The Indie Game Awards 2025: All Winners and Highlights

The second annual Indie Game Awards wrapped up this past Thursday evening, and honestly? It was exactly the kind of celebration the industry needed. While the big-budget behemoths usually hog the spotlight in December, this show (hosted by Six One Indie) is all about the heart and soul of gaming: the independent developers who are still weird enough to take risks.

If you missed the livestream because you were too busy trying to finish your backlog before the new year, don’t sweat it. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the night, including the big wins, the tear-jerking moments, and the games you absolutely need to wishlist right now.

A Night for the Underdogs (and the Overachievers)

The ceremony aired at 6:30 PM ET and didn’t waste much time getting to the goods. Unlike some other awards shows that feel more like three hours of movie trailers interrupted by trophies, this event kept the focus tight on the creators. It’s refreshing to see a show where the developers actually get time to speak without being played off by an orchestra.

The big story of the night was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which walked away with the coveted Game of the Year award. If you haven’t seen this one yet, Sandfall Interactive has created something that looks visually stunning and plays like a dream. It also snagged the Debut Game award, which is a pretty massive flex for a first outing.

But it wasn’t just about the top prize. The awards spread the love across 21 different categories, highlighting everything from accessibility to bite-sized experiences that respect your time.

The Full List of Indie Game Awards 2025 Winners

Here is the complete rundown of who took home the trophies. Spoiler alert: Your wallet is about to hurt because you’re going to want to buy all of these.

Game of the Year

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)

• Nominees: Absolum, and Roger, Blue Prince, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Hades II, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Consume Me, Keep Diving

Gameplay Design

Winner: BallxPit (Kenny Sun)

• Nominees: Absolum, Dawnfolk, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Keep Driving, Look Outside, Öoo, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, The King is Watching

Narrative

Winner: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Jump Over the Age)

• Nominees: Consume Me, Promise Mascot Agency, The Drifter, The Roottrees are Dead, The Séance of Blake Manor

Visual Design

Winner: 30 Birds (RAM RAM Games, Business Goose Studios)

• Nominees: Artis Impact, Cat Detective Albert Wilde, Eclipsium, Mashina, Slime Rancher 2

Innovation

Winner: Blue Prince (Dogubomb)

• Nominees: FREERIDE, Gas Station Story, PBJ The Musical, Ruffy and the Riverside, Taria & Como

Solo Development

Winner: Tall Trails (Brady Soglin)

• Nominees: Lushfoil Photography Sim, Megabonk, NAIAD, Spilled!, Vile: Exhumed

Achievement in Accessibility

Winner: Peak (Team PEAK)

• Nominees: Abiotic Factor, Barista, Calm the Storm, Spray Paint Simulator, Squeakross: Home Squeak Home

Music

Winner: Rift of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games, Tic Toc Games)

• Nominees: Everhood 2, Herdling, SONOKUNI, Sword of the Sea, Wheel World

Bite-Sized Game

Winner: Time Flies (Playables)

• Nominees: CARIMARA – Beneath the Forlorn Limbs, FlyKnight, Many Nights a Whisper, The Dark Queen of Mortholme, this game will end in 205 clicks

Debut Game

Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)

• Nominees: Discounty, Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson, ILA: A Frosty Glide, Sorry We’re Closed, Tyrant’s Realm

Emotional Impact

Winner: and Roger (TearyHand Studio)

• Nominees: Afterlove EP, Don’t Get Your Hopes Up, Henry Halfhead, Wanderstop, Wednesdays

Community Management

Winner: PEAK (Team PEAK)

• Nominees: Consume Me, Date Everything!, IKEELYA, Soulstone Survivors, Strange Scaffold

Regional Awards

The Indie Game Awards also made a point to spotlight talent from specific regions and communities, which is something we’d love to see more often in the industry.

• ANZ Indie Game Award: The Drifter (Powerhoof)
• Black Voices in Gaming Award: Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi (MarsLit Games)
• Latin American Indie Award: Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Pocket Trap)
• African Indie Game Award: Stick It To The Stickman (Free Lives)
• Southeast Asian Indie Award: Artis Impact (Mas)
• Women-Led Indie Game Award: Urban Myth Dissolution Center (Hakababunko)

Special Recognition

A major emotional high point was the Mohammad Fahmi Storyteller Award, which was presented to Maddy Thorson. Thorson, known for Celeste and TowerFall, has been a pillar of the indie community, and seeing them recognized for their storytelling contributions felt incredibly earned.

Why This Matters

Look, we all love watching Kratos throw an axe or Master Chief blow up aliens. But the indie scene is where the mechanics of tomorrow are born. Games like Blue Prince (Innovation winner) and Citizen Sleeper 2 aren’t just fun; they’re pushing the medium forward in ways AAA studios often can’t risk.

It was also great to see Hollow Knight: Silksong on the nominee list, proving that it is, in fact, real and exists (we think). Maybe next year it’ll take home the gold? We can dream.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. If you’re looking for something new to play this weekend, you could do a lot worse than throwing a dart at this list and buying whatever it hits.