Games

Golden Joystick Awards 2025: Game of the Year Nominees, Dates, and How to Vote

5 November 2025
General
9 min.
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Golden Joystick Awards 2025: Game of the Year Nominees, Dates, and How to Vote

Summary:

The Golden Joystick Awards returns on November 20, 2025, with public voting open for its Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist. The lineup blends prestige releases and fan favorites: Donkey Kong Bananza represents Nintendo, while Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach bring cinematic flair. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the year’s conversation across multiple categories, with Blue Prince, PEAK, Split Fiction, Silent Hill f, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II rounding out the field. Voting for most categories wrapped on October 31, while the Ultimate GOTY window runs early November before the live show on Thursday, November 20. Below, we break down the dates, the nominees, the dynamics that typically shape a public-voted outcome, and simple steps for casting a clean ballot. If you’ve got five minutes, you can vote with confidence—and go into awards night knowing exactly why your pick has a shot.

Golden Joystick Awards 2025

The Golden Joystick Awards has always been a community moment first and a stage show second. It’s one of the few high-profile events where your ballot directly shapes the headline trophy. That’s why Ultimate Game of the Year lands differently each November; the outcome reflects player passion more than jury calculus. This year’s slate mixes blockbuster swagger with indie nerve, which keeps the race lively up to the last hour. You’re not just crowning a winner—you’re signaling where energy and goodwill sit after a busy calendar. If you’ve ever wished your favorite could win on fan momentum alone, this is the place where that wish can actually land.

Key dates at a glance and what each one means for your vote

The timeline is straightforward once you see the checkpoints. The main category voting opened in early October and closed on October 31, 2025, locking in winners for the bulk of the show. The twist is Ultimate Game of the Year: its shortlist went live in early November, with a tight, days-long voting window. That compressed sprint keeps attention focused and prevents fatigue. Lock your vote before the deadline to make it count, then circle Thursday, November 20, 2025, for the ceremony. That’s when the envelopes open, the acceptance speeches roll, and the fan pick gets its victory lap. If you vote now, you’ll watch the show with skin in the game.

The complete Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist and quick takeaways

This year’s Ultimate GOTY field lines up twelve releases that made noise and stuck the landing: Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, PEAK, Silent Hill f, and Split Fiction. It’s a balanced grid—big names, daring debuts, and sequels with history on their backs. Expect Clair Obscur to pull headlines on pure acclaim, while Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2 marshal passionate fanbases. Donkey Kong Bananza gives Nintendo loyalists a clear banner to rally behind, and the indie trio offers the kind of sleeper surge that often surprises in public votes.

Nintendo’s moment: why Donkey Kong Bananza has momentum

When a Nintendo platformer grabs a seat at the table, it signals two things: consistency and charm still move people. Donkey Kong Bananza doesn’t need a twisty premise to win hearts; it leans on punchy level design, bold set-pieces, and that just-one-more-try rhythm that defines the series at its best. The nomination matters for Switch players eager to see their daily pick recognized on a big stage. If you’ve been trading time trials with friends or hunting secret routes, you know why it resonates. Awards aren’t only about innovation—they’re about joy, clarity, and how often a game pulls you back for “one last run.” That’s Bananza’s case in a nutshell.

Indie pulse: Blue Prince, PEAK, and Split Fiction in the spotlight

There’s a particular thrill when a lean, sharply designed indie brushes shoulders with heavyweights. Blue Prince radiates mood, PEAK pushes elegance over bombast, and Split Fiction plays with perspective and structure in ways that stick in your head long after credits. Public votes reward games you evangelize to friends, and these are the picks you won’t shut up about at dinner. They’re proof that a focused idea, executed with confidence, can hang with the biggest budgets—especially when players band together. If your timeline has been peppered with clips, tips, and “you have to try this” whispers, that grassroots chatter is exactly how an indie jumps the queue on awards night.

Prestige contenders: Ghost of Yōtei, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Silent Hill f

Some games walk in with a reputation for craft. Ghost of Yōtei rides a wave of strong reviews and a meticulous sense of place, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 pairs painterly style with mechanical bite—and it’s been grabbing nominations across the board. Silent Hill f returns with a colder, more deliberate rhythm that sinks under your skin rather than leaping for jump scares. Together they form the prestige axis of the shortlist: technically sharp, emotionally tuned, and easy to argue for on the merits. In a public vote, prestige doesn’t guarantee a win, but it does build trust—so undecided voters often drift here when they want a safe, standout pick.

Sequels with something to prove: Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong

Following a masterpiece is a tough gig. Hades II doesn’t pretend otherwise; it refines what worked, stretches where it makes sense, and keeps runs punchy enough to steal an evening. Hollow Knight: Silksong carries the weight of years of expectation, turning that pressure into a focused push on mobility, boss design, and world layering. These aren’t just comfort sequels—they’re calibrations from teams that know exactly why you loved the originals. If your vote is anchored in pure playfeel and long-term replay value, both make an honest case. They speak to the part of you that loves mastery loops and the surprise of “okay, one more attempt.”

Cinematic heavyweights: Death Stranding 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Big-screen energy can move a crowd, and these two bring it. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach keeps the series’ offbeat vibe but draws a tighter line between traversal, tension, and aching beauty. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle goes the other way—punchy, pulpy, and eager to sweep you into set-pieces that feel like they’re five minutes from falling apart. Both court spectacle without losing the thread of play, and both have fanbases ready to mobilize. In a public ballot, spectacle often acts like gravity; if it caught your breath once or twice this year, it can pull your vote now.

Historical grit and ambition: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II stands out because it refuses to sand down its edges. The draw here isn’t fantasy flourish but lived-in history: muddy roads, imperfect steel, and decisions that leave a mark. That specificity makes it polarizing and unforgettable in equal measure. If you’ve sunk a dozen hours and found yourself haunted by a single conversation, you know the magic trick at work. Games steeped in texture tend to build quieter, more devoted support. When those circles show up in force, they can swing a public tally more than you’d expect.

How public voting works and simple steps to cast a clean ballot

You don’t need a walkthrough to vote, but a tidy approach helps. Start by visiting the official ballot page during the Ultimate GOTY window, skim the shortlist, and decide whether you’re voting heart-first or head-first. If you’re still torn, watch a short recap or two, scan a trusted outlet’s nominee roundup, and commit. Avoid duplicate tabs or refresh loops that might cause submission hiccups. Once you’ve hit confirm, you’re done—no need to overthink it. The process is designed to be fast because the show wants everyone, from casual players to daily diehards, to have a say before the curtain goes up.

What usually sways public-voted awards—and how this year is different

Public votes reward momentum, community organization, and timing. Releases with recent buzz often enjoy a late surge, while evergreen hits benefit from steady, year-long affection. This year adds another wrinkle: a shortlist where several games hold firm claims across different corners of the audience. Clair Obscur has the critical chorus, Ghost of Yōtei and Death Stranding 2 bring spectacle and star power, and Donkey Kong Bananza corrals family-friendly enthusiasm plus speedrunner zeal. Add indies with cult heat and you’ve got a board that won’t settle until the final hours. If you want your voice to matter, get it in early and encourage a friend to do the same.

What to expect on awards night and where to watch

The show lands on a Thursday, which keeps the energy tight and weekday crisp. Expect a classic mix of reveals, on-stage banter, and quickfire category rundowns leading to the Ultimate GOTY announcement. If you’re watching live, park the stream on your TV or laptop and hop into a group chat for the usual “they got robbed” and “called it” reactions. Awards night is best when you’ve picked a side ahead of time—there’s nothing like seeing your choice read out and knowing your click helped. No matter who wins, the fun is in the argument you’ll be having all weekend.

Platform notes for Nintendo players and multi-platform fans

Seeing Donkey Kong Bananza on the shortlist gives Nintendo fans an immediate anchor, but the spread of nominees shows how cross-platform habits define a typical year. Plenty of players split time: a platformer over breakfast, a moody RPG at night, a stealthy few missions on the weekend. That mix is reflected in this ballot. If you primarily play on a Nintendo system and dabble elsewhere, your vote can still capture your year’s rhythm. Pick the one that lived rent-free in your head. If you jump between platforms regularly, think about the title you recommended most often—your word-of-mouth is usually a reliable compass.

Practical picks: choosing your vote without second-guessing

There’s no wrong answer, but there are easy ways to feel good about your choice. Ask yourself three quick questions: which game felt best in the hands; which world you kept daydreaming about at work; and which soundtrack you caught yourself humming. If one title hits all three, you’ve found your pick. If you’re split, go with the one you finished—or the one you’re itching to return to. When in doubt, trust your time: the game that got the most hours from you earned that vote. Close the tab and don’t look back.

A quick word on community energy and shareable moments

Clipped boss fights, perfect parries, outrageous speedruns, and photo-mode flexes do more than fill timelines—they forge loyalty. Public-voted awards run on that fuel. If a game gave you a shareable story that made your group chat light up, that’s a strong nudge. Remember the first time a level flipped your expectations, or a character beat landed harder than you expected? Those are the tiny anchors that pull a ballot across the finish line. Follow them. They rarely steer you wrong.

Conclusion

Ultimate Game of the Year is the headline because it tells a simple truth: players pick favorites for all kinds of reasons, and that messy mix is beautiful. Whether you gravitate to polish, audacity, comfort, or chaos, your vote adds color to the final picture. The shortlist is strong enough that any outcome will spark debate—in the best way. Lock your ballot, mark the date, and get ready for a Thursday night full of cheers, eye-rolls, and a winner that will be argued about for months. That’s the fun of November.

Cast your vote, trust your taste, and enjoy the show. The shortlist blends big swings and tight, confident designs, and that tension is what makes a public pick feel alive. Whatever wins on November 20, the real victory is getting millions of players to speak up about what moved them this year. Add your voice; it matters more than you think.

FAQs
  • When is the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 ceremony?
    • It takes place on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Mark the date so you can catch the live announcements and celebrate (or dispute) the results with friends.
  • When does voting for Ultimate Game of the Year close?
    • The shortlist went live in early November, and the public voting window runs for a few days before the deadline in the first week of November. Submit your ballot as soon as you can to avoid missing the cutoff.
  • Which Nintendo release is nominated?
    • Donkey Kong Bananza represents Nintendo on the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist, giving Switch players a clear candidate to rally behind.
  • How many nominees are on the Ultimate GOTY list?
    • Twelve. The lineup includes Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, PEAK, Silent Hill f, and Split Fiction.
  • What usually decides a public-voted award?
    • Momentum and community organization play a big part. Recent releases can surge on fresh buzz, while evergreen favorites benefit from long-term affection. Ultimately, it comes down to how many players are motivated to click during the window.
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