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What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

22 hours ago
I am something of a gamer, a variety some would call an achievement goblin. I am a completionist (most of the time) and I like to get all of the Steam achievements on my PC games because it fills me with gremlin glee.

I am also the kind of Steam user who buys more games than I actually end up playing, it's a real issue. I have a backlog many dozens of games strong that are untouched because I picked them up during sales and have not gotten around to them. Most of them are bigger games that I'd really like to set aside like a week for where I don't really have any non-work things that I need to do, but as it turns out there are not many weeks like that in this crazy world called adulthood.

So I promised myself that this year, I'm going to finish more games than I purchase. This might sound easy for all of you, but I am also a bargain goblin who gets more serotonin from seeing a good game at 90% off than you get in an entire year, so YEAH.
Anyway, I've been doing well with my goal so far- I've only bought one game (I'd been wanting it anyway and it was around 95% off, don't judge me!) and I've completed seven of them, albeit mostly short ones. I'm curious to know what games my fellow Cystians have been playing so far in 2025 as well!

1. GAME.exe
I got gifted this one about a month ago, and I was pretty excited for it. It's a short and sweet horror game that takes place on a simulated OS, and I'm a sucker for horror games that take place on a simulated OS. The subgenre alone made for a fun experience for me personally, even if I completed it in about half an hour. Something to pick up on a sale though, $4 is a high asking price.

2. No one lives under the lighthouse
Probably my favorite game that I've played so far this year. The creature design, the atmosphere, the way the lore is just convoluted enough that you only really start to piece things together around your second playthrough- all things I liked. I will say, the core gameplay loop of going up and down the lighthouse does get pretty old pretty quickly if you're playing it multiple times in a row trying to get all the endings, but overall, I was a fan.

3. THE SHORE
It was okay. Short Lovecraftian game with some cool cutscenes, environment, and monster designs, but there's not much more to it than that (and it's noticeably a little unpolished in some regards). Not a bad experience, but not worth the usual $12 asking price either.

4. Fishing Vacation
This is another one I liked. It's a short interactive horror game based on every gamer's favorite thing, fishing! The GBA style and variety of creepy endings packed into a little over an hour of playtime made for a unique experience. I'd say it's worth the two bucks, it was pretty fun.

5. Game Dev Story
A bit of an outlier. This is the first one on the list that isn't a short horror game (there's two of these on this list in total). In this game, you run a brand new video game development company, hiring and upgrading your workers to increase the quality of the games you make. It's a cool concept, but once you figure out the formula, it becomes a really simple gameplay loop where most of your input is just naming the games. For what it is, it was fun.

6. Moonstone Island
By far the game on this list that I put the most hours into, and one of only two non-horror games here. Ever since Stardew Valley, there's been a TON of cutesy pixelart farming games, this being one of them, though it also throws in creature collection/battling to set it apart. I felt that Moonstone Island did a lot of things good or okay, but it didn't execute any one thing exceptionally well. The villager relationship system is pretty bland and 'beating' the game is sort of unsatisfying. I also got the achievement for catching 1000 fish after only catching 975 of them which kind of ruined my life. Anyway, the game's pretty good.

7. Security Booth: Director's Cut
More short horror! I played this one over the weekend and I've got to say, it's really cool. The premise is simple, you work in a security booth (I know), tasked with only letting certain people through the gate based on their license plates. The horror twist is really fun and the first playthrough gets legitimately uncomfortable (in a good way). Even after you see all the scares coming by playthrough two or three, the alternate endings are all worth getting in my humble opinion, things get way crazier than I expected them to.


...so that's all the games I've played so far this year. I'd love to hear what everyone else has been playing!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

22 hours ago
I have previously watched a playthrough of Security Booth, making it the only game on this list I've heard of.

I haven't played much this month except for some Darkest Dungeon 2 after finally getting it over the winter sale.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
It looks and sounds really cool. How does it compare to the original Darkest Dungeon?

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

21 hours ago

I'm waiting until I buy my new PS5 in a month or so before playing anything. I'm sure I'll have lots to catch up on though.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
I hear that fellow named Silent Hill 2 is doing pretty well for himself over there.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

Nah, never really did get into the Silent Hill series. Dunno why since it seems like something I should like, along with Resident Evil and Dark Souls, but none of them just never grabbed me.

As soon as I get my PS5, the first thing Im going to try to do is finish the backlog of games I already bought for the Playstation and never really got around to, maybe starting with Pathfinder: Wraith of the Righteous seeing as all the expansions and updates are done now.

Also want to play the Rogue Trader game and get back in some other strategy games. (New and old ones I already bought)

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

19 hours ago
I recently downloaded Ender Magnolia. It's a metroidvania, and a sequel to the game Ender Lilies. A wholesome game with great music and decent combat difficulty.

I haven't finished it yet, but it seems like it is a sequel set far in the future of the original game universe. I am very curious to see how the original game's lore ties into the new one. Especially because Ender Lilies had multiple endings, and I want to know which one was considered to be canon. Also, if anyone else has played Ender Magnolia, then no spoilers please. I'm still very much in the early parts of the game.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
Ah, a Metroidvania goblin, are we? It looks neat, hope you have fun with it!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

19 hours ago

Right now:

1. STALKER 2 - Post apocalyptic Chernobyl with mutants n shit - think a Darker and Grittier Fallout game

2. Modded Fallout 4 content - Currently playing a Silent Hill mod for Fallout 4

3. Halo Wars - Command and Conquer but Halo. Been playing the campaign with a friend

Those have pretty much taken up all my time lately. I usually just play whatever is on Game Pass for xbox since its free

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
STALKER looks pretty cool. And I'd really like to get into Fallout 4, but I can never get in more than a few hours deep and I'm not really sure why. I think modding it up with Silent Hill might just be the solution.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

15 hours ago

Bloons TD6. Game takes forever to 100%.

Radiant Historia: JRPG with time travel.

Metaphor Refantazio: Persona but medieval.

Yeah I'm not really playing too much these days because bloons is a time destroyer.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
Try out Crypt of the Necrodancer after you finish Bloons, such an easy and possible 100%. :)

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

7 hours ago

1) Hollow Knight
This is my main time killer. I enjoy the style and story of the game. Mostly just achievement hunting until Silksong comes out (Which it totally will this year).

2) Worldbox
A God simulator with cute graphics. A major update is currently in the works so I'm waiting for that. It does tend to get a bit boring after a while, but it's fun to mess around with or create your own headcannon and lore for.

3) The Sapling
Another simulator, but this one is a creature evolution sim. It has a fun concept, but it does still need some work and is absolutely not optimized so it tends to crash on me.

4) Buckshot Roullette
A horrorish strategy game. I only play this with friends but it's always a good time.

5) Sons of the Forest
Another horror game. You crash land on an island and have to survive the humanoid creatures roaming the place. The vibe I've gotten from it so far is like a cross between Day Z and A.R.K.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
Oh yeah Silksong will definitely come out, any year now! Hollow Knight looks cool but sounds difficult, I should pick it up sometime.

Buckshot is one I've played, really cool and I can only imagine it's at its peak in a multiplayer experience, I just grinded the gambling mode.

Did you play the original The Forest before starting Sons? I've only played the former myself atm, the new one looks really good.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

5 hours ago
Maybe I'm stirring the pot here. But if you're a medieval freak like me, there's no better game than Kingdom Come Deliverance. The sequel drops on February 4th, and I haven't been able to sleep since I found out the release date.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
My sources tell me the devs are kinda sus. Looks like a pretty good open-world medieval game though, hope you have fun with the sequel.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

4 hours ago
Why ? Because they are Czechs ? Well, I can't disagree with that.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

I heard the sequel is filled with woke shit, are people memeing or is it true?

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago
Actually, I try to avoid learning too much when a game is about to come out. I prefer to discover everything when I actually play it. So I can't really say, but in any case, the whole 'woke' thing is pretty subjective.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

3 hours ago
Mercer Gang!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago
I really don't get the reference, and it makes me mad to see it on all the threads on this site.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

It's basically a shitty story game that some people enjoy and turned into an inside joke.

 

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago
What did you fucking just say about the Mercer Gang, you little bitch?!?!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

That it was a shitty story, and I go into further detail on my review. To be fair, I'm starting to get it now. It's so bad it's funny, just like the original Gay and Depressed. I'm sure I'm a decade we'll see an entire franchise.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Mercer Gang Returns is already in the works

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
OH yeah!

I think I just wet 'em

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
Just wanted to say, the author is a kid and has dyslexia, so he really tried his best! And it was a good effort. He was also giving a genuine effort to tell a swashbuckling action packed western! So don't be too hard on NeonCat. He also does reviews on games so he's doing his part.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

I was polite in the review and gave him props for starting a site cult.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
That's true, it is a very impressive achievement to gain the attention and notoriety of all the site gods with your first game!

Also, I just now read your review. Your review was nice! And you mentioned his reviewing as well. Also, he did put effort into the proofreading. It got progressively better as he unpublished then republished it.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Wait. It was WORSE at one point?! 

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago
Are you kidding?? Mercer Gang is the most insane, weird, controversial, risky, potentially deeply offensive, spiritually serious, scientifically upending, philosophically inspired, personal, politically charged and mind-melting storygame ever written.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Sadly enough, despite its many flaws, I still found less to criticize than fluttershy's "Gods and Satan" story.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

Shitty story? Leave it to you to not understand the depth and nuance of @NeoncatYT's magnum opus! Your smooth brain can't comprehend the emotional tormoil that occurs in the pages of that sacred text. You're lucky Neoncat confirmed that story was made up or I'd give the Mercer Gang a call right now to rob your train and steal your horses.

Don't let me catch you talking shit about the Mercer Gang ever again or I'll make the Nashville Bank Robbery of January 28th, 1870 look like a fuckin' walk in the park.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago
Please give me the link

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

https://chooseyourstory.com/story/Mercer-Gang

 

Make sure to join the fan club thread after

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
It's 01:30 where I am. I do not know if it because of my tiredness or because what I red was excessively... artistic, but my eyes are burning and my head just blew up I think. I did not finish it and that is the biggest failure of my life.

Firstly, that's pretty harsh to make fun of a 12 y-o boy story which I saw was apparently proud of him.

Secondly, I AM a MercerGangsta ! for life now. I will defend it at the cost of my life.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
Fuck I just saw that he's dyslexic. You truely do not have any compassion.

Also, Mercer Gang !

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

59 minutes ago

"Do not have any compassion."

Because I suggested that he should have an adult help him proofread? 

K.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

57 minutes ago
Don't worry about it Ben, you don't need to defend yourself, you didn't really do anything wrong. Your points were valid. You're a dad too lol, so you're not going to make fun of a random kid on the internet for his writing. All of us who've spoken to you know that.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Firstly, I would like to point out that at no point did I make fun of a 12 year old.

Well actually, that's a lie. I told an 11 year old named blingbus to kill himself. But he was an asshole, so that's okay.

But the author of Mercer Gang, NeonCat? I never made fun of or insulted him. I politely critiqued his story, with well thought-out, reasoned arguments that other writers on the site, Mercer Gangstas included, have made.

I did refer to it as a shitty story, which is my opinion. There's been people who have referred to my stories as shitty. Hell, there's been people who have referred to ETERNAL as shitty, and it's literally a literary masterpiece longer than most novels. Giving your opinion on a story when that opinion is backed by objective facts is not making fun of someone.

Second, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

54 minutes ago
Actually I wasn't talking directly to you, I indirectly mentioned the bastards (or genius as a synonym) like Ogre who created a thread for this masterpiece.

What a naughty boy

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
OH YEAH!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

2 hours ago

Retard! How DARE you speak evil of the Mercer Gang!!!!

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
Ben, you have NO IDEA what you have just stepped in.

You seriously need to reconsider.

Everything.

You might want to start thinking about how you can apologize and try and make up for this very grave error.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Not this time.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago
Do you REALLY want to go up against the Mercer Gang gang?

I can assure you this is a really, really bad idea.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

49 minutes ago
(Psst. Is anyone going to tell Ben we're joking and he doesn't have to seriously reply to every post?)

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

23 minutes ago

Message received lol.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

Ben, say you're going to crush the Mercer Gang and you're going to crush it good.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

one hour ago

I already did that when I left a politely-worded review that still managed to be more legible and concise than the entire story.

If the author is underage and dyslexic, they should ask a parent or teacher to help them proofread. I do admire their enthusiasm, which was rewarded with the formation of a fan club, but I stroke cock, not egos.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

48 minutes ago

Since I've posted on this thread, I should probably reply to the actual question.

This year I have played nearly every Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort game because the kids I help with on Wednesdays are obsessed with them, and we have a half hour before the lesson where everyone just hangs out.

I've also played Undertale a bit. I think I've probably done every combination of killing/sparing possible and I've already got both the True Pacifist and True Genocide endings, but it's my comfort game. I adore it, everything from the design of the graphics to the soundtrack to the self-awareness it displays. I love when stuff tastefully breaks the fourth wall. Eventually I'm going to have to look into Deltarune, but I'm just scared it won't live up to my expectations.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

45 minutes ago
The golf in Wii sports resort is just the reason why I live for.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

43 minutes ago
I'm a fan of regular old Wii Sports tennis, mostly because I can own those middle schoolers in it. Maybe my irl tennis playing somehow gives me an edge :)

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

42 minutes ago
Nice! I put hundreds of hours into Wii Sports Resort swordfighting back in the day myself.

Never played Undertale, but I know it's a popular one with some fun writing and whatnot.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

40 minutes ago
You've just gotta beat every showdown stage once you start.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

38 minutes ago
Oh absolutely.
And if you lose, going back to the bridge after flubbing on one of those stages with like five bosses is always therapeutic.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

32 minutes ago
Look at you trying to recover your thread.

What Games are YOU Playing in 2025?

26 minutes ago
Beating the shit out of those stupid minions is incredibly satisfying.
Then there's always the draw of achieving Pro Class level in the duels and speed slice