The long-awaited 2025 nominations for game of the year were released by The Game Awards on November 17th, and 6 games have been selected as potential candidates for this coveted award.
Many top-tier games have found their way into the winner's circle through this awards show, which first aired back in 2014. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, The Last Of Us Part II, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and, most recently, Astro Bot have all taken the title, and soon another will join its ranks.
We’ve taken the liberty of sharing these potentials with you here to provide you with more insight into why these 6 have been chosen. Read on to learn more.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This RPG is making waves as an impressive debut from game developer Sandfall Interactive. Set in a fantasy world heavily inspired by the Belle Epoque era of early 20th-century France, you and a team of volunteers must set out to destroy the game’s central antagonist: The Paintress. The game is praised for its acting, narrative structure, and rewarding gameplay.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
A sequel to the well-received game of the same name, this action-adventure game was highly anticipated by fans. Set 11 months after the original, you follow the first game’s central characters as they make their way through a post-apocalyptic Australia. The game has an open-world element and has received praise for improving on mechanics that were not well-loved in the series's first installment.
Donkey Kong Bonanza
This platformer was among the first new games to grace the Nintendo Switch 2, and is the first internally-developed Donkey Kong game since Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in 2004. The game plays on sandbox elements, destroying and collecting items to find their way through the levels. The game is said to have a gorgeous color scheme, well-loved music and animation, and excellent mechanics.
Hades 2
This roguelike action RPG is the sequel to the well-loved 2020 game, Hades. This time around, you control Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld, and sister to Zagreus, the first game’s protagonist. The sequel also introduced an overworld element, building on the already existing biomes of the underworld. The game has received praise for its complexity, stunning visuals, and well-thought-out characters.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
A sequel to the 2017 game, Hollow Knight, we are once again thrown into an unfamiliar world where players must elegantly battle their way through a vast, interconnected system. Like the first game, if you die in a particular exploration area, you will respawn where you first entered, adding another layer of tension to an already difficult game. Despite, or perhaps because of, its difficulty, the sequel has been praised for its mechanical finesse, animation style, and gripping world-building.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
A sequel to the 2018 game of the same name, this open-world RPG largely diverts from the first game’s design. While the first game in the series had a linear, connected world, the sequel greatly expands on the game’s established areas, doubling the map size and opening the game to free exploration.
Set in the Kingdom of Bohemia during the 15th century, you control Henry of Skalitz, the protagonist of the first game, as he works to stop the invading forces of Sigismund of Luxembourg.
The game has received positive reviews for its skill-focused combat, action, and improvement on its predecessor through score, animation, and mechanics.
The Game Awards will take place on December 11, 2025, at 7:30 EST, and will be available to watch on YouTube, Prime Video, and Twitch.
