Silksong, Hades 2 and Expedition 33 lead nominations for the Indie Game Awards 2025

The nominations for the Indie Game Awards 2025 (IGA) have been announced, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have emerged as the strongest titles, receiving multiple nominations, including the coveted Game of the Year category. This recognition for highly anticipated and acclaimed titles demonstrates the level of excellence achieved by independent studios in the past year.

The awards, in their second edition, cover 18 categories, including regional highlights, community-voted awards, and the introduction of the first Indie Vanguard Class, designed to "highlight the future of the industry".

The ceremony will be hosted by 28 presenters, including Chandana Ekanayake, Lena Raine, Remy Siu, and Chipzel. The Indie Game Awards 2025 will take place on December 18, with broadcasts on Six One Indie's YouTube and Twitch channels, as well as on IGN and GameSpot.

The judging panel, composed of "a broad and diverse panel of indie showcase and industry experts," selected the nominees in the main categories:

Game of the Year

Absolum (Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, Supamonks/Gamirror Games)

And Roger (TearyHand Studio/Kodansha)

Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Jump Over the Age)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, and Ken "coda" Snyder/Hexecutable)

Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)

Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

Keep Driving (YCJY Games)

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Pocket Trap/PM Studios, Inc.)

The Indie Vanguard Class award, the Mohammad Fahmi Storyteller Award, and the Industry Impact Award will be announced during the ceremony.

Other important categories include:

Debut Game: Highlights for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Sorry We're Closed (À la mode Games/Akupara Games).

Gameplay Design: Nominations for Absolum, Hades 2, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Music: Highlight for Rift of the NecroDancer and Sword of the Sea (Austin Wintory/Giant Squid).

The Indie Game Awards 2025 will have 18 categories, including the new Indie Vanguard Class, and will be broadcasted on December 18. Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead the nominations, including Game of the Year. The nominees were chosen by a diverse panel of experts.