by Brittney Melton

December 7, 2025

Good morning. This week, Michael and Susan Dell committed $6.25 billion to investment accounts for U.S. children, Costco sued the Trump administration over tariffs, and Pope Leo XIV visited Lebanon on his first trip to the Middle East.

Expand your gaming horizons

by Suzanne Nuyen, Up First newsletter editor

I would not self-identify as a gamer. But for the past few years, I've eagerly awaited the day that NPR releases its list of best games of the year, chosen by staff and contributors.

It all started in 2023, when Astarion, the sassy, charismatic vampire companion of Baldur's Gate 3, stole my heart. Head to my desk at NPR HQ and you'll see a few figurines and works of art dedicated to him. Never before had a video game captured my attention in this way, and I wanted more. That year, I consulted the 2023 Best Games of the Year list and asked its editor, Here and Now producer James Mastromarino, for some personal recommendations. Mastromarino helped me discover my gaming style. And since then, my husband and I have fought more than once over the PlayStation 5 I bought him for his birthday.

A still of the characters Sophie and Gustave from the video game Expedition 33. Sophie, a woman with short hair wearing a red beret, playfully stares at Gustave, a bearded man in a blue suit.

Sandfall Interactive

This year, I downloaded Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after my colleague Kaity Kline gave an impassioned pitch for covering the game at one of our morning meetings. What followed was a two-week whirlwind marked by gaming sessions that lasted more than 8 hours. I also spent months pondering its themes of grief, family, personhood and the value of art. I played this game so much that I broke our PlayStation. Gustave, the endearingly awkward protagonist, would visit me in my dreams. When it came time to submit our favorite games of the year, I was ready to write a love letter to this indie game, which has become a major contender for the top prize at the Game Awards this month. Of course, Kline had already written a perfect tribute.

But I'm not here to rave about Expedition 33 today. I'm here to help you find your next favorite game — though, OK, maybe I did pitch this newsletter partly as an excuse to rave about Expedition 33.

This year's list boasts nearly 100 recommendations available on multiple consoles, across a dozen genres. Mastromarino tells me his team tweaked the genre tags to fit big trends of the year and to help readers expand their horizons. He says that these days, games encompass many diverse experiences, which could explain why a self-professed non-gamer like me has found herself hogging her husband's console. "I hope readers can find something that's already in their wheelhouse … but that it also opens them up to something they'd never otherwise consider," Mastromarino said.

This is the fifth year NPR has released a best games list, and the network's coverage is only growing, thanks to dedicated colleagues across teams who share a passion for the pastime. Mastromarino, a full-time producer at Here and Now, volunteers his time to work with the culture desk on video game coverage. Fellow NPR gamers contribute reviews and reporting. "I’m very proud of all the work everyone does across the network," Mastromarino said. "This year, All Things Considered’s Vincent Acovino went to both [the GDC Festival of Gaming] and Summer Games Fest. I covered the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 in New York, and [this week], I’ll be going to The Game Awards. I hope we can continue to report from these events and expand our coverage into video formats as well, from YouTube to Instagram."

So take a peek at some of NPR staff's favorite games this year and see what pops out to you. Perhaps you'll try Expedition 33 and fall just as in love with it as I did. Or you could try Date Everything!, the eclectic dating simulator I submitted a review for. Just don't send me angry emails if you end up destroying your consoles playing your next favorite game.

Check out more great reads from the NPR network you may have missed:

➡️ Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is promising sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), claiming her agency found "massive fraud" in state data it demanded. Food policy experts, however, are concerned that the administration is exaggerating the prevalence of recipient fraud.
➡️ One year after UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed, the crisis in U.S. health care is worsening for both consumers and investors. The shocking act of violence was only the start of revealing the failures of the health care system, which are manifesting in three significant ways this year.
➡️ Opponents of congressional redistricting in Missouri argue that a constitutional amendment allows redistricting only after a census. But Missouri Republicans may counter by drawing inspiration from the 1997 movie Air Bud, which stars a basketball-playing golden retriever.
➡️ Bassem Khandaqji was imprisoned 21 years ago for plotting a deadly bombing in Israel. After his release under a ceasefire deal, he became and award-winning novelist. In a wide-ranging NPR interview, Khandaqji discussed the act that landed him in prison, the novel that brought him fame and his life after release.

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Gifts for every public radio nerd on your list

The most wonderful time of the year? Uhhhhh, sure. Maybe after you’ve crossed everyone off your shopping list. To help you get to the “wonderful” part faster, check out our 2025 holiday guide. We’ve broken out our most popular items into categories for different types of people we know you know, from the music head to the minimalist to the playful activist.

The proverbial ribbon on top? Every purchase you make supports the local journalism you love. So when you gift others, you’re also gifting your favorite NPR station.

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Pod Club

Amtrak employees assist a woman onto a train.

Stephan Bisaha

Thanks for tuning in last week to the Short Wave episode “The Mystery Of Inner Monologues.” It explores the extent to which a person can truly understand their inner self and what science has to say about it. NPR listener Margaret Smith says she is surprised that not everyone has an inner speech. “I used to teach people to listen to their inner selves and even named parts of them,” Smith said. “I remember having it from early childhood and still cultivate it, and my emotional experience in order to fully understand myself.”

Today, we’re listening to an episode of The Indicator from Planet Money that dives into why the U.S. decided not to have an extensive passenger train system. It also explores why, despite not having a system like Europe, Japan or India, U.S. railroads could still be worth bragging about. Click here to listen to the episode.

After listening, can you understand why the U.S. has fewer passenger trains? If so, let us know why by clicking here. Your response could be featured in next week’s newsletter.

Love podcasts? For handpicked episode recommendations every week, check out Pod Club — a newsletter written FOR podcast fans BY podcast fans. Subscribe here!

On today’s episode of The Sunday Story from Up First: As Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues its crackdown on undocumented immigrants, some families are making the hard decision of whether to leave the U.S. or stay and prepare for the worst. NPR’s Jasmine Garsd takes listeners into the lives of immigrant families who are living in fear.

Swapped first and last letters

The words "Sunday Puzzle" over a white background. The name "Will Shortz" is under the Sunday Puzzle title, etched into red dice.

NPR

It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! This week, NPR puzzlemaster Will Shortz will provide clues for two words. You will have to switch the first and last letters of the answer to the first clue to get the answer to the second. For example, if provided “Nutmeg or ginger” and “Long, heroic poems,” the answer would be “SPICE” and “EPICS.” Test your skills here. Check the page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. ET.

This week's reader challenge comes from Mike Reiss, a showrunner, writer, and producer for The Simpsons. Think of a famous living singer. The last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name spell a bird. Change the first letter of the singer's first name. Then, the first three letters of that first name and the last five letters of his last name, together, spell another bird. What singer is this? Submit your answer here, and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.

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This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.

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