Games for Change Awards 2025 announces finalists across 11 categories

Nonprofit gaming organization Games for Change announced the finalists for its annual Games for Change Awards. The 2025 Games for Change Awards will announce the winners at the Awards Ceremony on June 26 via a live stream on Twitch.

Finalists were chosen from a list of nearly 800 submissions, a 10% increase from last year. Fun fact: over 60% of this year’s submissions were from developers outside the United States.

The Games for Change Awards highlights and recognizes games with important social impact and narrative excellence, across 11 different categories.

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

“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 Susanna Pollack, President, Games for Change. “With creators from four continents tackling everything from environmental sustainability to mental health, these projects demonstrate how powerful this medium can be to explore complex issues. What impresses me the most is how the finalists blend immense creativity with purpose. These are both great games and a gateway to understanding and acting on some of today’s most pressing challenges.”

Games for Change also announced this year’s Special Award honorees, including Vanguard Award recipient Dr. Rachel Kowert, and Indie Breakout Award to 1000xRESIST and sunset visitor 斜陽過客.

The Games for Change 2025 Awards will stream on June 26.