The Indie Game Awards 2025—How I Voted

The Indie Game Awards took place on Thursday, December 18, and saw 21 awards handed out to deserving games, developers, and people.

This year, I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the judges and had the opportunity to vote on 12 awards. Those included the likes of Music, Gameplay, Narrative, Game of the Year, and more.

While the awards were given out already, I thought it would be good to show the Insider Gaming audience how I voted this year. To be completely honest, it was a lot tougher than I expected.

Doing a ranked choice vote led to plenty of second guessing and dozens of pages of notes in my black and white marble notebook. There was even a time where I had my votes all ready to submit, only to start over by reviewing my notes again. Eventually, decisions were made and the ballots were sent in.

Not all of my selections won, but I was happy with how I voted and congratulate all of the winners. There really were so many incredible games this year that you could make a strong case for every game that was nominated, and even others that weren’t. But, without any more delay, here’s how I voted for The Indie Game Awards 2025.

The Indie Game Awards 2025 – Mike Straw’s Ballot

All of the games under each category appear in the order that I voted. It was a ranked choice vote, meaning that I had to place the games in the order I felt they belonged. It wasn’t just a “pick one from this list”.

Bite-Sized Game

1. This game will end in 205 clicks
2. CARIMARA – Beneath the Forlorn Limbs
3. Many Nights a Whisper
4. The Dark Queen of Mortholme
5. Time Flies (WINNER)
6. Flyknight

Community Management

1. Strange Scaffold
2. Team PEAK (WINNER)
3. Game Smithing Limited
4. Sassy Chap Games
5. Jenn Jiao Hsia

Debut Game

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (WINNER)
2. Discounty
3. Fretless
4. Sorry We’re Closed
5. ILA: A Frasty Glide
6. Tyrant’s Realm

Emotional Impact

1. Wanderstop
2. And Roger (WINNER)
3. Wednesdays
4. Don’t Get Your Hopes Up
5. Afterlove EP
6. Henry Halfhead

Gameplay Design

1. Hades 2
2. Absolum
3. BallxPit (WINNER)
4. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong
6. Keep Driving
7. Dawnfolk
8. Look Outside
9. Ooo
10. The King is Watching

Innovation 

1. Blue Prince (WINNER)
2. Freeride
3. Gas Station Story
4. PBJ The Musical
5. Taria & Como
6. Ruggy and the Riverside

Music

1. Sword of the Sea
2. Rift of the NecroDancer (WINNER)
3. Herdling
4. Everhood 2
5. SONOKUNI
6. Wheel World

Narrative

1. The Drifter
2. Citizen Sleeper 2 (WINNER)
3. Consume Me
4. The Rootrees are Dead
5. Promise Mascot Agency
6. The Seance of Blake Manor

Achievement in Accessibility

1. Squeakross
2. Spray Paint Simulator
3. PEAK (WINNER)
4. Barista
5. ABiotic Factor
6. Calm the Storm

Solo Development

1. Megabonk 
2. Tall Trails (WINNER)
3. NAIAD
4. Lushfoil Photography
5. Sim
6. Spilled!
7. Vile: Exhumed

Visual Design

1. Slime Rancher 2
2. Artis Impact
3. Cat Detective Albert Wilde
4. 30 Birds (WINNER)
5. Mashina
6. Eclipsium

Game of the Year

1. Blue Prince
2. Hades 2
3. Absolum
4. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo
5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (WINNER)
6. Hollow Knight: Silksong
7. Citizen Sleeper 2
8. And Roger
9. Consume Me
10. Keep Diving