My Belated 2025 GOTY Picks

In the post-holiday + rebound mental health issues crush I sort of forgot to post.  My bad for the 1-2 humans and probably many AI/bots who actually view my page.  But alas, I suddenly remembered, so we're all in for a treat...you know, another personal list that may or may not match your personal preferences.  So here it is in all its belated glory--my personal picks for my favorite games of 2025.

#3: PowerWash Simulator 2

I have been slowly working my way through the main storyline in PowerWash Simulator 2 and even though I haven't quite wrapped it up (I think I'm getting close-ish), I find the second incarnation to be just an enjoyable as the first with a few fun improvements.  There's a new fun tool specifically for cleaning up floors, you get your own office that you can decorate with a wide variety of random furniture styles, you now possess not one, but three cats who are not only cute, but can be found in a fun spot in each area you clean, there are a lot more personalization options for decorating your suit, washer, and even your van!

The collectible wall in your new PowerWash office.

The gist of all of this is that the second chapter in the oddly soothing series about nothing more than cleaning up a wide variety of very dirty places has improved and is definitely worth the cost.  Plus, there's the option to clean up with a partner, so it could be a fun activity with a partner or weird friend.  If I had one gripe it would be that there doesn't seem to quite be the same level of background whacky story that the first game had--or at least it's not as much of a central focus.  There's still some weirdness going on in the greater Muckingham area...

#2: Two Point Museum

The Zooseum DLC features plenty of cute critters--large and small!

After Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus it was a bit unclear what the next move in the Two Point series would be.  I suppose there are lots of options for quirky management games but I was excited when they decided to go with a museum theme.  The museum theme gives players the ability to manage several museums with a fun variety of specifically themed locations.  Much of the fun lies in sending your experts out on expeditions to recover new items for display.  Like the other two games you'll be balancing the needs of your staff, your guests, and the many story mode characters who want you to accomplish specific goals.  It's a pretty casual affair that anyone who just enjoys some silliness and management will have fun with.  There's also the sandbox mode where you can cobble together your own supermuseum that offers up multi-themed displays.  Plus, they're still releasing seasonal updates that add fun new items to the game and introduced digital rifts that add in digital experts and require your own experts to unlock unique new rewards (and some are crossovers from other games like Dredge or Vampire Survivors).

#1: Hades II

Scylla and the Sirens are probably my favorite boss fight.

Even though Hades II spent quite awhile in publicly playable early access, I resisted the urge to join in on the unfinished fun and just wait for the full release.  I feel like that was a good choice because the finished product was an absolute blast to play.  At first I was a bit skeptical about changes like increasing the delay between dodges, but Melinoë's added slow ability plus magick attacks made the gameplay feel unique and maybe slightly more strategic than in the original.  The story is great and the fact that there are two different pathways with their own challenges and set of bosses gives it more variety.  Plus, there's a whole new cast of mythological characters to befriend (and even form romantic bonds with--ooh-la-la).  I definitely felt more compelled to continue playing beyond the story in the second game than I did in the first.  I suppose that if I did have one sort of gripe about Hades II it would be that the boss fights were easier than taking down Hades in the original game.  (*I'm not claiming that I one-shotted them or anything, it probably took me an embarrassing amount of time to take down Typhon) Personally, I felt like taking down Hades was always a toss up--it's a ridiculous multiphase fight that didn't seem to get much easier regardless of the number of times you took him down.  Overall though, Hades II manages to take the already great formula from the hit first game and improve it.  I think it'll be a real challenge for Supergiant to figure out what to do next.

So that's my list, I grabbed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as part of the holiday sale and have been working my way through it (I've seen it mentioned on many GOTY lists).  It's definitely different that much of what I play, but the story, graphics, and gameplay have all been great in the short amount of time that I've played.  I hope everyone finds their own personal GOTY and has a great time with it.  Happy holidays (and Steam sale)!

Adventure in the Zooseum

So it has been awhile since I posted anything and that's largely because I've been going through a bit of a rough patch.  I had some serious insomnia and had to eliminate much of my nighttime gaming in an effort to try to fix that issue and then was just too tired/depressed that I felt like doing much gaming.  Even though it's the post-Thanksgiving time, I'm extremely grateful for the support of my family, doctor, counselors, and work colleagues for helping me to finally feel like I'm getting closer to the end of the dark tunnel and coming out into a more normal patch of sunlight/life.  If you're struggling with mental health, I strongly suggest reaching out for help wherever you can find it.

In the time that I did spend with gaming I checked out the new "Zooseum" expansion for my favorite silly management game Two Point Museum.  This DLC introduces an animal-themed museum and a few new game mechanics that make it feel a bit different than running a normal museum.  Let's get to the reviewing!

Pros:

+ A brand new museum to run!  One of my irritations with the Fantasy Finds DLC was that it simply added in a new map and category of artifacts.  This time around you actually get a starred museum complete with a set of goals to accomplish at each star level.

A large terrarium can house many smaller critters like hamsters.

+ Lots of fun/cute animals to discover and add to your collection.  Your collection can include terrariums for smaller species and habitats for the variety of larger critters on the new map.  Each animal has a specific preference for the type of biome in its habitat and some animals prefer denser decoration while others like more open spaces.

+ New mechanics/skills for your experts.  Rather than slightly increasing the discovery percentage each time you explore a specific location you have to restore the "biodiversity" of an area.  How exactly do you do that?  Some experts can be trained in skills that are usable on maps with specific types of positive events that will increase the level.  You can also create new items in the workshop that can be carried on an expedition that will increase the level.  Ultimately though, you can breed animals in your zoo and then release them into the wild.  Doing this seems to have the greatest impact on increasing biodiversity and will increase the quality of animals that you can discover.

+ New room--the animal welfare/spa!  Some animals you discover are sick and require treatment before you can put them on display.  Experts can be trained in animal welfare to specifically be able to work in this room and cure and learn about the animals.  The only way to gain knowledge about animals is to research them in the welfare/spa room.

Outdoor habitats for my collection of animals.

+ Each habitat type has lots of fun decorations so you can create exactly the type of display that will please guests and animals.

+ There continues to be seasonal updates that introduce new items as well as new digital rifts, so if you haven't played in awhile, there's plenty of new stuff to keep you entertained.

Cons:

- Keep habitats clean requires a large number of experts.  Let's just say that your animals poop a lot...like constantly, so don't be surprised if you get a negative review of the cleanliness of your habitats.

- Gaining knowledge of animals in the animal spa seems to occur at random.  Just because you research an animal that doesn't mean you'll gain knowledge about the species and may have to repeatedly research that animals.  It can be a bit frustrating, but just keep sticking them in there until you gain the knowledge.

- One complaint that I've seen online is about the lack of outdoor bathrooms for guests.  Since the animal habitats are all displayed outdoors your guests have to venture all the way back into the main building to use the facilities.  (*For reals though--easy solution is to build a small building and make it your restroom...but I get it, it would be nice to have an outdoor bathroom option)

Recommendation:

The animals are cute and some of the new mechanics give it some variety.  It's worth the $10.99 cost if you're going to shoot for that five-star experience.  The addition of an entirely new museum is a big plus.  If you're a fan of Two Point, you'll want to check it out.

The Power to Wash

My fervor for Hades II has mostly dissipated--I managed to overcome two of the heroic challenges and then decided that I didn't have much desire to keep pushing toward that last one.  Who knows, maybe someday I'll feel the urge to go back (but by then will likely be so rusty that it will require starting from scratch).  Instead I've switched gears to an something that is basically the exact opposite--the relaxing effect of power washing an extremely dirty set of landmarks in PowerWash Simulator 2.

If you missed it or niche simulator games just aren't your jam, PowerWash Simulator 2 is the follow up to the surprisingly satisfactory first game that featured gameplay with a silly story that revolved around cleaning up very filthy locations around a fictional town.  These locations range from the mundane to the somewhat bizarre and even feature some DLC from popular games, movies, and shows.  Even though it might sound like the dullest experience in existence, many people have discovered that it is an oddly relaxing experience that is perfect for times when you just want to slowly dissolve some filth from a playground.

The second iteration has promised to improve upon the basic premise of the original game--more detailed dirt, a wider variety of locations, a whacky story that somehow ties together, and a wider set of powerwashing tools to make your cleaning experience even more enjoyable.  I've briefly delved into this bold new world of washing and have to say that the same fun spirit of the first game is still firmly in place, but that there are some more individualized features and a wider set of tools to make cleaning even more of a snap.

A collection of knickknacks to commemorate the places you've cleaned.

One of the best additions is the fact that you get your own home base/office.  Within your office you can view a large map that displays all your current (and eventually free play missions), you can hang out with your growing cat family (you've claimed the erstwhile Ulysses the cat and let's just say that she had a bit of a surprise in store). and as you complete jobs you can purchase used (and filthy furniture that requires powerwashing) to decorate your main floor space.  You also have access to an office where a giant corkboard displays articles related to all the weirdness that is constantly occurring in Muckingham and the surrounding area.  One of the best features of the office space a display wall where tiny models of the places that you have cleaned will appear.  It's fun!

When it comes to new tools, there are a few worth mentioning.  By default you have access to two different types of sprayers--the basic (upgradeable) one and the Urban XL sprayer that promises more power but less of a spread/control.  One of the best new tools is a floor polisher/cleaner for flat surfaces.  You no longer have to buy soap but it is on a bit of a cooldown which makes laying down a nice soapy later a good strategy for quickly cutting through dirt.

Traversing even the tallest obstacles is a breeze with the abseil.

Getting to all those hard to reach locations has also gotten much easier--there's a new scissor lift that can be raised and lowered to your desired height.  There's also a handy abseil that allows you to move across both vertical and horizontal axes in order to reach every nook and cranny.  There are numerous purchasable attachments and nozzles for every purpose--even one that can be adjusted from a concentrated stream to a finer mist for easier to clean messes.

If you're looking to clean up with a pal/partner, the handy co-op mode allows you to tackle the dirt together.  There are also numerous cosmetics to deck out your character in the color scheme or pattern of choice.  This time around that also includes your van!

Even though I've mostly just dabbled in PowerWash 2 it feels like an improved and more enjoyable experience than the original.  I would encourage anyone who is looking for some light relaxation to check it out.