The 2025 video game award season has officially come to a close with the 15th annual New York Game Awards, and 2025’s darling, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, took home the night’s biggest prize.
The New York Video Game Critics Circle celebrated the best games of 2025 during a special 15th anniversary celebration at the 2026 New York Game Awards held at the SVA Theater in New York City.
Hosted once again by Reggie Fils-Aimé and NYVGCC Founder and New York Times Games Critic Harold Goldberg, the ceremony saw The Pokémon Company receive the 2026 Andrew Yoon Legend Award.
The NYVGCC was also honored with a proclamation from the New York City Council and received special remarks from Nintendo of America.
Ball x Pit, another game that took the world by storm, took home the inaugural Excelsior Award for Best NY Game. People Make Fames received the NYVGCC’s prestigious Knickerbocker Award for best Games Journalism.
The most significant award of the night, the Big Apple Award for Game of the Year, went to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a massive RPG from the Indie Studio, Sandfall Interactive, capping off what was a stellar year for the game studio made up of newcomers.
Congrats to the team at Sandfall Interactive.
You Can See The Full 2026 New York Game Award Winners Below:
- Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game: Blue Prince
- Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game: Blippo+
- Statue of Liberty Award for Best World: Hades II
- Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game: South of Midnight
- Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game: Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excelsior Award for Best NY Game:
- Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game: Lumines Arise
- Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game: Donkey Kong Bananza
- A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game: Is This Seat Taken?
- High Line Award for Best Remake: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem: News Tower
- NYC GWB Award for Best DLC: Lies of P: Overture
- Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism: People Make Games
- Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient: The Pokémon Company
