The Rogueies: Alice's Choice
The winner of the Rogueie for Alice's Choice
Looking back at the release calendar for the past 12 months was a particularly unsettling lesson in how time is a flat circle, as 2025 was full of games we all forgot came out this year, myself included. While many of my nominations for this year's Rogueies were fortunate enough to survive our rigorous selection process, my list of personal favorites is mostly going to be full of titles I chose that didn't make the cut.
In no particular order, here are some of the other things that gobbled up the lion's share of my free time in 2025.
System Shock 2: 25th anniversary edition
I’m one of those people who’ve played System Shock 2 so much that I’m arguably more familiar with the decks of the Von Braun than some areas of my own neighborhood. While I would’ve preferred something closer to Nightdive’s gut renovation of the original System Shock from 2023, the developer has once again turned a title that was a little rough around the edges into the definitive way to experience this classic FPS/Survival horror game.
While the 25th anniversary edition is the result of some phenomenal work from Nightdive, it’s also a testament to the dedicated efforts of the System Shock 2 modding community, which has supported the game with patches and improvements for over 25 years.
I’ve played through System Shock 2 more times than I can count, but I was still blown away by how often the game was able to illicit a quick jump scare or feel genuinely unsettling, and the small touches added by Nightdive were all welcome additions to the experience. If you’ve never had the opportunity to play System Shock 2, you won’t find a better way to play this slick, influential, and incredibly atmospheric title.
Commandos: Origins
Following the untimely demise of Mimimi Games in 2023, I was worried that we’d be met with a drought of stealth strategy titles. However, Kalypso Media showed up with Commandos: Origins, delivering an excellent revival of the title that arguably popularized the genre.
Commandos: Origins applies many of the lessons and improvements that Mimimi brought to the genre, streamlining the more frustrating elements while retaining the complex tactical puzzles that make the genre so engaging.
There are only a dozen or so missions in Origins, but each level feels like a massive and immaculately detailed diorama where each patrol, sentry, and guard post presents a unique knot for you to unravel. While there’s plenty of trial and error involved, there’s no beating that feeling when your plan finally comes together, and your commandos are operating like a well-oiled machine of professional killers.
Two Point Museum
The former Bullfrogs at Two Point Studios have done it again, this time applying their own Aardman-esque humor and style to the archeological-industrial complex. If you’ve played Two Point’s previous titles, you know what to expect, but I’m not complaining. I’ve lost countless afternoons decorating and optimizing my various museums as I attempt to assemble a pristine collection of antiquities for throngs of guests to gawk at.
News Tower
Finally, a game that captures the romanticism of early-mid-century American print journalism! While News Tower is full of the usual logistics involved with your usual business sim, the real meat of this game draws from how you structure the newspaper you print each week. In addition to printing stories to help expand your base of subscribers, you’ll also be forced to make decisions catering to different municipal organizations if you’re ever going to eke out a living in this cutthroat town.
While there are plenty of generic beats to cover, News Tower also features multiple real-world stories that break on a weekly basis. This means each edition was full of interesting decisions that constantly put my journalistic integrity in mortal peril. I know the mob is going to break my kneecaps if I don’t publish this fluff piece, but I just had a breaking story land on my desk, and our readers deserve to know that the feds just indicted Al Capone.
If you love print journalism, history, or just charming business sims, News Tower deserves your attention.
Wheel World
Outside of playing video games, riding bikes is my other great passion. While Pro Cycling Manager has been a fairly popular annual release, there aren't many games that really capture the romanticism and general vibes of bike riding. I don't think any game will ever accurately replicate those feelings, but Wheel World gets pretty damn close.
Wheel World is a fairly simple, open-world cycling game where you compete against other cyclists in crits or other ad-hoc races against people with names like Jim Bigring, which are all cheeky nods to cycling culture. And, much like real cycling, the entire affair is a mechanical effort, you'll pump buttons to struggle your way up a hill before shifting up gears to load your bike up with power as you bomb your way down.
There's plenty to explore and do on the various pastel-tinted islands that make up Wheel World. So, if you're looking for a casual racing game with a slightly different vibe, maybe give it a try.
Cataclismo
I never expected one of the best strategy games I played this year to be part RTS, part tower defense, and part Lego. Assembled by Digital Sun, the developers responsible for Moonlighter, Cataclismo is a post-apocalyptic medieval castle builder where you literally build your defenses brick by brick. While there are plenty of impressive pre-fab options shared by players on the Steam Workshop, it's extremely easy to lose hours putting together your ideal stronghold.
Cataclismo lives at the intersection of tactics and creativity. While you can technically build out your defenses however you’d like, the game quickly teaches you that the strongest walls are built on sound architectural principles. Your build also plays into your choice of units. While archers excel atop high walls, you’ll also need lower redoubts to buff your grenadiers. And before you know it, you’re using words like “redoubt” and looking up old Scottish castles on Pinterest.
Warhammer 40K Dawn of War: Definitive Edition
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War is the game that introduced me to Warhammer 40K as a setting, and I’ve never looked back. The Definitive Edition that came out this year is the ideal way to experience this RTS on modern systems, thanks to its myriad quality of life improvements, including support for some of the most ridiculous mods the Dawn of War community has summoned over the years.
With a total of nine playable races and four single-player campaigns that rival the quality and balance of many contemporary RTS titles, Dawn of War Definitive Edition is a testament to the strength of the gameplay established by Relic back in 2004. The RTS was never dead, for only in death does duty end.
Tempest Rising
Given the current state of EA and the Command & Conquer license in general, it's unclear whether we’ll ever see another mainline entry in this franchise. But this year, we got the next best thing with Tempest Rising. A fast-paced, micro-heavy RTS with an awesome soundtrack featuring tracks by the legendary Frank Klepacki of C&C fame.
While I’ll continue to hold my breath for a remastered version of Tiberian Sun or Red Alert 2, Tempest Rising fills the need for a modern, original RTS quite nicely.
In addition to a healthy multiplayer scene that’s been receiving regular attention from the developers, Tempest Rising includes a pair of substantial single-player campaigns that echo some of the best RTS titles ever made.
