Intro

Like a cave behind a waterfall or a treasure chest just out of the camera's view, so to will these games make you feel special just by the nature of finding them. Some of 2025's best RPG experiences are tucked away in the corners of your local digital storefront but luckily Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Lucas White are here to point you in the right direction. Whether you're looking for a mystery dungeon, a first-person dungeon crawl, or something with a bold art direction like you've never seen; this list will have something for you to cap off your year!

Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod, subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com

Also in this episode:

• Don't support retro handhelds that perpetuate the military industrial complex

• Larian under fire for use of genAI

• Falcom under fire for use of genAI

• Update on Horses

• League of Legends 2?

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. In the interest of journalism we've chosen to cover Microsoft but encourage you to visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.

Timestamps:

5:36 - Main Topic - Hidden Gems of 2025

1:16:16 - Random Encounters

1:40:16 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook

Music Used in this Episode:

Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III]

Pub - [Lunar Knights]

Adventurer's Guild - [Wizardry Variants: Daphne]

Games Mentioned in this Episode:

Shujinkou

Romancing SaGa Minstrel's Song Remastered International

Ys: The Oath in Felghana

Road to Empress

Crescent Tower

Angeline Era

Capcom Picross

Battle Suit Aces

House of Necrosis

Lunacid: Tears of the Moon

Suikoden I & II Remaster

Sunderfolk

Artis Impact

Look Outside

Wizardy Variants: Daphne

Baroque-ya

Quartet

OFF

He Is Coming

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Wagotabi

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