The Game Awards 2025 takes place tonight at 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET, and the Game of the Year race is one of the tightest we’ve seen in years. Six incredible games are competing for gaming’s most prestigious award, each bringing something unique to the table. Here’s our breakdown of the contenders and our prediction for who will be the GOTY 2025 winner.
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The Game of the Year nominees 2025
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive) – 12 nominations
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment) – 8 nominations
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Hades II (Supergiant Games) – 6 nominations
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry) – 5 nominations
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver)
The Frontrunner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 enters The Game Awards as the clear frontrunner with 12 nominations. This turn-based RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive has captured critics and players alike with its innovative blend of turn-based combat and real-time elements. Set in a dark fantasy Belle Époque setting, the game follows Expedition 33 as they attempt to destroy the Paintress, a being causing the yearly Gommage that erases people at or above a certain age.
What sets Clair Obscur apart is its combat system. While turn-based at its core, the game incorporates real-time dodging, parrying, and quick-time events that keep battles engaging. Players can aim ranged attacks freely like a third-person shooter, and successful parries provide ability points and counterattack opportunities. It’s a fresh take on traditional JRPG combat that feels both familiar and innovative. Critics have praised the game universally, with a Metacritic score of 92 based on 84 reviews.
The challenger: Hollow Knight: Silksong
If any game can upset Clair Obscur, it’s Hollow Knight: Silksong. Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel has five nominations and brings the most devoted fanbase of any nominee. The original Hollow Knight became a beloved indie classic, and Silksong delivers a faster and smoother adventure led by protagonist Hornet. The game maintains the challenging difficulty and enchanting world that made the first game special while introducing new mechanics and areas to explore. Critics have praised its art direction, tight controls, and satisfying combat. The metroidvania genre has never looked better.
Why Clair Obscur Should Win GOTY 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 represents everything great about modern game development. A 30-person indie studio created a game that rivals AAA productions in quality, innovation, and polish. The combat system successfully merges turn-based strategy with real-time action, solving one of the genre’s biggest problems – keeping battles engaging throughout a long campaign.
The game’s art direction is stunning, its soundtrack memorable, and its narrative compelling. It proves that turn-based RPGs still have a place in modern gaming when executed with creativity and passion. The record 12 nominations show that the industry recognizes this achievement.
Why it might not win
The biggest threat to Clair Obscur is Hollow Knight: Silksong’s passionate fanbase. The Game Awards incorporates fan voting alongside industry votes, and Silksong’s community is incredibly dedicated. If fan votes swing heavily toward Silksong, it could overcome Clair Obscur’s critical advantage.
There’s also the question of voter fatigue with indie darlings. While Clair Obscur deserves recognition, some voters might lean toward the Kojima or Nintendo entries simply because those studios have massive cultural cachet in the industry.
Our prediction for GOTY 2025 Winner
We believe this will be a close call between Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but ultimately, Clair Obscur should win the GOTY 2025. The record 12 nominations, universal critical acclaim, strong sales, and genuine innovation make it the most deserving candidate. Clair Obscur represents the kind of game The Game Awards should celebrate – a passion project from a small team that pushed boundaries and delivered something truly special. It’s a game-changing turn-based RPG that will influence the genre for years to come.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is an incredible game and absolutely deserves recognition, but Clair Obscur edges it out with broader appeal, more innovation, and industry-wide recognition across multiple categories.
