Kinda Funny Games Daily: Game Awards 2025 Nominee Predictions
Episode Date: November 14, 2025
Hosts: Andy, SnowBikeMike (Mike), Duncan, with community contributions
Main Theme:
The hosts break down their predictions for the 2025 Game Awards nominees, debating which titles will make the coveted Game of the Year category and other major awards, analyzing industry trends, eligibility windows, and notorious “bumps” certain games or studios receive. The team also discusses the challenges and nuances of the awards process, shares some notable personal favorites, and responds to live community questions.
Episode Overview
Kinda Funny’s crew spends this episode making detailed predictions for the upcoming 2025 Game Awards nominations, weighing critical scores, industry trends, eligibility rules, and personal instincts to lock in their picks. The discussion is rapid-fire, deeply nerdy, and filled with banter, friendly bets, and plenty of memes—an episode aimed at anyone who cares about how gaming’s most influential awards get chosen.
Key Segments & Discussion Highlights
1. Game Awards 2025: The Nominee Process
(07:00–10:00)
- Announcement: The 2025 Game Awards nominations will be revealed Monday at noon ET/9am PT.
- Voting/Eligibility: The hosts clarify the cutoff window, which disqualifies recent releases like Arc Raiders from GoTY consideration.
- The number of nominees: The crew discusses the six slots for Game of the Year and how limited that feels in such a packed year.
Quote:
"I can't think of any other year that could use more of an expansion on the six. Maybe 12, or 15 would be great." — Mike [08:34]
2. Critical Consensus Versus Industry Trends
(09:10–12:00)
- The team compares top review scores from Metacritic and OpenCritic:
- Hades 2, Expedition 33, Blueprints, Split Fiction, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Hollow Knight: Silksong often top the lists.
- Contradiction: Some mainstream hits on social media don’t align with what gets high review scores or industry buzz; eligible release date and recency bias may affect a game’s chances.
Quote:
"You'll notice from just Metacritic and OpenCritic, there are a lot of games that you would think in the mainstream are on the outside looking in right now." — Duncan [10:42]
3. Disqualifications and The ‘Recency Bias’ Effect
(12:00–15:00)
- Dispatch and Split Fiction likely miss out due to timing and lack of lasting hype, even if critically beloved.
- The hosts reflect how some games, like Monster Hunter Wilds or Helldivers, might have gotten more love with a better release slot.
Quote:
"I think that game suffers from the recency bias. If it came out maybe a couple weeks ago, right before voting, still be hot." — Mike [16:09]
4. Locking in the Four GoTY "Locks"
(16:45–20:29)
- Establishing near-certainties for nominations:
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Expedition 33
- Donkey Kong Bonanza
- Debating the “Nintendo Bump”: is Bonanza guaranteed because of the company’s clout? The crew largely agrees, seeing parallels to Super Mario Bros. Wonder's nomination two years prior.
Quote:
"I also think that when Bonanza is released, it is thought of way more highly in a critical form than Super Mario Bros. Wonder... that was their big title." — Mike [17:24]
5. The Final GoTY Predictions
(20:50–29:52)
-
Candidates for the remaining two slots are discussed:
- Death Stranding 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 stand out due to franchise/studio “bumps” and broad appeal.
- Other notable games (Ghost of Yote, Spider-Man, Arc Raiders, Silent Hill F, Doom: The Dark Ages) are weighed, but deemed more likely in secondary categories.
-
Ongoing debate: Could Blueprints or Split Fiction sneak in? Duncan takes the opposite side in a pizza bet against Mike, betting that one of them will.
Quote:
"Are you going to go with that lock? … On the opposite side, I’ll say Split Fiction and/or Blueprints will slide in… make it official pizza bet." — Duncan [30:53]
6. Genre and Specialist Category Noms
(39:34–48:54)
- Best Narrative: Likely to be Expedition 33 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2—but Citizen Sleeper 2 is a passionate plea from Mike for a nomination.
- Best Art Direction: Open field; Hades 2, Expedition 33, Silksong, Absolum, Night Rain, and South of Midnight are mentioned.
- Best Score/Music: Expedition 33, Silksong, Mario Kart World.
- Best Action Game: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Battlefield 6, Night Rain, Doom: The Dark Ages.
- Best RPG: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 considered the frontrunner, but Expedition 33 could surprise.
7. Indie and Debut Indie Nods
(50:15–54:20)
- Hades 2, Silksong, Expedition 33 (debut indie), Blueprints, and Ball Pit named as indies to watch.
- Discussion of early access/late-release indies, sleeper hits (Dead Take), and sales sensations (Peak, Repo).
- Citizen Sleeper 2 and Despalote highlighted as must-play narrative indies, especially for smaller awards shows.
Quote:
"Shout out to 61 Indie and the Indie Game Awards. I’m personally rooting for Citizen Sleeper 2 because I think that’s the best writing in gaming." — Mike [65:01]
8. Side Bets, Superchats, and Esports
(45:17–47:17, 56:39–57:25)
- Best Esports Athlete: Hosts lobby for Faker (back-to-back Worlds champion) and ask whether SonicFox will finally get more flowers from the panel.
- Community superchats lead to fun, offhand debates—e.g., grilled cheese vs. taco in a fight, esports moments, and more.
9. Award Show Process -- Strengths and Flaws
(59:01–61:22)
- The hosts critique categories like Game Direction, wishing for more innovation/technology-focused winners rather than just “second runner-up” GoTY.
- Andy calls for the award’s criteria and naming to be updated, reflecting the different nature of creative leadership in games versus film.
Quote:
"I would love for Game Direction to be something doing so wildly different than anything else. I think I want innovation there…"
— Mike [58:37]
The Kinda Funny GoTY Prediction List
(Finalized at [29:42–30:50])
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Expedition 33
- Donkey Kong Bonanza
- Death Stranding 2
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Pizza Bet: Duncan bets that Split Fiction or Blueprints will take one of these six slots.
Other Awards & Industry Trends
-
Key "Bumps":
- Nintendo (“Nintendo bump”) and Hideo Kojima games often get extra attention.
- Recency and critical consensus sometimes outweigh longevity.
-
Category Crowding:
- The year is unusually packed, increasing the likelihood of “snubs.”
- Some international/localization issues (e.g., Blueprints not being localized outside US) mentioned as hurdles to nominations.
-
Industry Issues:
- Significant layoffs, studio mismanagement (notably at Microsoft with Hi-Fi Rush), and AI controversies are brought up but not deeply discussed in this segment.
Notable Quotes & Banter
- “He loves me. Yeah, well, you know, sometimes.” — Banter about friendly pain, Mike & Duncan [01:39]
- “We’re going to be relying on y’all heavily because the first story will be this whole Game Awards.” — Mike [05:20]
- “I laughed at the first 15 to 20 minutes, the next hour… not that good. Usually Kevin James is like box office gold.” — Duncan [02:27]
- “Don’t go to the chiropractor… that doesn’t look safe and it rarely does.” — Andy [11:51]
- “Arc Raiders out due to timing, chat. That’s what we’re putting it as.” — Duncan [23:34]
- “I’m personally rooting for Citizen Sleeper 2…” — Mike [65:01]
Conclusion
This episode is a must-listen for anyone invested in the ins and outs of major game awards. The hosts provide comedic yet knowledgeable insight, make bold predictions, and reveal how much the timing of releases, industry trends, and even panel experience can influence what gets nominated and wins. Whether you want to win your own “pizza bet” with friends or just keep score at home, this breakdown offers the deepest available cut of the 2025 Game Awards race.
Missed the episode?
You can jump to [29:42] to hear the crew’s Game of the Year locks, or scan through [39:34–48:54] for deep dives into specialist categories. For indie awards, check [63:35–65:12].
The episode ends with a quick sprint through news updates and audience corrections, keeping the usual fast, funny, and informed Kinda Funny spirit.