2025 is a Massive Year for GOTY Contenders

The Game Awards 2025 nominees have officially dropped, and this year is stacked with heavy hitters: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Donkey Kong Bananza, and more. Watch the full nominee announcement from The Game Awards!

For streamers planning their coverage, we already have full blog posts ready for some of the biggest nominees. Here’s a breakdown of everything you can use to upgrade your stream for GOTY season:

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - our pick for game of the year 2025

We’re openly rooting for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and not just because the game is stunning. It mixes surreal dark fantasy with emotional storytelling and some of the most original combat design we’ve seen in years. It's bold, artistic, technically impressive, and it captured the streaming community with its atmosphere alone.

Why it’s a GOTY favorite

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just one of the most talked-about games of the year, it’s also the most nominated title at The Game Awards 2025, earning 12 major nominations. In addition to Game of the Year, it’s competing for Best Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie, Best RPG, and three Best Performance nominations for its cast. That alone puts it on a completely different level!!

But beyond the awards, here’s why it stands out:

• A unique art direction that looks unlike any other 2025 release
• A combat system blending turn-based precision with real-time action inputs
• A world and narrative built for emotional impact and surreal immersion
• Huge community buzz and strong streaming appeal since day one
• Some of the most original visual storytelling of this generation

This game isn’t just competing.. it’s defining the year!

We created a full overlay guide to help creators match that vibe:

👉 The Best Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Stream Overlays

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Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived after years of anticipation, and it didn’t take long to prove it was worth the wait!! Even in a year filled with massive releases, it stands out as one of the strongest contenders for GOTY 2025.

Here’s why it’s a serious name in the race:

• It’s the long-awaited sequel to one of the most influential indie games ever
• It pushes the metroidvania genre forward with exceptional mobility and level design
• Its atmosphere and soundtrack create an emotional, unforgettable experience
• It has massive appeal among creators, speedrunners, and challenge-focused players
• It remains one of the most discussed and analyzed indie releases of the year

For streamers covering the game, we’ve prepared a full overlay guide:

👉 The Best Hollow Knight: Silksong Stream Overlays

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II entered 2025 as one of the most ambitious RPG releases of the year.. and it absolutely delivered!! With its focus on realism, historical immersion, and cinematic storytelling, it quickly became a serious contender for GOTY 2025, especially among fans of narrative-driven, systems-heavy role-playing games.

Why it stands strong in the GOTY race:

• A deeply immersive medieval world grounded in authenticity
• A narrative that feels more mature, polished, and emotionally engaging than the first game
• Massive improvements in combat, exploration, and performance
• A dedicated fanbase that pushed it to the top of streaming charts during launch
• One of the most complete medieval RPG experiences in recent years

And for streamers diving into its long campaigns, we’ve prepared two full guides to help you match its gritty medieval aesthetic:

👉 Best Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Stream Overlays

👉 The Ultimate Stream Packages for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Fans

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Other Major GOTY 2025 Nominees

While we don’t have full posts (yet) for these titles, they’re playing a huge role in shaping the awards race:

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Kojima returns in peak cinematic form, delivering a sequel that pushes storytelling, atmosphere, and emotional tension to a new level. Its bold direction and experimental gameplay make it one of the most daring GOTY contenders this year.

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Hades II

Supergiant Games delivers a roguelike masterclass once again. Hades II elevates the original with deeper systems, sharper combat, and richer lore, earning universal praise and securing its place in the GOTY conversation.

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Donkey Kong Bananza

A joyful and energetic comeback for the franchise. With expressive animation, clever platforming, and pure fun factor, Bananza brings classic Nintendo charm back into the spotlight, making it a strong and crowd-pleasing nominee.

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What about you.. do you have a favorite for GOTY 2025? Cast your vote now!

And remember, the winners will be revealed on Thursday, December 11!

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💙Extra Resources

Find more animated stream overlays, animated stream alerts, animated transitions, Stream Deck Icons, emotes and badges, stream widgets (Chat Box, Event List, Goal Bar), and custom stream designs:

• StreamSpell Store
• Custom Design Services
• StreamSpell Portfolio
• StreamSpell Etsy Store

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