2025 GDCA Finalists

Game of the Year

Finalists:

• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

• Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
• 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)

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Audience Award

The Audience Award winner is selected from the list of finalist games from every Main Category. The Audience Award winner is selected through a public vote.

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Best Audio

Finalists:

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios 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)

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Best Debut

Finalists:

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor 斜陽過客 / 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)

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Best Design

Finalists:

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios 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)

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Best Narrative

Finalists:

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor 斜陽過客 / Fellow Traveller)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (RGG Studio / SEGA)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS)
• 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)

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Best Technology

Finalists:

• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios 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)

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Best Visual Art

Finalists:

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS)
• 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)

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Innovation Award

Finalists:

• Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios 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)

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Social Impact Award

Finalists:

• 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor 斜陽過客 / Fellow Traveller)
• Astro Bot (Playstation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios)
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine / 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)