A game’s environment is more than just a backdrop; it is the heartbeat of the experience, defining its soul and personality. This year, we’ve traversed worlds that range from snug, domestic havens to macabre landscapes that, despite their chilling undertones, possess an undeniable magnetic pull.
At Polygon, our 2025 journey has taken us through spine-tingling horror, whimsical management simulators, and everything between. While many titles boasted technical brilliance, a select few achieved a level of immersion so profound they felt less like software and more like places we genuinely wished to inhabit. Here is a curated look at the most captivating gaming environments of the year—spaces so exquisitely crafted, we’re ready to pack our bags. —Claire Lewis
The Crossroads (Hades 2)
The tonal shift between the central hubs of the two Hades entries is striking. While the original game’s House of Hades felt like a gilded cage, the Crossroads in Hades 2 serves as a clandestine, magical sanctuary—a lone bastion of safety in a mythic apocalypse. This lantern-lit glade exists on the periphery of time, remaining the only territory beyond the reach of Chronos’s temporal grasp.
Through poignant flashbacks, we see protagonist Melinoë’s youth spent here, a childhood defined by play and warmth even as her family was erased from history. Under the stern yet nurturing gaze of Hecate, the Titaness of Witchcraft, Melinoë is molded into a formidable witch. As with Supergiant’s signature style, this hub evolves. What begins as a sparse camp eventually transforms into a restorative home. Between chaotic runs, players can tend a quiet garden, share a drink in a bustling tavern, or enjoy a moment of levity while fishing. The emotional anchor, however, remains the Hot Springs—a place where characters shed their armor and their burdens, finding vulnerability in the steam. —Corey Plante
Zephyr Town (Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar)
Zephyr Town is the platonic ideal of a walkable, vibrant community. Reimagined in this 2025 remake, the town feels more alive than ever, centered around a weekly marketplace and a cast of endearing neighbors. The town’s defining characteristic is its constant, brisk breeze, which powers the local windmills and allows players to traverse the landscape via hand-gliders—a form of travel that is pure, unadulterated whimsy. From the benevolent mayor to the local café owner, every resident contributes to an atmosphere of pastoral magic and communal warmth. —Deven McClure
The Bespoke Retreat (Camper Van: Make It Home)
There is a specific kind of peace found in curated, nomadic living. Camper Van: Make It Home channels the fantasy of the open road, allowing for a personalized sanctuary on wheels. My personal favorite creation was a minimalist, earth-toned van parked within sight of a solitary lighthouse. There’s a profound serenity in the mental image of reclining on a soft duvet with a book in hand, watching storm clouds gather over the Atlantic while knowing that a new horizon is just a turn of the key away. —Josh Broadwell
Bookstonbury (Tiny Bookshop)
Tiny Bookshop serves as a romanticized antidote to the grind of modern retail. In the town of Bookstonbury, the bibliophilic dream is alive: customers are polite, the seaside air is crisp, and the books never get damaged by spilled lattes. This New England-style coastal retreat feels like a perpetual summer vacation. Beyond the business management, the social fabric of the town—culminating in seasonal festivities and a resident stray dog to befriend—makes it an idyllic retirement fantasy. —Austin Manchester
Vatican City (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)
MachineGames has crafted a virtual travelogue that rivals any high-budget cinema. While The Great Circle takes us from Thai jungles to Egyptian sands, its rendition of Vatican City is the crowning jewel. It’s not just the architectural fidelity; it’s the sensory details—the way the sun strikes the ancient, ochre-colored masonry and the languid pace of life. It evokes a powerful sense of la dolce vita, making the player want to step out of the mission and into the nearest Roman piazza for a glass of Montepulciano and the scent of fresh espresso. —Ari Notis
Ebisugaoka (Silent Hill f)
The developers of Silent Hill f promised a “beauty in terror,” and they delivered a visual paradigm shift for the series. Moving away from the industrial rust and grime of previous entries, the town of Ebisugaoka in 1960s Japan is consumed by a floral apocalypse. Red spider lilies (Higanbana)—traditional symbols of death—erupt from the pavement and crawl up the sides of traditional homes.
This juxtaposition of the grotesque and the gorgeous creates an atmosphere that is uniquely haunting. The “Otherworld” here is vibrant and hallucinogenic rather than decaying, filled with White Claudia blooms and eerie, silent streets. Even amidst the body horror, the aesthetic is so mesmerizing that one can’t help but be seduced by its corrupted elegance. It’s a place that is terrifying to visit, yet impossible to look away from. —Claire Lewis
Source: Polygon
