Six German Titles Nominated for Games For Change Awards 2025

From almost 800 entries from 55 countries, the jury has compiled the shortlist for the 11 categories of this year's Games for Change Award. German teams are surprisingly well represented with 7 nominations for 6 games.

The response to the Games For Change Awards has increased again. According to the organisers, around 10 per cent more titles were submitted than in 2024. In total, there were almost 800 submissions from 55 countries, from which the jury has now presented the nominees. The actual awards ceremony will take place on 26 June and will be streamed globally via Twitch.

“As our community has expanded worldwide, so has the impact and breadth of the games we celebrate. This year’s finalists demonstrate the power of games and immersive experiences to address both local and global challenges,” said Games for Change President Susanna Pollack.

According to the organisers, 60 percent of all submissions this time came from outside the USA. The nominees are correspondingly international. In addition to multiple award-winning titles such as Neva by Nomada Studios, an unusually large number of German entries have also been nominated this year. A total of six productions from Germany have received 7 nominations.

Hamburg-based Osmotic Studios has been nominated twice with Closer the Distrance. It has a chance of being honoured both as Best Narrative and Best Gameplay.

Harold Halibur by Slow Bros. is also nominated for Best in Innovation, one of the most internationally recognised games from Germany in the last 12 months. In the Best in Health & Wellness category, two of the three nominees are from Germany: DigiCare by prefontal cortex and Vampire Therrapist by Little Bat Games. Also nominated from Germany are RheinMain University of Applied Sciences with Umfeld and Torpor Games with Kingdom in Rizia.

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The 2025 Games for Change Awards finalists:

Best Narrative- 1000xRESIST - sunset visitor 斜陽遊客 - Closer the Distance - Osmotic Studios - Indika - Odd Meter

Best In Innovation- Harold Halibut - Slow Bros. - In the Current of Being - Cameron Kostopoulos - Phoenix Springs - Calligram Studio

Best In Learning- Star Stuff - Animo Games Studio - Tablecraft - Not Suspicious - Neohaven Noodles - Preloaded

Best In Impact- 1000xRESIST - sunset visitor 斜陽遊客 - Umfeld (social environment) - Hochschule RheinMain - Velvet 89 - Charles Games, People in Need

Best In Health & Wellness- DigiCare - prefrontal cortex GmbH - Simfonik - Within Touching Distance - Vampire Therapist - Little Bat Games

Best In Civics- Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) - Unreliable Narrators - Kingdom of Rizia - Torpor Games - Nuclear Negotiator - Jollywise

Best Gameplay- Closer the Distance - Osmotic Studios - Neva - Nomada Studio - Botany Manor - Balloon Studios

Best Platform-Based Project- Art Leap by the Belvedere Museum in Roblox - Exclusible - Minecraft National Park - Minecraft - Seattle Children's Hospital Minecraft Server - Hive Games & Mojang Studio

Best Student Project- Prší - Herdek Kolektiv - Draconian Times - Zach Cohen - The WereCleaner - The WereCleaner Team

Best In Environmental Impact- Crab God - Chaos Theory Games - Bloom: The Saga of the Fertilizer Economy - Field Day Lab - Creatures of Ava - Inverge Studios

Best In XR- Tablecraft - Not Suspicious - Traces: The Grief Processor - Couzin Studio - Impulse: Playing with Reality - Anagram