Everywhere you look, fans are eagerly sharing their selections of the best games of 2025. But what about the disasters, the underperformers? We'll take a moment to honor the absolute worst games of the year, based on the critical consensus on Metacritic. Are all of these games truly as terrible as the ratings suggest? We shall see.
10. Switch 2's Welcome Tour
Aggregate Score: 54/100, User Score: 3.4/10
The early response to this pack-in experience were shaped by its $9.99 price tag, with many voicing frustration it wasn't a free pack-in like competing console launches. Critical opinion spanned a wide spectrum, from scathing critiques to more generous appraisals that praised the polished software underneath the controversy. In spite of the controversy, the title proved to be a strong seller during its launch month.
9. Rennsport
Metascore: 53/100, Audience Score: 3.2/10
Billed as "not just a racing game," this vroom-vroom title from studios in Germany and Poland received overwhelmingly poor reviews. Critics noted that the game fell short in nearly every way, especially in a year featuring excellent racing titles. For many, this sputtering stinker was better off left in the garage.
8. The Purrfect Bubsy Collection
Metascore: 53/100, User Score: 8.6/10
To begin with: the confusing title grammar is a notable point of contention. This compilation of retro platforming games revives a "attitude"-filled feline known for constant hacky one-liners. The consensus was that these games were not good originally and have not improved with age. The surprisingly strong user score stands as a curious oddity to the professional reviews.
7. Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact
Aggregate Score: 53, Audience Score: 3.5
This manga-based fighter was met with significant backlash from both critics and fans. Issues included a limited roster of characters and a minimal offering of content. Fan reaction was particularly harsh, with some voicing a desire that the title's poor performance would be a warning for similar releases.
6. Neptunia Motorcycle Game
Aggregate Score: 51, User Score: 5.3
Hailing from the quirky Hyperdimension Neptunia series, this vehicle combat game tasks players with rounding up slime-like creatures. Reviewers felt that its effort to channel a unique experience was unsuccessful, coming across as more of a low-effort product than a worthy Neptunia game. Its brief runtime combined with a premium price raised eyebrows.
5. Captain Blood
Aggregate Score: 50, User Score: 5.3
This title is a resurrected relic from the past, seeing the light of day after a very long time in legal limbo. The team behind it consciously chose to release the game as an period-accurate experience of its time, accepting that today's audiences might not appreciate its old-school mechanics. As such, many reviews remarked that the tale of its resurrection was more interesting than the actual gameplay.
4. Scar-Lead
Metascore: 44, Audience Score: 2.4
This anime-art roguelike shooter drawing from games like *Returnal* disappointed with critics. The main issues included repetitive adversaries, repetitive levels, and a unengaging plot. A particular feature involving the protagonist's clothing was universally disliked and detracted from the game's enjoyment.
3. Paramedic Simulator
Aggregate Score: 44, Audience Score: 4.9
Imagine the engaging medical sims of the past, then remove the satisfying gameplay. That, according to reviews, is pretty much *Ambulance Life*. Reviewers found the ambulance-driving sequences to be a slog, and the story's portrayal of serious themes was criticized as being poorly executed. The overall experience was deemed a missed opportunity.
2. Tamagotchi Plaza
Metascore: 43, User Score: 5.8
This departure from the classic digital companion formula makes the franchise into a shopping simulation title. The result, based on critics, was a unsatisfying series of simple minigames that quickly became boring. Some reviews went so far as to declare it one of the worst titles available on its platform, noting a complete absence of depth.
1. MindsEye
Aggregate Score: 37, Audience Score: 2.5
Positioned as a blockbuster GTA-style title from a studio led by experienced developers, *MindsEye* was a spectacular critical flop. Reviews heavily criticized its weak action, dull missions, and a plethora of technical problems. Critics found it to be a regression compared to previous-generation games in the action genre. Among the scathing reviews, a tiny number of fans found value in the experience, providing a distinct contrast.
