Featured Favorites: A 2025 Year in Review

[Briar]

Switch 2 & Games- I got a Switch 2 this year, and these are some of the games I played/finished this year either on the Switch 2 or Switch.

Spanish- I continued my Spanish learning journey this year, and these are some of the YouTube channels I watched. Some channels are meant for learners and some are meant for native speakers: Dreaming Spanish, Spanish Boost Gaming/Spanish Boost with Martin/Spanish Boost with Mila, Ter, Spanish With Gaia, Linguriosa, and Luisito Comunica.

Books- I really started to get back into reading more this year and these are some of the books I enjoyed.

ACNH Moment- I didn't play much ACNH this year, although I'm looking forward to the update in a few weeks. That being said, I did do a bit of decorating on my island at one point earlier in the year, and this is one of the spots I decorated.

Crossword- I started doing crossword puzzles this year!

 

[digimon]

digi's 2025 in review

Spoiler: ☆☆☆

1) abby lee miller voice: on top of the pyramid, going three for three once again is tuke and luna! my favourite thing to do is to spend time with my girlies. either playing, giving them treats, or just lounging around.
2) music is a big part of my day/life. i feel like i always have to have something playing in the background. feeling very much like link or headphone pingu here catching a vibe. there isn't anything upcoming in 2026 that i'm looking forward to yet, but i've been enjoying lots of older music i used to enjoy.
3) calico critters! i've gotten a lot better with throwing my money away on the tiny little mystery blind bag that make me wanna try and collect a full set. but i love displaying them and even turned a dupe i got into a keychain
4) stardew valley has been a huge source of comfort and enjoyment to me in this year. i literally just decorate my farm and live my life as a little hermit. i love filling out the little pictures on the collection pages.
5) as always, i'm a number one keroppi fan and was recently gifted a little plushie of him!​

 

[-Blue-]

​

Spoiler

2025 has been a weird and difficult year, but it had its ups and downs. I don't know. I never really do New Years resolutions or reflect back on the past year. Maybe I should do that more?

1. I love experimenting and trying new things. Sometimes I come out knowing more, other times it's a failure, but I never know until I try! This was my first time growing forget-me-nots. I grew them by seed inside and I was so worried I missed the window to plant them, but as you can see they turned out beautifully. I wanted to grow them in memory of my granny and I think she would be happy with how they turned out.

2. I mentioned this in my gardening thread, but I love to experiment with new types of veggie or fruit plants I've never tried. It's fun to see how certain things grow. Like how brusslesprouts grow on a bush and have to be snapped off or how celery grows bushy like. I was really pleased with both of those harvests, but the one I desperately wanted to succeed at (and where I failed every other year) was with carrots. They're so hard to grow for me! With their tiny seeds, how the weeds swarm them, and how fragile their stalks are. It took a lot of love, time, and patience, but you can see the harvest I got out of them!

3. I enjoy baking and cooking, but really it's when I have recipes I'm really wanting to try. Sometimes they're complicated and other times it's something I've always wanted to try to do homemade, just so I can say (to myself mostly) that I did it. I always wanted to make a pumpkin pie from a pumpkin I grew and I did that last year. This year to name a few I've made a homemade pecan pie, an overly complicated but so tasty soup (seriously it had so many steps!) caramel sauce which I then used the rest to make chocolate caramel candies, and more!

4. My kitties and my sister to! Whenever I have a tiring or difficult day, they're always there!

5. I've played a few different games that I've enjoyed this year, but playing Among Us and Animal Crossing with my friends has been the highlight of all of them. I hope we get to play many more games in 2026! Thank you all for being my friend!

 

[S.J.]

1. I love experimenting and trying new things. Sometimes I come out knowing more, other times it's a failure, but I never know until I try! This was my first time growing forget-me-nots. I grew them by seed inside and I was so worried I missed the window to plant them, but as you can see they turned out beautifully. I wanted to grow them in memory of my granny and I think she would be happy with how they turned out.

2. I mentioned this in my gardening thread, but I love to experiment with new types of veggie or fruit plants I've never tried. It's fun to see how certain things grow. Like how brusslesprouts grow on a bush and have to be snapped off or how celery grows bushy like. I was really pleased with both of those harvests, but the one I desperately wanted to succeed at (and where I failed every other year) was with carrots. They're so hard to grow for me! With their tiny seeds, how the weeds swarm them, and how fragile their stalks are. It took a lot of love, time, and patience, but you can see the harvest I got out of them!

That's a beautiful garden and veggie haul, Blue!!

 

[Tude]

Anyone who knows me knows my cats are my favorites!

1. White kitten: Daphne, five months old. We only got her at the beginning of this month but she adapted to our house immediately.

2. Orange cat: Lenny, four years. He was born at my old job, so I was there when he was born. He's got a high maintenance personality, but is a sweet baby.

3. Black cat: Arthur, five years. My first kitty. Have had him since he was a tiny baby. It's easy to forget he's in the house since he stays out of trouble.

4: Black and white kitten: Abby, four months. Found her screaming on top of my truck's tire. She has never met food she doesn't like.

5. Center cat: RIP Tilly. She died suddenly in January as a one year old. She was such a loving little girl and was my work from home buddy! We miss her so so much.

 

[Jacob]

This year, I want to celebrate the amazing experiences that I've had the privilege to be a part of! I traveled this year, spent time on the beach, went skiing, went dancing, and just experienced being with good company. I love my friends!

As I grow older, I find more and more that travel and new experiences is something that is really important to me. All of these pics are screenshots from my instagram, lols, and I've blurred any faces that I think we're too prominent to share.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to many more experiences and having lots of fun in 26!

 

[Balverine]

I had a lot of fun with this LOL

2025 honestly wasn't a great year for me, but I picked out some things that brought me joy!! My cat, Ghost, had kittens this spring (all girls LOL) and the little orange one named Pumpkin is my favorite of the litter <3 And then my favorite game through and through has been Cyberpunk 2077 for the last 4 years LOL As silly as it may sound, it has gotten me through some tough times (especially my favorite rockerboy, Kerry <3)

I recently heard about vivianite, which is my new favorite mineral the color alone was enough to win me over, but it's incredibly interesting!! I also tried biggby coffee for the first time this summer, and became addicted to their campfire latte LOL

And I hadn't been interested in very many movies or shows, but Wake Up Dead Man was AMAZING, especially because one of my favorite actors, Josh O'Connor, is in it lol. And lastly, one of the biggest bummers for me was that I really struggled to do art this year for various reasons. Are is something that brings be a lot of joy, so it's devastating to me when I can't do it. I did, however, come up with a few pieces that I loved, and the one I included was my absolute favorite So while I do hope that 2026 is better, I was still able to find some joy in 2025!

Spoiler: image credit

Cyberpunk 2077 box art: wikipedia
Cyberpunk screenshot of Den and Kerry: mine
Photo of kitten: mine
Vivianite: wikipedia
Wake up dead man art: wikipedia
Biggby coffee: their website
My art: mine LOL
Decorations: miiko

 

[Rosch]

Spoiler: Explanation

From left to right, top to bottom:

EZSmall
They are my favorite group of four YouTubers (Gab Smolders, John Wolfe, TheHotCross, SinowBeats) that I have been watching for years. Because 2025 was the year of "friendslop" games like PEAK, & R.E.P.O., I've spent most of my free time watching them play these type of games. Watching them really helped me with my stress.

Blind Boxes
Specifically, the "Great Power Fortune Protecting Blessings Series" from TOP TOY. Each cat represent a fortune. I got curious so I bought one, then I got a little bit obsessed with it. I currently have 4 keychains: Easy Win, Safe Wherever I Go, Super Lucky, and Sudden Wealth.

New Kittens
We welcomed two new kittens earlier this year: Dorian and Bok Choy.

Pokemon Legends: ZA
I love the game so much. The DLC not so much. But still may favorite game and cast of characters in the entire franchise so far.

Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream
So happy this was announced. One of my fave games of all time finally gets a sequel.

AGP Philippines
First time watching a live bodybuilding contest. Been meaning to go to one for the past several years, and I finally did it this year.

Rhythm Heaven Groove
Also one of my most anticipated games. So happy this was announced along with Tomodachi Life.

Evil Eye, Manifestations, and Angel Numbers
I didn't think I'd be into these things, but I am glad that I did. It worked for me, and it really changed my life for the better.

 

[Miharu]

2025 has been an incredible year for me! Here are some of my favorite moments.

1. I LOVE One Piece and saw that Universal had an event going on that's One Piece themed! They hired cosplayers to cosplay as One Piece characters and their acting was SPOT ON! Loved meeting them and seeing them interact IRL. <3

2. I got to cosplay one of the agents I main in Valorant (one of my favorite games)! I cosplayed as Sage during Sakura Con with my friend Dee. Shout out to Dee for making my props. <3 I only cosplay once a year now and it's usually only with Dee when I visit! Something I always look forward to every year. <3

3. This is one of my favorite photos from when I got my hair touched up by my hair stylist. She did an incredible job styling my hair. I can't believe this year marks 9 years of getting my hair died pink/purple with her.

4. This year I've been a lot more consistent in playing DDR! DDR is what I love to do for some good cardio! I beat three of my records in this photo and was super proud since I'm improving! Love that I can play DDR as a hobby + form of exercise.

5. This year is the first year where I've finally added a lot of color to my wardrobe. I used to mainly only wear black, but I've started to change things up. I now have a variety of cute outfits (especially colorful ones)!

6. Work wise, I completed one of the biggest projects I've ever done! And that was planning my very first booth at OffKai Expo. My manager and team was super proud of how I executed this!! Definitely one of my most favorite/proudest moments of 2025.

7. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd have my very first Meet & Greet! It was incredible meeting my community 1-on-1 thanks to IRIAM. <3

8. Shout out to my sister for surprising me with Ado concert tickets for my birthday this year! Ado is one of my favorite artists and I'll never forget this moment because this was my very first concert ever! This was the only photo we had since there was a rule of no photos during the event/seated.

 

[Giddy]

Bold of you to think I remember much of 2025!!

But anyways, here's my entry of the little highlights of 2025
Used Canva​

Spoiler: My reasons for each photo

1: Out of all the games I have focused on this year, one of my gaming highlights has been Pokemon Legends, ZA. Not only have I been enjoying the game, but I also got some nice pre order items, like an umbrella with three megas, starter figurines and pin set and a nice mug I didn't expect I'd used, but I've been using it everyday.
I am no where finished in the story line, but it's just fun walking on the roofs and finding alpha Pokemon~

2: I was really hoping throughout this year to work on my creative writing, and no matter how hard, I found it hard each month...Until now. At the end of the year, I have actually been writing a lot more and I feel so much better - I was so stuck and now I do feel even motivated. Image is all of my ideas and notes for several different fanfics, some original stories as well.
Doing enough writing, has now made me more happier to continue doing more for the new year, finally gonna publish stories, I can really see it!!

3: I did lose my cat, Bell, who passed in July. It still feels so weird that she isn't here. But before she passed I do have memories I spent with her before she passed. She loved watching this bird video of all these birds coming down for seeds, and I put it on my phone and she would be sitting there for ages watching them. The times I played with her, picked her up to look out the window or helped her on the bed. Her meowing once she saw me, and coming over to join me. She loved her head massages I'd give her. She loved watching TV.
Her last meal was one of those licking paste thing, my other cat really likes it, and wanted her to try it and she enjoyed it. Holding her in my arms. I'm glad I was there for her, and I know I gave her a wonderful life.

4: For about a year or more, I was trying to get a shiny oddish on my Pokemon Soul Silver game for my league party~ I had a Japanese Oddish, as well as getting an Oddish with egg move Teeter Dance; gosh that was struggle. So as much as I had the matsuda down, it was still a long time till I finally got myself my beautiful Shiny Oddish~!
Scared one of my cats with my reaction XD

5: As a creative media and artist, I am still trying to get into the media industry, and this year, I was actually given the chance to work a few days on a show's set over a few nights! It was such an insight and was tiring but effective work. So many nice people, and I just like helping in any way I can, so this was a lot of fun to help, even though I felt like I was just standing there.
It was nice to see a film set in person again, though more bigger in budget and it was so professional.

 

[Roxxy]

Highlights and reasons

1. Trying to improve on Mario Kart. Still a disaster but wip!
2. A very proud mum moment watching my baby graduate
3. Appreciate the beauty of sunsets. So peaceful
4. Brandy who is simply the best
5. Spending my birthday with my island besties.
6. Went with my son to see the 40th anniversary of “back to the future” such a special day

 

[Sloom Lagoon]

Here's is my year in review/ favourites from the year! 2025 has been particularly significant in me building an intentional community and setting roots in my area. I've made many new friends and joined community spaces which are incredibly significant to me! A big part of this was joining two dnd campaigns which house two of my now closest friendship groups.
I have been focusing on my mental health and happiness, which has included lots of walking in nature, seeing a therapist and making intentional time for friends. Also focusing time on improving my newest hobby of crochet and knitting, including making socks for the first time for my girlfriend.
I also started a new long-term relationship this year which has been going really well and I am very blessed to have added her to my life in 2025!

 

[kindheartedhog]

I had a lot of fun looking back on this past year on things that were my favorites or important to me, especially because it's been a particularly difficult one so it was nice to look back on the happy memories : )

My favorite memory this year is swimming in the sea in Oban during a trip this Summer. Another similar favorite is wildswimming at Loch Lomond in late September. These were the first time I've been swimming in probably over 10+ years and enjoyed it so much, this year I really want to get a wetsuit so I can swim more often!

My favorite teddy friend I got this year was Chewie, a Shinada Global hedgehog. He joined us on many trips this year

My favorite toy is the Grapat Magician set I received for Christmas this past year in a surprise box. I love the craftsmanship and detail put into them, the toys are lovely and smooth, I can feel my imagination taking off just by looking at them

My favorite game was Hello Kitty Island Adventure, was never into Sanrio previously but so glad that I took a chance ( and have now joined the club of Sanrio girlies ). My favorite guy being Hangyodon

My favorite art piece which I think is my favorite just because it wasn't intended to be anything at all - just using up old paint from a palette so that it wouldn't go to waste

My favorite food was tofu, after many years of wanting to go vegetarian upon discovering tofu it finally allowed me to make the switch and it's my favorite food now!

My favorite TV show is Happy The Hoglet, discovered unporposefully by looking for hedgehog characters in animation. I just love the characters and art stle

 

[Liz!]

Family and friends have been everything for me this past year.
Looking back at my pics of the year, there's always something to celebrate and be thankful for.

(Hope this is ok. Had no idea what I was doing)

 

[lasagne_of_death]

Spoiler: Explanation

I played quite a few professor layton games this year, and by far Curious Village was my favourite of the DS releases. I finished the game I think 10 hours all told over a few weeks, and even made fanart of it - something I don't usually do

The plant is a spider plant a close friend gave to me before she moved schools. When I got it, it was a tiny little thing: now there's so much! Seeing this plant reminds me of how we used to keep and water plants in our classroom to brighten up and decorate the place.

I've had a running joke with my brother about pandas for a large chunk of 2025; we decided after a while to buckle down and watch Kung-fu Panda 1-3. Favourite movie I watched this year! I forgot how funny the script was

I really love the song Coraline from this album, and I its my favourite album atm

Whenever I went to town with my friends, we always went to shakedog. The meals are cheap and tasty, and the milkshakes are the best. My favourite is the peanut butter one, but I mostly love shakedog for the associations of fun and friendship I have with it

 

[glow]

2♡25

• tofu & lyra i went full cat lady this year. i adopted two cats tofu (white cat) and lyra (gray cat) and i adore them both so much
• stardew valley my obsession reignited this year. i saw the stardew valley orchestra concert back in september, and then
  • hollywood antique lamp - i still cannot believe i own this thing, but i am OBSESSED and i can't believe how good of condition its in
  • 70s vintage cannister set 3pc set - i adore this set and it's really inspired me to move towards a yellow color scheme in my kitchen (still wip!!)
• baking and seed collecting so this was a favorite of mine for the fall season; pictured is some muffins and garden seeds with some pumpkins

there's so much other stuff i wish i could list here, like seeing sleep token in concert, etc. 2025 wasn't the best year but there were some really great moments. goodbye 2025 and hello 2026

 

[xlisapisa]

Spoiler: 2025 highlights

1. I love spending Chinese new year with my family every year, but 2025 being the year of the snake definitely made it a lot more meaningful to me. we all get a little bit more excited when it’s the year of our animal & 2025 just so happens to be my year. kinda bummed we didn’t get a lunar new years event, but still glad to have gotten the collectible.

2. seeing strays kids @ national park was hands down one of my favorite highlights of 2025. It was their first time in Washington DC and even though it was cut short (heat index was 110) and we never got our encore set, i’m still very grateful for being able to see them at all & to have had this once in a lifetime experience.

3. aside from my labubus (which started in 2024) I’ve been getting a lot more into collecting figures with Nyota, Hirono, and dodo Nami being my top 3.

4. some of my favorite collectibles released in 2025, aside from the golden rose which I’m still very shocked to have manifested during the flower breeding event.

5. my top 3 memorable asian dramas I watched in 2025!

 

[pottercrossing]

Spoiler: Explanations

1. I read 15 books in 2025 (my goal was 40 but we're not gonna talk about that...), and my favourite was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo! Someone on Reddit had recommended it to me and I'd been hearing good things about it on the Internet, so I picked it up, finally started it a month later, and to this day I will not shut up about it I now own the rest of the Grishaverse books and will be buying the new novella as soon as it drops.
2. Of all the shows I watched, it was really hard to pick a favourite, but in the end I had to go with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. At first I wasn't really into it, but when I recently restarted it I could not stop watching. After a week, I'm already on Season 6. Jake, Pimento, and Doug Judy are tied for my favourite character (other than Cheddar ofc).

3. It was a big year for me in my concert band career, so I couldn't go without adding my favourite song from the year: The Troll King by Randall Standridge! I played it twice, once on our Disneyland trip and once for my school's open house. Both crowds absolutely loved the song, as they should.

4. Originally, I was going to do one top album, but I decided to split the category in two; top musical theatre album and top non-musical theatre album. My favourite AND most listened-to musical was, for the second year in a row, EPIC the Musical. I specifically put the Circe Saga cover art on the collage because my top song was Wouldn't You Like, which is from the Circe Saga. It ties with The Challenge (from the Ithaca Saga) for being my favourite EPIC song overall. I first started listening to EPIC when the Underworld Saga came out, and now it's been a whole year since the final saga, which I am still in disbelief about.

5. As for my favourite non-musical album, it has to be Zodiac by TROY. I discovered him through EPIC, as he was the voice of Hermes. The twelve songs were originally released as singles before being compiled into the Zodiac album, starting with Gemini and ending with Taurus. I started listening since before Leo (song #3) was released, and now here we are! Despite being a Gemini, my favourite song on the album is Capricorn, but Gemini is a close, close second.

6. Finally, for my favourite experience of 2025, the only possible answer is my Disneyland band trip! We got to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe, perform in the California Adventure park, go to the Grammy Museum, and that's hardly scratching the surface! This trip was filled with so much laughter, chaos, and Monster (my sincerest thanks to the workers at the 7-11 next to our hotel for putting up with us). If we ignore the smashed French horn, lost wallets, and consistent lack of sleep, it was a perfect trip <3

 

[falloutlevi]

here's my moodboard!!! my friend (RoxiePico) encouraged me to participate in one of these to get myself into the TBT community well!

here's an explanation for everything shown here:
Fall Out Boy: the start of my emo phase in may 2025! shortly after the stress of my ex-stepfather leaving the family shortly settled in, it helped me get through a lot that year and i'm still in love with emo music!
Love: i found love in july, with my gf cadi! we broke up for a bit from october to december and got back together on the 23rd of december
Scene: i also found scene music between november to december, and i'm still in love with this too
Mario Kart: my favorite game that i got on my 14th birthday in 2025!
and friendship bc i made a lot of friends that year that helped me through so much <3

 

[oath2order]

My 2025 can be summed up as:

• Rift of the Necrodancer: Ever since it was announced I was super-excited for this game. The game released and I'm very good at it; it's got some of the best video game music I've ever heard.
• Mega Evolution returning, which was one of my favorite Pokemon mechanics. I love the new designs.
• The Switch 2 released. I am excited for the new games.
• The Roottrees are Dead was a very fun game for me. It was very fun using the 90s-styled Internet to dig into this family's history.
• Wicked: For Good released. Both these movies were great and the songs in both were top-tier, beating out the original Broadway recordings.
• Lady Gaga released her album "Mayhem", which is probably my favorite album of hers and is absolutely top-tier.
• The "100" represents my goal for the year which was completing as much of my personal projects as possible and clearing my backlog. This has been a resounding success.