Games

Donkey Kong Bananza And The Game Awards 2025 Game Of The Year Showdown

20 November 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
11 min.
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Donkey Kong Bananza And The Game Awards 2025 Game Of The Year Showdown

Summary:

The Game Awards 2025 are almost here, and the Game of the Year field might be one of the most exciting lineups in years. Six heavy hitters are in the spotlight: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Each one represents a very different take on what a standout release can be, from moody French-flavored fantasy to underground chaos with Donkey Kong and Pauline on Nintendo Switch 2. Instead of just listing names and moving on, we break down what defines each nominee, why they earned a seat at the table, and what kind of player they are most likely to click with. You also get a closer look at how important Nintendo Switch 2 has become to this lineup, with three nominees playable on the system and one of them built around the hardware from the ground up. By the end, you will have a much clearer idea of where you want to spend your time before the big night, and whether Donkey Kong Bananza could realistically swing a surprise win for Nintendo.

The Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year lineup

The Game Awards 2025 land on December 11 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and this year’s Game of the Year ballot has a very particular flavor. It is dominated by bold, slightly oddball projects rather than safe sequels, even when those sequels belong to big-name series. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the charge as the critical darling and nomination magnet, but it is far from alone. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach brings back Hideo Kojima’s strange strand style, Hades II refines a beloved roguelike, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally steps out of meme status and into reality, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II returns to mud, steel, and very human drama. Sitting right in the middle of all this is Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo’s new 3D showpiece for Nintendo Switch 2, smashing holes in the environment and in long-held assumptions about what a Donkey Kong adventure looks like. Six nominees, six wildly different moods, and one golden trophy that can go only one way.

Donkey Kong Bananza as Nintendo’s big Switch 2 contender

Donkey Kong Bananza is the loud one in this room, the nominee that looks like it wants to rip the stage up plank by plank. Built specifically around Nintendo Switch 2, it pairs Donkey Kong with Pauline and drops them into an underground world that reacts to every punch, roll, and thrown boulder. Whole hillsides crumble in real time as you smash through them, sending cascades of debris down into new pathways and secret pockets that feel like they were hiding under your nose the whole time. Visually, DK borrows some of his energy and attitude from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which makes him read instantly well in trailers and screenshots. Under the surface, though, Bananza’s real power is how confident it feels about destruction as a mechanic rather than just a visual flourish. It almost treats geology like a puzzle box, daring you to knock holes into the scenery until a route or collectible finally pops into view. That kind of playful, explosive design is exactly what a Game of the Year stage loves, and it gives Nintendo a loud, clear representative in the conversation.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and its record-breaking momentum

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the opposite of loud, at least at first glance. It is stylish, melancholic, and drenched in a Belle Époque atmosphere that feels like walking through a painting at midnight. Underneath that dreamy look is a razor-sharp role-playing game that mixes turn-based combat with real-time timing windows, asking you to watch for attacks and press buttons at just the right moment to squeeze out extra damage or block a deadly blow. The premise is chilling: every year, a supernatural event called the Gommage erases everyone above a certain age, and the number keeps dropping. Expedition 33 is the last attempt to break the cycle before an entire civilization simply ceases to exist. That setup feeds directly into the party dynamic, because you are journeying with people who have every reason to be terrified and every reason to be brave. It is no accident that this nominee has racked up more nominations than any other at the show, or that it has sold millions of copies in a matter of months. When voters look at Game of the Year, they usually ask themselves which release will still be talked about in five or ten years, and Clair Obscur keeps raising its hand.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and the return of the strand game

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach feels like catching up with a deeply weird friend who has somehow gotten even more interesting since the last time you saw them. Sam Porter Bridges is back, the beach is back, and so is that fragile feeling that the world could fall apart if people stop trying to understand each other. Instead of simply repeating the first game’s lonely hikes, On the Beach doubles down on the idea of shared effort, tying new systems and structures to the way players contribute to a wider network. The walking, building, and planning are still there, but they have more texture now, helped along by new tools and new threats waiting across the ocean. Kojima Productions has again leaned on high-end performance capture, dramatic music, and a cast packed with recognizable faces, making every cutscene feel like a strange prestige drama that slid in from another dimension. Some people will bounce off the pacing, just like they did last time, but for voters who love experimental structure and emotional swings, this nominee ticks almost every box. It is the kind of project that keeps the Game Awards from turning into a simple popularity contest.

Hades II and the evolution of Supergiant’s roguelike formula

Hades II arrives in the lineup with a very different kind of pressure on its shoulders. The first Hades was not just beloved, it became the go-to shorthand for “modern roguelike done right.” Following that up is a little like being asked to perform a magic trick in front of people who already know where the original rabbit was hidden. Supergiant Games managed the trick by not treating Hades II as a simple expansion, but as an escalation in almost every direction. New protagonist Melinoë brings a fresh personality and fighting style, the arsenal of weapons has been rebuilt, and the Olympian gods throw even more varied boons at you, letting each run feel like a new spin on a familiar dance. Long-term progression retains the hook that made the first game so sticky, but the storytelling now stretches into even more side characters, godly drama, and small moments of quiet in between battles. For players, this is the nominee that fits perfectly into short nightly sessions or long weekend marathons. For voters, it sends a strong message that Early Access can be used to refine something already good into something genuinely special, rather than just patching in missing features.

Hollow Knight: Silksong finally takes center stage

Hollow Knight: Silksong might be the most surreal name to see on an actual Game of the Year ballot simply because the wait felt endless. For years, it lived mostly as a meme and a promise, with fans joking that it would never arrive. Now it is very real, and that sense of relief is matched by genuine respect for what Team Cherry pulled off. Instead of trying to rehash Hallownest, Silksong throws you into Pharloom, a land with a completely different tone and architecture, and lets Hornet move with a speed and acrobatic flair that makes the original protagonist feel almost clumsy in retrospect. The world is dense, vertical, and riddled with shortcuts that only become obvious once you look at them sideways. Boss fights lean hard into precise movement and pattern recognition, rewarding players who pay attention and punishing anyone who tries to rush through. As a nominee, Silksong represents the indie side of the lineup, but it does not feel smaller or less ambitious than its AAA peers. Instead, it underlines how far careful craftsmanship and tight design can go when you give them time to simmer.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and its grounded medieval ambition

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II brings a very different flavor to the selection, one that smells like smoke, wet hay, and steel rather than neon or magical energy. Warhorse Studios is still obsessed with historical authenticity, but this time the team seems more comfortable turning that obsession into a smoother experience. Combat is still brutal and deliberate, but the sequel eases players into its systems more gently, letting you feel clumsy and vulnerable without completely overwhelming you. The story continues Henry’s journey in a Bohemia on the edge of chaos, full of nobles with competing agendas and ordinary people simply trying to make it through another winter. Side quests often play out more like grounded short stories than checklist chores, and your reputation can still swing wildly depending on how you behave. This nominee appeals strongly to anyone who loves the idea of a role-playing game where dragons and magic are swapped for politics and survival. In the broader Game of the Year conversation, it also ensures that the lineup covers not just fantasy and the surreal, but also a version of history that feels painfully tangible.

How Nintendo Switch 2 shapes this year’s GOTY conversation

One quiet thread tying this year’s ballot together is how often Nintendo Switch 2 pops up when you talk about these nominees. Donkey Kong Bananza is the obvious example, built exclusively for the system and used heavily in marketing to show off real-time destruction and more ambitious environments. Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong, however, give Nintendo’s newer hybrid a different kind of strength. Both run on multiple platforms, but being able to play these dense, replayable releases in handheld form has turned Switch 2 into a favorite home for them. That portability matters more than ever in an era where people are juggling families, commutes, and limited free time. Even players who also own a powerful PC or another console might find themselves defaulting to Switch 2 for “just one more run” or “one more area,” especially when sleep mode makes it trivial to dip in and out. When voters look across the ballot, it becomes clear that Nintendo is not just contributing one first-party headliner; it is also hosting some of the year’s most talked-about cross-platform releases. That combination quietly strengthens its hand when people think about which ecosystem defined 2025.

Which Game Awards 2025 nominee fits your playstyle

Trying to pick a single game to play before the show can feel a bit like standing at a buffet with one plate and a very strict timer. The easiest way to decide is to match each nominee to the mood you are chasing. If you want something dramatic, weird, and reflective, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach might be the best fit, especially if you like slow-burn experiences and cinematic storytelling. If you crave tight combat and a sense that every mistake is your own, Hollow Knight: Silksong or Hades II will happily chew you up and spit you out with a grin. Fans of sprawling RPG structure and party dynamics can sink into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, learning its timing-based systems and slowly untangling its eerie world, while anyone who prefers grounded drama and historical detail can lose days to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. If what you really want is something that makes you laugh, gasp, and shout at the screen as entire cliffsides implode, then Donkey Kong Bananza is the obvious choice. The good news is that there is no truly wrong pick here; the hard part is deciding where to start, not whether you will enjoy yourself.

What a Game of the Year win would mean for Donkey Kong Bananza and Nintendo

Imagining Donkey Kong Bananza actually walking away with the Game of the Year trophy is fun partly because it would feel like a bit of a shake-up. Donkey Kong has always been important to Nintendo’s history, but he has not usually been positioned as the company’s primary prestige figure in modern award cycles. A win here would send a clear message that playful chaos, environmental destruction, and slapstick energy can stand shoulder to shoulder with brooding art-house fantasy and experimental drama. It would also underline how strongly Nintendo Switch 2 has landed in its first year or so on the market, with a big exclusive not only selling well but impressing critics and juries. For Nintendo, that kind of recognition would help cement the console as more than just a successor, but as a stage where familiar icons can try genuinely new tricks. For players, it might encourage a fresh wave of wild, mechanically daring platformers rather than safer mascot outings. Of course, even if the award goes elsewhere, the very fact that Bananza is part of this lineup already signals that Nintendo is in a confident mood again.

Conclusion

Looking across this Game of the Year field, it is hard not to feel a little spoiled. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II each serve a different corner of the audience, and yet they all manage to feel like essential releases for 2025. Some will speak to you immediately, others might sit in your backlog for a while before they finally click, but none of them are forgettable. Nintendo Switch 2 quietly plays a starring role, hosting half the lineup and giving Donkey Kong a rare moment right in the awards spotlight. Whether Bananza pulls off the upset or Clair Obscur simply continues its march through history, this is the kind of year that reminds everyone why people still care so much about Game of the Year debates in the first place. They are not just about trophies and marketing lines, they are about figuring out which experiences left a mark on us long after the credits rolled.

FAQs
  • Which Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year nominee is best for Nintendo Switch 2 owners?
    • If you play mainly on Nintendo Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza is the most obvious pick because it was designed specifically for the system and really leans on its hardware. Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong are also excellent choices on Switch 2 if you prefer replayable action and exploration that can be enjoyed in handheld mode.
  • Is Donkey Kong Bananza available on platforms other than Nintendo Switch 2?
    • No, Donkey Kong Bananza is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, both according to Nintendo’s own store listing and multiple announcements. If you want to experience its underground destruction and DK’s new look, you will need access to Nintendo’s latest hybrid system rather than the older Switch hardware or competing consoles.
  • Why is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 considered a frontrunner for Game of the Year?
    • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become a frontrunner because it pairs a striking visual style and emotionally heavy story with inventive turn-based combat that uses real-time timing elements. It has also picked up a record number of nominations at The Game Awards and sold millions of copies quickly, which makes it hard for voters to ignore when weighing impact and craft.
  • Do I need to play the first Hades or Kingdom Come: Deliverance before their sequels?
    • You can jump into Hades II and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II as a newcomer, but your experience will be richer if you know the earlier releases. Hades II expects less prior knowledge and does a solid job onboarding new players, while Kingdom Come: Deliverance II builds directly on Henry’s story and the political situation, so returning players will pick up on more nuances in its world and relationships.
  • When and where can I watch The Game Awards 2025 ceremony?
    • The Game Awards 2025 ceremony takes place on December 11, broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. You can watch it for free on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and this year it is also being streamed on Amazon Prime Video, so it is easy to tune in whether you prefer to watch on a TV, phone, or laptop.
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