Recent updates:
January 20: Added NY Game Awards winners and DICE and GDC finalists.
January 5, 2026: Added Metacritic's GOTY winner and New York Game Awards nominees
December 22: Updated Indie Game Awards winners.
December 19: Added Indie Game Awards winners.
December 11: Added The Game Awards winners.
November 17, 2025: Scorecard launched with this year's The Game Awards nominees and Indie Game Award nominees.
Key to awards:
[BAFTA]BAFTA Games Awards -noms Mar. 12 / winners Apr. 17
[DICE]D.I.C.E. Awards - winners Feb. 12
[GDC]Game Developers Choice Awards- winners Mar. 12
[IND]Indie Game Awards
[MC] Metacritic Game of the Year (overall highest Metascore)
[NY]New York Game Awards
[TGA]The Game Awards
★ Wins in bold and starred / nominations in regular text
Game of the Year
tbdARC Raiders - DICE
tbdBlue Prince - DICE, GDC, NY
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - DICE, GDC,★NY,★TGA
tbdDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach - TGA
tbdDonkey Kong Bananza - GDC, TGA
tbdGhost of Yōtei - DICE, GDC, NY
tbdHollow Knight: Silksong - GDC, TGA
tbdKingdom Come: Deliverance II - TGA
tbdSilent Hill f - NY
tbdSplit Fiction - GDC, NY
tbdSword of the Sea - NY
Indie Game of the Year
tbdBaby Steps - DICE
tbdBall x Pit - TGA
tbdBlue Prince - DICE,★IND*,★NY, TGA
tbdCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - IND
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 -★IND*,★TGA
tbdConsume Me - DICE, IND, NY
tbdDeltarune [Chapters 3+4] - NY
tbdEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist - NY
tbdHollow Knight: Silksong - IND, NY, TGA
tbdKeep Driving - IND
tbdPipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - IND
tbdTiny Bookshop - NY
* Originally announced IND winner Clair Obscur was stripped of its awards following revelations of AI use by the developer. Blue Prince was named the winner in its stead.
Debut Game of the Year
tbdBall x Pit - GDC
tbdBlue Prince - GDC, TGA
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - GDC,★IND*,★TGA
tbdFretless - The Wrath of Riffson - IND
tbdILA: A Frosty Glide - IND
tbdSorry We're Closed -★IND*
tbdTyrant's Realm - IND
Megabonk was originally a TGA nominee but later withdrew itself from consideration.
* Originally announced IND winner Clair Obscur was stripped of its awards following revelations of AI use by the developer. Sorry We're Closed was named the winner in its stead.
AR/VR/IR Game of the Year *
tbdAlien: Rogue Incursion - TGA
tbdDemeo x Dugeons & Dragons: Battlemarked - DICD
tbdGhost Town - DICE, NY, TGA
tbdLumines Arise -★NY
tbdMarvel's Deadpool VR - DICE, NY, TGA
tbdThe Midnight Walk - DICE, NY,★TGA
tbdThief VR: Legacy of Shadow - DICE
tbdV-Racer Hoverbike - NY
* Note: In cases where a game is playable on both VR and non-VR devices, the Metascore displayed above is for the general version of the game and not specifically the VR version.
Multiplayer/Online Game of the Year
tbdARC Raiders - DICE,★TGA
tbdBattlefield 6 - DICE, TGA
tbdElden Ring Nightreign - TGA
tbdMario Kart World - DICE
tbdMarvel Rivals - DICE
tbdSplit Fiction - DICE, TGA
Ongoing/Evolving Game of the Year
Games first released in or prior to 2025 with post-release content added in 2025
Final Fantasy XIV - TGA
Fortnite - TGA
Helldivers 2 - TGA
Marvel Rivals - TGA
No Man's Sky -★TGA
Mobile Game of the Year
tbdDestiny: Rising - TGA
tbdPersona 5: The Phantom X - DICE, TGA
tbdSonic Rumble - TGA
tbdSpooky Express - NY
tbdUmamusume: Pretty Derby - DICE, NY,★TGA
tbdWhat the Clash? - DICE, NY
tbdWhere Winds Meet - DICE
tbdWuthering Waves - TGA
Best Narrative/Story/Writing
tbdCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector -★IND
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - DICE, GDC,★TGA
tbdConsume Me - DICE, IND
tbdDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach - TGA
tbdThe Drifter - DICE, IND
tbdGhost of Yōtei - GDC, NY, TGA
tbdThe Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy - NY
tbdKingdom Come: Deliverance II - TGA
tbdLost Records: Bloom & Rage - NY
tbdMafia: The Old Country - NY
tbdPromise Mascot Agency - IND
tbdThe Roottrees Are Dead - IND
tbdThe Seance of Blake Manor - IND
tbdSilent Hill f - TGA
tbdSouth of Midnight - DICE
tbdSplit Fiction - GDC
Best Game Design
tbdARC Raiders - DICE
tbdBall x Pit - GDC,★IND
tbdBlue Prince - DICE, GDC
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - GDC
tbdDonkey Kong Bananza - GDC
tbdHollow Knight: Silksong - IND
tbdKeep Driving - IND
tbdKingdom Come: Deliverance II - DICE
tbdThe King Is Watching - IND
tbdLook Outside - IND
tbdPipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - IND
tbdSplit Fiction - GDC
Best Art Direction/Visual Design
tbdArtis Impact - IND
tbdCat Detective Albert Wilde - IND
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - DICE, GDC,★TGA
tbdDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach - DICE, GDC, TGA
tbdGhost of Yōtei - DICE, GDC, TGA
tbdHollow Knight: Silksong - TGA
tbdThe Midnight Walk - DICE
tbdSlime Rancher 2 - IND
Genre-Specific Awards
Action Game of the Year
tbdARC Raiders - DICE
tbdBattlefield 6 - TGA
tbdDOOM: The Dark Ages - DICE, TGA
tbdNinja Gaiden 4 - DICE, TGA
tbdShinobi: Art of Vengeance - TGA
Adventure (or Action-Adventure) Game of the Year
tbdBlue Prince - DICE
tbdDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach - TGA
tbdDonkey Kong Bananza - DICE
tbdGhost of Yōtei - DICE, TGA
tbdHollow Knight: Silksong - DICE,★TGA
tbdIndiana Jones and the Great Circle - TGA
tbdSplit Fiction - TGA
Fighting Game of the Year
tbdCapcom Fighting Collection 2 - DICE, TGA
tbdFatal Fury: City of the Wolves - DICE,★TGA
tbdMortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection - DICE, TGA
tbdVirtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage - TGA
Role-Playing Game of the Year
tbdClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - DICE,★TGA
tbdCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - DICE
tbdKingdom Come: Deliverance II - DICE, TGA
tbdMonster Hunter Wilds - DICE, TGA
tbdThe Outer Worlds 2 - DICE, TGA
Simulation/Strategy Game of the Year
tbdThe Alters - DICE, TGA
tbdDrop Duchy - DICE
tbdEuropa Univeralis V - DICE
tbdFinal Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles -★TGA
tbdJurassic World Evolution 3 - TGA
tbdThe King Is Watching - DICE
tbdSid Meier's Civilization VII - TGA
tbdStarVaders - DICE
tbdTempest Rising - TGA
tbdTwo Point Museum - TGA
Sports/Racing Game of the Year
tbdEA Sports FC 26 - DICE, TGA
tbdKirby Air Riders - DICE
tbdMario Kart World - DICE,★TGA
tbdMLB The Show 25 - DICE
tbdPGA Tour 2K25 - DICE
tbdSonic Racing: CrossWorlds - TGA
tbdWheel World - DICE
Note that most awards organizations also honor games and creators in additional categories not listed above. We opted to concentrate on those categories that tend to recur most frequently among the different awards groups. In addition, we have omitted awards and organizations (such as the Golden Joystick Awards) that are determined solely by public voting, as well as any awards (like those theoretically handed out in the summer at E3) that don't primarily correspond to the calendar year.
View last year's Game Awards Tracker >