The gamescom award has returned for its 2025 edition, honouring the most outstanding games, expansions, exhibitors, announcements, and trailers showcased at gamescom 2025. A panel of industry judges have already nominated their favourite games for the award – and now it’s your turn to make your voice heard.
From August 20 to August 21, visitors to gamescom and gaming fans around the world can vote for their favorites in the Arts and Platform categories, along with Best Booth (Consumer Award), Best Merch and Best Trailer/Announcement. Votes can be submitted online at www.gamescom.global, and on-site via QR code.
Without further ado, here are the nominees for the gamescom awards 2025:
ARTS Category Group
Best Visuals
- Borderlands 4 – Gearbox Software / 2K
- Bye Sweet Carole – Little Sewing Machine / Maximum Entertainment
- Crimson Desert – Pearl Abyss
- MIO: Memories In Orbit – Douze Dixièmes / Focus Entertainment
- Resident Evil Requiem – Capcom Entertainment
Best Audio
- Cairn – The Game Bakers
- Little Nightmares 3 – Supermassive Games / Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Phantom Blade Zero – S-Game
- Resident Evil Requiem – Capcom Entertainment
- Rockbeasts – Lichthund / Team17
Best Gameplay
- Donkey Kong Bananza – Nintendo
- Hela – Windup / Knights Peak
- Mario Kart World – Nintendo
- PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant – Bippinbits / Kepler Interactive
- Resident Evil Requiem – Capcom Entertainment
Most Entertaining
- Dispatch – AdHoc Studio
- Donkey Kong Bananza – Nintendo
- Grounded 2 – Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios
- Hela – Windup / Knights Peak
- Mario Kart World – Nintendo
Most Epic
- Crimson Desert – Pearl Abyss
- Dune: Awakening – Funcom
- Resident Evil Requiem – Capcom Entertainment
- Super Meat Boy 3D – Sluggerfly, Team Meat / Headup
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – Saber Interactive / Focus Entertainment
Most Wholesome
- Hela – Windup / Knights Peak
- Is This Seat Taken? – Poti Poti Studio / Wholesome Games Presents
- Star Birds – Toukana Interactive
- Tiny Bookshop – neoludic games / Skystone Games, 2P Games
- Winter Burrow – Pine Creek Games / Noodlecake
Games for Impact
- Cairn – The Game Bakers
- Forever Skies – Far From Home
- Hollow Home – Twigames / Galaktus
- Monowave – Studio BBB
- Tiny Bookshop – neoludic games / Skystone Games, 2P Games
PLATFORM Category Group
Best Microsoft Xbox Game
- Borderlands 4 – Gearbox Software / 2K
- Crimson Desert – Pearl Abyss
- Grounded 2 – Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios
- Little Nightmares 3 – Supermassive Games / Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Ninja Gaiden 4 – PlatinumGames, Team Ninja / Xbox Game Studios
Best PC Game
- Anno 117: Pax Romana – Ubisoft Mainz / Ubisoft
- Borderlands 4 – Gearbox Software / 2K
- PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant – Bippinbits / Kepler Interactive
- Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree – Brownies inc. / Bandai Namco Entertainment
- World of Warcraft – Blizzard Entertainment / Activision Blizzard
Best Sony PlayStation Game
- Borderlands 4 – Gearbox Software / 2K
- Crimson Desert – Pearl Abyss
- Cronos: The New Dawn – Bloober Team
- Pragmata – Capcom Entertainment
- Resident Evil Requiem – Capcom Entertainment
Best Nintendo Switch 2 Game
- Donkey Kong Bananza – Nintendo
- Mario Kart World – Nintendo
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo
- Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree – Brownies Inc. / Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Winter Burrow – Pine Creek Games / Noodlecake
Best Mobile Game
- Arknights: Endfield – Hypergryph / Gryphline
- Dungeon Clawler – Stray Fawn / Stray Fawn Publishing, Playworks
- Genshin Impact – HoYoverse
- Love and Deepspace – Papergames / Infold Games
- Servant of the Lake – Rusty Lake
GLOBAL Category Group
In addition to the Arts and Platform categories, the Global category will feature special awards that will be determined on-site by a panel of judges, with some titles also allowing for attendee input:
- Best Lineup (Jury Award): The award for Best Lineup goes to the exhibitor with the most compelling overall portfolio of titles as determined by the jury.
- Best Booth (Jury Award): This category recognizes the booth that demonstrates outstanding originality, innovation and attention to detail, with the winner standing out for its exceptional interplay of concept, design and creative execution.
- Best Business Booth (Jury Award): This award honors the most outstanding booth in the business area, distinguished by its original, innovative design and well-executed concept.
- HEART OF GAMING Award (Special Jury Prize): This special jury award is open to all gamescom highlights, including games, expansions, technologies, individuals, organizations, companies, concepts and ideas.
- Best Booth (Consumer Award): The community selects the most striking booth at gamescom for this award. The winner is a booth that attracts significant attention with its size, design or fan engagement, and leaves the best overall impression on visitors.
- Best Merch (Consumer Award): Products celebrated for their creative design, originality and clear connection to the game or franchise.
- Best Trailer / Announcement (Consumer Award): The gamescom community votes for the coolest game trailer or the best new game announcement presented at gamescom.
More information can be found on gamescom’s official website at www.gamescom.global.
