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The official 2025 The Game Awards Game of the Year field contains six nominees, not 11. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won the category. The other nominees were Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
The official 2025 Game of the Year shortlist
The Game Awards’ 2025 category page lists six games and marks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the winner. The ceremony was reported by Xbox Wire as taking place on December 11, 2025.
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| Game | Developer / publisher | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive | Winner |
| Death Stranding 2: On The Beach | Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment | Nominee |
| Donkey Kong Bananza | Nintendo EPD / Nintendo | Nominee |
| Hades II | Supergiant Games | Nominee |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | Team Cherry | Nominee |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | Warhorse Studios / Deep Silver | Nominee |
The category is defined by The Game Awards as “Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.”
Why some pages say there are 11 games
The number 11 is not confirmed by the official Game Awards category page or the other cited sources. It should not be presented as the size of the 2025 Game of the Year field.
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There is also a separate awards reference that can cause confusion: PC Gamer’s November 2025 archive described a 12-game shortlist for the Golden Joystick Awards’ Ultimate Game of the Year trophy. That is a different award and is not an expanded version of The Game Awards’ six nominees.
Where the nominees can be played
The official category listing verifies the nominees and winner, but it does not provide a complete platform or storefront matrix. Xbox Wire reported in 2025 that many Game Awards nominees were playable through Xbox Game Pass and specifically named Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong as examples.
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- Subscription access: Check the Xbox Game Pass catalog in your region before downloading. Catalog membership and availability can change.
- Individual purchase: Use the platform store or retailer serving your country and verify the exact edition, platform and release status.
- Physical copy of the winner: If you are shopping on Amazon, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PS5” is the relevant search phrase. Confirm that the regional listing is an authentic physical edition for your console before buying.
What is and is not established about this shortlist
Confirmed
- There are six nominees on the official 2025 Game Awards Game of the Year page.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is identified there as the winner.
- The six developer and publisher pairings are listed above.
- The 2025 ceremony date was reported as December 11, 2025 by Xbox Wire.
Not supplied by the official category listing
- A complete platform-by-platform availability chart.
- Review averages, sales totals or audience statistics.
- An 11-game Game Awards shortlist.
Those limits matter when comparing nominees: the verified result is the six-game Game Awards field, while subscription access and retailer inventory require a region- and date-specific check.
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