Posted in: Events, Games, GDC, Indie Games, Video Games | Tagged: Game Developer Choice Awards, GDC 2025

Balatro Takes Top Honors At 2025 Game Developer Choice Awards

Balatro took home the top honors and more during the 2025 Game Developer Choice Awards, which took place during GDC 2025 last night

Last night, GDC 2025 held the annual Game Developer Choice Awards, as Balatro came out on top of the 25th Annual ceremony. The indie roguelike deckbuilding game took home Game Of The Year, along with three other awards, as the top earner of the night. Followed closely behind was Astro Bot, with two of its own, and a healthy spread of individual awards in other categories. We have the full rundown of winners for you below, along with notes on the special honors from the team.

25th Annual Game Developer Choice Awards Winners

This year, the GDCA honored writer and director Sam Lake with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awards—including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lucas Pope, well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, was the well-deserving recipient of the Pioneer Award. Pope is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) along with several trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards, and BAFTA Games Awards.

• Best Debut: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Best Visual Art: Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
• Best Audio: Astro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS)
• Social Impact Award: Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix)
• Innovation Award: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Best Technology: Astro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Design: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Audience Award: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix)
• Game of the Year: Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
• Pioneer Award: Lucas Pope
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Sam Lake

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