Develop:Star Awards 2025 Finalists
All this year's entries were evaluated by panels of games industry professionals appointed by the Develop:Star Awards team. The judging panel for each awards category reviewed those entries and selected a shortlist of finalists for that award.
So, listed below we now have a shortlist of finalists in each of the 17 categories with additional information to help you decide who to vote for!
All you have to do is decide on your favourite finalists then go back to the Voting Form and select your winners.
Please note: You don't have to vote for every category, it's one form submission per person and once you've cast your votes and pressed submit you can't go back to change anything.
Recognising a game which demonstrates exceptional achievement in visual art and/or animation – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Dungeons of Hinterberg
- Harold Halibut
- Neva
- Paper Trai
- Songs of Silence
- Still Wakes the Deep
Rewarding a team who have far exceeded expectation in their storytelling to create an outstanding player experience, through innovative or ground-breaking writing – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Closer the Distance
- Expelled!
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
This award recognises a team responsible for exceptional and creative game design via the use of controls, level design, pacing and mechanics – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Astro Bot
- Expelled!
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Two Point Museum
Rewarding a game that demonstrates distinction in the use of sound or music to improve player experience – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Astro Bot
- Atomfall
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Monument Valley 3
- Tales Of Kenzera: Zau
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
This award will recognise the creation of the best new intellectual property – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Paper Trail
- Stellar Blade
- Still Wakes the Deep
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
- Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop
- Vampire Therapist
Recognising an exceptional technical innovation across video game software, hardware and engines, that demonstrates a fresh approach, unique thinking and/or addresses a particular need in the market.
Finalists:
- Astro Bot
- Code Wizards Group
- Harold Halibut
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Lego Horizon Adventures
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Recognising an exceptional initiative that has had a positive impact on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within a video game company or the wider industry.
Finalists:
- Brainspark Games
- Ensemble (part of London Games Festival)
- Limit Break Mentorship
- Out Making Games
- Playground Games
- Women in Games
Recognising an exceptional marketing campaign for a video game or video game hardware that has demonstrated outstanding results during the qualifying period.
Finalists:
- Animal Well
- Dungeons of Hinterberg
- Hitman World of Assassination
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Make Green Moves
- Monument Valley 3
- PowerWash Simulator
Recognising the outstanding work of a company supporting the game development community, including providers of creative audio-visual assets, QA and localisation, law, accountancy and production, but not recruitment.
Finalists
- Barclays
- GG Insurance Services
- Green Man Gaming
- PitStop Productions
- Room 8 Group
- Side
- Tanglewood Games
- Unreal Engine
Recognising an in-house team or external company or agency for exceptional work in the fields of talent acquisition, retention and development.
Finalists:
- Aardvark Swift
- Amiqus
- Datascope Recruitment
- Playground Games Recruitment Team
- Skillsearch
Recognising the stand-out game available on mobile phone or tablet devices that has excelled in all aspects of game development to achieve creative, commercial and critical success.
Finalists:
- A Little to the Left
- Adopt Me
- Maid of Sker
- Monument Valley 3
- Paper Trail
- PBJ – The Musical
The Tomorrow's Star award will recognise the achievements of new talent in the games industry. Nominees should be below senior management or director level.
Finalists:
- Emma Marshall-Newson, Sumo Digital
- Francesca White, Behaviour Interactive
- Gurvinder Bisran, BOM
- Marco Ng, Otterweave Games
- Melodie Showell, Side
- Summer Davies, BLAST
- Valeriya Lakhtikova, Dovetail Games
Recognising outstanding achievement in the development and application of accessibility features that are wide-ranging, impactful and show exceptional craft.
Finalists:
- Atomfall
- Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island
- Paper Trail
- Sea Of Thieves
- SILENT HILL 2
- Trash Goblin
Recognising an organisation that has shown outstanding support helping developers get their game published. This can include via funding, discoverability, research or anything else that helped secure a successful route to market for new games.
Finalists:
- Curve Games
- Fireshine Games
- No More Robots
- Playstack
- Raw Fury
- Secret Mode
- Team17
Rewarding the game that stands out above all others in terms of gameplay, storytelling, art style, character development, creativity and overall player experience – across all genres and platforms.
Finalists:
- Astro Bot
- Atomfall
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Split Fiction
- Still Wakes the Deep
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!
This award celebrates exceptional studios with ten or fewer employees.
Finalists:
- Billy Basso
- Coal Supper
- Cyberwave
- Newfangled Games
- Polygon Treehouse
- Spilt Milk Studios