Top 15 Video Games Released in January 2025: New Year Treats

The gaming calendar has kicked off with an impressive bang this year! January has traditionally been a quieter month for the industry, but 2025 has completely shattered that trend with some truly spectacular titles amongst the video games released in January 2025. As video game enthusiasts across all platforms eagerly dive into what promises to be one of the most exciting years in gaming history, let’s examine the titles that have started the year off with a bang.

Consumer Electronics Show Unveils Gaming’s Future

The Consumer Electronics Show 2025 in Las Vegas (7th-10th January) set the tone for gaming this year with numerous hardware manufacturers showcasing their latest innovations. The gaming section was particularly buzzing with excitement as several new gaming accessories and handheld consoles made their debut. The Consumer Electronics Show 2025 demonstrated that the boundaries between traditional gaming platforms continue to blur, with cross-platform experiences taking centre stage.

Major January Releases That Delivered

1. Hollow Knight: Silksong

Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel finally arrived, and the wait was absolutely worth it. Hollow Knight: Silksong release date was 14th January, ending years of anticipation from fans of the original metroidvania masterpiece. This challenging adventure follows Hornet through an entirely new kingdom with fresh abilities, enemies and secrets. The Hollow Knight: Silksong release date was perfectly timed to start the year with a true indie gem that has quickly become one of the most popular video games of the month.

The metroidvania gameplay mechanics have been refined to perfection, with Hornet’s movement feeling significantly more fluid and aggressive than the Knight from the original game. Metroidvania gameplay mechanics in Silksong showcase Team Cherry’s growth as developers, creating a worthy sequel that stands tall on its own merits.

2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard

BioWare’s return to Thedas has been met with widespread acclaim. Released on 21st January, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay demonstrates that BioWare hasn’t lost its touch for creating compelling fantasy worlds filled with morally complex characters and meaningful player choices. Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay combines familiar role-playing elements with a revamped combat system that feels both strategic and visceral.

The fantasy RPG storytelling here is some of BioWare’s finest work to date, addressing the fate of Solas and the future of Thedas in ways that will satisfy longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers. Fantasy RPG storytelling has always been BioWare’s strength and The Veilguard proves they’re still masters of the craft.

3. Farmagia

Released on 10th January, Marvelous’ farming simulation game introduces a refreshing magical twist to the genre. Farmagia blends traditional farming mechanics with spell casting and magical creatures, creating a uniquely enchanting experience. The farming simulation game genre has seen tremendous growth in recent years and Farmagia pushes the boundaries further with its innovative magical systems.

The cosy game experience has clearly been a priority for the developers, with a charming art style and relaxing soundtrack that perfectly complements the gameplay loop. Cosy game experience seekers will find plenty to love here, from customising your magical farmstead to forming relationships with the quirky villagers, making this one of the cutest video games released in January 2025.

4. Star Wars Outlaws

Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars adventure landed on 28th January and has quickly become one of the best video game releases of the month. Set between “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” Star Wars Outlaws puts players in the boots of Kay Vess, a scoundrel navigating the criminal underworld of the galaxy far, far away.

The open world game design here is impressive, with multiple planets to explore, each with distinct environments, factions and opportunities for both stealth and combat. Open world game design in Outlaws strikes a fine balance between structured missions and freeform exploration, giving players agency in how they approach objectives.

The latest video game releases from the Star Wars universe have been hit-or-miss in recent years, but Outlaws delivers on its promises with stellar voice acting, engaging gameplay and a story that feels authentic to the franchise. The latest video game releases in this beloved universe rarely capture the gritty underworld side of Star Wars, making Outlaws a refreshing change of pace.

5. Tasokare Hotel

This atmospheric horror game experience from Japanese developer SEEC launched on 8th January and has been sending chills down players’ spines ever since. Set in an abandoned hotel with a dark history, players must navigate its shifting corridors while avoiding malevolent spirits. Horror game experience enthusiasts will appreciate the game’s focus on psychological horror over cheap jump scares.

The Japanese horror game aesthetics are impeccably crafted, drawing inspiration from Japanese urban legends and folklore. Japanese horror game aesthetics have always had a distinct flavour compared to Western counterparts, and Tasokare Hotel leans into these differences to create something genuinely unsettling and unique.

6. Avowed

Obsidian Entertainment’s first-person RPG set in the world of Pillars of Eternity arrived on 17th January. The fantasy RPG combat system combines physical weapons with magical abilities, allowing for creative approaches to encounters. Fantasy RPG combat in Avowed feels weighty and impactful, with visible consequences from your choices in both fighting style and narrative decisions.

The first-person RPG immersion is heightened by stunning environmental design and exceptional voice acting. First-person RPG immersion has been Obsidian’s focus throughout development and it shows in every aspect of the game’s presentation and systems.

7. Pragmata

Capcom’s mysterious sci-fi adventure finally emerged from development on 24th January. This science fiction adventure game follows a spacefaring protagonist and a young girl with mysterious powers as they navigate a dystopian future Earth. Science fiction adventure game fans will find plenty to analyse and discuss in Pragmata’s multilayered narrative.

The next-gen graphical showcase is truly stunning, with Capcom pushing the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hardware to its limits. Next-gen graphical showcase titles are becoming more common as developers grow more comfortable with current hardware, but Pragmata stands out with its unique visual identity and attention to detail.

8. Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen

Square Enix delivered this substantial expansion to Final Fantasy XVI on 31st January. The JRPG expansion content adds approximately 15 hours of new story content, alongside new areas, enemies and abilities. JRPG expansion content often struggles to feel essential, but Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen integrates seamlessly with the base game while pushing the narrative in interesting new directions.

The action RPG combat system has been further refined with new combo opportunities and spectacular summon abilities. We note that for the video games released in January 2025, action RPG combat system innovations continue to demonstrate Square Enix’s commitment to evolving the Final Fantasy franchise while respecting its roots.

9. Promise of Wizard

This mobile gacha game release from Coly launched on 6th January and it has already amassed a substantial player base. The mobile gaming community has embraced this magical academy-themed game for its gorgeous character designs and surprisingly generous free-to-play mechanics. Mobile gaming community engagement has been particularly strong, with social media buzzing about favourite characters and strategies.

While gacha game release fatigue is real in today’s market, Promise of Wizard distinguishes itself with high production values and an engaging storyline that gives context to its summoning mechanics.

10. The Last of Us Part II: Director’s Cut

Naughty Dog’s enhanced version of their controversial masterpiece arrived on 14th January for PlayStation 5 and PC. This enhanced game remaster includes all previously released content plus new gameplay modes and developer commentary. Enhanced game remaster projects often struggle to justify their existence but this director’s cut adds meaningful content that enriches the original experience.

The post-apocalyptic narrative experience of The Last of Us Part II: Director’s Cut remains as powerful as ever, with subtle enhancements to visuals and performance making this the definitive way to play one of the most affecting games of recent years. Post-apocalyptic narrative experience games rarely achieve the emotional depth found here, making this one of the must-play video games released in January 2025 for those who missed it the first time around.

11. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Echoes

Following the success of The Lost Crown, Ubisoft released this standalone expansion on 27th January. The metroidvania exploration elements have been expanded in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Echoes with new time manipulation powers that create even more mind-bending platforming challenges. Metroidvania exploration elements are combined with tight combat and an intriguing narrative that expands the mythology established in the main game.

The platformer game precision required here is substantial but the controls are so responsive that challenging sequences feel rewarding rather than frustrating. Platformer game precision has always been a hallmark of the Prince of Persia series and Echoes maintains this tradition with aplomb.

12. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Season One

Activision launched the first season of content for Black Ops 6 on 16th January, bringing new maps, weapons and a zombie experience. The competitive FPS updates have been generally well-received by the community, with the new maps offering a good mix of layouts for different playstyles. Competitive FPS updates are crucial for maintaining player engagement and Season One delivers enough fresh content to keep the game feeling vibrant.

The live service game content roadmap revealed alongside this update suggests Activision has learned from previous missteps in the franchise. Live service game content needs to strike a balance between quantity and quality and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Season One indicates a promising direction for the game’s future.

13. Grisaia: Phantom Trigger

Grisaia: Phantom Trigger – the visual novel game adaptation – launched on 2nd January alongside its anime adaptation, creating a multimedia release event for fans of the series. Visual novel game adaptation projects often struggle to satisfy both newcomers and existing fans, but Phantom Trigger navigates this challenge successfully.

The narrative game choices have significant impacts on how the story unfolds, with multiple endings encouraging replay. Narrative game choices in Japanese visual novels have long been more consequential than in Western equivalents and this release continues that tradition.

14. Elden Ring: Symphony of Shadows

From Software surprised everyone with this standalone expansion on 9th January. While smaller in scope than Shadow of the Erdtree, this souls-like game challenge focuses on a new legacy dungeon with unique enemies and equipment. Souls-like game challenge content is From Software’s specialty, and Elden Ring: Symphony of Shadows offers some of their most intricate level design to date in terms of the video games released in January 2025.

The action RPG boss fights are predictably magnificent, with several encounters already being discussed as among the best in the series. Action RPG boss fights rarely reach the heights achieved here, with perfectly tuned difficulty that demands mastery without feeling unfair.

15. Starfield: Shattered Space

Bethesda’s first major expansion for Starfield landed on 30th January. The space exploration game content adds three new solar systems to explore in Starfield: Shattered Space, each with unique environmental challenges and alien species. Space exploration game content needs to surprise players and these new systems feel genuinely alien and distinct from the base game.

The open world game expansion also deepens the role-playing elements with new factions and decision points that significantly impact how the story unfolds. Open world game expansion content often struggles to feel necessary, but Shattered Space integrates seamlessly with the main game while pushing its systems in interesting new directions.

Indie Gems You Might Have Missed

January wasn’t just about the big-budget releases. Several indie titles made significant impacts despite smaller marketing budgets, including:

• Mecha Gardens: This charming blend of mech combat and gardening simulation created a surprisingly addictive gameplay loop.
• Wavelength: A narrative puzzle game about a radio DJ broadcasting during an alien invasion, featuring innovative sound-based puzzles.
• Frost Punk Legends: A card-based adaptation of the survival city-builder that manages to capture the desperate decision-making of the original in a new format.

These indie titles demonstrate that creative design and strong execution can create must-play video games regardless of studio size or budget. Must-play video games often emerge from unexpected places, and these smaller January releases offer experiences you won’t find in AAA titles.

Looking Ahead to February

While January has set a high bar, February looks equally promising with titles like Splinter Cell: Echo, Monster Hunter Wilds and Civilization VII on the horizon. The video game releases calendar for 2025 is already looking stacked, and we’re just getting started. Video game releases throughout the rest of the year have a lot to live up to after such a strong January.

Video Games Released in January 2025: A Month to Remember

January has historically been a quieter month for new releases but 2025 has bucked that trend emphatically. The video game reviews for this month’s releases have been impressively positive across the board, with several potential Game of the Year contenders already in the mix. Video game reviews from major outlets and content creators have highlighted the exceptional quality and variety of titles released.

Whether you enjoy tense horror experiences, expansive RPGs, challenging platformers or competitive shooters, January 2025 delivered something exceptional in your preferred genre. With the Nintendo Switch 2 rumoured for release later this year and the continued evolution of PS5 and Xbox Series X games, 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the gaming industry.

The 2025 best video games competition is already fierce and we’re only one month in! What video games released in January 2025 have you been enjoying? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to check back next month for our February roundup.