Craig Donaldson’s 5 favorite things of 2025

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Andor
• Nintendo Switch 2
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• The Toronto Blue Jays

It’s hard to believe it’s already that time of year again, but with New Year’s just days away and the year winding down, I’ve naturally been reflecting on some of my favorite things from the past 12 months. 2025 brought so many great shows, games, and tech releases that narrowing my list to just five wasn’t easy.

Beyond the time I spent with family and friends — plenty of which made this year memorable — these are the five things that truly stood out, had a positive impact on me, and consistently put a smile on my face. From games and shows to new devices and even my favorite sports team making history, here are my five favorite things of 2025.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

My Game of the Year

When Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was announced in early 2024, I was absolutely thrilled. I played the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance when it launched in 2018 and loved every minute of it. It quickly became my favorite RPG of all time — sorry Skyrim — thanks to its engaging combat system and immersive open world. So naturally, when the sequel was finally released this past February, I dove in and played it nonstop.

If you’re unfamiliar, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a realistic medieval RPG set in 1403 Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic. You play as Henry, a blacksmith from the town of Skalitz, and follow his journey as he seeks to avenge his parents. Without getting into spoilers, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 picks up immediately after the first game and greatly expands on it. The scope is larger in every way, with improvements to the graphics, combat system, storytelling, and the open world itself. I love open-world games, and as a fan of history and medieval times, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 exceeded everything I hoped for in an RPG. I’ve already spent 100 hours on it this year, and it’s my personal game of the year.

Andor

The best Star Wars show ever made

If there’s one thing my friends and family know about me, it’s that I love Star Wars. I grew up during the prequel trilogy, so the franchise has always been a big part of my life. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, I was excited about the new films. While the sequel trilogy had its moments, Rogue One instantly became my favorite thanks to its grit and its nods to the original trilogy. So when the first season of Andor premiered in 2022, I was hooked right away — it follows Cassian Andor, one of Rogue One’s central characters, and his journey to joining the Rebellion.

This past April, Andor season two finally premiered, and Disney+ dropped three episodes every week. For four weeks straight, it felt like getting a new Star Wars movie every Tuesday, and I watched each batch with friends. Without getting into spoilers, season two leads directly into the opening of Rogue One, and watching those threads come together — how the characters and events line up — was fascinating, emotional, and genuinely some of the best Star Wars storytelling ever put on screen.

If you haven’t seen Andor yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. Yes, it’s Star Wars, but it’s also the most grounded the franchise has ever been.

Nintendo Switch 2

The Switch 2 is more powerful and enjoyable than the original

After years of rumors about a successor to the original Nintendo Switch, 2025 finally delivered it: the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo revealed the console in January, showcased it in more detail in April, and launched it in June. As a huge fan of the original Switch, I rushed to pick one up — not just to play Mario Kart World nonstop with friends, but to revisit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom with far better graphics and a smooth 60FPS frame rate.

While I loved the original Switch, its performance and visual limitations held me back from playing it more often. The Switch 2 fixes that in a big way with its more powerful Nvidia Tegra processor and a gorgeous 7.9-inch 1080p display, which makes the old 6.2-inch 720p screen on the Switch 1 look ancient in comparison. After six months with the Switch 2, it’s easily been one of the highlights of my year thanks to how much fun it is to play and one of my favorite ways to unwind after a busy, stressful day.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

This was my upgrade year, and I’m very happy with my choice

I know a new iPhone comes out every year, so the iPhone 17 Pro Max might not seem especially exciting to everyone. But since this was my upgrade year, and I moved up from an iPhone 14 Pro, it’s hard not to be excited. This is my first time using a Pro Max model, and although I was initially worried the 6.9-inch screen would feel way too big compared to my old 6.1-inch display, I adjusted much faster than expected. The extra screen real estate has been fantastic for reading and watching videos.

One of the biggest highlights of the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max is the redesigned chassis: a new unibody aluminum build and a large rectangular camera bump, a noticeable change from the iPhone 16 Pro and all previous Pro models. I really like the new look, and I chose the deep blue model, paired with a dbrand Ghost case to make sure I don’t dent the thing by accident and to keep that blue visible.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max also brings some excellent upgrades, including the blisteringly fast A19 Pro chipset and a triple 48-megapixel rear camera system, which I’ve used to take some stunning photos, many of which I’ve shown off here on Pocket-lint as feature images for stories.

The Toronto Blue Jays

A historic regular season and postseason

All my life, I’ve been a fan of baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays, and this year has been one of the most memorable for me as a fan of both the sport and the team. At the end of the 2024 season, the Blue Jays finished last in the AL East with a 74-88 record, a disappointing outcome at the time. But in 2025, the Jays bounced back in a way I never could have imagined, finishing the season 95-68, and becoming American League East champions.

Their postseason run was nothing short of historic and an absolute joy to watch night after night in October. They crushed the New York Yankees (Daaa Yankees Lose) in the American League Division Series and then beat the Seattle Mariners in a nail-biting Game 7 to clinch the American League Championship Series. There were standout performances across the roster, including All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Trey Yesavage, George Springer, Ernie Clement, and many more.

The Blue Jays reached the World Series for the first time since their 1993 championship run. Although they ultimately lost to the LA Dodgers in a very close Game 7, it was still an incredible season — one that left me more proud than disappointed. Watching them almost every night for six months was an absolute blast, and getting to see several games in person this year made it even more special. These are memories I’ll cherish for a long time, and I can’t wait to go to the ballpark in 2026.