I officially proclaim 2025 . . .
⚔️THE YEAR OF RPGS🛡️
Since digital RPGs turn 50 this year, here’s a challenge for you: you know RPGs you’ve started but never beat? This is the year you finally beat them! Can you beat 12 unbeaten RPGs before 2026?
Now I know what you’re thinking. “What?! RPGs take like 100 hours to beat! How do you fit 12 in one year!” And the simple answer is… don’t pick 100 hour RPGs… Here’s my list broken down by estimated hours to beat the main story, according to How Long To Beat.
Bloodborne – 32.5hrs
Dark Souls R – 29.5hrs
Fire Emblem – 26hrs
Live A Live – 22hrs
Terranigma – 16hrs
FF Legend II – 15hrs
FF Legend III – 14.5hrs
Bloodstained – 14hrs
Child of Light – 11hrs
River King – 8hrs
Mystara – 1hr
Xardion – 1hr
That’s honestly pretty manageable with two that can be beaten in one sitting. Several are retro, some are handheld. Yeah, obviously I’m not going to pick Final Fantasy XIV for this. Further, the emphasis is on “beating” the games, not “completing” them in terms of 100%ing or doing absolutely everything. Here are more rules!
-Any RPG, any platform, any era counts.
-Includes JRPGs, CRPGs, ARPGs, TRPGs, SRPGs, other hybrids (I got a role ’em up!)
-Pick any 12 RPGs you started previously but never beat.
-Play them in any order, so long as you beat them all before 2026.
-Beaten refers to credits roll or end of main story.
-You do not need 100% completion.
-If you take on the #2025RPGchallenge, tag others to challenge them!
And that’s it!
Questions? Drop em below. Plan on participating! Let us know here, on socials, or by joining our Discord! Good luck.
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage or Mage Cast.
