Clair Obscur remains front-runner as gaming awards season stretches into spring

Polygon reports that Clair Obscur, which won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, still has momentum as several major awards ceremonies remain on the calendar and its victory lap is not yet over. The DICE Awards (Feb. 12) are the closest industry analogue to the Oscars, voted on by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences rather than critics, and Clair Obscur and Ghost of Yōtei lead DICE nominations with eight apiece; Dispatch, Arc Raiders, and Blue Prince also appear among the GOTY nominees.

The DICE jury often follows The Game Awards, so a Clair Obscur win there and in several other categories seems likely. The Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards on March 11 are indie-focused and iconoclastic; Baby Steps leads IGF with five nominations and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize could go to any of several nominees, including Blippo+ or Horses.

The Game Developers Choice Awards at GDC (March 12) are decided by industry creatives and editors, and Clair Obscur is again the hot favorite with eight nominations ahead of Ghost of Yōtei, Blue Prince, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Split Fiction; some titles that did well at The Game Awards look weaker with these juries.

Key Topics

Culture, Clair Obscur, Dice Awards, Igf Awards, Gdc Awards, Bafta Games Awards