m very nostalgic for Pokémon games, and I’ve heard so many things about Arceus that my expectations were SO high. And they were definitely met with this one! Can’t recommend it enough for fans of the franchise.
February (9)
Rune Factory 4 Special. I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit hard for me to get into this game because of the dated graphics, but I’m SO glad I was able to get past that. RF4S really set a standard for me when it comes to world-building and relationships with NPCs in simulation games. It’s yet another game that I started in 2024 and finished this year.
Coffee Caravan. It felt like playing Plate Up again, but simpler and without multiplayer (unfortunately). I loved how you have a good amount of beverages to choose from in this management and roguelite game.
Mika’s and Witch’s Mountain (dropped/refunded). I thought I was going to live my Kiki’s Delivery Service dreams of being a witch delivering packages on her flying broom, but unfortunately I didn’t really like the flying mechanics and the game gave motion sickness.
Dorfromantik (playing casually). Really relaxing puzzle game where you build a little town using tiles of different types, like meadows, rivers, villages etc. There’s something just just SO satisfying when you place each tiles and score some sweet points.
Minami Lane. Short and sweet management game where you manage a street with its shops, while petting some cats. Just a perfect game to play between bigger games.
Cuisineer (did not complete). Be warned, this game makes you crave bubble tea every day for a month. It’s a dungeon crawler and restaurant management game where you fight monsters to collect ingredients for cooking for your restaurant. I liked how I could reduce the damage I received at the dungeons, to match my combat skills better. I chose to not 100% the game, and played about 90% of it.
The Sims 4 (dropped). It had been a while since I had played The Sims and I thought it would be fun to try it out again. I realized after playing for a few hours that it’s not the type of game for me at the moment.
Roots of Pacha. I usually dislike how every farming sim game is compared to Stardew Valley, but, yes, if you like SDV, you will probably like this one. Roots of Pacha is a farming sim set in the stone age, where besides the basic farming and ranching, you also help develop your community’s ideas. The stone-age theme did detract me from playing it for a while, but ultimately I felt it was really well executed in the context of the game.
Balatro (playing casually). I’m a fan of deck-building roguelikes/roguelites, so this was a must-play for me.
March (4)
Lil’ Guardsman. A narrative/choices matter game where you play as Lil, a 12-year old that suddenly has to work as a guard shed deciding who can enter through the town gates. The great voice acting and funny writing made this a one of a kind narrative game for me.
Horticular. Build a diverse (pixel) garden so different animals move in, all while trying to understand what happened with the previous garden caretaker. This game was a bit overwhelming in the start for me, but once I got into it, I got really obsessed.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout (dropped). I wanted to try out an Atelier game and I chose Ryza as it was the most recommended online for people getting into the franchise, and for generally liking coming of age stories. I stopped playing it at around 27 hours. Ultimately the ATB battle system wasn’t really for me.
New Pokémon Snap. This was such a blast to play. Taking pictures of Pokémon in their habitat was even better than I expected going into the game, and the graphics were simply stunning. I’m sorry, Pokémon, for all the fluffruit I have thrown…
April (6)
A Space for the Unbound. A stunning narrative, side-scrolling game set in 90s Indonesia that made me cry. Atma and Raya are a couple in high school. Strange things start happening and you need to figure out what’s going on. I recommend going in totally blind for the best experience playing this game.
Piczle Cross: Rune Factory (still playing casually). I wanted to get my first nonogram puzzle game and I chose this Rune Factory-themed one. It’s an ok one.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. Walk around a Mediterranean island where your grandparents live, take pictures of wildlife, start a movement to save the island.
Hidden Through Time. I wanted to try out a hidden object game and this one worked really well in the Steam deck. I should mention that I liked the Japanese DLC more than the base game, the art is just so good!
Regency Solitaire. What can I say? I really like solitaire, and this one was already in my family library…
House Flipper 2 (playing casually). Clean, organize, decorate, build, profit. Just the kind of game for people who liked to spend hours building and decorating their house in The Sims. I’ve only tried the campaign so far but there’s also a sandbox mode.
May (1)
Everholm (did not complete). This one is a farming sim/RPG with a hint of magic and a main storyline, as you play as Lily, who just arrived in the town of Everholm looking for your missing sister Melanie. The farming mechanics are very solid in this one, but the story progression is not straightforward, and the NPCs felt flat. Still, I played about 50 hours! It seems that the developer is working on a major update that will change how the story progresses, so hopefully it will improve on this aspect.
June (6)
Love, Ghostie. A narrative game that you play as a ghost matchmaker, pairing up couples as you get to know them better. It was a very sweet and heartwarming game, even if it got a little bit repetitive by the end for me.
To Pixelia (on hold). A pixel art life sim that was released earlier this year. I played this one for a few hours before I decided to wait for better controller support.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. I put over 100 hours playing the newest Rune Factory spinoff, and in my opinion it’s one of the best releases in its genre of 2025. This game has a town management mechanic paired with decorating elements that was really neat. I also loved the bonding stories with the (very charismatic) NPCs.
Cascadia (playing casually). This is the digital version of one of my favorite board games, and I think it was very well implemented. In Cascadia, you create an ecosystem by placing habitat tiles and animals according to their favorite configuration. There’s a pass and play option so you can play with someone in person (best score wins), but you can also play it solo or with other players online (however, there weren’t so many people to play with when I tried that option).
Sticky Business (on hold). You open a small sticker shop, where you create some stickers, print and ship them to your customers. New options are unlocked little by little. I liked how they make it so anyone can create cute stickers, no matter their design skills. I still need to actually finish this one!
Two Point Museum (on hold). This is my first Two Point game and I’ve played 75 hours so far! I loved customizing my museums, and enjoyed the diversity of museums you open as you go through the campaign. I’ve purchased the Fantasy Finds DLC but still need to play it. I like how they keep adding updates for free, like the upcoming Digiverse free update.
July (4)
Potion Permit (did not complete). In this game, you play as a chemist that just moved to a town where people are really distrusting of chemists. You forage resources in order to create potions to heal your patients at the clinic. I really liked the potion making part, but the game was just too grindy for my taste. Despite of that, I still played it until near completion (I thought I had actually finished the game, until I read online that there was another final cutscene).
inbento (playing casually). Don’t let the cute graphics trick you, this puzzle game is harder than it looks. In inbento, you prepare lunch boxes by inserting each piece in the right place so it looks like the original “recipe”. The puzzles get progressively more challenging.
Moonstone Island. The pixel art creature collecting life sim where you play as an alchemist spending a year away from home to complete their training. I finished this game last year, but I went back this year to check out their Evolutions update, and try to get some holo spirits as well.
Half Past Fate (on hold). A cute story/rom-com game where you follow the story of 6 main characters, set in different times (sometimes years apart). Another one that I ended up putting on hold because I was in the mood to play something else.
August (5)
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. I’ve seen this game recommended so many times, and I’m glad I decided to finally take the time to play it. This is a narrative game where you play as Fortuna, a witch that was exiled and forms a pact with a behemoth to regain her freedom. It’s the type of game where going in blind really pays off.
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (playing casually). Another nonogram game, but in this one you have a little house for a rodent, and by solving the puzzles you unlock furniture to decorate it or clothes for your little friend.
Is This Seat Taken?. After playing the demo, I knew I had to get this one on release. This is a puzzle game where you need to place each character according to their (sometimes weird) preferences in different settings (like on a bus, at a diner, etc). I liked how the difficulty ramps up as you go, but how it never got too hard that I wasn’t able to complete it.
Wanderstop. Just absolutely loved playing this game! You play as Alta, a fighter that ends up in a (somewhat mysterious) tea shop. Plant and harvest ingredients to make tea for characters that pass by the shop, and uncover more of your story as you go.
Tiny Bookshop (currently playing). A management game where you run a mobile bookshop and can set up shop at a different location each day. One of my favorite aspects of this game is that you sell real book titles and that you get to recommend them to your customers. I’m not sure yet how long I’ll play this one, as the gameplay feels a bit repetitive for me.
Closing thoughts
Honestly, even though I track all the games I play in a spreadsheet, I was still a bit surprised with the number when I started listing them for this post – I thought I had played fewer games! I feel very lucky with my choice of games for this year as I’ve enjoyed the majority of the ones I played (even the ones I chose not to complete).
I would love to hear about the games you played in 2025 — what are your gaming highlights? Got any recommendations for games that you think I might like based on what I’ve played?
Are you planning to play or adding any of the ones you saw here to your wishlist?
Thank you for reading,
-Luna
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