The 2025 Essentials: The Best Games NOT On Xbox

2025 has been a truly remarkable year for video games, delivering landmark titles across every conceivable genre.

Yet, as we look back on the last twelve months, a compelling narrative emerges. Whilst the Xbox ecosystem certainly had its share of hits, some of the year’s most talked-about, critically-acclaimed, and culturally significant experiences shared one common trait: they weren’t available on an Xbox console, at least not until the ROG Ally X popped up to combine our gaming libraries like never before.

From the staggering cinematic achievements on the PlayStation 5 to the masterful new adventures that christened Nintendo’s new hardware, and the unmissable, slightly weird, little indies that are dominating the PC (seriously, have you seen the sheer number of games that are released on Steam?), 2025 was a year that powerfully rewarded those playing elsewhere.

This is our celebration of those essential titles – the games that defined the year, all without ever gracing the Xbox platform.

Of course, if you are one of those who only plays on Xbox, you’d do well to check out our ‘Elite Eleven: Our Xbox Games of the Year 2025’ article.

---

Roulette Hero

(PC)

Mixing the addictive loop of Luck Be A Landlord with the tactical depth of Slay the Spire, Roulette Hero is a strategic roguelike deckbuilder that replaces cards with animals. 

Your task is to assemble a dream team of companions on a roulette wheel to take down massive mechanical beasts. With 13 animal types and over 100 power-up cartridges, the synergies are endless; and that means a game that will draw away the hours.

Every pull of the lever feels like a high-stakes gamble; one spin could trigger a devastating chain reaction that wipes the board, while the next might leave you desperately scrambling for a comeback. 

With various difficulty levels to conquer, Roulette Hero is a “just one more spin” experience that remains a painful omission from the Xbox library.

---

Birdigo

(PC)

Created by John August and Corey Martin, Birdigo is a gorgeous mashup of Wordle and Balatro. 

This deckbuilder tasks you with guiding a flock of adorable birds on a global migration. You aren’t just spelling words; you’re building a deck of letters to generate ‘flaps’ – the energy required to reach the next destination. 

Longer words naturally score higher, but the real magic lies in using enchanted feathers and mysterious songs to trigger massive combos that turn simple three-letter words into powerhouses. 

As the distance increases each round, the roguelike pressure builds, making every letter played a vital step toward safety. It’s a smart, stylish, and incredibly polished word game. 

We would love to play Birdigo on Xbox. 

---

Word Play

(PC)

We nearly skipped Word Play because it shares a branch with the excellent Birdigo, but this brain-busting spelling game earned its spot through sheer variety – and the fact we wasted hours on it over the summer months. 

It’s a roguelike where you get to change the rules of the language as you go. By clearing rounds, you unlock over perks; modifiers that add more tile spaces and more, all as you look to skyrocket your score. 

You have to manage your total number of “Plays” carefully, as running out means starting your run from scratch. With custom dictionary support and a Marathon mode for the truly dedicated, it provides a deeper, more mechanical take on the genre that keeps us glued to our monitors.

And Word Play is from Game Maker’s Toolkit, they behind Mind Over Magnet – and that means they know exactly what the Xbox audience is after. 

---

The King is Watching

(PC)

In The King is Watching, your literal gaze is the most valuable resource in the kingdom. 

This roguelite builder operates on a unique premise: your peasants, miners, and knights only work when you are looking at them. Turn your back, and they’ll immediately start slacking. 

This forces a frantic, strategic balancing act as you decide whether to focus on the fields for food, the mines for silver, or the barracks for defense. Every run offers new trials, from cursed cemeteries to infernal depths, and permanent upgrades ensure you evolve with every defeat. 

It’s a clever, humorous twist on the strategy genre that makes being an all-seeing ruler feel both powerful and delightfully stressful.

---

Cast n Chill

(PC)

Cast n Chill is the ultimate “second monitor” game, a cozy fishing experience that balances active play with idle progression. 

You explore 16 serene spots, from lazy lakes to salty oceans, accompanied by a loyal four-legged friend who helps you spot the big ones. Whether you’re manually reeling in one of the various species or letting the game run in Passive Mode while you handle other tasks, the loop is incredibly relaxing. 

Catching one of the 16 legendary fish – the kind they tell stories about at ol’ Rusty’s bait shop – is a genuine thrill. 

It’s a laid-back, beautiful title that we love on PC via Steam, even if we’re still debating whether its idle nature would translate to a traditional console setup. We’d certainly be up for giving it a go. You never know, it may have enough about it to find a spot in our best fishing games article. 

---

Hades II

(PC)

Supergiant Games’ first-ever sequel builds on a masterpiece, and somehow, Hades II is even better. 

In Hades II you must master dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time. When we reviewed the original Hades on Xbox, we gave it a 5/5, calling it a “thrilling achievement” that we would return to for years. 

Hades II takes that god-like foundation and expands it with a deeper witchcraft system, stunning hand-painted environments, and an electrifying new score. 

Exploring the surface and the deepest reaches of the Underworld feels smoother than ever, and the new cast provides nearly limitless ways to build your abilities. 

It’s the benchmark for the genre and the one game any exclusive Xbox player is no doubt eyeing with envy.

---

MegaBonk

(PC)

Could we have this list without including MegaBonk?

If you’ve ever wanted to feel absurdly powerful, MegaBonk is the answer. 

This roguelike survival game pits you against endless waves of creatures in a fight to see how long you can last. Picking up XP drops allows you to level up and choose random upgrades, each run becoming unique based on the rarity of your loot. 

With 20 characters featuring distinct abilities and over 70 items with complex synergies, the build potential is staggering. It’s fast, frantic, and filled with 240 in-game quests that keep the overpowered dopamine hits coming. 

It’s a pure arcade-style riot that we desperately wish we could play from the comfort of the sofa. Surely that wish will come true soon?

---

Skate Story

(PS5, Switch, PC)

A late entry, but Skate Story is a game we’ve fallen for. BIG TIME!

In Skate Story, you are a demon made of glass and pain, and your only hope for freedom is to skate to the Moon and swallow it. Simple, huh!?

This stylish adventure takes you through the layers of the Underworld, where you must destroy vicious demons by performing perfect kickflips and grinds. With over 70 tricks to master and a psychedelic soundtrack by Blood Cultures, the game is a hypnotic, sensory feast. 

It’s easily one of the most visually striking games of the year, making it a massive win for PlayStation, Switch and PC players. And a loss for us on Xbox. 

---

Ghost of Yōtei

(PS5)

Set 300 years after the events of the beloved Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei is a breathtaking standalone epic. 

You play as Atsu, a lone mercenary in the 1600s hunting a gang of six outlaws across the rugged, snowy ridges and wildflower fields of northern Japan. 

The power of the PS5 shines here, with lightning-fast loads and stunning 3D spatial audio that immerses you in the Ezo wilderness. Combat feels visceral thanks to the DualSense’s haptic feedback, making every katana strike and arrow release feel tactile. 

It’s a bold new story of revenge and redemption that proves Sucker Punch are the masters of the modern open-world samurai (and shinobi) adventure.

---

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

(PS5)

Hideo Kojima returns to his unique world of “connection” with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. 

Set eleven months after the first game, Sam Porter Bridges embarks on a new mission to save humanity from extinction in an unknown wilderness. 

When we reviewed the Director’s Cut of the original Death Stranding on Xbox, we gave it a 4.5/5, noting that while it isn’t for everyone, it is a “truly unique treat.” 

The sequel evolves the action with more flexible traversal and actions that ripple into other players’ worlds. It’s a haunting, cinematic journey that asks a difficult question: Should we have connected? 

It’s exactly the kind of off-the-walls storytelling that only Kojima can deliver.

---

Baby Steps

(PS5, PC)

We had to be talked into including Baby Steps, for – personally – we’re not totally sold. But other members of the TXH team are. 

Baby Steps is the world’s first literal walking simulator, and it is as hilarious as it is frustrating. 

You play as a hapless “failson” who must learn the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. The game features fully simulated physics-based walking where you control each leg individually, leading to countless wobbly tumbles as you attempt to hike up a mist-shrouded mountain. 

Accompanied by a dynamic soundtrack that reacts to your every misstep, it’s a rib-tickling adventure, but a weird, physics-driven delight.

---

Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots

(PC, PS5)

We LOVE golf games and the beloved golf series has returned to the fairway with Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots on both PC and PlayStation.

It brings back the classic three-click control system that is simple, intuitive, and dangerously addictive. 

Whether you’re climbing the ranks in Challenge Mode or playing a round with friends, the charm is undeniable. It features a host of colourful characters and beautiful courses that look fantastic on modern hardware. 

With local multiplayer for up to four players and a robust online mode, it’s the perfect social game. It’s a reminder that sometimes, simple and fun is all you need. 

We just wish we could “par-tee” on Xbox as well!

---

A Year Beyond Xbox

While our Xbox consoles have been working overtime this year, there’s no denying that the broader gaming landscape has been incredibly fertile. 

These games represent the diversity and creative spirit of 2025. Whether it’s the cinematic grandeur of Ghost of Yōtei or the quirky, wordy brilliance of Birdigo, these are the essentials that defined the year for us, as we – occasionally – ventured outside Microsoft’s system. And that’s without even mentioning the joys found in the VR space. 

Here’s hoping that by this time next year, some of these wishes might just find their way to an Xbox dashboard! We got a few right at the start of the year…

Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Have we missed some must-players from other systems?