The Indie Triumph at The Game Awards 2025: Clair Obscur Leads the Race
The role-playing game (RPG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become the absolute sensation and frontrunner at the prestigious The Game Awards 2025 ceremony, securing an impressive 12 nominations. The event, often dubbed the "Oscars of gaming," is scheduled to take place on 11 December in Los Angeles. The success of Clair Obscur, developed by the small French studio Sandfall Interactive, signals a significant shift in industry trends, where independent projects are successfully competing with major AAA blockbusters. Last year's ceremony, according to organisers, garnered 154 million livestreams globally, while the title of "Game of the Year" went to the platformer Astro Bot. NewsToday24 reports this, citing BBC.
The Main Contenders: A Mix of Giants and Indie Sensations
Six unique projects are featured in the main Game of the Year (GOTY) category. The inclusion of titles like Clair Obscur, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Hades 2 alongside sequels from Hideo Kojima and Nintendo underscores the high calibre of independent developers.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — This turn-based RPG from France is the leader with 12 nominations. The game, crafted by a core team of 30 people, has been lauded for its unique storyline and dynamic turn-based combat, earning three nominations in the "Best Performance" category.
Death Stranding 2 — The eagerly awaited sequel from the legendary Hideo Kojima, which received 8 nominations, including "Best Narrative." It is noteworthy that none of the cast members, despite their celebrity status, received individual performance nominations.
Hollow Knight: Silksong — This indie platformer is the sequel to a massive hit. The game is known for the unprecedented level of fan anticipation and long development, leading it to be dubbed "the GTA 6 of indie games." Its release caused online store crashes due to overwhelming demand.
Hades 2 — The sequel to the 2020 smash-hit set in the Greek underworld. Like the first instalment, Hades 2 has been highly praised by critics and is one of the most warmly received indie sequels, also nominated for "Best Independent Game."
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 — A medieval action-RPG from Warhorse Studios. This sequel focuses on historical accuracy and is set in Medieval Europe.
Donkey Kong Bananza — A platformer from Nintendo, notably one of the first major and key releases for the new Nintendo Switch 2 console.
Clair Obscur: From Indie Studio to 12 Nominations
The project by Sandfall Interactive, created by a core team of 30 people in Montpellier, received a stunning 12 nominations, including Game of the Year, Best Narrative, and three nominations for acting (for Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English). This success for an RPG inspired by old-school, turn-based games is a landmark achievement. However, its nomination for "Best Independent Game" has sparked debate, as the project received backing from the major publisher Kepler Interactive and utilized global support studios.
PlayStation Exclusives and Sequels
Sony is represented by two exclusives, each securing eight nominations. Death Stranding 2, directed by the celebrated Hideo Kojima, is competing for Best Narrative. The second exclusive, the samurai-themed adventure Ghost of Yōtei for PS5, also holds a strong position, with actress Erika Ishii nominated for her performance. Among the sequels that missed the main category, Split Fiction from Hazelight Studio (led by Josef Fares) is notable; despite high expectations following It Takes Two's previous GOTY win, it did not receive any nominations this year.
Indie Heavyweights and Hidden Gems
Indie games Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 have proven that small teams are capable of creating global phenomena. Silksong is not just a sequel—its launch, dubbed the "GTA of indie games" due to the long wait, caused online store disruptions. It is also worth mentioning Blue Prince, which, according to some metrics, received some of the year's best review scores but was only nominated in the "Best Independent Game" category, failing to secure a place among the GOTY contenders.
Criticism and Controversy Surrounding the Ceremony
The Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley, faces perennial criticism for prioritising advertising and world premieres over the awards themselves. Journalists and developers frequently note that acceptance speeches are often cut short, and awards in several categories are presented off-stage.
The greatest source of discontent this year is the discontinuation of the Future Class programme, an initiative founded in 2020 to highlight "rising stars" in the industry. After alumni of the program signed an open letter in 2023 urging the awards to address the Israel-Gaza war, the programme was abandoned. Former members accused the scheme of "tokenism" and failing to adequately help them build industry contacts. This stands in contrast to a positive note from last year's ceremony, which introduced the "Game Changer" award to Amir Satvat for his work in helping laid-off developers find jobs amidst the high number of recent industry job losses.
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