Each end of the year, the Game Awards honor the games that have marked the last 12 months, like the Oscars for cinema or the Grammy Awards for music. It’s one of the only events where the entire industry finds itself in the spotlight, with trophies up for grabs and announcements of highly anticipated new titles.
What interests us on pocketphotography.com are mainly iPhone compatible games, therefore those in the best mobile game category. Last year, Balatro won this distinction. For those who don’t know it, it’s a card game inspired by poker, in which you chain games together to score as many points as possible, with special effects and bonuses that change with each round.
This year, the ceremony was held on Wednesday, December 11, 2025 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and like every time, the official website quickly shared the full list of winners after the broadcast.
The best mobile game of 2025 has been named
The trophy for best mobile game this year goes to Umamusume: Pretty Derby. This is a Japanese game which invites you to manage a rather special stable, with horse races… except that the horses here are represented by young girls with special powers. An idea that may seem surprising, but nevertheless appeals to millions of players. It is ahead of four other games with very different profiles, here is the complete list:
No products found.
Other categories
Beyond the mobile games available on iPhone, several titles designed for consoles and PC have also been widely rewarded. The big winner of this edition is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is a narrative adventure game developed in France, which is distinguished by its dark and poetic universe, with very detailed artistic direction. It won several major awards, including Best Direction, Best Storytelling, Best Art Direction, and Game of the Year. We share with you below the rest of the finalists, for each category, with the winner in bold.
Other categories
Game of the year
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Better management
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
Best Storytelling
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Silent Hill
Best Art Direction
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best music
- Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Christopher Larkin, Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Darren Korb, Hades II
- Toma Otowa, Ghost of Yōtei
- Woodkid and Ludvig Forssell, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Best audio design
- Battlefield 6
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Silent Hill
Best performance
- Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Ben Starr, Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Charlie Cox, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Erika Ishii, Ghost of Yōtei
- Konatsu Kato, Silent Hill f
- Troy Baker, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Accessibility innovation
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Atomfall
- EA Sports FC 26
- South of Midnight
Impact games
- South of Midnight
- Consume Me
- Despelote
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Wanderstop
Best followed game
- No Man’s Sky
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldiverse 2
- Marvel Rivals
Best community support
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Fortnite
- Helldiverse 2
- No Man’s Sky
Best Indie Game
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Absolute
- Ball x Pit
- Blue Prince
- Hades II
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best first independent game
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Blue Prince
- Despelote
- Dispatch
Best virtual reality and augmented reality experience
- The Midnight Walk
- Alien: Rogue Incursion
- Arken Age
- Ghost Town
- Marvel’s Deadpool VR
Best action game
- Hades II
- Battlefield 6
- Doom: The Dark Ages
- Ninja Gaiden 4
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
Best Action Adventure
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
Best role-playing game
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Avowed
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- The Outer Worlds 2
Best fighting game
- 2XKO
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection
- Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage
Best family game
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Lego Party!
- Lego Voyagers
- Mario Kart World
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
- Split Fiction
Best simulation and strategy
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
- Jurassic World Evolution 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
- Tempest Rising
- The Alters
- Two Point Museum
Best sport and race
- Mario Kart World
- EA Sports FC 26
- F1 25
- Rematch
- Sonic Racing: Crossworlds
Best multiplayer
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Elden Ring Nightreign
- peak
- Split Fiction
Best adaptation
- The Last of Us: Season 2
- A Minecraft Movie
- Devil May Cry
- Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
- Until Dawn
Most anticipated game
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- 007 First Light
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- Resident Evil Requiem
- The Witcher IV
Content Creator of the Year
- MoistCr1TiKaL
- Caedrel
- Kai Cenat
- Sakura Miko
- The Burnt Peanut
Best esports game
- Counter-Strike 2
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
- Valorant
Best esports athlete
- Chovy (Jeong Ji-Hoon)
- Brawk (Brock Somerhalder)
- f0rsakeN (Jason Susanto)
- Kakeru (Kakeru Watanabe)
- MenaRD (Saul Leonardo)
- ZywOo (Mathieu Herbaut)
Best esports team
- Team Vitality
- Gen.G
- NRG
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid PH
People’s choice
- Wuthering Waves
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Dispatch
- Genshin Impact
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
By: Keleops AG
