‘This is Why We Make Games’ Ghost of Yotei’s Erika Ishii Picks Their Game of the Year for 2025

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Erika Ishii, known for her role as Atsu in Ghost of Yotei, recently told Game Rant that her game of the year for 2025 is Blue Prince. This might be unexpected, considering Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just won nine awards at The Game Awards 2025. Ishii, who plays a woman seeking revenge for her family in Ghost of Yotei, was also nominated for Best Performance at the awards, but Jennifer English took home the prize for her work as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

2025 was a fantastic year for gaming, with both big-budget AAA titles and smaller independent games making a huge impact. For the first time ever, The Game Awards had an equal number of indie and AAA games nominated for Game of the Year. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ultimately won the top prize, the other nominees were a strong group including Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Blue Prince, a unique first-person puzzle adventure, was nominated for Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie, but Expedition 33 took home both awards. Blue Prince stands out with its clever mystery and addictive roguelike gameplay, and many players believe the story doesn’t truly end with the main plot – there are still plenty of secrets to uncover.

Blue Prince Is Erika Ishii’s Game of the Year

I was so surprised and excited to hear Erika Ishii say on Game Rant that Blue Prince is actually her game of the year! It’s interesting because a lot of us know her as the star of Ghost of Yotei, which is coming out in 2025. She explained she couldn’t really call Ghost of Yotei her game of the year, saying it’s more like the game of her life! She thinks 2025 was just an amazing year for games overall – a total knockout, really. She said so many games, including Ghost of Yotei, deserved Game of the Year, but there were just so many incredible titles that came out. But she really wants everyone to know that even with all the amazing releases, Blue Prince – which got fantastic reviews – hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. It’s flown a bit under the radar, and she wants to shine a light on it!

Ishii, when describing what sets Blue Prince apart, drew a comparison to the critically acclaimed game Return of the Obra Dinn. Both games offer unique and complex mysteries that keep players guessing. Ishii believes Blue Prince delivers a similar feeling of discovery and intrigue better than any other game. Both titles are innovative puzzle games that offer an experience unlike anything else. Ishii passionately stated that Blue Prince exemplifies why they create games – the story is so intertwined with the gameplay that it couldn’t be effectively told in any other format. Adapting Blue Prince into a different medium would be incredibly difficult, as the narrative is inseparable from the act of playing and uncovering its secrets.

Ishii, a fan of all kinds of stories, explained that the best media truly shines when it utilizes its unique strengths. They believe a great story feels impossible to tell in any other format. That’s why Blue Prince stands out to them as a top game of the year, and they hope it remains memorable despite the many other excellent games released this year.

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2025-12-19 19:44