Erika Ishii has not shown any favoritism, and she has openly stated which game she considers to be the best of 2025.

Ishii appeared in four games in 2025, including Ghost of Yotei, which was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards. Ghost of Yotei also earned Ishii a Golden Joystick nomination for Best Performance. When asked on the red carpet which game was the best, Ishii clearly stated that it was not Ghost of Yotei.

She named Blue Prince without hesitation. They regret to say that Blue Prince is the best for them, every day and every moment, because even after 300 days, they are still discovering its secrets. Ishii is not alone in her quest to unravel the secrets of Blue Prince. Earlier this month, Tonda Ros, a developer at Dogubomb, said that even more than six months after the game’s release, there are still mysteries to be found.

Ishii responded politely when asked about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a contender for the Best Game award. He was a bit too polite, but he said the game was great. We can’t blame anyone for having a different opinion, especially when their enthusiasm is so obvious. Ishii’s response shows that those who love Blue Prince really love it. Even a week later, Ishii made it clear on BlueSky that they stand by their opinion.

Blue Prince did not win Game of the Year at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards, and neither did Ghost of Yotei; that honor went to Clair Obscur. Expedition 33. That game won seven awards at the gala, breaking the record set by Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023 (we wrote about this earlier). However, Ishii’s favorite game did not go home empty-handed: Blue Prince won Best Indie Game, and Ghost of Yotei won Best Sound Design and Console Game of the Year.

Source: PCGamer, Bsky