The Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) 2025 are officially open for submissions, with eligible developers encouraged to submit their works for judging in a range of categories. As in past years, the AGDAs aims to recognise and celebrate the great work of the local Australian video games industry, with a particular focus on innovation and creativity.
As noted, there are some changes to this year’s show. It’s set to take place on 8 October 2025, during Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) and this year, it will be held within the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Regardless of the venue change, the show format will remain the same, with awards delivered in a range of categories.
Here’s the full list of categories for the 2025 AGDAs.
AGDAs 2025: Games Awards
- Excellence in Visual Art (Previously Excellence in Art)
- Excellence in Gameplay
- Excellence in Narrative
- Excellence in Sound Design
- Excellence in Music
- Excellence in Accessibility
- Excellence in Mobile
- Excellence in Extended Reality (Previously Excellence in Mixed Reality)
- Excellence in Impact
- Excellence in Ongoing (Previously Excellence in Live Service)
- Excellence in Debut (Previously Excellence in Emerging)
- Game of the Year
AGDAs 2025: Career, Contribution and Culture Awards
- Studio of the Year
- The Adam Lancman Award
- The Rising Star Award
As noted, a range of prestigious Australian-made games have claimed these awards in previous years, including Conscript, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, Gubbins, Cult of the Lamb, Unpacking, Moving Out, Wylde Flowers, Untitled Goose Game, and The Oregon Trail. We expect to see even more games joining this starry array in the upcoming ceremony.
Those with a game to submit are encouraged to enter their project for consideration on the AGDAs website. All games will be judged against a set rubric, by an expert panel of games industry veterans. Submissions close on 15 June 2025 at 11:59 pm AEST, so there’s a bit of time to consider or improve any submitted works.
