Indie game developer LocalThunk’s roguelike deckbuilding game Balatro took home the top prize of Game of the Year at the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards. The game, which combines elements of Poker with a unique twist on roguelike gameplay, also won awards for Best Debut, Innovation Award, and Best Design.
The award ceremony, held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, recognized other notable winners including “Black Myth: Wukong” for Best Visual Art, “Metaphor: ReFantazio” for Best Narrative, and “Life is Strange: Double Exposure” for Social Impact Award. PlayStation Studios-owned Team ASOBI’s Astro Bot also took home awards for Best Audio and Best Technology.
Other notable winners include “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” which won the Audience Award, and Sam Lake who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lucas Pope was honored with the Pioneer Award, while writer and director Sam Lake also took home the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for writing Consume Me.
The 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards honored a diverse range of winners across various categories, celebrating outstanding achievements in game development.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/gaming/news/game-developers-choice-awards-winners-2025-1236343326