GDC Awards’ 2025 Game of the Year winners list announced

Whereas the dimensions of December’s The Sport Awards has given the trailer-heavy present the glow of the gaming trade’s Oscar equal, the annual Sport Builders Alternative Awards and Unbiased Sport Competition Awards, held collectively every year at GDC, are nearer to an Academy Awards-like occasion. Voted on by artists and craftspeople who make video games, the GDC Awards symbolize a distinct perspective on “Sport of the Yr” — even when the winners usually align with the TGAs.

On Wednesday, devs from world wide congregated on the GDC fundamental stage in San Francisco to have fun the complete swatch of 2024 video games, from indie to AAA. Listed here are the classes for each the GDC Awards and IGF Awards, the complete slates of nominees, and winners (in daring), up to date dwell as they’re introduced.

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Sport Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)

Last Fantasy VII Rebirth (Sq. Enix)

Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA), Passable (Espresso Stain Studios / Espresso Stain Publishing), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Sq. Enix)

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Ninja Idea / Xbox Sport Studios)

Honorable Mentions: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive), Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero), Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Silent Hill 2 (Bloober Groups SA / KONAMI)

1000xRESIST (Sundown Customer / Fellow Traveller)

Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode)

Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)

Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)

Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild)

Honorable Mentions: Manor Lords (Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse), Mullet Madjack (HAMMER95 / Epopeia Video games), The Plucky Squire (All Potential Futures / Devolver Digital), Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild)

Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Lorelai and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)

Honorable Mentions: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth (Sq. Enix), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Sport Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Passable (Espresso Stain Studios / Espresso Stain Publishing), The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge (Grezzo, Nintendo Leisure Planning & Growth / Nintendo), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Honorable Mentions: Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Sport Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive), Thank Goodness You’re Right here! (Coal Supper /Panic), The Plucky Squire (All Potential Futures / Devolver Digital), Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild)

1000xRESIST (Sundown Customer / Fellow Traveller)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)

Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)

Mouthwashing (Fallacious Organ / Important Reflex)

Honorable Mentions: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth (Sq. Enix), Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios), Life is Unusual: Double Publicity (Deck 9 Video games / Sq. Enix), Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Idea / Xbox Sport Studios)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Sport Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Idea / Xbox Sport Studios)

Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Nicely (Billy Basso/ Bigmode), Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6 (Threyarch, Raven Software program, Beenox, Excessive Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Sledgehammer Video games, Infinity Ward, Demonware /Activision), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Digital Arts), Passable (Espresso Stain Studios / Espresso Stain Publishing), Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco Studios Inc / Bandai Namco Leisure)

Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Black Fable: Wukong (Sport Science)

Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)

Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (FromSoftware Inc. / Bandai Namco Leisure), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Idea / Xbox Sport Studios), Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild), Ultros (Hadoque / Kepler Interactive)

1000xRESIST (Sundown Customer / Fellow Traveller)

Astro Bot (Staff ASOBI / Sony Interactive Leisure)

Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios)

Life is Unusual: Double Publicity (Deck 9 Video games / Sq. Enix)

Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Nearer the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Video games), Distant Bloom (Ember Path / Kina Courageous), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Digital Arts), Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios / Digital Arts)

Anger Foot (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)

despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)

ODDADA (Sven Ahlgrimm, Mathilde Hoffmann, Bastian Clausdorff)

Thank Goodness You’re Right here! (Coal Supper / Panic)

Utopia Should Fall (Datasette/Pixeljam / Pixeljam)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Mouthwashing (Fallacious Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive), The Rise of the Golden Idol (Coloration Grey Video games / Playstack), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)

Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Uncooked Fury)

Caves of Qud (Freehold Video games / Kitfox Video games)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)

Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode), No Case Ought to Stay Unsolved (Somi), UFO 50 (Mossmouth), LOK Digital (Letibus Design, Icedrop Video games / Draknek and Associates), Eigengrau (Martin Mauersics), The Rise of the Golden Idol (Coloration Grey Video games / Playstack)

Caves of Qud (Freehold Video games / Kitfox Video games)

Nearer the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Video games)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)

No Case Ought to Stay Unsolved (Somi)

Honorable Mentions: Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Uncooked Fury), Miniatures (Different Tales Interactive), Mouthwashing (Fallacious Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments), Thank Goodness You’re Right here! (Coal Supper / Panic), The Thaumaturge (Idiot’s Idea / 11 bit studios)

Youngsters of the Solar (René Rother / Devolver Digital)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

Hauntii (Moonloop Video games / Firestoke)

Judero (Talha & Jack Co.)

9 Sols (RedCandleGames)

Thank Goodness You’re Right here! (Coal Supper / Panic)

Honorable Mentions: Crow Nation (SFB Video games), Dying of the Reprobate (Joe Richardson), Miniatures (Different Tales Interactive), Tiny Glade (Pounce Mild), Ultros (Hadoque / Kepler Interactive)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

Excessive Evolution: Drive to Divinity (Sam Atlas)

individualism within the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware manifesto (alienmelon)

tapeçaria (tapestry) (mut / moochi)

The Exit 8 (KOTAKE CREATE / PLAYISM)

Honorable Mentions: Arctic Eggs (The Water Museum, cockydoody, abmarnie, Cameron Ginex / CRITICAL REFLEX), Judero (Talha & Jack Co.), Onto Maizilind Unto Infinity (Kas Ghobadi, Julián Palacios Gechtman / Kasrah Ghobadi), Worth of Flight (WATERBOX), Project_Y: Working Title (Project_Y Manufacturing Committee), Refind Self: The Persona Take a look at Sport (Lizardry / PLAYISM)

Seumas Mcnally Grand Prize

Caves of Qud (Freehold Video games / Kitfox Video games)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic)

INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)

Thank Goodness You’re Right here! (Coal Supper / Panic)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Nicely (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Uncooked Fury), Mouthwashing (Fallacious Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), 9 Sols (RedCandleGames), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)

Caravan Sandwitch (Aircraft Toast / Pricey Villagers)

Eat Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder)

Tavern Discuss (Mild Troll Leisure)

The Crush Home (Nerial / Devolver Digital)

City Fable Dissolution Middle (Hakababunko / SHUEISHA GAMES)

A Twin Ascent (Mountain Toad Leisure / Rubika Supinfogame)

DisplaceMen (Eversea Membership)

Development Spurt: A Meandering Intermission into the Afterhours of a Miscalculation (Video games for my Laptop)

The WereCleaner (The WereCleaner Staff / USC Video games)

Yr Unknown (Julian Heuser)

Honorable Mentions: Playing cards of Coronary heart (GoodMind Video games), Duck Paradox (Magic Video games / Midwest Video games), Misplaced Backyard (Ori Shany, Yoni Pushett, Ramon Zerem), Good World (Michael Overton Brown), Timeworks (Starworks Studios)