Guide
These are the game highlights for August
by Philipp Rüegg
The best games you probably missed in 2025
15.12.2025
Translation: Katherine Martin
2025 was packed full of gaming highlights, great and small. Unfortunately, small-time games often got lost among the rapidly growing swell of new releases. Here are a few gems released earlier this year that are worth checking out.
The gaming charts are typically dominated by never-ending spin-offs, ever-growing open worlds and the latest editions of the same old sports games released annually. Amongst all this, however, there are tons of low-key titles that deserve your attention too. I’ve picked out 17 games that – apart from in our podcast, A Tech Affair – have unjustly gone under the radar.
Winter Burrow
If there’s one game that’s perfectly suited to the chillier months, it’s Winter Burrow. You play as a little mouse on a mission to restore their childhood tree trunk to its former glory. This involves gathering resources and using them to build your burrow, as well as sitting by a toasty fire and knitting yourself a woolly jumper that’ll protect you against the cold. The game looks seriously cute, and has a hint of an old-fashioned children’s book about it.
Platform: PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass, Switch, Switch 2¹.
Absolum
Absolum has a captivating art style too. The 2D beat’em up with roguelike elements sends you into a mysterious fantasy world full of monsters to beat up. Although it works well as a solo game, it’s even better in two-player mode. The great thing about it? You can set how much damage each person takes and deals individually. As a result, I can play it perfectly well with my five-year-old and still have it be challenging enough for both of us. The range of characters and random skills that you combine in each run inject variety into the game.
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Switch 2¹
Ball x Pit
«Ball pit»? «Ball Cross Pit»? «Ball Ex Pit»? Nobody’s quite sure how to say the name of this game. What most people can agree on is that it’s addictive. Based on the successful principle underpinning Vampire Survivor, the game involves shooting down loads of enemies, collecting XP and getting random upgrades you can use to wipe out the baddies even more efficiently. Ball x Pit is different in the sense that you play in an area resembling a corridor, with enemies coming from above – similar to the classic, Breakout. There are various unlockable classes and countless possible skill combos to keep you motivated.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2
Tokyo Xtreme Racer
A lot of people, myself included, consider Need for Speed Underground to be one of the best racing games of all time. No other game has brought me as much enjoyment as entering NFSU’s illegal races in tuned, light-up cars. Tokyo Xtreme Racer follows the same principle. You race your way through Tokyo, going head-to-head with other drivers. There are plenty of authentic vehicles to choose from, which you can tune to your heart’s content. Incidentally, this isn’t the game’s first rodeo in the racing genre; its SNES predecessor, Shutokō Battle, was released in 1994.
Platform: PC, but also set to be released for PS5 on 26 February 2026
Lego Voyagers
Lego Voyagers is a wonderful, two-player adventure game. Playing as one red and one blue Lego brick, you and your buddy set out to rescue an abandoned spaceship. As you tumble, jump and build your way through the game’s magical Lego world, the puzzles and passages requiring dexterity aren’t particularly challenging. Instead, your journey and the atmospheric story take centre stage.
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2
Synergy
This city builder isn’t just impressive on account of its charming art style. In an alien world, you create colourful cities with all sorts of unusual buildings. You send your citizens on expeditions to learn more about the surrounding areas and discover new places to live. This research plays a central role in the game. Studying plants and other natural elements, you extract new resources and maintain a sense of harmony with the natural world. As the art style suggests, Synergy’s more about cosy gameplay than high-pressure city management.
Platform: PC
The King is Watching
The studio behind The King is Watching describes it as a roguelite kingdom-building game. I’d also describe it as a tower defence title. The screen’s split into two parts. On the left, there’s your fortress containing areas you can build on. On the right, there’s a path that your enemies use to storm your settlement. The goal? To survive every wave of enemies, including the final boss. In order to do that, you have to place farms, mines and wells for resources on the tiles. You also need archers, mages and dragons for defence. But what really makes the game special is the fact that tiles are only active if you’ve cast your royal «gaze» onto them. Like everything else, you can widen your gaze during the course of the game. It’s seriously addictive.
Platform: PC
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream takes you to a fictional Scandinavian town in the early 20th century. Your mission? To find your missing brother who’s wanted by the police. It’s a stealth-meets-puzzle game, played in the isometric perspective. Alongside up to three other people, you navigate your way through beautifully detailed environments. Most of the time, your objective is to avoid being discovered by the police – or to eliminate them unnoticed. The three characters have different abilities that you need to combine. Accompanying all this is an exciting story told in elaborate cutscenes.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Wildgate
The easiest way to describe this game is to call it «Sea of Thieves in space». You choose a character and a ship, which, depending on its size, you steer alone or in a team. Once you’ve done that, you set off to search for loot in space. On your travels, you encounter computer-controlled enemies. As soon as you find the Artifact, the most valuable object in the game, other players try to steal it from you. You’re only safe once you escape through the Wildgate or destroy all the other spaceships. It’s colourful, chaotic and perfect for fun evenings with friends.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
This charming, entertaining detective game sees you play as a toast-addicted, anthropomorphic duck investigating spooky goings-on at a campsite. During your investigation, you encounter all sorts of unusual, suspicious people. It’s a game full of heart – and bad puns.
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2¹
Tempest Rising
This reincarnation of Command & Conquer could’ve come straight out of Westwood Studios. The real-time strategy game focuses on the same strengths that inspired the original – a campaign with a crazy story, base building and loads of vehicles and troops you can send into battle. There’s also a groovy soundtrack; one that not only sounds like C&C, but was created by the same composer, Frank Klepacki.
Platform: PC
A Game About Digging A Hole
The title tells you everything you need to know. You dig a huge hole in your garden that gets deeper and deeper as the game progresses. Along the way, you gather resources to sell so that you can use the money to improve your equipment. The principle of the game is simple, but cosy and satisfying. There’s even a mystery to uncover.
Platform: PC, available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2¹ from 9 December
Keep Driving
In this atmospheric management RPG, you set off on a road trip to a festival on the other side of the country. Along the way, you meet hitchhikers who’ll help you overcome challenges on and off the road. This involves a turn-based combat system requiring you to deploy your passengers’ skills correctly. The game also boasts a motivating loop and a brilliant soundtrack.
Platform: PC
Eternal Strands
Eternal Strands is a third-person action adventure set in a colourful fantasy world. You play Brynn, who, armed with magical abilities, faces a whole host of fantastical creatures. The unique thing about the game is its combat system, which allows you to combine various magical abilities. For instance, you can freeze giant creatures’ legs off, restricting their ability to move. You can also set fire to their fur or use telekinesis to intercept projectiles in mid-air, then hurl them back.
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Despelote
This short but unique game allows you to experience how football captivated an entire nation in 2001. That’s when Ecuador was on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in its history. In this autobiographical tale of youth, you play eight-year-old Julián, accompanying him while he plays, goes to the park, eats dinner with his family and goes to school. There’s almost always a football involved in these activities. Through Julián’s eyes, you get to witness a special moment in Ecuador’s history and learn more about its people.
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2¹
The Séance of Blake Manor
If Blue Prince didn’t quite manage to quench your thirst for mystery, check out The Séance of Blake Manor. It’s 1897, and you’re tasked with investigating the mysterious disappearance of Evelyn Deane in a remote hotel in Ireland. You have to be tactical when interrogating suspects and examining evidence. Many activities use up your available time, so being in the right place at the right time is key.
Platform: PC
Hades II
Hades II is without doubt the most popular game on this list. In fact, it’s been nominated for Best Game at this year’s Game Awards. In a shameful twist of events, we missed our chance to give Hades II, the sequel to the award-winning roguelike, a well-deserved review. While the first installment sees you take on the role of Zagreus, son of Hades, you play Melinoe in Hades II. Armed with new weapons and abilities, the immortal princess of the underworld has to fight her way through a mythical realm. People say the story’s slightly weaker than its predecessor, but the combat system’s reportedly more varied.
Platform: PC, Switch, Switch 2
What are your insider’s gaming picks for this year? Actually wait, I don’t want to know. My Steam Wishlist’s already bursting at the seams. Okay fine, maybe there’s room for just one more.
¹ Switch 1 version that’s also compatible with the Switch 2.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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