The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) today revealed the nominees for its 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, to be held at this year’s D.I.C.E. Summit on February 12. The frontrunners are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei, each with eight nominations apiece.
They’re followed by Dispatch and Arc Raiders, each with six nominations, and Blue Prince with five; and all five of these titles are nominated for Game of the Year. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach follows all of those with four nominations. Greg Miller and Stella Chung will present the awards, as they have at previous Summits.
The award nominations differ from other such lists. Hollow Knight: Silksong, winner of the Steam Awards, receives only one nomination for Adventure Game of the Year. Donkey Kong Bananza misses out on the Family Game category, the category it won at The Game Awards.
Meggan Scavio, AIAS President, said in a statement, ““First, thank you to our peer panelists. Your dedication and expertise in our judging process, and your work in selecting the best games of 2025, is truly appreciated. 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.”
Below is a complete list of the nominees for each award.
- Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Arc Raiders
- Blue Prince
- Hades II
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Öoo
- Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Baby Steps
- Blue Prince
- Consume Me
- despelote
- Dispatch
- Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- South of Midnight
- The Midnight Walk
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Dispatch
- Ghost of Yōtei
- The Midnight Walk
- Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Herdling
- Mario Kart World
- Sword of the Sea
- Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Arc Raiders
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Lumines Arise
- Split Fiction
- Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Consume Me
- despelote
- South of Midnight
- The Drifter
- 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 Yōtei – Atsu
- Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Arc Raiders
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- 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
- Online Game of the Year
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Mario Kart World
- Marvel Rivals
- Split Fiction
- Mobile Game of the Year
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
- WHAT THE CLASH?
- Where Winds Meet
- 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 Yōtei
- 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