Everyone likes to be feel special and game developers are no different, so congratulations to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei, the two games absolutely dominating the Annual D.I.C.E. Award Nominations. Both games scored eight nominations each, including for Game of the Year.

Held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards will take place on February 12 in Vegas, and will be hosted by Kinda Funny Games' Greg Miller and Stella Chung.

“First, thank you to our peer panelists. Your dedication and expertise in our judging process, and yourwork in selecting the best games of 2025, is truly appreciated,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

“And on behalf of all of us at the Academy, I extend my congratulations to all of our finalists. Each of these games has impressed us through its creativity,artistry, and technical achievement, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.”

Full list of nominations

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• South of Midnight
• The Midnight Walk

Outstanding Achievement in Character

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Esquie

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Maelle

Dispatch - Courtney/Invisigal

Dispatch - Robert Robertson III/Mecha Man

Ghost of Yotei - Atsu

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yotei
• Herdling
• Mario Kart World
• Sword of the Sea

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Arc Raiders
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Lumines Arise
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Consume Me
• despelote
• South of Midnight
• The Drifter

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• DOOM: The Dark Ages

Action Game of the Year

• Absolum
• Arc Raiders
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Hades II
• Ninja Gaiden 4

Adventure Game of the Year

• Blue Prince
• Dispatch
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Family Game of the Year

• LEGO Party!
• LEGO Voyagers
• Lumines Arise
• MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
• POPUCOM

Fighting Game of the Year

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• WWE 2K25

Racing Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS F1 25
• Kirby Air Riders
• Mario Kart World
• Wheel World

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Sports Game of the Year

• EA SPORTS FC 26
• PGA Tour 2k25
• MLB The Show 25
• NBA 2k26
• Rematch

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• The Alters
• Drop Duchy
• Europa Universalis V
• The King is Watching
• StarVaders

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Ghost Town
• Hotel Infinity
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset
• Unloop

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked
• Ghost Town
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk
• Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Baby Steps
• Blue Prince
• Consume Me
• despelote
• Dispatch

Mobile Game of the Year

• Persona5: The Phantom X
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• WHAT THE CLASH?
• Where Winds Meet

Online Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Mario Kart World
• Marvel Rivals
• Split Fiction

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Öoo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Game of the Year

• Arc Raiders
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Dispatch
• Ghost of Yotei

Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.