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2025 Game Developers Choice Awards nominees announced

Posted on January 28, 2025 by (@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Switch eShop

2025 Game Developers Choice Awards nominees

Today, the full list of nominees were announced for the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), the leading peer-based video game event celebrating the industry’s top games and developers.

Nintendo itself doesn’t have any nominees this time around, but there are a number of Switch titles here. Animal Well is one such title having earned five nominations. Balatro is also up for Game of the Year. 

Any video game that was released and made publicly available throughout 2024 is eligible for free nomination for the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards. All nominees and winners are chosen by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), an invitation-only organization, composed of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.

In addition to the categories listed below, the Audience Award welcomes the GDC audience to cast their vote for their favorite game of the year from all 18 of this year’s GDCA finalists. The public can cast their vote from the Audience Award ballot here.

Below is the complete list of nominees for each category of the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, including honorable mentions:

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 (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 Teams SA / KONAMI)

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 (Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse), Mullet Madjack (HAMMER95 / Epopeia Games), The Plucky Squire (All Possible Futures / Devolver Digital), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)

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 (Square Enix), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Grezzo, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development / Nintendo), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

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 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive), Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper /Panic), The Plucky Squire (All Possible Futures / Devolver Digital), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light)

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 (Square Enix), Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios), Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix), Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)

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 (Billy Basso/ Bigmode), Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Threyarch, Raven Software, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, Demonware /Activision), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco Studios Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

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 (LocalThunk / Playstack), Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (FromSoftware Inc. / Bandai Namco Entertainment), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light), Ultros (Hadoque / Kepler Interactive)

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 (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games), Distant Bloom (Ember Trail / Kina Brave), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios / Electronic Arts)

Game of the Year

  • Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
  • Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
  • Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
  • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA), Satisfactory (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)

Winners for the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony will be announced on Wednesday, March 19. Fans can tune in via the official GDC Twitch channel to see the results. If you’re curious about last year’s winners, head on over here.

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