20 Recent Incredible Video Games That Came Out Of NOWHERE

When Blue Prince released in 2025, players had no idea they were about to become consumed with thoughts of the Mount Holly estate’s 46th room. 

You assume the role of Simon, who’s inherited the grand estate from his great uncle. In order to get access to his inheritance, Simon must locate the aforementioned room by drafting a layout of the mansion each day and solving the puzzles that lie within.

Honestly, that summary barely scratches the surface of what Blue Prince has to offer, but it’s a good start. The first-person game weaves puzzle solving, environmental storytelling, and deck building together to create something truly magical and mind bending. It’s the kind of game where you almost definitely need to take notes, and that complexity is part of the fun.

Blue Prince received incredibly high review scores and garnered several nominations across that year’s award shows. The game took solo developer Tonda Ros eight years to bring to life, and the years of effort are evident in the final product, which quickly became many gamers’ favorite puzzle game, if not their favorite game across any genre.