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Astro Bot takes home Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards

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Astro Bot dresses like the hero from Ape Escape.
Sony

The 2025 D.I.C.E. Award winners have been announced, and to no one’s surprise at all, Astro Bot stole the show. These awards are given each year across multiple categories and have often been compared to the Academy Awards, just for video games. Aside from Astro Bot, Helldivers 2 won four awards, while Balatro and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle each rounded out the show with three wins.

Astro Bot not only won Game of the Year, but also Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.

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Helldivers 2 won Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design, Action Game of the Year, and Online Game of the Year.

A soldier fighting a charger in Helldivers 2.
Arrowhead Games

These standouts weren’t the only winners, though. Black Myth: Wukong took home the prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, while Tekken 8 won Fighting Game of the Year. F1 24 sped away with Racing Game of the Year, while Role-Playing Game of the Year went to Metaphor: ReFantazio.

The addictive Balatro won Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year, and MLB The Show 24 snagged the coveted Sports Game of the Year.

Starship Home, a game for the Meta Quest, won the award for Immersive Reality Technical Achievement, while Batman: Arkham Shadow won Immersive Reality Game of the Year. Animal Well won Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.

Here’s a full list of the nominees for each category, with the winner highlighted in bold.

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

  • Astro Bot
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
  • Neva
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Lego Horizon Adventures
  • The Plucky Squire
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Outstanding Achievement in Character

  • 1000xResist – Watcher
  • Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth – Yuffie Kisaragi
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones 
  • Indika – Indika
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Senua
Gizeh in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Bethesda

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

  • Astro Bot
  • Helldivers 2
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Star Wars Outlaws

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

  • Frostpunk 2
  • Helldivers 2
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Still Wakes the Deep

Outstanding Achievement in Story

  • 1000xResist
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio
  • Still Wakes the Deep
  • Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Outstanding Technical Achievement

  • Astro Bot
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Burglar Joker in Balatro
Digital Trends

Action Game of the Year

  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Helldivers 2
  • Stellar Blade

Adventure Game of the Year

  • 1000xResist
  • Animal Well
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
  • Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Family Game of the Year

  • Astro Bot 
  • Cat Quest III
  • Little Kitty, Big City
  • The Plucky Squire
  • Super Mario Party Jamboree

Fighting Game of the Year

  • Blazing Strike
  • Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
  • Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns
  • Tekken 8
  • Underdogs

Racing Game of the Year

  • F1® 24
  • MotoGP™24
  • Night-Runners Prologue
Sun Wukong fights a dragon in Black Myth: Wukong.
Game Science

Role-Playing Game of the Year

  • Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  • Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio

Sports Game of the Year

  • EA Sports College Football 25
  • EA Sports FC 25
  • MLB The Show 24
  • NBA 2K25

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

  • Balatro
  • Caves of Qud
  • Frostpunk 2
  • Tactical Breach Wizards
  • Satisfactory

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

  • Alien: Rogue Incursion
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow
  • Skydance’s Behemoth
  • Starship Home 
  • Underdogs

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

  • Alien: Rogue Incursion
  • Batman: Arkham Shadow 
  • Escaping Wonderland
  • Skydance’s Behemoth
  • Underdogs
Batman fights Bolton in Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Camouflaj

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

  • Animal Well
  • Balatro – WINNER
  • Grunn
  • Indika
  • Mouthwashing

Mobile Game of the Year

  • Balatro 
  • Halls of Torment
  • Monument Valley 3
  • Paper Trail
  • Wuthering Waves

Online Game of the Year

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
  • Helldivers 2 
  • Marvel Rivals
  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

  • Animal Well
  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Helldivers 2
  • UFO 50

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • 1000xResist
  • Animal Well
  • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
  • Riven
  • Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Game of the Year

  • Astro Bot
  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Helldivers 2
  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Patrick Hearn
Former Technology Writer
Patrick has written about tech for more than 15 years and isn't slowing down anytime soon. With previous clients ranging from…
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