We’re in the midst of the awards season, and our staff at Twisted Voxel has put together our list of Best of 2025 Xbox titles.
2025 has been a lukewarm year for the Xbox consoles, with few major console exclusive first-party and third-party titles from Microsoft. For our list, we’ve focused on ranking the 5 best releases that could only be experienced on Xbox consoles in the year 2025.
5. Grounded 2 (Early Access Preview)
While still in Early Access Preview, Grounded 2 makes its place on this list by showing plenty of potential as a sequel that understands what worked and what didn’t in the original survival game. The game features expanded systems, deeper survival mechanics, and a more reactive backyard ecosystem, all while preserving the charm and accessibility of Grounded. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it brings worthwhile refinements such as the addition of Buggies, which offer new mobility and combat options.
4. South of Midnight
South of Midnight earns its place on this list via its sheer atmosphere and thematic ambition. Compulsion Games has crafted a haunting, magical realist tale inspired by Southern Gothic folklore, tackling grief, memory, and marginalized voices with sincerity. While its combat systems are admittedly simple and sometimes repetitive, the game’s art direction, stop-motion-inspired animation, and exceptional musical score elevate the experience. Hazel’s journey through the swamps of Mississippi is less about mechanical mastery and more about emotional resonance.
3. Routine
Routine delivers a unique, chilling, and slow-burn sci-fi horror experience. Its retro-futuristic moonbase setting, oppressive sound design, and deliberate pacing prioritize tension over spectacle. The game thrives on vulnerability and uncertainty, forcing players to explore hostile spaces with limited tools and information. It’s a reminder that horror doesn’t need excess. It needs control, confidence, and atmosphere, and Routine excels in all three areas.
2. Keeper
Double Fine’s wordless, linear adventure transforms a simple premise i.e. playing as a fallen lighthouse, into an emotionally resonant journey. With minimal mechanics focused on light and movement, Keeper exemplifies the philosophy of “less is more.” Its puzzles may be straightforward, but its true triumph lies in audiovisual storytelling, imaginative environments, and a constant sense of discovery. It’s a game that trusts the player to feel rather than be told, and that confidence makes it one of the year’s most distinctive experiences.
1. Avowed
Avowed stands as the best Xbox console exclusive of the year by delivering a role-playing experience rooted in rich world-building and player choice. Its strength lies in how it blends narrative reactivity, meaningful faction dynamics, and flexible combat systems without overwhelming the player. Rather than chasing sheer scale, Avowed focuses on density of storytelling, consequences, and handcrafted environments, resulting in an action role-playing game that feels deliberate, immersive, and unmistakably Obsidian’s.
