Kinda Funny Gamescast – Andy and Barrett’s Top 10 Games of 2025

Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Andy Cortez and Barrett
Special Mentions: Lucy James

Episode Overview

In this episode of Kinda Funny Gamescast, Andy Cortez and Barrett break down their individual Top 10 Games of 2025. Their discussions delve into what made each title stand out, from innovative gameplay to emotional storytelling, surprising indie darlings, long-anticipated blockbusters, and the occasional debate over DLC eligibility. Expect lively banter, inside jokes, and insightful critique apt for anyone passionate about games of all scales and genres.

Key Highlights by Segment

Setting the Stage – Reflecting on Rankings & Methodology

• [03:20] Barrett: Describes using Game Track to log and refine his top games throughout the year, whittling down to a final Top 10 after months of play and deliberation.
• [03:39] Andy: Wishes for better backlog tools and remarks on the helpfulness of “This or That” head-to-head ranking systems.

Andy’s 15–11 Games of 2025 Honorable Mentions

• [06:06] Andy reads off:
  • #15: Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
  • #14: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
  • #13: Blueprints
  • #12: Wu Chong: Fallen Feathers
  • #11: Ghost of Yote

Fun Segment Quote:
Andy ([07:47]): "That's the different game...Never met the black guy in my playthrough. Not sure where he was."
Barrett: "It was, you know, it was additional content."

Barrett and Andy’s Top 10 Games of 2025

10–6 Picks, Deep Dives, and Commentary

#10 –

• Barrett: Hades II
  • Andy has it ranked higher, discussion deferred.
• Andy: Dispatch
  • Barrett has it higher, discussion deferred.

#9 –

• Barrett: Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4
  • Explores whether to count chapters separately or together and justifies the game’s inclusion (“each chapter is like a new entry”).
  • [09:19] Barrett describes the layered narrative:
    "You're going through into different worlds with your friends to stop this crazy plot from happening...it really sings the highs of the wacky Undertale humor that you know and love while also just getting really weird and meta..."
  • Meta storytelling: Chris and the player as separate entities, culminating in a sequence where Chris “rips out” the player’s influence for self-determination – a highlight of Chapter 4.
• Andy: The Alters
  • Praises its blend of mystery, simulation, and resource management as you clone alternate versions of yourself, each from different life decisions.
  • [16:29] Andy:
    "In order to create clones of yourself, you go back to that thing and you go...what if I create an altar from the dude who worked at the AT&T call center who chose that path of life? And now he has a completely different outlook."

#8 –

• Barrett: Dispatch
  • Lauds its Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Office vibe, tight writing, and how its weekly release kept players engaged:
  • [17:47] Barrett:
    "The team being really passionate about...making gameplay that makes sense for the story...is another reason why this is such a standout amongst all the kind of Telltale-like games we've seen."
  • [18:40] Andy:
    “If it weren’t for the sharp comedic writing, I don’t think I would have stuck with it...the dialogue and relationships kept me going.”
• Andy: The King Is Watching
  • Discovering its full release status and succumbing to its city-builder roguelite loop.
  • [23:14] Andy:
    “It’s the experimentation, it’s the not being afraid to experiment. And when you do experiment, you have fun with the new thing and you go, that’s a new thing that I didn’t know I would have liked. And now I’m into that.”

#7 –

• Barrett: Absolum
  • A beat-’em-up roguelike with “Saturday morning cartoon vibes,” elaborate character builds, and a surprisingly deep progression that kept the gameplay fresh:
  • [25:00] Barrett:
    “New pathways, new builds that kept getting introduced...neat secrets everywhere, really cool secrets everywhere. Completely different pathways that I was not expecting.”
• Andy: Doom: The Dark Ages
  • Praises its unapologetic, high-octane violence, artistry, and challenge, especially at higher difficulties:
  • [27:02] Andy:
    “It’s a cacophony of violence and blood and gore and music and I think the thing I liked about it the most was the challenge...It’s kind of like the dream of what a first person shooter should be.”

#6 –

• Barrett: The Seance of Blake Manor
  • A detective game set in 19th-century Ireland, praised for its writing, intricate time/resource management, and subtle supernatural elements.
  • [28:40] Barrett:
    “Turns into kind of like, you know, you’ve got 25 suspects...every action you take takes up one minute...That’s your currency to try to figure it all out.”
• Andy: Hades II
  • Lauds its roguelike mechanics, weapon evolutions, “ARPG thing,” and art style.
  • Critical of the story and ending compared to the first Hades, but describes it as possibly his “favorite roguelite ever.”
  • [32:04] Andy:
    “It’s just so damn masterful. And it’s an example of what can happen when a studio has a vision and...gets ideas from the fan base...when it comes out, it’s going to be one of the best video games ever.”

5–1: The Elite Games & Passionate Endorsements

#5 –

• Barrett: Unbeatable
  • Rhythm-adventure with a twist: the story isn’t just about protest, but also the main character’s grief and rediscovery of passion for music.
  • [45:43] Barrett:
    “She was my world and I don’t even think about her anymore,”—a line that “ripped my heart out.”
  • Arcade rhythm mode highlighted as “so fun, so addicting...it scratches that Guitar Hero itch.”
• Andy: Elden Ring: Night Rain
  • For the third year in a row, Elden Ring makes Andy’s list thanks to new DLC keeping the game “crazy addictive.”
  • [47:03] Andy:
    “The DLC drop got me not only got me back into the game, but got me kind of re addicted in a big way...some of the boss fights you experience in this are some of the best in fromsoft.”

#4 –

• Andy: Citizen Sleeper: Starward Vector
  • “Best writing you’ll experience in games,” mixing narrative tension and dice-based mechanics.
  • [49:31] Andy:
    “Who are you gonna free? Should you really trust that dude who’s wanting to be in your crew? There’s just a lot of amazing stuff in Citizen Sleeper 2.”
  • Barrett chimes in it feels like "Baby’s first D&D campaign" in the best way.
• Barrett: (Also Citizen Sleeper 2, discussion merged above.)

#3 –

• Andy: Lies of P: Overture DLC
  • “Best soulslike you can play out there. Not even close.”
  • Praises narrative “not as obtuse as you would expect from a soulslike,” emotionally moving sidequests, and challenging boss fights.
  • [52:36] Andy:
    “The story here, the sidequests here had me crying, had me tearing up on stream, covering up my tears cause I’m tough as s---, right?”
• Barrett: Blueprints
  • Unexpected favorite: combines comforting and unnerving exploration with ever-evolving puzzles.
  • [52:36] Barrett:
    “Something that feels so like comforting about it but also like unnerving at the same time...never made a run feel like a waste of time.”

#2 –

• Andy: Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Touts every aspect: "the total package," with memorable bosses and a sense of “combat as ballet.”
  • [55:48] Andy:
    “It’s got no weaknesses and it’s the game that, that I think ultimately made me put Hades II a little bit lower as well because by the end of my Hades II experience, I’m thinking about any bosses that I truly love and I just, I didn’t."
• Barrett: Hollow Knight: Silksong (Game of the Year)
  • Praises the “flow state of combat,” especially the Carmelita boss fight.
  • [54:57] Barrett:
    “The gameplay and the combat really feeling like a dance and in ways feeling like a ballet...That was like kind of one of the true moments of ‘oh man, now I get it.’”

#1 –

• Andy: Expedition 33
  • All-around excellence noted in story, twists, combat, and world. Unashamed superfan:
  • [57:51] Andy:
    "We're talking LeBron here. We're not talking...Anthony Davis. Like, really, really good player. We're talking like this is one that we will remember until the end of time."
• Barrett: Expedition 33 (#3)
  • Liked the post-game content, unique "pictos" system (character skills/styles), and how it stacks up favorably even against Persona-like games.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Meta Commentary on DLC, 'Chapters', and Indie Games:
  • [12:34] Andy:
    "If it's chunky enough content that feels fulfilling, it's like I gotta recognize this. I'm not gonna not recognize."
• Passionate Endorsement for Citizen Sleeper:
  • [50:41] Andy:
    "I got an ending that I'm like, I don't ever want to replay this again, because...that was the ending."
• Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Dance of Combat:
  • [54:57] Barrett:
    “That really clicked for me...which I thought is so, so cool. So yeah, Hollow Knight Silk Song, it is truly—it’s an all timer for me, not just for this year.”

Final Thoughts and Community Q&A

• [59:11] Barrett: Proudly states his entire top 10 is indie games.
• [59:53] Andy & Barrett: Respond to superchat about ranking Silk Song vs. Blueprints or Expedition 33; neither found it especially hard, citing powerful gaming moments that cemented their choices.
• Both encourage listeners to check out the Game of the Year episode for deeper discussion.

Recap Table: Top Games Rankings

| Rank | Andy Cortez | Barrett | |------|----------------------------|-----------------------------| | 1 | Expedition 33 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | | 2 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | Blueprints | | 3 | Lies of P: Overture DLC | Citizen Sleeper 2 | | 4 | Citizen Sleeper 2 | Dispatch | | 5 | Elden Ring: Night Rain | Unbeatable | | 6 | Hades 2 | The Seance of Blake Manor | | 7 | Doom: The Dark Ages | Absolum | | 8 | The King Is Watching | Dispatch | | 9 | The Alters | Deltarune Ch. 3 & 4 | | 10 | Dispatch | Hades 2 |

(Mentioned: Andy #15–11 – Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Blueprints, Wu Chong: Fallen Feathers, Ghost of Yote)

Tone and Language

• Relaxed, fun, passionate—matches the hosts’ personalities and the Kinda Funny brand.
• Frequent side-banter, inside references, and self-deprecating humor.
• Streamlined, direct discussion of games—advice-driven, with special attention to the emotional impact of the narrative.

For listeners: This episode is a love letter to gaming in 2025—unpacking what’s good, bad, and memorable, from the biggest releases to the smallest indie surprises. If you missed this year in games, there's plenty of gems to add to your backlog thanks to Andy and Barrett’s infectious enthusiasm and discerning tastes.