In this end-of-year tradition, your nice hosts talk about the games they played and the things that they accomplished in 2025, as well as the games they're excited to play and the things they hope to do in 2026.

Stephen and Mark both had an up and down year and both picked predictable nicests (if you know anything about them), while Lydia realizes that she missed the show's orientation day.

For 2025, Lydia made a Bingo card instead of making resolutions.

0:03:00

2025 Accomplishments

Mark

Blippo+

Nice Games Alliance

GDC 2026 Speakers - Mark LaCroix

Stephen

Stephen successfully helped run an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, which he detailed in:

"The things that create the geometry."

Melanated Game Kitchen

Lydia

Lydia joined the podcast this year! Her first episode as a permanent host was in the ironically titled

"More Ellen in the future." What We Did On Our Winter Break (2024-25)

Lydia went from a contractor to a full-time employee!

0:18:00

2025 "Nicest" Games

Lydia

Word Play

Game Maker's Toolkit

Steam

My Sims

Wikipedia

Age of Mythology: Retold

Wikipedia

(Honorable Mention) Peak

Wikipedia

(Honorable Mention) Axolotl with a Gun

Bright Bard Games

itch.io

Mark

Mario Kart World

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

(Honorable Mention) Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2

Stephen

Kirby Air Riders

Blue Prince

(Honorable Mention) Root

(Honorable Mention) 2XKO

0:36:40

2026 Most Anticipated Games

Lydia

Slay The Spire 2

Steam

(hopeful) Tales of the Abyss Remake

Wikipedia

(hopeful) Persona 6

Reddit

Mark

Big Walk

Wikipedia

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park …

Nintendo

Mark is hopeful, but not expecting, that Super Mario Galaxy 3 might be announced for Super Mario Bros.' 40th anniversary.

Stephen

Stephen is always wishing for another Kirby game

Nioh 3

0:47:22

2026 Resolutions

Hear more on last year's resolutions in:

Nicest of 2024

Stephen

Make stuff and be creative.
Go to GDC.
Get a job or work towards getting projects in Melanated Game Kitchen that are equivalent to a full time job.
Get or make progress on his degree.

We interviewed a developer from Melanated Game Kitchen in:

Mental Health and Discrimination

Mark

Finish playing Chants of Senaar.
Get out of post-release rut.
Release something in 2026, such as Operators, Noble Tools, or anything else.
Keep working for/on Nice Games Alliance and get grant funding.
Organize a large indie developer community project or event.
Maybe bring Blippo+ to other consoles.
Bring a project to pitch at GDC.

Lydia

Go to GDC.
Work on her website.
Developer another escape room project.
Make a game that features environmental storytelling.
Play more games.

The Armor of Light and the Life of Love

Light + Truth

Outro

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