The stage is set for one of the most prestigious events in the German gaming industry, as the nominees for the Deutscher Computerspielepreis 2025 were officially announced on March 17, 2025. This award will honor the best German video games from the previous year, culminating in a gala ceremony to be held on May 14, 2025, at the historic Palais am Funkturm in Berlin.
This year, the competition is fierce across various award categories, with significant prizes up for grabs. The coveted title of Best German Game will see its winner awarded €100,000, with the two runners-up receiving €30,000 each. The nominees for this prestigious category include:
- Enshrouded by Keen Games
- Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders by Megagon Industries
- Thronefall by Grizzly Games
The event will also showcase various other categories with monetary rewards, highlighting the depth and creativity within the German gaming scene. The complete list of nominees across categories is as follows:
Best Family Game
- Mindbug Online by Kissaki Studio
- PRIM by Common Colors / Application Systems Heidelberg
- Season by Strawfools
Best Debut
- Footgun: Underground by Turtle Knight Games / CobraTekku Games
- Nordhold by Stunforge / Stunforge & HypeTrain Digital
- Mindlock – The Apartment by Roof Cut Media / United Soft Media
Best Prototype
- Blob the Klex by Hochschule Darmstadt
- Echoes of Mora by HTW Berlin
- Map Map – A Game About Maps by HAW Hamburg
- Exhibit A by Mediadesign Hochschule München
- STUNTBOOST by Hochschule Kempten
Best Innovation and Technology
- Closer the Distance by Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games
- Deine Stimme by Sebastian Grünwald and Reality Twist / Bayerische Landeszentrale für politische Bildungsarbeit
- Enshrouded by Keen Games
Best Audio Design
- Duck Detective: The Secret Salami by Happy Broccoli Games
- Enshrouded by Keen Games
- ODDADA by Sven Ahlgrimm
Best Game Design
- Between Horizons by DigiTales Interactive / Assemble Entertainment
- Nordhold by Stunforge / Stunforge & HypeTrain Digital
- Thronefall by Grizzly Games
Best Graphic Design
- Harold Halibut by Slow Bros.
- PBJ – Das Musical by kamibox
- Songs of Silence by Chimera Entertainment
Best Mobile Game
- Bauhaus Bonk by Spoonful Games
- Duck Detective: The Secret Salami by Happy Broccoli Games
- Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 – The Dead King’s Secret by Christoph Minnameier
Best Story
- Mini Mini Golf Golf by Three More Years
- Tavern Talk by Gentle Troll Entertainment
- Vampire Therapist by Little Bat Games
Best Serious Game
- Deine Stimme by Sebastian Grünwald & Reality Twist
- Erinnern. Die Kinder vom Bullenhuser Damm by Paintbucket Games
- UNHOME – Apart from Society by Curious Company
Studio of the Year
- Aesir Interactive from München
- Gentle Troll Entertainment from Würzburg
- Megagon Industries from Berlin
The event will be emceed by television presenter Katrin Bauerfeind and entertainer Uke Bosse. Anticipation is building around not only the awards themselves but also the accompanying financial support for the German games sector, which totals €800,000 spread across all categories. Notably, even nominees within the category for Best Prototype will receive financial consideration, ensuring recognition for innovative projects.
This year, the Best International Game award sees nominations for titles such as Astro Bot, Indiana Jones und der große Kreis, and Split Fiction, showcasing the competition's broad scope and appeal.
From now until April 27, 2025, the public can participate by voting for their favorite nominee for Player of the Year. The voting is available on the official website, where fans can also stream the award show live.
With exciting advances and creativity evident within this year's nominees, the 2025 Deutscher Computerspielepreis promises to be a landmark event for the German gaming industry.
