You awarded the best video games in 2025 with the Golden Bear. See what the results of your vote were and which game was declared the best game of 2025 by the editorial staff of HCL.
After a week of diligent voting by the HCL audience, it’s time to find out who made a name for themselves in Zlatni Dabr 2025. Some winners will be expected, some unexpected, but in any case, we thank everyone who participated in the 21st edition of Zlatni Dabr and with their votes contributed to maintaining this gaming tradition in our corner of the world.
We revealed the results of the prize competition organized as part of the Golden Beaver 2025 in a separate article.
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
The competition was fierce, but Clair Obscur was fiercer. This is a fascinating result, because a game with turn-based combat managed to rise above more popular versions and delight the audience, and this does not happen very often. That’s how it is when you have a little whee, a little whoo.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
It’s not just about viral fame – the normally picky HCL audience confirmed the quality of the new Hollow Knight with this award. When all is said and done, this indie gem did not succumb to high expectations. Quite the opposite, he managed to surprise even those who had already counted on the game to be great.
Battlefield 6
The curse has been broken – after nine years, Battlefield is once again the owner of the most golden beaver among beavers. At Electronic Arts, surprisingly, they listened to the wishes of the players and captured a positive momentum that we hope will last. Who would have thought that the market would respond positively to a shooter without Beavis and Butthead…
Split Fiction
There is only one Golden Bear in this category, but the fun in Split Fiction was double. The HCL audience recognized and rewarded a game that was specifically designed around player cooperation – and it couldn’t be played any other way. Btw, this is already the third HCL award for the team from Hazelight Studios – a result they can be proud of!
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
This was almost out of the question. Expedition 33 captivated us from the very plot, and everything else only reinforced the fact that this is an extraordinary good story that we will remember for years to come. That’s already two awards in the basket, it will be revealed later that Expedition 33 is the only game that you have awarded more than one Golden Beaver statuette this year.
Ghost of Yotei
If the result in the story category was predictable, this was a little surprising. Ghost of Yotei pulled off an audiovisual trick just as impressive as Tsushima five years earlier, but you didn’t mind repeating it here. In fact, on PlayStation 5 it was taken to an even higher level with mountain views and raytracing effects.
Supraworld
Speaking of surprises, Supraworld’s win here definitely fits that definition. Not that the game doesn’t deserve it – the thing is certainly genius – it’s just that we’re not used to more popular names being overshadowed in Beaver’s competition. Igor is guilty!
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
We’ll assume that the technical hiccups of Oblivion Remastered didn’t spoil your refreshing memories from Cyrodiil. But whatever you think about the remaster and the original, we have to admit that even two decades later, Oblivion has “that something” that keeps us in front of the screen much longer than it should.
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
After a very tense battle, the HCL crowd favored the French delicacies. They bribed you with croissants, for sure! Joking aside, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues the commendable streak of HCL audiences choosing a brand new IP as their GOTY for the second year in a row. And how could you not, when Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had emotions to throw away, style for three lives and music that should be played at weddings. We are not sure if there are beavers in the world of this game, but in this world of ours, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 becomes a rare game with three Beavers conquered. Who knows, if there were more categories, maybe there would be 33…
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
If the French bribed you with croissants, the Czechs bought us, using… Czech swear words? Here, to this day, the majority of the HCL newsroom shouts “Kurwa!” whenever we get stuck in a traffic jam or are late for handing out vouchers…
There’s a very simple explanation why Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is our Game of the Year. And it reads: gameplay. It is not difficult for us to admit that other games in 2025 may have had a nicer presentation or better acting, a deeper story or better quality music. But just because our hero Henry isn’t the hottest cat in town doesn’t mean he isn’t as good as bread! In fact, in our opinion, KCD2 swept away everything else this year with its gameplay. Simply no other game has provided the level of detail, complexity and ambition that KCD2 did with its gameplay.
This was a game that could be played however we wanted, one where there were multiple paths to success and one that didn’t reduce the freedom of the open world to a hundred question marks and towers on the map. At a time when other RPG titles are designed to reward the player as much as possible without putting in any real effort, KCD2 is the type of game that has failed quests and an extra layer of caring for the character through survival elements.
Of course, these are not the only trump cards of this Czech hit. The story in KCD2 is a fantastically rounded historical epic, with memorable characters and quests. Simply put, KCD2 has moments that other people in the retelling won’t believe you were actually realized through the game. Touching segments, epic moments and humorous parts – everything is there, packed into a very good performance, historically authentic atmosphere and an impressive presentation.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 led us into temptation, but it also delivered us from the evil things of modern gaming. And that’s why, without any remorse, we give him the ultimate prize of our Golden Beaver.