Nominations for the 2025 iteration of the Game Developers Choice Awards, an event that takes place annually at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, have been revealed today, and although there are some familiar titles popping up, the resulting list is far from a one-to-one with The Game Awards 2024.
One reason for that is the inclusion of honorable mentions; each award category includes a handful of these additional games that almost made the cut. Also unlike The Game Awards, whose nominees and winners are voted upon by members of the press, the finalists for the Game Developers Choice Awards — as the title indicates — are chosen by game developers.
Here’s which games qualify for the GDCA, according to a press release: “Any video game that was released and made publicly available during the 2024 calendar year is eligible for free nomination for the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards.” That’s another difference from The Game Awards, which happens in early December and therefore couldn’t include, say, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in its 2024 lineup (that game, and other December releases, will be considered for the 2025 TGAs). Surprisingly enough, though, Indiana Jones didn’t make the cut here, either.
The GDCA also includes an audience-voted award, which you can participate in here. The complete list of nominees for 2025 is as follows. The awards show will be held on March 19, 2025.
Best Audio
Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Square Enix)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (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)
Source：https://www.polygon.com/awards/515505/game-developers-choice-2025-gdc-nominees
