The Worst Games of the Year 2025, According to Metacritic

At every turn, enthusiasts are foaming at the mouth to post their selections of the best releases of 2025. But what about the flops, the failures? It's time to take a momentary detour to honor the most panned games of the year, based on review aggregator Metacritic. Are all of these games truly as terrible as the reviews suggest? We shall see.

10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour

Aggregate Score: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10

The early response to this tech demo were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many feeling cheesed off it wasn't a bundled game like competing console launches. Critical opinion was quite mixed, from harsh disappointment to more generous reviews that highlighted the charming software underneath the controversy. In spite of the controversy, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust digital seller during its launch month.

9. Rennsport

Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 3.2/10

Marketed as "beyond a racing game," this driving sim from studios in Germany and Poland received pretty unanimous reviews. Critics noted that the game fell short in key areas, especially in a year packed with stellar racing titles. In the eyes of critics, this sputtering stinker was advised to be left in the garage.

8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection

Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 8.6/10

Before we start: the irritating punctuation is a silly strike against it. This anthology of retro mascot platformers showcases a rude feline known for constant quips. The consensus was that these games haven't aged well in their time and feel dated with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a peculiar contrast to the professional reviews.

7. Hunter x Hunter Fighting Game

Metascore: 53, User Score: 3.5

This anime-inspired fighting game encountered widespread disappointment from both professionals and players. Issues included a limited fighter lineup and a severe lack of gameplay modes. Fan reaction was particularly negative, with some stating a desire that the title's poor performance would serve as a lesson for the developers.

6. Neptunia Riders Vs Dogoos

Metascore: 51, Audience Score: 5.3

A part of the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with collecting Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its goal to channel a *Katamari Damacy*-like experience ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a meaningful Neptunia game. Its short length combined with a $40 price tag was criticized.

5. Captain Blood

Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3

This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, seeing the light of day after years and years in legal limbo. The developers made the decision to preserve the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, acknowledging that modern gamers might not appreciate its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews concluded that the tale of its journey was more compelling than the actual gameplay.

4. Salvation

Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 2.4

This anime-art third-person shooter modeled after games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Frequent criticisms were bland enemy design, monotonous stage design, and a snoozy narrative. A particular feature involving the character's attire was universally disliked and took away from the game's enjoyment.

3. Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator

Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 4.9

Think of the strategic medical sims of the past, then remove the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is essentially *Ambulance Life*. Critics found the core gameplay loop to be tedious and repetitive, and the story's portrayal of serious themes was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.

2. Tamagotchi Plaza

Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8

This departure from the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a minigame collection title. The result, per critics, was a unsatisfying series of simple minigames that very soon became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, noting a profound lack of satisfying gameplay.

1. MindsEye

Metascore: 37, User Score: 2.5

Arriving as a blockbuster GTA-style title from a studio led by experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a notable commercial failure. Reviews universally panned its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a host of horrendous bugs. Many found it to be a significant step back compared to decades-old games in the same genre. Among the sea of negativity, a few of optimistic players found value in the experience, serving as a lonely counterpoint.