Giant Bombcast Game of the Year 2025: Day 2
Dec 25, 2025
In a festive celebration, the panel hashes out the year's best games across quirky categories. Best Gambling nominees include the innovative Blueprints and its slot machine mechanics. The debate heats up over ninja contenders, with Joe Musashi taking the win. As they dive into multiplayer, Lego Party's accessibility shines, but Peak's emergent gameplay edges out as the favorite. For Game of the Year, titles like Inscryption and Psychonauts 2 earn praise, while Metroid Dread's nostalgic charm solidifies its contender status. Holiday humor and camaraderie make for a delightful discussion!
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Episode notes
Gambling Can Be Worldbuilding
- Uma Musume's gambling elements (races, gacha, wheels) exist but feel peripheral to its relationship-building core.
- The hosts debate whether in-world gambling counts as compelling gambling design or just background flavor.
Flick Game Played At Thanksgiving
- Dan Ryckert describes taking the special-edition Flick Game coin bag home and playing the physical version with his partner over Thanksgiving.
- He praises the in-game analog trigger flick mechanic as a neat translation of the tabletop flicking into controller play.
Make Casino Mechanics Part Of The World
- Blueprint's slot machine ties into broader game loops by letting you carry a lever and later rig a big slot if found.
- That design teases players and makes the gambling moment meaningful within the larger game economy.