Game Developers Choice Awards 2025: Full list of nominees

Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, and more have been given nods.
helldivers 2 game developers choice awards 2025 nominee

The nominees for the annual Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced, with titles like Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Balatro, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, 1000xRESIST, Animal Well, and Black Myth: Wukong being given nods.

The list is a reminder of the year that was, and just how many strong adventures we got, even amidst the turmoil of layoffs and studio closures. Video games are very good, and these nominations have been awarded to just a handful of the games that prove that point.

As in previous years, the winners of the annual Game Developers Choice Awards 2025 will be announced during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, on 19 March 2025. In the meantime, we can peruse the full list of nominees and honourable mentions, and remember why they struck such a cord.

Read: GamesHub’s Top 10 Best Games of 2024


BEST AUDIO

  • Animal Well
  • Astro Bot
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Honourable Mentions: BalatroLorelei and the Laser EyesMetaphor: ReFantazioNevaSilent Hill 2

BEST DEBUT

  • 1000xRESIST
  • Animal Well
  • Balatro
  • Pacific Drive
  • Tiny Glade

Honourable Mentions: Manor Lords, Mullet Madjack, The Plucky Squire

BEST DESIGN

  • Animal Well
  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

Honourable Mentions: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Satisfactory, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, UFO 50

INNOVATION AWARD

  • Animal Well
  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • UFO 50

Honourable Mentions: Helldivers 2, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Plucky Squire, Tiny Glade

BEST NARRATIVE

  • 1000xRESIST
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio
  • Mouthwashing

Honourable Mentions: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Frostpunk 2, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Neva, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

BEST TECHNOLOGY

  • Astro Bot
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Helldivers 2 
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
  • Tiny Glade

Honourable Mentions: Animal Well, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Satisfactory, Tekken 8

BEST VISUAL ART

  • Animal Well
  • Astro Bot
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio
  • Neva

Honourable Mentions: Balatro, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Tiny Glade, Ultros

SOCIAL IMPACT

  • 1000xRESIST
  • Astro Bot
  • Frostpunk 2
  • Life is Strange: Double Exposure
  • Neva

Honourable Mentions: Closer the Distance, Distant Bloom, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU

GAME OF THE YEAR

  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Helldivers 2
  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio

Honourable Mentions: Animal Well, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Satisfactory, UFO 50

There is also an additional fan-voted award set to be announced during the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards. Voting is now open, and there’s a range of nominees to choose from.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.