GotY 2025 - Guilty Pleasure

Not every game is a masterpiece, but that doesn't mean that a game can't simply be fun, enjoyable and a way that you'd like to spend your time. Our team has many of those over the years now, and 2025 was no different. What makes it a guilty pleasure? Well, that's entirely subjective of course, but generally speaking it's a game that might not be in the running for Game of the Year, but still managed to hold our team's interest for many hours of entertainment.  

Nick: NBA 2K26

This series has had its ups and down in recent years, but as I pointed out in my review for this year’s iteration, NBA 2K26 is a very strong entry in the series. Here’s the thing – I have well over 100 hours into the game. I have made no microtransaction purchases but have two players at a 99 overall and a 3rd well on his way. What does that mean? I think that it shows I’ve been enjoying my time with this game, even though sports games are a genre I often refer to as ‘hamster wheel video games’. Why? Because you can spend a lot of time and energy running in place without really getting anywhere. While this is still true of 2K26, the sheer number of hours makes it without a doubt my guiltiest pleasure in 2025. 

 

PY: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap

This was a hard one for me. While I wanted to put down for Monster Hunter Wilds, which was ‘hella’ fun in the launch days with my brother or solo, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is taking the spot because of how much times Izzy and I sunk on this latest entry to the Tower Defense series.

Moving away from a set chapter-like structure, to a more random roguelike format wasn’t the smoothest, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t give us a challenge that we were more than happy to overcome. 

With even more orcs, trolls and undead wanting you dead, we spent just as much time formulating stage specific strategies as overarching strategies that could carry us to the boss stage and show them who the bosses really were! 

Mostly them in the beginning but who's counting?

Susan: Powerwash Simulator 2

What can I say? Powerwash Simulator is a game I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I do and yet here we are. The first game had a tree house and a couple of ancient structures to clean which immediately grabbed my attention. I also found that Powerwash Simulator was rather relaxing. You could chat with friends and play without getting too distracted. There's no fall damage and oddly enough there is a bit of a tale being told through the text messages you receive on the side of the screen. 

Powerwash Simulator 2 builds on the success of the first game with better graphics, a hub location that you can decorate, and more fun places to clean. Plus, the game has some new tools to use like the new lift for the billboard sign job and a brand new nozzle type. What's really neat about Powerwash Simulator 2 is the fact that a few of the jobs aren't static locations. The public washroom level was not what I was expecting, and that makes the game more interesting to play. I also secretly love that we continue to find the garden gnomes in the different levels. Plus, Powerwash Simulator 2 is my guilty pleasure game because YOU CAN PET THE CATS. THERE ARE CATS! That is all :D

Honestly, what's not to love about all of that? You can play it solo, you can play it with friends, you can pet the cats and find the gnomes. An all-in-one package for guilty pleasure game, if you ask me!

Richard: Full Metal Schoolgirls

An interesting take on a roguelite where you play as a highschool girl cyborg trying to take down a company that literally treats it’s employees like slaves while livestreaming the whole deal. It’s kooky, cliché, and it well knows it and plays it for laughs. Maybe not the best title, but I had more fun than I would usually admit.

 

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