The celebration of creativity and originality in indie gaming is almost here. Six One Indie has announced that The Indie Game Awards 2025 will take place on December 18 at 3:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. ET, streaming live on YouTube.
This year’s show will once again shine a spotlight on independent developers around the world, honouring achievements in categories like storytelling, artistry, innovation, and more.
The Indie Game Awards 2025 Nominee Announcement
A few new touches this year
The Indie Game Awards 2025 ceremony brings fresh ideas to the table. One of the highlights is the new Indie Vanguard Class, recognising five developers “who represent the future of the industry.” New regional and showcase-specific categories are also being added, curated by groups like Women-Led Games, Latin American Games Showcase, and Black Voices in Gaming.
Fans can even get involved through the new Community Picks segment, where players can nominate their favourite indie titles across multiple genres.
The Indie Game Awards 2025 will feature 28 presenters, including Chandana Ekanayake, Lena Raine, Remy Siu, and Chipzel. The nominees were chosen by a diverse panel from various indie showcases, journalists, and content creators, including Giant Bomb, Game Informer, Wholesome Games, noclip, and more.
Below are the nominees of The Indie Game Awards 2025 for each major category.
Achievement in Accessibility
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| Abiotic Factor | Deep Field Games, Playstack |
| Barista | YofiAsi |
| Calm the Storm | Ludic Lemur |
| Peak | Team PEAK, Aggro Crab, Landfall |
| Spray Paint Simulator | North Star Video Games, Whitethorn Games |
| Squeakross: Home Squeak Home | Alblune |
Debut Game
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive, Kepler Interactive |
| Discounty | Crinkle Cut Games, PQube |
| Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson | Ritual Studios, Playdigious Originals |
| ILA: A Frosty Glide | Magic Rain Studios, First Break Labs |
| Sorry We’re Closed | a la mode Games, Akupara Games |
| Tyrant’s Realm | Team Tyrant, Skystone Games |
Innovation
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| Blue Prince | Dogubomb, Raw Fury |
| FREERIDE | Flightyfelon Games, Future Friends Games |
| Gas Station Story | enzi |
| PBJ The Musical | Philipp Stollenmayer |
| Ruffy and the Riverside | Zockrates Laboratories, Phiphen Games |
| Taria & Como | Poppyseed Studio Inc, JuVee Productions |
Narrative
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | Jump Over the Age, Fellow Traveller |
| Consume Me | Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder, Hexecutable |
| Promise Mascot Agency | Kaizen Game Works |
| The Drifter | Powerhoof, Dave Lloyd |
| The Roottrees are Dead | Evil Trout Inc. |
| The Seance of Blake Manor | Spooky Doorway, Raw Fury |
Visual Design
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| 30 Birds | RAM RAM Games, Business Goose Studios, ARTE France |
| Artis Impact | Mas, Feuxon |
| Cat Detective Albert Wilde | beyondthosehills |
| Eclipsium | Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX |
| Mashina | Talha and Jack Co, J. King Spooner, Talha Kaya, Judatone Studios |
| Slime Rancher 2 | Monomi Park |
Game of the Year
| Game | Developer / Publisher |
|---|---|
| Absolum | Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks |
| and Roger | TearyHand Studio |
| Blue Prince | Dogubomb |
| Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector | Jump Over the Age |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive |
| Consume Me | Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder |
| Hades II | Supergiant Games |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | Team Cherry |
| Keep Driving | YCJY Games |
| Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo | Pocket Trap |
This year’s lineup reflects how broad and creative the indie scene has become. From emotionally rich narratives like Consume Me to stylish adventures like Blue Prince and Hollow Knight: Silksong, the competition for the Indie Game Awards 2025 looks fierce.
The countdown is on. Mark your calendars for December 18 and tune in live for The Indie Game Awards 2025 to see which games take home the trophies, and maybe discover your next favourite indie gem along the way.
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