COGconnected GOTY 2025 – Best Surprise
Sometimes that beautifully wrapped box surprises you in a bad way by concealing some regifted slippers. But now and then, the surprise is entirely amazing. Or at least positive. Here are 10 of the best gaming surprises from 2025, things we didn’t see coming. You know, like that beat-up box containing a brand-new Nintendo Switch 2. What was your best surprise this year?
10. Dota 2 X Monster Hunter Event
The collaborations keep coming. One of the latest and most surprising is the limited time Dota 2 event that pulls in elements like Palicos and monsters from Capcom’s popular franchise. Maybe not quite as exciting as the Simpsons’ Fortnite crossover but a welcome idea nonetheless.
9. Donkey Kong Bananza
With new mechanics, a more-than-decent narrative and colorful art, Donkey Kong Banaza managed to turn the heads of fans a little wary of another mediocre Donkey Kong rehash.
8. Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy Announcement
Ok, file this one under What the Actual Hell. Just what we need, a Nintendo Switch-based version of an already weird and niche 1995 console add-on that allowed players to experience games in stereoscopic 3D.
7. Digimon Story: Time Stranger
Everyone’s heard of Digimon, of course. Pokémon is more ubiquitous but Digimon has legions of fans, too. Digimon Story: Time Stranger might be the game that pulls some attention away from Pokémon, with it’s more mature storyline and characters and excellent turn-based combat.
6. Super Mario Galaxy Movie Announcement
Not that anyone was truly surprised, but the Super Mario Galaxy Movie was announced this year, set for April 2026 release. A direct sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the new film features most of the first film’s cast reprising their roles. The only question is, will the Super Mario Galaxy Movie be something more substantial than the first movie.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong Was Actually Released
Waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong to actually drop has become a favorite (if frustrating) pastime for fans of the original. Well, lo and behold, it actually arrived in 2025 and was an excellent, if exceptionally challenging, successor to the original.
4. Battlefield 6 Beats the Odds
Battlefield games have a spotty history, and no one was really expecting Battlefield 6 to be anything but mediocre. While the game’s campaign is a little rote, the multiplayer modes have really taken off. Battlefield 6 is one of the best and least technically flawed games in the series.
3. Blue Prince is Fire
Coming out of nowhere to catch the attention of puzzle game fans is the definition of surprising. Blue Prince combines puzzles, narrative depth, and roguelike replayability into a genuinely unique indie game.
2. Silent Hill f is Different but Awesome
Silent Hill f did a lot of new and surprising things, from its setting to its emphasis on arcane Japanese folklore. With some disturbing themes, it leaves gore and horror behind and replaces them with psychological tension and terror.
1. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a Great Indy (not Indie) Game
Have you noticed there’s a theme beneath many of our surprises? Games that could have gone wrong, but didn’t. There have a been a lot of Indiana Jones-related games, but none have captured the cinematic excitement and Indy charisma as much as The Great Circle.