"The Drifter" has been awarded the Game of the Year at the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards

Image credit: Powerhoof

At the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards, Powerhoof's creation, The Drifter, garnered the prestigious Game of the Year award. It was also recognized for Excellence in Art, Narrative, and Sound Design, establishing itself as a standout in multiple categories.

One of the judges lauded it as "a game that embodies refinement and opens new horizons for its genre, capturing the Australian spirit of top-tier game development."

Witch Beam's Tempopo achieved accolades in both the Excellence in Music and Accessibility categories, while Studio of the Year was awarded to Massive Monster, known for their game Cult of the Lamb.

Epic Games' Antony Reed, overseeing ANZ & SEA regions, received the Adam Lancman Award to honor his significant contributions to Australia's gaming industry.

Emerging talent Aiden Gyory, based in Adelaide, was honored with the Rising Star Award. His efforts in advancing the local game development community and offering educational programs to schools and universities contributed to his recognition.

Gyory, who founded Catalyst Games, has also served as community manager at Game Plus, a collaborative workspace for game developers.

Other notable awardees included Luke Muscat for Feed the Deep, Spoonful of Wonder for Copycat, and Cain Maddox for Proximate.

Ron Curry, CEO of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), praised the event, highlighting the "creative and diverse achievements emerging from Australia’s games sector." According to Curry, the selection of winners posed a challenge for the judges due to the impressive quality of submissions.

Curry emphasized that Australian studios are continually creating games that surpass expectations, with government backing helping foster the local industry and allowing developers to create innovative experiences that resonate globally.

Below is the complete list of honorees from the 2025 Australian Game Developer Awards:

Game of the Year: The Drifter (Powerhoof)
Excellence in Art: The Drifter
Excellence in Gameplay: Mars First Logistics (Shape Shop)
Excellence in Narrative: The Drifter
Excellence in Sound Design: The Drifter
Excellence in Music: Tempopo (Witch Beam)
Excellence in Accessibility: Tempopo
Excellence in Mobile: Feed the Deep (Luke Muscat)
Excellence in Extended Reality: Shattered (PlaySide Studios and Meta)
Excellence in Impact: Copycat (Spoonful of Wonder)
Excellence in Debut: Proximate (Cain Maddox)
Excellence in Ongoing: Risk: Global Domination (SMG Studio)
The Rising Star: Aiden Gyory
The Adam Lancman Award: Antony Reed
Studio of the Year: Massive Monster