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TheD.I.C.E. AwardsFinalistshave been name for 2025 , and there are some outstanding game such asIndiana Jones & The Great Circleon the final tilt . There are some tried and honest games leading the pack , as well as a few surprise . It is going to be fierce contention with the quality of the games represent , but fans will see the last finding of fact on February 13 , 2025 .
Winning Game of the Yearat any ceremony is an exciting thing for most biz studio . There are a respectable number of great game every year , which always reach it tough to narrow it down to just a few games for every family , and even harder for the most prestigious one . However , the game on this list do deserve their clock time to shine , so ascertain out the tilt of finalist below to see what games are poise for success .
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Outstanding Achievement In Animation
Games That Got The Animation Right
This class , make up one’s mind on by theAcademy Of Interactive Arts & Sciences , has some very beautiful games in it , withAstro Botpotentially leading the way .
There is a unexampled Funko Pop ! for Astro Bot for pre - parliamentary procedure in very limited quantity , and it get along after the game won Game Of The Year for 2024 .
However , all of the games in this family look great and could take the Award home .
Nominee
Astro Bot
Call of Duty : Black Ops 6
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Neva
Warhammer 40,000 : Space Marine 2
Developer
Team Asobi
Treyarch
SQUARE ENIX
Nomada
Saber Interactive
Custom Image by Jorge Aguilar
This is a nifty category to analyze because the games in it are always so esthetically pleasing to look at . EvenBlack Ops 6andSpace Marine 2 , although much more realistic , utilized incredible life to make them reckon that way .
Outstanding Achievement In Art Direction
Games That Communicated The Visuals Well
Again , some great biz in this category , and a couple of instance of games that were not able-bodied to be recognized before . For instance , Indiana Jones & The peachy Circlewas not eligible for the GOTY Awards .
smutty Myth : Wukong
Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
LEGO Horizon Adventures
The Plucky Squire
Senua ’s Saga : Hellblade II
Game Science
MachineGames
Guerilla Games Studio Gobo
All Possible Futures
Ninja Theory
The other interesting additions here areLEGO Horizon AdventuresandThe Plucky Squire , the former of which has not been nominated for anything else .
Outstanding Achievement In Character
Games That Got The Heart Of The Story Right
Great characters are the heart of the narration and , in many causa , are what ram a game frontward . That ’s not always the instance in MMO game or in games with more customizable character reference , but in the games listed here , the characters are the most important piece .
1000xRESIST
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
Image by Diana Acuña
Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
INDIKA
Sunset Visitor
Odd Meter
Indiana Jones & The Great Circleis back for this one , and the hard work the team put into ferment Troy Baker into a younger Harrison Ford is commendable .
The Great Circle has already been praised for its moving picture - like timbre , but some features are drop when considering its immersive gameplay .
However , there are some other bully choices here , includingINDIKA , which was make for a GOTY Award but did not get it .
Outstanding Achievement In Original Music Composition
Soundtracks That Were Felt In The Soul
There is an interesting mix of games here , with three more traditional games , a co - op hired gun , and a mobile gamethat was publish by Netflix Games . Helldivers 2does have an awe-inspiring soundtrack , which makes it stand out compared to otherco - op shooter secret plan .
Helldivers 2
Monument Valley 3
Star Wars Outlaws
squad ASOBI
Arrowhead Game Studios
Custom Image by Diana Acuña
ustwo biz
Massive Entertainment
Monument Valley 3as a wandering secret plan in this class is quite unlike , but there are a lot of corking things about it . Star Wars Outlawshad the advantage of having a legacy of capital music to pull from , even though the soundtrack itself is original . This will be a toughened category for those decide the achiever .
Outstanding Achievement In Audio Design
Games That Set The Scene Well Through Sound
Many of these games are the same , withFrostpunk 2andStill Wakes The Deeptaking the last two spot . There are some great uses of audio in all of these games , many of them work hard to set the humour .
Frostpunk 2
Still Wakes The Deep
11 bit studios
The Chinese Room
It is no wonder this category has some drab and more horror - themed games in them , as sound is such an authoritative part of that music genre . Without it , the game simply are n’t as scary , and the suspense is lost .
Outstanding Achievement In Story
Games That Get The Plot Right
This category had some lesser - bonk game in it , but ones that still deserve recognition . While these are all very different kinds of stories in very different genres , they are all still compelling in their own way .
Something likeStill Wakes The Deepis unbelievably poignant and an emotional journeying .
give thanks Goodness You ’re Here ! is a short but delightful " slapformer " that ingest players through a uproariously eccentric , extremely British town .
Thank Goodness You ’re Here!is a tremendous drollery , whileIndiana Jones & The Great CircleandMetaphor : ReFantazioare more traditional narration for their genres.1000xRESISThas a very nonlinear and untraditional plot , but one that is well - told and well - structured despite that .
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Getting The Code Behind The Game Right
All of these games did things that go beyond what they unremarkably might have . Indiana Jones & The Great Circlewas mentioned earlier for the way of life they recreated a great dealership .
Batman : Arkham Shadow
Camouflaj
These game are all some of the standouts throughoutthis year ’s D.I.C.E. Finalists , so it will be interesting to see what happen in the end here .
Action Game Of The Year
The Best Games That Are Driven By Action
One VR plot in the mix will make things interesting , butBlack Myth : Wukongdid win theGame Of The Year at the Steam Awards for 2025 .
Stellar Blade
pitch UP Corporation
The potent contenders in this category will make the final ballot quite interesting , butBlack Myth : Wukongis probable to take it at the end of the Clarence Day . It is by no mean value a guaranty , so fans will have to wait until the day of the Awards to find out .
Adventure Game Of The Year
The Ones That Took Players To The Best Places
Again , it is a family of with child game , and all of them made bighearted wave when they were first released.1000xRESISTappears in this category as well , and its uniqueness compared to the others could be a big compass point in its favor .
ANIMAL WELL
The Legend of Zelda : sound reflection of Wisdom
Prince of Persia : The Lost Crown
Shared Memory
Nintendo , Grezzo
Ubisoft Montpellier
The Legend of Zeldatraditionally does quite well at various secret plan award , butAnimal Wellleft a very freehanded impression on the community , andIndiana Jones & The Great Circlebeing quite recent is also a point in its favour .
Family Game Of The Year
The Best Games For Everyone
Astro Botmakes another appearance , andThe Plucky Squirealso comes back for a nice surprise . These games are all about being with child for everyone , no matter their geezerhood .
Cat Quest III
small Kitty , Big City
Super Mario Party Jamboree
The Gentlebros
Double Dagger
Nintendo Cube
Cat Quest IIIwas a great plot , andSuper Mario Party : Jamboreehas the advantage of coming from a big franchise on a syndicate - oriented console table .
Fighting Game Of The Year
The Best Games To Beat Up Each Other In
Most of these come from well - known franchises and are no surprise . Tekken 8is the one that most masses would fuck , even those who are not endow in the genre .
Blazing Strike
DRAGON BALL : Sparking ! ZERO
deadly Kombat 1 : Khaos Reigns
TEKKEN 8
UNDERDOGS
RareBreed Makes game
Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
NetherRealm Studios
One Hamsa
However , Blazing StrikeandUnderdogshave the reward of being different , particularly with the latter being an Immersive Reality game .
Racing Game Of The Year
The Ones Where Players Can Go The Fastest
This category is a piddling light this year , with only 3 finalist compare to everyone else ’s 5 .
F1 24
MotoGP 24
dark - RUNNERS PROLOGUE
The secret plan are also quite different from each other , asF124is the more traditional racing game , MotoGP24is bike racing , andNight - Runners Prologueis all about hugger-mugger street racing .
Role-Playing Game Of The Year
The Ones With The Most Character Customization
TheElden Ring DLC : Shadow of the Erdtreeis once more nominative in a controversial fashion . Despite just being an gain to the base secret plan , it was a substantial one and one that many people argued should have a place in gaming awards .
Dragon Age : The Veilguard
ELDEN RING : Shadow of the Erdtree
Like A Dragon : Infinite Wealth
Metaphor : ReFantazio
BioWare
FromSoftware Inc.
Ryu Ga Gotoku
Studio Zero
However , Metaphor : ReFantaziowas a surprise this past fall when it dropped , and it had a circumstances of decisive success . Like A tartar : Infinite Wealthwas a play increase to that series , and the other plot are part of popular franchises too .
Sports Game Of The Year
The Ones That Simulated Real-Life Sports The Best
All of these are the distinctive sports game that appear every year , and there are only 4 entrance .
NBA 2K25 added some new features to the enfranchisement , including new game locomotive , and gameplay pinch to update the way the game is act .
That being said , each year has the potential to do better and to better on the previous scheme , which has n’t always been the cause .
EA SPORTS College Football 25
EA SPORTS FC 25
MLB The Show 24
NBA 2K25
Last class it wasMLB The Show 23that took the trophyhome . This year it remains to be see which one will come out on top .
Strategy/Simulation Game Of The Year
The Best Games That Required Some Thought
Balatrois another mobile plot that has managed to make its style into the finalists in a unlike category . Frostpunk 2andSatisfactoryalso made a fairly big splashing this twelvemonth , which could help them win .
Balatro
Caves of Qud
Tactical Breach superstar
acceptable
LocalThunk
Freehold Games
Suspicious Developments Inc
Coffee Stain Studios
Caves of Qudbeing a roguelike scheme plot makes it an interesting and unequaled addition to this family , andTactical Breach Wizardsis a dynamic crossbreeding between a drollery and a thriller , make up it quite different from the other entries .
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
The Immersive Games That Worked The Best
Immersive realness games are still act upon their way to the cutting edge of democratic succeeder with the engineering science still being shell out to the masses .
Survios has posted a new look at the upcoming VR claim Alien : Rogue Incursion , volunteer a good look at its gameplay .
The games themselves are also still working toward smoothing out the technology and gameplay to make it well-to-do and exciting .
foreign : Rogue penetration
Skydance ’s BEHEMOTH
Starship Home
Survios
Skydance Games
Creature
However , all of these game deal to do it and do it well , cement their lieu in the gambling world and guide the path toward make Immersive realness more accessible for everyone .
Immersive Reality Game Of The Year
The Immersive Games That Stood Out Among The Rest
It is no surprisal that the games with the good expert achievements are , for the most part , also the best Immersive realness game relinquish this year .
Escaping Wonderland
Cortopia Studios
break loose Wonderlanddid replaceStarship Homefor this category , and it does make sense as this game was more of a wizard mystifier biz but with a stiff man , character , and story design to further it to the top .
Outstanding Achievement For An Independent Game
The Best Games Made By A Small Studio
All of these game are strong contenders , and they are all very different . GrunnandMouthwashingare the raw appearance here , while the other three have been constitute in other class .
Grunn
Mouthwashing
Sokpop Collective
Wrong Organ
As they are so different , it will be interesting to see what end up commence the awarding come February .
Mobile Game Of The Year
The Best Games To Play Wherever A Phone Goes
Some of these have been seen in other categories , which is good news about the calibre of mobile games last yr . However , a couple of them are new .
Halls of Torment
Paper Trail
Wuthering Waves
chase after carrot
Newfangled Games
Kuro Games
Like many of the other categories , each of these games have a different style and are in different genres . It makes them tough to choose between , as they feel like they should be in separate categories and are all merit of recognition .
Online Game Of The Year
The Best Games To Play With Everyone Else
Diablo IV : Vessel of Hatredis in the same position as theElden RingDLC for this one , while the other games here are all brand newfangled if not sequel .
Diablo IV : Vessel of Hatred
Marvel Rivals
Blizzard Entertainment
NetEase Games
Marvel Rivalsis the only one that is not a direct continuation or a DLC , but it does have the intensity level of having a big franchise behind it to potentially get it to the top spot .
Outstanding Achievement In Game Design
The Games That Utilized The Best Mechanics
Sometimes it is hard to tell the differences between the class , such as Technical Achievement , Game Design , and Game Direction . However , they are all separate things , and the nominating speech are not the same for all of them .
UFO 50
Mossmouth
UFO 50is the unequalled finalist for this category , as it is more of a ingathering of games rather than a single one . That being said , the collection itself is stellar and came from multiple creators , which is an accomplishment worthy of being nominated for this Award .
Outstanding Achievement In Game Direction
The Games With The Most Creative Vision & Execution
The game in this family are all very unique , which is why they are the finalists . Each of them has something that abide out compare to their peer , even against some of the big plot in the finalist inclination this twelvemonth .
Lorelei and the Laser optic
Riven
Thank Goodness You ’re Here !
Simogo
Cyan Worlds , Inc.
Coal Supper
Two of these games have not been finalist in any other category , proving that executing a unique musical theme well can pay off . animate being Wellmight be the best - know one here , but that is not a guarantee for them to gain .
Game Of The Year
The Best Games Of 2025
The last family of finalists is not much of a surprise . The biggest surprise in this family is likelyBalatro , particularly when it was lean against game likeMetaphor : ReFantazio .
Indiana Jones & The Great Cirlce
GameScience
That being say , it goes to show that mobile games are pay back to the point where they can contend with the big console and personal computer games . It remain to be seen which one will win , but with two winner of other GOTY Awards , the contender is certain to be close .
The 2025 D.I.C.E. Awards Nominees Highlight 2024’s Best Games
A Great Year For Gaming For Everyone
This yr highlights both how far games have add up and just how serious the competitor was last year . Indiana Jones & The Great Circlewas a capital plot to finish off the year . Black Myth : Wukong wasreleased to great success , and players are still hold back for it to appear on Xbox .
2024 saw several popular gambling titles released , like Black Ops 6 . But what about the less pop games ? Find out what you might have miss here .
Astro Bot , Helldivers 2 , and Indiana Jones & The Great Circleall have 6 nominations , while it is middling surprising thatBlack Myth : Wukongdoesn’t . Balatrohas exceeded outlook for what a roving biz is capable of , and it proves that it is becoming a more serious part of the industry . The groovy carrying into action of unique ideas made 2024 a gravid twelvemonth to be a gamer , and buff can see which of their preferent game succeed on February 13 , 2025 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time .
generator : Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
