Antonio

You know 20% of me

10 movies to get to know me

its hard for me to not be too bitter about how close this games premise is to my own game but if nothing else its motivated me to keep working on it, finding new ways to set them apart and capitalizing on some of the places Dispatch left me wanting.

I need a season 2!

...and the Bit-ee for best game of 2025 goes to....Dispatch! while it may not be the most mechanically rich game i played last year...its simply too catered to me to deny the way this resonated with me. reminding us all of how good telltale used to be in its prime.

its no wonder this game has been such a hit with players, the industry and critics, it feels like it harkens back to an era of triple A game dev that doesnt exist anymore, one where a game is feature rich at launch and works and looks great without issue.

I do think this is the best game i played last year. Like many, I had no expectations for this very French rpg and was blown away by the accessible yet complex combat mechanics, the engrossing story and excellent performances as well as the phenomenal and enveloping score.

the consistent rollout of new heroes has been great, with practically a hero every month (and a commitment to maintain that pace), plus the constant attention to balance and the steady line of events with free cosmetic rewards, all makes it feel like the devs value the players.

after Fortnite, this was my most played of the year and i think in 2026 it has a strong chance of rising in the ranks. I was big into Overwatch back at launch and this using its forumla but with years of quality of life updates baked in plus set in the Marvel universe? Perfection

And apparently theres new DLC out for this today so im gonna go do that!

I got hardcore obsessed with Monster Train back in 2020, partially because of the pandemic but also because I absolutely love deck building games. The added tower defense layer is just enough to really make this game stand apart from the Slay The Spires and Hearthstones.

as for the game itself, it continues to be impressive how un-precious Epic is with every innovation and experiment they run in this unreal testing ground, some ideas are great (like the storm beast) and sorely missed, others I happily forget. here's to another 600 hours in 2026!

Id be lying if I didnt put this on here. its easily the most time I spend in any game and is a part of my daily routine. I wont try to justify the time sink but I do love that I have a dedicated group of buds who i can rely on to chat and play practically every night.

Still, Sword of The Sea speaks (or rather sings) for itself, a chill, skating/surfing platformer set in a gorgeous and ominious forgotten world. My time with it may have been short but every minute felt curated and polished down to every last grain of sand.

I remember touring Giant Squid back in 2018 and getting to try out an early build of The Pathless and talking to Matt Nava about game design. That dude is just an endless well of creativity and passion. Am I bias because he went to my school? maybe!

I do think its a bit lacking in enemy variety and the progression hooks didn't quite grab me but man is this a gorgeous game to look at and definitely an easy thing to play with friends while hanging out.

today we go down my favorite games of 2025!

starting of with one i wish I had spent more time with, still any game with this much gorgeous pixel art and a playable Beta Ray Bill deserves a place on this list.

...and the Bit-ee for Best Song of 2025 goes to Do It by Underscores! I have been listening to this track nonstop since November. I wanted it injected directly into my veins. I hope Underscores goes on to collab with all of the big dance pop girlies because she deserves it.

Little thing called the holocaust

this is my album of the year, no question (not its own category!), and picking just one track from it was like pulling teeth. This was a rare case where I liked the album but didnt quite vibe with it and then saw Jane live and now ive listened to it everyday for the last eight months.

quite possibly my favorite score of the year (thats its own category!) starts off with this absolute banger. I am now a lifelong Young Fathers fan and I desperately need them to come back for the third entry in the 28 Years trilogy.

easily my most anticipated piece of music every year is Kyle Bosmans community driven concept albums. A genre mash up of incredible talent from Kyle's streaming audience, these are always such joyous creations that almost always wind up 100 times better than anyone could expect.

the OST to Boys Go To Jupiter is full of great songs but this track in particular really captures that feeling of youthful infatuation in a way that really just crawled into my head and hasn't managed to shake free. Also this film is coming to HBOMAX this week! go watch it!

it has been so cool to watch Danny Brown partner with so many talented hyper pop artists over the years, its really lined up with my own appreciation for the genre and seeing him and Underscores live was easily a highlight of my year.

its no secret that the original theme song for Chainsaw Man season one was a massive hit, so when the Reze arc was announced as a film i wondered if theyd simply avoid trying to top it...luckily I was wrong as Iris Out easily gives it a run for its money and then some!

as a longtime Princess Nokia fan I was very surprised to hear her not only take on but absolutely crush a dance-pop summer anthem, even more shocking is how chillingly angry the surrounding album is.

Ill admit that most of my love for this song stems from being at Universal Japan last year and watching crowds of people break out into synchronized dance with the choreographed zombies at Halloween Horror Nights, it was magical and surreal and largely thanks to this banger.

I never doubted Gaga but it is always nice when she comes back to remind us that she can put out an instant classic like its nothing. I wish I enjoyed more of the album accompanying this track but its undeniable the power Gaga has to control the conversation.

Alex Russell's Lurker is a truly great social Thriller about the dangers of parasociality & the realities of stardom. It also happens to feature some bangers by the fictional pop star Oliver, played by Archie Madekwe who impressively lends his own vocals to these in-universe hits

its still hard to believe that there was a brand new Evanescence song in 2025, let alone for such a perfect collaboration as DMC. This really brought me right back to middle school, rocking blue hair and fingerless gloves and chucks and jamming out to nu-metal on the playground.