This year, on Dec. 11, The Game Awards hosts its show to celebrate the best video games the industry offered in 2025. In preparation for this year's show, the self-proclaimed “Gaming Oscars” announced its nominations for all categories Nov. 10, with some games lining up to potentially win big.
The Game of the Year award is the pinnacle of awards one can achieve at TGA. It’s given to games that represent the best in creative and technical achievement across the year.
“Clair Obscure: Expedition 33,” released April 24, was the debut game of French indie developer “Sandfall Interactive” and took the world by storm. Set after a massive calamity wipes out a large portion of humanity, a mysterious entity called the Paintress slowly disintegrates the last vestiges of human civilization.
Taking the role of the titular “Expedition 33,” players must navigate their way through this broken world to end the Paintress’ destruction once and for all.
The game received rave reviews for its riveting story, art design, characters and soundtrack. Its themes of grief resonated deeply with its player base and many expect the game to win at least one award.
Their expectations aren’t unfounded either. The game received 12 nominations in 10 different categories, including Best Narrative, Best RPG, Best Soundtrack and three in Best Performance. This is the highest number of nominations any game received in TGA history, with 2022’s “God of War: Ragnarok
The latest game released by Hideo Kojima, “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” was in high demand over the summer. The post-apocalyptic adventure across Australia tells a story of reconnecting after everything falls apart.
Players loved the game for many of the same reasons they loved “Expedition 33,” noting its tone, world design and story. The game was exclusive to PlayStation consoles on its release, but that didn't stop players from experiencing the game through streamers and let’s play videos.
The game received seven nominations, including Best Action/Adventure and Best Narrative.
With the release of its newest console, the Switch 2, Nintendo released “Donkey Kong Bananza” to show off what its new hardware could do.
The game follows Donkey Kong on his journey to the center of the Earth.The game’s initial release was marked by controversy due to pricing decisions by Nintendo, but the game still found a sizable audience to enjoy its family-friendly fun.
The game is up for two awards: Game of the Year and Best Family Game. It has the lowest number of nominations among all the Game of the Year nominees.
“Hades II,” the sequel to the critically acclaimed rogue-like game “Hades,” has players battle their way through the underworld and Olympus to help the Greek Gods defeat the Titans once and for all.
The game was in early access from March 2024 until its official release Sept. 25. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim for its visuals, intense gameplay and character designs. Players loved the game's fast-paced action and witty humor that kept them invested every time they booted up the game.
At TGA, “Hades II” received six nominations, including Best Action Game and Best Indie Game.
“Hollow Knight: Silksong” a game seven years in the making, was met with surprise when its release was announced for Sept. 4. As the successor to the well-received “Hollow Knight,” the game had some large shoes to fill, but it filled them well.
Although some complained about the game’s difficulty, very few said the game was bad. Many praised it for its art direction and boss fights, while others highlighted the loveable characters you meet along your journey in Pharloom.
“Silksong” was nominated for five categories, including Best Indie Game and Best Score.
“Kingdom Come: Deliverance II” came to many as a wildcard nomination for Game of the Year, but that’s not to say the game is not deserving of it.
The medieval open-world adventure game was released Feb. 4 to fantastic reviews. The game’s grand story entranced its audience, and its realistic mechanics impressed historians and players alike. Though its release was overshadowed by other games this year, its gameplay and visuals still place it above many of its peers.
“Kingdom Come: Deliverance II” received three nominations this year, with the other two for Best Narrative and Best RPG.
