If the new Nintendo Direct and the Playstation State of Play are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be another busy year for us gamers! (And for us marketers, as well!)
So before the new wave of gaming FOMO hits, adding even more titles (and anxiety) to our backlogs, here it is: Game On’s exclusive 2025 Game of the Year!
An important announcement – Game On is growing! And with it, an expanding team of ad industry leaders creating exclusive content for the first, and still the only industry portal dedicated to all things Gaming X Marketing! A cast representing a diverse range of disciplines, specializations, backgrounds…and yes, gaming tastes (pretty much a reflection of the global gamer demographic!)
Presenting: GAME ON ver 2026! The very real ad industry leaders behind the platform’s growing Gaming X Marketing content hub. Face and Game of the Year reveals: left to right, top to bottom, based on the main image above. And like true-blue ad industry pros, expect twists, turns, and a healthy dose of “What were they thinking?!” ahead.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Ronie Villanueva
Creative Director, FCB Manila
True to the classic “advertising is always late on trends” cliché, my Game of the Year is Baldur’s Gate 3, the 2023 Game of the Year by Larian Studios. I finally played this masterpiece in the middle of this year. I was initially hesitant because, since it had already won Game of the Year, my expectations were sky-high, and I didn’t want to add another disappointment to my daily life as a creative. However, aside from an irresistible sale, what finally made me fire up Steam and buy the game was a TikTok clip showcasing the level of detail the developers included. “They thought of everything,” it claimed. I was blown away by those details and the complexity of the gameplay.
What struck me most, however, was the voice acting and the script—especially Astarion, the High Elf Rogue. He elevated the experience from “high” to “Snoop Dogg high.” My adventure led me to accidentally sleep with a Githyanki (and I liked it—well, my character did). I flirted with a Mind Flayer and a female barbarian, eventually dating the strong, independent Shadowheart. I didn’t even formally break up with the others because, honestly, my character is a bit of a player.
But the game isn’t just “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” The storytelling is incredibly immersive and funny. I became so invested that I was sometimes afraid to tell my teammates the truth for fear of them leaving my party. I essentially became a “Yes-Man”—but a powerful warlock “Yes-Man.” I gobbled up as many parasite worms as I could, looking like a member of KISS by the end of it. I didn’t care, though, because my in-game girlfriend didn’t seem to mind.
The battles were challenging enough to make me rethink how to siege even a simple goblin-infested castle. Sometimes the combat felt so impossible that I spent more time with the game paused than actually playing, needing to calculate which “branch of the future” I would end up in. I even ended the story too early at one point and had to reload a save to pick a different outcome, as I’m way too old to restart an entire campaign. My impatience even caused a whole tribe to die because I just couldn’t keep my sword in its sheath.
In the end, the story is what stuck with me. It became a personal journey where the options revealed who I really am. Now, after two years, I know exactly why it won Game of the Year.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
James Bernardo
Creative Mentor, The Misfits Camp
As someone who grew up on turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and more recently Baldur’s Gate 3, this felt like coming home to a genre that remembers why I fell in love with it in the first place. The moment I finally booted up my digital copy on PlayStation 5, it was clear this was not just another nostalgia play. It is a fully realized epic.
Clair Obscur pulls you into a beautifully imagined world that feels both fantastical and strangely human. Its emotional storytelling is matched by dialogue that is clever without trying too hard, heartfelt without being melodramatic. The result is a narrative that lingers long after you put the controller down.
Gameplay-wise, the balance is spot on. Progression never feels like a chore, and combat remains engaging from start to finish. Even on the easiest difficulty, the battles offer just enough resistance to keep you alert, invested, and occasionally humbled.
This is the kind of RPG that understands its audience. It respects your time, rewards your curiosity, and is unafraid to hit you right in the feels.
So if you love turn-based RPGs, do yourself a favor. Grab your controller, brace your emotions, and play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. You might want to keep some tissues nearby.
Sniper Siege: Defend & Destroy
Amir Tohid
Founder & Managing Director, STATION T
My journey into gaming began at the age of 10 with Atari, where River Raid became my first unforgettable experience. From those early arcade-style challenges, I moved on to SEGA, and eventually into console gaming on Xbox and PlayStation. Over the years, I explored a wide spectrum of genres—competitive fighters like Tekken, high-octane racers such as Need for Speed, and expansive open-world titles like GTA IV.
During my college years, my focus shifted to PC gaming, where tactical shooters like Project IGI 1 and IGI 2 stood out and deepened my appreciation for strategic, skill-based gameplay where patience, positioning, and decision making mattered as much as reflexes.
Today, gaming remains part of my life, but in a more accessible form primarily on mobile, where I continue to discover and enjoy a diverse range of titles through Apple Arcade. In 2025, one game that really stood out for me was Sniper Siege: Defend & Destroy, a mobile action game that puts you in the role of a long range sniper defending key positions and eliminating threats. It’s built around precision, timing, and accuracy, rewarding clean headshots and smart positioning.
Escape from Duckov
Gretchen Que
Director of Growth, Octopus&Whale
Game of the Year for me is hands (wings?) down, Escape from Duckov. It’s a cheeky single-player PVE extraction shooter where you are a duck, escaping a collapsing world run by ducks. The allies you find along the way are also, ducks. Is it a parody of Escape from Tarkov? One hundred per cent. Do I prefer ducks over soldiers? Five hundred per cent.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Issel Jayme
Creative Director, The Huddle Room
I had just turned 33 when Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released. It was also the same year I decided to pursue streaming as a gamer– a dream I’ve had decades ago but only had the time and money now to really make it happen. But I wondered, “Am I too old or too late?” As a creative and a writer, it made me fall in love with video games that are beautifully designed and written. COE33 was a phenomenal example of the latter. A well-written narrative, an eargasmic musical score, memorable characters, and artistic designs. What really drew me in further was the backstory of its developers. Only 33 people– including a head writer and a composer who have never worked on a video game before. They were underdogs that were scared of starting something new but not scared enough to keep going, leading to an iconic win as Game of the Year. Yes, I was terrified of becoming a streamer… but not terrified enough to stop my creativity from rediscovering new ways to appreciate beautifully written narratives. Only this time, I can immerse these inside these worlds and even have the chance to take control and write my own story. I guess I’m not too old or too inexperienced. All I had to do was just ‘Press Start.’
Split Fiction / Absolum
Rey Tiempo
Chief Creative Officer, Co-Op Play
Anything that can get me playing co-op with my daughter, now turning sixteen, will always get my vote. She’s been gaming with me ever since she could hold a controller. No, scratch that – even before that.
I would practice Street Fighter IV combos on my trusty Xbox 360 (yes, the one I won in a raffle at one of the Cannes Lions festivals; long story) while she slept in her bassinet.
When she got a little older, she held her first controller, a PS3 Sixaxis, and happily played Invizimals, Little Big Planet, and later, Tearaway on PS4.
We played Super Mario together – a lot.
She would make little cardboard cutouts of arcade sticks (because I collected them), and even create original artwork for the custom ones I had made by local manufacturers. She would cry when Guile (my main in Street Fighter) lost in online matches. We laughed a lot at Abigail, an over-the-top Street Fighter V character.
She designed funny and surprisingly well-crafted courses in Mario Maker and would make me play through and critique every single one.
We’d talk about the fine, intricate appeal of retro games as we finished Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Splintered Fate, and other modern retro co-ops.
And still, we play Super Mario whenever there’s a new release. By now, she had gotten waaay better than me – my proudest gaming moment.
Now she’s all grown up, and a big fan of Genshin Impact and social gaming, but we still find time and treasure moments to play together. And we’re unanimous in admiring the sheer kick-assery that is Split Fiction.
With its excellent action, tight co-op synergy, and masterfully clever puzzles, it kept us hooked for weeks. At times, we’d hit pause, just to take in what was unfolding in front of us. Pure gaming bliss, what an experience!
The same goes for Absolum: an absolute banger of a co-op action game, made richer by its roguelike mechanics. More modern retro goodness for us to appreciate and enjoy… at least until the next wave hits this year.
So yes, anything that gets me playing with my daughter — bridging gaming generations – and watching her get better and better at it, will always be a big winner for me.
