The organization of The Game Awards announced this Monday, November 17, 2025, the complete list of nominees for the annual electronic games award. The event, held in Los Angeles, United States, recognizes titles released throughout the year in various technical and creative categories.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, received 12 nominations, the most in the award’s 11-year history, including game of the year. This leadership reflects the impact of the game, which combines RPG and adventure elements in a world inspired by 19th century French settings.
Other highlights include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Hades II, both with seven nominations each, competing in areas such as direction and narrative. Voting, open to the public from today, influences 10% of the final result, while a jury of more than 100 press outlets decides the rest.
Highlights in top categories
The game of the year category features six entrants, selected for their excellence in design and innovation. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerges as a favorite due to its narrative depth and fluid mechanics.
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach focuses on post-apocalyptic exploration and human connections, with advanced graphics that explore new rendering technologies.
Supergiant Games’ Hades II expands on the original roguelike with Greek mythology and dynamic combat, attracting players with its accessibility and replayability.
Indie games that surprise the jury
Absolum stands out as an independent title with puzzle mechanics based on quantum physics.
Ball x Pit offers a minimalist 3D puzzle experience, developed by a small team.
- Blue Prince: Exploration of procedurally generated mansions with logic puzzles.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Integration of turns and real-time action.
- Hades II: Non-linear progression with branching dialogue.
- Hollow Knight: Silksong: Metroidvania platformer with detailed underground biomes.
Sony publisher with dominance on multiple fronts
Sony Interactive Entertainment accumulates 19 nominations, surpassing competitors such as Nintendo and Microsoft. This number reflects exclusive releases for PlayStation 5, which prioritize immersion and technical performance. Titles like Ghost of Yōtei contribute to the total, although they are not in the game of the year competition.
The publisher’s strategy involves partnerships with independent studios, resulting in a diversity of genres, from action to simulations. Analysts point out that this leaderAdvance bolsters the PlayStation ecosystem in 2025, with a focus on post-launch updates.
Revelations in direction and narrative
The best director award recognizes creative visions that set trends. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 competes with Hades II for its art direction inspired by impressionist paintings.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach innovates with interactive cinematic sequences, directed by Kojima.
Donkey Kong Bananza brings a light approach to platforming, with levels inspired by tropical jungles.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II emphasizes historical realism in medieval Europe, with choices that alter the main plot.
New franchises on the rise
Donkey Kong Bananza marks the return of the character in a 3D adventure full of humor and item collecting.
Hollow Knight: Silksong expands the original universe with new combat abilities and vertical exploration.
Contributions to accessibility and ongoing support
Games like Hades II implement descriptive audio options for the visually impaired.
Updates to Death Stranding 2 include expanded online co-op modes.
The best ongoing support category rewards developers who maintain active communities through patches and events.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 released free expansions that add side quests.
Innovations in technical categories
In terms of best technical performance, titles with advanced ray tracing lead.
- Sound: Spatial audio in Hollow Knight: Silksong simulates echoes in caves.
- Art design: Vibrant color palette in Donkey Kong Bananza.
- Soundtrack: Orchestrated compositions in Hades II.
Presence of cross-platform titles
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II runs on PC, consoles and the cloud, optimized for 4K resolutions.
ARC Raiders, a multiplayer shooter, surprises with global matchmaking and weapon balancing.
Voting strategies and expectations
Fans access the official website to vote until December 10th, in all 27 categories.
The jury, made up of global publications, evaluates criteria such as innovation and cultural impact.
The December 11 event takes place at the Peacock Theater, broadcast live to more than 100 countries.
