This week on the Cheesy Controller Podcast, the crew gathers to crown their Game of the Year for 2025, break down their personal Top 3 lists, and debate which titles truly defined their year in gaming. Before diving into the big awards, they also take time to celebrate the Best Old Games they played in 2025 — shout-outs go to Spider-Man 2, Mega Man 11, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Stardew Valley, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Marvel Rivals, and Slay the Spire — proving that great games never really age. The hosts also run through a stacked list of Honorable Mentions including Lumines Arise, Hades 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Sword of the Sea, Chronos, Ghost of Yōtei, Sworn, and even a nostalgic nod to Oblivion.

From there, the competition heats up as everyone reveals their personal rankings. Anton’s Top 3 features Pokémon Legends ZA in the top spot, followed by Death Stranding 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds. Chris champions horror and atmosphere with Silent Hill f, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and South of Midnight. Madrid doubles down on Expedition 33 as his number one, with Hades 2 and Rematch rounding things out, while Jalen leads with Digimon Story: Time Stranger, backed by MegaBonk and Hades 2. After tallying the community point system, the final results reveal Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the overall crown with 5 points, followed closely by Hades 2, Pokémon Legends ZA, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, and Silent Hill f all tying strong at 3 points each. It’s a packed episode full of passionate debates, surprising overlaps, and a clear reminder that 2025 was an incredible year to be a gamer. 🧀🎮