With the increasingly large number of video games being released, it gets hard to keep up. That’s why that list of games you really want to play but never quite get to continues to expand. Whether it be more unheard-of games just popping up on your radar, or games that could wait until after you knock out the more important ones, there’s plenty sitting in a backlog for most of us.
However, there’s no more satisfying feeling than finally completing a game you’ve kept in your backlog for a long time. These are all games worth considering playing at some point in your life, and some of these are probably already in your backlog, aren’t they?
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the long-awaited samurai entry in the beloved stealth game series, though even with such a long wait for it, the reviews have been somewhat lukewarm. However, while it won’t rise from the shadow of Ghost of Tsushima, it’s still a decent AC experience with some of the most visually striking combat and graphics the series has seen.
AC Shadows follows dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, the former of whom is a heavy-built samurai and the latter who is a more soft-on-her-feet ninja, offering two very different play styles. The story may not be the best, but this isa much better samurai experiencethan PlayStation’s Rise of the Ronin, and also a much better Ubisoft game than Star Wars Outlaws or Frontiers of Pandora.
You’ve probably played through the entire Insomniac Spider-Man series, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy (a game I couldn’t get enough of) and Marvel’s Avengers. But really, we were all missing out on one of the best Marvel games with Midnight Suns, and I’m guilty of having it in my backlog as well. Maybe because of the scary words: “deckbuilding” and “turn-based.”
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is indeed a game where you engagein turn-based combatand gather the strongest cards for the large roster of characters you take into combat, but the actual story moments and writing are better than anything you’ve seen lately from Marvel in live-action. It’s also a good excuse to play as the Daywalker, Blade, while youwait to hear more on his solo outing from Arkane Studios.
The RPGs you’re currently in the middle of are probably Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Monster Hunter Wilds, Metaphor: ReFantazio, or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, leaving little time to carve out for The Thaumaturge,one of the most underrated games ever made. It comes from 11 bit studios and Fool’s Theory, the Polish support studio that helped with Baldur’s Gate 3, and it’s a gem of a story concept with excellent gameplay.
The Thaumaturge isa dark fantasy detective storyset against the backdrop of Warsaw, Poland, pre-October Revolution, while it remained under the Russian Empire. You control Wiktor Szulski, who wields the supernatural abilities of a thaumaturge and gathers spirits of Slavic mythology known as Salutors, which will aid you in battle. Think Vampyr meets Disco Elysium with Rasputin.
South of Midnight is that Double-A game launch where you aren’t sure if it’s really going to be that good or not, but are intrigued enough to keep it in your backlog. It really is the hidden gem game of 2025, with an original story that’s whimsical and different from anything you’ve played before, and enriched with the mythology of the Deep South.
The developer behind South of Midnight, Compulsion Games, previously worked on We Happy Few, a first-person, creepy BioShock-inspired gameset in dystopian ’60s Britain, so if you love the studio’s eye for originality, this one is no different. You follow protagonist Hazel in a coming-of-age storyline, rescuing her mother after a flood washes away their home while encountering all kinds of fantastical creatures.
Dave the Diver is a game you have likely heard a lot about and probably been meaning to get around to. It’s not just any ordinary fishing game, as it also has restaurant management mechanics with a sushi spot that you help run and serve all your catches in. The art style also represents one of the most gorgeous examples of pixel art, especially if you’re fascinated with ocean environments.
In Dave the Diver, exploration and catching fish also become part of the challenging combat system with the harpoon gun, as well as feeling like you’re in a horror game due to the dark depths you explore, which come with giant sharks and other unexpected creatures. Therefore, it’s also a mystery game where you unlock more secrets of the Blue Hole, but you’re able to also chill and take pictures of sea life.
Peak hasone of the most purposely memeworthy video game titlesand feels like it came out of nowhere, but is now dominating sales and the gaming landscape, so you must check it out at some point. One of the best co-op multiplayer games of 2025 is, of course, Split Fiction, but Peak comes at a close second. Safe to say it’s probably peak.
The aesthetic of Peak reminds us of Jusant combined with A Short Hike and Lil Gator Game. It’s a game where your avatars are colorful characters dressed in cute scout outfits, where you all must help each other get through various terrains of four different biomes with detailed climbing physics. It’s like the cartoon version of Death Stranding minus the delivery mechanic. You could also play it solo if no other friends are interested in it.
Despite itsembarrassing failure to disclose the use of AI, The Alters is one of the biggest surprises of 2025, an original sci-fi game that’s not an action-adventure or horror, but rather a basebuilder with a twist. And it’s another launch from 11 bit Studios. Here, you play Jan Dolski, who, like Selene in Returnal, crash-lands onto an unknown planet and must survive.
However, this is not a roguelike or bullet-hell combat game. Its main focus is the unique mechanic of creating ‘Alters,’ which are different versions of Jan who carry a different part of him from an alternate life path, achieved with a quantum computer. You’ll need these Alters to help you in your survival, but this is ultimately more to reflect on the game’s true message and the emotional beats of the story.
Denis Villeneuve’sDune: Part 3 is happening, and I’m a massive fan of the first two Dune movies from this visionary director, so I need more Dune to satisfy in the meantime. Therefore, Dune: Awakening is in my backlog as well. This is the Dune game fans have been waiting for: a sprawling open world of Arrakis complete with the iconic and unpredictable Sandworms and all the vehicles, ornithopters, and tech.
This MMORPG is one of the most exciting to have launched in a long time, since probably the Star Wars MMORPG and World of Warcraft early days. There’s a lot of excellent lore that they have to offer already from the world of Dune, even the shields around your Stillsuit armor. Getting to explore and be part of Arrakis firsthand just sounds like a dream come true, as none of the past Dune games give you this experience.
The creative genius Kojima developed one of the most uniquepost-apocalyptic sci-fi settingsin gaming and actually formed a new genre with Death Stranding, a Strand game. A lot of people shamed it for being a delivery and walking simulator, but are now discovering the greatness and improvements of Death Stranding 2 and probably regretting skipping out on this masterpiece.
Luckily, Death Stranding 2 has a recap you may watch, so you don’t need to play the first game, but you might want to revisit it now, regardless. The story is complex and convoluted and downright weird, but still a marvel. The coolest part of it is the ‘social strand’ concept, where you get to build helpful resources like bridges and Timefall shelters to aid other players (Porters) that you won’t even interact with.
Disco Elysium is that one RPG your gamer friend keeps hammering you to play, and that’s why it’s probably still collecting dust in your Steam Library waiting for you to finally play it. Trust me, you definitely should experience this game. Disco Elysium is one of the best-written pieces I’ve seen in gaming, a game told in the most interesting way, where it’s mainly interactive writing with an awesome alternate ’50s setting.
Your protagonist is Harrier Du Bois, a detective with a bout of amnesia, who has conversations within the inner workings of his mind, which act as the attributes and even include Easter eggs to David Lynch, like Inland Empire. There are also TTRPG-inspired skill checks and no actual combat in the game. The voice acting and characters are compelling, and the mystery that plays out is engaging.
