Looking back at the games that were released in 2025, it's clear what a busy year it was for gaming. While I loved my time with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Hades 2and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33it was Send that held me more than any other. While I'm not alone in my love SendThere seems to be some misconception that it doesn't deserve to be considered on the same level as these other titles because it's more of an interactive TV show than a game. However, I believe that this line of thinking is misleading and that Send is as much a game as any of the GOTY 2025 nominees.
I was immediately hooked Send I first played his demo earlier this year. I'm someone who really enjoyed Telltale Games' style of episodic choose-your-own-adventure games like A wolf among us and Tales from the borderlandsi.e. the successor of this formula v Send piqued my interest. Send was the only game I played this year and immediately after finishing it the first time I started playing a new game and when I finished playing that I realized Send he should have offered more games than he got enough credit for.
Minor spoilers for Send first.
No, Dispatch isn't just an interactive TV show
There is no argument for that Send has fantastic writing and voice acting. This is the main reason why it became so popular and far exceeded the sales that the AdHoc developer expected from the game. However, these features are not unique to video games, and the same praise can be said for the animated TV series that has become a focal point for non-believers. Send is game enough to be considered in the same league as Hollow Knight: Silksong or Expedition 33.
Other entries in the interactive film genre won at the Video Game Awards
As the successor to Telltale's iconic interactive movie games, it's easy to make comparisons Send to these titles. AND Send is in good company in this comparison, as some of these games have beaten more traditional video games for top prizes in the past:
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Telltale's The Walking Dead (2012) — Game of the Year, Spike Video Game Awards
- A wolf among us (2014) — Director in a Game Cinema, NAVGTR Awards
The Walking Deada true pioneer of the genre in the modern era of gaming, it won a GOTY Award at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2012. The show, which was the forerunner of today's The Game Awards, recognized this style of gaming with its most prestigious honor and set a precedent that interactive movies could still compete on the same level as traditional video games. A wolf among us received several nominations for the DICE Awards and NAVGTR Awards in 2014, and finally won the award for Cinematic Game Direction.
Dispatch Goes Beyond the Formula of games like The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead
Although among the award-winning Telltale titles and Sendsuch as the episodic release schedule and choice-based gameplay that influence the overarching story, Send is the more robust of these game types. While the release schedule for The Walking Dead and A wolf among us had episodes released months apart, Send released two episodes per week in an attempt to emulate this style of release in a more efficient time frame. in addition Send features far more RPG mechanics than any of Telltale's games, going beyond simple quick events and dialogue.
Shipping can be divided into two distinct experiences
Each has essentially two sides Send episode: an interactive movie side and a superhero driving simulation side. While the interactive movie side plays a lot like you'd expect from a Telltale game, I was really surprised by how deep the mechanics are on the driving simulator side of the game. Not only do you have to consider which heroes are suitable for which job based on their raw stats and how to help them when you hit a snag, but you also have to plan a well-rounded team around you. SendSynergy mechanics with skill point investments create a layer of metagames that games love The Walking Dead and A wolf among us lack.
Dispatch offers players more the more they interact with the game
Send it offers the player a chance to play the game without having to participate in quick events, but I was glad I turned them on because you can get unique cutscenes for failing to interact with the game. For example, failing a quick action during a bar fight Send Episode 5 may have Sonar/Coupe come to Robert's rescue in a bit of a rough bathroom brawl. This option would be negligible if I decided to turn off quick events when starting playback.
Driving simulation page Send has also become so addictive and popular with fans that Endless Mode pro Send was in high demand. I know I would sink hours into this mode after playing the game as it is for a few 8 hours. A combination of different story scenarios that arise SendChoice based gameplay along with a robust driving simulation and RPG mode does just that Send more than just an interactive TV show, but a well-rounded video game that has both the narrative complexity and gameplay depth to be worthy of the Game of the Year conversation.
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Crude Language, Drug and Alcohol Use
- Developers
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AdHoc Studio
- Publishers
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AdHoc Studio
