Steam Awards 2025 Nominations Now Open with Voting Until December 1

The 2025 Steam Awards are now taking nominations, giving players a chance to vote on everything from Game of the Year to Best Game on Steam Deck. Voting runs until 1 December, and as usual the process is split into two phases. Steam will publish its list of finalists on 18 December when the Winter Sale launches, and the winners will be announced on 3 January. It’s one of the few award events where the community has complete control over who advances. To cast your vote, head over to the official Steam nominations page using the hyperlink.

All Steam Awards 2025 Categories

• Game of the Year
• VR Game of the Year
• Labor of Love
• Best Game on Steam Deck
• Better with Friends
• Outstanding Visual Style
• Most Innovative Gameplay
• Best Game You Suck At
• Best Soundtrack
• Outstanding Story-Rich Game
• Sit Back & Relax

The rules are straightforward. Every category except Labor of Love is limited to games that launched on Steam within the past year. That opens the door for titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which missed Steam in 2024 but arrived on the platform this January. Other categories lean into specific player habits, such as the Best Game on Steam Deck award, which focuses on handheld-verified releases including Hades 2, Ninja Gaiden 4 and Hollow Knight Silksong.

There’s also a strong mix of multiplayer options this year. Better With Friends highlights recent co-op and competitive games like REPO, ARC Raiders, Where Winds Meet and Marvel Rivals. Meanwhile, Labor of Love is the only category not tied to the annual release window. It rewards long-term support, with major contenders ranging from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy 14 to titles that have been updated for years. In my experience, this is always the most fiercely debated category, because players judge consistency and growth rather than flashy new releases.

VR Game of the Year is more niche and usually one of the most divisive sections. I’ll be honest, I don’t spend much time in VR, but I’ve watched enough discussions across the community to spot when something gains real momentum. The Midnight Walk has been building a quiet following, helped by behind-the-scenes development updates and a strong narrative hook. Even as someone who doesn’t play VR often, I’ve noticed how much respect it has earned among dedicated headset users, which usually signals a strong candidate.

Steam’s story-driven and artistic categories are packed as well. Outstanding Visual Style often ends up showcasing games that lean into distinctive design rather than raw realism. Titles such as Terminal Brigade and Silksong stand out here. I’ve seen Terminal Brigade compared to older hero shooters, but with a roguelite flavour and a bold colour palette that gives it real personality. Best Soundtrack should also pull in a lot of attention.

Expedition 33 has been praised heavily for its music, and from what I’ve played myself, it’s easy to see why.

Every year, one conversation repeats itself, players want clearer recognition for innovation. The Most Innovative Gameplay category is meant to fill that gap, and this year’s shortlist reflects everything from experimental combat systems to hybrid genre ideas. I’ve been following Kronos: The New Dawn closely because I don’t usually enjoy horror shooters, yet it managed to hold my attention in a way I didn’t expect. The creature design and the shifting threat patterns genuinely surprised me, which is rare at this stage of my life. Experiences like that are exactly why this category exists.

Game of the Year is always the main event, and while the nominations haven’t been finalised yet, players are already debating their favourites. For me, the most interesting part of GOTY season is how differently Steam users vote compared to major award shows. The Golden Joystick Awards, for example, tend to reward popularity surges, and this year’s ceremony sparked plenty of discussion. I watched part of it and thought the pacing and presentation were far better than the last few years. The Steam Awards sit at the opposite end. They lean more on long-tail engagement, performance after launch and community loyalty.

The final lists on 18 December will set the tone for another round of debates, and judging by early chatter, the competition looks tighter than usual. Whether players favour stable, long-supported titles or ambitious new launches is the big question. Steam users rarely vote the same way twice, and that unpredictability is what makes these awards consistently interesting.