The 43rd Golden Joystick Awards shortlist is out, and just looking at the indie list alone, I can tell it's going to be a tough year

The 43rd Golden Joystick Awards' shortlist has just been revealed, and the voting is now open, but the hardest part has only just begun. This year, there are 21 categories, such as PC Game of the Year, Best Multiplayer Game, and Best Indie Game, all of which are completely stacked with stand-out games—it'll be almost impossible to pick between them.

"2025 is our most hotly-contested and unpredictable awards yet," Daniel Dawkins, content director of Golden Joystick Awards, says. "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Ghost of Yōtei and Hollow Knight: Silksong, lead our nominations, but the shortlist’s breadth and quality reflect a fast-evolving industry, where indies, AAs or IIIs—whatever you’d like to call them—frequently dominate play time and social discourse."

Hollow Knight: Silksong Act 3 - Caretaker — (Image credit: Team Cherry)

The categories that will have the closest race will likely be Best Multiplayer Game, as you have Peak, Battlefield 6, Mario Kart World, and my personal favourite, Elden Ring Nightreign, all duking it out for top spot. Meanwhile, over in the Best Indie Game - Self-Published category, you have the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, Peak, and Deltarune all fighting it out, and honestly, I don't know who will win—actually, on second thought, it'll be Silksong, Silksong will win.

"As gaming evolves, so do our categories, with the creation of a new award for Best Remake/ Remaster," Dawkins says. "As the past becomes the present, the Golden Joystick Awards’ mission remains the same—to celebrate the very best in gaming, and give players the chance to reward the hardware, people and amazing virtual worlds that command our affections."

But you at least have a bit of time to mull it all over, as voting will remain open until Halloween night, October 31 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT / and midnight GMT. The winners of each category will be announced during the awards ceremony on November 20. But you don't have to head all the way over to central London, as it will be live-streamed globally.

Best of the best

The Dark Urge, from Baldur's Gate 3, looks towards his accursed claws with self-disdain. — (Image credit: Larian Studios)

2025 games: Upcoming releases
Best PC games: All-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
Best co-op games: Better together

Elie is a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games—even though their greatest fear is being chased. When they're not screaming or hiding, there's a good chance you'll find them testing their metal in metroidvanias or just admiring their Pokemon TCG collection. Elie has previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer and studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs about Smash Bros. or any indie game that crossed their path.

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