“Astro Bot and Wukong: Dark Fantasy Lead the Charge in GDCA 2025 Nominations”
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We have now reached the twenty-fifth year of the Game Developers Choice Awards, and we are honoring our remarkable community of finalists—including a robotic adventure infused with elements of Chinese mythology.
The organizers of the Game Developers Conference have revealed the finalists for this year’s twenty-fifth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier video game awards that are nominated, voted on, and determined by professionals within the gaming industry. This event will take place at GDC 2025, the leading event for game creators and experts.
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The nominations this year are headed by Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment) and Dark Fantasy: Wukong (Game Science), each receiving seven nominations. Both are finalists for the highly sought-after Game of the Year Award, alongside Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix), and Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero).
Astro Bot, created by Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is a 3D platforming game that was launched to commemorate PlayStation’s thirtieth anniversary. It serves as a love letter to the multitude of iconic characters and worlds from PlayStation’s expansive library of franchises. It has garnered acclaim from both fans and critics for its unique and captivating stage design, remarkable soundtrack, seamless integration with the PlayStation 5’s hardware, and visually appealing aesthetics.
Dark Fantasy: Wukong, developed and published by Game Science, is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology and draws inspiration from the classic literary work Journey to the West. The game features skill-based combat and challenging gameplay that admirers of the “soulslike” subgenre have come to appreciate.
Other notable finalists include the Metroidvania title Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode) with five nominations and two honorable mentions, the poker-inspired roguelike deck-builder Balatro (Local Thunk / Playstack) with four nominations and two honorable mentions, and the IGF 2024 finalist 1000xRESIST (Sunset Visitor / Fellow Traveller) which received three nominations.
Alongside the categories listed below, the GDC Audience is excited to cast their votes for their favorite game of the year with the Audience Award.
The Game Developers Choice Awards is part of GDC 2025, which is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from March 17-21. The ceremony will occur on Wednesday, March 19 immediately following the 2025 Independent Games Festival Awards, which begins at 6:30pm PT.
Here’s this year’s lineup of finalists and honorable mentions:
Best Audio
Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Dark Fantasy: 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
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/span>Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital), Restful Hill 2 (Bloober Team SA / KONAMI)
Outstanding Debut
1000xRESIST (Sunset Customer / Fellow Traveller)
Animal Effectively (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Pacific Pressure (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)
Small Glade (Pounce Gentle)
Honorable Mentions: Manor Lords (Slavic Magic / Hooded Horse), Mullet Madjack (HAMMER95 / Epopeia Games), The Brave Squire (All That You Can Imagine Futures / Devolver Digital), Small Glade (Pounce Gentle)
Top Design
Animal Effectively (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Dark Fantasy: 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), Okay (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), The Yarn of Zelda: Echoes of Files (Grezzo, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development / Nintendo), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
Innovation Recognition
Animal Effectively (Billy Basso / Bigmode)
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Dark Fantasy: 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 / Fear), The Brave Squire (All That You Can Imagine Futures / Devolver Digital),Small Glade (Pounce Gentle)
Outstanding Narrative
1000xRESIST (Sunset Customer / Fellow Traveller)
Dark Fantasy: Wukong (Game Science)
Love a Dragon: Countless Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA)
Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
Mouthwashing (Sinful Organ / Serious 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)
Top Technology
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive
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ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Dark Fantasy: Wukong (Sport Science)
Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory / Xbox Game Studios)
Small Glade (Pounce Soft)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Effectively (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Call of Duty: Dark Ops 6 (Treyarch, Raven Software, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, Demonware / Activision), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Suitable (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco Studios Inc / Bandai Namco Entertainment)
Social Impact
1000xRESIST (Sunset Customer / Fellow Traveller)
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Frostpunk 2 (11 bit studios)
Lifestyles is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)
Neva (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Closer to the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games), A Long-Distant Bloom (Ember Path / Kina Mettlesome), Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts), Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios / Electronic Arts)
Game of the Year
Astro Bot (Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
Dark Fantasy: Wukong (Sport Science)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC)
Metaphor: ReFantazio (ATLUS / SEGA / Studio Zero)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Effectively (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios / PlayStation Publishing LLC), Worship a Dragon: Countless Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio / SEGA), Suitable (Coffee Stain Studios / Coffee Stain Publishing), UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
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Every video game released and made publicly available throughout the 2024 calendar year is eligible for free nomination for the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards. All nominees and winners are determined by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, consisting of prominent game creators from all sectors of the industry.
Winners will be revealed at the GDCA ceremony on Wednesday, March 19 (with a simultaneous broadcast on GDC Twitch). Both the GDCA and IGF ceremonies will be available for everyone GDC 2025 passholders.
GDC is set to return from March 17-21, 2025, and our Early Rate is currently live (for a limited time)! For additional information, be sure to check out our website and follow the #GDC2025 hashtag on social platforms.
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