The RPS Selection Box and the Mystery of Bonus Games
Every year, Rock Paper Shotgun’s Advent Calendar throws up a delightful mixture of indies, curiosities, and outright sleepers. The Selection Box portion—where contributors select bonus games for the year—adds an extra layer of intrigue. This piece focuses on James’ picks for 2025, unpacking why these titles mattered, how the voting can tilt when ties occur, and what it means for the broader conversation about a year in gaming.
Understanding the Selection Box framework
In practice, the Selection Box is a curated list that sits alongside year-end lists and awards. It’s not simply a reflection of “best game of the year” but a snapshot of the games that made an impression on a subset of critics and writers. James, like other contributors, weighs factors beyond pure polygon counts or review scores—feelings about pacing, atmosphere, novelty, and how a game fits into the year’s broader ecosystem all come into play.
What makes a bonus game special
Bonus games tend to have a few traits in common: they arrive with a quiet launch or a surprise reveal, a strong sense of personality, and a capacity to spark discussion long after release. In 2025, James’ selections reflect a year where small studios pushed hard to innovate under constraints, while larger titles experimented with new delivery models for storytelling and gameplay loops. The result is a mix that rewards replays, revisiting, and conversations about what players want from a year’s worth of entertainment.
Tie-breakers and the ordering puzzle
One enduring question in the Advent Calendar process is how ties are resolved. If two games receive the same number of votes, which one ranks higher? The method used can subtly shift perception: a game that edges a tie through a slightly stronger presence in late votes might appear “more definitive” in print, even if the overall sentiment is evenly split. James’ methodology, as observed by readers, tends to privilege clarity in tone and coherence with the year’s evolving gaming landscape. This approach often elevates titles that offer a distinct, memorable experience, rather than those that merely thread the needle of broad appeal.
Release timing: 2025 or later?
A frequent trivia point with bonus selections is release timing. Was a given game technically released in 2025, or does it count because of an earlier early access window, a publishing decision, or a regional release? James’ picks demonstrate a pragmatic stance: what matters is the game’s impact on players and the year’s culture, not strictly the calendar. This nuanced view invites readers to reflect on how we catalog “yearly influence” in a landscape where patches, ports, and anniversaries can stretch a title’s perceived age.
From the box to the broader year
The selections function as a bridge between the page and the player. They encourage experimentation, highlight under-the-radar titles, and validate the experiences that might not have dominated the wider critical discourse. James’ 2025 bonuses embody this ethos: a blend of intimate worlds, clever design experiments, and games that spark discussion about how we measure success in a crowded year.
What readers can take away
For readers, the key takeaway isn’t simply which games topped the list. It’s an invitation to explore the edges of the year’s library, to chase the conversations that emerge around a game’s quirks, and to be mindful of how voting processes shape our memory of a year’s gaming. James’ picks remind us that a year’s most resonant titles are often the ones that reward curiosity and repeated play, rather than quick consensus.
Conclusion
James’ bonus selections for the RPS Selection Box in 2025 capture the spirit of a year that valued experimentation, personality, and thoughtful curation. In a landscape driven by speed and novelty, the Advent Calendar’s bonus games offer a slower, more reflective way to celebrate the medium. Whether you agree with every choice or not, the conversation itself is proof of the year’s enduring vibrancy.
