The Awards Show takes place at SVA Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 18
Tickets on sale now!
NEW YORK – December 15, 2025 – Today, the New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC) unveiled the nominees for the 15th annual New York Game Awards. Read by beloved Star Wars actor and voice actor Ahmed Best, and former NYVGCC intern and assistant producer at Lucasfilm, Kimari Rennis, the nominees were revealed during a livestream on the official NYVGCC YouTube channel. The event will honor The Pokémon Company as the 2026 recipient of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award.
NYVGCC will introduce an entirely new award category for the 2026 New York Game Awards, giving more opportunities for excellence recognition in games. The new award category, the Excelsior Award for Best New York Game, recognizes games developed by studios based in New York.
“This year had so many amazing games that we felt it was necessary to introduce the new Excelsior Award to shine an extra spotlight on the games coming out of New York,” said Harold Goldberg, president and founder of NYVGCC. “This year’s awards highlight 66 of the best games made by game studios and individuals across the world. Our dedicated team of journalists, interns and volunteers are counting down the days until we can celebrate their accomplishments at our 15th annual New York Game Awards on Sunday, January 18. Tickets for the show and GG Fest on January 17 are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to be a part of something special in 2026!”
The nominees for the 15th Annual New York Game Awards are:
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game
Skate City: New York
What The Clash?
Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Is This Seat Taken?
Spooky Express
Chaos Zero Nightmare
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
Sunderfolk
Koira
Donkey Kong Bananza
Lego Party!
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
High Line Award for Best Remake
The Talos Principle: Reawakened
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Story Of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
Split Fiction
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hades II
Baby Steps
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Keeper
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Blue Prince
Despelote
Deltarune Chapters 3+4
Consume Me
No, I’m not a Human
Tiny Bookshop
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Avowed
The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-
Mafia: The Old Country
Ghost of Yōtei
Blippo+
Excelsior Award for Best New York Game
Despelote
Baby Steps
Consume Me
Old Skies
Ball x Pit
Skate Story
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
Ghost Town
V-Racer Hoverbike
The Midnight Walk
Lumines Arise
Marvel’s Deadpool VR
Arken Age
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
Adriyan Rae as Hazel in South of Midnight
Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Amelia Sargisson as Nora in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Alex Jordan as Jan Dolski in The Alters
Judy Alice Lee as Melinoë in Hades II
Erika Ishii as Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Lumines Arise
South of Midnight
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Mario Kart World
Deltarune Chapters 3+4
Sword of the Sea
Hades II
Ghost of Yōtei
Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem
Keep Driving
Nubby’s Number Factory
News Tower
Many Nights a Whisper
Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action
and Roger
Look Outside
Shujinkou
NYC GWB Award for Best DLC
Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
Lies of P: Overture
Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World
The Sims 4 Adventure Awaits
Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune
Hello Kitty Island Adventure – Wheatflour Wonderland
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Duncan Fyfe
Felipe Pepe
Jackson Tyler
Joseph Earl Thomas
Lewis Gordon
Nicanor Gordon
People Make Games
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
Blue Prince
Split Fiction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Despelote
Sword of the Sea
Silent Hill f
Hades II
Ghost of Yōtei
The 2026 New York Game Awards takes place on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan. The celebration officially kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 17, with the newly added GG Fest, featuring panel discussions from beloved game creators and an exclusive Supergiant Games: Unplugged concert from Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett. Tickets for the GG Fest and the NY Game Awards are available for purchase through Eventbrite for $80 each or in a bundle package for $140, which includes preferred seating at the NY Game Awards. Those unable to attend the awards in person can catch the livestream on the NYVGCC YouTube and Twitch, as well as on the GameSpot YouTube channel. For more information on the NY Game Awards and other NYVGCC programs, please visit the website: https://nygamecritics.com/
About New York Videogame Critics Circle
Based in Manhattan, the New York Videogame Critics Circle is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit multicultural organization comprised of 40 of the finest videogame critics, writers, reporters and bloggers in the nation. Members of the NYVGCC give back to their communities by providing scholarships, mentoring and community outreach to NYC schools students. The New York Videogame Critics Circle sees great benefit in advocating for those who are less fortunate.
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For more information, contact:
Colin Regan / Kaitlin Stringer
Zebra Partners on behalf of NYVGCC
colin@zebrapartners.net / kaitlin@zebrapartners.net
Link to Assets:
New York Game Awards Press Kit