2025 was a surprisingly good year for the racing genre. Of course, that’s expected when there’s a new Mario Kart game released, but the depth the genre saw was truly impressive.
Sega brought back aggressive, competitive marketing with its newest racer, which, in the eyes of many, rivaled Mario Kart. Licensed games performed well, including the return of NASCAR. There was even an old favorite that made its PlayStation debut in 2025.
All in all, it adds up to plenty of options for racing fans, but what were the best racing games of 2025? Here are the six that were worth playing.
6
NASCAR 25
Boogity Boogity Boogity
I cannot believe that in the year of our lord 2025, we got a great NASCAR game.
The license has been dormant over the past few years following a constant string of disappointments in the late 2010s and early 2020s. iRacing Studios, best known for its online subscription-based sim racing service iRacing, has taken over development.
It may lack a certain polish and mainstream presentation, but that’s made up for with the love and care to help bring back the franchise.
It feels authentically NASCAR from start to finish, and as someone who normally prefers turning right and left in my racing games, I’ve never been happier to make hundreds, if not thousands, of left turns playing a game.
5
F1 2025
A Great Improvement
F1 as a sport has seen substantial growth over the years. It may not be as popular as NASCAR is in the United States, but there’s no denying its impact on sports culture.
Thankfully, the video game equivalent is growing lock-in-step alongside the sport. F1 2025 is another improvement over its predecessor. It’s not perfect, but it succeeds where it truly counts.
The one thing that F1 has over NASCAR 25 is presentation and experience. Far too often, this goes to waste in the hands of a developer that has become complacent with a licensed game (looking at you, Madden).
But that thankfully isn’t the case here. In a world where licensed games are, more often than not, lacking, it’s nice to see two of them rank among the best racing games of 2025.
4
Forza Horizon 5
Still Great After All These Years
Your eyes do not deceive you; Forza Horizon 5 is indeed a racing game that came out last year, making its debut on the PS5. It was one of the best racers of 2021, and you better believe it’s one of the best racing games of 2025.
Traversing through its open world remains as much fun today as it did several years ago. It’s a shame that no racing game has matched the sense of wonder and adventure that exists within the Forza Horizon franchise.
Say what you want about Microsoft’s decision to release first-party Xbox games on other platforms, but it’s an absolute delight for PS5 owners to get a chance to see what all the rage is on one of the best racing games from last generation. Forza Horizon 5 still rocks.
3
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
Gotta Go Fast!
Sonic Racing did the impossible and beat Mario Kart at its own game. Even before its release, it was already being hyped as one of the best racing games of 2025. Thankfully, it meets that hype.
While Nintendo made a huge gamble to make Mario Kart open world, while failing to properly utilize said open world, Sega instead took a more focused approach: what if we made a fast, frantic, fun kart racer that celebrates all things Sega?
The result is one of the best kart racers of all time, at times rivaling the best Mario Kart games. It’s pure, unadulterated racing that knows it doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, instead focusing on a well-polished and sincerely entertaining game.
2
Mario Kart World
It’s Still Mario Kart
“Whoa, hold on there, Jake,” you might be saying. “If Sonic Racing is arguably better than Mario Kart World, why is World higher on your list of best racing games of 2025?” One simple answer: Knockout Tour.
Yes, the open world is more miss than hit, but Knockout Tour, Mario Kart’s Battle Royale style mode, more than makes up for it. I have never experienced the tension, the intensity, and the action as I have in a 24-player (!!) elimination race.
At its heart, Mario Kart World is still more Mario Kart, and over time, it becomes easier to look past its weaknesses. Traversing from one track to another during a race has become second nature over time, and it actually lends well to 24-player races.
It’s not Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but to be honest, what is? Mario Kart World is still Mario Kart, and last time I checked, that’s a good thing.
1
Kirby Air Riders
An Incredible Sequel to a Cult Classic
At its heart, Kirby Air Riders is more of a party game than anything else, but it’s still as much of a racing game as Super Smash Bros. is still a fighting game at heart.
City Trial was my favorite mode back in the day with Kirby Air Ride, and unsurprisingly, it’s another hit here in the sequel. The one thing I did not expect, however, was to enjoy the traditional racing in Air Ride mode. Kirby Air Riders delivers with a deep roster of racers and vehicles, allowing for actual customization strategies during races.
The courses are, unsurprisingly, the star here, as Kirby Air Riders is all about spectacle, and it’s something that’s fully displayed during Air Mode. Trading in item boxes for Kirby power-ups retains the mayhem we know and love from Mario Kart, but the high-speed feel gives these races some more stakes.
It all adds up to not just one of the most surprising games of the year, stands atop the best racing games of 2025. Kirby Air Riders is more than the sequel to a cult classic. It’s a massive achievement that proves few developers are on the level of Masahiro Sakurai and Sora Ltd.
