Indie games dominate the charts at The Game Awards 2025.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won 9 out of 12 nominations, marking a historic milestone for indie games at this year's The Game Awards.

The Game Awards 2025 was not only a stage for highly anticipated blockbusters but also witnessed the strong rise of independent games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , the debut product of French studio Sandfall Interactive, won a total of 9 awards, including the most important title: Game of the Year.

The highest winning percentage in The Game Awards history.

Out of 12 nominations, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won in 9 categories, achieving a success rate of 75%. This is the highest number of wins ever for a game at The Game Awards. Previously, games like The Last of Us Part II (2020) or Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) only achieved between 5 and 7 wins each year.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based tactical role-playing game with real-time elements, developed by Sandfall Interactive.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM THEGAMEAWARDS

Expedition 33's list of awards includes: Game of the Year (GOTY), Best Art Direction, Best Development Direction, Best Story, Best Original Score, Best Voice Actor (Jennifer English), Best Role-Playing Game, Best Indie Game, and Best Indie Game by a Studio.

In addition, the rest of the awards were divided among several developers. Arc Raiders won for best multiplayer game, Battlefield 6 won for best sound design, and Hades and Hollow Knight: Silksong won in the action and action-adventure categories, respectively.

Indie games dominated the season.

Specifically in the Game of the Year nominations list, this year there are two independent games: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dave the Diver. This is the first time in The Game Awards history that the percentage of indie games in the GOTY nominations has exceeded 30%.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was honored among a diverse range of competitors across genres, from adventure and action to puzzle and role-playing.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM THEGAMEAWARD

Furthermore, elements such as voice acting, soundtracks, and storytelling—which were previously dominated by large studios—are now also being embraced by indie games. This is seen as a clear sign of a shift in the gaming industry, where creativity, content, and artistry are increasingly valued over scale and budget.

Meanwhile, games from major studios like Final Fantasy, Call of Duty , and Assassin's Creed were completely absent from the main categories, although they were still included in the secondary nominations.

Over 50 new games have been announced.

Beyond the awards ceremony, The Game Awards 2025 also featured the launch of numerous trailers and official announcements for over 50 new games. Among these, role-playing, action, and adventure games dominated, with many major franchises returning, such as Resident Evil Requiem, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, Tomb Raider: Catalyst , and Diablo 4 - Lord of Hatred.

Statistics by genre show that: 28% of new games are action games, 24% are role-playing games, 16% are adventure games, and 12% are strategy games. The remainder include sports games, racing games, shooting games, and VR/AR games.

With a record number of awards from an indie game and a diverse range of emerging game genres, The Game Awards 2025 showcases a changing landscape of the gaming industry, highlighting the role of small developers and creativity in shaping future trends.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/game-indie-thong-tri-bang-xep-hang-the-game-awards-2025-185251214222703889.htm