Christmas shopping can be difficult if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to give money or a gift card to a gamer. If they haven’t told you what game to grab for them, then that can make things even tougher, especially when you consider games that are digital only. With that in mind, here is a list of the ten best video games you can give as a Christmas gift this year.
10. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you are looking for the most celebrated game of 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is your choice for any adult who hasn’t played it yet. It won the most awards in one night at The Game Awards, including Game of the Year, and has been highly praised all year long.
In this world, there is an event called the Gommage, where a number is painted by the Paintress, and anyone over that age instantly fades away into nothingness. You play as a group of expeditioners who work through a perilous world, fighting monsters in turn-based combat to take on the Paintress and stop her from continuing to wipe everyone from existence. Whatever you do, do not look up spoilers for this game, as the story is a big reason why people love this so much. It will hit hard while delivering a beautiful world.
9. Mario Kart World
For anyone who has made the jump this year to the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World is an easy choice to give as a gift, provided they haven’t already gotten the game themselves.
Everyone knows what Mario Kart is about, but this time, you are given an open-world setting to drive around to your heart’s content. Races often involve the entire racing group moving to the next track location as well, adding a pretty neat wrinkle to the mix. As a bonus, the music selection here is probably the best of any Mario Kart game yet, which is no small feat. There’s a lot to love here.
8. Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Obviously, Pokemon is a super easy choice for the fan of Pikachu and any other pocket monster. The really nice thing here is that you can buy this on the original Nintendo Switch as well as the Switch 2, so if your gift recipient hasn’t made the jump yet, no worries.
In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, trainers return to Lumiose City, one of the main locations within the Kalos region from Pokemon X and Y, which means the return of mega evolutions. For anyone that played Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the method of catching Pokemon is similar here, where you can sneak up on creatures and throw Pokeballs at them, but battling has been altered to be real-time, not the usual turn-based affair.
7. Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 is a safe choice as one of the best shooter games in 2025, offering many of the large-scale battles the series is known for. The campaign inside isn’t anything special, but if the person you are buying for is a fan of online multiplayer games, they likely have had their eyes on Battlefield at least at some point.
The whole selling point of Battlefield 6 is that it offers large lobbies for tons of players to be in at once, with two teams of 32 fighting over objectives or just looking to take each other out as quickly as possible. If you have played a Battlefield game in the past, you know what’s in place here, but some love the simplicity of going back to a favorite.
6. The Usual Sports Game
There are too many sports games that get yearly releases to leave them as their own entry, so we’re throwing them all together here. If your gift receiver is a fan of football, soccer, baseball, or basketball and hasn’t gotten their annual game, be sure to look for the latest release of Madden, EA Sports College Football, EA Sports FC, MLB The Show, and NBA 2K.
5. LEGO Party
If you are buying for a kid, or maybe a family, you might want to consider LEGO Party. If you have ever heard of Mario Party, it is essentially that, but with LEGO figures. Four players take turns moving around spaces on a board and compete against each other in mini-games to eventually find an overall winner.
There haven’t been many games that have been able to properly make a game that stands toe-to-toe with Mario Party, but LEGO has hit that mark in 2025, showing just how much of a resurgence the brand is having in video games lately. While this can be a good choice for anyone, it’s particularly good for someone who is going to play with family or friends.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Like sports games, there is always a new Call of Duty to look into around the holidays. In the case of Black Ops 7, things are a little more love-it-or-hate-it, but many people find enjoyment in the annual release of this military shooter even today.
If your gift receiver is a particular fan of Black Ops 2, which was released back in 2012, you might want to consider grabbing them this just to see if they can find that joy again. Between the multiplayer and zombies modes, people seem to overall like it. Just maybe advise them to skip the single-player campaign.
3. Donkey Kong Bananza
Another entry for the person who has made the jump to the Nintendo Switch 2: Donkey Kong Bananza has you taking control of the big ape as he punches his way through anything that gets in his way. You’ll often be terraforming large areas of land, just completely tearing everything up to get to your objective.
Donkey Kong Bananza brings in many of the classic characters from DK’s past and adds a little Mario Odyssey platforming magic to the list to make it a fun romp as you work your way down to the Earth’s core. There’s a lot to enjoy for long-time fans.
2. Hades 2
Hades 2 is a follow-up to the original game, which really introduced the roguelike genre to many people in 2020. Playing as Melinoe, you work through the underworld and various cities, fighting various hellish enemies and gathering upgrades to help your current run. Once you die, though, you lose it all and start from the beginning, trying to work up a better build to make it to the end.
Like the original, there are many aspects of this game that deserve praise. The gameplay is smooth, the voice acting is top-notch, and the music and visual style are highly enjoyable to witness.
1. Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in feudal Japan, where the player will swap between two characters: Naoe, a woman who has been training to become an assassin her whole life, and Yasuke, an African warrior who becomes a samurai and is essentially seen as a giant on the field.
The dual gameplay styles here are quite fun to jump between, as Yasuke is an absolute beast with a sword in his hand, and Naoe is for the stealthier crowd. Both come together to deliver an enjoyable adventure that might not be at the height of the series, but it is still a great time that many will enjoy.