Game Developers Choice Awards 2025 Nominees Revealed
The Game Developers Choice Awards has revealed their nominees for Game of the Year and other categories. The show will take place during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 19.
In particular, the Game of the Year award features some very familiar faces. The Game Developers Choice Awards included honorable mentions for each category, something that similar gaming award shows didn't provide.
Some games have also been nominated for multiple categories, including Balatro, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and Tiny Glade. There were also some games that received multiple honorable mentions but ultimately didn't become nominees for any categories, such as The Plucky Squire and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Games like Astro Bot and Black Myth: Wukong racked up plenty of nominations too.
Best Audio
- Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)
Honorable Mentions: Balatro, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Neva, Silent Hill 2
Best Debut
- 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
- Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
- Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
- Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)
- Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)
Honorable Mentions: Manor Lords, Mullet Madjack, The Plucky Squire, Tiny Glade
Best Design
- Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)
Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Satisfactory, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, UFO 50
Innovation Award
- Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
Honorable Mentions: Helldivers 2, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Thank Goodness You're Here!, The Plucky Squire, Tiny Glade
Best Narrative
- 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
- Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / Critical Reflex)
Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Frostpunk 2, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Neva, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Best Technology
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
- Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)
- Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Satisfactory, Tekken 8
Best Visual Art
- Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
- Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Balatro, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Tiny Glade, Ultros
Social Impact
- 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller)
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios)
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)
- Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Closer the Distance, Distant Bloom, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Game of the Year
- Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
- Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well, Helldivers 2, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Satisfactory, UFO 50
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