PRESS RELEASE – Games for Change Announces 2025 Award Finalists
May 27, 2025 oops- Games for Change (G4C), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing games and immersive media for social impact, unveiled the finalists for the 2025 Games for Change Awards. Chosen from nearly 800 submissions across 55 countries, the winners will be announced during the G4C Awards Ceremony at 6:30 PM ET on June 26, hosted by Spawn on Me’s Kahlief Adams and streamed live on Twitch for a global audience.
The G4C Awards celebrate titles across 11 unique categories, recognizing achievements in narrative excellence, innovative gameplay, and impact across civic, social, and cultural challenges. This year introduces the new “Best Platform-Based Project” category, recognizing experiences created within established gaming platforms and leveraging those communities and tools to drive meaningful change.
The G4C awards saw a 10% increase in entries from 2024, with more than 60% of submissions coming from outside the United States. There was also an unprecedented 30% jump in the Best Environmental Impact category and a 34% increase in XR experiences, reflecting increased industry focus on sustainability and immersive technology.
“As our community has expanded worldwide, so has the impact and breadth of the games we celebrate. This year’s finalists demonstrate the power of games and immersive experiences to address both local and global challenges,” said Games for Change President Susanna Pollack.
“With creators from four continents tackling everything from environmental sustainability to mental health, these projects demonstrate how powerful this medium can be to explore complex issues. What impresses me the most is how the finalists blend immense creativity with purpose. These are both great games and a gateway to understanding and acting on some of today’s most pressing challenges.”
The 2025 Games For Change Awards Finalists
Best Narrative
1000xRESIST – sunset visitor 斜陽遊客
Closer the Distance – Osmotic Studios
Indika – Odd Meter
Best In Innovation
Harold Halibut – Slow Bros.
In the Current of Being – Cameron Kostopoulos
Phoenix Springs – Calligram Studio
Best In Learning
Star Stuff – Animo Games Studio
Tablecraft – Not Suspicious
Neohaven Noodles – PRELOADED
Best In Impact
1000xRESIST – sunset visitor 斜陽遊客
Umfeld (social environment) – Hochschule RheinMain
Velvet 89 – Charles Games, People in Need
Best In Health & Wellness
DigiCare – prefrontal cortex GmbH
SIMFONIK – Within Touching Distance
Vampire Therapist – Little Bat Games
Best In Civics
Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) – Unreliable Narrators
Kingdom of Rizia – Torpor Games
Nuclear Negotiator – Jollywise
Best Gameplay
Closer the Distance – Osmotic Studios
Neva – Nomada Studio
Botany Manor – Balloon Studios
Best Platform-Based Project
Art Leap by the Belvedere Museum in Roblox – Exclusible
Minecraft National Park – Minecraft
Seattle Children’s Hospital Minecraft Server – Hive Games & Mojang Studio
Best Student Project
Prší – Herdek Kolektiv
Draconian Times – Zach Cohen
The WereCleaner – The WereCleaner Team
Best In Environmental Impact
Crab God – Chaos Theory Games
Bloom: The Saga of the Fertilizer Economy – Field Day Lab
Creatures of Ava – Inverge Studios
Best In XR
Tablecraft – Not Suspicious
TRACES: The Grief Processor – Couzin Studio
Impulse: Playing with Reality – Anagram
“Congratulations to the G4C Festival Awards Finalists! Our office is a proud, long-term partner of Games for Change as we share a common goal to support digital game development and make NYC a global hub for the industry,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman.
“Games for Change is a tentpole event in our ‘NYC Summer of Games’ initiative, which brings awareness to all the digital gaming-based events taking place throughout the city in the summer months, kicking off on May 31 with the first-ever NYC Video Game Festival.”
About Games for Change
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place.
G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
