Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yōtei lead the D.I.C.E. Awards nominations

By: Anton Kratiuk | yesterday, 19:21

The past year was abundantly rich with cool, creative, and unconventional games, with more surprises coming not from large companies with multibillion-dollar assets, but from small studios that prioritize creative freedom and the pursuit of something new.

The organizers of the annual professional gaming award D.I.C.E. Awards have announced the nominees for 2025.

What is known

The winners of the D.I.C.E. Awards are selected by gaming industry experts, developers, and specialized journalists. More than 30,000 members of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) participate in the voting.

The role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the samurai action Ghost of Yōtei are top contenders, each with eight nominations. Close behind are ARC Raiders and Dispatch with six nominations, while the highly-rated indie puzzler Blue Prince may claim five awards.

The winners will be announced on February 13.

D.I.C.E. Awards Nominees

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 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 Achievement in Original Music Composition

  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,
  • Ghost of Yōtei,
  • Herdling,
  • Mario Kart World,
  • Sword of the Sea.

Outstanding Achievement in Sound 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 Technical Achievement

  • ARC Raiders,
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows,
  • Death Stranding 2: On The Beach,
  • Donkey Kong Bananza,
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages.

Best Action Game

  • Absolum,
  • ARC Raiders,
  • DOOM: The Dark Ages,
  • Hades II,
  • Ninja Gaiden 4.

Best Adventure Game

  • Blue Prince,
  • Dispatch,
  • Donkey Kong Bananza,
  • Ghost of Yōtei,
  • Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Best Family Game

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

Best Fighting Game

  • 2XKO,
  • Capcom Fighting Collection 2,
  • Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,
  • Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection,
  • WWE 2K25.

Best Racing Game

  • EA Sports F1 25,
  • Kirby Air Riders,
  • Mario Kart World,
  • Wheel World.

Best Role-Playing Game

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

Best Sports Game

  • EA Sports FC 26,
  • PGA Tour 2K25,
  • MLB The Show 25,
  • NBA 2K26,
  • Rematch.

Best Strategy/Simulation Game

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

Outstanding Technical Achievement in Virtual Reality

  • Ghost Town,
  • Hotel Infinity,
  • Marvel’s Deadpool VR,
  • Star Wars: Beyond Victory — A Mixed Reality Playset,
  • UnLoop.

Best Virtual Reality Game

  • 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.

Best Mobile Game

  • Persona 5: The Phantom X,
  • Umamusume: Pretty Derby,
  • WHAT THE CLASH?
  • Where Winds Meet.

Best Online Game

  • 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 Yōtei,
  • Hades II,
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Game of the Year

  • ARC Raiders,
  • Blue Prince,
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,
  • Dispatch,
  • Ghost of Yōtei

Source: AIAS