Indie Game Awards 2025 nominations led by Expedition 33, Hollow Knight Silksong and Hades II

2025 is the year of the indie games, and some heavy-hitters along with hidden gems are being highlighted at the Indie Game Awards 2025.

Indie games shone brighter than ever this year, with creative hits capturing players’ attention across genres and platforms. Now they’re heading into the spotlight once again, as the Indie Game Awards returns on 18 December, and Six One Indie has officially unveiled the full list of nominees.

The second annual ceremony, organised by Six One Indie (a collective focused on supporting independent developers through showcases and wider visibility), will take place at 6:30 AM SGT or 6:30 PM EST, streaming live on the group’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

A total of 18 categories make up this year’s awards, featuring heavy hitters like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Hades II, alongside smaller titles that have made their mark in 2025.

Several new categories also join the lineup, including regional sections curated by groups such as Women-Led Games and Black Voices in Gaming. Fans can also take part in the Community Picks vote, open until 24 November.

Presenters this year include Chandana Ekanayake (co-founder of Thirsty Suitors developer Outerloop Games), Celeste composer Lena Raine, Remy Siu (founder of sunset visitor, the studio behind 1000xResist), and musician Chipzel.

Below is the complete list of nominees for the Indie Game Awards 2025.

Game of the Year

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)

Bite-Sized Game

CARIMARA: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs (Bastinus Rex)
FlyKnight (Wabbaboy)
Many Nights a Whisper (Deconstructeam, Selkie Harbour)
The Dark Queen of Mortholme (Mosu)
this game will end in 205 clicks. (insertdisc5)
Time Flies (Playables)

Debut Game

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive)
Discounty (Crinkle Cut Games)
Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson (Ritual Studios)
ILA: A Frosty Glide (Magic Rain Studios)
Sorry We’re Closed (a la mode Games)
Tyrant’s Realm (Team Tyrant)

Gameplay Design

Absolum (Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks)
BallxPit (Kenny Sun)
Dawnfolk (Darenn Keller)
Hades II (Supergiant Games)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Keep Driving (YCJY Games)
Look Outside (Francis Coulombe)
Öoo (NamaTakahashi, tiny cactus studio, Tsuyomi)
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Pocket Trap)
The King is Watching (Hypnohead)

Innovation

Blue Prince (Dogubomb)
FREERIDE (Flightyfelon Games Inc.)
Gas Station Story (enzi)
PBJ The Musical (Philipp Stollenmayer)
Ruffy and the Riverside (Zockrates Laboratories UG)
Taria and Como (Poppyseed Studio Inc, JuVee Productions)

Narrative

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Jump Over the Age)
Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder)
Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Game Works)
The Drifter (Powerhoof, Dave Lloyd)
The Roottrees are Dead (Evil Trout Inc.)
The Séance of Blake Manor (Spooky Doorway)

Visual Design

30 Birds (RAM RAM Games, Business Goose Studios)
Artis Impact (Mas)
Cat Detective Albert Wilde (beyondthosehills)
Eclipsium (Housefire)
Mashina (Talha and Jack Co, J. King Spooner, Talha Kaya)
Slime Rancher 2 (Monomi Park)

Music

Everhood 2 (Cazok, KM_EXP, Stewart Keller, Lewmoth, Chris Nordgren, CatGod, Beat Tape, Dancefloor Is Lava, INFX)
Herdling (Joel Schoch)
Rift of the NecroDancer (Danny Baranowsky, Alex Moukala, Jules Conroy, Josie Brechner, Sam Webster, Nick Nausbaum)
SONOKUNI (Don Yasa Crew)
Sword of the Sea (Austin Wintory)
Wheel World (Johnny Jewel, JOON, Orion)

Solo Development

ANTONBLAST (Summitsphere)
Lushfoil Photography Sim (Matt Newell)
Megabonk (vedinad)
NAIAD (HiWarp)
Spilled! (Lente)
Vile: Exhumed (Cara Cadaver)

Emotional Impact

Afterlove EP (Pikselnesia)
and Roger (TearyHand Studio)
Don’t Get Your Hopes Up (Krish Raghav)
Henry Halfhead (Lululu Entertainment)
Wanderstop (Ivy Road)
Wednesdays (Pierre Corbinais, The Pixel Hunt, exaheva)

Achievement in Accessibility

Abiotic Factor (Deep Field Games)
Barista (YofiAsi)
Calm the Storm (Ludic Lemur)
Peak (Aggrocrab)
Spray Paint Simulator (North Star Video Games)
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (Alblune)

Community Management

Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder)
Date Everything! (Sassy Chap Games)
IKEELYA (ALL DAY ALL NIGHT)
PEAK (Team PEAK)
Soulstone Survivors (Game Smithing Limited)
Strange Scaffold (Strange Scaffold)

ANZ Indie Game Award

Abiotic Factor (Deep Field Games)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Mars First Logistics (Shape Shop)
PROXIMATE (Cain Maddox)
Tempopo (Witchbeam)
The Drifter (Powerhoof)

Black Voice in Gaming

Advent Neon (CryoGX)
Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi (MarsLit Games)
Sorry We’re Closed (à la mode games)
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To (Soft Not Weak LLC)
Sunken Stones (Spritewrench)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (Strange Scaffold)

Southeast Asian Indie Game Award

Afterlove EP (Pikselnesia)
Artis Impact (Mas)
Glyphica: Typing Survival (aliasBLACK)
SEDAP! A Culinary Adventure (kopiforge)
Urban Jungle (Kylyk Games)
Whisper Mountain Outbreak (Toge Productions)

Latin American Indie Award

Adventure of Samsara (Ilex Games)
despelote (Julian Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena)
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Galla)
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Pocket Trap)
Taria and Como (Poppyseed Studio Inc, JuVee Productions)
Tormented Souls 2 (Dual Effect)

South African Indie Game Award

Bru and Boegie Get Da Milk! (MIKDOG)
Finding Father (Studio Bo)
Flibbius McDoogle and The Mysterious Flying Machine (Unsigned Double Collective)
IKEELYA (ALL DAY ALL NIGHT)
Metavoidal (Yellow Lab Games)
Stick It To The Stickman (Free Lives)