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2 Months Until The Game Awards 2025: Possible Game of the Year Contenders

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - October 8th 2025, 22:00 GMT+2

10. Ghost of Yōtei

There’s something irresistible about a game that mixes haunting folklore with razor-sharp samurai combat. *Ghost of Yotei* doesn’t just settle for being the spiritual cousin of *Ghost of Tsushima*; it goes colder, darker, and stranger, set against the looming presence of Mount Yotei in Hokkaido. The campaign lets players decide in what order to face the deadly Yotei Six, giving it a freedom that feels like your own wandering epic. Even better, the cinematic filters inspired by classic Japanese directors make every duel feel like a film festival on your console. And while its combat shines, the real star might be the atmosphere – a blend of beauty and unease that lingers long after you put the controller down. | © Sony Interactive Entertainment

9. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Crack that whip and cue the John Williams theme in your head – Indy is back, and somehow, it works just as well in 2025 as it did on the big screen decades ago. *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle* isn’t just a nostalgia ride, though; it’s an ambitious, globe-trotting adventure with puzzles, peril, and Nazi-punching aplenty. The 1937 setting gives it a sweet spot between *Raiders* and *Last Crusade*, letting the story explore new ground without tripping over film canon. What makes it shine is how much it *feels* like a movie while still being a game first – the stealth, the exploration, and the dramatic set-pieces never let you forget you’re in control. MachineGames clearly aimed for timeless pulp fun, and somehow, they nailed it. | © MachineGames

8. Blue Prince

If this year’s GOTY lineup has a wild card, *Blue Prince* wears that crown proudly. What looks like a moody puzzle box of a game quickly reveals itself as a living, shifting labyrinth – the mansion you explore reconfigures itself, daring you to find meaning in its ever-changing design. One run might leave you puzzled; the next, you feel like you’ve uncovered a secret language buried in the architecture. Its slow-burn approach to storytelling makes every revelation feel earned, and the replayability is nearly endless. Critics have been smitten, praising its clever design and strange, hypnotic tone. It’s the sort of game that sticks with you – not because it shouts, but because it whispers in ways you can’t ignore. | © Raw Fury

7. Split Fiction

Every year there’s at least one game that divides the room – and fittingly, *Split Fiction* has become that title for 2025. It plays with narrative structure in a way that’s more puzzle than story, blurring genres until you can’t quite pin it down. Some players swear it’s genius, others call it messy, but one thing’s certain: it’s not boring. It leans into sci-fi and fantasy with the confidence of a fever dream, daring you to keep up as the rules change under your feet. Whether it’s brilliant or baffling probably depends on how much you like games that challenge convention. Still, that kind of risk-taking often earns big respect with critics – and sometimes, respect is enough to push a game into GOTY contention. | © Hazelight Studios

Cropped Donkey Kong Bananza — 6. Donkey Kong Bananza

Nintendo really pulled a banana out of the hat with this one. *Donkey Kong Bananza* is a big, bold return to the 3D platforming spotlight, built to show off what the Switch 2 can really do. Instead of just hopping around colorful stages, you’re smashing through them – the destructible environments turn exploration into pure chaos, and it’s hard not to grin while sending chunks of jungle flying. Sure, a few camera wobbles and framerate dips show up, but the joy of discovery and sheer silliness of it all more than makes up for it. DK hasn’t felt this fresh in years, and fans are eating it up. If anything can crash into the GOTY shortlist with pure charm and muscle, it’s this banana-fueled romp. | © Nintendo

Cropped Death Stranding 2 On the Beach — 5. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

There’s a surreal tug-of-war happening in *Death Stranding 2: On The Beach* – loyalty to its predecessor’s weirdness vs doubling down on new cinematic spectacle. Kojima seems to be asking us: after enduring isolation and reconnecting, what comes next when the world is at once familiar and alien? Expect emotional tug punches, weak points in logic (as always), but also memorable characters, bizarre set-pieces, and Hideo Kojima’s signature “What even is this?” moments. The return of stars like Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker adds gravitas, while new faces and collaborations hint at fresh directions. Visually, the Decima engine delivers sweeping vistas and haunting tech constructs alike – sometimes transcendent, sometimes just weirdly glitchy. If there’s a game this year that’s going to divide your friends and still have them quoting lines three months later, this might be it. | © Kojima Productions

Cropped Kingdom Come Deliverance II — 4. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Medieval realism, turned up to 11. *Kingdom Come: Deliverance II* takes the already intimidating historical fidelity of its predecessor and pushes harder – from the politics of Bohemia to the weight of every sword swing and every war-weary night. It’s not a game designed for letting go: it demands attention, patience, and a willingness to wander through a world that doesn’t always bend for you. But when the systems click – the feudal intrigue, the moral ambiguities, the craftsmanship of daily medieval life – you get something rare: immersion so strong you almost smell the forge, hear the creak of wooden beams, taste the fear of betrayal. Commercial success backs up the ambition: Deep Silver and Warhorse Studios scored big in sales and praise. Whether it wins GOTY may hinge on how forgiving fans are of sometimes slow pacing, stiffer difficulty spikes, or the kind of realism that isn’t always comfortable. But it’s one of 2025’s most earnest offerings, and it’s hard not to root for it. | © Warhorse Studios

3. Hades II

Leave it to Supergiant Games to make dying feel mythic. In *Hades II*, you take on a new protagonist – Melinoë, sister to Zagreus – and the roguelite loop gets richer, deeper, more layered than before. With each run, you’re not just learning build-strategy, you’re discovering mythic lore, testing what choices matter, wrestling with the clockwork of gods and fate. The art direction, sound design, and combat all continue that tightrope walk between elegance and brutality, and Supergiant’s polish is so high you can almost see the shimmer on the blades. Plus, the fact that it released in full on Switches and PC recently reinforces its accessibility – people can talk about it everywhere. Some might argue it’s more of the same, but *Hades II* makes sure that “same” is worth doubling down on. If GOTY is about how a sequel can raise the bar instead of just walking up to it, this is a heavyweight. | © Supergiant Games

Cropped Hollow Knight Silksong — 2. Hollow Knight: Silksong

You know when you wait so long for something, every rumor, every trailer, every tiny teaser builds up until your expectations are ridiculous? *Silksong* had that, and it still had to deliver – which it mostly did. Traversing the kingdom of Pharloom as Hornet feels intimate and borderless at once: every mossy grotto, coral forest, gilded courtyard feels handcrafted, and the bosses give that punch that indie souls-likes (or “souls-metroidvanias”) dream about. Team Cherry’s art and atmosphere are strengths so obvious they almost overshadow the fact that the game isn’t flawless – camera angles, difficulty spikes, or minor platforming oddities might snag some folks. But the emotional weight of the journey, the mystery, the layering of lore, and that final ascent toward the kingdom’s peak – those moments stay with you. If GOTY is about crafting beauty *and* challenge, *Silksong* is in prime form. | © Team Cherry

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 — 1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

An indie star that refuses to play small. *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* blends turn-based RPG with real‐time mechanics in surprising ways, but what really hooks you is its tone: a Belle-Époque fantasy that’s both enchanted and haunted, where every brushstroke of plot feels deliberate. The threat – the Paintress who once a year “paints” a number on her monolith and those of that age disappear – gives the game its emotional core. Your expedition is desperate, vivid, and heavy. The visuals, the music, the character work: all lean into that mix of wonder, dread, loss, and hope. Oh, and it’s riding high commercially and critically: millions sold, praise for its storytelling, and enough momentum that calling it a contender wouldn’t feel hyperbolic. If there’s space this year for a game that moves people by its atmosphere as much as mechanics, *Expedition 33* might be it. | © Sandfall Interactive

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With just two months to go before The Game Awards 2025, the gaming community is buzzing with predictions about which titles will secure a nomination for the coveted Game of the Year award. This year has already delivered a wave of groundbreaking releases, from genre-defining RPGs to breathtaking action-adventures, each making a strong case for the spotlight. As fans debate their favorites and critics weigh in on industry-shaping milestones, the race for GOTY is heating up. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most likely contenders vying for the top honor at The Game Awards 2025.

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With just two months to go before The Game Awards 2025, the gaming community is buzzing with predictions about which titles will secure a nomination for the coveted Game of the Year award. This year has already delivered a wave of groundbreaking releases, from genre-defining RPGs to breathtaking action-adventures, each making a strong case for the spotlight. As fans debate their favorites and critics weigh in on industry-shaping milestones, the race for GOTY is heating up. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most likely contenders vying for the top honor at The Game Awards 2025.