At every turn, enthusiasts are eagerly sharing their selections of the best games of 2025. However, what of the stinkers, the failures? It's time to take a few moments to recognize the absolute worst games of the year, based on review aggregator Metacritic. Could each of these games truly as terrible as their scores suggest? Let's find out.
10. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Metascore: 54/100, Audience Score: 3.4/10
First impressions to this showcase title 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 somewhat forgiving appraisals that praised the polished software itself. Despite the controversy, the title proved to be a surprisingly robust digital seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "beyond a racing game," this driving sim from Competition Company and Teyon garnered pretty unanimous reviews. Reviews pointed out that the game felt unfinished in nearly every way, especially in a year featuring high-quality racing titles. In the eyes of critics, this disappointing sim was best left on the shelf.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Aggregate Score: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
Before we start: the confusing punctuation is a silly strike against it. This anthology of 1990s-era Bubsy titles revives a sarcastic feline known for non-stop hacky one-liners. Reviewers noted that these games were not good to begin with and feel dated with age. The improbably high user score stands as a curious contrast to the critical reception.
7. Nen x Impact
Metascore: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighting game was met with widespread disappointment from both critics and fans. Complaints centered on a small roster of characters and a dearth of features. Player sentiment was notably negative, with some voicing a desire that the title's poor performance would have consequences for the developers.
6. Riders Vs Dogoos
Aggregate Score: 51, Audience Score: 5.3
Hailing from the anime-style Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this bike-riding title tasks players with collecting Dogoos. Reviewers felt that its effort to recreate a unique experience ultimately fell flat, coming across as more of a cash grab than a meaningful addition to the franchise. Its 3-hour duration combined with a $40 price tag raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Metascore: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a piece of lost media from the mid-2000s, launched after years and years in development hell. The publishers made the decision to keep the game as an period-accurate artifact of its time, accepting that contemporary players might dislike its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews remarked that the fascinating story of its resurrection was far richer than the actual gameplay.
4. Salvation
Aggregate Score: 44, User Score: 2.4
This anime-styled action game inspired by games like *Returnal* fell flat with critics. Common complaints centered on repetitive adversaries, repetitive levels, and a snoozy narrative. A controversial mechanic involving the character's attire was universally disliked and undermined the game's overall experience.
3. Ambulance Life
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Think of the tense medical sims of the past, then take out the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the core gameplay loop to be monotonous, and the treatment of serious themes was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed largely unsatisfying.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Aggregate Score: 43, Audience 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 repetitive tasks that quickly overstayed its welcome. Some reviews went so far as to label it one of the lowest-quality titles available on its platform, citing a dearth of engaging content.
1. MindsEye
Metascore: 37, Audience Score: 2.5
Positioned as a blockbuster crime saga from a ex-Rockstar veteran's well-known figures, *MindsEye* was a notable critical flop. Reviews savaged its poor shooting mechanics, uninspired storytelling, and a plethora of technical problems. Several found it to be a downgrade compared to decades-old games in the same genre. Despite the sea of negativity, a tiny number of optimistic players found value in the experience, serving as a rare vote of confidence.
