Most Innovative Game of 2025 - Article
by Mark Nielsen , posted on 21 January 2026 / 2,475 Views
One relatively common complaint among gamers is that developers stick to the same formula and games, be it in the form of remakes or remasters, and as much as a remake or remaster of the right game at the right time can turn out to be incredible, it's not difficult to see why people feel that way given just how many of them there are. Even within the world of full sequels many end up playing it so safe that you need to slap a different year on the box to tell the difference - and some actually do. The games featured in this article are essentially the opposite of that; they're the ones that are not only something fresh from the developer, but to a large extent feature things we haven't seen at all before in the world of games.
The Shortlist:
Blue Prince
Sword of the Sea
Donkey Kong Bananza
Dispatch
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
The Runner-Up:
Blue Prince
Indie game often push the boundaries of game innovation, and this year the big, critically-acclaimed sleeper hit in that regard was Blue Prince, a puzzle title that challenges you to traverse a mansion that's being constructed as you progress. It's certainly a fitting runner-up for this category, as it reinvents the adventure genre by letting you create the space you're going explore yourself in order to eventually reach your ultimate goal. I wish I had a mansion like that.
The Winner:
Donkey Kong Bananza
For the second time in a row Nintendo ends up in the top two for the Most Innovative award, and with the streak it's been on lately in that regard it's not hard to see why. Donkey Kong Bananza was the big game on Switch 2 to showcase Nintendo's penchant for pushing things forward rather than delivering an ordinary sequel. It boasts a novel concept, destructible environments that allow you to make your own paths, and you can even swing the ground around as a weapon. DK is back and, as foretold, he is indeed bigger, faster, and stronger in every respect.
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Hooray DK!
For those wondering The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was Nintendo’s runner-up entry in last year’s awards for this category.
Ninty doesn't deserve anything for last years fiasco
They deserve trash
It's nice to have an article in this series without Clair Generative: AI 33.
